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Germany
Commuter Train Collision
One person was killed and dozens more were injured after two commuter S-Bahn trains crashed in a head-on collision outside Munich on Monday afternoon. Initial reports indicated that there were 95 total passengers onboard the trains. The crash happened as one train was leaving a station while another pulled in on a single track route. One train was derailed by the collision, but managed to stay upright. Over 130 emergency personnel arrived at the scene to aid in rescue efforts. An investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.
This map depicts the location where two commuter trains collided head on, killing one person. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Welt
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United States
Bird Flu Threatens Poultry Farms
Less than a week after first appearing in a turkey flock in Dubois County, Indiana, a strain of influenza deadly to chickens and other fowl has been detected in multiple U.S. poultry flocks. The Indiana case led to 30,000 turkeys being euthanized, and a new emergence in Kentucky could lead to the destruction of 240,000 chickens at a farm that raises the birds for Tyson Foods. This strain of influenza, identified as H5N1, is highly infective to birds, leading almost invariably to death in infected animals, but human crossover infections are very rare and not generally life-threatening. Wild birds are generally responsible for spreading the disease, and Indiana sits in the middle of the “Mississippi Flyway,” a major migratory path for birds.
This map depicts confirmed cases of bird flu in poultry flocks in the United States as of February 14, 2022. Click on the map to learn more.
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United States
Historic Drought in the West
The Western U.S. and Northern Mexico are facing the most severe drought in at least 1,200 years, according to new research published in the journal Nature Climate Change. Scientists identified historical drought events by analyzing tree ring data in thousands of living and dead trees, as well as preserved wood from Native American archeological sites. The last dry period of a similar magnitude ended in the late 1500s, when the West counted many fewer inhabitants. Today, the water needed to sustain the region’s massive agricultural centers and rapidly growing population has drained reservoirs and shrunk rivers. The country’s two largest reservoirs, Lake Mead and Lake Powell, are at one-third of their capacity and many communities have tapped groundwater stores. As of February 10th, 95% of the Western U.S. was in a drought.
This map depicts Western U.S. regions facing extreme drought conditions. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Happy Valentine’s Day! Looking for a box of chocolates? In what regions of the world can cocoa be produced?
A: Equatorial Regions
Chocolate is made from cocoa seeds. While cocoa grows around the world, it can only grow up to 20 degrees north and south of the equator. Today, the largest exporter of cocoa is Ivory Coast, followed by Ghana. While 70 percent of today’s chocolate crops are grown in Africa, the majority of the world’s chocolate is consumed in Europe. Like wine, chocolate has a broad flavor profile that reflects the environment in which the cocoa is grown. Location, climate, and types of minerals in the soil all have effects on the chocolate’s flavor.
Source
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Q: Which European country occupied Qingdao, China in 1897 and declared the city a free port in 1899?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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