Europe
Record-Breaking Heat Wave
Temperatures are set to peak at 113°F as heat wave sweeps western and central Europe this week. Officials say the heat is reaching unprecedented levels for June, which is typically a cooler month on the continent. Authorities from Spain to Poland have issued extreme weather alerts, as the heat poses major risks for schools, hospitals, and other facilities lacking sufficient air conditioning as well as transportation infrastructure. Scientists attribute the high temperatures to a storm forming in the Atlantic Ocean pulling in hot air from the Sahara Desert. They also say that heat waves, while not uncommon, have become longer, more frequent, and more extreme in recent years.
This map depicts tomorrow’s forecast temperatures across Europe during the heat wave. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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India
Encephalitis Outbreak
An outbreak of acute encephalitis syndrome (AES), also known as “brain fever,” has killed more than 150 children this month in the eastern Indian state of Bihar. The high death toll has raised questions about the quality of the state’s health services, leading India’s Supreme Court to open an investigation into the deaths and accuse both the state and federal governments of negligence. Researchers have tied the disease to the region’s plentiful lychee fruit, suggesting that a chemical in lychee causes a dangerous drop in blood pressure when consumed on an empty stomach. Though the theory explains why the outbreak has been most deadly to poorer children under the age of 10, who are more likely to be malnourished, many doctors remain skeptical of the lychee connection.
This map depicts the location of the outbreak in northeast India. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Graphic News
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United States
Reservoir Discovered
A freshwater aquifer has been found beneath the Atlantic Ocean using electromagnetic waves. It extends at least 350 km from southern New Jersey to Massachusetts. Researchers suspect that this reservoir, which contains about 2,800 km³ of water, dates back to the last Ice Age. This finding suggests that aquifers may also exist in other parts of the world and could provide water to arid areas where this resource may soon be completely depleted.
This map depicts the location of the reservoir, outlined by the yellow hatched area. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: At 8,323,146 acres, what is the largest National Park in the United States?
A: Wrangell-St. Elias National Park
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve encompasses a stretch of Alaskan mountains and glaciers equivalent in size to six Yellowstones. It contains four major mountain ranges: the Wrangell Mountains (which include Mt. Wrangell, one of the largest active volcanoes in North America), the Saint Elias Mountains (which include Mt. St. Elias, the second highest peak in the United States), the Chugach Mountains, and the eastern Alaskan Range.
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Q: With a salinity level of 44% (oceans have an approximate 3.5% salinity level), the world’s most saline body of water is located on what continent?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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