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North Korea-South Korea
Missile Launches Exchanged
North Korea launched its highest number of missiles in a single day today with a minimum of 23. This includes the first missile to land in South Korean territory since the 1950-53 Korean War. In a rare response, South Korea launched missiles of their own, firing three air-to-surface missiles into the sea north of the inter-Korean maritime border via fighter jets. North Korea states their recent increase in launches is a response to large-scale military exercises currently being conducted by South Korea and the United States, calling them “aggressive and provocative”. The missile volley comes amid rising tensions on the peninsula with North Korea reaching an annual record high number of missile launches with over 50 and a planned seventh nuclear test soon.
This map depicts where North Korea fired its first volley of missiles today, including the first missile to fall in South Korean territory since the end of the Korean War. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Korea Times
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Ukraine
Russia Rejoins Grain Deal
The Russian Defense Ministry confirmed today that it would resume participation in a deal allowing shipments of Ukrainian grain to travel unimpeded from Ukrainian Black Sea ports through the Bosporus Strait and on to destinations around the world. Ukraine and Russia are both important producers and exporters of grain, cooking oil, and other foodstuffs. The grain deal had originally been brokered in July by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, but Russia abruptly declared it was leaving the agreement this past Saturday, possibly in response to a drone strike on the headquarters and main port of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in occupied Sevastopol. Despite Russia's declaration that it had left the agreement, 12 ships departed Ukraine Monday morning, inspected and monitored by Turkey and representatives of the United Nations.
This map depicts the path taken by a large flotilla of freighters carrying Ukrainian grain and foodstuffs on Monday, October 31, spite of Russia having withdrawn from an earlier deal guaranteen safe passage. Russia declared today that it would be rejoining the deal. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: Al Jazeera
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Mars
Ancient Ocean Discovered
A set of topography maps included in a study recently published in the Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets have revealed new evidence of an ancient northern ocean on Mars. There have long been debates in the scientific community about whether Mars had an ocean in its low-elevation northern hemisphere. Using topography data, researchers were able to show definitive evidence of a roughly 3.5-billion-year-old shoreline with substantial sedimentary accumulation that covered hundreds of thousands of kilometers. A major goal for the Mars Curiosity rover missions is to look for signs of life, including water and other traces of habitable environments. The study authors hope that these new maps offer the biggest sign yet. Such a giant body of water, fed by sediments flowing from the highlands and presumably carrying nutrients, is thought to be the perfect place for ancient Martian life to have flourished.
This map depicts the topographical features of Mars, which new evidence shows may have been home to an ancient northern ocean. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: Just 15.5 miles (25 km) off the northern coast of Venezuela, which Caribbean island sits outside of the hurricane belt and has an arid landscape?
A: Aruba
Aruba is located in the Caribbean just a few miles west of the Bonaire and Curacao islands of the “ABC” islands. Aruba was colonized by the Dutch in the 1630s but retained its local native population. The co-habitation of Dutch, Spanish, Portuguese, and English traders on the 75-square-mile (193 sq km) island, along with its local natives, resulted in the emergence of a combined language known as Papiamento. The island maintained a significant portion of its pre-European population, known as the Arawaks, mostly thanks to being too arid and having barren soil unable to sustain commercial tobacco or sugar plantations. Unlike more tropical islands in the eastern Caribbean, Aruba's placement just off the coast of South America causes it to have a semi-arid, desert climate. Being outside of the hurricane belt, the small island is mostly sunny and dry, with less than 25 inches (64 cm) of rain per year.
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Q: Straddling the Tropic of Capricorn and blanketed by the Kalahari Desert, which landlocked southern African country is home to highly diverse array of wildlife?
Stay tuned for the answer to today's question in tomorrow's DailyGeo.
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