Drought is a dynamic spatial process, not a static event.
This 2018 U.S. drought map visualizes intensity, frequency, and movement patterns using hexagonal aggregation and flow-based cartography. The strongest concentration appears across the Southwest and Southern Plains, highlighting both severity and persistence.
Tool: ArcGIS Pro (hexagon grid, hotspot analysis, advanced symbology).
Shoutout: John Nelson for the tutorial that inspired the cartographic workflow.
Data: NDMC, USDA, NOAA, USGS.
Each year, millions of birds undertake extraordinary journeys across the Americas, linking ecosystems that span from the Arctic tundra to the grasslands of Patagonia and the Southern Ocean. The migration routes illustrated in this map reveal not only impressive distances, but also the ecological interdependence of continents.
Some species, such as Buteo swainsoni (Swainson’s Hawk), travel over 12,000 kilometers between breeding and non-breeding grounds. Shorebirds like Calidris canutus (Red Knot) depend on a chain of wetlands distributed across multiple countries. Seabirds traverse vast marine corridors, while land birds move seasonally in response to climatic variation and resource availability. Even species with shorter migratory distances rely heavily on habitat continuity and landscape integrity.
Migration is more than seasonal movement. It is an ecological process that sustains nutrient cycling, regulates insect populations, supports seed dispersal, and maintains trophic balance across biomes. The survival of migratory birds depends on the conservation of breeding grounds, stopover sites, wintering habitats, and safe migratory corridors.
This hemispheric connectivity underscores a fundamental conservation principle: biodiversity protection cannot be confined within political boundaries. Effective conservation of migratory species requires coordinated international governance, science-based management strategies, and protection of critical habitats across the Americas.
Understanding migration routes is therefore not only a matter of scientific curiosity; it is central to sustainable land-use planning, climate resilience strategies, and long-term biodiversity conservation.
Protecting migratory birds means protecting the ecological networks that bind the Americas together.
This visual captures the intensity and complexity of the first year of the Korean War — a conflict that reshaped geopolitics in East Asia and defined the early Cold War era.
From the rapid North Korean advance in June 1950…
To the desperate defense at the Pusan Perimeter…
To the bold Inchon Landing…
And the dramatic push north toward the Yalu River followed by Chinese intervention —
The map tells a story of momentum, reversal, and stalemate.
What stands out most is how quickly territorial control shifted. Within months, the peninsula saw near-total collapse, stunning counteroffensives, and ultimately a grinding war of positions near the 38th Parallel — a line that remains politically significant even today.
This period reminds us that:
Seventy-five years later, the Korean Peninsula remains one of the most strategically sensitive regions in the world — a powerful example of how history continues to influence present security dynamics.
History is not just about the past.
It is about understanding the forces that shape our present — and future.
2018 U.S. Drought Map Drought is a dynamic spatial process, not a static event. This 2018 U.S. drought ...
