Thursday☕️

Earth Intelligence

27 Mar 2025 — 6 min read

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Yesterday, March 26, 2025, the Trump administration announced a 25% tariff on all automobiles manufactured outside the United States and imported into the country, effective April 3. This tariff targets fully assembled vehicles, such as cars and light trucks, as well as components like engines and transmissions, affecting exporters including Mexico, Canada, Japan, South Korea, and Germany.

Collection begins one week after the announcement, with vehicles meeting U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) standards subject to tariffs only on non-U.S. parts, pending clarification from the Commerce Department. The policy aims to encourage automakers to move production to the U.S., with President Trump stating that the tariffs, expected to raise $100 billion annually, would prompt companies to build or expand factories domestically. Around 25% of current vehicle content sold in the U.S. is manufactured in America.

Economics & Markets:

Yesterday’s U.S. stock market:

Yesterday’s commodity market:

Yesterday’s crypto market:

Geopolitics & Military Activity:

Over the past 36 hours, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) conducted strikes on military targets in the Latakia region of northwestern Syria. According to Syrian media, the operations hit the base of the 110th Brigade, previously part of the Syrian army, and a naval base at the Minat al-Beida port. Israel has stated that the strikes were aimed at addressing security concerns, specifically pointing to the presence of Iranian-backed forces in Syria. The actions come amid ongoing regional tensions, with multiple parties involved in the complex Syrian conflict.

Local reports suggest that the strikes caused notable damage to military infrastructure in the area, though precise details on casualties and the extent of destruction remain unclear, with no official confirmation yet available. The strikes highlight the continuing military dynamics in the region, where various actors pursue their strategic interests, affecting the broader situation as events unfold.

Environment & Weather:

Yesterday, March 26, 2025, satellite imagery revealed a large smoke plume from the Table Rock Wildfire drifting across the GSP (Greenville-Spartanburg) area that afternoon, alongside additional smoke plumes from wildfires in Swain, Haywood, and Polk Counties in North Carolina, and Rabun County in Georgia. The fires had triggered poor air quality, reduced visibility, and placed considerable pressure on firefighting crews battling them amid tough terrain and weather conditions.

Today, the situation remains active as dry conditions and strong winds continue to drive the wildfires’ expansion, sustaining evacuations, road closures, and health advisories across the affected regions. Satellite monitoring persists in tracking the fires and their smoke trajectories, with officials staying vigilant for weather shifts that could either ease or intensify the situation. Containment efforts are still underway, but the fires’ ongoing impact on the area remains a developing concern.

Space:

Yesterday, March 26, 2025, Rocket Lab successfully launched its 63rd Electron mission, titled "Finding Hot Wildfires Near You," from Launch Complex 1 on New Zealand’s Mahia Peninsula. The mission deployed eight satellites for OroraTech, a Germany-based company focused on wildfire detection and monitoring, into a 550km orbit to enhance global efforts against wildfires. These satellites, equipped with thermal infrared cameras, are designed to provide 24/7 monitoring, delivering real-time data to support faster and more effective wildfire responses, protecting ecosystems, communities, and infrastructure worldwide.

The payload contributes to OroraTech’s growing constellation, which aims to expand to 100 satellites by 2028, reinforcing its mission to combat wildfires through advanced space-based technology. This success brought the total number of satellites delivered to orbit by Electron to 224, further solidifying Rocket Lab’s role in supporting Earth observation and environmental protection initiatives.
Yesterday, March 26, 2025, SpaceX conducted a Falcon 9 launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, placing 27 Starlink satellites into low-Earth orbit for its Starlink internet constellation. The first stage booster landed on the droneship "Of Course I Still Love You" in the Pacific Ocean after separation.

The mission adds to the Starlink network, which provides internet coverage globally, and is part of SpaceX’s ongoing launch schedule in 2025. The company continues to use reusable rocket technology to deploy satellites efficiently.
Yesterday, March 26, 2025, China launched the latest in its Tian Lian 2 (TL 2) series, a geostationary relay satellite built on the DFH-4 Bus platform, from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center using a Long March 3B rocket. This mission, marking the fourth TL 2 satellite deployed, aimed to bolster real-time communication capabilities between orbiting satellites and ground control stations, further phasing out reliance on traditional ground-based tracking stations and ships.
The TL 2 satellite, part of China’s second-generation relay network, entered a geostationary transfer orbit and will use its onboard propulsion to reach its final position at around 36,000 kilometers above Earth. This launch enhances the Tian Lian constellation, which supports critical operations like the Tiangong space station and other spacecraft, ensuring continuous data relay and communication coverage across the globe.

Statistic:

Largest public companies by market capitalization:

🇺🇸 Apple: $3.361T
🇺🇸 NVIDIA: $2.944T
🇺🇸 Microsoft: $2.937T
🇺🇸 Amazon: $2.180T
🇺🇸 Alphabet (Google): $2.091T
🇸🇦 Saudi Aramco: $1.719T
🇺🇸 Meta Platforms: $1.586T
🇺🇸 Berkshire Hathaway: $1.140T
🇺🇸 Tesla: $926.80B
🇹🇼 TSMC: $899.86B
🇺🇸 Broadcom: $885.18B
🇺🇸 Eli Lilly: $765.40B
🇺🇸 JPMorgan Chase: $702.18B
🇺🇸 Walmart: $683.11B
🇺🇸 Visa: $664.77B
🇨🇳 Tencent: $592.15B
🇺🇸 Exxon Mobil: $513.19B
🇺🇸 Mastercard: $497.02B
🇺🇸 UnitedHealth: $474.00B
🇺🇸 Oracle: $431.65B
🇺🇸 Netflix: $426.59B
🇺🇸 Costco: $412.74B
🇺🇸 Procter & Gamble: $390.60B
🇺🇸 Johnson & Johnson: $389.72B
🇺🇸 Home Depot: $359.96B

History:

The evolution of seismic technology spans nearly two millennia, beginning with early mechanical devices like the ancient Chinese seismoscope created by Zhang Heng in 132 CE. This bronze instrument indicated the direction of seismic activity but couldn’t measure magnitude or duration. For centuries, understanding earthquakes remained speculative until major disasters, like the 1755 Lisbon earthquake, pushed scientists to begin systematic observation. In the late 19th century, instrumental seismology emerged with the development of the horizontal pendulum seismograph—allowing for the first precise recordings of ground motion.
Global seismographic networks soon followed, enabling the mapping of seismic events across continents and laying the foundation for modern theories such as plate tectonics. In recent decades, seismic technology has advanced dramatically, improving both the accuracy and utility of earthquake detection and Earth imaging. Digital seismometers now capture a broader range of frequencies with greater sensitivity, while real-time global networks allow for rapid alerts that help mitigate disaster impacts. Advanced tools like accelerometers, borehole sensors, and seismic arrays are used in everything from urban safety assessments to deep mantle research. AI and machine learning are increasingly applied to detect subtle patterns, filter noise, and predict event likelihood.
Looking ahead, the future of seismic technology may involve integrated Earth monitoring systems that combine seismic data with satellite imaging, GPS, atmospheric sensors, and oceanic instruments. These hybrid systems could provide more comprehensive, multi-dimensional analyses of tectonic activity, enabling scientists to better understand earthquake precursors, model complex geological structures, and even assess planetary seismicity on the Moon or Mars—expanding the role of seismology from Earth-bound safety to space exploration and planetary science.

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