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Afghanistan
Second Earthquake Strikes Herat
A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck Afghanistan early Tuesday morning, killing one person and injuring more than 100 people. This followed an 6.3 magnitude quake that killed around 2,400 people three days earlier. Many survivors across the country are reeling from the destruction, the epicenter of which was located near the provincial capital of Herat and triggered landslides that blocked a highway. At least 700 homes in the village of Chahak were destroyed and many survivors have set up tents. The earthquakes come at a challenging time before the arrival of winter, as the survivors have lost many of their possessions and livestock along with their homes. Aid groups such as Doctors Without Borders have been sent in to find additional survivors and nearby countries have been sending aid. However, aid missions require clearance by the Taliban, who state aid can be sent on the condition that aid workers are not allowed to talk to the media.
This map depicts the epicenters and magnitude of two recent earthquakes that struck near Herat, in Afghanistan. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC News
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Space
Solar Probe Sets Speed Record
The Parker Solar Probe has set a record for the fastest human-made object in history. An update from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) revealed that the probe had broken through its own previous speed record by reaching 394,736 mph (635,266 km/h) on September 27th. The milestone was reached as the probe was in the middle of its 17th close flyby of the Sun, after a gravity-assist from the planet Venus. At that speed, a vehicle could circle the Earth 15 times in an hour, and travel from Los Angeles to New York City in a mere 20 seconds. This latest trip also set a new record for close proximity to the Sun, with the Parker Probe moving within 4.51 million miles (7.26 million km) of the Sun’s plasma surface. Despite the intensity of the temperatures endured by the Parker Probe and its history of encounters with massive solar storms, all its systems are functioning as normal, and the probe is scheduled to make another seven flybys of the Sun by the end of 2024.
This map depicts the orbital path of the Parker Solar Probe, which on September 27th set a record as the fastest human-made object of all time. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: NASA
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World
Solar Weather Disrupts Migration
A new study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that space weather disrupts the migration of nocturnal birds. Space weather, which include phenomena such as solar flares, can disrupt Earth’s magnetic field. Many animals, including birds, rely on Earth’s magnetic field for navigation during their seasonal migrations. University of Michigan researchers measured the link between geomagnetic disturbances and nocturnal bird migration, finding that between 9-17% fewer birds migrate during severe space weather events. The study used measurements of intensity of local magnetic fields and estimates of bird activity from US Doppler weather stations. Researchers also found a greater number of birds become lost when migrating during geomagnetic disturbances, and evidence shows other animals such as sea turtles may be affected by this as well.
This map depicts the radar stations (dark circles) and magnetometer stations (purple crosses), which provided the data for a recent study showing the effects of space weather on nocturnal bird migration. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Stick charts were made and used by the Marshallese to navigate the Pacific Ocean by canoe. What do the sticks represent?
A: Ocean swells
The Marshall Islands—a sprinkling of islands and atolls in the North Pacific—have been inhabited for around 3,000 years. Long before the time of modern mapping and GPS, the Micronesian people began to rely on their ability to sense the motion of the waves for navigation purposes. Made from coconut strips, palm strips, and cowrie shells, navigation charts, known as Mattang, are thought to visualize the secret knowledge navigators, known as ri-metos, held. Mattang are thought to depict swell movements, wind patterns, and wave interactions that occur around a single atoll or island. Curved strips likely indicate the direction of ocean swells when deflected by the presence of land. Where these curved strips intersect with one another represent confused, or highly disturbed, seas. Using the sophisticated art of wave-piloting, ri-metos relied solely on the feeling of the ocean to navigate. They were able to read the sea by feel and sight to determine which direction they were going, where the nearest land was, and what direction they wanted to continue.
Source
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Q: The Sámi (Indigenous to Norway, Sweden, and Finland) seasonally migrate from the inland plains to the coasts with what animal?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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