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Russia
Ammunition Depots Destroyed
Two large Russian ammunition depots were destroyed in the past week as the Ukrainian military improves its ability to make precise attacks deep in Russian territory. Last Tuesday, a depot in Toropets, 300 miles (482 km) from the Ukrainian border in the Tver region, was hit. On Saturday, Toropets was hit a second time and another major strike hit Tikhoretsk, in southern Russia, 200 miles (321 km) from Ukraine. Both the initial Toropets explosion and the Tikhoretsk explosion registered as small earthquakes. Ukraine claims the Tikhoretsk depot is one of the three largest in Russia, and held stocks of long-range missiles given to Russia by North Korea. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is in the United States for the UN General Assembly and to appeal to the US and its allies for continued supplies and permission to use Western weaponry for deep strikes on Russian territory. In the meantime, these new strikes may have been accomplished using Ukraine’s own domestically-produced jet-powered drone called Palianytsia, which has reportedly been in development over the last year.
This map depicts the heat signatures from fires following a Ukrainian drone strike on a major Russian ammunition depot in Tikhoretsk, in southern Russia. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Bloomberg
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Japan
Deadly Floods in Ishikawa
In Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture, floods and landslides resulting from torrential rainfall have killed seven people, with ten more missing. Flooded river banks and road blockages cut off more than 100 communities from the Ishikawa prefecture, leaving 4,000 households without power since Monday. Forty thousand residents in Ishikawa have been evacuated, and 16,000 people in the neighboring Niigata and Yamagata prefectures are advised to evacuate. This record rainfall follows a deadly 7.5 magnitude earthquake on January 1, and floodwaters now inundate those still in temporary emergency housing. Meteorologists and authorities have urged caution to local residents as heavy rains will persist until Monday afternoon.
This map depicts the accumulated rainfall in Japan’s Ishikawa prefecture and surrounding areas in millimeters. Wajima, a city in the Ishikawa, has seen upwards of 350 mm of rain. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Barron’s
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Space
Earth’s Temporary Mini-Moon
The Earth will soon have a temporary additional moon, a small asteroid being pulled in by Earth’s gravity. This asteroid, called asteroid 2024 PT5, will be officially in Earth’s orbit beginning September 29. It is set to circle the Earth for around 2 months before returning to the Arjuna asteroid belt. Scientists discovered this object on August 7th while doing routine monitoring using telescopes in South Africa. The length of mini-moon events like this varies from a couple of months to a full year. “Mini-moon” events are when asteroids or other space objects orbit the Earth temporarily. This mini-moon however, won’t be visible to the unaided eye or most telescopes because of its small size.
This map depicts the predicted orbit of a “mini-moon” that will circle the Earth for around 2 months starting later this month before returning to its home asteroid field. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What mountain is the principal national symbol of Armenia?
A: Mt. Ararat
Mount Ararat, a volcanic massif in extreme eastern Turkey, overlooks the point at which the frontiers of Turkey, Iran, and Armenia converge. It consists of two major volcanic cones: Greater Ararat and Little Ararat. Greater Ararat is the highest peak in Turkey; Little Ararat’s elevation is 12,782 feet (3,896 m). The Ararat massif is about 22 miles (35 km) wide at ground level. In Europe, the mountain has been called by the name Ararat since the Middle Ages, as it began to be identified with “mountains of Ararat” described in the Bible as the resting-place of Noah’s Ark. Although lying outside the borders of modern Armenia, the mountain is the principal national symbol of Armenia and has been considered a sacred mountain by Armenians. It is depicted on the coat of arms of Armenia along with Noah’s Ark.
Source
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Q: What peninsula is home to over 10,000 water-filled sinkholes called cenotes?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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