Our world is warming, and ecosystems are shifting in response. Some changes are obvious - like flowers blooming earlier - but many are subtle and complex. One of the most important factors in this transformation is phenology, the timing of natural events, such as seed germination and plant growth.



A new study from Holden Forests &amp; Gardens sheds light on how warming influences plant communities by altering germination timing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-role-of-germination-timing-in-plants">Role of germination timing in plants</h2>



Germination timing plays a crucial role in shaping entire ecosystems, not just individual plant species. When a seed starts growing, its timing determines how well it competes for resources like sunlight, water, and nutrients. 



Some plants adjust quickly to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predicting-how-climate-change-will-alter-plant-growth-cycles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warmer temperatures</a>, germinating earlier in the season, while others stick to their usual schedule. This shift in timing can disrupt the ecological balance, allowing certain species to dominate and altering the overall plant community.



If a species germinates earlier, it may grow larger and take up more space, outcompeting others that germinate later. Over time, this change can influence which species thrive and which decline - ultimately affecting animals, insects, and other organisms that depend on those plants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-germination-in-different-plant-species">Germination in different plant species</h2>



To better understand how climate change affects plant communities, a research team led by Emma Dawson-Glass from the <a href="https://holdenfg.org/katie-stuble-lab/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stuble Lab</a> conducted a controlled study. They focused on 15 plant species commonly found in old-field ecosystems. 



The researchers designed an experiment that simulated two temperature conditions: one reflecting current climate conditions and another 3°C warmer to mimic future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-extremes-in-2024-what-have-we-learned/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a> scenarios.



This setup allowed them to observe how temperature changes influenced the timing of seed germination.



The main objective of the study was to determine&nbsp;which plant species germinate earlier under warming&nbsp;and how that shift affects plant interactions. 



When certain species sprout earlier, they may gain a competitive advantage, growing larger and outcompeting other plants for sunlight, nutrients, and water. This process can&nbsp;alter plant community compositionand disrupt ecological balance.



The findings provide strong evidence that&nbsp;climate change is already influencing ecosystems. Studying these patterns is crucial for predicting future shifts and developing strategies to manage and restore plant communities as the climate continues to warm.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-winners-and-losers-in-a-warmer-world">Winners and losers in a warmer world</h2>



The study found that plants with greater phenological flexibility had a competitive edge. 



Plant species like&nbsp;curly dock (Rumex crispus), wrinkleleaf goldenrod (Solidago rugosa),&nbsp;and&nbsp;tall ironweed (Vernonia gigantea)&nbsp;grew significantly larger when they germinated earlier in a warmed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-defy-climate-change-through-acclimation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environment</a>. 



Meanwhile, species such as&nbsp;spotted St. John’s wort (Hypericum punctatum), bristly buttercup (Ranunculus pensylvanicus),&nbsp;and&nbsp;Canada goldenrod (Solidago canadensis)&nbsp;performed better in current conditions, struggling when warming altered the timing of their establishment.



However, not all plants showed a clear response - some maintained stable growth regardless of warming. This variability suggests that climate change will not affect all species equally, creating an unpredictable future for plant communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-ecosystem-management">Implications for ecosystem management</h2>



"This work illustrates that warming can change the order of species arrivals, ultimately reshaping community composition,” said Dawson-Glass. These findings are crucial for conservationists and ecologists working to restore and manage plant communities in a rapidly changing world.



The study also highlights&nbsp;phenological sensitivity, the ability of species to adjust their timing in response to seasonal changes. 



“Our results provide a new perspective on how climate change is already shaping ecosystems in ways we’re only beginning to understand,” said Katharine Stuble.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-plant-germination">Future of plant germination </h2>



As climate change accelerates, shifts in germination timing are altering ecosystems by affecting&nbsp;food webs, species competition, and biodiversity. Some plants germinate earlier due to warming, gaining a competitive edge over others. 



This can lead to&nbsp;changes in plant community structure, where dominant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-soil-day-2024-protecting-our-planets-lifeline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> thrive while others struggle. Over time, these shifts impact herbivores that rely on specific plants for food, which in turn affects predators and the broader ecosystem.



The research at&nbsp;<a href="https://holdenfg.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Holden Forests &amp; Gardens</a>&nbsp;contributes to a growing understanding of how these changes unfold. 



By studying phenology - the timing of natural events - scientists can predict and manage the effects of climate change on plant communities. This knowledge is crucial for conservation efforts, helping land managers restore and maintain biodiversity.



As ecosystems continue to shift, understanding phenology will be essential in developing strategies to&nbsp;adapt to a warming world and protect ecological balance.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecy.4504" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ecology</a>.



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Climate warming alters plant germination and disrupts ecosystem balance

Our world is warming, and ecosystems are shifting in response. Some changes are obvious - like flowers blooming earlier - but many are subtle and complex. One of the most important factors in this transformation is phenology, the timing of natural events, such as seed germination and plant growth. A new study from Holden Forests &amp; Gardens sheds light on how warming influences plant communities by altering germination timing. Role of germination timing in plants Germination timing plays a crucial role in shaping entire ecosystems, not just individual plant...

From food and water purification to oxygen production and CO2 removal, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-engineer-their-petals-to-be-visually-attractive-to-bees/">plants</a> are essential for life on Earth. Now, with technological advancements such as rockets and other exploratory devices, astronauts can reach the moon and beyond. 



However, as <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>&nbsp;explores the potential for longer space flights, prolonged stays on the International Space Station, or even the future colonization of the moon or planets such as Mars, scientists are well-aware that plants are needed for survival in outer space too. Yet, it is still unclear how exposure to extreme environmental factors related to space travel, such as microgravity or space radiation, may impact biological systems such as plants.



In a new research project led by the <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a> and funded by NASA, a team of researchers will explore how radiation exposure in space impacts plant telomeres, which are the basic building blocks in their DNA, located at the very end of chromosomes, and have a crucial role in keeping the chromosomes healthy and stable. However, telomeres are far from static. In fact, they continually contract and expand due to environmental stressors, and if they get outside of their normal range, they frequently lose their protective function.



“Plants are obviously very important for space travel, and so from a practical point of view we want to understand how we can help them survive the extreme conditions of space,” said project leader Dorothy Shippen, a professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Texas A&amp;M. “There is so much we don’t know, but this telomere research will answer some of the basic questions we have related to plants and space radiation.”&nbsp;



“There is interest in telomeres because they are linked to survivability, and it turns out the environment can influence the size of telomeric DNA tract. The telomeres are like a reporter for the physiological health of organisms and a biomarker for their ability to be healthy. We are interested in understanding how plants respond to the stress of space radiation and then figure out how to protect them,” she explained.



The researchers hypothesize that exposure to space radiation may trigger genome oxidation and an increase in the activity of telomerase, a specialized enzyme that plays a crucial role in maintaining telomeric DNA. Preliminary data from plant seedlings sent into low Earth orbit on a previous space flight have shown that, while the telomere lengths of the plants did not change, telomerase activity increased 150-fold.



“This is all very new, and we need to understand how this exposure to radiation plays out,” said Borja Barbero Barcenilla, a postdoctoral fellow in Biochemistry and Biophysics at Texas A&amp;M, who will also be involved in the project. “Right now, the level of radiation these samples were exposed to in our preliminary experiments in low Earth orbit aboard the International Space Station are much less than what they will suffer on the moon or Mars. The radiation exposure will exponentially increase on those missions, so we need to understand how plants will react to the much higher levels of radiation.”



During the following years, the scientists aim to comprehensively investigate how space radiation impacts plants from seed to flower, as well as across generations. “I think we are in a really good position to deliver some interesting data. We have the right collaborators, and we feel privileged that NASA sees the value in these experiments and trusts us with them,” Shippen concluded.



—



By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer



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How does space radiation affect plants?

From food and water purification to oxygen production and CO2...

Man,With,Abdominal,Pain.,Abodominal,Disease,Concept.

Allura Red - also called FD&amp;C Red 40 and Food Red 17 – is a common ingredient in candies, soft drinks, dairy products, and certain types of cereals. This synthetic food dye is used to add color and texture to these products, often to attract children. Although, over the past decades, the use of such food dyes has increased substantially, there has been little research on how their consumption could affect gut health.



Now, a team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.mcmaster.ca/">McMaster University</a> in Canada has found that long-term consumption of Allura Red could be a potential trigger of <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/noninvasive-test-for-inflammatory-bowel-disease/">inflammatory bowel diseases</a> (IBDs) -&nbsp; which affect millions of people worldwide – in mice under laboratory conditions. While previous studies have argued that dysregulated immune responses, genetic factors, and gut microbiota imbalances can give rise to IBDs, no studies have yet investigated the impact of environmental factors on these health conditions.



“This study demonstrates significant harmful effects of Allura Red on gut health and identifies gut serotonin as a critical factor mediating these effects. These findings have important implication in the prevention and management of gut inflammation,” said study senior author Waliul Khan, a professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster.



“What we have found is striking and alarming, as this common synthetic food dye is a possible dietary trigger for IBDs. This research is a significant advance in alerting the public on the potential harms of food dyes that we consume daily. The literature suggests that the consumption of Allura Red also affects certain allergies, immune disorders, and behavioral problems in children, such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.”



Thus, typical Western diets that include processed fats, red and processed meats, sugar, and little fiber – together with large amounts of various additives and dyes – could act as major environmental triggers of IDBs. Further experimental, epidemiological, and clinical studies on the connection between widely used food dyes and the development of such health issues are needed.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35309-y">Nature Communications</a>.



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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer



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Food dye linked to inflammatory bowel diseases

Allura Red - also called FD&amp;C Red 40 and Food...

Ryugu is a near-Earth <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-ryugu-may-be-a-leftover-from-the-suns-formation/">asteroid</a>, with a diameter of 900 meters, that was first discovered in 1999 and was named after the undersea palace of the Dragon God in Japanese mythology. In 2014, the <a href="https://global.jaxa.jp/">Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency</a> (JAXA) launched Hayabusa 2 – an asteroid sample-return mission – to collect material samples from the asteroid’s surface and sub-surface. The spacecraft returned to Earth in 2020, with a collection of samples that were distributed around the world for scientific study.&nbsp;



Now, an international team of researchers used UK’s national synchrotron facility <a href="https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Home.html;jsessionid=BCCB3D0FA685C2EFEF96DCAF3C0B6AF9">Diamond Light Source</a> to map out the chemical states of the elements collected from the asteroid and examine its composition in fine detail. Their findings could shed more light on the evolution of our solar system and the formation of the Earth.



The analysis revealed that the surface of Ryugu is dehydrated, most likely due to space weathering. This discovery led the scientists conclude that asteroids which appear dry on the surface may in fact be water-rich, a finding potentially requiring a significant revision of our understanding of the abundances of various asteroid types and the formation history of the asteroid belt.



According to the researchers, the building blocks of Ryugu are remnants of past interactions between water, minerals, and organic substances in the early solar system, prior to the formation of the Earth. Better understanding the composition of asteroids could thus help explain how the early solar system developed, and how the Earth formed afterwards. Moreover, since asteroids are believed to have delivered much of our planet’s water and organic compounds such as amino acids (which provide the building blocks of life), investigating the chemical composition of asteroids such as Ryugu could even clarify the origins of life on Earth.



“It’s important to build up experience in studying samples returned from asteroids, as in the Hayabusa2 mission, because soon there will be new samples from other asteroid types, the Moon and within the next 10 years Mars, returned to Earth,” concluded study co-author John Bridges, a professor of Planetary Science at the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">University of Leicester</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01841-6">Nature Astronomy</a>.



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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer



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Asteroid samples could reveal how Earth was formed

Ryugu is a near-Earth asteroid, with a diameter of 900...

When NASA’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traces-of-an-ancient-ocean-found-on-mars/">Mars</a> rovers discovered manganite oxides in the Gale and Endeavor craters on Mars in 2014, scientists suggested that the red planet might have had more oxygen in its atmosphere billions of years ago. However, a new experimental study conducted by the <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a> (WUSTL) found that, under Mars-like conditions, manganese oxides can be readily form without the presence of atmospheric oxygen.



Since Mars is rich in the halogen elements chlorine and bromine, the experts conducted laboratory experiments using these two substances to oxidize manganese in water samples that they made to replicate fluids from early Mars.



“We were inspired by reactions seen during chlorination of drinking water,” said study senior author Jeffrey Catalano, a professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at WUSTL. “Understanding other planets sometimes requires us to apply knowledge gained from seemingly unrelated fields of science and engineering.”



The experiments revealed that halogens converted manganese dissolved in water into manganese oxide minerals thousands or even millions of times faster than oxygen could do this. Moreover, under the weakly acidic conditions thought to characterize early Mars’ surface, bromate produces manganese oxide minerals faster than any other known oxidant.



“Oxidation does not necessitate the involvement of oxygen by definition,” said study lead author Kaushik Mitra,&nbsp;a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/">Stony Brook University</a>, who completed this research as a graduate student at WUSTL. “Earlier, we proposed viable oxidants on Mars, other than oxygen or via UV photooxidation, that help explain why the red planet is red. In the case of manganese, we just did not have a viable alternative to oxygen that could explain manganese oxides until now.”



However, although these findings suggest there was not much oxygen on ancient Mars, there is no particular reason to conclude that there was no life either. “There are several life forms even on Earth that do not require oxygen to survive. I don’t think of it as a ‘setback’ to habitability - only that there were probably no oxygen-based lifeforms,” Mitra explained.



“We need more experiments conducted in diverse geochemical conditions that are more relevant to specific planets like Mars, Venus, and ‘ocean worlds’ like Europa and Enceladus in order to have the correct and full understanding of the geochemical and geological environments on these planetary bodies. Every planet is unique in its own right, and we cannot extrapolate the observations made on one planet to exactly understand a different planet,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01094-y">Nature Geoscience</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Ancient Mars had less oxygen than previously thought

When NASA’s Mars rovers discovered manganite oxides in the Gale...

Many centuries ago, ancient Celtic cultures believed that mistletoe was a “universal healer" with medicinal qualities that could boost health and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-diet-improves-sperm-quality-and-fertility/">fertility</a>. Now, a study led by <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> confirms that mistletoe can be very beneficial to human health by sealing wounds for days at a time.&nbsp;



Mistletoe berries produce a sticky thread known as viscin that is strong enough to seal wounds. In collaboration with experts at the Max Planck Institute, the team found that wet viscin fibers can transform into films that rigidly and transparently adhere to surfaces as they dry.



“The sealant remained flexible, allowing free movement when performing everyday tasks and was resistant even to brief water rinsing,” wrote the researchers. “To remove the seal from the tissue, friction could be used by simply rubbing the sealed area.”



Study lead author Matthew Harrington's research is primarily focused on exploring natural adhesives to create advanced bio-inspired materials. He said the fact that viscin can adhere to both wood and fur or feathers may be evolutionarily relevant.&nbsp;



“But it is more difficult to explain the adhesion to various synthetic surfaces, such as plastics, glass and metal alloys, from an adaptive point of view," said Harrington. “So, viscin may just represent a very versatile adhesion chemistry, which is what makes it so interesting to explore what happens chemically.”



This is the first time researchers have investigated the potential medical uses of the glue found in mistletoe berries. Next, the experts hope to gain a better understanding of the chemistry of viscin film for replication.



Study first author Nils Horbelt said he wore the adhesive on his skin for three days and found it flexible enough to move without breaking.



"I wore a thin film of viscin on my skin for three days to observe its adhesive qualities and was able to remove it from my fingers afterwards by simply rubbing them together," said Horbelt. "But there still remain many questions about this very unusual material."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus">PNAS Nexus</a>.



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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



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Mistletoe berries have surprising healing properties

Many centuries ago, ancient Celtic cultures believed that mistletoe was...

On Monday, December 19, a mysterious shockwave in a gust of solar wind crashed into the Earth’s magnetic field, opening up a crack in the magnetosphere. According to <a href="https://spaceweather.com/index.php">Space Weather</a> – an organization keeping track of such events – the barrage of plasma that penetrated the magnetosphere has led to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/geomagnetic-storm-auroras-sky/">geomagnetic storm</a>.



Although the shockwave’s origins are not exactly known, scientists believe it could have come from a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched by the sunspot AR3165, an area on the Sun’s surface which already released at least eight solar flares on December 14, causing a brief radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.&nbsp;



Sunspots are areas on the Sun’s surface where strong magnetic fields, created through the flow of electrical charges, entangle before suddenly snapping and releasing bursts of radiation called solar flares, or plumes of solar material called coronal mass ejections. Once launched, these CMEs can travel at extremely high speeds (often millions of miles per hour), sweeping up charged particles from the solar wind which, if pointed toward the Earth, can trigger geomagnetic storms.



These storms occur when solar debris consisting of electrons, protons, and alpha particles gets absorbed by the Earth’s magnetic field. If they are strong enough, they can create cracks in the magnetosphere which remain open for several hours, enabling some solar material to stream through and disrupt power systems, satellites, and radio communications.&nbsp;



Fortunately, the current storm was rather weak, causing only minor fluctuations in the power grids and impairing some satellite functions, such as those for mobile devices and GPS systems. However, scientists anticipate that in the following years, more powerful geomagnetic storms could warp our planet’s magnetic field to such an extent that satellites may tumble to Earth, electrical systems could be severely disrupted, and the Internet might stop working completely, thus causing trillions of dollars’ worth of damage, while triggering widespread blackouts and endangering thousands of lives.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Mysterious solar shockwave has cracked Earth’s magnetosphere

On Monday, December 19, a mysterious shockwave in a gust...

The phrase “to swallow one’s tongue” has circulated since at least the 1980s, signifying a variety of things such as falling silent to experiencing a general feeling of fear. While it is anatomically impossible for a human to swallow their tongue, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/">Florida Museum of Natural History</a> has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cane-toads-make-long-distance-calls-for-love/">cane toads</a> (Rhinella marina) actually achieve this feat every time they eat.



The scientists used X-ray videography to investigate toads’ feeding behavior, offering the first glimpse of what frogs do once their food reaches their mouths. The analysis revealed that cane toads swallow prey by using a complex pulley system of cartilage and muscle that travels so far down their throats, it butts up against their hearts.



“We know a lot about how frogs extend their tongues and how it sticks to their prey, but prior to this study, essentially everything that happens after they close their mouths was a mystery,” said study lead author Rachel Keeffe, who conducted this research as part of her doctoral degree in Biology at the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a>.



After placing the toads in a clear observation box, the researchers fed them a steady stream of crickets while filming them using X-ray videography. “We weren’t sure what was happening at first,” Keefe explained. “The whole floor of the mouth was pulled backward into the throat and the tongue along with it.”



Examining meticulous reconstructions of movements into 3D animations, the scientists observed that once the toad’s tongue has reached its fullest extent, the hyoid – a cartilaginous plate with loops and prongs attached to muscles on the floor of their mouths – retracted into their throats. Then, the tongue, which is directly attached to the hyoid, was slingshot back into the mouth. It still remains unclear how far back the hyoid can move, since its path is blocked by the toad’s heart, which the animal slides up against milliseconds before the tongue and its attached prey smash into the cartilaginous cushion.



Finally, in order to dislodge the concussed insect from its sticky tongue, the toad uses what the experts call a “hyoid dorsal ascent.” “The hyoid shoots up and presses the tongue against the roof of the mouth, after which it moves forward, essentially scraping the food off into the esophagus,” Keefe explained. The entire feeding process takes less than two seconds, with most of the time spent repositioning the tongue and hyoid after swallowing.



Since there is a rich diversity of feeding mechanisms among the over 7,000 known frog species, further comparative studies are needed to clarify whether the feeding behavior of cane toads is the rule or the exception.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/iob/obac045">Integrative Organismal Biology</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Cane toads swallow their tongue when they eat

The phrase “to swallow one’s tongue” has circulated since at...

According to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoser.2022.101488">Ecosystem Services</a>, conservation strategies often have a narrow focus, tending to prioritize economic or ecological values of various species, while ignoring other types of benefits, such as those related to well-being or morality. Looking specifically at the case of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/land-use-changes-affect-elephant-movement/">elephants</a>, the experts found that financial benefits including the role of elephants in ecotourism, trophy hunting, or labor often conflict with the elephants’ ecological, cultural, and spiritual contributions. Thus, overlooking the value systems of all the stakeholders involved in conservation, including local people, can lead to social inequality, conflict, and unsustainable strategies.



“We chose to look at elephants as the case study because their conservation can be especially challenging and contentious,” said study co-author Antoinette van de Water, an expert in human-elephant interaction at the <a href="https://ukzn.ac.za/">University of KwaZulu-Natal</a> in South Africa.&nbsp;“We’re not saying economic contributions aren’t important, but there’s a lot of different values at play and they all need to be considered in conservation strategies if they are going to succeed.”



According to van de Water and her colleagues, conservation decision makers frequently tend to take a single worldview when considering the value of nature. “Whether it’s economic, ecological, or social, a blanket approach to values can impact the success of a conservation strategy,” explained study co-author Lucy Bates, a zoologist at the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk/">University of Portsmouth</a> in the UK.



“Consider something like the ivory trade for example. International trade in ivory is illegal, but many southern African countries want to restart the trade leading to contention across the African continent. If you focus less on the potential economic value of ivory, and turn to other ways elephants can support communities, it can be a game-changer."



“On a smaller scale, you can also apply this framework to defining protected areas and what land could be made available to elephants. By listening to those living in these areas, you can get a clear understanding of how decisions will affect human life as well, and work out ways to resolve any issues.”



Thus, instead of focusing solely on financial and economic benefits, conservationists should also take into account nature’s non-material benefits, such as recreation, inspiration, mental health, or social cohesion, together with broader moral values, like human rights, environmental justice, rights of nature, or intergenerational legacy.



An approach incorporating moral values related to biodiversity conservation to create a positive loop between benefits to humans and to nature would help policymakers and managers better understand what elephants mean to people, why these animals are important in themselves, and what values and interests are actually at stake.



“What is really needed is a change of thinking. Conservation policies are often based on price tags. Our pluralist valuation system provides solutions that are not based on economic gains or political status for the few, but instead on long-term common good and the goals and aspirations of societies,” concluded van de Water.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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What is the value of elephants?

According to a new study published in the journal Ecosystem...

In a new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0278443">PLoS ONE</a>, researchers have found that small turtles are often sold illegally as pets online. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration prohibited the sale of small pet turtles in 1975 due to the number of illnesses they can cause, including Salmonella <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-reinfection-increases-the-risk-of-fatal-complications/">infection</a>.&nbsp;



"In the 1960s and 1970s, hatchling turtles became increasingly popular pets in the United States. By the early 1970s, about 4% of households in the U.S. owned at least one turtle, and about 15 million hatchling turtles, primarily red-eared sliders (Trachemys scripta elegans), were being sold annually," wrote the study authors.



"As hatchlings, red-eared sliders are about the size of a U.S. quarter (24.3 mm), and their size, coupled with a lime green shell and red stripes on the sides of their heads, made them popular and highly desired as pets. During the same period, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was documenting salmonellosis, an intestinal disease caused by Salmonella bacteria, cases in the public, and it was estimated that approximately 280,000 cases per year were attributable to turtle ownership."



The researchers explained that small children, in particular, were contracting salmonellosis because of poor hygiene after handling turtles. They noted that salmonellosis can cause severe illness and death, especially in young children, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems.



The experts set out to determine whether websites are selling small turtles, in violation of the 1975 regulation. They found that half of online sellers fail to provide information about the disease risk and the laws pertaining to small turtles.&nbsp;



"Despite passage of the Food and Drug Administration regulation nearly 50 years ago prohibiting the sale of these turtles, our research has demonstrated that internet sales of small turtles currently represent part of the thriving online pet trade in the U.S. Enforcement of the regulation is likely done in an ad hoc manner in brick-and-mortar pet stores, but there are jurisdictional challenges to enforcement of this federal regulation by state agents in most states," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"In addition, law enforcement agents at the state and federal levels may feel that they have more important issues regarding internet-based wildlife sales, including monitoring sales of endangered species or potentially injurious species, such as big cats or primates. However, salmonellosis outbreaks continue to occur in the U.S. and are regularly attributed to pet turtles, which represent a more expansive public health concern than that posed by potentially injurious animals."



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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.

Small turtles are often sold online despite disease risks

In a new study published in the journal PLoS ONE,...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/belgian-microbiologists-improve-the-flavor-of-beer/">Beer</a> is one of the oldest and most popular alcoholic beverages in the world. While some people love and other hate the distinct, bitter taste of hops used to flavor beer, new research led by the <a href="https://en.unimib.it/">University of Milano-Bicocca</a> has revealed that particularly “hoppy” brews could have unexpected health benefits. The experts discovered that, in laboratory dishes, chemicals extracted from hop flowers can inhibit the clumping of amyloid beta proteins, which are associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) – a debilitating neurodegenerative disease, characterized by memory loss and personality changes in older adults.



Part of the difficulty in treating AD is that there is a considerable time lag between the beginning of underlying biochemical processes and the onset of symptoms, often with several years separating them. Thus, since irreversible damage to the nervous system can occur before one even realizes that they might have the disease, preventive strategies and therapeutics which can intervene before symptoms appear are of increasing scientific interest.



One of these strategies involves so-called “nutraceuticals,” or foods which have certain medicinal properties, such as – as the present study argues – the hop flowers used to flavor beers. The scientists created and analyzed extracts of four common varieties of hops using methods similar to those used in the brewing process. Their analyses revealed that these extracts had antioxidant properties and could prevent amyloid beta proteins from clumping in human nerve cells. The most successful extract was from the Tettnang hop, which is found in many types of lagers and lighter ales.



When the researchers separated this extract into fractions, the one containing high levels of polyphenols exhibited the most powerful antibiotic and aggregation-inhibiting activity and promoted processes allowing the body to eliminate misfolded, neurotoxic proteins. By testing the extract in a C. elegans animal model, the scientists found that it protected the worms from AD-related paralysis, although this effect was not extremely pronounced. These findings nevertheless suggest that hop compounds could serve as the basis for the development of nutraceuticals which halt the development of Alzheimer’s disease.



“Our results show that hop is a source of bioactive molecules with synergistic and multitarget activity against the early events underlying AD development. We can therefore think of its use for the preparation of nutraceuticals useful for the prevention of this pathology,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.2c00444">ACS Chemical Neuroscience</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Beer could help protect against Alzheimer’s disease

Beer is one of the oldest and most popular alcoholic...

The Thwaites Ice Shelf in the Amundsen Sea is one of the biggest <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/melt-ponds-on-the-greenland-ice-sheet/">ice sheets</a> in West Antarctica but it is highly unstable and disintegrating rapidly. It buttresses and braces against the mighty Thwaites glacier and slows down its rate of melting, at least on its eastern edge. This is important because the Thwaites glacier, also nicknamed the “Doomsday glacier,” has been retreating rapidly over the past 20 years and has become the largest net contributor to sea-level rise among the Antarctic glaciers.&nbsp;



For this reason, an international team of scientists, led by researchers from the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> in the UK, investigated the factors influencing the melt rate of the Thwaites Ice Shelf. Using two automated sensor systems, moored about 4 km from one another, the researchers collected data from different depths under the Thwaites Ice Shelf. The sensors recorded water temperature, salinity, pressure and horizontal current speed at an upper depth of a few hundred meters, and at a lower depth of over 700 meters.&nbsp;



In their research study, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35499-5">Nature Communications</a>, the researchers found that the shallow layers of the ocean underneath the Thwaites Ice Shelf warmed considerably during the period between January 2020 and March 2021. It did not appear that the excess heat originated locally because there was little evidence of melting at the base of the ice sheet where the sensors were installed. In addition, the content of glacial-meltwater under the ice increased in the upper layers at the same time.&nbsp;



Combining the measurements with computer simulations, the researchers determined that most of this meltwater likely originated from the Pine Island Ice Shelf, further to the east, and flowed into the area beneath the Thwaites Ice Shelf under the influence of a gyre (circulating ocean current) centered in Pine Island Bay. &nbsp;This proposed mechanism explaining how warm meltwaters are found under the Thwaites Ice Shelf was also supported by data collected using tags that were attached to seals.&nbsp;



Both the model simulations and the data from seal tags showed that a gyre near the Thwaites Ice Shelf weakens in winter, which allows more heat to reach shallow areas beneath the ice shelf. Satellite images showed that the Southern Hemisphere summer season of 2020/2021 was unusual because it had a high concentration of sea ice in regions near the Thwaites Ice Shelf, and this is known to weaken the gyre in Pine Island Bay, meaning that excess meltwater from adjacent ice sheets is not removed by the gyre but instead enters the cavity under the Thwaites Ice Shelf.



When the base of the Pine Island Ice Shelf comes into contact with slightly warmer ocean water, it melts and the fresh water mixes with the saltwater. This makes the ocean water less saline and, therefore, less dense. It forms a buoyant layer of water that is warmer than the surrounding water, and when this flows under the Thwaites Ice Shelf, it melts the base of the ice there. This means that the melting of one ice shelf can influence the melting of another ice shelf nearby. This is a factor that has not been considered before.



“We have identified another process that could impact the stability of ice shelves, revealing the importance of local ocean circulation and sea-ice," said study lead author Dr. Tiago Dotto of the Centre for Ocean and Atmospheric Sciences at UEA.



“Circumpolar Deep Water, a warm variety of Antarctic waters, is a key player in melting the base of ice shelves,” he said. “However, in this study, we show that a great amount of heat at shallow layers beneath one ice shelf can be provided by waters originating from other melting ice shelves nearby. Therefore, what happens to one ice shelf, can impact the adjacent ice shelf, and so on.”



“This process is important for regions of high ice shelf melting such as the Amundsen Sea because one ice shelf sits next to the other, and the export of heat from one ice shelf can reach the next one through the ocean circulation."



“These atmosphere-sea-ice-ocean interactions are important because they can prolong warm periods beneath ice shelves by allowing warm and meltwater-enriched water to enter adjacent ice-shelf cavities," said Dr. Dotto.



“Gyres potentially existing in other regions around Antarctica may also cause a greater number of ice shelves to be prone to intense basal melting associated with prolonged warm conditions, and as a result further contribute to global sea-level rise.”



The authors conclude that ice shelves are connected through the coastal circulation and that what happens under one ice shelf greatly influences what happens under the ice shelves further downstream in the coastal current. They emphasize that future models should consider the meltwater pathways from adjacent ice shelves if they are to simulating the fate of the Antarctic ice shelves accurately.&nbsp;



Image Credit: Karen Alley



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Why the "Doomsday glacier" is melting from below

The Thwaites Ice Shelf in the Amundsen Sea is one...

An international team of scientists has recently uncovered an extremely rare piece of evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-dinosaurs-benefited-from-changes-in-global-climate/">dinosaurs</a> sometimes ate mammals. The experts discovered the foot of a tiny mammal approximately the size of a mouse preserved inside the gut contents of a&nbsp;Microraptor zhaoianus -a small feathered dinosaur that lived in the early Cretaceous period.



According to study co-author Corwin Sullivan, a paleontologist at the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/index.html">University of Alberta</a>, it is extremely rare to find conclusive evidence of dinosaurs’ diets because of how difficult it is for a dinosaur’s gut contents to be preserved.&nbsp;



“There was always interest in [Microraptor’s] diet because there had been previous specimens that contained remains of different vertebrates inside the rib cage, but we have the first one that contains parts of a mammal,” he explained.



The fossils of this Microraptor were found within Jurassic and Cretaceous lake deposits in today’s northeast China. Previous fossils belonging to this species discovered in the same region have been found with gut contents of fish, birds, and lizards, suggesting that they had highly diverse diets. However, it is not yet clear whether Microraptor consumed these animals in a predator-prey relationship or by scavenging.&nbsp;



Information about dinosaurs’ diets is crucial for learning more about the inter-species relationships existing at the time these creatures roamed the Earth. “We’re slowly gathering pieces of information about these past ecosystems and the animals that inhabited them. So what this discovery does is fill in a little bit of information in that it’s showing the diet of&nbsp;Microraptor&nbsp;was even broader, even more generalist, than we thought previously,” Sullivan said.&nbsp;



“That tells us something about this animal and, by extension, tells us that there were generalist carnivores in these ancient ecosystems — that that niche existed,” he concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02724634.2022.2144337">Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Rare evidence shows that dinosaurs ate mammals

An international team of scientists has recently uncovered an extremely...

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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

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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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" 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> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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.

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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 Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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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.

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&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.

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&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> Staff Writer 



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&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.

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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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.

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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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.

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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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.

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&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.

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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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.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&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.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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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.

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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.

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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