Some of the most dramatic climate events in history are the Snowball Earth episodes, which occurred hundreds of millions of years ago. Nearly the entire planet was covered in ice up to a kilometer (0.6 miles) thick during these periods.&nbsp;



The rare Snowball Earth events did not follow regular cycles but lasted for millions to tens of millions of years before being followed by intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-global-warming-event-sheds-light-on-earths-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a>. Despite their significance, the details surrounding how these frozen periods ended are still not fully understood.



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Washington</a> (UW) offers a more complete picture of how the last Snowball Earth episode ended and sheds light on why it was followed by a major expansion of life, including the emergence of Earth's first animals.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changes-in-key-earth-properties">Changes in key Earth properties</h2>



The research, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-51412-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>, focuses on ancient rocks known as “cap carbonates,” which are believed to have formed as the planet’s ice sheets thawed.&nbsp;



These rocks provide clues about the state of Earth's atmosphere and oceans roughly 640 million years ago - long before ice cores or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-largest-ever-solar-storm-discovered-through-tree-rings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tree rings</a> could record such history.



Study lead author Trent Thomas is a doctoral student in earth and space sciences at UW.



“Cap carbonates contain information about key properties of Earth's atmosphere and ocean, such as changing levels of carbon dioxide in the air or the acidity of the ocean,” said Thomas. "Our theory now shows how these properties changed during and after Snowball Earth.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-formation-of-cap-carbonates-nbsp">Formation of cap carbonates&nbsp;</h2>



Cap carbonates are layered limestone or dolomite rocks with distinct chemical properties. Today, they can be found in more than 50 locations worldwide, including places like Death Valley, Namibia, Siberia, Ireland, and Australia.&nbsp;



These formations are believed to have resulted from the melting of the ice sheets that once covered Earth, triggering significant shifts in atmospheric and oceanic chemistry. The unique sediments were then deposited on the ocean floor.



The rocks are called “caps” because they lie atop the glacial deposits left behind after the Snowball Earth <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-complete-record-of-snowball-earth-found-in-rock-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">events</a>, and they’re classified as “carbonates” because they consist of carbon-containing limestone or dolomite.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animals-appeared-after-the-last-snowball-earth-nbsp">Animals appeared after the last Snowball Earth&nbsp;</h2>



Understanding how these rocks formed helps clarify the carbon cycle during periods of dramatic climate shifts. 



This latest study, which models these environmental changes, also provides clues about the evolution of life on Earth and explains why more complex life-forms emerged following the last Snowball Earth.



“Life on Earth was simple - in the form of microbes, algae, or other tiny aquatic organisms - for over two billion years leading up to Snowball Earth,” said senior author David Catling, a professor of earth and space sciences at UW.&nbsp;



“In fact, the billion years leading up to Snowball Earth are called the ‘boring billion’ because so little happened. Then two Snowball Earth events occurred, and soon after, animals appear in the fossil record.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chemistry-of-a-snow-covered-earth-nbsp">Chemistry of a snow-covered Earth&nbsp;</h2>



The new research offers a framework to explain how these two events may be connected. The study models the chemistry and geology during three distinct phases of Snowball Earth.&nbsp;



During the peak of the icy period, the thick ice sheets covering the planet reflected sunlight, though some open water allowed limited exchange between the ocean and atmosphere. Meanwhile, the cold seawater continued reacting with the ocean floor.



Over time, carbon dioxide built up in the atmosphere until it trapped enough heat to warm the planet and melt the ice.&nbsp;



Once this occurred, rainfall began again, and freshwater from glacial melt poured into the oceans, creating a layer of meltwater that floated on top of the denser, salty ocean water.&nbsp;



This layering slowed down ocean circulation. Eventually, ocean mixing resumed, allowing the upper ocean, deep ocean, and atmosphere to interact again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-recovery-from-the-snowball-period-nbsp">Earth's recovery from the Snowball period&nbsp;</h2>



“We predict important changes in the environment as Earth recovered from the Snowball period, some of which affected the temperature, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preparing-for-ocean-acidification-a-silent-killer-of-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">acidity</a>, and circulation of the ocean. Now that we know these changes, we can more confidently figure out how they affected Earth’s life,” noted Thomas.



The research team plans to continue exploring how pockets of life that may have survived during Snowball Earth’s tumultuous aftermath could have evolved into the more complex <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-life-and-environment-co-evolved-over-500-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">life</a> forms that appeared shortly after.



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‘Snowball Earth’ event set the stage for complex life

Some of the most dramatic climate events in history are the Snowball Earth episodes, which occurred hundreds of millions of years ago. Nearly the entire planet was covered in ice up to a kilometer (0.6 miles) thick during these periods.&nbsp; The rare Snowball Earth events did not follow regular cycles but lasted for millions to tens of millions of years before being followed by intense warming. Despite their significance, the details surrounding how these frozen periods ended are still not fully understood. A new study led by...

Monarch butterflies in eastern North America are in a state of decline. Since the mid 1990’s, the monarch population that winters in Mexico and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/painted-lady-butterflies-execute-the-longest-known-insect-migration/">migrates</a> to the northern US and Canada has dropped dramatically. 

Some scientists have estimated that existing monarch populations are only 20 percent of the number found a few decades ago. In a new study from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>, researchers think they might have a handle on why.

Between 2004 and 2018, the impact on monarch breeding grounds on populations was the most devastating. Other factors have played a role in the decline but it appears that the impact of climate change is seven times greater than other effects. 

"What we do is develop models to understand why monarchs are declining and what's happening to biodiversity in general," said study lead author Erin Zylstra.

"We did this study not just to say what's causing changes in the monarch butterfly population, but also learn how we can make it better."

&nbsp;

Glyphosate herbicides also coincided with some of the worst declines in monarch butterfly populations from the 90’s into the early 2000’s. One theory is that the wide use of this herbicide killed off a lot of milkweed, the only food source for monarch caterpillars. 

Still today, scientists are divided about the cause of monarch butterfly decline overall. The butterflies have a complex life history that makes it difficult to understand the underlying impacts on their population. With long, multi-generational migrations, there are many factors could hurt the butterflies. 

With the dedication of volunteers collecting butterfly data between 1994 and 2018, data gathered primarily by non-scientists in a very structured manner, researchers have a lot more to work with than they have before. The new research was focused on this data.

The experts determined that many factors from habitat destruction at wintering grounds and pesticide use to mortality during migration have contributed to the disappearance of monarchs. The researchers concluded that climate change has played the biggest role.   

"A lot of it is not good news. But in understanding the reasons why a species is declining, there is also a message of hope: there's something we can do about it," said Zylstra. "We did this study not just to say what's causing changes in the monarch butterfly population, but also learn how we can make it better."

The study is published in the July 19 issue of <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

---

By Zach Fitzner, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

What’s happening with the eastern monarch butterfly?

Monarch butterflies in eastern North America are in a state...

COVID-19 antibodies persist for at least nine months after SARS-CoV-2 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-americans-had-undiagnosed-covid-19-infections/">infection</a>, according to a new study from Imperial College London. The researchers tested nearly 3,000 residents of Vo', Italy for infection in February and March of 2020, and then tested them again for antibodies in May and November.

The study revealed that 98.8 percent of people infected during the first round of tests had antibodies in November. The level of antibodies was no different between people who had suffered symptoms of COVID-19 and those who that had been symptom-free. 

"We found no evidence that antibody levels between symptomatic and asymptomatic infections differ significantly, suggesting that the strength of the immune response does not depend on the symptoms and the severity of the infection," said study lead author Dr. Ilaria Dorigatti.

"However, our study does show that antibody levels vary, sometimes markedly, depending on the test used. This means that caution is needed when comparing estimates of infection levels in a population obtained in different parts of the world with different tests and at different times."

The team used three types of tests that detect different types of antibodies that respond to different parts of the virus. 

The researchers found that antibody levels had increased in some people, which suggests they were re-infected and their immunity was further boosted. 

"The May testing demonstrated that 3.5 percent of the Vo' population had been exposed to the virus, even though not all of these subjects were aware of their exposure given the large fraction of asymptomatic infections," said Professor Enrico Lavezzo of the University of Padua.

"However, at the follow-up, which was performed roughly nine months after the outbreak, we found that antibodies were less abundant, so we need to continue to monitor antibody persistence for longer time spans."

"It is clear that the epidemic is not over, neither in Italy nor abroad," said Dr. Dorigatti. "Moving forward, I think that it is of fundamental importance to continue administering first and second vaccine doses as well as to strengthen surveillance including contact tracing. Encouraging caution and limiting the risk of acquiring SARS-CoV-2 will continue to be essential."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

COVID-19 antibodies persist for at least nine months

COVID-19 antibodies persist for at least nine months after SARS-CoV-2...

The frequency of intense rainstorms will increase across Europe as a result of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shocking-un-report-the-worst-of-climate-change-is-yet-to-come/">climate change</a>, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a>. The experts predict that by the end of the century, slow-moving storms could become 14 times more frequent across land. 

The slow-moving storms will dump extremely high levels of precipitation, with the potential for devastating impacts like those caused by the recent storms in Germany and Belgium.

"This study shows that in addition to the intensification of rainfall with global warming, we can also expect a big increase in slow-moving storms which have the potential for high rainfall accumulations. This is very relevant to the recent flooding seen in Germany and Belgium, which highlights the devastating impacts of slow-moving storms," said Professor Lizzie Kendon.

"Our finding that slow-moving intense rainstorms could be 14 times more frequent by the end of the century under the high emissions RCP8.5 scenario, shows the serious impacts that we may expect across Europe if we do not curb our emissions of greenhouse gases."

For the investigation, a team of researchers led by Dr. Abdullah Kahraman used very detailed climate model simulations at the UK Met Office Hadley Centre. 

The results of the study indicate that the weather phenomenon is directly related to climate change, which is causing intense rainstorms to move more slowly. The experts found that the slower movement of storms will drive an increase in local rainfall accumulations, raising the risk of flash flooding across Europe beyond what was previously expected. 

"With recent advances in supercomputer power, we now have pan-European climate simulations resolving the atmosphere in high detail as short-range weather forecasting models do. These models have grid spacing of approximately 2 km, which allows them to simulate storm systems much better, resulting in better representation of extremes," explained Dr. Kahraman.

"Using these state-of-the-art climate simulations, we have developed metrics to extract potential cases for heavy rainfall, and a smaller, almost-stationary subset of these cases with the potential for high rainfall accumulations. These metrics provide a holistic view of the problem, and help us understand which factors of the atmosphere contribute to heavy rainfall changes."

"This is one of the first studies to explore changes in the speed of such heavy rainfall systems - an important aspect contributing to flood risk. Currently, we are also investigating other extreme weather types by examining the climate simulations data with a severe weather forecaster's perspective."

Professor Hayley Fowler pointed out that governments across the world have been too slow in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, and global warming is keeping pace. 

"This study suggests that changes to extreme storms will be significant and cause an increase in the frequency of devastating flooding across Europe," said Professor Fowler.

"This, alongside the current floods in Europe, is the wake-up call we need to produce improved emergency warning and management systems, as well as implementing climate change safety factors into our infrastructure designs to make them more robust to these severe weather events."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Europe will see a surge in slow-moving intense storms

The frequency of intense rainstorms will increase across Europe as...

The body of evidence showing links between prenatal exposure to air pollution and poor academic outcomes in adolescents is growing. 

In a recent longitudinal study from the <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/">Columbia Mailman School of Public Health</a>, maternal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was monitored during the third trimester of pregnancy. This is a time when a fetus is particularly sensitive to environmental conditions. 

The 200 children subsequently born were tested at age 10 for levels of inhibitory control, and again at age 13 for academic achievement in areas including spelling, reading comprehension, and math. 

Inhibitory control is an important factor when a child learns a new skill or concept. Very often, a new and different rule must supersede an old, familiar rule in order to progress. 

Across all the participants, higher levels of prenatal exposure to PAH were associated with poorer inhibitory skills. This implies that exposure to high levels of PAH renders a child less capable of replacing a familiar response with a new, more unusual one.  

The ability to self-regulate in this way is crucial during the acquisition of academic skills. In this study, poor inhibitory control was associated with worse spelling, worse reading comprehension, and worse math skills. 

Study first author Professor Amy Margolis is an associate professor of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. 

&nbsp;

"By compromising childhood inhibitory control, prenatal exposure to air pollution may alter the foundation upon which later academic skills are built,” said Professor Margolis.

&nbsp;

Inhibitory control can thus be seen as a mediator in the relationship between air pollution and poor academic achievement. Those exposed to high levels of air pollution suffer poor inhibitory control and therefore struggle to learn new concepts and skills.

The findings may ultimately lead to the development of interventions to help students to improve their academic outcomes. 

"When evaluating students’ learning problems and formulating treatment plans, parents and teachers should consider that academic problems related to environmental exposures may require intervention focused on inhibitory control problems, rather than on content-related skill deficits, as is typical in interventions designed to address learning disabilities," said Professor Margolis.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environmental-research">Environmental Research</a>.

---

By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution exposure linked to poor academic achievement

The body of evidence showing links between prenatal exposure to...

For three decades, Professor Hisayoshi Nozaki has collected algae samples from the Sagami River an hour outside of Tokyo, Japan. This work was part of a research project aimed at gaining a deeper understanding of sexes. Now, that research is finally paying off. 

Samples first collected in 2007 and 2013 from a dam lake show a strange species of algae. What makes the algae species, Pleodorina starrii, interesting is that it comes in three sexes. 

Individuals of each of the sexes breed in pairs. The third sex which scientists are calling ‘bisexual’ can produce both male and female sex cells. 

This may sound like a case of hermaphroditism but it’s subtly different. Hermaphrodites are indeed organisms that produce both male and female sex cells, however this is due to abnormal gene expression. 

In the case of P. starrii, the third sex is completely normal. A few other plants and some invertebrate animals have three sexes, although this is the first case of an algae with three sexes. 

“It seems very uncommon to find a species with three sexes, but in natural conditions, I think it may not be so rare," explained Professor Nozaki.

There are even ancient organisms with sexes referred to as ‘plus’ and ‘minus’ rather than male and female. Later in evolution, sexes evolved to be quite different from one another, such as in mammals the small sperm cells and large egg cells. 

P. starrii is a good model organism for studying the evolution of sex because, it has a different reproductive strategy than its closest relatives, representing an evolutionary change. 

To study their reproduction, colonies of different sexes are reared in the lab and forced to reproduce sexually. Males grow sperm packets which are released, and the sperm swim until they come into contact with a female colony. 

The researchers discovered that this third sex in P. starrii has previously isolated both the male and female genes in the algae. It is their hope to continue research and make more discoveries about the nature of sex.

"This finding was possible because of our very long-term experience of going on field collection trips and our practice growing and studying algae," said Professor Nozaki.

"Continued, long-term studies are very important to unveil the true nature of species in the natural world."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15585646">Evolution</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Algae species with three sexes discovered in Japan

For three decades, Professor Hisayoshi Nozaki has collected algae samples...

Part of the Amazon rainforest has been transformed into a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions, according to a long-term study. Experts at <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">NOAA</a> report that deforestation in eastern Brazil has led to less rainfall and hotter temperatures, which has flipped the forest from a carbon sink to a source of carbon dioxide. 

Based on nearly 10 years of CO2 measurements, the researchers found that the most deforested parts of the eastern Amazon - mainly in the southeast - are releasing more carbon than they store. 

“On the other hand, the wetter, more intact western and central Amazon, was neither a carbon sink nor source of atmospheric CO2 , with the absorption by healthy forests balancing the emissions from fires," explained study co-author and NOAA scientist John Miller. 

The Amazon is made up of 2.8 million square miles of jungle and represents more than half of the remaining tropical forest on the planet. Scientists estimate that the Amazon locks up about 123 billion tons of carbon, both above and below ground.

In 2010, study lead author Luciana Gatti and an international team of experts set out to investigate whether the combined effects of climate change and land conversion is compromising the Amazon’s ability to store carbon.

“The regions of southern Pará and northern Mato Grosso states represent a worst-case scenario,” said Gatti. 

The southeast region of the Amazon has experienced 30 percent deforestation over the last four decades. Nine years of airborne measurements showed that this region is a net emitter of carbon. On the other hand,   the western portion of the rainforest has experienced less clearing still serves as a carbon sink. 

According to the researchers, the increased emissions were likely due to the fires that are used to convert jungle to cropland, and by reduced uptake of CO2 by the trees that remained. 

“The big question this research raises is if the connection between climate, deforestation, and carbon that we see in the eastern Amazon could one day be the fate of the central and western Amazon, if they become subject to stronger human impact,” said Miller.  

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Part of the Amazon now releases more carbon than it stores

Part of the Amazon rainforest has been transformed into a...

To most of us, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/adults-are-not-good-at-daydreaming-but-we-should-be/">dreaming</a> mind is a mystery. Until recently, this was true for scientists as well. Experts at the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/university/">University of Geneva</a> recently used artificial intelligence to take a peek at the sleeping brain. 

Using an electronic encephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMRI) interpreted by artificial intelligence, the researchers gained important insight.

The evidence gathered by the scientists shows that during deep sleep, when the brain is no longer gathering external stimuli, it is instead sorting through memories. 

Different parts of the brain communicate with each other to evaluate our memories, and only the most useful ones are kept. The brain prioritizes memories that have a reward associated with them, and these are usually preserved. 

The researchers already knew that memories are consolidated during deep sleep but wanted to learn more, particularly about the role of emotions in memory consolidation.

Virginie Sterpenich, the principal investigator of the study, is a researcher in the lab of Professor Sophie Schwartz in the Department of Basic Neurosciences at UNIGE Faculty of Medicine.

"To find out which brain regions are activated during sleep, and to decipher how these regions allow us to consolidate our memory, we developed a decoder capable of deciphering the activity of the brain in deep sleep and what it corresponds to," explained Sterpenich. 

"In particular, we wanted to see to what extent positive emotions play a role in this process."

The researchers had people play two different games while awake and monitored their brains. The different games were chosen because they activated different parts of the brain. 

Half the participants won one game, half won the other, so that positive emotions were associated with winning. Next, the experts watched the same people’s brains while they slept. 

The recordings from the sleeping brains were very similar to those of the brains while people played games. This showed that the sleeping brain was actually remembering playing the games. 

The sleepers especially focused on remembering the game they won. The scientists concluded that the brain reinforces positive memories - those associated with a reward. 

Later, participants were tested to see how well they remembered the games. Interestingly, those who had more parts of their brain activated while replaying the memory during sleep were able to remember the game better. Sleep, it turns out, helps us remember important things.        

Sterpenich said that the brain "very clearly" relived the game won and not the game lost by reactivating the regions used during wakefulness. 

"As soon as you go to sleep, the brain activity changes. Gradually, our volunteers started to 'think' about both games again, and then almost exclusively about the game they won when they went into deep sleep."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What does the brain do while we sleep?

To most of us, the dreaming mind is a mystery....

A new study published by <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS</a> looks at the ability of jumping spiders to use their peripheral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australian-bees-adapted-their-vision-to-forage-at-night/">vision</a> to distinguish between objects and living creatures. 

Being able to detect other animals allows the finding of mates, stalking of prey, and the avoidance of predators. Animals betray a pattern of movement because of their jointed limbs across vertebrates and many invertebrates. 

Scientists have known for a long time that most vertebrates can quickly notice this pattern. Now, the experts report, jumping spiders have proven their own ability to notice other animals in their surroundings. 

To come to this conclusion, the researchers caught and partially restrained 60 jumping spiders (Menemerus semilimbatus) on a round treadmill. On either side of the treadmill, video screens flashed patterns of light that were only visible to outside eyes. Some of the patterns were random, while others mimicked movement patterns of animals. 

The results showed that the spiders were more likely to turn and face the random patterns than those showing animal movement patterns. 

It may seem counterintuitive that the spiders would prefer to face the random patterns, but the researchers explain that the spiders do this to focus their other eyes on a movement they don’t recognize and investigate, rather than watch organismal movement that they do recognize. 

Interestingly, complex vision evolved separately in vertebrates and invertebrates, so the ability to identify living things with peripheral vision almost certainly evolved separately as well. This convergent evolution shows how important it is to be able to identify potential prey, predators, and mates. 

The research says a lot about the evolution of sight in general as well, since this ability was only known of in vertebrates previously. The scientists are excited to see what other secrets jumping spiders may be hiding.    

"Jumping spiders' secondary eyes confirm themselves to be a marvelous tool," said study lead author Massimo De Agrò of Harvard University. "In this experiment, we observed how they alone can tell apart living from non-living organisms, using the semi-rigid pattern of motion that characterize the formers and without the aid of any shape cue." 

"Finding the presence of this skill, previously known only in vertebrates, opens up new and exciting perspectives on the evolution of visual perception. My co-authors and I can't wait to see what other visual cues can be perceived and understood by these tiny creatures."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">Plos Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Jumping spiders know the difference between animals and objects

A new study published by PLOS looks at the ability...

High tide floods - those caused by especially high tides - are a growing threat in the United States and elsewhere. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported more than 600 high tide floods in 2019 alone. 

A new study from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> predicts that high tide floods will become much more widespread across the coast of the U.S. in the 2030’s. The projections are based on a combination of rising sea levels and lunar cycles. 

“Low-lying areas near sea level are increasingly at risk and suffering due to the increased flooding, and it will only get worse,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. 

“The combination of the Moon’s gravitational pull, rising sea levels, and climate change will continue to exacerbate coastal flooding on our coastlines and across the world. NASA’s Sea Level Change Team is providing crucial information so that we can plan, protect, and prevent damage to the environment and people’s livelihoods affected by flooding.” 

Flooding like this seems more benign than that caused by major storms. However, high tide floods are predicted to have major impacts, disrupting commerce and causing health threats.

One of the major causes of the increase in high tide flooding is due to a wobble in the moon’s orbit that occurs on an 18.6 year cycle. The wobble was first noticed by scientists in 1728. The reason that the wobble will be especially problematic in the 2030’s is due to higher sea levels from a warmer climate. 

During half of the year the moon’s cycle tides are suppressed, and the tides are heightened during the other half. We are in a part of the cycle now where tides are made higher than usual. Only now, the ocean levels haven’t yet risen to the point they are predicted to be at in 2030, so there’s still relatively little flooding. 

Study co-author Ben Hamlington of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is the leader of the Sea Level Change Team. He noted that the findings of the new study are a vital resource for coastal urban planners, who may be focused on preparing for extreme events rather than more high-tide floods.

“From a planning perspective, it’s important to know when we’ll see an increase,” said Hamlington. “Understanding that all your events are clustered in a particular month, or you might have more severe flooding in the second half of a year than the first - that’s useful information.” 

The scientists hope that this new information is used wisely for planning and decision making.     

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

The moon’s wobbles will cause a surge in high tide flooding

High tide floods - those caused by especially high tides...

In a new study published by <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS</a>, experts have investigated the long term effects of COVID-19. The researchers recruited 431 people who had contracted the disease and tested positive between February and August 2020 in Zurich, Switzerland to ask about their experience. 

Participants reported on their health and symptoms roughly seven months after contracting COVID. Overall, 89 percent of the individuals had symptoms when they were first diagnosed, and 19 percent required hospitalization at the time. Most of the study participants were relatively young, averaging only 47 years of age.

Six to eight months after their initial diagnosis, 26 percent of the people in the study reported that they still had some symptoms. Fatigue was still an issue for me than half of the individuals, while 25 percent had shortness of breath. 

Symptoms of depression were reported by 26 percent of the participants, and 40 percent reported at least one doctor visit related to COVID.

The continuing symptoms are now officially referred to as "long COVID" or "post-COVID-19 syndrome." This is a growing problem for health care systems which may or may not have adequate resources to treat persistent symptoms. 

The study authors say that their research highlights the need for resource planning and medical attention tailored to those suffering from COVID-19.    

"This cohort study based on a representative, population-based sample of SARS-CoV-2 infected individuals found that 26% did not fully recover within 6-8 months after diagnosis and 40% had at least one further healthcare contact related to COVID-19," said the researchers.

"These findings underline the need for the timely planning of healthcare resources and services tailored to the needs of individuals suffering from post-COVID-19 syndrome."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Over 25% of COVID patients are symptomatic six months later

In a new study published by PLOS, experts have investigated...

The rising sea levels and extreme storms associated with climate change pose a major threat to the world's river deltas, as well as to the hundreds of millions of people that live on them. 

A new study from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> has looked into the drastic flood prevention measures that governments are taking to protect society and its infrastructure.

According to the study authors, these policies can harm the natural environment and lead to loss of precious land. 

The researchers have created an analysis tool that seeks to preserve the environmental and commercial viability of river deltas. The ultimate goal is to balance the natural function of river deltas with landscape stability.

"By restricting river channels on deltas, we have limited the delivery of sediment to the coast where it is needed to sustain land in the face of rising sea level," said study lead author Andrew Moodie. 

"The irony here is that by preventing the river from flooding naturally, we have exacerbated land loss, and in the long run, made society more susceptible to catastrophic floods."

The experts pointed out that levees and other flood prevention measures are often placed near the coast because it costs less and minimizes the impact on major population centers. However, they explained, these downstream locations restrict the natural function of delta land building, which requires sediment to reach the coast.

The study has found that in order to maximize the effectiveness of diversions, structures need to be placed farther upstream than existing structures - which are often away from population centers and near the coast. Building diversions upstream, however, is usually more expensive and displaces more people.

"A lot of studies have said that society, in particular major cities like New Orleans, is doomed, and that engineering efforts leveraging nature-based solutions can't coexist with large population centers," said Moodie. 

"What we've shown with our optimizable framework is that having cities nearby actually makes it even easier to justify doing these large projects, because they protect communities."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

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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

Protecting river deltas and the people who live on them

The rising sea levels and extreme storms associated with climate...

The spiny genitalia of male seed beetles promote reproductive success and good genes, according to a new study. Despite the risk of potential injury, females who <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-dragonflies-are-thriving-in-a-warmer-climate/">mate</a> with these beetles also have something very important to gain - healthier offspring. 

The new insights will help scientists understand how complex mating interactions have evolved between males and females. 

Study lead author Göran Arnqvist is a professor of Animal Ecology in the Department of Ecology and Genetics at Uppsala University.

"This helps us understand is connected with the evolutionary dance between males and females of all animal species, and the resulting differences between them - sexual dimorphism - that we observe," said Professor Arnqvist.

"It's important to understand this evolutionary dance that we're all caught up in. We can show that this intricate process is influenced and governed by several different processes at the same time."

The mechanisms that underlie mating interactions are complex, and have developed throughout evolution. 

In the case of insects, it is pretty common for males to develop spiny sex organs for reproductive success. There is a trade-off, however, in that these structures can damage the reproductive tract of the females.  

For the investigation, the researchers bred various strains of the seed beetle, Callosobruchus maculatus. Some of the males had mating organs with large spines, while others had organs with small spines. 

The study revealed that the male beetles with the longest thorns spines had the greatest success with the opposite sex. At the same time, the females suffered severe injuries during mating. 

Despite their injuries, the females had more viable offspring. In other words, there is a genetic link between big spines and good genes.

"Our experiments indicate that the females do pay a high price for mating with successful males -getting injured - but also that the females simultaneously obtain genetic advantages for their offspring," said Professor Arnqvist.

"Our results provide support for a more nuanced view of mating interactions in the animal world, where behaviors can be shaped by several effects, and seemingly different evolutionary forces, at the same time."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.

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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

Spiny genitalia of seed beetles linked to reproductive success

The spiny genitalia of male seed beetles promote reproductive success...

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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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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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



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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.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?

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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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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



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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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 



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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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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

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...