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August 4, 2016
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Geography in Action
Why Southern Calif. cities are vulnerable to wildfires
(David McNew/AFP/Getty Images)
The Sand fire, which broke out near Santa Clarita, Calif., ranks as "one of the largest fires in such close proximity to a city in the past 15 years," writes Ella Koeze. Fire season has gotten longer since the 1970s, and drought in Southern California makes the region especially vulnerable, said Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell.
FiveThirtyEight (7/29),Los Angeles Daily News (8/3)
Study tracks coastal development in China
Land reclamation projects have led to the rapid development of China's coastline, per a study led by geographer Bo Tian. The study, which relied on satellite imagery, found that about 7,700 square kilometers of coastal wetlands were lost as a result of land reclamation projects between 1985 and 2010.
Hakai Magazine (Canada) (7/27)
Other News
- Tectonic shifts throw off Australia's map coordinatesReuters (8/1)
Research, Education and Global Change
UN agencies: Conflict is leading cause of hunger worldwide
Prolonged conflicts are affecting the ability of more than 56 million people in 17 countries to feed themselves, say the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization and World Food Programme. Conflict disrupts agriculture, displaces people and leads to higher food prices, all of which contribute to hunger, they say.
Reuters/Thomson Reuters Foundation (7/29)
South China Sea blue hole is deepest ever, researchers say
A blue hole in the South China Sea is the deepest ever found on Earth, researchers say. Known in China as the Dragon Hole, the underwater sinkhole measures about 987 feet, or about 301 meters, deep, though the findings need to be confirmed.
LiveScience.com (7/27)
Other News
- Dealing with copyright issues in data scienceNature (free content) (8/3)
Technology and Applications
Project maps unlit areas to identify impoverished regions
Researchers have used satellite imagery to study poverty by searching for areas that are dark at night. Nighttime darkness is not a perfect measure of poverty, but the researchers have found that it could allow them to identify impoverished regions in countries such as the Democratic Republic of Congo, Tajikistan and Tanzania with a high level of accuracy.
CityLab (8/2)
Uber seeks to map its own future
Uber will reportedly spend $500 million to develop its own mapping technology. The company, which uses Google Maps, has invested in mapping firms and contracted with TomTom and DigitalGlobe for navigation technology and data.
USA Today (8/2),Tech Times (8/1)
Other News
- EPA tool used to locate urban areas prone to higher temps, floodingGovernment Computer News (8/2)
Association News
AAG Letter on Academic Freedom in Turkey
In response to the academic situation in Turkey, the AAG sent a letter to President Erdogan in May to "express our concern with ongoing reports in the United States that academics in Turkey who signed the 'Petition for Peace' have faced reprisals from the government." Learn more.
AAG Opens Registration to Accept Abstracts, Session Proposals
Register now to gain access to the conference portal where prospective presenters and speakers can submit an abstract to present at the AAG Annual Meeting. This geographic conference is open to scholars, professionals, and students with an interest in geography. The conference will feature over 6,000 presentations, posters, workshops, and field trips. The AAG Annual Meeting will be held April 5-9, 2017, in Boston, Massachusetts. Learn more.
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