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United States
Two Dead in Church Shooting
Two children were killed and 17 people were injured when a shooter opened fire on a Roman Catholic church in Minneapolis during Mass to mark the first week of school on Wednesday. The shooter, who has been identified as Robin Westman, 23, died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound outside the church. The two victims killed were an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old, both students of Annunciation Catholic Church’s associated school. Most of the victims injured were also students. Witnesses described adults positioning themselves to protect children and older children doing the same for younger children as Westman fired into the sanctuary through multiple windows. While local police have not yet formally declared a motive, investigators have found that Westman, who had no other criminal record, left behind detailed plans for the attack and had posted a manifesto on YouTube.
This map depicts the location of Annunciation Catholic Church and its associated school in Minneapolis, where a shooter killed two students and injured 17 others during Mass on . Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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Syria
Israeli Military Expands in South
Israel has launched waves of air strikes near Damascus and advanced troops into southern Syria, despite talks between the two countries aimed at easing hostilities. Multiple strikes hit the area of Kiswah, south of Damascus, on Wednesday night, along with an airborne landing. That came after attacks on Tuesday which killed six Syrian soldiers in the area. Ongoing airstrikes and drones prevented soldiers from reaching the area until Wednesday night. The increase in Israeli attacks came as Syria and Israel engage in talks mediated by the United States over a security agreement and de-escalation following the collapse of the Assad regime late last year and the takeover of Syria by former rebels.
This map depicts the extent of Israeli influence, military activity, and the demilitarized zone in southern Syria. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: ETANA
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World
Tallying Deforestation Heat Deaths
A team of scientists has published a study in Nature Climate Change attributing over 28,000 global heat-related deaths a year to deforestation in tropical regions from 2001 to 2020. While the importance of trees towards removing carbon from the atmosphere on a global scale is well understood, this new study looks at the localized effects of deforestation driving heat-related deaths from increased local temperature. Besides carbon capture, trees contribute to reducing heat in their immediate area through shade and moisture release via evapotranspiration. The study looked at changes in temperatures between areas that had or hadn’t experienced deforestation across the Amazon, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia, finding that 345 million people were affected by the localized climate effects of deforestation, with 2.6 million people seeing temperatures in their areas rise by as much as 5.4°F (3°C).
This map depicts the localized effects on mean surface temperature due to deforestation across areas of the Amazon, sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia from 2001-2020. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Which mountain range in Antarctica is buried under ice but rivals the Alps in shape and scale?
A: Gamburtsev Mountains
The Gamburtsev Mountains, beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, are one of the most mysterious mountain ranges on Earth. Comparable in scale and shape to the European Alps, their sharp peaks and deep valleys remain completely hidden under ice. The range lies near the center of East Antarctica, in a region that has been tectonically stable for millions of years. First discovered in 1958 by a Soviet expedition using seismic instruments, the mountains defy typical geological expectations. Most mountain ranges form along active plate boundaries, but the Gamburtsev range likely emerged over 500 million years ago during the formation of the supercontinent Gondwana. Because they are entirely subglacial, very little is known about their precise structure, age, or composition. Today, they are studied using ice-penetrating radar and satellite-based remote sensing.
Source
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Q: What is the transitional zone between the Sahara Desert and savannas?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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