Mud volcano reported to have killed several Cattle near the town of San Juan de Urabá in Colombia.

A number of Cattle are reported to have died following a mud volcano eruption near the town of San Juan de Urabá in Antioquia Department on the Caribbean coast of Colombia on 25 February 2026. The volcano erupted at about 6.20 pm local time, producing a large column of fire as ejected gas ignited, setting fire to vegetation and damaging the road between San Juan de Urabá and San Juancito, which drivers are advised to avoid until repairs are carried out and an assessment of potential future hazards is carried out.

A gas explosion caused by a mud volcano near the town of San Juan de Urabá in Colombia on 25 May 2026. Unidad Nacional para la Gestión del Riesgo de Desastrest.

Unlike regular volcanoes, mud volcanoes are not caused by magma erupting from within the Earth's interior, but rather gasses escaping from buried sediments closer to the surface. Typically this is methane generated by the decomposition of buried vegetation in areas where sediments are accumulating rapidly, leading to the decaying material becoming pressurised. Under these circumstances, the compressed gas will force its way through any cracks into softer layers above (the mud), then erupt rapidly, often bringing lighter oil fractions, also produced by the decomposition of plant material, with it. This creates an explosive mixture, which often ignites in the way seen in Colombia this week, although on other occasions more liquid mud than flammable gas is ejected, creating a messier, but less dramatic eruption.

The site of the mud volcano eruption the following day. The road between San Juan de Urabá and San Juancito can be seen to the left. Gobernación de Antioquia.

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Total Lunar Eclipse to be visible from East Asia, East Australia, Oceania, the Pacific Ocean, and western North America.

A total Lunar Eclipse will occur on Wednesday 3 March 2026, starting at 8.45 am GMT. It will be visible across the eastern parts of Asia, Australia, and Indonesia, as well as the rest of Oceania and the Pacific Ocean, the western part of North America, and parts of Antarctica. In Southeast, South, and Central Asia, western Australia and Indonesia, and much of North, Central, and South America, Greenland, and the Caribbean, part of the eclipse will be visible, although in these areas the Moon will either rise part way through the eclipse, or set before it is complete in these areas.

Areas from which the 3 March 2026 Lunar Eclipse will be visible. Dominic Ford/In the Sky.

The Moon produces no light of its own, but 'shines' with reflected light from the Sun. Thus at Full Moon the Moon is on the opposite side of the Earth to the Sun, and its illuminated side is turned towards us, but at New Moon the Moon is between the Earth and the Sun, so that its illuminated side is turned away from us.

How the phases of the Moon are caused by the relative positions of the Earth, Sun and Moon. Karl Tate/Space.com.

Lunar eclipses occur when the Moon passes through the Earth's shadow. This can only happen at Full Moon (unlike Solar Eclipses, which happen only when the Moon passes between the Earth and the Sum, and therefore only occur at New Moon), but does not happen every Lunar Month as the Sun, Moon and Earth are not in a perfect, unwavering line, but rather both the Earth and the Moon wobble slightly as they orbit their parent bodies, rising above and sinking bellow the plane of the ecliptic (the plane upon which they would all be in line every month). 

The phases of the 3 March 2026 Lunar Eclipse. Leah Tiscione/Sky & Telescope.

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Astragalus centralis: The Tamditau Milkvetch evaluated as Critically Endangered.

Milkvetches, Astragalus spp., are leguminous herbs of or shrubs, predominantly found in arid or semi-arid climates around the Northern Hemisphere. They are a large group of Plants, with 3082 species recognised in 2025, this is largely because many species are highly endemic (i.e. have very limited ranges). Such limited ranges can make species extremely vulnerable to extinction, though to date only 149 species of Astragalus have been formerly assessed to determine their status under the terms of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, with 36% of these being determined to be threatened, and one, the Tallante's Milkvetch, Astragalus nitidiflorus, has been found to be extinct in the wild.

Thirty two species of Astragalus have been recorded in Uzbekistan, more than any other genus in the country. Most of these are found within the low mountain ranges of the Kyzylkum Desert, a notable centre of Plant endemism covering parts of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, and Turkmenistan. Within this desert a series of low mountain ranges (typically lower than 1000 m) form a western extension of the Central Asian Mountain Belt, creating a range of distinctive micro-habitats. promoting Plant endemism. Of the forty two species of Astragalus known from this region, six are thought to be entirely endemic. 

In a paper published in the journal Orynx on 18 February 2026, Bekhruz Khabibullaev, Khabibullo Shomurodov, and Natalya Beshko of the Institute of Botany of the Academy of Sciences of the Republic of Uzbekistan, and Giuseppe Fenu of the Department of Life and Environmental Sciences at the University of Cagliari, formally assess the conservation status of Astragalus centralis, referred to here as the Tamditau Milkvetch, an endemic species from the Kyzylkum Desert of Uzbekistan. 

The Tamditau Milkvetch is a perennial herbaceous Plant reaching about 15 cm in height, with stems covered in white hairs, paired leaves, and dense inflorescences of yellow flowers. It was formerly thought to be present in the Tamditau, Kuldzhuktau, and Auminzatau mountain ranges within the Kyzylkum Desert. However, a previous study, published in 2016, established that the populations in the Kuldzhuktau and Auminzatau mountains were in fact a separate species, which was described as Astragalus kuldzhuktauense. 

As a result of this, the known occurence of Astragalus centralis shrank to a single population in the Tamditau Mountains, prompting monitoring and censuses of the species in 2016-17, 2018-19, and 2023-24, each time assessing the number of Plants present at the peak of the flowering season.

The Tamditau Milkvetch grows on northern slopes in the Tamditau Mountains, in crevices between large boulders in gravelly and rocky limestone soils. All known members of the species are found within an area of 60 000 m². During the 2016-17 season, about 1000 Plants were recorded, but in 2018-19 this had fallen to about 600 individuals, within an increased proportion of older Plants (80% against 50% in 2016-17. In 2023-24 only 491 Plants were recorded, with 90% of these being mature.

The mountains of the Kyzylkum Desert, Uzbekistan, showing the distribution of Astragalus centralis on the northern slope of the Tamditau (Aktau) mountains. Khabibullaev et al. (2026).

The species appears to be facing a number of immediate threats. Limestone is extracted in the region, and new excavation trenches are both present and increasing in number within the range of the Tamditau Milkvetch. The population is also located close to a settlement which primarily derives its income from livestock herding, with the area where the species grows being used as a year-round pasture. Climate change appears to be making the area more arid, and Insects have been observed to consume more of the species seeds in dryer years. This drying climate is also associated with more frequent and intense spring flash floods, which can destroy younger Plants with less well established root systems. The species is also vulnerable to short-term cold anticyclones, which occur in the area every 5-6 years.

Characteristic habitat of Astragalus centralis, endemic to the Tamditau (Aktau) mountains. Khabibullo Shomurodov in Khabibullaev et al. (2026).

Based upon this, Khabibullaev et al. suggest that the Tamditau Milkvetch is becoming unable to sustain its only population, due to a low and decreasing survival rate for young Plants. For this reason they recommend that the species be classified as Critically Endangered under the terms of the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species. 

The Tamditau Milkvetch in its habitat. Khabibullo Shomurodov in Khabibullaev et al. (2026).

Based upon this, Khabibullaev et al. recommend a series of steps to be taken in order to protect the future of the Tamditau Milkvetch. 

Firstly, the species habitat should be designated a protected area. This would not just protect this species, but also other species found in the area which have been identified as at risk, including the Kyzylkum Giant Fennel, Ferula kyzylkumica, the Aktavi Stickseed, Lappula aktaviensis, The Kyzylkum Peppergrass, Lepidium subcordatum, the Hairy Catchfly, Silene tomentella, and the Aktau Needlegrass, Stipa aktauensis. They further recommend that the Tamditau Mountains should be considered to be a significant national ecosystem, and assessed for potential inclusion on the nternational Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Ecosystems.

Detail of the inflorescence of the Tamditau Milkvetch, Astragalus centralis. Khabibullo Shomurodov in Khabibullaev et al. (2026).

Secondly, they recommend that an inventory of pasture resources in the region is carried out, in order to determine the sustainable grazing capacity of the area, and develop a better plan for livestock management.

Thirdly, they suggest a translocation strategy for the species, moving individual Plants to other areas identified as suitable for its survival.

Fourthly, they suggest that a cultivated population be established at the Kyzylkum Desert Experimental Station, and seeds of the species be gathered and placed in an appropriate seed bank.

Finally, they suggest that the species be included on the International Union for Conservation of Nature's Red List of Threatened Species, and an awareness campaign for the species be used to promote its conservation.

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At least thirty seven dead following gas build-up at Nigerian mine.

At least 37 have died and another 25 have been hospitalised with carbon monoxide poisoning following an incident at a mine in Nigeria on Wednesday 18 February 2025. The mine, at Kampani, near the town of Wase in Plateau State, is a former commercial lead mine which had been re-opened by local artisanal miners. The site has currently been cordoned off by local authorities pending an investigation, and it is possible that further bodies remain underground. The affected miners had been working a night shift at the mine and were discovered by members of the day shift when they entered the mine at 6.30 am local time.

A funeral being held for the victims of an accident at a mine in Plateau State, Nigeria, on 18 February 2026. In accordance with Islamic custom, all of the victims were laid to rest on the day of the incident. The Sun Nigeria.

Artisanal occupations, in which miners from poorer communities occupy sites which have either been decommissioned or mothballed by larger mining companies (decommissioned mines have ceased all operations permanently, whereas mothballed mines are mines which are still considered workable, but where production has been halted for some reason, usually a decease in the value of the mineral being targeted). In these cases local miners extract minerals themselves from the site, typically using traditional hand tools or other low tech approaches. This can be an extremely dangerous activity, as local miners are seldom able to put into place the safety measures a larger company would, and are often working deeper below ground than would otherwise be possible with the tools at their disposal. 

The legal status of such mines makes matters more complicated; law enforcement agencies in some countries are prepared to turn a blind eye to such activities, but the owners of mines, particularly those which have been mothballed, tend to object strongly, placing pressure on law enforcers to arrest and prosecute what they see as illegal miners. This can lead to miners being surreptitious about their activities, and trying to hide them from the local authorities, something which will delay or even prevent rescue operations from being mounted accidents occur.

The approximate location of the 18 February 2026 mining incident. Google Maps.

Carbon monoxide, sometimes known as whitedamp in mines, is typically produced by the incomplete combustion of carbon and/or hydrocarbons, where the oxygen levels are insufficient to produce carbon dioxide. It is dangerous because it does not simply replace the oxygen in the air, as with asphyxiant gasses such as nitrogen, it also binds to the oxygen-receptive sites on the haemoglobin molecule, from where it cannot be removed by normal metabolic processes, thereby removing the victims ability to process oxygen. This means that carbon monoxide becomes hazardous at far lower levels than most other gasses. Since it is colourless, odourless, and tasteless, victims often do not realise they are being poisoned until it is too late. 

Carbon monoxide poisoning is a common hazard at coal mines, where there is an abundance of raw carbon and a limited supply of oxygen, and can even build up in seams catching miners unaware. However, the Kampani mine produces lead, in an area with a largely igneous terrain and a metals-based mining economy (the town of Wase is noted for the presence of Wase Rock, an exposed volcanic plug forming a pillar-shaped hill) which makes this explanation unlikely. It is possible that the miners were using petrol-fuelled equipment, such as drills, generators, or even ventilators, in an enclosed area with limited oxygen, and that incomplete combustion of fuel led to the formation and build-up of carbon monoxide.

Wase Hill in Plateau State, Nigeria. A former volcanic plug which has remained after the softer outer part of the volcano has been eroded away, it stands 295 m above the surrounding plain of the Benue Rift, and can be seen from 40 km away. Dolapo Moses Apata/Wikimedia Commons.

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Eruption on Mount Kanloan causes ashfall events across Negros Island.

Mount Kanlaon, a 2465 m stratovolcano (cone shaped volcano made up of layers of ash and lava) on the northern part of Negros Island in the central Philippines, erupted slightly before 3.40 pm local time on Thursday 19 February 2026, according to the Philippines Volcano Observatories. The eruption comprised a series of explosions which lasted about two minutes and produced an ash column about 2 km high, and followed by a longer period of gas emissions. 

An eruption on Mount Kanloan, Negros Island, the Philippines, on Thursday 18 February 2026. Philippines Volcano Observatories.

The geology of the Philippines is complex, with the majority of the islands located on the east of the Sunda Plate. To the east of this lies the Philippine Sea plate, which is being subducted beneath the Sunda Plate (a breakaway part of the Eurasian Plate); further east, in the Mariana Islands, the Pacific Plate is being subducted beneath the Philippine Sea Plate. This is not a smooth process, and the rocks of the tectonic plates frequently stick together before eventually being broken apart by the rising pressure, leading to Earthquakes in the process. Material from the subducting Philippine Plate is heated by the temperature of the Earth's interior, causing lighter minerals to melt and the resultant magma to rise through the overlying Sunda Plate, fuelling the volcanoes of the Philippines.

Subduction beneath the Philippines. Yves Descatoire/Singapore Earth Observatory.

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