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United States
COVID-19 in New York City
As the COVID-19 pandemic gripped the world, it was not long until New York City became the global epicenter of the pandemic. The largest city in the United States saw some of the country’s strictest restrictions imposed on its citizens. It was only this week that indoor dining at cafés, bars, and restaurants re-opened for the first time since March, albeit at 25% maximum capacity. There is, however, a spike in COVID-19 cases occurring in several zip codes in the city, predominantly in Brooklyn and Queens. This interactive map by Untapped New York shows the location of new cases in the city from Labor Day to the end of September. Gov. Cuomo has announced the deployment of 200 rapid result testing machines to hotspot areas in the most affected areas of the city and New York State in order to fight this uptick in infections. There have been over 450,000 confirmed cases in New York State and over 33,000 deaths from COVID-19 according to Johns Hopkins University.
This map depicts recent COVID-19 hotspots in New York City. Click on the map to learn more.
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Israel and Lebanon
Historic Boundary Negotiations
Yesterday, officials from Israel and Lebanon formally agreed to begin diplomatic talks in an effort to resolve a maritime boundary dispute in the Mediterreanen Sea. Israel and Lebanon are formally at war with one another and have no diplomatic relations; the negotiations represent the first time in 30 years the two countries will launch talks on non-security issues. Lebanese leaders hope the deal will allow for natural gas extraction in the disputed area, which may serve as a revenue stream to assist in confronting severe debt in the country. Although the talks were announced weeks after two Arab countries formed diplomatic relations with Israel, which many saw as a thawing of tension in the region, officials say a diplomatic accord between Lebanon and Israel will not be part of negotiations.
This map depicts the disputed area between Israel and Lebanon in the Meditearean Sea. Click on the map to expand.
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Graphic Source: Flags News
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Greenland
Fastest Melt Rate in 12,000 Years
In a recent study published to the journal Nature, new models suggest the Greenland Ice Sheet is on pace to experience the greatest rate of decline within the last 12,000 years. The study’s authors explained that human activity has altered the planet so immensely, the rate of mass loss could reach up to four times the highest rates under natural climate variability in the past 12,000 years. The increased rate of melting is expected to raise global sea levels between 2 and 10 cm (0.8 – 4 in) before the end of the century. Greenland’s ice sheet has been slowly growing over the past 4,000 years, following a shrinkage period 7,000 to 10,000 years ago. However, the current melting rate will reverse the growth pattern and likely cause the ice sheet to vanish within the next 1,000 years.
Map (a) is present-day Greenland, with the location of the study’s analysis in Map (b), and Map (c) provides different ancient boundaries of Greenland to simulate how Greenland today compares. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which French overseas territory holds the title of having the largest percentage of terrestrial protected lands in the world?
A: New Caledonia
New Caledonia is located in the southwestern Pacific Ocean, about 900 miles (1,500 km) east of Australia. The French overseas territory is comprised of the island of New Caledonia (the Grande Terre [Mainland]), the Loyalty Islands; the Bélep Islands; and the Île des Pins, which form more than 99% of the total land area. According to the World Bank, it is estimated 54.4% of its terrestrial area is under protection. In addition, New Caledonia also has one of the world’s largest marine protected areas which covers an area of about 1.3 million km² (501,932.8 mi²).
Source
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Q: Nicknamed by scientists the “White Shark Café,” which ocean basin is home to an oceanic desert, roughly the size of Colorado, that serves as an annual congregation place for Great White Sharks during winter and spring?
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