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France
Rail Network Hit By Arson Attacks
France’s high-speed rail network has been hit with a series of coordinated attacks just hours before the Olympics opening ceremony in Paris. Three fires were intentionally set near the tracks of France’s Atlantique line, disrupting thousands of travelers, including two trains carrying Olympic athletes. Officials say the attacks strategically targeted trains north, east, and west of Paris to paralyze the nation’s transport system. South of Paris, railway maintenance workers on a night shift foiled an attempted attack when they spotted intruders and called the police. Rail traffic is expected to be severely disrupted throughout the weekend, though Paris Mayor Anne Hidalgo stated the sabotage will have no impact on the ceremony. An investigation is now underway to find the culprits.
This map depicts the locations of attacks along France’s high-speed rail network, including one thwarted attack south of Paris. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Le Monde
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Philippines
Gaemi Drives Oil Tanker Sinking
Authorities in the Philippines are preparing to contain a potential oil spill after a tanker sank in Manila Bay early yesterday. The tanker, the MT Terra Nova, set sail for the central city Iloilo on Wednesday, but sank in rough seas driven by Typhoon Gaemi after the captain attempted to turn back. Of the crew, one died, but 16 were rescued. Now emergency crews are in a “race against time” to contain the nearly 370,000 gallons (14 million liters) of oil within the tanker in ongoing challenging weather conditions. Naval authorities believe the leakage observed for now is from the tanker’s own fuel and not from the cargo hold. Typhoon Gaemi recently passed the Philippines before hitting Taiwan on Wednesday and mainland China yesterday as the equivalent of a Category-1 hurricane. While Gaemi did not make landfall in the Philippines, its impacts there were the strongest, with at least 34 people killed by flooding and landslides.
This map depicts the route taken by the oil tanker MT Terra Nova before it attempted to turn back to Manila and was eventually sunk in rough seas. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Arab News
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Mars
Possible Microbial Life On Mars
NASA’s Perseverance rover on Mars has detected chemical markers in a rock that may have been caused by microbial life. The “leopard spots” on a reddish rock known as “Cheyava Falls,” found in the Jezero Crater suggest chemical reactions in this rock may have supported microbial life billions of years ago, although alternative theories are being explored. The rover was investigating a location known to have had flowing water when it discovered structures and chemical residues in the rock suggesting the past presence of life. The rover’s SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman and Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) instrument has scanned Cheyava Falls multiple times and found evidence of organic molecules. These carbon-based compounds, while known to be the building blocks of life, can also be created by non-biological processes. The scientific team is examining alternative explanations for the reported traits, but a final determination may never be possible until the sample can be brought to Earth for further analysis.
This map depicts the landing point and path taken by NASA’s Perseverance rover in the Jezero Crater on Mars. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the largest subtropical wilderness left in the United States?
A: Everglades National Park
The Subtropical Climate Zone extends from the Gulf Coast of Texas to Florida. The Everglades, a subtropical saw-grass marsh region, is a “river of grass” up to 50 miles (80 km) wide but generally less than 1 foot (0.3 m) deep, covering more than 4,300 square miles (11,100 sq km) of southern Florida. Through it, water moves slowly southward to mangrove swamps bordering the Gulf of Mexico to the southwest and Florida Bay to the south. Everglades National Park encompasses the southwestern portion of the region and is the largest subtropical wilderness left in the United States. It encompasses 2,357 square miles (6,105 sq km), including most of Florida Bay, and preserves a unique blend of temperate and tropical species and freshwater and marine habitats.
Source
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Q: What chief river of the northern Levant is nicknamed “the Rebel River” because it flows unusually northward?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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