Environmental Awareness and Earth Science Quiz

Earth Day 2024 Theme and Actions

• Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22, promotes environmental protection.
• The global movement began in 1970 with Gaylord Nelson mobilizing 20 million people.
• Earthday.org (EDN) now has over 50,000 partners in 190+ countries, shaping landmark environmental laws.
• The 2024 theme is "Planet vs. Plastics," highlighting the 380 million tons of plastic produced annually, 50% for single-use.
• EDN demands a 60% reduction in plastic production by 2040.
• Four strategies outline a reduction: raise awareness on health risks (linked to cancer, marine life deaths), phase out single-use plastics by 2030, combat fast fashion, and encourage sustainable materials.

2024 Nova Outburst

• A nova eruption is a surge in a star's brightness.
• This event occurs in binary star systems of a red giant and a white dwarf.
• The red giant sheds material onto the white dwarf, heating it until an explosion.
• The T Coronae Borealis nova, located 3,000 light-years away, is predicted to erupt sometime before September 2024 and be viewable with the naked eye for several days.

Taiwan Earthquake of April 3, 2024

• A 7.4 magnitude earthquake struck Taiwan's east coast on April 3, 2024, killing 13 and injuring over a thousand.
• It was the most powerful earthquake in 25 years, felt as far as Hong Kong and Shanghai.
• The earthquake triggered landslides and building damage.
• Preemptive measures like earthquake sensors and drills, combined with strict building codes, drastically reduced the casualty toll.

Cole Brauer's Solo Circumnavigation

• Cole Brauer completed the 30,000-mile Global Solo Challenge in 130 days in March 2024, becoming the first American woman to achieve this feat.
• The journey, beginning in Spain, took Brauer around Africa, Australia, and South America before returning to Spain.
• Despite facing difficulties like severe weather and injuries, Brauer's solo voyage demonstrated resilience and skill.

Chimpanzee Military Tactics

• Research suggests chimpanzees use human-like military tactics to defend and expand territories.
• Observed in Tai National Park, chimpanzee groups strategically patrol their borders.
• The groups seek out higher ground for observation, evaluating risk, and taking over territory when possible.
• Scientists identify this as a complex cognitive ability.

Revolutionary Era Sketch Discovery

• A 15"x5" Revolutionary War-era eyewitness sketch, depicting North Carolina Continental Troops and female companions passing through Philadelphia in 1777, was discovered in a private collection in August 2023.
• Its inscription helped the curator match to a historical account of North Carolina troops passing through Philadelphia in 1777.
• The artist was identified as Pierre Eugene du Simitiere, a Swiss artist known for his Revolutionary War sketches.
• The sketch is significant for its depiction of women, often overlooked in historical records, supporting soldiers.

Crab Spider Cooperation

• Scientists observed male and female crab spiders in a Chinese rainforest cooperating to create camouflage.
• The male spider mimics the flower's stamens, and the female petals, deceptive to predators.
• This behavior constitutes the first evidence of cooperative mimicry.

Massive Ichthyosaur Fossil Discovery

• A father-daughter team found fossilized remains of a new giant ichthyosaur species on Blue Anchor Beach in spring 2020.
• The ichthyosaur, estimated to be 80 feet long.
• The species, named Ichthyotitan severnensis, was researched, reconstructed, and announced in April 2024.

North American Cicada Emergence

• Millions of periodical cicadas are emerging in 16 US states.
• This rare synchronous emergence of Brood XIX (13-year cycle) and Brood XIII (17-year cycle) has not been recorded in 221 years.
• These harmless insects emerge to reproduce and die soon after.
• While beneficial to some ecosystems, their swarming can be a nuisance, and their egg-laying can damage young plants.

Paris 2024 Summer Olympics New Sports

• The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris feature innovative additions breaking, surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing.
• Breaking (breakdancing) debuts in the Olympics, judged on style and technique.
• Surfing, previously debuted in Tokyo 2020, returns in Tahiti.
• Skateboarding (park and street disciplines) returns, each judged on performance.
• Sport climbing (bouldering, speed, and lead climbing), using a different scoring system from Tokyo 2020, emphasizes skill.

Sumatran Orangutan's Medical Treatment

• A Sumatran orangutan, Rakus, was observed treating a cheek wound using a liana plant.
• The innovative medical plant application demonstrates remarkable self-treatment, with complete wound healing.

2024 Tornado Outbreak

• An above-average number of tornadoes across the US spanned from April to May, 2024, particularly concentrated in Tornado Alley.
• April 25–28 experienced a multitude of severe tornado outbreaks leaving substantial destruction.
• Powerful tornadoes struck various locations with a heavy toll on people and infrastructure, causing substantial damage including in Marietta, Oklahoma and Minden, Iowa.

2023 Canadian Wildfires and "Zombie" Fires

• Canada experienced the worst wildfire season on record.
• "Zombie" fires (also known as holdovers and overwintering fires), remain active underground.
• The ground thawing, from lingering melted snow, rekindled these fires, creating substantial challenges for firefighting efforts.
• The fires’ prevalence is linked to the low precipitation and warmer winter temperatures

NASA's X-59 Supersonic Aircraft

• NASA's X-59 aircraft is designed for quiet supersonic flight without sonic booms.
• Its innovative design—with a pointed nose and an upper engine placement—aims to address sonic boom complaints prevalent with supersonic aircraft.
• Testing is planned for California, with planned routes over US cities for public feedback.

Dogen City—Floating Maritime Metropolis

• A floating city called Dogen City is being designed to combat climate change and rising sea levels.
• The circular-shaped, two-tiered city, estimated to have 10,000 residential population capacity, aims to be self-sufficient in food production, healthcare, and other needs as a climate solution.

Personalized Cancer Vaccines

• Dr. Catherine Wu's research developed personalized cancer vaccines targeting individual genetic mutations using the patient's immune system.
• This research successfully treated six patients with advanced melanoma, an aggressive skin cancer.
• Awarded the Sjöberg prize for her pioneering work on personalized vaccines.

Sphere Entertainment Venue

• Sphere, a Las Vegas entertainment venue, is designed to incorporate advanced technologies, including wrap-around LED screens and an advanced audio system, offering cutting-edge options and experiences.
• The inaugural residency by U2 showcased the digital capabilities within.
• The "Sphere Experience" is an interactive two-hour program.

Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling

• Cooper's Hill Cheese Rolling, an annual tradition in Gloucestershire, England, involves participants chasing a rolling wheel of cheese.
• The event has endured despite initial concerns about injuries; continued popularity.
• Several races including downhill for men, women and adults, and uphill for kids were held on May 27, 2024.

Claudia Sheinbaum—First Female President of Mexico

• Claudia Sheinbaum became the first female president of Mexico in June 2024, and first Jewish leader of this mostly Catholic nation.
• She plans to combat violence by increasing police presence and security cameras, and pledged to reduce reliance on fossil fuels by 50%.

Chang'e 6 Lunar Probe

• China's Chang'e 6 lunar probe successfully returned soil samples from the Moon's far side, in June 2024, achieving the first such retrieval from this unexplored part of the Moon.
• The program included planting a flag at the lunar landing site and retrieving samples that were then transferred back to Earth.

Paris 2024 Olympics - US Gymnastics Medal Haul

• US men's gymnastics team earned a bronze medal at the Olympics in July 2024, reversing a disappointing qualifying run and 16-year medal drought.
• The team secured the bronze medal in the team event and another bronze medal in the individual pommel horse event through exceptional performances by some of the gymnasts.

Mount Vernon Bottle Discovery

• Excavations at George Washington's Mount Vernon home unearthed 35 18th-century glass bottles containing remarkably preserved cherries and berries.
• The discovery allowed researchers insight into the culinary practices of that era, and perhaps even a glimpse into the roles of enslaved individuals in their homes and at the table.

Elephant's Naming Ability

• A new study found elephants may assign individual "names" to each other, using different vocalizations.
• They exhibit complex communication via rumbles in different contexts .
• Scientists identified the patterns with machine learning in a 30-year study.

Herculaneum Beach Restoration

• Herculaneum, a Roman town engulfed in 79 AD volcanic eruption, finally had its main beach restored in June 2024.
• Authorities restored the beach to replicate the ancient environment as closely as possible, allowing audiences access to the Roman beach environment. The project also included the discovery of a series of skeletons and artifacts.

Florida Carpenter Ant "Surgeries"

• Researchers discovered that Florida carpenter ants perform life-saving "surgeries" on wounded nestmates, showing extraordinary social behavior.
• Ants with femur wounds undergo amputations while tibia wounds receive simple cleaning which demonstrates an intelligent triage response based on injury severity that helps the colony survive.

Lucara Diamond Discovery

• Lucara Diamond announced the discovery of a 2,492-carat diamond in Botswana in August 2024.
• The discovery is the second largest diamond ever found.
• The diamond is expected to be cut into numerous smaller sparkling gems.

NASA's Starliner Spacecraft

• NASA's Starliner spacecraft returned to Earth without a crew in early September 2024 due to unforeseen helium leaks and thruster failures.
• Crew members Wilmore and Williams will continue the space mission at the International Space Station (ISS) until February 2025.
• The crew will transition to full-time ISS crew members, undertaking spacewalks and scientific experiments.

Banksy's London Artwork Series

• British street artist Banksy unveiled a series of animal artworks in London from August 5–13, 2024.