United States
Wildfires in Maui
Large wildfires have spread across the island of Maui, Hawaii. According to officials, at least 36 people have died as a result of the fires. With many people still missing, a large search and rescue operation has been launched, with both air support and workers on the ground. In Lahaina, Maui’s main tourist destination, people jumped into the city’s harbor to escape the flames and smoke. Strong winds from hurricane Dora fanned the fires, increasing their intensity. As firefighters are still battling the active fires, a state of emergency has been declared. Although the strong winds caused by Hurricane Dora have eased, authorities expect the damage and death toll to rise.
This map depicts the location of active fires across the island of Maui, Hawaii, in the last 24 hours. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Ecuador
Presidential Candidate Killed
Ecuadorian presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated after a campaign event in Quito on Wednesday. Villavicencio, a journalist and anti-corruption figure, was holding a campaign event for the early elections due to be held on August 20. Days before the murder, Villavicencio said on national television that he had received multiple death threats, believing them to come from the jailed leader of the Choneros gang. One of eight candidates, Villavicencio was campaigning on one of the central issues in this election: the rise in violence and organized crime. Ecuador’s President Guillermo Lasso stated in a televised address that elections will continue as planned, but a two-month state of emergency has been established, with soldiers placed at polling stations.
This map depicts Quito, Ecuador, where presidential candidate Fernando Villavicencio was assassinated following a campaign rally on Wednesday. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Al Jazeera
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Bangladesh
NASA Data Helps Farmers
Researchers from the University of Washington and the Ministry of Agriculture of Bangladesh are using data provided by NASA to assist the country’s rice farmers using the Integrated Rice Advisory System (IRAS). During the dry season, Bangladeshi farmers pump groundwater from underground aquifers using machinery that burns fossil fuels and can waste water. IRAS provides individualized irrigation guidance for farmers, specifying how much water is actually needed based on precipitation and groundwater measurements. IRAS combines information from the NASA/USGS Landsat mission and the Global Precipitation Measurement (GPM) system to and cross-references it from the Global Forecast System to create location-specific irrigation guidance.
This map depicts an area of farmland in Bangladesh that the Integrated Rice Advisory System (IRAS) has determined has been over-irrigated. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Where is the smallest active volcano on Earth?
A: Philippines
Taal Volcano is the smallest active volcano on Earth, located in the Batangas Province of the Philippines, 31 miles (50 km) away from Manila. Taal Volcano is a tiny volcano sitting within a much larger caldera volcano. It is a complex volcano, with several eruption points that have changed over time. The newest eruptions have been occurring on Volcano Island, an island in the caldera’s Lake Taal. At least 35 eruptions have been reported in the last few hundred years, the most recent in 1977. The interaction between the lake and Taal’s eruptions creates further dangers, such as making magma more explosive, spreading ash further, and generating “volcanic tsunamis” from falling debris.
Source BBC
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Q: Where does the meteorological phenomenon of the flying river originate?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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