Invasive species pose a significant challenge to ecosystems and agriculture, often spreading unnoticed until they have caused considerable damage. Conservationists and growers now have an unusual new ally in the fight against the invasive spotted lanternfly - trained dogs.



A recent study published in the journal Ecosphere highlights how these detection dogs outperform humans in identifying lanternfly egg masses in challenging environments, offering a novel strategy to curb the pest’s spread.



"Preventing the introduction of invasive species is championed as the most cost-effective and efficient strategy for avoiding negative impacts on systems," noted the researchers.



"However, once a species has been introduced, the next best option is to detect the population and eliminate it before it becomes established and spreads more widely across the landscape."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-spotted-lanternfly-infestations">Spotted lanternfly infestations </h2>



First detected in Pennsylvania in 2014, the spotted lanternfly has now infested 19 states, including New York. This invasive insect feeds on woody plants like grapes, apples, hops, and various trees, causing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/growing-threat-of-invasive-species-requires-immediate-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">widespread destruction</a>.



“A spotted lanternfly infestation in a vineyard can cause 80% to 100% mortality of the vines in one growing season,” said study co-author Angela Fuller, a professor in Cornell’s Department of <a href="https://cals.cornell.edu/natural-resources-environment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Natural Resources and the Environment</a>.



Fuller also noted the financial burden of infestations. “Infestations also increase the amount of insecticide that growers need to use, which can increase costs by up to 170% in a growing season.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-training-dogs-for-invasive-species-detection">Training dogs for invasive species detection</h2>



In collaboration with the <a href="https://www.nynjtc.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York-New Jersey Trail Conference</a> and <a href="https://wd4c.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Working Dogs for Conservation</a>, researchers trained a Labrador retriever and a Belgian malinois to sniff out the lanternfly’s egg masses.



These organizations have previously trained dogs to detect invasive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-have-become-one-of-the-worlds-most-invasive-predators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> and pathogens, making them well-equipped for this task.



The study compared the efficiency of human and canine detection in 20 vineyards across Pennsylvania and New Jersey. 



The researchers mapped transects in vineyard rows and adjacent forests, where egg masses are likely to overwinter. Humans and dogs surveyed the areas on separate days to prevent cross-contamination of scents.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dogs-outperform-humans-in-forests">Dogs outperform humans in forests</h2>



While humans excelled in detecting invasive egg masses in vineyards, dogs proved superior in forested areas. In vineyards, humans detected 1.8 times more egg masses than dogs, finding 31 egg masses per hour compared to the dogs’ 24. 



Fuller attributed this to humans’ ability to systematically search vines and poles, whereas dogs relied on scent and conducted more random searches. In forests, however, dogs excelled, finding 3.4 times more egg masses than humans. 



“The dogs find egg masses by smell,” Fuller explained. “In a very <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unseen-crisis-37000-alien-species-have-been-introduced-by-human-activities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complex environment</a>, it’s easier for a dog to smell something than it is for a human to see something that is small and cryptic.” 



Dogs located 7.6 egg masses per hour in forests compared to humans’ 6.7 per hour.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-importance-of-invasive-species-detection">Importance of invasive species detection</h2>



The study emphasizes the importance of early detection in managing the lanternfly’s spread. Dogs performed exceptionally well in areas with low egg mass densities, making them invaluable for rapid response efforts. 



Fuller noted that while dogs take more time to search than humans, the added time is worth it. 



“The extra time that dogs take to find them is not as important as it is to find them in the first place, because you need to detect the egg masses in order to eradicate them,” she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-insights-into-lanternfly-behavior">Insights into lanternfly behavior</h2>



Using computer modeling, the researchers identified patterns in lanternfly egg mass distribution. They found higher occupancy rates in vineyards than forests, particularly on metal poles. 



Vineyards near forests had higher lanternfly populations, likely because the insects don’t disperse far and often migrate from nearby trees.



“If you’re searching in a vineyard close to the forest, that’s more likely where they’re going to be,” Fuller said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-combating-invasive-species-with-dogs">Combating invasive species with dogs </h2>



This innovative approach offers hope for combating invasive species like the spotted lanternfly. 



By combining human surveys with trained detection dogs, growers and conservationists can strengthen their defense against this destructive pest.



The integration of canine detection into pest management strategies represents a significant step forward in protecting vital ecosystems and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/non-native-species-are-spreading-at-an-exponential-rate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">agricultural resources</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.70113" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ecosphere</a>.



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Trained dogs can sniff out invasive pests in forests

Invasive species pose a significant challenge to ecosystems and agriculture, often spreading unnoticed until they have caused considerable damage. Conservationists and growers now have an unusual new ally in the fight against the invasive spotted lanternfly - trained dogs. A recent study published in the journal Ecosphere highlights how these detection dogs outperform humans in identifying lanternfly egg masses in challenging environments, offering a novel strategy to curb the pest’s spread. "Preventing the introduction of invasive species is championed as the most cost-effective and efficient strategy for avoiding...

A team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.nrel.gov/">National Renewable Energy Laboratory</a> (NREL) has recently assessed two promising new technologies for removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Although they are still in the early stages of development, direct air <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-capture-technology-could-greatly-reduce-emissions/">carbon capture</a> and sequestration (DAC) are considered essential to achieving a net-zero emissions economy by mid-century, and limiting global warming to less than 1.5 degrees Celsius by 2100.



“We will not hit our carbon-neutral targets by midcentury or our climate targets by the end of the century if we don’t push heavily for additional removal of carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere,” said study corresponding author Patrick Lamers, a senior researcher at NREL.



The first DAC technology is solvent-based, relying upon a chemical solution that reacts with the carbon dioxide and forms potassium carbonate, which further reacts with calcium hydroxide to generate calcium carbonate. This substance is then collected, dried, and exposed to very high temperatures (about 900 degrees Celsius) to release the carbon dioxide, which is collected for further storage. The second technology is sorbent-based, employing a process that binds carbon dioxide to a silica part of an air contactor, which is heated with steam at approximately 100 degrees Celsius to release carbon dioxide that is afterwards cooled and dried.&nbsp;



In both cases, the carbon dioxide is compressed and transported through a pipeline to a geological reservoir through wells 1.8 miles deep. Pilot plants in Canada (the solvent method) and Iceland (the sorbent method) are already testing the processes. Due to the energy intensity of DAC, its environmental trade-offs are directly influenced by the energy inputs of the DAC plants. However, the large-scale deployment of these technologies will change the energy system load and create a feedback effect in which the economy-wide decarbonization will balance an offsetting technology (DAC) and sectoral mitigation efforts.



“The large-scale deployment of new technologies is likely going to create feedback effects within the system, and we need to preemptively assess these to avoid potential future, unintended consequences,” Dr. Lamers explained. “Our analysis shows the net carbon dioxide removal benefits of different direct air capture technologies and highlights environmental performance improvements for metrics such as human toxicity in a changing energy system.”



While the scientists do not specifically endorse a specific DAC technology, they stress the fact that their large-scale deployment is insufficient for mitigating climate change, if decarbonization targets will be relaxed. A simultaneous decarbonization of the electricity sector and improvements in DAC technology “are indispensable to avoid environmental problem-shifting” that may involve human toxicity or eutrophication impacts.&nbsp;



“Thus, if you look closely, our work really stresses the importance of the circular economy of energy materials and how it is a precursor to a truly sustainable future energy system heavily dependent on clean, renewable energy sources,” Dr. Lamar concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31146-1">Nature Communications</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

New tech can capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

A team of scientists led by the National Renewable Energy...

The Colorado River has been a source of contention for many years, with many states wanting a piece of this precious water source. Now, Lake Mead, the largest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/european-farmland-is-a-huge-reservoir-of-microplastics/">reservoir</a> in the United States, is draining - and fast.&nbsp;



Considering that there has been a rise in temperatures and a decrease in rainfall, researchers at <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a> set out to investigate the amount of water evaporating off the surface of artificial and natural lakes. This knowledge of evaporation loss may provide water managers with more insight and encourage more effective management.



Although water evaporation has been explored as something to consider when talking about climate change, there is not much information on its long-term trends and spatial distribution. The researchers created the global lake evaporation volume (GLEV) dataset to fill these gaps. This dataset utilizes modeling and remote sensing to measure evaporation in 1.42 million lakes and reservoirs worldwide.&nbsp;



The findings, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-31125-6">Nature Communications</a>, were not encouraging. The experts determined that from 1985 to 2018 evaporation rate increased by 3.12 cubic kilometers per year.&nbsp;



Study first author Dr. Gang Zhao, a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Global Ecology at the Carnegie Institute for Science, further explained the results and their importance.&nbsp;



"We found that the long-term lake evaporation is 1,500 plus or minus 150 cubic kilometers per year, which is 15.4% larger than previous estimates. This suggests that lake evaporation plays a larger role in the hydrological cycle than previously thought."



According to GLEV, reservoirs account for only 5% of the storage capacity and 10% of the surface area of lakes. Despite this, they account for 16% of total evaporation volume, meaning that the water lost to evaporation in reservoirs is equivalent to 20% of worldwide water consumption.&nbsp;



Dr. Huilin Gao, who led the study, pointed out that having this data to make projections is valuable. "This dataset helps the science community better understand the role that these water bodies play in Earth systems, from global weather forecasting, flood and drought modeling to Earth system modeling under climate change."



Texas A&amp;M researchers, along with the Desert Research Institute and the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation, will be working on a NASA project to continue monitoring reservoir evaporation in the western U.S. In addition, they will expand their work with Texas reservoirs.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Water evaporation from lakes is far greater than expected

The Colorado River has been a source of contention for...

Paleontologists have recently discovered that hundreds of fossil frogs died in a swamp 45 million years ago while <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-molecule-makes-animals-switch-from-eating-to-mating/">mating</a>. In central Germany, this watery death trap led to the death of over 50,000 ancient birds, horses, bats, fish and frogs.&nbsp;



The Geisltal area was a coalfield with unique geological features housing thousands of fossils. Considered a scientific treasure trove, the area provides a unique window of how plants and animals have evolved over millions of years.&nbsp;



During the middle Eocene 50 million years ago, Earth was much warmer. The Geiseltal area was a swampy, subtropical forest inhabited by ancestors of the horse, crocodiles, giant snakes, lizards, birds and plenty of frogs and toads.



Previous research determined that Geiseltal frogs could have died from oxygen depletion in the water. However, the exact cause of death has long been a mystery - until now.&nbsp;



The team from <a href="https://www.ucc.ie/">University College Cork</a> (UCC) studied the bones of the fossil frogs and were able to narrow down causes of death.&nbsp;



“As far as we can tell, the fossil frogs were healthy when they died, and the bones don’t show any signs of predators or scavengers – there’s also no evidence that they were washed in during floods, or died because the swamp dried up.” said lead researcher Daniel Falk.&nbsp;



Most of the Geiseltal fossil frogs spend their lives on land, returning to the water only to breed. “By process of elimination, the only explanation that makes sense is that they died during mating.”



This phenomenon is common in frogs today. “Female frogs are at higher risk of drowning as they are often submerged by one or more males – this often happens in species that engage in mating congregations during the short explosive breeding season,” said study senior author Professor Maria McNamara.&nbsp;



“What’s really interesting is that fossil frogs from other sites also show these features, suggesting that the mating behaviours of modern frogs are really quite ancient and have been in place for at least 45 million years."



These findings are the first of new discoveries after the reopening of the famous Geiseltal fossil collections of the “Zentralmagazin Naturwissenschaftlicher Sammlungen (ZNS)” in Germany.&nbsp;



The study is published today in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/20562802">Papers in Palaeontology</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-embed"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/957817
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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Hundreds of frogs died while mating in ancient swamp

Paleontologists have recently discovered that hundreds of fossil frogs died...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.weizmann.ac.il/pages/">Weizmann Institute of Science</a>, experts have discovered that body odor may contribute to social <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-baboons-live-longer-when-they-have-female-friends/">bonding</a>. The results suggest that people are more likely to develop friendships with individuals who have a similar body scent.



For the investigation, the researchers used a device known as an electronic nose, or eNose, to "smell" study participants. The experts were able to predict the quality of social interactions between complete strangers based on nothing but their body scent.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, the findings suggest that our sense of smell plays a much larger role in human social interactions than what was realized.



“These results imply that, as the saying goes, there is chemistry in social chemistry,” said study lead author Inbal Ravreby, a graduate student in Professor Noam Sobel’s laboratory in the Weizmann Brain Sciences Department.



“This is not to say that we act like goats or shrews – humans likely rely on other, far more dominant cues in their social decision-making," said Professor Sobel. "Nevertheless, our study’s results do suggest that our nose plays a bigger role than previously thought in our choice of friends.”



Ravreby theorized that humans use their sense of smell in social settings just like dogs and other mammals, but do so more covertly. Her theory was based on two previous observations. First, there is evidence that humans are constantly (subconsciously) sniffing themselves. In addition, humans often sniff other people (also subconsciously).&nbsp;



Ravreby proposed that people may be making subliminal comparisons, and that they may gravitate toward people who smell similar to themselves. To investigate, the experts recruited pairs of click friends. These are pairs of same-sex nonromantic friends whose friendships had originally formed very rapidly. Experiments revealed that click friends smelled significantly more like each other compared to individuals who were paired randomly.



"We hypothesized that if body odor similarity plays a role in friendship formation, then this should be particularly pronounced in click friendships, where a sense of friendship was formed before extensive biographical information was exchanged," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



In a separate trial, the researchers used an electronic nose to “smell” a number of volunteers who were complete strangers. The participants were then asked to pair up and engage in nonverbal social interactions. An analysis of the data revealed that individuals who had more positive interactions smelled more similar to each other.



"We conclude in reiterating that several studies converged to suggest that human same-sex nonromantic click friends smell more similar to each other than expected by chance and that complete strangers who smell more similar to each other as determined by an eNose have better dyadic interactions," wrote the study authors. "Thus, there is indeed chemistry in social chemistry."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</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

Do we bond more with people that smell like us?

In a new study from the Weizmann Institute of Science,...

Vegetation is declining along the migration routes of elephants in Namibia, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.uef.fi/en">University of Eastern Finland</a>. Human development creates obstacles such as fences that disrupt the movement of wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-different-types-of-animals-see/">animals</a>, which intensifies the loss of vegetation cover.&nbsp;



"Human-wildlife conflict in the Zambezi region of northeast Namibia is well documented, but the impact of wildlife (e.g., elephants) on vegetation cover change has not been adequately addressed. Here, we assessed human-wildlife interaction and impact on vegetation cover change," wrote the researchers.&nbsp;



"Anthropogenic activities such as wood extraction and conversion of woodland and forests into small and large-scale farming have been a major contributor to land degradation across different geographical regions. In the tropics, particularly Africa and in Namibia, agricultural expansion, wood extraction, and infrastructure development are the key drivers of land degradation."



The team used remote sensing data, such as that collected by the MODIS satellite, to investigate how elephants and other large herbivorous mammals affect vegetation cover. The researchers also examined the effects of human activity on vegetation and the movements of wild animals.&nbsp;



The experts analyzed data from the Zambezi area in Namibia from 2002 to 2021. The results showed that vegetation cover is actually increasing in areas with intensive farming and cattle grazing.



There are about 12,000 elephants now living in the Zambezi area. This is compared to less than 1,500 individuals in 1989. The researchers found that the greatest declines in vegetation were in areas with larger elephant populations. The most affected areas were discovered along elephant migration routes in national parks and nature reserves.



“A deeper understanding of how wild animals affect the vegetation offers tools for improving the management of wild animals and natural resources,” said Professor Alfred Colpaert.



"The findings of this study will serve as a reference for policy and decision makers," wrote the researchers. "Future studies should consider integrating higher resolution multi-platform datasets for detailed micro analysis and mapping of vegetation cover change."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sensors">Sensors</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

Vegetation is vanishing along elephant migration routes

Vegetation is declining along the migration routes of elephants in...

According to a new report by the <a href="https://www.ewg.org/">Environmental Working Group</a> (EWG), “dangerously high levels” of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) – a group of widely used, long-lasting substances commonly known as “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-waste-has-more-forever-chemicals-than-livestock-manure/">forever chemicals</a>” – have been detected in drinking water in areas surrounding over 400 U.S. military bases, across 19 states. 



Although the <a href="https://www.defense.gov/">Department of Defense</a> (DOD) recently took action to lower the levels of these toxic substances – which have been linked to cancer, reproductive harm, immune system damage, and other serious health issues – they have only managed to meet outdated requirements that were set in 2016 and recently modified.



DOD installations were previously required to provide water filters or access to public water supplies for residents located near these military bases if PFAS levels exceeded 70 parts per trillion (ppt) – a health advisory level set by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) in 2016. However, last week EPA drastically revised these levels, reducing them to well below one ppt for some of these substances, such as PFOA and PFOS.&nbsp;



According to the latest data, five areas nearby military bases exceeded 100 ppt for PFOA, and four areas 100 ppt for PFOS, with three of these exceeding 800 ppt, and one – the Naval Air Station Whidbey Island – registering a staggering level of 4,720 ppt. Experts argue that this widespread, massive contamination is caused by military’s use of aqueous film-forming foam (AFFF), which contains high levels of PFAS, in training exercises and emergencies.&nbsp;



“These levels are extremely high,” warned EWG Policy Analyst&nbsp;Jared Hayes. “For too long, service members and people living in communities near military installations have been the victims of the Pentagon’s failure to act. If DOD officials continue to drag their feet, Congress must act to protect service members and military communities. Thanks to new resources and deadlines, the department has run out of excuses for its failure to protect us from toxic PFAS.”



Last year Congress allotted $500 million for PFAS cleanup in areas near military bases, while the 2020 National Defense Authorization Act mandated the DOD to phase out its use of AFFF and find a less toxic replacement. However, as the recent report shows, this problem is far from being solved, and continues to affect the health of millions of people. Urgent action is needed to curb PFAS pollution and reduce the numerous health risks associated with it.&nbsp;



A comprehensive list of PFAS levels in drinking water on and nearby U.S. military bases can be found <a href="https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/news-release/2022/06/high-forever-chemicals-levels-found-drinking-water-more">here</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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

"Forever chemicals” found in drinking water near U.S. military bases

According to a new report by the Environmental Working Group...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S1473-3099(22)00320-6">The Lancet Infectious Diseases</a> has found that Covid-19 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/canadas-plant-based-vaccine-is-finally-approved/">vaccines</a> cut the potential global death toll by more than half in the first year in which they were available. By modeling the spread of the disease in 185 countries and territories, the experts discovered that without Covid vaccines, 19.8 million more people would have died between December 2020 and December 2021.&nbsp;



“We knew it was going to be a large number, but I did not think it would be as high as 20 million deaths during just the first year,” said study lead author Oliver Watson, a science fellow at the <a href="https://www.lshtm.ac.uk/">London School of Hygiene &amp; Tropical Medicine</a> (LSHTM).



Together with his colleagues, Dr. Watson applied a Covid transmission model that incorporated the current scientific knowledge on the disease and vaccines to three possible situations: one in which no vaccines were available, one in which vaccines could not stop transmission, and the actual situation in which effective vaccines were rolled out (in some parts of the world) in record time. Then, they subtracted the number of observed Covid deaths in the third situation from the number of estimated Covid deaths from the first situation.



Since many Covid deaths have not been officially reported, the scientists based their analyses on data regarding <a href="https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/coronavirus-excess-deaths-tracker">excess mortality</a> – the difference between the observed and expected number of deaths in a country during a fixed period of time. “Having estimates of excess mortality for each country was paramount to this study, and enabled us to try and better capture the true size of pandemic in many lower-income countries,” Dr. Watson explained.



However, even when modelling the impact of vaccination using the data on the officially reported deaths, the researchers were amazed to find that 14.4 million deaths had been averted by vaccines. According to study co-first author Gregory Barnsley, a graduate student at the <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a>, the actual number of deaths averted is “probably somewhere between the two, although it’s not necessarily just that simple.”



While most of the benefit from vaccines came from direct protection, the scientists argued that there was also a significant degree of indirect protection, by reducing transmission in a population, and relieving the strain on hospital resources. “A vaccination is not just for the people,” said Émilie Koum Besson, a research fellow in Humanitarian Public Health at LSHTM. “It’s really for the health system, and for the environment.”



Although these findings offer evidence of the immense benefits Covid vaccination had on global public health, millions of more deaths could have been prevented – particularly those in low-income countries – if the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a>’s global vaccine targets were met. To avoid such outcomes in the future, steps to improve the impact of Covid vaccines are urgently needed, including scaling up the vaccine delivery infrastructure, increasing vaccine confidence, and holding political leaders accountable for vaccine donations.



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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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Covid vaccines prevented almost 20 million deaths in 2021

A new study published in the journal The Lancet Infectious...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021EF002612">Earth’s Future</a> has examined the climate impact of rocket launches and re-entry in 2019, and estimated the future impact of projected <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-travel-can-cause-brain-damage/">space</a> tourism scenarios based on the recent billionaire space race.&nbsp;



The experts found that the black carbon (soot) particles emitted by rockets are nearly 500 times more efficient at holding heat in the atmosphere than all other sources of soot combined, thus leading to a stronger impact on the Earth’s climate.&nbsp;



Moreover, since pollutants emitted by solid-fuel rockets - together with the re-entry heating of returning spacecraft&nbsp; - are very harmful to stratospheric ozone, space tourism may soon lead to a significant depletion of the upper stratospheric ozone layer in the Arctic in spring.



“Rocket launches are routinely compared to greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions from the aircraft industry, which we demonstrate in our work is erroneous,” said study co-author Eloise Marais, an associate professor of Physical Geography at the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL).&nbsp;



“Soot particles from rocket launches have a much larger climate effect than aircraft and other Earth-bound sources, so there doesn’t need to be as many rocket launches as international flights to have a similar impact. What we really need now is a discussion amongst experts on the best strategy for regulating this rapidly growing industry.”



The scientists used a 3D atmospheric chemistry model that incorporated data on the chemicals released from all 103 rocket launches in 2019, combined with future projections of space tourism entrepreneurs such as Virgin Galactic, Blue Origin, and SpaceX, which aim to provide regular space travel opportunities for wealthy individuals.&nbsp;



The analyses revealed that the kerosene and hybrid synthetic rubber fuels used by these rockets will have a major impact on global warming. Moreover, when soot particles are directly injected into the upper atmosphere, they will have a significantly greater effect on the climate than other soot sources, being 500 times more efficient at retaining heat.&nbsp;



Finally, under a scenario of daily or weekly space tourism rocket launches, the impact on the stratospheric ozone layer will likely undermine the recovery experienced after the implementation of the <a href="https://ozone.unep.org/treaties/montreal-protocol">Montreal Protocol</a> in 1987, which banned the use of a variety of substances known to deplete the ozone layer.



“There is still a lot we need to find out about the influence of rocket launch and re-entry emissions on the atmosphere - in particular, the future size of the industry and the types and by-products of new fuels like liquid methane and bio-derived fuels,” said study co-author Robert Ryan, a research fellow in Geography at UCL.



“This study allows us to enter the new era of space tourism with our eyes wide open to the potential impacts. The conversation about regulating the environmental impact of the space launch industry needs to start now so we can minimize harm to the stratospheric ozone layer and climate,” he concluded.



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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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Space tourism may damage the climate

A new study published in the journal Earth’s Future has...

Jonathan is a Seychelles giant tortoise. At the age of 190, he is the longest known living land animal in the world. Many people assume that tortoises and other ectotherms, also known as cold-blooded <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-different-types-of-animals-see/">animals</a>, live for a very long time. However, this idea is largely based on animals living in captivity and a small number of animals living in the wild. 



The research was lacking for large populations of wild ectotherms. So, an international team of 114 scientists led by <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a>m and Northeastern Illinois University worked to obtain data on wild ectotherms from around the world to find out if they are indeed long-living critters.&nbsp;



By working together, the scientists gathered information from 107 populations of 77 reptile and amphibian species. They found that the assumptions were correct. Turtles, crocodilians, and salamanders do have long life spans for their size. These animals also age more slowly than endotherms (warm-blooded animals).



Interestingly, the experts observed that animals with protective physical features age even slower, sometimes to the point of "negligible aging," which means that they don’t age biologically.



Study senior author David Miller explained that many people believe ectotherms age more slowly because they have a slower metabolism than endotherms.



“People tend to think, for example, that mice age quickly because they have high metabolisms, whereas turtles age slowly because they have low metabolisms.”&nbsp;



However, the study does not support this hypothesis. “We didn’t find support for the idea that a lower metabolic rate means ectotherms are aging slower. That relationship was only true for turtles, which suggests that turtles are unique among ectotherms," said Miller.



The results of the study support the protective phenotype hypothesis, suggesting that animals with physical or chemical defensive traits (i.e., venom, shell, armor, spines) age more slowly and live longer. Of course, having protective armor such as a shell will help an animal not get eaten and consequently live longer, but the researchers couldn’t determine the cause for the aging correlation.&nbsp;



“It could be that their altered morphology with hard shells provides protection and has contributed to the evolution of their life histories, including negligible aging – or lack of demographic aging – and exceptional longevity," said study co-author Anne Bronikowski.



The researchers are hopeful that this information can guide conservation efforts for this often overlooked group, many of which are threatened or endangered.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>,&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wild reptiles have long life spans for their size

Jonathan is a Seychelles giant tortoise. At the age of...

Plastics are detrimental to the environment. Not only do plastics play a role in fueling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-increases-the-risk-of-armed-conflict/">climate</a> change, but they are also devastating to Earth’s ecosystems and all the plants and animals that depend on them.&nbsp;



It’s no surprise that there have been significant endeavors to reduce plastic production and use. However, finding a replacement for fossil fuel-based plastics is difficult since they are convenient and incredibly durable.&nbsp;



However, researchers in the EPFL’s School of Basic Sciences have found a way to make biomass-derived plastic similar to PET plastics that could replace many widely used plastics. The team was led by Professor Jeremy Luterbacher, who explained the process used to make these new plastics.



“We essentially just ‘cook’ wood or other non-edible plant material, such as agricultural wastes, in inexpensive chemicals to produce the plastic precursor in one step. By keeping the sugar structure intact within the molecular structure of the plastic, the chemistry is much simpler than current alternatives.”



The method is based on a previous finding made <a href="https://actu.epfl.ch/news/turning-biofuel-waste-into-wealth-in-a-single-step/">in 2016</a>. By adding an aldehyde, the researchers could stabilize the plant material to prevent destruction during extraction.



“By using a different aldehyde – glyoxylic acid instead of formaldehyde – we could simply clip ‘sticky’ groups onto both sides of the sugar molecules, which then allows them to act as plastic building block," said study first author Lorenz Manker. "By using this simple technique, we are able to convert up to 25% of the weight of agricultural waste, or 95% of purified sugar, into plastic.”&nbsp;



The researchers believe their plastic can be used for various purposes, including medicine, electronics, and even textiles. “The plastic has very exciting properties, notably for applications like food packaging," said Professor Luterbacher. And what makes the plastic unique is the presence of the intact sugar structure. This makes it incredibly easy to make because you don’t have to modify what nature gives you, and simple to degrade because it can go back to a molecule that is already abundant in nature.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nchem/">Nature Chemistry</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

PET-like plastics have been created from biomass waste

Plastics are detrimental to the environment. Not only do plastics...

An international team of paleontologists has recently discovered the oldest belly button known to science in a 125-million-year-old <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-of-the-dinosaurs-were-warm-blooded/">dinosaur</a> fossil found in China two decades ago. The fossil belongs to a member of the genus Psittacosaurus, a group of bipedal, horned dinosaurs which roamed the Earth during the Early Cretaceous period (about 145 to 100.5 million years ago).



By applying the Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence (LSF) technique to a fossilized skin specimen of this two-meter-long herbivorous creature, the scientists observed a barely perceptible navel mark.&nbsp;



“Using LSF imaging, we identified distinctive scales that surrounded a long umbilical scar in the&nbsp;Psittacosaurus&nbsp;specimen, similar to certain living lizards and crocodiles,” explained study co-author Michael Pittmann, an assistant professor of Paleobiology at the <a href="https://www.cuhk.edu.hk/">Chinese University of Hong Kong</a> (CUHK). “We call this kind of scar a belly button, and it is smaller in humans. This specimen is the first dinosaur fossil to preserve a belly button, which is due to its exceptional state of preservation.”



Unlike humans and other mammals, dinosaurs did not have an umbilical cord, because they laid eggs. Instead, the yolk sac of dinosaurs was directly attached to their bodies through a slit-like opening that was also discovered in other egg-laying land animals. At the time the animals hatch, this opening seals up, leaving a distinctive long umbilical scar.&nbsp;Although scientists assumed for a long time that dinosaurs must have had such belly buttons, this study is the first to support this hypothesis with fossil evidence.



“This&nbsp;Psittacosaurus&nbsp;specimen is probably the most important fossil we have for studying dinosaur skin,” said study lead author Phil R. Bell, a vertebrate paleontologist at the University of New England in Australia. “But it continues to yield surprises that we can bring to life with new technology like laser imaging.”



“Unlike most extant reptiles and birds that lose this scar within days to weeks after hatching, the umbilicus of&nbsp;Psittacosaurus&nbsp;persisted at least until sexual maturity, similar to some lizards and crocodylians with which it shares the closest morphological resemblance," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"This discovery is the oldest record of an amniote umbilicus and the first in a non-avian dinosaur. However, given the variability of this structure in extant reptilian analogues, a persistent umbilical scar may not have been present in all non-avian dinosaurs."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://bmcbiol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12915-022-01329-9">BMC Biology</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Oldest belly button known to science found in a dinosaur

An international team of paleontologists has recently discovered the oldest...

Paloch,,South,Sudan,-,March,2,,2014:,A,South,Sudanese

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ingenio.upv.es/en">INGENIO Institute</a> in Spain has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-threatens-the-health-of-billions-of-people/">climate change</a> – in combination with the socio-economic characteristics of various regions - influences the likelihood and duration of armed conflicts in Africa. Moreover, the experts discovered that a prolonged increase in temperature and precipitation rises the probability of conflict even beyond the affected areas by four to five times, particularly in populations up to a radius of approximately 550 kilometers.



The researchers used a negative binomial regression mathematical method on data from the African continent from 1990 to 2016 to investigate the relation between climate change and the probability of armed conflicts. Although the results revealed that changes in climatic conditions have significantly influenced the probability of such conflicts over large spatial ranges, the scientists identified certain differences between the impact of various climate phenomena.&nbsp;



For instance, while food shortages due to droughts were found to increase the possibility of conflict, especially if water shortages persist for at least three years, excess rainfall and flooding can also trigger conflict, but in a very short period of time and a less diffuse spatial range.&nbsp;



“The results we have obtained have far-reaching implications for territorial policies on the African continent,” said study co-author Davide Consoli, an expert in the Economics of Innovation at the INGENIO Institute. “For example, changes in climatic conditions influence the likelihood of conflict over large areas, which means that the design of climate adaptation policies must consider the particularities of each territory.”



Moreover, in areas most prone to armed conflict, the persistence of violence requires the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies in combination with peacekeeping measures.&nbsp;



“These measures are essential in the design and implementation of adaptive strategies for climate resilience. In fact, poorly designed adaptation interventions can exacerbate existing inequalities and increase the risk of conflict,” Consoli concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s40888-022-00271-x#Sec11">Economia Politica</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Climate change increases the risk of armed conflict

A new study led by the INGENIO Institute in Spain...

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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



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 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

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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

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