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United States
CDC Clears "Do Not Travel" List
On Monday, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) revised its international travel COVID-19 advisory system, removing all 89 countries from its Level 4 "Do Not Travel" list. The CDC stated Level 4 will remain a category within its ranking system, but would be reserved for special circumstances. The U.S. State Department confirmed it will also be adjusting its travel advisories, and they would no longer be automatically aligned to the CDC's guidance except in the case of a Level 4 advisory. With this adjustment, 122 countries are now categorized by the CDC as Level 3, with a "High" level of COVID-19 infection rates.
This interactive map from the CDC depicts travel advisory warning levels for countries around the world. The CDC recently removed all countries from its Level 4 "Do Not Travel" list. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: CDC
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Antarctica
Record Low Sea Ice
In late February, Antarctic sea ice shrank to the smallest extent on record since 1978, according a study published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. This comes five years after the previous recorded low in 2017. Sea ice loss is caused primarily by change in temperature, with shifts in ice mass playing a smaller role. The North and South poles have warmed by approximately three degrees Celsius compared to levels in the late 19th century. Sea ice in the Arctic has decreased by three percent a year since the late 1970s, while sea ice near Antarctica has increased by one percent per decade. Now, Antarctic sea ice has shrunk below 772,000 square miles (almost 2 million km sq), which scientists fear will accelerate global warming since open ocean absorbs heat, while sea ice reflects heat away from Earth.
This map depicts a change in Antarctic ice sheet concentration from 1981-2010 to February 2022. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Barrons
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Space
Rover Arrives at River Delta
The National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) confirmed yesterday the Perseverance rover has arrived at its next important destination, an ancient river delta in the Jezero Crater. This location, dubbed the "Three Forks" by the team overseeing the mission, is where Perseverance will take on its second major science expedition to collect rock samples, as part of the "Delta Front Campaign." Yesterday marked the one-year anniversary of the inaugural flight of Ingenuity, a helicopter drone partnered with Perseverance, which was the first powered flight by a human-made craft on another world. On April 8, 2022, Ingenuity completed its 25th flight on the planet, the longest distance and fastest yet, and will be rejoining Perseverance at Three Forks soon.
This map depicts the traverses of the Perseverance rover and Ingenuity helicopter as of April 18th. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: The longest tunnel in the world at 36 miles (57.5 km) connects which two cities?
A: Erstfeld and Bodio, Switzerland
The Gotthard Base Tunnel is the world's longest and deepest tunnel, running under the Swiss Alps and connecting the towns of Erstfeld in the north and Bodio in the south. The 35 mile (57 km) long tunnel reaches a depth of 7,545 ft (2,300 m). Construction of the tunnel cost more than $12b; it was endorsed in a referendum in 1992, and the tunnel officially opened in 2016. Engineers had to blast through 73 different kinds of rock, some as hard as granite. 28 million tons of rock was excavated and then used to make the concreate within the tunnel. The Gotthard Base is considered a huge feat for freight transportation and is hailed by European leaders for creating freer movement of people and goods.
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Q: Where can you find the largest manmade lake in the world at 3,283 square miles (8,500 sq km), occuping 3.5% of its country's entire land area?
Stay tuned for the answer to today's question in tomorrow's DailyGeo.
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