Volcanic

A science explainer argues that the asteroid impact 66 million years ago was not the sole cause of the dinosaurs' extinction. It points to other contributing factors, such as massive volcanic eruptions, climate change and falling sea levels, that weakened ecosystems before the impact delivered the final blow. The topic continues to draw large audiences as debates over the exact causes of the mass extinction remain active among paleontologists.

Volcanologist Olga Girina has called Shiveluch the most dangerous 'giant' on Kamchatka, drawing attention to the volcano's activity. Shiveluch, one of Russia's most active volcanoes, has repeatedly produced ash eruptions affecting nearby settlements. The assessment highlights ongoing monitoring of Kamchatka's volcanic belt, which poses risks of ashfall to local communities and aviation across the region.

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake struck the South Sandwich Islands, a remote British Overseas Territory in the southern Atlantic Ocean. The quake was registered by seismological monitoring services, but the sparsely populated volcanic archipelago sits far from major population centres, and there were no immediate reports of damage, injuries, or tsunami warnings associated with the event.

Volcanic lightning, known as a dirty thunderstorm, occurs when ash particles colliding inside an eruption plume build up static charge until the cloud discharges bolts of lightning. The phenomenon drew renewed attention after mention of the 2022 Hunga Tonga eruption, which set the all-time record, unleashing more lightning than any storm ever recorded.

Scientists have described a vast floating raft of volcanic pumice, roughly twice the size of Manhattan, that drifted 3,000km across the Pacific while carrying millions of marine animals such as barnacles and corals. Its bubbly, honeycomb texture earned it comparisons to a Cadbury Wispa chocolate bar. Researchers say such rafts may help species colonise new reefs and could even have played a role in the origins of life on Earth.

The Hōlei Sea Arch, a natural lava formation on Hawaii's Big Island near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, has collapsed into the ocean. The collapse removes one of the area's well-known coastal landmarks, formed over years by wave erosion of lava cliffs. Observers are noting the ongoing reshaping of Hawaii's volcanic coastline and the natural forces behind such formations.

Backpacker Magazine reports that France's most demanding long-distance hiking trail is not on the European mainland but in the Indian Ocean, on the French overseas island of Réunion. The island's route, crossing volcanic terrain and steep ravines, is described as tougher than any thru-hike in mainland France, drawing attention from the hiking and adventure travel community.

Hōlei Sea Arch, a natural rock formation on Hawaii's Big Island near Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. The arch, carved by erosion from volcanic coastline, was a well-known scenic landmark. Officials are assessing the collapse and warning visitors about unstable cliffs and coastal conditions in the area, while geologists point to the constant erosion of the volcanic shore.

Scientists are examining why this year's Antarctic ozone hole is unusually large, even though the ozone layer has been recovering since the Montreal Protocol phased out ozone-depleting chemicals. Possible explanations include colder-than-usual polar stratospheric temperatures, atmospheric dynamics and volcanic aerosols, which can widen the annual hole without reversing the long-term recovery trend.

The survival city-builder Frostpunk will launch on Nintendo Switch on October 19, according to Eurogamer Spain. The 11 bit studios title, previously released on PC and other consoles, tasks players with leading a city through a volcanic winter. Its arrival on a portable console is drawing attention from strategy fans.

Scientists report that Campi Flegrei, the supervolcano near Naples nicknamed the 'Mouth of Hell', may conceal a second magma chamber beneath the already-known one. Roughly two million people live in the surrounding area, making any new insight into the volcano's internal structure a matter of serious public safety. Researchers used seismic imaging to detect the possible chamber, deepening concerns about monitoring one of the world's most closely watched volcanic zones.

Researchers at UC Berkeley are using the volcanic ash from the eruption that destroyed Pompeii in 79 AD as a precise geological marker. Because the ash spread widely in a single moment, it gives scientists a fixed reference point to date sediment layers and climate records around the world, sharpening the timeline of Earth's history.

Giant flightless birds may have reached a remote volcanic island by drifting across the sea on floating rafts of vegetation, according to new research reported by science outlets. The finding challenges long-held assumptions that such birds, incapable of flight, could only have spread over land connections, and suggests ocean dispersal may explain how similar species colonised isolated islands.

The Holei Sea Arch, a well-known lava rock formation along the coastline of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, has collapsed into the Pacific Ocean. The collapse followed Tropical Storm Nolo's passage through the area. The arch was a popular stopping point for park visitors, and its loss marks a visible change to the park's famously shifting volcanic coastline.