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United States
Joint Russia-China Bomber Flight
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) reported intercepting a bomber patrol coordinated jointly by Russia and China off the coast of Alaska yesterday. This is the first time Russia and China have flown a joint patrol near US airspace. The two Russian TU-95 and two Chinese H-6 bombers entered the Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) late in the day, prompting NORAD to send American and Canadian fighter jets to intercept the patrol. The ADIZ is not strictly US airspace, but a buffer zone within which the United States reserves the right to monitor for threats and request identification from aircraft operating in the zone. The patrol did not cross into US airspace and NORAD did not view the patrol as a threat, but the joint action is seen as a sign of greater military cooperation between Russia and China.
This map depicts the Alaska air defense identification zone, a buffer area around American airspace into which a group of jointly-coordinated Russian and Chinese bombers made a patrol yesterday, prompting a response by American and Canadian jets. Click on the map to learn more.
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Canada
Wildfires in Western Canada
Jasper, the largest national park in the Canadian Rockies, was struck by a wildfire that caused extensive damage and forced 25,000 people to evacuate. Officials from Jasper National Park stated that the fire broke out on the community’s southern boundary on Wednesday night and that firefighters were battling several building fires while attempting to save vital infrastructure. Also, officials said that there has been significant damage at the park. Air quality alerts were issued as smoke from the wildfires crept over the area where hundreds of people had fled. Following a three-week heat wave, the area has seen more than 58,000 lightning strikes in the past week, some of them starting new fires. There are increasing concerns about a recurrence of last year’s record-breaking wildfires in Canada, which covered cities as far south as Florida in hazardous smoke and haze.
This map depicts the location of the fires in western Canada and the national parks near them. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Radio Canada
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United Kingdom
Tree Bark Absorbs Methane
A new study published in Nature has revealed tree bark plays an important role in removing methane from the atmosphere, meaning trees can absorb 10% more greenhouse gasses than was previously thought. Researchers from the University of Birmingham discovered microbes living within tree bark have the ability to absorb methane at a level close to that of soil, which was thought to be the only terrestrial sink for methane. They found the greenhouse gas absorption was most pronounced in tropical forests, likely due to the warm and wet conditions that promote microbial activity. Methane has contributed to almost 30 percent of global warming since pre-industrial times, and its emissions are now rising at an unprecedented rate. The team’s findings suggest reducing deforestation remains a vital approach towards combating climate change.
This map depicts the average global yearly methane (CH4) emissions from rivers and streams, showing the highest emissions from tropical, Arctic, and boreal biomes. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What city is located at the junction of the Blue Nile and White Nile rivers?
A: Khartoum
Khartoum, the capital of Sudan, lies just south of the confluence of the Blue and White Nile rivers. The Nile River system is the country’s dominant physical feature, and all streams and rivers of Sudan drain either into or toward the Nile. The capital city is located at the confluence of the White Nile – flowing north from Lake Victoria – and the Blue Nile, flowing west from Lake Tana in Ethiopia. Divided by these two parts of the Nile, the Khartoum metropolitan area is a tripartite metropolis consisting of Khartoum proper and linked by bridges to Khartoum North and Omdurman.
Source
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Q: What is the largest subtropical wilderness left in the United States?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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