One similarity that the moon has with Earth makes it dangerous in another regard. As quiet as the moon can be compared to Earth, this celestial body isn&#8217;t completely still. In fact – with its similar form of layered crust, mantle, and core – the moon has a tendency to shake up.

7. Shaking Things Up

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a Copernicus Sentinel-2 photograph of Lake Maracaibo, located in the northwestern part of Venezuela. The lake is a significant geographical and ecological feature of South America. 



Lake Maracaibo is often considered more of a tidal bay due to its direct connection to the Caribbean Sea through the Tablazo Strait. It is one of the oldest lakes on Earth, formed approximately 36 million years ago.



"With an area of over 13,000 sq km, Lake Maracaibo is generally considered the largest lake in South America, although by some estimates it should be considered an inlet of the Caribbean Sea since much of its water is brought in by its direct connection to the ocean," explained <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



"As a result, the water in the northern part of the lake is rather brackish, while the southern waters are fresh, owing to the many rivers that flow into the lake. The biggest, the Catatumbo River, can be seen entering the lake from southwest, where a large amount of sediment carried by the river appears as a yellowish plume."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-catatumbo-lightning">The Catatumbo lightning</h2>



The lake is renowned for a unique weather phenomenon - the Catatumbo lightning. This natural spectacle occurs primarily where the Catatumbo River meets the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-has-affected-almost-every-lake-in-north-america/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lake</a>.



Known as the most persistent lightning storm in the world, it produces frequent and dramatic flashes of lightning, illuminating the night sky for an average of 260 nights per year.



These storms generate thousands of lightning strikes in a single night, making the region one of the most electrified places on the planet. 



The phenomenon is so intense that it has been recognized by the Guinness World Records as the place with the highest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lightning-on-earth-can-influence-the-weather-in-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lightning</a> activity.



Scientists believe the lightning is influenced by the area's geography and climate, including the warm air rising from the lake and its surrounding mountains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-economical-significance-of-lake-maracaibo">Economical significance of Lake Maracaibo </h2>



Home to one of the world's largest oil and gas reserves, Lake Maracaibo plays an important role in Venezuela’s economy.



The discovery of petroleum in the early 20th century transformed the region into a major oil-producing area, leading to the establishment of numerous oil rigs and platforms. 



However, this economic activity has come at a cost. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-of-the-worlds-largest-lakes-are-losing-their-resilience/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pollution</a> from oil spills, industrial waste, and agricultural runoff has significantly degraded the lake's ecosystem.



The appearance of a green, slimy algae known as Lemna has further exacerbated environmental concerns, threatening marine life and the livelihoods of local communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cultural-ties-to-lake-maracaibo">Cultural ties to Lake Maracaibo </h2>



The cultural significance of Lake Maracaibo is deeply rooted in the traditions and lifestyle of the Indigenous Añu people, who have inhabited its shores for centuries. The Añu, also known as Paraujano, are known for their distinctive stilt houses, called palafitos.



These wooden structures are built directly over the water, connected by walkways or small boats, allowing the Añu to live harmoniously with their aquatic environment. The architectural style of these stilt houses inspired the early Spanish explorers to nickname the region "The Venice of the Americas."



The Añu's way of life is closely tied to the lake. They rely on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sustainable-fishing-must-be-redefined-to-halt-ocean-destruction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fishing</a> as a primary source of food and income, using traditional methods passed down through generations.



For the Añu, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-smoke-significantly-impacts-lake-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lake</a> is more than a resource - it is the spiritual and cultural foundation of their identity and daily lives. However, modernization and environmental challenges have disrupted this traditional lifestyle. 



The oil industry’s expansion around Lake Maracaibo has led to significant environmental degradation, which threaten the lake's biodiversity and the Añu’s primary sources of sustenance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lake-maracaibo-and-venezuelan-history">Lake Maracaibo and Venezuelan history</h2>



Lake Maracaibo also played a pivotal role in Venezuelan history, particularly during the Battle of Lake Maracaibo in 1823. 



This naval battle was a decisive conflict in Venezuela’s war for independence from Spain and marked one of the final military engagements of the South American liberation movements led by figures like Simón Bolívar.



Today, the lake represents a remarkable blend of natural beauty, industrial significance, and cultural heritage. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ongoing-conservation-efforts">Ongoing conservation efforts </h2>



The need to protect the extraordinary environment of Lake Maracaibo is widely acknowledged. Ongoing efforts aim to harmonize ecological conservation with economic development.



Efforts to preserve the Añu culture and the lake's ecosystem have been initiated by local and international organizations. These initiatives focus on promoting sustainable development, preserving Indigenous languages and traditions, and mitigating the environmental damage caused by industrial activities. 



Despite these challenges, the Añu have shown remarkable resilience, maintaining their cultural identity and advocating for their rights and the health of their ancestral lands.



Image Credit: ESA



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Lake Maracaibo: The lightning capital of the world

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a satellite view of retreating glaciers in Alaska, where meltwater is rapidly expanding glacial lakes. 



“In parts of Alaska, water is replacing ice. As glaciers thin and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellite-images-reveal-hidden-retreat-of-arctic-glaciers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">retreat</a>, meltwater collects at their fronts, forming proglacial lakes. According to an analysis by Mauri Pelto, a glaciologist at Nichols College, three such lakes in the southeastern part of the state have grown rapidly in recent decades,” said <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-retreating-glaciers-in-alaska">Retreating glaciers in Alaska</h2>



“A trio of glaciers - Yakutat, Alsek, and Grand Plateau - descend from inland mountains and flow onto the coastal plain southeast of Yakutat borough, ending at Harlequin Lake, Alsek Lake, and Grand Plateau Lake,” noted NASA.&nbsp;



The retreat of the glaciers, as well as the growth of the lakes, are visible in the image. When compared to an <a href="https://eoimages.gsfc.nasa.gov/images/imagerecords/153000/153638/fastestlake_tm5_19840705_lrg.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">image</a> captured by Landsat 5 in the summer of 1984, the changes are even more evident.



NASA elaborated on the extent of the glacier retreat from 1984 to 2024. “During this period, Yakutat Glacier’s main arm retreated 4.3 miles, while Alsek Glacier’s northern and southern arms retreated 3.3 miles and 3.4 miles, respectively. Grand Plateau Glacier’s northern arm lost the most, retreating 4.8 miles.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glacial-lakes-doubled-in-size-nbsp">Glacial lakes doubled in size&nbsp;</h2>



“Collectively, the three lakes more than doubled in size over 40 years. In 1984, they covered about 50 square miles. By 2024, they spanned 90 square miles. That’s an area larger than Seneca Lake (67 square miles) - one of the Finger Lakes in New York, which also have a glacial origin,” said NASA.



Pelto noted that the lakes forming in this region are immense - starting at the mountains and spreading toward the coast - making this a new lake district that is unique in our nation.



“Millions of other lakes, named and unnamed, dot the state. But this system has grown fast, so much so that Pelto thinks it might represent the fastest lake growth in the United States this century,” said NASA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-glacier-retreat-nbsp">Understanding glacier retreat&nbsp;</h2>



Glacier retreat is a significant phenomenon driven primarily by global warming the results from rising greenhouse gas <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-carbon-dioxide-emissions-hit-a-record-high-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a>.&nbsp;



As temperatures rise, glaciers lose more ice during the summer melt than they can regain in winter snowfall, causing them to shrink over time. This process has profound implications for ecosystems, water resources, and global sea levels.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glacial-lakes">Glacial lakes</h3>



When glaciers retreat, they often leave behind depressions in the landscape that can fill with meltwater, forming glacial lakes. These lakes are typically bounded by natural dams made of rock, ice, or moraine - accumulations of debris left behind by the glacier's movement.&nbsp;



Over the past century, the number and size of glacial lakes worldwide have increased significantly due to the accelerating pace of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-glaciers-offer-a-glimpse-of-our-harsh-climate-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glacier</a> retreat. This trend is especially evident in high-altitude regions like the Himalayas, the Andes, and the Alps, as well as in polar areas such as Alaska and Greenland.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-positive-and-negative-impacts-nbsp">Positive and negative impacts&nbsp;</h3>



Glacial lakes can have both positive and negative impacts. They provide critical water sources for downstream communities, support biodiversity, and sometimes offer opportunities for hydropower development or tourism.&nbsp;



However, they also pose serious risks. The dams holding back these lakes can fail suddenly, causing glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). These catastrophic events can devastate downstream areas, destroying infrastructure, agricultural lands, and habitats while endangering human lives.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-changes">Monitoring changes</h3>



Understanding glacier retreat and glacial lake formation requires a multidisciplinary approach, combining climate science, hydrology, and geology.&nbsp;



Monitoring these changes is essential to mitigate associated risks and adapt to the evolving landscape shaped by a <a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.earth.com%2Fnews%2Fperu-has-lost-over-half-of-its-glaciers-in-six-decades%2F&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming planet</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glacier-retreat-worldwide">Glacier retreat worldwide</h2>



Studies and satellite observations show that most glaciers in almost all regions of the world are shrinking.&nbsp;



Melting glaciers contribute significantly to global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emergency-meeting-reveals-the-alarming-extent-of-antarcticas-ice-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea level rise</a>, which threatens coastal communities and ecosystems.



The retreat of glaciers is considered one of the clearest indicators of climate change.&nbsp;Some glaciers are retreating at unprecedented rates, indicating accelerating climate impacts.



The image was captured on August 4, 2024 by the Landsat 8 satellite.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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Retreating glaciers and expanding meltwater lakes in Alaska

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features dust streaming off the coast of Iran in January 2025.



“Some of the desert dust was carried across the Gulf of Oman to the Arabian Peninsula, degrading air quality for those in its path,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/153859/desert-dust-streams-from-iran" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>.



“The airborne material appears to primarily originate in the dried bed of the intermittent lake known as Hamun-e Jazmurian (Hamun-e Jaz Murian), while some may be blown from coastal areas." 



"Along with arid regions such as the Garagum and Lut deserts and the Sistan Basin, the lakebed is a major source of dust in southwest Asia.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-precipitation-in-the-jazmurian-basin">Precipitation in the Jazmurian Basin</h2>



According to NASA, some areas of the Jazmurian Basin receive less than four inches of rain annually, on average, and evaporation rates are high. During wet times, however, parts of the basin may be covered by an intermittent lake, marshland, or other vegetation.&nbsp;



“Terra’s MODIS sensor has previously captured images of the area when water is present in Hamun-e Jazmurian and when green vegetation fringes the lakebed,” said NASA.



“In early 2025, the land was dry enough for winds to blow dust plumes south-southwest over the Gulf of Oman. Dust traveled across the water to the coast of the United Arab Emirates, where the haze reduced visibility in places, according to news reports.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-particles-in-dust-storms">Particles in dust storms</h2>



In addition to disrupting transportation and other daily activities, the suspended particles in dust storms can pose significant health risks. 



Recent research has revealed that dust from the Jazmurian Basin often contains heavy metals and other potentially harmful substances, such as silica and organic pollutants, which can negatively impact both human and ecosystem health.&nbsp;



Prolonged exposure to these particles has been linked to respiratory and cardiovascular issues, as well as the exacerbation of pre-existing health conditions like asthma and bronchitis.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-impact-of-dust-storms">Environmental impact of dust storms</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-is-an-understudied-contributor-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental impact</a> of dust storms extends beyond human health. The fine particles can settle on vegetation, reducing photosynthesis and agricultural productivity.&nbsp;



Dust deposition can also alter soil composition by introducing heavy metals and changing nutrient balances, which may affect crop growth and soil microbial communities. 



Such changes can lead to long-term degradation of arable land and disrupt local food security.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dust-in-the-jazmurian-basin-nbsp">Dust in the Jazmurian Basin&nbsp;</h2>



Communities near the Jazmurian Basin are particularly vulnerable to the effects of dust storms due to limited access to healthcare and mitigation resources.



Seasonal changes and climate conditions, including prolonged droughts and desertification, further intensify the frequency and severity of dust storms in the region.&nbsp;



This creates a cycle of environmental and health challenges, making it imperative to develop strategies for prevention and adaptation.



Potential measures include reforestation and soil stabilization projects to reduce dust emissions, stricter regulations to limit activities that contribute to desertification, and public health initiatives to educate communities on protective measures during dust events.&nbsp;



Investing in early warning systems and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-driven-wildfires-worsen-u-s-air-quality-and-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">air quality</a> monitoring can also help minimize exposure and protect both human populations and the environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-the-jazmurian-basin">Significance of the Jazmurian Basin</h2>



The Jazmurian Basin is a prominent endorheic basin located in southeastern Iran, spanning parts of the provinces of Sistan and Baluchestan as well as Kerman. It lies at the heart of an arid region characterized by sparse vegetation, high temperatures, and limited rainfall.&nbsp;



The basin is primarily fed by the Halil and Bampur rivers, which provide seasonal water flow to the basin's low-lying areas. At its center lies the Jazmurian Depression, which forms a seasonal playa or shallow lake, though it often dries up during extended dry periods.&nbsp;



The area holds geological and archaeological significance, offering insights into ancient human settlements and environmental changes over time.&nbsp;



Despite its harsh climate, the basin supports small-scale agriculture and serves as a critical habitat for certain desert-adapted wildlife. 



The image was captured on January 22 by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Terra satellite.&nbsp;



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Dust rises from the Jazmurian Basin in Iran

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features the Fedchenko Glacier in the Pamir Mountains of Tajikistan. It is one of the world's longest glaciers outside of the polar regions.&nbsp;



“An astronaut aboard the International Space Station took this photo of glaciers in the high-elevation valleys of the Pamir Mountains of Central Asia. The upper portion of Fedchenko Glacier crosses the center of the scene.”



NASA noted that most of the larger glaciers in the image show a prominent pattern of light- and dark-brown parallel lines.&nbsp;



“The darker ‘streamlines,’ known as medial moraines, give a sense of the direction of flow of the ice down the valleys. These are concentrations of debris that has been eroded by the glacier from the adjacent mountainsides or a rocky outcrop,” said NASA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fedchenko-a-high-altitude-glacier">Fedchenko: A high-altitude glacier</h2>



Fedchenko Glacier stretches for approximately 48 miles and covers an area of around 270 square miles. This massive glacier is a critical source of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellites-reveal-a-sudden-drop-in-global-freshwater-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">freshwater</a>, feeding several rivers and influencing the region's hydrology.



Fedchenko lies at high altitudes, with its origins in the high peaks of the Pamirs, where snow accumulates heavily. Despite being situated in a relatively arid region, the glacier's significant size and volume are maintained by substantial snowfall. 



Named after Alexei Pavlovich Fedchenko, a Russian explorer and naturalist, the glacier was first surveyed in 1928 during Soviet-era expeditions. It plays a crucial role in climate studies, as changes in its length and mass provide insights into the effects of global warming in Central Asia.&nbsp;



The glacier is also part of a spectacular and remote landscape, surrounded by towering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-preferred-the-mountains-and-it-changed-our-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mountains</a> and rugged terrain, making it a key feature of the Pamirs' natural beauty.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-threats-to-glaciers-worldwide">Threats to glaciers worldwide</h2>



Like many glaciers worldwide, Fedchenko faces the threat of retreat due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/peru-has-lost-over-half-of-its-glaciers-in-six-decades/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">global warming</a>, raising concerns about water availability and ecosystem changes in the region.



Rising global temperatures caused by greenhouse gas emissions are the primary driver of glacier melting. Warmer temperatures not only melt glacier surfaces but also increase the flow of meltwater beneath them, accelerating their disintegration.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-activities-and-pollution-nbsp">Human activities and pollution&nbsp;</h3>



Deforestation and urbanization exacerbate these effects by reducing reflective snow cover and increasing heat absorption in nearby areas.&nbsp;



Airborne pollutants like soot and black carbon darken glacier surfaces, reducing their ability to reflect sunlight and speeding up the rate of melting.&nbsp;



Industrial activities and tourism in glacier regions add physical stress and pollution, further degrading these fragile ecosystems.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-supplies">Water supplies</h3>



The loss of glaciers has far-reaching consequences. It disrupts freshwater supplies for millions of people who depend on glacial runoff for drinking water, agriculture, and hydropower.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-sea-levels">Rising sea levels</h3>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-unleash-invasive-species-into-unexpected-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Melting glaciers</a> contribute to rising sea levels, threatening coastal communities and ecosystems worldwide. Additionally, the loss of glaciers impacts biodiversity, as many species rely on cold, glacial habitats for survival.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-glaciers">Protecting glaciers</h3>



Efforts to mitigate these threats focus on reducing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-are-hidden-sources-of-greenhouse-gases/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse gas</a> emissions, protecting glacier regions from industrial exploitation, and promoting sustainable tourism practices.&nbsp;



However, without urgent action, the continued decline of glaciers will have profound implications for the planet's climate, water systems, and ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-pamir-mountains-nbsp">The Pamir Mountains&nbsp;</h2>



The Pamir Mountains, often called the "Roof of the World," are a vast and rugged mountain range located in Central Asia.&nbsp;



They span across Tajikistan, Afghanistan, China, and Kyrgyzstan, forming a vital part of the junction where the Himalayas, the Tian Shan, the Karakoram, the Kunlun, and the Hindu Kush converge.&nbsp;



With peaks soaring over 7,000 meters, including Ismoil Somoni Peak, the range is home to some of the highest altitudes on Earth.



The Pamir Mountains have been central to trade and cultural exchange for centuries, serving as a critical segment of the ancient Silk Road.&nbsp;



Today, the mountains are a popular destination for trekkers and explorers drawn by their breathtaking beauty and challenging terrain.



The Pamirs are not only a natural wonder but also a biological treasure trove, supporting unique wildlife that is adapted to extreme altitudes.&nbsp;



Culturally, the mountains are home to diverse communities, each with its unique traditions and ways of life, shaped by the harsh but majestic environment.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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Fedchenko Glacier in the Pamir Mountains

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features UGC 5460, a spiral galaxy that is located about 60 million light-years away in the constellation Ursa Major.&nbsp;



“This image combines four different wavelengths of light to reveal UGC 5460’s central bar of stars, winding spiral arms and bright blue star clusters. Also captured in the upper left-hand corner of this image is a far closer object: a star just 577 light-years away in our own galaxy,” said <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“UGC 5460 has hosted two recent supernovae named SN 2011ht and SN 2015as. It’s because of these two stellar explosions that Hubble targeted this galaxy, collecting data for three observing programmes that aim to study various kinds of supernovae.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-core-collapse-supernova-nbsp">A core-collapse supernova&nbsp;</h2>



SN 2015as is an example of a core-collapse supernova. This type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-explosions-could-damage-distant-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernova</a> occurs when the core of a massive star - typically with more than 8 times the mass of the sun - can no longer support its own gravity after exhausting its nuclear fuel. 



This causes the core to collapse under its own weight, leading to an extremely violent explosion. The collapse triggers the release of an enormous amount of energy, expelling the outer layers of the star into space.



In the aftermath of the explosion, a dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shockingly-bright-carbon-monoxide-detected-in-supernova-remnant/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">remnant</a> is created. This is often a neutron star or black hole, depending on the mass of the original star. Core-collapse supernovae are some of the most powerful events in the universe.



According to ESA, Hubble observations of SN 2015as will help researchers understand what happens when the expanding shockwave of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supernova-dandelion-year-1181-leaves-behind-zombie-star-defying-death/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supernova</a> collides with the gas that surrounds the exploded star.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rare-stars-with-large-eruptions-nbsp">Rare stars with large eruptions&nbsp;</h2>



“SN 2011ht might have been a core-collapse supernova as well, but it could also be an impostor called a luminous blue variable. Luminous blue variables are rare stars that experience eruptions so large that they can mimic supernovae,” noted ESA.



“Crucially, luminous blue variables emerge from these eruptions unscathed, while stars that go supernova do not. Hubble will search for a stellar survivor at SN 2011ht’s location, and the explosion’s identity may be revealed at last.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-spiral-galaxy">What is a spiral galaxy?</h2>



Spiral galaxies are some of the most recognizable and beautiful structures in the universe. They are known for their distinctive arms that spiral outward from a central bulge.&nbsp;



These galaxies are typically composed of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. The arms are often sites of intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a>, where clouds of gas collapse to form new stars. 



In the center of a spiral galaxy lies a dense concentration of older stars and, often, a supermassive black hole.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-structure-of-a-spiral-galaxy-nbsp">Structure of a spiral galaxy&nbsp;</h2>



The structure of a spiral galaxy is generally divided into three main components: the disk, the bulge, and the halo.&nbsp;



The disk is where the spiral arms are located and contains most of the galaxy's visible stars and interstellar medium.&nbsp;



The bulge is a tightly packed region of older stars at the core, and the halo consists of a sparse collection of stars and globular clusters that surround the galaxy.&nbsp;



Spiral galaxies can be classified into different types based on the tightness and number of their spiral arms, as well as the size of their central bulge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-milky-way-galaxy">The Milky Way galaxy</h2>



Our solar system is located within a large spiral galaxy known as the Milky Way. The name refers to its appearance as a dim, milky band of light stretching across the night sky.&nbsp;



The term "Milky Way" comes from ancient Greek mythology, where it was associated the goddess Hera's milk spilling into the sky. In Greek, it was called "Galaxias Kyklos," meaning "milky circle."&nbsp;



Spanning about 100,000 light-years in diameter, the Milky Way is composed of stars, gas, dust, and dark matter. The galaxy has a distinct disk shape with spiral arms that wind outward from a central bulge, which houses a supermassive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-ways-black-hole-unleashes-mysterious-flares/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black hole</a>. 



Our sun is located in one of the spiral arms - known as the Orion Arm - positioned roughly halfway from the center to the outer edge.&nbsp;



The Milky Way is part of a small group of galaxies called the Local Group, which includes the Andromeda Galaxy and several smaller galaxies.



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Hubble views a spiral galaxy with stellar explosions

Today's Image of the Day from NASA features an extraordinary view of Uranus, the seventh planet from the sun in our solar system. 



The photo reveals the rings, moons, and extreme seasons of the ice giant Uranus in unprecedented detail.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dynamic-north-polar-cap-nbsp">Dynamic north polar cap&nbsp;</h2>



“The Webb image exquisitely captures Uranus’s seasonal north polar cap, including the bright, white, inner cap and the dark lane in the bottom of the polar cap,” noted NASA.



Unlike Earth, where polar ice caps are formed by the freezing of water, Uranus's polar caps are thought to be primarily composed of a dense concentration of haze in the atmosphere.&nbsp;



The polar cap's haze is likely composed of methane particles. Methane in Uranus's atmosphere condenses into ice particles, which then create a thick haze that scatters sunlight, giving the polar cap its distinct bright appearance in visible and infrared light.



The polar cap is dynamic and changes over time. It becomes more prominent during the summer season of each pole. 



As Uranus moves along its orbit, the cap's appearance transforms, with the haze becoming thicker and brighter when the pole is in continuous sunlight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-zeta-ring-nbsp">The Zeta ring&nbsp;</h2>



The inner and outer rings of Uranus are visible in the image, including Zeta - the innermost ring which is the faintest and most difficult to observe.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stunning-photo-of-uranus-and-its-rings-and-moons-captured-by-the-webb-telescope/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rings of Uranus</a> are primarily composed of narrow bands of particles, likely made of water ice mixed with a dark material. These rings are distinct from those of Saturn in that they are much darker and narrower.



The faintness and characteristics of the Zeta ring make it a subject of interest in studies related to the dynamics and composition of planetary ring systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moons-of-uranus-nbsp">Moons of Uranus&nbsp;</h2>



The <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/multimedia/images/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb</a> photo also features nine of the planet’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-four-uranus-moons-may-have-oceans-that-are-miles-deep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">moons</a>, which appear as blue dots surrounding the rings.&nbsp;



“Clockwise starting at 2 o’clock, they are: Rosalind, Puck, Belinda, Desdemona, Cressida, Bianca, Portia, Juliet, and Perdita. The orbits of these moons share the 98-degree tilt of their parent planet relative to the plane of the solar system,” noted NASA.



Uranus has 27 known moons, and they are divided into three main groups based on their orbits: the inner moons, the major moons, and the irregular moons.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uranus-moon-ariel-may-have-a-hidden-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">moons</a> of Uranus are unique because they are named after characters from the works of William Shakespeare and Alexander Pope, rather than being named after figures from classical mythology, as is common for the moons of other planets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ice-giant-uranus-nbsp">The ice giant Uranus&nbsp;</h2>



Uranus is classified as an "ice giant" because, unlike the gas giants Jupiter and Saturn, which are primarily composed of hydrogen and helium, Uranus has a significant proportion of "ices" in its composition.&nbsp;



In astronomical terms, ices refer to volatile substances like water, ammonia, and methane, which exist in solid or liquid forms at the low temperatures found in the outer solar system.



Uranus has a thick atmosphere of hydrogen and helium, but beneath that, it contains a large, dense mantle composed of these ices, along with rock and other heavier elements.&nbsp;



The term <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diamond-rain-may-be-common-on-giant-icy-planets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice giant</a> differentiates Uranus (and Neptune, the other ice giant) from the larger gas giants, emphasizing the different chemical compositions and internal structures of these planets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-of-uranus-nbsp">Climate of Uranus&nbsp;</h2>



Uranus has a unique and extreme climate, largely influenced by its unusual tilt, which causes the planet to rotate almost on its side. This tilt leads to extreme seasonal variations, with each pole experiencing 42 years of continuous sunlight followed by 42 years of darkness.&nbsp;



Even though it is closer to the sun than Neptune, Uranus is the coldest planet in the solar system, with temperatures plunging to as low as -224°C (-371°F). The reason for this is not fully understood, but it might be due to an internal heat distribution anomaly.



Despite these frigid conditions, Uranus experiences intense weather patterns, including powerful storms and winds that can reach speeds of up to 900 kilometers per hour. These winds blow in the same direction as the planet’s rotation and are some of the fastest in the solar system.



Storms on Uranus are driven by its internal heat and the interaction of its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uranus-is-more-gassy-less-icy-than-we-ever-imagined/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atmospheric gases</a>. Observations have shown that these storms can be quite large, sometimes comparable in size to the Earth, and can last for several years.&nbsp;



The planet’s extreme axial tilt also means that the storms and weather patterns are highly variable, depending on the season. During equinoxes, when the Sun is directly over the equator, Uranus exhibits more storm activity compared to when the poles are pointed towards the Sun or away from it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-observations-of-uranus">Observations of Uranus</h2>



“One day on Uranus is about 17 hours, so the planet’s rotation is relatively quick. This makes it supremely difficult for observatories with a sharp eye like Webb to capture one simple image of the entire planet - storms and other atmospheric features, and the planet’s moons, move visibly within minutes,” explained NASA.



“This image combines several longer and shorter exposures of this dynamic system to correct for those slight changes throughout the observing time.”



The first recorded observations of Uranus were made by John Flamsteed on December 13, 1690. However, Flamsteed mistakenly identified the planet as a star, which he named “34 Tauri."&nbsp;



It wasn't until March 13, 1781, that Uranus was officially identified as a planet by William Herschel. He initially thought he had discovered a comet, but further observations and calculations by other astronomers confirmed that it was a new planet, making Uranus the first planet discovered in modern history with the aid of a telescope.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI



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The ice giant Uranus in stunning detail

Today's Image of the Day from NASA features an extraordinary...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 1792, a spiral galaxy located in the constellation Columba about 43 million light-years away from Earth.&nbsp;



This galaxy, discovered by British astronomer James Dunlop in 1826, is part of the larger NGC 1808 group of galaxies.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-intimate-view-of-ngc-1792">Intimate view of NGC 1792</h2>



“An orange glow radiates from the center of NGC 1792, the heart of this stellar forge. Captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope, this intimate view of NGC 1792 gives us some insight into this galactic powerhouse,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



“The vast swathes of tell-tale blue seen throughout the galaxy indicate areas that are full of young, hot stars, and it is in the shades of orange, seen nearer the center, that the older, cooler stars reside.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vigorous-star-formation-nbsp">Vigorous star formation&nbsp;</h2>



NGC 1792 is notable for its vigorous star formation, classifying it as a starburst galaxy. This high rate of star formation is thought to be triggered by gravitational interactions with neighboring galaxies, though the exact cause is still under study.



“Nestled in the constellation of Columba (The Dove), NGC 1792 is both a spiral galaxy, and a starburst galaxy,” said ESA. 



“Within starburst galaxies, stars are forming at comparatively exorbitant rates. The rate of star formation can be more than 10 times faster in a starburst galaxy than in the Milky Way.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fierce-bursts-of-star-formation">Fierce bursts of star formation</h2>



ESA noted that when galaxies have a large reservoir of gas, like NGC 1792, these short-lived starburst phases can be sparked by galactic events such as mergers and tidal interactions.&nbsp;



“One might think that these starburst galaxies would easily consume all of their gas in a large forming event. However, supernova explosions and intense stellar winds produced in these powerful starbursts can inject energy into the gas and disperse it.”&nbsp;



“This halts the star formation before it can completely deplete the galaxy of all its fuel. Scientists are actively working to understand this complex interplay between the dynamics that drive and quench these fierce bursts of star formation.”



Due to its distance and brightness, NGC 1792 can be observed with medium-sized telescopes under favorable conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-evolution-of-galaxies">The evolution of galaxies </h2>



Galaxy evolution refers to the process by which galaxies form and change over time. It begins in the early universe, shortly after the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-observations-disprove-big-bang-theory-universe-began-tired-light-theory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Big Bang</a>, when small density fluctuations in the primordial gas led to the collapse of matter into the first galaxies.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-mergers">Galaxy mergers</h3>



Early galaxies were small and irregular, and were composed mostly of gas and dark matter. Over billions of years, galaxies grew larger by merging with one another and by accreting gas from the surrounding space. 



These interactions often triggered bursts of star formation, and collisions between galaxies sometimes led to the creation of new, more massive galaxies.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-structural-changes">Structural changes</h3>



As galaxies evolve, their morphology - shape and structure - can change. Early galaxies were often irregular or disk-shaped, but over time, many galaxies formed into the elliptical or spiral shapes we see today. 



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation">Star formation</h3>



Star formation is a key driver of galaxy evolution, but it gradually slows down as galaxies age. 



The gas that fuels <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-hole-is-starving-its-host-galaxy-of-star-forming-fuel/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> can be used up, or it can be heated and pushed out of galaxies by supernovae or black holes, reducing the galaxy's ability to form new stars.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-environment-nbsp">Galaxy environment&nbsp;</h3>



The environment in which a galaxy resides also plays a role in its evolution. Galaxies in dense clusters are more likely to interact with their neighbors, which can alter their shape or trigger bursts of star formation.&nbsp;



In contrast, galaxies in more isolated regions of space evolve more slowly and without as many dramatic interactions.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dark-matter">Dark matter</h3>



Dark matter also plays a crucial role in galaxy evolution. It provides the gravitational framework that holds galaxies together and influences their interactions with one another.&nbsp;



Supermassive <a href="https://www.earth.com/search-results/?search=Galaxies%20merge&amp;start=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">black holes</a>, found at the centers of most large galaxies, can also affect their evolution by releasing energy that impacts star formation and the movement of gas within the galaxy.



Overall, galaxy evolution is a complex and ongoing process driven by interactions between stars, gas, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-dark-matter-does-not-exist-and-the-universe-is-27-billion-years-old/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter</a>, and black holes, and shaped by both internal processes and external influences.



Image Credit: ESA/Hubble &amp; NASA, J. Lee



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Starburst galaxy in the constellation Columba

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features NGC 1333, a reflection nebula located in the Perseus molecular cloud about 960 light-years away from Earth. The photo is a mosaic of images captured by the James Webb Space Telescope.



“Webb’s superb sensitivity allows astronomers to investigate young objects with extremely low masses. Some of the faintest ‘stars’ in the picture are in fact newly born free-floating brown dwarfs with masses comparable to those of giant planets,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>.



The same cluster was featured in the 33rd anniversary image of the Hubble Space Telescope in April 2023. 



According to ESA, Hubble’s image just scratched the surface of this region, because clouds of dust obscure much of the star formation process. 



"Observing with larger aperture and in the infrared part of the spectrum, Webb is capable of peering through the dusty veil to reveal newborn stars, brown dwarfs and planetary mass objects."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-webb-s-view-of-ngc-1333">Webb’s view of NGC 1333</h2>



ESA noted that the center of the image presents a deep peek into the heart of the NGC 1333 cloud.&nbsp;



“Across the image we see large patches of orange, which represent gas glowing in the infrared. These so-called Herbig-Haro objects form when ionized material ejected from young stars collides with the surrounding cloud. They are hallmarks of a very active site of star formation."



The disks of gas and dust that surround the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newly-discovered-stars-milky-way-are-old-as-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a> in this image may eventually produce planetary systems.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stars-in-the-sun-s-birth-cluster">Stars in the Sun's birth cluster</h2>



“Similar to the young stars in this mosaic, our own Sun and planets formed inside a dusty molecular cloud, 4.6 billion years ago. Our Sun did not form in isolation but as part of a cluster, which was perhaps even more massive than NGC 1333,” explained ESA.



Over time, the stars in the Sun's birth cluster would have drifted apart due to gravitational interactions and the dispersion of gas in the region.



Astronomers have been studying certain clues, such as isotopic signatures in meteorites, that hint the Sun may have formed near massive stars. These stars likely produced supernovae, which could have influenced the early <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-objects-spotted-in-the-outer-solar-system-beyond-pluto/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar system</a> by injecting heavy elements like iron-60.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-star-formation-in-ngc-1333">Star formation in NGC 1333</h2>



NGC 1333 is a vibrant example of a stellar nursery, where active <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-stars-release-sneezes-of-gas-and-dust-as-they-develop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> is ongoing. It is known for its chaotic appearance, shaped by the interactions between newborn stars and the surrounding material.



Within NGC 1333, astronomers have observed a high level of turbulence, which makes the region dynamic and complex. 



These disturbances are caused by the outflows of young stars as they eject material into their surroundings, creating shock waves and influencing further star formation.&nbsp;



These outflows are often seen as jets, which are visible in multiple wavelengths of light, especially infrared, as the surrounding dust absorbs visible light.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-stages-of-planet-formation">Early stages of planet formation </h2>



NGC 1333 is also an area of interest for studying the early stages of star and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planet-formation-new-insights-mechanics-physics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet formation</a>, as many of the stars within the cluster are in their infancy.



These stars are still in the process of gathering material and developing protoplanetary disks. 



In images, NGC 1333 is marked by bright patches of blue and red, representing reflection <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebulae</a> and the ionized gas created by energetic young stars.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-perseus-molecular-cloud-nbsp">The Perseus molecular cloud&nbsp;</h2>



The Perseus molecular cloud is a vast region of cold gas and dust located about 600 light-years away from Earth in the constellation <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/1500-billion-orphan-stars-discovered-in-the-perseus-galaxy-cluster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Perseus</a>.&nbsp;



It is one of the most studied star-forming regions in our galaxy due to its relative proximity and the diversity of its young stellar objects. This cloud spans several hundred light-years and contains dense pockets of gas where new stars are actively forming.&nbsp;



These areas are often enshrouded in thick dust, which obscures them in visible light but allows astronomers to study them using infrared and radio wavelengths.



The Perseus molecular cloud is particularly interesting because of the chemistry taking place within it, including the formation of complex organic molecules that could be precursors to life.&nbsp;



Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA



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Stellar nursery shines in the Perseus cloud

The MODIS instrument, short for Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, is a key instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. MODIS is playing a vital role in the development of Earth ecosystem models, able to predict global changes, which then assist policy makers in making informed decisions about the protection of the global environment.

Heavy snow and cloud cover in the Alps are seen in this Image of the day&nbsp;from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at heavy snow and low clouds in the Alps. Wildlife such as ibex live in the higher peaks to elevations of 3,400 m (11,155 ft), and plants such as Edelweiss grow in rocky areas in lower elevations as well as in higher elevations.

Heavy snow and cloud cover in the Alps

Monitoring Earth Changes with MODIS

Aqua is a NASA scientific research satellite that studies precipitation, evaporation, and water cycles. Terra and Aura make up the Earth Observing System. It's the second component of the system.

A frozen Lake Erie in February Today’s Image of the Day comes from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at a frozen <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/icy-lake-erie/">Lake Erie</a>, which is currently 93.3 percent iced over. A frozen Lake Erie in February
This false-color image was created using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Aqua satellite to differentiate between snow, ice, and clouds.
Lake Erie /ˈɪəri/ (French: Lac Érié) is the fourth-largest lake (by surface area) of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the eleventh-largest globally if measured in terms of surface area.It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. At its deepest point Lake Erie is 210 feet (64 metres) deep. 
Situated on the International Boundary between Canada and the United States, Lake Erie&#8217;s northern shore is the Canadian province of Ontario, specifically the Ontario Peninsula, with the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York on its western, southern, and eastern shores. These jurisdictions divide the surface area of the lake with water boundaries. 
The lake was named by the Erie people, a Native American people who lived along its southern shore. The tribal name &#8220;erie&#8221; is a shortened form of the Iroquoian word erielhonan, meaning long tail
&#8212;
By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

A frozen Lake Erie in February

Aqua Earth Observing Satellite

This beautiful photo gallery contains 50 incredible images of Earth from Space. These images were taken by astronauts onboard the International Space Station, as well as by a multitude of NASA satellites orbiting the earth.

Today’s Image of the Day comes thanks to the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=90654&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_readmore">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at Super Typhoon Noru in the Pacific Ocean just south of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-blue-chrysanthemums-created/">Japan</a>.
This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on July 31, 2017. 
At the time the photo was taken, Typhoon Noru was located just 250 kilometers south of Iwo Jima. Maximum sustained winds hit 150 miles per hour.
The storm briefly became a category 5 on July 30, before being downgraded to a category 4 one day later.
&#8211;
By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Source: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=90654&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_readmore">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

Super Typhoon Noru in the Pacific Ocean

Incredible Images of Earth from Space

Photos from the International Space Station are found in this awesome Earth.com image gallery. Flat-earthers won't agree, but these incredible photos of the Earth were taken by astronauts onboard the International Space Station. The International Space Station is a modular space station in low Earth orbit.

Northern Italy from the space station is seen here in this Image of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> (ESA). The view includes the top half of the Italian Peninsula, along with <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/wildfires-burn-northern-corsica/">Corsica</a> and Sardinia off the coast. This image was captured by ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli on his third and final mission to the Space Station.

Northern Italy from the Space Station

Photos from the International Space Station

Antarctica’s winter sea ice usually forms a bright lid over millions of square miles. So when a massive, black patch was spotted by NASA scientists for the first time, satellite operators were taken aback, to say the least.



Then roughly a year later, the situation got even stranger. The gap, called a polynya, swelled to the size of Switzerland and stayed open for weeks.



Only after it refroze did researchers start piecing together how such an enormous opening in the ice could appear hundreds of miles from the nearest shoreline - right above a submerged plateau named Maud Rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-polynyas-the-basics">Understanding polynyas - the basics</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Southern Ocean</a> is normally a layer cake. A thin cap of cold, relatively fresh water floats over saltier, warmer layers, and that slight density difference keeps the column from churning. 



A mid‑ocean polynya needs the cake to collapse. Salt must slip into the surface, make the top layer heavier, and flip the stack. 



Once that happens, convection kicks in, the lid fractures, heat pours skyward, and the ocean “breathes” gases.



Coastal versions manage something similar each year because fierce winds shove ice away from land. Out on the high seas, though, the phenomenon is much less common.



<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maud_Rise" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Maud Rise</a>, a 4,600‑foot‑tall seamount, may provide the missing ingredient by diverting currents and trapping water in tight spirals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stubborn-patch-over-maud-rise">Stubborn patch over Maud Rise</h2>



History backs that hunch. Between 1974 and 1976, a much larger hole lingered over Maud Rise each winter. 



The Maud Rise polynya was discovered in the 1970s, when remote‑sensing satellites capable of observing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-antarctic-sea-ice-loss-is-causing-severe-storms-around-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea ice</a> over the Southern Ocean were first launched. 



It persisted through consecutive winters from 1974 to 1976, and oceanographers at the time assumed it would become an annual occurrence. But since the 1970s, it has occurred only sporadically and for brief intervals.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full is-resized"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/antarctica_sea-ice-hole_Maud-Rise-polynya_switzerland-size_blue-ice_credit-NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/antarctica_sea-ice-hole_Maud-Rise-polynya_switzerland-size_blue-ice_credit-NASA_1s.webp" alt="An arial view of the Maud Rise polynya. Scientists were baffled as to how this formed but now have an explanation. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory" class="wp-image-1966649" style="width:300px;height:auto"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">An arial view of the Maud Rise polynya. Scientists were baffled as to how this formed but now have an explanation. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NASA Earth Observatory</figcaption></figure>



“2017 was the first time that we've had such a large and long‑lived polynya in the Weddell Sea since the 1970s,” said Aditya Narayanan of the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a>, lead author of the study in Science Advances. 



He joined colleagues to probe the comeback with robotic floats, tagged elephant seals, and a high‑resolution <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrinking-sea-ice-what-record-lows-tell-us-about-the-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean model</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-salt-storms-and-a-hidden-conveyor">Salt, storms, and a hidden conveyor</h2>



During those winters, the clockwise Weddell Gyre sped up. That spin drew a deep layer of warm, salty water nearer the surface, softening ice from below. Yet the meltwater should have freshened the lid and shut down mixing.



"This upwelling helps to explain how the sea ice might melt. But as sea ice melts this leads to a freshening of the surface water, which should in turn put a stop to the mixing," explained Fabien Roquet, a Professor in Physical Oceanography at the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Gothenburg</a> and co-author of the research. 



"So, another process must be happening for the polynya to persist. There must be an additional input of salt from somewhere."



Roaring extratropical storms supplied part of that punch. Their swirling winds flung sea ice outward and dragged briny water toward Maud Rise. 



Atmospheric rivers - plumes of moist air stretching a thousand miles - added warmth from above, helping strip away stratification.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ekman-transport-as-the-missing-shove">"Ekman transport" as the missing shove</h2>



A final push came from physics first described a century ago. When wind blows across the ocean, Earth’s rotation deflects the surface flow roughly 90 degrees, a process called <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_currents/04currents4.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ekman transport</a>. 



The model showed this flow steering salt‑laden water onto the northern flank of Maud Rise, exactly where the 2017 hole opened. 



“Ekman transport was the essential missing ingredient that was necessary to increase the balance of salt and sustain the mixing of salt and heat towards the surface water,” said co‑author Alberto Naveira Garabato, also from the University of Southampton.



The storms didn’t just move ice; they herded the right water into the right spot, letting convection roar. By late September, the opening had vented more than twenty times the heat that normally seeps through unbroken ice before finally freezing again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-polynyas-have-a-global-impact">Polynyas have a global impact</h2>



A hole in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/southern-ocean-absorbs-more-co2-than-previously-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Southern Ocean</a> sea ice may look local, yet its fingerprints show up far away. 



“The imprint of polynyas can remain in the water for multiple years after they've formed," noted Professor Sarah Gille from University of California San Diego (<a href="https://www.ucsd.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCSD</a>), another co-author of the research



"They can change how water moves around and how currents carry heat toward the continent. The dense waters that form here can spread across the global ocean.” 



Deep convection hauls carbon‑rich water upward, where it can release CO₂, and sends newly formed, oxygen‑rich brine sliding along the seafloor.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



That heavy brine eventually feeds the global conveyor belt of currents that helps regulate climate. Because the Maud&nbsp;Rise mechanism hinges on a stronger gyre and stormier skies, its future frequency could ride on winds already shifting as the planet warms.



“For the first time since observations began in the 1970s, there's a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-low-antarctic-sea-ice-and-rapid-melting-pace-stuns-climate-scientists/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">negative trend in sea ice</a> in the Southern Ocean, which began around 2016. Before then, it had remained somewhat stable," Professor Gille concluded.



The same rise of warm, salty water that primed the 2017 hole now seems to be thinning ice across Antarctica’s fringe.



Scientists will watch the next few winters closely. Whether the polynya returns or not, its story shows that the frozen edge of the world can still spring surprises - and that what happens far south seldom stays there, for the wider planet.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adj0777" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Massive hole the size of Switzerland appeared in the Antarctica sea ice, now we know why

Antarctica’s winter sea ice usually forms a bright lid over...

Strolling a familiar beach and stumbling upon a relic from the age of dinosaurs sounds like pure fantasy, yet that is exactly what happened on England’s west coast. 



A stretch of shoreline below Somerset’s crumbling cliffs yielded a bone so large that it challenged everything we thought we knew about prehistoric marine reptiles. 



The fossil - a lower jaw more than 6½ feet long - promised a creature leagues beyond anything alive today. The find dated to around 202 million years ago, slotting it into the turbulent final chapter of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/triassic-fossils-shed-new-light-on-ancient-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Triassic Period</a>.



At that time, much of what is now Britain lay beneath a warm, shallow sea patrolled by meat‑eating giants. Their reign ended in a mass extinction, leaving only scattered bones to whisper their stories - until now.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ruby-and-ichthyotitan-severnensis">Ruby and Ichthyotitan severnensis</h2>



Back in late&nbsp;May&nbsp;2020, 11‑year‑old Ruby&nbsp;Reynolds and her father, Justin, headed for the mudflats of Blue&nbsp;Anchor, looking for fossils. 



Justin spotted a four‑inch scrap of bone, “bigger than any piece of bone I'd ever found before,” he recalls. 



Ruby wandered on and unearthed a second fragment twice that size. “It was just sort of lying there,” she says. “I was just happy, really.” Their excitement would soon ripple far beyond the shoreline.



Word reached paleontologist Dean&nbsp;Lomax, who holds posts at both the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a> and the <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Manchester</a>. He recognized echoes of another Somerset specimen lifted in&nbsp;2016 by local collector Paul&nbsp;de&nbsp;la&nbsp;Salle. 



That earlier jaw fragment, called a surangular, came together from several chunks that, Lomax remembers, “fit together perfectly like an ancient prehistoric jigsaw puzzle.”



Ruby's discovery was eventually named Ichthyotitan severnensis, which literally translates to “giant fish lizard from the Severn.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ichthyotitan-severnensis-was-a-true-monster">Ichthyotitan severnensis was a true monster</h2>



The first bone’s eroded edges left scientists yearning for more. “It suggests that it was from something unusual and exceedingly large,”&nbsp;Lomax says. 



He and colleagues published a cautious description, but could not pin down the creature’s identity. “What we'd hoped for - we kept our fingers crossed - we hoped that maybe more specimens would come to light in the future,” he admits.



Ruby and Justin’s beachside haul delivered exactly that. After they emailed photographs - “Hey, Dr.&nbsp;Lomax - we think we've found another one of your giant ichthyosaur jawbones”&nbsp;-&nbsp;the research team raced to Somerset. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ichthyotitan-severnensis_largest-marine-reptile_jawbone-comparison_credit-Dean-Lomax_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ichthyotitan-severnensis_largest-marine-reptile_jawbone-comparison_credit-Dean-Lomax_1s.webp" alt="Photograph of the nearly complete giant jawbone, along with a comparison with the 2018 bone (middle and bottom) found by Paul de la Salle. Credit: Dr. Dean Lomax" class="wp-image-1966376"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Photograph of the nearly complete giant jawbone, along with a comparison with the 2018 bone (middle and bottom) found by Paul de la Salle. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Dr. Dean Lomax</figcaption></figure>



“Of course, they were quite right,” Lomax says. “They correctly identified these sections of bone as belonging to an ichthyosaur.” 



Fresh collecting trips recovered still more pieces, leaving nearly two‑thirds of the jaw intact and in excellent shape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-matching-two-huge-jawbones">Matching two huge jawbones</h2>



Comparison of the two Somerset jaws revealed striking similarities. Because both turned up in the same rock layer and displayed uncommon internal bone textures, the team concluded they belonged to one new species. 



In a paper published in PLOS&nbsp;ONE, they proposed that the full animal stretched roughly&nbsp;82&nbsp;feet - “genuinely enormous, about the length of a blue whale,” Lomax says.



Scale alone does not grant a place in the record books; scientists also scrutinized microscopic structures inside the bone. 



These matched the odd pattern seen in other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fiona-the-ichthyosaur-was-preserved-for-millions-of-years-after-a-landslide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">super‑sized ichthyosaurs</a>, nudging researchers to suggest these reptiles grew in a way unlike most of their scaly kin.



Whether Ichthyotitan severnensis belonged to the shastasaur group - the clade that once produced Triassic leviathans across the globe - remains uncertain until a complete skeleton surfaces.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sizing-up-ichthyotitan">Sizing up Ichthyotitan</h2>



The Somerset titan likely carried a lighter, more streamlined frame suited for open‑ocean cruising. Its jawbone alone outsizes a grown person by several feet. 



If its proportions followed relatives such as Shonisaurus, the skull may have spanned over&nbsp;10&nbsp;feet, with paddle‑shaped flippers stretching wider than a living‑room couch.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ichthyotitan-severnensis_largest-marine-reptile_illustration_credit-Gabriel-Ugueto_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ichthyotitan-severnensis_largest-marine-reptile_illustration_credit-Gabriel-Ugueto_1s.webp" alt="A giant pair of swimming Ichthyotitan severnensis. Credit: Gabriel Ugueto" class="wp-image-1966374"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A giant pair of swimming Ichthyotitan severnensis. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Gabriel Ugueto</figcaption></figure>



Growth to such dimensions suggests a sea rich in food and free of bigger predators. Massive schools of squid‑like cephalopods thrived in Triassic waters, offering a banquet to long‑roaming hunters. 



Stable‑isotope evidence from other ichthyosaur bones hints at warm‑blooded metabolisms, which, paired with live birth and sleek bodies, let them fill whale‑like niches long before mammals took the plunge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-in-the-triassic-was-incredible">Life in the Triassic was incredible</h2>



The Triassic often flies under the radar next to the Jurassic’s celebrity dinosaurs, yet biomechanist Kelsey&nbsp;Stilson calls it “a really weird time.” 



Continents had only just fused into <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/supercontinents-101-pannotia-gondwana-and-pangea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pangaea</a>, monsoon‑driven climates swung from drought to deluge, and both early dinosaurs and mammals were fresh on the scene. 



“There were things that we can't even possibly imagine in the past,”&nbsp;Stilson adds. “But we can get little hints, and this is one little hint at this larger picture of evolution on Earth.”



That broader picture shows ichthyosaurs rising fast after the end‑Permian mass extinction, then peaking in size just before the next cataclysm. 



“No marine reptile ever reached such gigantic sizes ever again,”&nbsp;Lomax notes. Later Jurassic and Cretaceous ichthyosaurs shrank, perhaps pushed aside by changing oceans and by the emergence of other reptilian predators such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-were-not-the-only-animals-that-grew-fast-during-the-mesozoic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pliosaurs</a> and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mosasaurs-had-fierce-survival-strategies-including-cannibalism/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mosasaurs</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-whales-replaced-ichthyotitan-severnensis">Whales replaced Ichthyotitan severnensis</h2>



The last ichthyosaurs disappeared about&nbsp;94&nbsp;million&nbsp;years ago, vacating the top spot in marine food webs. 



That gap lingered until hoofed mammals ventured back to sea some&nbsp;50&nbsp;million&nbsp;years ago, setting whales on their own path to titanic proportions. 



The repeat story - big fish‑shaped predators evolving from land‑going ancestors - highlights how evolutionary solutions recur when similar ecological opportunities arise.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ichthyotitan-severnensis_largest-marine-reptile_beached_credit-Sergey-Krasovskiy_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Ichthyotitan-severnensis_largest-marine-reptile_beached_credit-Sergey-Krasovskiy_1s.webp" alt="A washed-up Ichthyotitan severnensis carcass on the beach. Credit: Sergey Krasovskiy." class="wp-image-1966372"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A washed-up Ichthyotitan severnensis carcass on the beach. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Sergey Krasovskiy.</figcaption></figure>



Modern blue whales now stretch beyond&nbsp;100&nbsp;feet and can weigh&nbsp;180&nbsp;tons, yet, length for length, they share the open ocean’s realm with Ichthyotitan in the fossil archives. 



Their stories highlight the ocean’s capacity to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trachelosaurus-fischeri-worlds-oldest-long-necked-marine-reptile-rediscovered/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nurture behemoths</a> when food is ample and competition sparse.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



Somerset’s cliffs erode a little more each winter. Storms tear at ancient mudstones, exposing new fossils overnight. 



“This research has been ongoing for almost eight years. It is quite remarkable to think that gigantic, blue whale‑sized ichthyosaurs were swimming in the oceans around what was the UK during the Triassic Period," Lomax concluded.



"These jawbones provide tantalizing evidence that perhaps one day a complete skull or skeleton of one of these giants might be found. You never know.”



Beachcombers like Ruby and Justin now scan those shores with renewed purpose. Their lucky strike reminds us that scientific breakthroughs sometimes hide in plain sight, waiting for curious eyes and a little persistence. 



The sea claimed Ichthyotitan severnensis long before humans walked Europe, yet its story shows that even after millions of years, a coast‑side ramble can rewrite natural history.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0300289" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS ONE</a>.



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Largest marine reptile ever known to exist was discovered by an 11-year-old girl

Strolling a familiar beach and stumbling upon a relic from...

There’s good reason why tropical forests are often called the lungs of the planet. They produce oxygen through photosynthesis and absorb massive amounts of carbon dioxide. In this way, they help regulate Earth’s climate.



But these vital ecosystems are not immune to the growing stress of a changing climate.



A new study, conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a>, used a special laser detection system mounted aboard the International Space Station. This remote sensing technology is able to measure the 3D structure of objects on Earth's surface. It is used as part of the Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI).



The new findings offer a deeper, more complete look at how global warming is impacting the height - and health - of tropical forest canopies across Asia, Africa, and South America, using canopy height as a key indicator of forest health and carbon storage capacity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-forest-height-matters">Why forest height matters</h2>



The forest canopy - the uppermost layer formed by mature trees - is essential for ecosystem stability.



"The canopy is a very critical indicator of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/small-mammals-play-a-vital-role-in-maintaining-forest-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forest health</a> and ecosystem productivity," explained Shaoqing Liu, a postdoctoral fellow and lead author of the study. 



"In general, taller canopies are associated with high <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mixed-forests-with-many-tree-species-are-more-effective-at-carbon-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon storage</a> and greater above-ground biomass. Tall canopies can buffer the microclimate."



In fact, tall trees can even help cool the air during extreme heat events.



By using GEDI’s space-based LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging), the research team was able to gather global data on tropical forests in great detail with a level of coverage and accuracy that far surpasses earlier studies, which were mostly conducted on local or regional scales.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-unique-eye-from-space">A unique eye from space</h2>



"Over the past decade, NASA has been using the International Space Station as a convenient platform for evaluating new forms of space-based remote sensing measurements," said Paul Moorcroft, senior author of the study. 



"The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation waveform LiDAR is a prime example of this approach."



GEDI - pronounced like "Jedi" - uses laser pulses to measure the vertical structure of forests. This includes not just canopy height, but also the density of leaves and branches throughout the forest column.



“Our study demonstrates that climate, topography, and soil properties account for almost three-quarters of the variation in tropical forest canopy height,” said Liu. 



In addition, the study revealed that elevation, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-variability-drives-tropical-tree-growth-during-dry-season/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dry season</a> length, and solar radiation are the most important drivers of canopy height both locally and regionally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-face-big-climate-challenges">Forests face big climate challenges</h2>



Not all tropical forests are reacting to climate change in the same way. The southern Amazon, for example, faces a distinct risk. 



Liu noted that tropical forests in the southern Amazon area are vulnerable to climate change because of increasingly prolonged dry seasons. "The dry season is the dominant driver determining forest canopy height in this area."



With <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weather-in-dry-regions-isnt-behaving-as-climate-models-predict/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate models</a> predicting even longer dry seasons in the future, Liu warned that we may see significant reductions in canopy height in the southern Amazon. Other regions show different trends.



"In the central Amazon, because it is relatively moist, the first important driver is actually elevation," Liu explained. The same holds true in parts of Africa, where elevation appears to play a stronger role than drought or heat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-policy-implications-and-future-goals">Policy implications and future goals</h2>



The findings have significant implications for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/progressive-approach-brings-new-hope-to-forest-conservation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forest conservation</a> and climate strategies. According to Moorcroft, understanding the environmental controls of tropical forest height is important for assessing the carbon sequestration and conservation value of different tropical forest areas. 



"Understanding the environmental drivers of forest canopy height variation is also crucial for understanding how tropical forests will respond to climate change," said Moorcroft.



Liu believes that the research can help inform policy decisions on where conservation efforts should be concentrated.



“In terms of climate-change policies, we see the tropical forests are not only <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-the-amazon-became-a-biodiversity-hotspot/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity hotspots</a>, they are critical for carbon storage. Protecting them is essential for mitigating climate change,” said Liu.



“We hope to help policymakers identify areas that are vulnerable to climate change and prioritize them.”



Liu also plans to expand this research beyond untouched primary forests. He hopes to include other types of woodlands and forested areas to build a fuller picture of how Earth’s greenery is adapting - or struggling - to cope with climate pressure.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2401755122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: NASA



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Laser technology measures forest canopy height from space

There’s good reason why tropical forests are often called the...

The Endangered Species Act (ESA), long regarded as a cornerstone of U.S. environmental policy, is facing a dramatic reinterpretation. Federal agencies have proposed the removal of habitat changes from the definition of “harm” to endangered and threatened species. 



This move, conservation groups warn, could accelerate extinctions by allowing logging, mining, construction, and other development to proceed unimpeded in sensitive areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildlife-protections-face-a-major-shift">Wildlife protections face a major shift</h2>



Since the ESA was enacted in 1973, regulators and courts have treated the term “harm” broadly. Under the existing framework, an activity that destroys or degrades the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellite-data-could-help-protect-30-of-atlantic-ocean-habitats/">habitat</a> of a listed species can be deemed unlawful even if the action is not intended to kill or harass individual animals.



The <a href="https://www.fws.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> (FWS) and the <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Marine Fisheries Service</a> (NMFS) now argue in their newly released proposal that habitat loss should not count as “harm” because it differs from the direct targeting of wildlife - referred to in the statute as “take.”



The agencies’ notice, recently made public and slated for official publication in the Federal Register, states that the act’s prohibition on “take” was never meant to cover changes to the landscape. Agency lawyers argue the ESA uses other tools, like critical habitat designations, to protect spaces species depend on.



If that interpretation is finalized, private landowners and industry operators could no longer be held liable under the ESA for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-deforestation-crisis-how-can-we-stop-massive-forest-losses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clearing forests</a>, draining wetlands, or reshaping shorelines so long as they claim no intention to injure protected animals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changes-could-have-dire-consequences">Changes could have dire consequences</h2>



The announcement drew swift rebuke from environmental organizations. Noah Greenwald, who directs endangered species work at the <a href="https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Biological Diversity</a>, noted that habitat destruction is the biggest cause of extinction.



Greenwald argued that the proposed rule “cuts the heart out of the Endangered Species Act.” It does this by removing a key safeguard that has blocked or modified countless development projects over the past half‑century.



“If (you) say harm doesn't mean significant habitat degradation or modification, then it really leaves endangered species out in the cold."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-rule-threatens-decades-of-progress">The rule threatens decades of progress</h2>



Greenwald also pointed to two high‑profile examples that currently depend on habitat protections: the northern spotted owl in the Pacific Northwest’s old‑growth forests and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/save-the-panther-day-protecting-floridas-big-cats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida panther</a> in the state’s shrinking swamplands. 



Greenwald warned the new policy lets loggers and developers act freely if they claim any wildlife harm was unintentional.



<a href="https://earthjustice.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earthjustice</a> attorney Drew Caputo echoed those concerns. He said the rule “threatens a half‑century of progress in protecting and restoring endangered species,” listing bald eagles, gray wolves, Florida manatees, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humpback-whale-travels-farther-than-any-mammal-ever-recorded/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">humpback whales</a> as beneficiaries of the existing interpretation. 



“Destroying a forest, beach, river, or wetland that a species relies on for survival constitutes harm to that species,” he said, citing decades of legal precedent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supreme-court-s-role-in-the-esa">Supreme Court’s role in the ESA</h2>



The current definition of “harm” has already survived judicial scrutiny at the highest level. In the 1995 case Babbitt v. Sweet Home Chapter of Communities for a Great Oregon, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the government’s inclusion of habitat modification within the scope of “take.” That decision has guided agency practice ever since.



Patrick Parenteau, an emeritus professor at the <a href="https://www.vermontlaw.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vermont Law and Graduate School</a> who has argued endangered species cases, noted that reversing course now raises questions of legal consistency. 



Opponents may argue the agencies shouldn't abandon a Supreme Court-backed definition without strong new evidence if they finalize the Endangered Species Act rule.



Because the existing standard has been in place for decades, landowners and federal planners have used it to conserve “many, many millions of acres of land,” according to Parenteau. 



Removing habitat from the definition of “harm” could upend scores of conservation plans negotiated between agencies and private stakeholders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-endangered-species-in-hawaii">Endangered species in Hawaii</h2>



Hawaii may feel the impacts more acutely than anywhere else. Although the islands cover less than one percent of U.S. land area, they host roughly 40 percent of all species listed under the ESA. 



Maxx Philipps, Hawaii and Pacific Islands director for the Center for Biological Diversity, warned that weakening habitat safeguards will accelerate Hawaii’s extinction crisis. 



Philipps also said it will destroy the biological and cultural heritage of the islands, highlighting one example, tiny native bees that pollinate coastal dune plants.



Development has already fragmented the few remaining stretches of shoreline. If development proceeds without habitat review, she said, bees and other shoreline species - including green sea turtles - could see their last refuges disappear. 



“Habitat is life, right?” she asked. “And without it, there is no recovery and without recovery, there is only extinction.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lawsuits-begin-agencies-remain-silent">Lawsuits begin, agencies remain silent</h2>



The <a href="https://www.doi.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of the Interior</a>, which oversees FWS, declined to comment, referring inquiries to the agency. 



Officials also noted that the proposal will soon appear in the Federal Register, opening a 30‑day window for public input.



Environmental advocates are already preparing litigation. Caputo said groups like Earthjustice will challenge the rule if it becomes final, arguing that the administration’s narrow interpretation conflicts with the statute’s language and the Supreme Court’s guidance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-removing-habitat-protections">Removing habitat protections </h2>



Supporters of the rule change - including industry associations representing forestry, mining, and farming - contend that private landowners have shouldered disproportionate burdens under the ESA. They argue penalizing habitat changes hurts development and may prompt landowners to clear areas before species are discovered.



Critics counter that streamlined approvals come at the expense of irreplaceable ecosystems and the species dependent on them.



The debate underscores a broader tension within environmental law: balancing economic opportunity against the preservation of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/effective-conservation-efforts-key-to-saving-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a>. Though Congress could revise the ESA’s habitat rules, past efforts have failed under both Republican and Democratic control.



As a result, the practical meaning of “harm” often hinges on regulatory interpretation and judicial review.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-the-endangered-species-act">Future of the Endangered Species Act </h2>



If the proposed rule to the Endangered Species Act takes effect after the comment period, it would mark one of the most significant shifts in ESA enforcement in decades. 



Conservation organizations predict a surge of lawsuits aimed at reinstating the broader definition of “harm.” They also worry about immediate on‑the‑ground consequences as businesses test the new limits. 



For researchers and advocates vested in species recovery, the stakes could not be higher: without habitat to return to, plants and animals already on the brink may have no path back from the edge.



As Philipps put it, preserving habitat is the foundation for recovery. The ESA’s future hinges on public comments, agency decisions, and expected legal challenges in the months ahead.



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Endangered Species Act faces its biggest legal shift in decades

The Endangered Species Act (ESA), long regarded as a cornerstone...

Perched high above the ocean on South Africa’s southern coast, a cave carved into a cliff has revealed thousands of ancient stone tools left behind by early humans some 20,000 years ago.



Through painstaking excavation and detailed analysis, a team of archaeologists has uncovered clues not only about how these tools were made, but also how people in the late <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-age-data-analysis-reshapes-climate-future-lowers-warming-estimates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice age</a> traveled, interacted, and passed along their techniques - suggesting a web of shared knowledge stretching across southern Africa.



The findings center on the Robberg technocomplex, a group of stone tool <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stone-tool-flint-discovery-challenges-theory-of-human-cultural-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">technologies</a> used between 24,000 and 12,000 years ago. The study was led by Sara Watson, a postdoctoral scientist at the <a href="https://nirc.fieldmuseum.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Field Museum’s Negaunee Integrative Research Center</a>. 



For Watson, the research offers a compelling window into the behavior of early Homo sapiens. “This is an important insight into how people who lived in this region were living and hunting and responding to their environment,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stone-tools-during-the-ice-age">Stone tools during the ice age</h2>



At the time the tools were crafted, the world was emerging from the last major ice age. With massive volumes of water locked in glaciers and ice sheets, global sea levels were much lower than today. 



What is now a coastal cave overlooking the ocean would have stood several miles inland, adjacent to vast plains teeming with game.



“Instead of being right on the water like they are today, these caves would have been near vast, open plains with large game animals like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blue-antelope-hippotragus-leucophaeus-extinction-caused-european-colonization/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antelope</a>,” Watson said. “People hunted those animals, and to do that, they developed new tools and weapons.”



Today, however, the geography is strikingly different. The caves are embedded in a steep cliff face, towering nearly 75 feet above a rugged shoreline. Reaching the excavation site required determination - and serious safety equipment.



“It’s a 75-foot climb up to the cave from the shoreline,” Watson explained. “We had safety ropes and a staircase made of sandbags, and we had to be harnessed in while doing the excavation.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cores-of-ancient-stone-tools">Cores of ancient stone tools</h2>



Despite the challenges, the team hauled up all their excavation gear - sometimes 50 pounds per person - and carried out meticulous work using small dental tools and tiny trowels. 



“Since these are extremely, extremely old sites, from before the end of the last ice age, we had to be very careful with our excavation,” Watson added.



Beneath layers of dust and sediment, the team unearthed a wealth of artifacts: thousands of sharp, small blades and the larger rocks - known as cores - from which those blades were struck. 



While the blades may attract the most attention, it’s the cores that Watson finds most illuminating.



“When your average person thinks about stone tools, they probably focus on the detached pieces, the blades and flakes. But the thing that is the most interesting to me is the core, because it shows us the particular methods and order of operations that people went through in order to make their tools,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stone-tools-and-communication">Stone tools and communication</h2>



By closely analyzing the patterns etched into the surfaces of these cores, Watson and her colleagues identified distinct methods of reduction - techniques used to produce the desired blade shapes. These methods are not random. 



Instead, they reflect intentional, culturally shared ways of making tools that were likely passed from one generation to the next.



“In a lot of these technologies, the core reduction is very specific, and it’s something that you are taught and learn, and that’s where the social information is,” Watson noted. 



“If we see specific methods of core reduction at multiple sites across the landscape, as an archaeologist, it tells me that these people were sharing ideas with one another.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shared-traditions-across-hundreds-of-miles">Shared traditions across hundreds of miles</h2>



One of the most telling discoveries in the Robberg cave was a particular technique for breaking small bladelets off a core - a method that has also been identified at archaeological sites hundreds of miles away in countries such as Namibia and Lesotho.



“Same core reduction pattern, same intended product,” Watson said. “The pattern is repeated over and over and over again, which indicates that it is intentional and shared, rather than just a chance similarity.”



These repeated techniques suggest that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-humans-had-surprising-diets-3-5-million-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">early humans</a> in different regions were not isolated but part of a broader network of knowledge-sharing. Whether through seasonal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-age-climate-shifts-changed-early-human-migration-patterns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migration</a>, trade, or cultural exchange, they were likely communicating in ways that helped spread innovations across vast distances.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-human-story-etched-in-stone"><a></a>A human story etched in stone</h2>



According to Watson, although the tools may be ancient, the people who made them were not so different from us. “We have a very long and rich history as a species, and humans go back a lot farther in time than most people realize,” she said. “People living around the last ice age were very similar to people today.”



The blades and cores from the Robberg caves tell more than a story of survival - they illustrate the complexity and adaptability of early human societies. They hint at long-distance connections, sophisticated knowledge transfer, and the ability to innovate in response to a changing world.



As researchers continue to dig into these layers of prehistory, each artifact recovered offers a new piece of the puzzle - an enduring link between our ancestors and the modern world.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s41982-025-00214-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Paleolithic Archaeology</a>.



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Stone tools in South Africa reveal early human communication

Perched high above the ocean on South Africa’s southern coast,...

Each year, hundreds of millions of tons of food never make it from the kitchen - or grocery shelf - to the table. Instead, they end up in landfills, where rotting lettuce leaves and stale bread emit methane, a greenhouse gas roughly 28 times more powerful than carbon dioxide at trapping heat.



According to the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations</a>, food waste now accounts for up to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions - more than the entire aviation sector. If wasted food were its own nation, it would trail only China and the United States in annual climate pollution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-waste-and-climate-repercussions">Food waste and climate repercussions </h2>



Robert Sanders, an assistant professor of marketing and analytics at the <a href="https://rady.ucsd.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California San Diego’s Rady School of Management</a>, has spent the last decade examining why so much edible food goes to waste and how policy interventions can bend the curve.



In a recent interview, Professor Sanders argued that trimming food waste may be the single fastest, most cost‑effective way to curb climate repercussions. 



“It is nearly impossible for the globe to meet emissions targets set forth by the Paris Accords without reducing waste from the food system,” he warned.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-food-waste-hiding-in-plain-sight">Food waste: Hiding in plain sight</h2>



Although lawmakers and the public often focus on tailpipes and smokestacks, Sanders points out that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-crisis-why-u-s-goals-remain-out-of-reach/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leftovers</a> scraped off dinner plates or the strawberries that spoil in grocery back rooms punch far above their weight.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-methane-emissions-threaten-earths-habitability/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">methane</a> produced as they decompose lingers in the atmosphere for about a decade but delivers an intense burst of warming during that period, making short‑term action on food waste a potent lever for averting near‑term climate tipping points.



“Reducing food waste is pretty much the most actionable measure humanity can take to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions in the short and medium term,” he noted. Yet when Professor Sanders first surveyed academic literature, he found a puzzling gap.



Policymakers were proposing rules to standardize expiration‑date labels, nonprofits were urging composting mandates, and states were drafting landfill bans - all based on assumptions that lacked rigorous field evidence.



That knowledge vacuum, he said, motivated him to run controlled experiments in real grocery aisles and back‑of‑house storerooms, tracking how shoppers and retailers actually behave when incentives change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-good-intentions-limited-results">Good intentions, limited results</h2>



One headline solution embraced by several U.S. states is the food‑waste landfill <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-waste-bans-are-ineffective-in-reducing-landfill-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ban</a>. In theory, prohibiting retailers from tossing unsold produce or expired milk forces businesses either to donate surplus food, send it to anaerobic digesters, or pay composting facilities instead of dumping it. 



In practice, Sanders’ research, conducted with colleagues at multiple universities, shows uneven results.



“My co-authors and I investigated the efficacy of the first five food-waste bans in the United States, and we found that only one state, Massachusetts, has been successful at diverting food waste away from landfills,” said Professor Sanders.



The reason appears twofold: enforcement and infrastructure. Massachusetts imposes clearer, better‑publicized penalties.



Additionally, the state offers businesses a robust network of composting centers willing to accept spoiled goods. Elsewhere, minimal fines and scarce processing facilities make compliance optional.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dynamic-pricing-matching-supply-and-demand">Dynamic pricing: Matching supply and demand</h2>



If strict bans are a blunt instrument, Sanders argues that pricing algorithms offer a finer scalpel. Roughly a tenth of all wasted food is chucked by retailers because perishables pass their sell‑by date still sitting on the shelf. 



Shoppers routinely pay the same sticker price for milk expiring tomorrow as for jugs good for another two weeks, so predictable spoilage is baked into store margins. Sanders’ field studies suggest a market‑based alternative: dynamic markdowns. 



By feeding inventory data, expiration horizons, and historical demand into a computer model, a grocery chain can automatically lower prices on soon‑to‑expire yogurt or ground beef several times a day. This nudges bargain‑hunters to snap up aging stock before it goes bad. 



The benefits compound: less landfill methane, lower operating costs for stores, and cheaper staples - often fresher and less processed - for budget‑conscious customers.



“To an economist, it's actually really weird that grocery stores don't dynamically price their perishables,” Sanders observed. “Why should you, the consumer, be paying the same price for milk that will expire one week from now as you would for milk expiring three weeks from now? Not only is it unfair, it's inefficient.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-label-confusion-an-unproven-culprit"><a></a>Label confusion: An unproven culprit</h2>



Industry groups and some legislators have long asserted that ambiguous date stamps - “best by,” “sell by,” and “use by” - drive shoppers to bin perfectly edible food. California recently passed AB 660, mandating standardized phrasing meant to reassure consumers.



Yet Sanders cautions that no large‑scale, real‑world experiment has demonstrated the strategy’s effectiveness. “There's still no scientific evidence of how these date-label formats actually affect purchases and waste in the field - that is, when real choices are made,” he said.



Until randomized trials produce hard numbers on consumer behavior, he ranks uniform <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dont-say-vegan-food-labeling-should-focus-on-health-and-sustainability/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">labeling</a> lower on the priority list than measures that directly raise disposal costs or reward timely purchasing decisions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-household-food-waste-habits-matter">Household food waste habits matter</h2>



While systemic fixes target upstream inefficiencies, Sanders said everyday eaters remain the final link in the waste chain. Composting food scraps is helpful, but prevention trumps recycling. 



He advocates meal planning, accurate head counts for events, and reminding yourself to eat leftovers long before they become science projects. In California, where municipalities now provide curbside green bins, he urges residents to keep those organic carts in regular rotation.



“Composting is better than sending food to landfills, but it's best not to create food waste to begin with,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-funding-the-science"><a></a>Funding the science</h2>



Sanders’ investigations into how consumers make expiry‑date decisions recently hit a roadblock when cuts to federal climate‑research budgets stalled a <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Science Foundation</a> grant. 



The project would have generated large data sets on purchasing patterns in response to markdowns tied to shelf life - information the <a href="https://www.usda.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USDA</a> and <a href="https://www.fda.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FDA</a> have explicitly requested.



In the meantime, he and his collaborators are scouting alternative funding to improve food waste, underscoring the broader challenge of studying pragmatic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-log-discovery-inspires-a-simple-yet-effective-climate-solution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate solutions</a> in an era of tightened purse strings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chipping-away-at-a-massive-issue">Chipping away at a massive issue</h2>



Momentum is building: grocery giants in Europe have rolled out dynamic‑discount apps, while startups in the United States pilot real‑time pricing software for deli counters and bakery racks. 



Policymakers, however, still debate whether to expand landfill bans or subsidize compost facilities without proof of impact.



Professor Sanders believes the fastest progress will come from connecting rigorous field experiments with scalable technology. Only then, he contends, will the world chip away at a problem large enough to rival the emissions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aviations-contribution-to-climate-change-is-expected-to-intensify/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aviation</a> industry.



Until that happens, methane will keep seeping from landfills - one wilted lettuce leaf and one expired gallon of milk at a time.



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Food waste has a surprising impact on climate change

Each year, hundreds of millions of tons of food never...

We often think our first impressions come from sight as we notice how someone looks, speaks, and moves. We focus on what we see and hear, but there’s another sense, always present, usually unnoticed, that might shape friendship more than we realize: smell.



Every day, we pass strangers, meet new colleagues, and shake hands at events. Some of those people feel immediately familiar, others strangely distant. 



Sometimes we like someone without knowing why. Sometimes we’re put off without a clear reason. Could it be the scent they carry - not necessarily a strong perfume or cologne, but the subtle mixture of personal habits that lingers in the air?



That’s the question a group of researchers set out to answer. Their study, recently published in Scientific Reports, reveals how scent - specifically what they call “diplomatic odor” - can guide <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pets-increase-life-satisfaction-as-much-as-marriage-or-close-friendships/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social preferences</a> from the very first encounter.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-our-scent-signals-future-friends">Our scent signals future friends</h2>



Unlike natural body odor studied in past research, diplomatic odor reflects daily life. It includes perfumes, shampoos, laundry detergent, pets, food, and everything else that shapes how someone smells during a typical day.



Study lead author Jessica Gaby is an assistant professor of psychology at Middle Tennessee State University (<a href="https://www.mtsu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MTSU</a>).



"It's not just perfume," said Professor Gaby. "It's your dietary choices. Are you a cat person or dog person? What laundry detergent do you use?"



The study focused on how diplomatic odor influences friendship potential - how likely we are to want to connect with someone. Unlike studies of romantic attraction, this work explored platonic connections, the ones that make up most of our daily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-theory-enemy-of-my-enemy-is-my-friend-proven-by-physics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social landscape</a>.



Friendship shapes mental and physical health. It helps people navigate life. Knowing what influences our initial decisions about friends matters. And as the study found, scent plays a surprisingly strong role.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-odor-influences-first-impressions">Odor influences first impressions </h2>



The researchers designed a multi-part speed-friending event involving 40 women. First, they photographed the participants and gave them clean cotton T-shirts to wear during daily activities for around 12 hours.



Participants were asked to keep their habits unchanged, other than avoiding smoking and alcohol. They were told to wear the same products to the event that they used while wearing the shirts.



Then came the real test. In a controlled but realistic environment - a busy room full of chatter - participants smelled the worn shirts before any in-person meetings.



They rated how likely they would be to want to hang out with the wearer, be friends, or avoid them. This pre-interaction sniff test set the baseline. 



The results already showed personal preferences. What smelled friendly to one person didn’t appeal to another. And that individual taste held meaning throughout the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scent-helps-predict-new-friends">Scent helps predict new friends</h2>



Next came the live speed-friending part. Each participant had about ten four-minute conversations with different people. 



They sat across small tables, introduced themselves, and chatted. After each brief conversation, they filled out forms judging their chat partner’s friendship potential - just as they had done earlier, based only on scent.



"People take a lot in when they're meeting face to face. But scent, which people are registering at some level, though probably not consciously, forecasts whether you end up liking this person," said Vivian Zayas, professor of psychology at <a href="https://www.cornell.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell University</a>.



The findings were striking. The friendship ratings based on smell alone closely matched the in-person ratings after the short chats.



"If you think you might be friends with someone you haven't met based on a tenth-of-a-second exposure to their photograph, you are also more likely to judge them as a potential friend based on the scent of their T-shirt," Zayas said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sight-smell-and-first-impressions">Sight, smell, and first impressions</h2>



The study also included a test based on quick glances at portraits - 100 milliseconds per image. Even these brief flashes gave participants enough information to form an impression.



Yet when the researchers compared smell-based ratings with those based on photos, smell turned out to be the better predictor of how people felt after meeting someone. Multilevel statistical models confirmed that diplomatic odor had a stronger and more consistent effect than visuals.



Portrait-based judgments did matter - but not as much. The live interaction scores were more closely tied to what people had sniffed than what they had seen.



Importantly, this connection held even after accounting for other variables like time worn or intensity of the scent. The results were clear: scent quietly shapes social judgments, and does so powerfully.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-interactions-can-change-perception">Interactions can change perception</h2>



What’s more fascinating is that smell didn’t only influence how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-pressure-is-straining-teen-friendships/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">people</a> felt going into a conversation - it changed based on what happened in that conversation. 



Participants repeated the sniff test after the live chats. This time, they judged the same T-shirts again. And their opinions had shifted.



"It makes sense to me that the way you smell impacts the way I judge you," Gaby said. "But I was most surprised by the learning, by the shift in the second set of readings - one interaction and you're like, hmmm, maybe not."



If someone had a good chat, their shirt smelled better afterward. If the interaction was disappointing, the scent seemed worse. This pattern suggests our brains update scent-based associations rapidly, using emotional memory to reframe what we’ve already experienced.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scents-and-social-chemistry">Scents and social chemistry</h2>



One of the strongest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-power-of-diversity-in-friendships/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">themes</a> in the study was individual preference. There wasn’t one universally liked or disliked smell. What appealed to one person might not appeal to another.



"Everybody showed they had a consistent signature of what they liked," Zayas said. "And the consistency was not that in the group one person smelled really bad and one person smelled really good. No, it was idiosyncratic."



This finding adds depth to how we think about social chemistry. It’s not just about shared interests or mutual friends - it might also be about shared scent spaces, shaped by laundry, pets, and food.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-scent-of-friends">The scent of friends</h2>



This study stands out because it took place in a natural setting. Participants weren’t isolated in scentless rooms. The researchers wanted to test scent in the kind of environment where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-friendships-improve-your-health-as-you-age/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">friendships</a> really form - noisy, busy, filled with competing sensory input.



In this real-world context, diplomatic odor still played a major role. It was perceptible and meaningful, even surrounded by other cues like voice, appearance, and body language.



The researchers also emphasized that diplomatic odor carries social information of its own. Unlike pure body odor, diplomatic scent reflects lifestyle and culture. It’s shaped by choice. This means scent may serve as a kind of soft signal about who we are - and who we might connect with.



Friendships help people thrive. They affect mood, resilience, and long-term health. And yet, we rarely stop to think about what drives those first moments of liking or disliking someone.



This research shows that our sense of smell plays a role in those judgments. Not consciously, not obviously - but powerfully.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-94350-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.&nbsp;



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Scent plays a powerful role in choosing friends

We often think our first impressions come from sight as...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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