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Brazil
Deadly Floods Kill Over 100
Massive flooding and mudslides in the Brazilian city of Petropolis, near Rio de Janeiro, have killed 104 people, with over 100 still missing. Only 24 people were recovered alive and another 400 are now homeless. The state fire department said over 10 inches (25.8 cm) of rain fell in a three-hour span on Tuesday, nearly matching the amount of rain fallen in the prior 30 days and the heaviest recorded in the city since 1932. Petropolis has seen landslides before, and has been acting slowly on a plan devised in 2017 to reduce the potential danger. That plan was spurred by an analysis that 18% of the city’s territory was at risk of landslides and flooding.
This map depicts the converging weather forces that caused torrential rains to fall on the Brazilian city of Petropolis, near Rio de Janeiro, triggering massive landslides that have thus far killed over 100 people. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: O Globo
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Mali
France Withdraws from Mali
After nine years in Mali, French President Emmanuel Macron announced soldiers from France and allied nations will begin withdrawing due to obstructions by Mali’s current military junta. France originally coordinated a multi-national force in Africa’s Sahel, including Mali, to fight Islamist insurgents in 2013. Mali’s current military government has had an increasingly strained relationship with the French forces since taking power in a coup in August 2020. In the next four to six months, French forces in the Sahel will go from 4,300 troops to 2,500-3,000, with some of the soldiers from Mali being deployed to other countries in the region such as Niger.
This map depicts the Sahel region of Africa, and highlights the country of Mali. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Times
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Antarctica
Rising Temps Spur Plant Growth
Antarctica’s only flowering plants are growing more rapidly according to new research published in the journal Current Biology. Since 2009, with the population increases have been greater than the previous 50 years combined. Increased vegetation due to global heating has been observed in the northern hemisphere, but this study is the first recorded instance of the pattern in the Antarctic. Using images and samples taken from multiple sites on Signy Island between 2009-2019, scientists found that the two species had grown denser and at a faster rate than any other time period on record due to rising temperatures and a decline in the number of fur seals. Researchers advise such findings could indicate a growing problem for fragile polar ecosystems.
This map depicts sites of increased flowering plant growth on Signy Island in Antarctica. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which massive cave, one of the largest in the world, is home to stalagmites over 246 ft (75 meters) tall and even a jungle inside?
A: Hang Sơn Đoòng, Vietnam
The Sơn Đoòng cave is located in Vietnam’s Phong Nha – Kẻ Bàng National Park, about 250 mi (400 km) south of the capital, Hanoi. The cave is over 5.5 miles (8.8 km) long, making it one of the largest caves in the world. At certain points, the cavity is over 650 ft (200 m) tall from floor to ceiling. There are two giant holes in the roof of Hang Sơn Đoòng, where the cave’s ceiling collapsed on itself. These openings allowed for wildlife to flourish, inviting a forest of plants to grow on the cave’s floor. Monkeys, birds, snakes, and other animals thrive in the greenery. Geologists suggest the cave is somewhere between 3 to 5 million years old, and an ancient river is what carved the cave’s existence.
Source
Explore the Sơn Đoòng Cave virtually via this National Geographic 360 degree digital tour!
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Q: Which crystal-clear American lake fills the caldera of a volcano and is one of the deepest lakes in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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