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United States
Sustained Hotspots
According to data recently released by the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), the federal government has listed nearly 900 of 928 metropolitan areas and more than 2,000 of 2,270 counties in the U.S. as “sustained hotspots” of COVID-19. The designation means the areas are at a high risk of experiencing “healthcare resource limitations,” or staffing and facility shortages, due to steadily increasing numbers of COVID cases. Twenty-one metro areas and nearly 50 counties recorded a 500% or greater increase in the number of deaths from COVID-19 from the previous week. The federal data, now updated daily, were first released publicly by DHHS last week. Previously they had been available only to state governments on request. According to a statement from the agency, officials “hope the publication of this data will help Americans make personal choices to slow the spread.”
This map depicts the counties designated as a sustained hotspot. Click on the map to learn more.
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United Kingdom
France Eases Blockade
On Wednesday, thousands of stranded truck drivers at the British port of Dover vented their anger as they struggled to access coronavirus tests. Late Tuesday, France had agreed to allow drivers carrying a negative test result taken within the previous 72 hours to board ferries for Calais, following a two-day blockade imposed because of a new variant of the coronavirus in the United Kingdom. Huge queues of trucks have been stacked on a motorway towards Dover in the southeast county of Kent, while others have been parked at the former nearby airport in Manston. With no sign of traffic to the European mainland resuming and confusion over how to get a coronavirus test, tempers flared and reports indicated there were brief scuffles between a small number of police officers and drivers. The crossing between Dover and Calais handles around 17% of the UK’s goods imports. The shutdown had caused many British supermarket shelves to stand empty, in scenes reminiscent of the early days of the pandemic.
This map depicts the lorry holding plans in Kent. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC News
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Arctic
Subsea Permafrost Carbon Stocks
Due to rising ocean temperatures in the Arctic Ocean, subsea permafrost has begun to thaw and is exposing “billions of tons of organic matter to microbial breakdown.” This decomposing matter has started releasing CO2 and CH4, two of the most prominent greenhouse gases (GHG). While research on subsea permafrost has been ongoing for decades, collecting and sharing data has been difficult, hindering a universal understanding of the estimated amount of carbon stocks in underwater permafrost ecosystems and its rate of release. A new study, published in IOP Publishing journal Environmental Research Letters, provides new insights into the subsea permafrost climate feedback, GHG release, and potential responses for the subsea permafrost zone in the Arctic. The study suggests that there is an estimated 60 billion tons of methane in the subsea permafrost region, and contains another 560 billion tons of organic carbon trapped in its sediment and soil. As permafrost continues to thaw, this region’s carbon release could increase substantially and further the impacts of climate change.
This map depicts the current extent of subsea and coastal permafrost ecosystems. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: With an estimated area of approximately 57,000 square km (22007.8 square miles), which wetlands hold the title of being Africa’s largest?
A: Sudd wetland
One of the largest freshwater ecosystems in the world, the true extent of the Sudd wetlands located in South Sudan is highly variable. In the wet season, the size of the wetland can increase up to 90,000 km² and gradually decreases to about 42,000 km² depending on the high seasonal flood. It is sustained by the flow of the White Nile (or Bahr el Jebel) from Lake Victoria in Uganda, in addition to rainfall runoff from its surrounding areas. The Sudd consists of permanent swamps, river and rain flooded grasslands, and floodplain woodlands. Notable wildlife species include African elephants, Nile lechwe (endemic to South Sudan), and shoebills.
Source
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Q: Measuring 103,000 km² (39,768 miles²) in area, which island is the world’s largest volcanic island?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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