Oct

31st 2007

Maps of War

Filed Under Cartography, Current Events, World | Leave a Comment

As can be discerned from its title, the Maps of War site features dynamic maps on the subjects of war, occupation and other turbulent times around the world. All maps have link and embed code as well as a download section to access flash and powerpoints. In addition to the hosted maps, the site features an extensive library tracking war related maps around the Internet on such current conflicts as Iraq, the Middle East and Darfur.


Oct

30th 2007

Using Scraps of Land to Claim the North Pole

Filed Under Current Events, World | Leave a Comment

With various countries fighting for control over the North Pole, Denmark is staking their claim based on a new island exposed by receding ice.  The minute island, which is around 40 meters long, was discovered in July off the northern coast of Greenland which is under Danish jurisdiction. 

Source: Northern pebbles new pawns in Arctic chess game ~ Reuters

Oct

30th 2007

Yes, English is spoken in England

Filed Under Current Events | Leave a Comment

In another story for the geography ignorance file, Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder was a little stumped when it came to knowing what language is spoken in London, England.  The Miami Dolphins played the New York Giants in the first regular NFL game played outside of the United States.  Channing Crowder commented on his lack of geography acumen by saying:

“I couldn’t find London on a map if they didn’t have the names of the countries,” he said. “I swear to God. I don’t know what nothing is. I know Italy looks like a boot. I know London Fletcher. We did a football camp together. So I know him. That’s the closest thing I know to London. He’s black, so I’m sure he’s not from London. I’m sure that’s a coincidental name.”

Source: NFL Star: They Speak English In London?

Oct

20th 2007

Birth of an iceberg

Filed Under Current Events, Environment | Leave a Comment

The European Space Agency has a web page animation of imagery from Envisat’s Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar (ASAR) instrument, that shows the breaking away of a giant iceberg from the Pine Island Glacier in West Antarctica.  The newly formed iceberg covers an area of 34 km in length by 20 km in width. 

The animation highlights the movement in the area between September 2006 and October 2007. The Pine Island Glacier is visible stretching from the right of the image to the centre. The tongue of Pine Island is shown moving inland between September 2006 and March 2007. Between April and May 2007, the detached iceberg in front of Pine Island moves significantly. Also in May 2007, a crack in Pine Island becomes visible. By October, the new iceberg has completely broken away.

Source: Earth from Space: Birth of an iceberg

pine_island_glacier_l0.gif

Photo: ESA; Photo: ESA/Cluster; Image: ESA/NASA - SOHO/LASCO

Oct

19th 2007

East Sea still not widely used on maps

Filed Under Asia, Cartography | Leave a Comment

Matt from the About Geography site recently reintroduced the question of “should geographers and cartographers change the name of the Sea of Japan to the East Sea in deference to Korean sensibilities?”  Since 2002, Korea has been campaigning to officially change the name from Sea of Japan to the East Sea.  The International Hydrographic Organization (IHO) originally called for requiring both names be used on maps in 2002, citing a 1974 resolution that calls for use of all relevant names in cases of conflict.  The IHO stepped out of the debate when it became too contentious and has since urged Japan and Korea to come to a consensus on their own.  The Korea Times is reporting that a recent review of 295 maps printed by 45 countries shows that most maps still do not use East Sea.  208 maps only used Sea of Japan to describe the area with another 73 maps using both East Sea and Sea of Japan.  Only three percent (nine maps) use only East Sea and the remaining 5 maps don’t label the sea at all. 

300px-sea_of_japan_map.png

Oct

19th 2007

Podcasts from the USGS

Filed Under General, Reference | 1 Comment

With the tagline, “It’s natural science from the inside out”, the USGS has made available a series of podcasts they are calling Corecasts.  Each podcasts is relatively short (ranging from two to fifteen minutes in length) and addresses a range of topics such as “When is an Earthquake not an Earthquake?”, “Polar Bear Research”, and a series of podcasts dedicated to Earth Sciences week.  The series also includes a monthly roundup covering the previous month’s hazards from around the world.  You can sign up to receive an email alerting you whenever a new corecast is posted to the site or subscribe to a feed via RSS or iTunes. 

Oct

16th 2007

How long will the North Pole ice cap last?

Filed Under Climatology, Current Events, Environment | 2 Comments

Pen Hadow of Vanco Artic Survey hopes to answer that question with the most detailed survey ever of the Arctic ice thickness at the North Pole.  Starting next February 2008, a team of scientists and explorers will undertake a 120 -day, 3,200 mile journey to cross the ice cap.  The team will start in Point Barrow, Alaska and reach the polar cap by June, 2008.  Along the way, over 10 million readings will be taken to determine snow and ice thickness.  Currently, estimates on the melting of the ice cap range from 16 to 100 years.  The readings, taken by radar, will help determine a more accurate assessment of the remaining life of the permanent ice cap of the North Pole. 

vancoarcticsurvey_routemap.jpg

Proposed route from Point Barrow to the North Pole

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