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Taiwan
Typhoon Krathon Makes History
Typhoon Krathon made landfall in Taiwan on Thursday, killing two people and injuring more than 100. Winds upwards of 100 miles per hour (161 km/h), excessive rainfall, flooding, and resulting landslides have left at least 50,000 people without power and more than 1,000 bridges and roads damaged. Most of the island reported 10-20 inches (250-500 mm) of rain, with some locations reporting a staggering 40 inches (1,016 mm). Over 10,000 people were evacuated for safety reasons and 120 emergency shelters were opened. Krathon slammed into the densely populated western plains, which is unusual given that typhoons typically impact Taiwan’s east coast. Krathon weakened to a tropical depression this morning and headed back out to sea. Most of Taiwan has reopened, and restoration and clean-up efforts are already underway for the worst-affected areas.
This map depicts the path of Typhoon Krathon compared to past typhoons in Taiwan. Additionally shown are the areas where intense storms are prevalent. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Reuters
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Democratic Republic of Congo
Lake Kivu Ferry Capsizes
A boat with 278 passengers capsized and killed at least 78 people on Lake Kivu, in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), as it was arriving to shore on Thursday morning. The boat set off from the port of Minova, in South Kivu province, earlier in the day and was en route to Goma, in North Kivu province. According to officials, the boat sank while it was trying to dock at the port of Kituku. This is the latest deadly boat accident in DRC, which has few roads outside of major towns. In remote areas where most passengers come from, many are unable to afford public transport for the few available roads. Vessels are frequently overcrowded with passengers who are rarely given safety jackets and often cannot swim.
This map depicts the location where the boat accident took place. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Sky News
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Guinea
Second Major Asteroid Impact
The Chixulub asteroid impact in Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula – which set off the extinction of the dinosaurs – was not the only major asteroid strike in that period, according to discoveries detailed in an article in the journal Nature. Researchers from Scotland’s Heriot-Watt University discovered the Nadir crater off the coast of Guinea in 2022. Subsequent research has revealed the crater was caused by the impact of a meteor smaller than Chixulub but still sizable, around one-quarter mile (400 m) wide, that struck the Earth at around 45,000 miles per hour (72,400 km/h) between 65 and 67 million years ago. Due to being underwater, the impact crater is far less eroded than similar impact sites on land, allowing scientists to better study the effects of an asteroid strike.
This map depicts the location of the Nadir crater off the coast of Guinea, the site of an asteroid strike that hit around the end of the Cretaceous period, 65 to 67 million years ago. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the hottest desert in both Mexico and the United States?
A: Sonoran Desert
The Sonoran Desert is a hot desert in North America and an ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Arizona and California). It is the hottest desert in both Mexico and the United States. It has an area of 100,000 square miles (260,000 sq km). The Sonoran Desert is clearly distinct from nearby deserts (e.g., the Great Basin, Mojave, and Chihuahuan deserts) because it provides subtropical warmth in winter and two seasons of rainfall. This creates an extreme contrast between aridity and moisture. The vegetation of the Sonoran is the most diverse of all the North American deserts.
Source
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Q: What is the largest lake in South America both in terms of the volume of water and surface area?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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