United States
Pipeline Expansion Approved
Wednesday night, the Trump Administration announced its approval to continue building the Keystone Pipeline XL on federal lands in Montana, bringing the controversial oil-carrying pipeline one step closer to fruition. The decision allows for a small segment of the pipeline – 46 miles- to cross land controlled by the Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The small section will connect a nearly 1,200 mile pipeline stretching from Canada’s western oil terminals to Steele City, Nebraska and eventually to the Gulf. The pipeline is expected to continue facing many challenges in court before completion.
This map depicts the route of the Keystone XL Pipeline. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: SP Global
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Australia
Firefighting Plane Crash
On Thursday, three American firefighters battling bushfires in Australia were killed when their aerial water tanker crashed in the Snowy Mountains south of the capital, Canberra. Officials reported they lost contact with the C-130 Hercules plane shortly before 13:30 local time near Cooma. The cause of the crash was not immediately known but high winds were making flying the water tankers “very difficult” according to officials. The identities of those killed have not been released.
This map depicts the flight path of the C-130 Hercules before it crashed. Click on the map to learn more.
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China
New Viruses Discovered
Researchers from the U.S. and China have discovered 28 previously unknown viruses sitting dormant in a glacier in the Tibetan plateau. Scientists took two core samples from the Guilya ice cap and will study them to learn about the types of environments these viruses thrived in centuries ago. The researchers also wrote that in a worst case scenario, climate change will cause melting of their host ice and release the pathogens into the atmosphere.
This map depicts the location of the Guilya ice cap where the 28 viruses were found. Click on the map to expand.
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Q: Before it was drained, this area of land was once known as the Great Black Swamp. What modern-day U.S. states is this area present in?
A: Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan
Once a thriving 1,500 square mile wetland, the Great Black Swamp was drained and developed in the late 19th century to make room for farmland. As a buffer for wet materials entering Lake Erie, its transformation into agriculture land lead to devastating ecosystem-wide effects, particularly in Lake Erie, which continues to suffer from annual, life-depleting algal blooms.
Source
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Q: As the 12th longest river in the world, what countries does the Mekong River run through?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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