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World
Halted Hormuz Risks Food Supply
Approximately one-third of the seaborne fertilizer trade that transits the Strait of Hormuz has effectively been halted since the start of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran, threatening global crop production and food security. The loss of Gulf exports creates an immediate global shortfall with no quick substitutes. This is occurring during the critical agricultural spring planting season in the Northern Hemisphere, when farmers rely heavily on nitrogen fertilizers (urea and ammonia) as well as phosphate fertilizers. Nitrogen fertilizers are especially critical because they must be used every year to maintain crop yields. Prices have surged, with urea rising to about $700 per metric ton as exports from Iran, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar have been halted. This is especially hard on food-importing countries in East Africa, South Asia, and the Middle East, with vulnerable populations who face rising risks of food insecurity as the fertilizers are key to growing staple crops like wheat, rice, and maize. A five or 10 percent increase in food prices could be detrimental to hundreds of millions of families. Children are particularly at risk of malnutrition in that scenario.
This map depicts Middle East countries that supply fertilizer globally through the Strait of Hormuz. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: TRT World
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United States
ICE Deployed at Airports
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents were sent by President Trump to airports around the country on Monday amidst the shortage of Transportation Security Agents (TSA). Airports have been facing high absentee rates of TSA workers as they have not been paid for over a month, leading to extremely long lines at security checkpoints. A former director of ICE stated that because ICE personnel do not have the specific security training to step in for TSA workers, their responsibilities simply involve making the presence of law enforcement more visible. Tensions have grown as ICE agents are receiving pay while TSA workers remain unpaid. Additional outcries have spread as a woman and her daughter were arrested by ICE at the San Francisco International Airport, raising fears of among immigrant communities of increased arrests at airports.
This map depicts the airports to which ICE agents have been sent. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Yahoo News
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United States
Freshwater Under Great Salt Lake
A new study by the University of Utah found a large reservoir of salt-free freshwater beneath the Great Salt Lake, known for its high salinity. Using airborne electromagnetic (AEM) surveys over Farmington Bay and part of Antelope Island, researchers detected freshwater that may extend up to 2.5 miles (4 km) deep. In the surveyed region, researchers found a sharp drop in bedrock depth below the Great Salt Lake, creating space for thick accumulations of sand and silt. These sediments appear to be saturated with freshwater, forming the reservoir. Only a limited portion of the lake was surveyed, so additional mapping is needed to confirm the full extent. Freshwater was suspected in recent years as circular mounds, about 54 to 109 yards (50 to 100 m) wide, covered with dense vegetation, appeared across the exposed lakebed. The presence of vegetation despite rapid declines in lake levels due to drought and water use, suggested the existence of a previously undetected source of freshwater.
This map depicts the airborne electromagnetic survey area, with flight-line locations in red across Farmington Bay. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Located in the Great Rift Valley, and spanning four countries, what is the world’s longest freshwater lake at 418 miles (673 km) long?
A: Lake Tanganyika
Lake Tanganyika is the longest freshwater lake in the world (410 miles/660 km) and the second deepest (4,710 feet/1,436 meters) after Lake Baikal in Russia. Comparatively narrow, varying in width from 10 to 45 miles (16 to 72 km), it covers about 12,700 square miles (32,900 square km). The lake forms the boundary between Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and part of the boundary between Burundi and the DRC as well as part of the boundary between Tanzania and Zambia. It occupies the southern end of the Western Rift Valley, and for most of its length the land rises steeply from its shores. It holds an estimated 4,500 cubic miles (18,900 cubic km), equivalent to about 16% of all fresh water on Earth. Approximately one million people live around the lake. It holds a diverse array of fish species, and is an important resource for food, trade, and transportation among the countries bordering it.
Source
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Q: Reaching a blistering 159.3 degrees Fahrenheit (70.7 degrees Celsius) in 2005, which desert holds the record for highest land surface temperature ever recorded?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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