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United States
Canyon Fire Hits Near L.A.
A new fast-moving wildfire, the Canyon Fire, broke out Thursday afternoon in the mountains north of Los Angeles, near Lake Piru in Ventura County. Fueled by strong winds, dry vegetation, and rugged terrain, the blaze scorched about 4,856 acres (1965 ha) within hours and remained 0% contained as of Friday morning, according to Cal Fire. At its peak, it spread at a rate equivalent to burning a football field every two seconds, forcing thousands to evacuate and placing tens of thousands more under warnings. In Ventura County, five zones – including the Lake Piru Recreation Area – were under evacuation orders, while in Los Angeles County, more than 2,700 residents were evacuated, and 700 structures are under evacuation orders. The Canyon Fire is close to the Castaic Lake area, which was burned by the Hughes fire in January, and reflects a growing trend of more frequent, extreme wildfire conditions in California.
This map depicts the Canyon Fire burning near Lake Piru along the Ventura-Los Angeles County border, with marked evacuation zones and affected areas. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Newsweek
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Armenia-Azerbaijan
US-Brokered Peace Deal
The leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan are scheduled to sign a joint peace deal at the White House today, in an agreement that gives the United States exclusive rights to develop a transit route through the South Caucasus. The two former Soviet countries have been in conflict over the Nagorno-Karabakh region—an Azerbaijani region with a majority ethnic-Armenian population—since before the dissolution of the Soviet Union, most recently resulting in over 6,000 deaths in 2020. The peace deal will also give the United States exclusive development rights to a transit route across southern Armenia, linking oil-rich Azerbaijan with its Nakhchivan exclave. Azerbaijan currently exports oil through a pipeline connecting its Caspain Sea output to Turkey via Georgia, bypassing Armenia. This transit route, planned to be named the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP), would directly connect Turkey with Azerbaijan without Armenian checkpoints.
This map depicts the Zangezur Corridor, a transit route across southern Armenia that would link Azerbaijan’s main territory its exclave of Nakhchivan. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Bloomberg
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Greenland
Glacial Melting Feeds Aquatic Life
Scientists have observed that increased melting from Greenland’s glaciers are feeding an increase in phytoplankton in the waters off the western coast. As described in a study in Nature Communications Earth & Environment, the runoff is kicking up nutrients like iron and nitrate from the deep sea, which then fuels the growth of phytoplankton – microscopic organisms that form the starting link in the ocean’s food chain. Prior satellite data from NASA shows that phytoplankton growth in Arctic waters increased 57% from 1998 to 2018. In view of climate impacts, while it’s known that phytoplankton captures atmospheric carbon dioxide as it photosynthesizes, the changes in water chemistry and temperature make the water itself less likely to absorb the greenhouse gas. Also, these latest observations were only made in a specific area off Greenland’s west coast, so it’s unknown whether similar processes are taking place in all the areas where glaciers are melting into Greenland’s surrounding seas.
This map depicts the data collected on the impact of glacial melting on nutrient availability and phytoplankton growth in the waters off Greenland’s west coast. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which U.S. state has the longest freshwater shoreline?
A: Michigan
A freshwater shoreline is where land meets a body of freshwater, such as a river, lake or pond. Freshwater shorelines are relatively stable in comparison to ocean shorelines and support a variety of plant and animal species. They are an important source of drinking water and act as breeding grounds for fish and other aquatic organisms. The state of Michigan contains 3,288 miles (5,292 km) of freshwater shoreline, the longest of any US state. This is thanks to the fact that it is home to four of the five Great Lakes – Superior, Huron, Erie, and of course, Michigan – as well as many smaller lakes and rivers. Michigan’s freshwater resources are a major source of economic activity for the state, not limited to tourism and recreation. It is estimated that Michigan’s water-based economy generates $60 billion every year and supports 1.5 million jobs.
Source
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Q: What is the name of the most remote point in the ocean, that is closer to space than land?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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