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United States
Flooding in Vermont
After receiving over two months worth of rain in just two days, Vermont and portions of New York’s Hudson Valley are suffering from continued extensive flooding. Officials of the Vermont state capital, Montpelier, were placed on high alert as the nearby Wrightsville reservoir waterline reached a dangerous high. A large flood hazard zone downstream of the reservoir has been marked out, and residents have been warned to brace themselves for the worst. Although officials have announced the Wrightsville reservoir water line is beginning to retreat, heavy rainfall is expected to return over the next few days.
This map depicts the Wrightsville Dam and Reservoir in relation to Montpelier, Vermont. A newly-designated flood hazard zone downstream of the dam is depicted in light green. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Daily Mail
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New Zealand
Volcanic Eruption Trial Begins
A trial opened Tuesday in New Zealand to address liability over the death of 22 people from a volcanic eruption in 2019. The owners of White Island (Whakaari); their company; and the two tour operators on the island are on trial for allegedly failing to adequately protect tourists and staff. In the opening of the prosecution’s case, it was stated the 22 killed were given no warning of the risks of touring an active volcano. The volcano has gone through 42 “eruptive periods” since colonial records began in 1826. White Island had been actively erupting in some form since 2011, including a recorded eruption in 2016 prior to the 2019 event. White Island Tours pled guilty in June to safety breaches relating to the eruption, and three helicopter operators pleaded guilty last week. If convicted, the six parties on trial face fines of up to NZ$1.5 million ($928,000 USD).
This map depicts the 2019 volcanic eruption on White Island (Whakaari) in New Zealand that killed 22 people. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: AFP
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Canada
Lake is Possible Geologic Marker
Crawford Lake in Ontario, Canada is being considered as the symbol for the starting point of the Anthropocene epoch, a new geological time period marked by the significant impact of human activities on Earth. The sediments in the lake’s mud provide a clear and chronological record of human actions – from ancient civilizations to modern times. This geological “archive” contains markers of human activity, including pollution from burning fossil fuels and plutonium from mid-20th-century nuclear bomb tests, collected in the naturally-occurring layers of pollen and silt from the bottom of the lake. These markers make it a strong candidate for what geologists refer to as a “golden spike” that would define the Anthropocene.
This map depicts Crawford Lake and other potential golden spike locations around the world symbolizing the beginning of a geological era called the Anthropocene. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Located in northwestern Poland, where can you find these mysteriously curved pine trees?
A: The Crooked Forest
The Crooken Forest (Krzywy Las) is a grove near the town of Gryfino, West Pomerania, in Poland. The forest contains about 400 oddly curved pine trees that were planted almost 100 years ago, back when Pomerania was a German province. From the base, the trees grow with a 90 degree sharp bend 3 – 9 ft (1 – 2.7 m) sideways, however they are generally healthy and can grow up to 50 ft (15 m) tall. The mystery of the curves has led to many theories, however little evidence supports any. Some have hypothesized the geography of this specific location has a unique gravitational pull causing the bend. Another includes heavy snowfall weighing them down as they were sprouting, however would not explain why other groups of pine trees and vegetation near the area grow normally. It’s estimated the trees were around 7-10 years old when their trunks experienced the curvature. The most widespread theory is that the local farmers who planted the trees back in 1930 manipulated them, however they were likely abandoned follwing the beginning of WWII, and now the world may never know how the trees became to be this way.
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Q: What are the names of the two volcanic spires that rise up on the western edge of St. Lucia?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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