|
|
|
United Kingdom
Travelers Banned
At least 30 countries have banned travel from the U.K. following a recent discovery of a new strain of COVID-19 in the country. The variant, which has been traced to two-thirds of all new COVID cases in London and is believed to be up to 70% more transmissible than other strains, has already been identified in several countries including Denmark, the Netherlands, and Australia. This map by the Guardian highlights European countries that have announced travel restrictions, including the halting of incoming flights, ferries, and freight transit as of last night. Spain became the most recent European country to announce a ban this morning. The restrictions come at a time when British ports are overwhelmed with traffic in advance of a looming expiration of the Brexit trade “transition period” on December 31. Outside of the E.U., India, Hong Kong, Canada, and Russia are among countries banning travel from the U.K.
This map depicts the countries in Europe that had banned travel from the UK as of Sunday night, several more countries have announced travel bans this morning and the list is expected to grow. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
__________________________________________
|
|
|
|
United States
Kilauea Volcano Erupts
The Kilauea Volcano on Hawaii’s Big Island erupted late Sunday within the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. The eruption began within the Halema’uma’u crater. About an hour after the volcano began to erupt, a magnitude 4.4 earthquake hit. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) officials reported lava fountains shooting into the sky about 165 feet high, which fed into a growing lava lake within the crater. USGS will continue to monitor the situation and will send out further notifications as the volcano is observed. The National Weather Service in Honolulu released an advisory issue to warn residents nearby of fallen ash from the volcano—ash can be an eye or respiratory irritant with excessive exposure. The last time Kilauea erupted was in 2018, where over 700 homes were destroyed and an area of about half the size of Manhattan was buried by lava over the course of four months.
This map depicts the location of the Kilauea Volcano on the Big Island of Hawaii. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
|
Spain
Hibernation In Hominins
In a new study published in the L’Anthropologie journal, scientists claim early hominins could have hibernated to survive harsh winters. The conclusions were based on excavations in a cave called Sima de los Huesos or the “Pit of Bones” at Atapuerca, near Burgos in northern Spain. Using microscopes and computed tomography (CT) scanning, researchers discovered that the roughly 400,000-year-old bones belonging to Neanderthals or their predecessors had lesions and other bone damage similar to those seen in animals that hibernate. By slowing their metabolism, it is thought that early human species could have slept for months to weather freezing winters, a time when food supplies would have been extremely scarce. The Sima de los Huesos site has been excavated annually since 1983 and approximately 5,500 human skeletal remains have been unearthed there to date.
This map depicts the location of Sima de los Huesos where the fossils were found. Click on the map to learn more.
|
|
|
|
 |
Q: With a surface level of 1,410 feet (430 meters) below sea level, estimated to be shrinking 3 feet (one meter) further per year, where can you find the body of water with the lowest elevation?
A: Dead Sea
The Dead Sea is a landlocked lake located between Jordan and Israel and fed by the Jordan River from the north. The lake is famous for its extremely low elevation (the lowest point on Earth’s surface), and its high-salinity water (33% salinity). The Dead Sea is experiencing rapid evaporation and leading to an even lower surface and higher salinity content.
Source
|
|
|
 |
Q: Stretching over 23,000 square miles (59,500 square km), which archipelago in the Pacific Ocean is administratively a province of Ecuador?
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 AGS for the geography community. Feel free to share and encourage others to become part of the community too!
Copyright © 2020 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. |
|
|
|
|
