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United States
Arizona Hits Record Temperatures
The Martinez Lake recreation community in southwestern Arizona reached 110ºF (43.3ºC) on Thursday, breaking the record for the highest recorded temperature in March in the United States. Many other towns across the southwestern region of the country also surpassed local record temperatures, including 107ºF (41.7ºC) in Palm Springs, California, and Phoenix, Arizona. The previous record for highest March temperature was at 108ºF (42.2ºC) in Rio Grande, Texas, in 1954. The ongoing heat wave is caused by a high pressure system called a “heat dome,” which exacerbates persistent and extreme heat throughout California, Arizona, and Nevada. A new study by the World Weather Attribution revealed that heat waves in the region have become warmer by over 7ºF (about 4ºC) since the 19th century, when the industrial era began.
This map depicts the heat wave temperatures during the past week. Click on the map to learn more.
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United Kingdom
Meningitis Outbreak in Kent
An outbreak of meningitis in the southeastern English county of Kent has led to 29 confirmed cases and two deaths. The spread of the disease was caused by a strain of meningococcal bacteria which can be passed from person to person through prolonged contact. Public health officials are urging people to be aware of possible symptoms, to wear masks, and to get vaccinated, and they have emphasized that university students are particularly susceptible to contracting meningitis. Students at the University of Kent have called for a shutdown of the campus amidst statements from officials who say that the outbreak likely has not peaked. Their petition to the university asserts that “students deserve to feel safe on campus” and appeals to the school to implement further preventative health measures in the midst of fears of further cases and deaths.
This map depicts the locations of menigitis cases throughout the county of Kent. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Sun
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United States
Meteorite Fragments Found in OH
Meteorite hunters have found fragments from a meteor that entered Earth’s atmosphere and exploded over northeast Ohio on Tuesday morning. The day after the event, which caused a visible fireball and a sonic boom heard through the region, NASA released a map showing the area where fragments were most likely to be found, mainly over Sharon Township in rural Medina county. The meteorite hunters came from as far away as Connecticut and South Carolina to sweep the area, looking for the rocks and chunks of metal that briefly appeared on radar following the meteor’s explosion on Tuesday. The fragments, which can be sold to collectors and institutions, have telltale features that make them stand out from ordinary local rocks, the result of their unique chemical composition and the intense heat produced during the meteor’s trip through the atmosphere.
This map depicts the likeliest area to find fragments from an exploded meteor that lit up the sky and caused a sonic boom over northeast Ohio on the morning of St. Patrick’s Day. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: The Hawai’i island chain is made up of about 132 volcanic islands. Which main Hawaiian island is considered the oldest?
A: Kaua’i
The Hawaiian islands are part of the Hawaiian Ridge Chain and connects to the Emperor Seamount Chain of some 132 volcanoes, both above and below sea level, stretching for 3,800 miles (6,100 km) in the north Pacific Ocean. The ages of the volcanoes get younger as the chain bends southeast. The oldest volcano near the northern end of the Emperor Seamount Chain is 81 million years old. Out of the eight main Hawaiian islands, Kaua’i is considered the oldest, with volcanic activity ending on the island about 3.8 million years ago. The volcanoes were formed due to tectonic plate motion and hotspots. Deep below the earth’s surface, hot spots promote melting of the mantle rock which produces magma on top of the Pacific Plate. As the plate moves, the new born volcanoes move with it and grow as the plate shifts.
Source
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Q: Which crystal-clear lake in the U.S. fills the caldera of a volcano and is one of the deepest lakes in the world?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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