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Japan
Worst Wildfires in Decades
Thousands have been forced to evacuate as Japan battles its most severe wildfire in over three decades. The blaze, which has scorched approximately 5,200 acres (2,104 ha) and damaged at least 84 homes near the northern city of Ofunato since Thursday, continues to spread. According to the country’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA), around 4,600 residents remain under evacuation order. Over 1,200 have sought refuge in shelters. Japan has deployed over 2,000 firefighters and military personnel from across the country to contain the flames, which have begun to subside in certain areas. Japan, like many other nations, experienced its hottest year on record in 2024. While climate change may play a role in worsening wildfires, experts caution that other factors, such as land use changes, also contribute to fire severity.
This map depicts where Japan’s worst wildfires in over 30 years have broken out in Iwate prefecture. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Anadolu Agency
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United States
Tariffs Take Effect
A 25% tariff on goods entering the United States from Canada and Mexico took effect today, with additional tariffs of varying amounts being levied on goods from China. President Donald Trump says the tariffs are a response to the other countries’ “failure to address” the flow of the drug fentanyl into the United States. Canada and China have both imposed retaliatory tariffs, while Mexico’s reciprocal response will be announced on Sunday, pending the results of a call between Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum and President Trump. China, the world’s largest importer of American agricultural goods, imposed tariffs from 10% to 15% on a wide array of food from the United States. Canada’s Chamber of Commerce called the tariffs “reckless,” and warned the trade war would cause recession and job losses on both sides of the border.
This map depicts how the imposition of tariffs between Canada, the United States, and Mexico, can raise costs on products manufactured in the United States. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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World
Strongest Current Weakening
Melting Antarctic ice is weakening the world’s strongest ocean current, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, according to new research in the Environmental Research Letters. Researchers warn the current could slow by 20% by 2050 under a high carbon emissions scenario, which could impact both global climate and marine ecosystems. If this current ‘engine’ breaks down, there could be severe consequences, including more climate variability with greater extremes in certain regions, and accelerated global warming due to a reduction in the ocean’s capacity to act as a carbon sink. The weakened current may allow invasive species to reach Antarctica, potentially threatening its fragile food web. The study suggests the weakened current could lead to a “vicious cycle” where ice caps are exposed to warmer water, leading to more melting, further weakening the current.
This map depicts a snapshot of surface speed of currents surrounding the Antarctic continent. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What country is home to the world’s fastest sinking city?
A: Indonesia
Increasingly severe rainfall and flooding, rising sea levels, and land subsidence have compounded in the Southeast Asian megacity of Jakarta, making it a challenging place for its more than 10.5 million people to live. 40 percent of Jakarta lies below sea level, and the northern part of the city is sinking at a rate of almost 2 inches (4.9 cm) each year. Unsustainable groundwater depletion has resulted in land subsidence. Although heavy rains should replenish underground aquifers, urban sprawl creates a concrete boundary that prevents the aquifers from being replenished, and the streets often flood. The Indonesian government plans to relocate to a new capital, Nusantara, a purpose-built city more than 620 miles (1,000 km) away in Borneo island’s East Kalimantan province.
Source
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Q: What is the name of the submerged land that once connected what is now Great Britain to mainland Europe?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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