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Russia-Ukraine
Strikes Hit Supersonic Warplanes
Moscow has reported that a flagship Russian long-range bomber, a supersonic bomber, has been destroyed in a Ukrainian drone strike. Images posted on social media show a Tupplev Tu-22M on fire at a Soltsy-2 airbase south of St Petersburg. The Tu-22M is a Cold War-era supersonic bomber that has been used extensively in attacks on Ukrainian cities. According to British military intelligence, it is believed the strike occurred on August 19th based on analysis of social media posts, satellite imagery, and weather patterns. The Soltsy-2 airbase is around 400 miles (650km) from the Ukraine border. With the distance from the border and the “copter-style” drone mentioned by Moscow, it is unlikely the drone had the range to fly from outside the country, raising the question: are they being launched from inside Russian territory? Over recent months, Kyiv has launched dozens of unmanned aircraft to attack deep inside Russian territory, oftentimes targeting Moscow.
This map depicts the Russian Soltsy airbase where it is reported that Ukrainian drones have destroyed a supersonic bomber plane. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The US Sun
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Australia
Shark Attack Amid Net Debate
A 44-year-old man is fighting for his life after a shark attack off a popular beach on the New South Wales coast. He was surfing when a shark launched a “sustained and prolonged attack” on Friday morning. Police stated that he tried to fight off the shark believed to have been at least 12.5 feet (3.8 meters) long for up to 30 seconds, then swam himself to shore when he’d realized he sustained major lower leg injuries. Australia ranks only behind the United States in the number of unprovoked shark encounters with humans last year. This attack comes as shark nets divided the NSW parliament this week, with nets redeployed across 51 Sydney beaches from September 1 to April 30, despite opposition from the Liberal Party, Greens, and Animal Justice. Lighthouse Beach is not part of the state’s shark nets program but is monitored by SMART drumlines, which reduce shark and bycatch mortality. These drumlines use bait to capture and tag sharks, and then trigger a surveillance team to inspect the animal and relocate it offshore.
This map depicts Lighthouse Beach in Port Macquarie, New South Wales, off Australia’s east coast, where a surfer was attacked by a shark. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Yahoo News
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United States
TEMPO Satellite Tracks Pollution
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) recently activated a new satellite dedicated to monitoring North American air quality and providing scientists with hourly updates. On Thursday, NASA released the first data maps from the TEMPO mission, an acronym for “Tropospheric Emissions: Monitoring of Pollution.” Using an advanced spectrometer, TEMPO detects pollution normally hidden in reflected sunlight, across the continent from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific, and from as far south as Mexico City to central Canada. The data collected will help researchers better understand the immediate and long-term effects of natural and human activities on air quality, and also will give meteorologists and local authorities timely information to provide guidance to people who may be affected by pollution.
This map depicts levels of nitrogen dioxide, a pollutant, in the troposphere over the East Coast of the United States. This data was collected by NASA’s activated TEMPO satellite monitoring mission. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Known as the “Land of a Thousand Hills,” what country has one of Africa’s best-preserved montane rainforests and its most diverse primate populations?
A: Rwanda
Rwanda is a country lying south of the Equator in East-Central Africa. The landscape is “reminiscent of a tropical Switzerland,” with its dominant feature being a chain of mountains of rugged beauty that runs on a north-south axis, forming part of the Congo-Nile divide. Montane forests are restricted to national parks and small forest reserves. These mountains form part of the Western Rift, which harbors more endemic birds, mammals, and amphibians than any other region in Africa. Rwanda’s forests contain over 13 species of primates. This includes mountain gorillas, the closest relatives to humans and the biggest primates in the world, which number approximately 1,063 worldwide. They can only be found in four national parks in Uganda, Rwanda, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This endangered species faces threats from habitat loss owing to population growth, the conversion of their habitats to agricultural fields, and poaching.
Source Britannica
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Q: What city has a name which means “Fragrant Harbor” and the fourth-highest population density in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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