|
|
|
Iran
Blasts at Memorial Kill 84
At least 84 people have died and more than 200 are injured after two explosions struck a memorial event at the tomb of General Qassem Soleimani in the southern Iranian city of Kerman on Wednesday. Soleimani was the leader of Iran’s elite and secretive Quds Force, part of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, who was killed by an American strike in Baghdad, Iraq in 2020. Iranian officials have been quick to blame Israeli and American operatives, while US intelligence experts have said the attacks appear to be the work of Islamic State, which is known to be in conflict with the Iranian government. The first explosion went off around 2,300 feet (700 m) from the Garden of Martyrs cemetery. The second explosion, which wounded the most people, was further away and hit 15 minutes later, which could indicate the bombers deliberately targeted people fleeing from the first blast as well as first responders arriving at the scene.
This map depicts the locations of two explosions near the Garden of Martyrs cemetery in Kerman, Iran, which killed at least 84 people at a memorial event for General Qassem Soleimani. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
Graphic Source: BBC
__________________________________________
|
|
|
|
Germany
Heavy Rains Flood Germany
Days of heavy rainfall combined with melting snow have flooded several regions of Germany, including the western state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the eastern states of Saxony and Thuringia. No fatalities have been reported during these latest floods. The water levels of several rivers rose significantly from heavy rains on Wednesday night, increasing the risk of major flooding and provoking fears that dikes could be breached. France, which is also facing flooding in Brittany and Nord-Pas-de-Calais, offered help to Germany in the form of flood containment barriers and vehicles. Multiple pumps were also sent from The Netherlands, Czechia, and Slovakia, as part of the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. Large areas in Germany have been under water for days, especially in Lower Saxony and Bremen, which remain on weather alerts.
This map depicts weather warnings across Germany, with green representing no severe weather, yellow representing Level 1 weather, orange representing Level 2 or significant weather warning, and red representing a severe weather warning or Level 3. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
|
United States
East Coast Cities Sinking
Satellite data is revealing that cities all along the United States’ East Coast are sinking, with the most-affected locations dropping as many as five millimeters a year. The hardest-hit locations include parts of New York City and Long Island, Baltimore, Virginia Beach, Norfolk, and New Haven. Almost the whole of the East Coast is sinking at least two millimeters a year. These findings by a team led by researchers at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech) were published in a study in the journal PNAS Nexus. The team built digital terrain maps with collected satellite data to observe the subtle changes occurring over time. Gradual subsidence along the East Coast brings population centers downwards towards ocean levels that are gradually rising, raising coastal flood risks, and uneven subsidence between different areas presents a threat to infrastructure.
This map depicts varying levels of sinking along the United States’ East Coast, as revealed by a new study based on satellite data. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Q: What is the world’s largest land biome, an area consisting of a shared biological community and regional climate?
A: Boreal Forest
The boreal forest (or “taiga”) is the world’s largest land biome. The boreal ecozone stretches across Canada, China, Finland, Japan, Norway, Russia, Sweden, and the United States. It is home to coniferous tree species such as pine, spruce, and fir with some broadleaf species such as poplar and birch. Taiga represents about 30% of the global forest area, contains more surface freshwater than any other biome, and has large tracts of unmanaged forests across the high-latitude regions of Canada, Russia, and the United States. About one-third of their extent is underlain by permafrost. From a biological perspective, boreal forests are defined as forests in high-latitude environments where freezing temperatures occur for 6 to 8 months and in which trees are capable of reaching a minimum height of 16 ft (5 m) and a canopy cover of 10%. After the permanent ice caps and tundra, taiga is the terrestrial biome with the lowest annual average temperatures, which generally vary from 23 to 41 °F (−5 to 5 °C).
Source
|
|
|
|
|
Q: Founded during the late Renaissance and one of the oldest cities established by Europeans in the Americas, what was Brazil’s first capital?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
|
|
|
|
|
AGS is accepting DailyGeo GeoQuestion suggestions.
Write to ags@americangeo.org with any ideas!
Please include GeoQuestions in the subject line, along with your answer and source.
|
|
|
|
DailyGeo is a daily digital communication created by the American Geographical Society (AGS) for the geography community. If you are receiving this email, it is because you are an affiliate of AGS or a participant in one of our programs. Feel free to share and encourage others to become part of the community too!
Copyright © 2024 American Geographical Society, All rights reserved.
We understand this might not be for everyone. Although we would hate to see you go, you can unsubscribe here.
How are we doing? We want to hear your feedback on the DailyGeo – what are we doing right and what should we be doing differently. Talk to us by emailing ags@americangeo.org.
|
|
|
|
|
