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China
Pledge to Cut Climate Emissions
China, the world’s number one emitter of climate-warming carbon, has made a pledge to cut the volume of released greenhouse gases between 7% to 10% by 2035. President Xi Jinping said China would ramp up solar, wind, and hydropower in order to meet 30% of its electricity needs by 2030 as well as mainstream electric vehicles to make these cuts possible. Back in 2021, President Xi announced that China would aim to peak its emissions this decade and reach “carbon neutrality” by 2060. Today’s pledge marks the first time that China has set actual emissions reductions targets on that path. But China’s new target does fall short of what would be needed to meet international climate goals. As the world’s leading greenhouse gas emitter, most scenarios to limit warming would require more than a 50% reduction of its emissions by 2035.
This map depicts China’s rapid rise of solar power usage. Click on the map to learn more.
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Denmark
Drones Disrupt Danish Airports
Denmark has been hit by a wave of drone incursions that shut down several airports and even flew over military sites, which officials are calling a hybrid attack. carried out by a professional actor. Flights at Aalborg, Billund, and Copenhagen were disrupted, and the drones raised fears about critical infrastructure security. Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen called it the most serious attack on Denmark’s infrastructure yet, and the government is weighing NATO consultations while working with allies on stronger defenses, including a proposed drone wall. Russia, often blamed for similar airspace violations in Europe, has denied involvement, calling the incidents a staged provocation. Norway also reported drone activity near Oslo, though it is unclear if the events are connected.
This map depicts a map of Denmark highlighting airports disrupted by mystery drone incursions, along with police at one of the affected sites, underscoring grow. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The U.S Sun
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Greece
Moving Magma Caused Quakes
A new study in Nature of seismic activity from June 2024 through February 2025, along with changes in the Greek island of Santorini’s surface elevation, suggest that the same well of magma feeding the Santorini volcano may also supply the submerged Kolumbo volcano. Using data from earthquake stations on both land and the seafloor, the team reconstructed the events leading to the earthquake swarm of January 2025. Starting in July 2024, Santorini’s surface began to swell slightly, suggesting magma accumulation in its shallow reservoir from deeper in Earth’s crust. The swelling coincided with seismic activity around Santorini. On January 27, the earthquake rate surged, with a new swarm of quakes migrating over several weeks first toward Santorini and then northeast away from the island. At the same time, GPS data showed that both volcanoes seemed to deflate. This is the first observation of a magmatic connection between Santorini and Kolumbo.
This map depicts the distribution of seismicity between Santorini and Kolumbo in the Greek Aegean Sea. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Smaller than the state of Massachusetts, and known as the “Land of Volcanoes,” which Central American country is the only to not have a Caribbean coastline?
A: El Salvador
Bounded by Guatemala to the west and Honduras to the north and east, El Salvador’s coast is only on the Pacific Ocean. Along with much of Central America, El Salvador is located in one of the most seismologically active regions in the world. While the Caribbean Plate is mostly sedentary, the constantly moving Pacific Ocean floor is carried by the Cocos Plate northeastward, creating a deep trench off the coast of El Salvador. The frequency of earthquakes near the coast is caused by this subduction process. The country has over twenty volcanoes and rich volcanic soil, with much of El Salvador’s coffee crops planted on the slopes of these volcanoes.
Source
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Q: With an area of of approximately 500 square miles (1,300 sq km), what is the largest mesa in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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