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World
U.K. Hosts Hormuz Talks
Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Kier Starmer will lead a summit today to discuss reopening the Strait of Hormuz, which has been largely shuttered to commercial traffic by Iran in response to strikes from the United States and Israel in early March. The talks will be attended by foreign ministers from forty countries, including Australia, Japan, Nigeria, and the United Arab Emirates. The countries have signed a statement urging Iran to reinstate safe passages through the waterway, as about 1,000 ships and thousands of sailors remain stranded due to Iran’s blockade. The U.S. will not attend the summit despite the participation of many of the country’s traditional allies, such as the U.K. and France. Attempts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are expected to escalate in the coming weeks, as the disruption to the flow of oil through the strait has caused global oil prices to surge. However, PM Starmer has reiterated that these efforts will not involve force or military operations. The participating countries hope that this united front will stop the attacks on shipping vessels and restore maritime trade through the strait.
This map depicts the global origins and maritime trade of crude oil. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: MarketWatch
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Indonesia
Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake at Sea
A magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred Thursday morning off the coast of Indonesia in the Molucca Sea, with the epicenter located 79 miles (127 km) north-west of Ternate Island, and at a depth of 22 miles (35 km). According to Indonesia’s disaster management agency (BNPB), a 70-year-old woman died on north Sulawesi Island. Strong shaking, lasting 10 to 20 seconds, was felt in Ternate and Bitung, a coastal city on the northeastern edge of Sulawesi. Indonesia’s BMKG meteorology agency reported tsunami waves in five locations, with the highest at 2.46ft (0.75 m) occurring in North Minahasa in North Sulawesi province. There were 11 reported aftershocks, the largest having a magnitude of 5.5. The Molucca Sea is a frequent location of moderate to large earthquakes, with nine other earthquakes with a magnitude higher than seven having occurred within 155 miles (250 km) of Thursday’s earthquake in the past 50 years.
This map depicts the location of the epicenter of Thursday’s quake in the Molucca Sea-. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: The Guardian
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Space
Artemis II Successfully Launched
The Artemis II crew launched Wednesday, sending four astronauts on an approximately 10-day journey around the Moon. This flight marks the first crewed mission to travel to the Moon’s vicinity in over 50 years since the Apollo era. The crew will travel aboard NASA’s Orion spacecraft on a test flight designed to evaluate the spacecraft’s performance and its ability to support human life in deep space. The mission will also test maneuverability, communication, and re-entry systems. The flight follows a free return trajectory, a path that loops around the Moon and naturally brings the spacecraft back to Earth using gravitational forces. This trajectory is both fuel efficient and intended to be less risky than entering a lunar orbit. The Artemis II crew will travel approximately 4,700 miles (7,564 km) beyond the far side of the Moon. From this vantage point, the astronauts will be able to see both the Earth and the Moon, observing parts of the lunar surface that no human eyes have seen before. The mission does not include a lunar landing and primarily serves as a precursor for future Artemis missions.
This map depicts the flight trajectory of Artemis II. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the only country in the Western Hemisphere with net-negative greenhouse emissions?
A: Suriname
Suriname is considered a carbon negative country, as its rainforests absorb more emissions than the country emits. With approximately 94% of land area under dense tropical rainforests, Suriname performs a key function as a global carbon sink absorbing more than 9.7 tons (8.8Mt) of CO2 annually. Most of the rainforest is still in pristine condition. Suriname has one of the world’s lowest rates of deforestation, estimated at 0.02% annually. Despite this significant mitigation function, as a country with a low-lying coast where over 80% of the population resides, and where the major economic activities and infrastructure are concentrated, Suriname is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change.
Source
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Q: What island chain separates the Bering Sea from the Pacific Ocean?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in tomorrow’s DailyGeo.
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