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United States
Cases Reaching a Fall Peak
COVID-19 cases in the United States reached 70,000 last Friday, the highest daily toll since late July. Seventeen states, mostly located in the Midwest and Great Plains reported new daily records of cases. Hospitalizations rose in 40 states across the country, with the total number of people hospitalized reaching 36,000, approximately half the rate recorded during spring and summer surges. This interactive map from the New York Times illustrates the geography of the virus across the U.S. at two previous peaks in April and July, as well the distribution of cases early last week, as we neared Friday’s new peak. Case counts from early in the pandemic are difficult to compare with more recent counts, due to the increasing availability of testing. However, because the virus continues to spread to new areas of the country, and test positivity rates and hospitalization rates continue to climb, experts warn the outbreak is far from over.
This map depicts the previous peaks in April and July, and the case count from early last week. Click on the map to learn more.
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France
Rallies Erupt After Beheading
On Sunday, thousands of people gathered across France to pay tribute to a teacher who was beheaded on Friday in the Paris suburb of Conflans-Sainte-Honorine. According to reports, an 18-year-old Chechen refugee attacked and killed teacher Samuel Paty, 47, near his school after Paty had previously shown his pupils cartoons of the Prophet Mohammad in a class on freedom of expression. The assailant was shot dead by police soon after posting a graphic claim of responsibility on social media. Police have detained 11 people in connection with the attack including four close relatives of the suspect, the father of a pupil at the school, and a preacher described by French media as a radical Islamist. A national tribute to Paty will be held in France this Wednesday.
This map depicts the Conflans-Sainte-Honorine where the attack occurred. Click on the map to expand.
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Graphic Source: The Times
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Peru
New Nazca Line Discovered
Archaeologists from the Peruvian Ministry of Culture announced the discovery of a new Nazca Lines etching, known as a geoglyph. The 37 meters (121 feet) long depiction of a feline laid undiscovered for nearly 2,000 years on a hill beside the Pan-American Highway. The discovery emerged during work to improve access to one of the hills that provides a natural vantage point from which many of the designs can be seen. Scientists believe the cat, as with other Nazca animal figures, was created by making depressions in the desert floor leaving colored earth exposed. The geoglyphs depicting people, animals, and other figures, were recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994. The Nazca Lines are located approximately 250 miles (400km) south of Lima and cover about 450 sq km (175 sq miles) of the country’s arid coastal plain.
This map depicts the location of the Nazca Lines in Peru. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Covering an area of roughly between 8100 sq km (3127.4 sq mi) and 8300 sq km (3204.6 sq mi), which ice cap holds the title of being Europe’s largest?
A: Vatnajökull ice cap
Covering about 8% of Iceland’s landmass and with an average ice thickness of more than 900 meters (3,000 feet), Vatnajökull (in English Vatna Glacier) is an extensive ice cap located in the southeastern part of the country. Scientists estimate the total ice volume of Vatnajokull is probably in the vicinity of 3300 cubic km (800 cubic miles). The ice cap covers an undulating highland plateau, generally reaching 600-800 meters (1970 – 2625 feet) in altitude. In 2008, the Vatnajökull glacier and its surroundings were declared a national park.
Source
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Q: With water falling almost 3,505 meters (11,500 feet), the world’s largest waterfall is located under which body of water?
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