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Indonesia
Mt. Semeru Erupts
Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupted on Wednesday, sending towering clouds of ash, hot gas, and volcanic material up to 4.35 miles (7 km) down its slopes and forcing authorities to activate the highest level of alert. The eruption blanketed nearby villages in ash, damaged homes and a school, and prompted widespread evacuations, with more than 300 residents and nearly 200 stranded hikers moved to safety. Officials expanded the danger zone to as far as 4.97 miles (8 km) from the crater and issued a red aviation warning as ash rose up to 1.24 miles (2 km) into the air. While no causalities have been reported, residents described sudden darkness and falling debris as they fled, and emergency crews continuing searching for anyone still trapped near the volcano.
This map depicts the location of Mount Semeru, the volcano in Indonesia that erupted. Click on the map to learn more.
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Germany
Nord Stream Suspect Extradition
Italy’s highest court has cleared the way for the extradition of former Ukrainian military officer Serhii Kuznetsov to Germany, over the sabotage of the Nord Stream gas pipelines in 2022. German prosecutors allege Kuznetsov coordinated a small team that detonated four bombs that badly damaged both Nord Stream 1 and 2. Kuznetsov denies any role. The case has already split Europe with a Polish court refusing to extradite another Ukrainian suspect, diver Volodymyr Zhuravlov, calling the blast a legitimate act of self defense against Russia’s invasion. Some members of the European Parliament have urged Italy to halt Kuznetsov’s transfer for similar reasons. Many Ukrainians see whoever destroyed the Nord Stream pipelines as heroes for cutting a key Russian revenue stream. However, Germany, once a chief beneficiary of Russian gas and now a leading military backer of Kyiv, insists on pressing ahead with a full criminal trial to uphold the rule of law.
This map depicts the locations of the Nord Stream natural gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea along with the exclusive economic zones of nearby countries. The locations of the pipeline sabotage are marked with red points. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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World
Global Methane Cuts Falling Short
A new UN methane assessment warns that the world is far off track from the Global Methane Pledge to cut emissions by 30% by 2030, with current policies delivering only about an 8% reduction despite proven, low-cost technology that could make even deeper cuts quickly. Methane levels continue to rise, threatening the goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (34.7 degrees Fahrenheit), even though reductions could rapidly slow near-term temperature increases and yield major health and economic benefits. The report shows that most mitigation potential lies in the energy sector, while agriculture and waste also play major roles, and stresses that enforcement gaps, underreporting, and lagging coal-sector action hinder progress. Although more countries now include methane plans in their climate commitments, major emitters like China, India, and Russia remain outside the pledge, and global climate momentum is weakened by U.S. policy rollbacks.
This map depicts a world map showing methane emissions in 2023, showing how much each country contributed. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Notable in the Amazon Rainforest, “artisanal” and small-scale gold mining is Earth’s largest source of pollution of what chemical?
A: Mercury
In a global economy where a gram of gold is worth more than $60, small-scale gold mines are proliferating. And in the Amazon, this gold rush is pushing deeper into the rainforest and Indigenous lands. Legally and illegally conducted, this gold rush feeds on mercury, a very potent neurotoxic substance, threatening inhabitants of the Amazon and especially Indigenous communities who rely on freshwater fish as a primary source of food. Mercury is used as a “gold magnet,” that can chemically bind to gold dust, and then be burned off, as it has a lower melting point than gold. This releases large amounts of mercury into the air, and large quantities of this toxic substance are dumped or spilled directly into ecosystems, making “artisanal” and small-scale gold mining the largest source of mercury pollution on Earth.
Source
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Q: What country in the Americas has the highest solar energy potential?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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