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Jordan
Strike Kills 3 US Troops
Three US troops were killed and dozens injured in a drone strike on a US airbase in Rukban, Jordan, close to the border with Syria. The base, Tower 22, is an important logistical hub which supports Tanf, a larger base in Syria. US officials blamed the attack on “radical, Iranian-backed militia groups.” The Islamic Resistance, an umbrella group consisting of several Iranian-affiliated militias operating in Iraq, have claimed responsibility for the attack. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have denied involvement, stating that resistance groups respond to “American aggressors” at their own discretion. The attack is the latest of more than 160 against US targets in the Middle East since Hamas’ attack on Israel in October. President Biden has vowed to respond to the attacks, however concerns regarding conflict escalation in the volatile region remain prominent.
This map depicts the location of Tower 22, the site of the deadly drone attack which killed 3 US troops in Jordan, and Tanf, the nearby, larger US base in Syria. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Economist
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United States
Earhart’s Plane Possibly Found
The Lockheed 10-E Electra plane flown by Amelia Earhart until her disappearance in 1937 has reportedly been discovered. Based in South Carolina, a company called Deep Sea Vision scanned over 5,200 images of the Pacific Ocean floor beginning in September last year. The 15-person team was granted $11 million by pilot and former U.S. Air Force officer, Tony Romeo. The first sonar potentially showing Amelia Earhart’s aircraft was discovered three months into their search by Deep Sea Vision’s Hugin submersible at 16,000 feet (4,877 m) below the surface. It was found about 100 miles (161 km) from Howland Island, the last destination Earhart and her navigator Fred Noonan were supposed to land before they disappeared. Earhart is among the many groundbreaking explorers who were honored by the American Geographical Society to sign its Fliers’ and Explorers’ Globe.
This map depicts the last leg of Amelia Earhart’s flight across the Pacific in 1937. Click on the map to learn more.
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Mars
Ingenuity’s Last Flight
After nearly three years of exploring Mars, the Ingenuity helicopter suffered damage during its last flight, bringing its historic mission to an end. A week ago, the helicopter performed its 72nd flight on Mars as a scouting partner to the Perseverance rover. During this maneuver, Ingenuity lost contact with the rover when it was about 1 meter above the ground. When the team reestablished contact with the helicopter the next day, they discovered damage on at least one of the rotor blades. With this damage, it is no longer capable of flight. Ingenuity is the first aircraft to achieve powered, controlled flight on another planet. This “Wright brothers’ moment” for planetary exploration has paved the way for future aerial explorers on Mars.
This map depicts how far Perseverance and Ingenuity have travelled since landing on Mars in February 2021. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What rock formation in the United States has proven to be the most abundant source of dinosaur fossils in North America?
A: Morrison Formation
The Morrison Formation is a rock unit from the Late Jurassic Period (about 163.5 to 145 million years ago). Named for the town in Colorado where the layer was first described, the Morrison Formation extends throughout the Western United States from New Mexico to Montana and contains fossils of numerous dinosaur species that lived during that period of time. Based on analysis of marine fossils, the global climate in the Late Jurassic is thought to have been much warmer and more humid than it is now. Fossilized plant species indicate most of the Morrison ecosystem was home to lush forest, shrubland, rivers and floodplains. The Morrison Formation has yielded numerous fossilized ferns, cycads, gingkoes, horsetails, and large conifer trees. This geological area has been the most bountiful source of dinosaur fossils in North America, most notably of sauropods, the giant long-necked four-legged herbivorous dinosaurs, but also for a variety of therapods, or carnivorous dinosaurs.
Source
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Q: What was the first river granted personhood under the Rights of Nature Doctrine?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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