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World
War Disrupts Agricultural Markets
The war in Iran is not only blocking oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, it is also holding up much of the world’s fertilizer supply, posing risks across global agricultural markets. The Middle East is home to leading exporters of both liquified natural gas (LNG), a major feedstock for synthetic nitrogenous fertilizers, and fertilizers themselves, including urea and ammonia, the most common forms of nitrogenous fertilizers. A 30-day closure of the strait could be enough to trigger shortages and yield risks for nitrogen-dependent crops like corn, wheat and rice. At the same time, other major suppliers of fertilizers are not able to increase production to offset the potential reduced supply from the Middle East. Along with spiking oil prices, Iran’s de facto closure of the strait is now raising fertilizer costs by up to a third. No region is completely insulated, and the effects of any sustained disruption could reverberate globally through higher input costs, lower crop yields, and, ultimately, higher food prices.
This map depicts regional fertilizer production facilities and airstrikes. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Rabobank
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Senegal
More Penalties for Same-Sex Acts
Senegal’s parliament has voted to double the maximum penalty for same-sex sexual acts from five years in prison to ten. The previous penalty was one to five years of imprisonment for those convicted of homosexual acts. The tougher penalty was introduced as a bill by Prime Minister Ousmane Sonko in February and must now be signed by President Bassirou Diomaye Faye to become law. No member of the parliament voted in opposition to the bill, as many agreed with the Prime Minister’s sentiment of homosexual acts being “against nature.” Three members of the 165-member parliament abstained from the vote. The bill also aims to punish any person who “promotes” or “finances” homosexuality, further tightening restrictions against same-sex acts.
This map depicts the degrees to which countries which criminalize same-sex sexual acts. Click on the map to learn more.
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United States
Ravens Remember Wolf Kill Sites
A new study in Science finds that ravens in Yellowstone National Park frequent multiple locations throughout the park where wolves tended to successfully catch and kill prey. The team of American and European scientists fitted 69 ravens with GPS tracking devices and observed the ravens’ movements in comparison to the movements of 20 wolves and 11 cougars also fitted with GPS tracking collars. Ravens are primarily scavengers that don’t normally hunt for themselves, but instead eat carrion left over by more effective hunters. But while the research team had expected to see the ravens followng wolves directly to be in position to take advantage after a kill, what they actually found was that ravens recall and visit the locations where wolves more regularly find success making kills. While the wolves’ kills can be unpredictable, wolves find hunting success in certain areas of the landscape more frequently, and ravens appear to have memorized the hot spots.
This map depicts the movements through Yellowstone National Park of ravens in grey, wolves in purple, and cougars in yellow, in a study on how ravens find food leftover by larger predators. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: At 11,205 ft (3,415 m) what mountain not only forms the highest point in Chad, but also the highest summit of the entire Sahara?
A: Emi Koussi
Emi Koussi, a dormant shield volcano, lies at the southeast end of the Tibesti Mountains in northern Chad. Rising above the surrounding sandstone plains, its summit includes three calderas that were formed by powerful eruptions. The older two overlap to form a depression approximately 7.5 mi by 9.3 mi (12 km by 15 km), bounded by the distinct rim. The youngest caldera, known as Era Kohor, formed from an eruption within the last two million years. While there are no historical records of eruptions at Emi Koussi, the southern flank of the volcano houses an active thermal area, and million-year-old lava flows have stained the surrounding rock. The lack of vegetation on or around the volcano due to the harsh weather conditions in the region allows for wind and water to carve long grooves into the rock, some up to 100 ft (30 m) deep and several miles long.
Source
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Q: Averaging only about 4 inches (100 mm) of rainfall per year, which West Asian country has no permanent bodies of fresh water within its borders?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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