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Democratic Republic of the Congo
Crisis Advances in the East
Leaders at an emergency summit of the Southern African Development Community and the East African Community blocs have called on the warring parties in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to hold peace talks. The leaders of the two blocs met Saturday at Dar es Salaam, in Tanzania, as the humanitarian dimensions of the crisis continue to grow. The primary conflict is between the forces of the DRC government and a group of rebels called M23, which started as a partnership of ethnic minority groups in defense against abuses by the central government, and which receives military support from neighboring Rwanda. But control over large deposits of valuable minerals in the eastern DRC adds a critical economic dimension. On Friday, the United Nations human rights chief, Volker Turk, warned that “the worst may be yet to come,” as reports emerge of increasing acts of gang rape and sexual slavery being committed by M23 forces.
This map depicts the areas of the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo affected by the conflict between government forces and the rebels of M23. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: ReliefWeb
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Libya
Mass Graves Uncovered
Two mass graves containing the bodies of nearly 50 migrants have been uncovered in the desert in southeastern Libya. The first mass grave was found on a farm in the city of Kufra. A second site was uncovered following a raid on a nearby human trafficking center, where authorities freed 76 migrants and arrested 3 suspects on charges of torture and human trafficking. Autopsies are being conducted as authorities continue to search the area. Libya is a major transit point for migrants heading to Europe from Africa and the Middle East along the deadliest migration route in the world, claiming thousands of lives each year.
This map depicts the location of Kufra in southeastern Libya, where two mass graves were found. Click on the map to learn more.
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Space
Orbital Debris Poses Danger
The growth of SpaceX and the space industry has exacerbated the problem of space junk––human-made debris that orbits the earth. Space junk includes anything from old, inactive satellites to paint chips. The fragments can travel at up to 18,000 miles per hour (29,000 kph) and remain in the atmosphere for decades. It can also grow exponentially: larger pieces have already broken into millions of collision fragments. Space junk burns up when entering the atmosphere, but larger objects like satellites can reach the ground or ocean without burning up entirely. A recent study from the University of British Columbia compared flight data to uncontrolled rocket bodies reentering airspace to conclude that the chance of collision is growing—now about 0.8% in high-traffic areas. Space junk can also damage the ozone layer and pollute the atmosphere with metal contaminants. These dangers have led to increasing calls for regulating the space industry.
This map depicts air traffic density in the world (top) and the United States (bottom). Space junk entering airspace from orbit presents an increasing risk to air traffic. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What U.S. metropolitan area is the fastest sinking city in the country?
A: Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas is the fastest sinking U.S. metropolitan area, with significant land subsidence (sinking of land) due to groundwater extraction from aquifers. Subsidence most typically occurs in very flat areas made up of alluvial sediments (material deposited by rivers) and coastal plains, particularly those in and near densely populated urban and irrigated areas with high water stress and high groundwater demand. Groundwater pumping and similar extractive activities empty out the pore space (liquid and gas phases of soil), creating the opportunity for compression and subsidence. Both the Gulf Coast region and Houston specifically have a long history of these activities. Houston has sunk about 10-13 feet (3-4 m) since the 1920s, and the population in the area is large and growing, suggesting subsidence will continue to be a pressing issue.
Source
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Q: What country is home to the world’s largest habitable underground network?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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