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India
Plummeting COVID-19 Cases
In September 2020, India was confirming nearly 100,000 new COVID-19 cases per day, on track to overtake the U.S. to become the country with the highest reported COVID-19 caseload in the world. Four months later, India’s COVID-19 cases declined significantly. On January 26, India’s Health Ministry confirmed a record low of 9,100 new daily cases in the country of 1.4 billion people. According to a map from India Today, 602 of 729 districts reported no COVID-related deaths in the last week. India is one of several countries that mandated masks in public places, and quite early in the COVID-19 pandemic. Police hand out tickets to violators, fining them 200 rupees (USD $2.75) if seen without a mask. A survey published in July 2020 showed that 95% of respondents said that they wore a mask the last time they went out, indicating the effectiveness of the fines and mandates. India’s population is also very young, as only 6% are older than 65. Those who are young are less likely to die of COVID-19 and are more likely to show no symptoms if infected.
This map depicts the decline in COVID-19 deaths as of February 10, 2021. Click on the map to learn more.
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South Pacific
Earthquake off New Caledonia
Yesterday, a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck in the South Pacific, generating a small tsunami. The quake’s epicenter was located 258 miles (417 km) east of Tadine, a town in the French territory of New Caledonia, and occurred at a depth of just over 6 miles (10 km). According to the USGS, five earthquakes occurred within the hour to the southeast of the island group. Undersea earthquakes measuring greater than 7.0 are able to produce a major tsunami, according to seismologists. Due to the given magnitude and relative shallow depth of the quake, an alert was issued to the coastal areas of New Zealand, New Caledonia, Vanuatu, and other small islands in the area. There were no reports of damages on any nearby islands, as the tsunami never made it higher than a meter. Tsunami warnings were cancelled several hours after the quake.
This map depicts the location of the 7.7-magnitude earthquake that struck 258 miles from New Caledonia’s Vao. Click on the map to learn more.
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China
Decreasing Carbon Emissions
A study recently published in Nature shows China’s emissions of ozone-depleting substances have declined in recent years. The study was conducted by a team of international researchers and took several years to complete. Conclusions show that global levels of CFC-11, a substance known to harm the Earth’s ozone layer, have decreased substantially after 2019. Parts of Eastern China allegedly started releasing CFC-11 in 2013 after a global ban was established in 1987 as part of the Montreal Protocol. China’s emissions increased until 2018 and returned to previous levels in 2019. China’s decrease in CFC-11 emissions is vital to the repair of the ozone layer. If emissions remain at current concentrations, the ozone layer will eventually return to levels seen in the 1980’s.
This map depicts the changes in CFC-11 emissions between 2008-2019. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: The busiest container port in the world is located on which major river delta?
A: Yangtze River Delta
The Port of Shanghai is located at the confluence of the Yangtze, Huangpu, and Qiantang Rivers, which made the area a center of coastal trade beginning in the 18th century Qing dynasty. The Port of Shanghai became the busiest port in the world after surpassing the Port of Singapore in 2010, and handles 43.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) of goods annually. The Yangtze River Delta is one of the most densely populated areas in the world, and when coupled with its port traffic, makes Shanghai one of only four cities to be classified as a “Large-Port Megacity,” along with Tianjin, Guangzhou, and Shenzhen.
Source
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Q: With a surface elevation of over 12,500 feet (3,800 m) and an area of over 3,200 square miles (8,372 sq km), what lake is considered the highest navigable lake in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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