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...

In the Paris Agreement from 2015, countries all over the world pledged to limit global warming to 1.5 or, at most, 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, by significantly curbing greenhouse gas <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unchecked-emissions-may-lead-to-marine-mass-extinction/">emissions</a> and switching to sustainable energy sources. Now, as emissions rates gradually begin to decline, scientists ponder what quantity of gases could still be emitted while remaining below these temperature targets.&nbsp;



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> (UW) has calculated how much warming is already guaranteed by past emissions. While previous studies focused almost exclusively on carbon dioxide emissions, this new work takes into consideration other types of emissions, such as methane, nitrogen oxide, and aerosols like sulfur or soot.



“It’s important for us to look at how much future global warming can be avoided by our actions and policies, and how much warming is inevitable because of past emissions,” said study lead author&nbsp;Michelle Dvorak, a doctoral student in Oceanography at UW. “I think that hasn’t been clearly disentangled before – how much future warming will occur just based on what we’ve already emitted.”



The researchers found that, under a moderate future emissions scenario, by 2029 the Earth has a two-thirds chance of at least temporarily surpassing the 1.5°C&nbsp;target, even if all emissions will cease on that date. However, if humans continue on a moderate emissions track, by 2057 there will be a two-thirds chance that the planet will at least temporarily exceed warming of 2°C above pre-industrial levels.&nbsp;



While earlier studies that focused on carbon dioxide emissions argued that, if emissions cease, temperature rises will also stop, this new study – which also takes into account shorter-lived gases such as methane and nitrogen oxide, and particulate pollution like sulfur or soot – shows that the situation is more complex than previously thought, with past emissions continuing to cause warming for a considerable period of time after being stopped.



“This paper looks at the temporary warming that can’t be avoided, and that’s important if you think about components of the climate system that respond quickly to global temperature changes, including Arctic sea ice, extreme events such as heat waves or floods, and many ecosystems,” said study co-author Kyle Armour, an associate professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Oceanography at UW. “Our study found that in all cases, we are committed by past emissions to reaching peak temperatures about five to 10 years before we experience them.”



If countries aim to achieve their goal of maintaining global temperatures well below 2°C, emissions should be quickly and drastically reduced.&nbsp;“Our findings make it all the more pressing that we need to rapidly reduce emissions,” Dvorak concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01372-y">Nature Climate Change</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

How much warming is inevitable based on past emissions?

In the Paris Agreement from 2015, countries all over the...

Electric organs help electric fish do a variety of amazing things, such as sending and receiving signals that are similar to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-bird-songs-of-spring-are-getting-quieter/">bird songs</a>. These signals allow the creatures to recognize other electric fish by species, sex, and sometimes even individual. A research team led by the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> and <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> has now found that small genetic changes enabled these fish to evolve electric organs.&nbsp;



While all fish have duplicate versions of the same gene which produces tiny muscle motors, called sodium channels, electric fish turned off one duplicate of the sodium channel gene in muscles and turned it on in other cells. Thus, the small motors which typically make the muscles contract were repurposed to generate electric signals.



“This is exciting because we can see how a small change in the gene can completely change where it’s expressed,” said study senior author Harold Zakon, a professor of Neuroscience and Integrative Biology at UT Austin. According to Professor Zakon and his colleagues, a short section of the sodium channel gene – about 20 letters long – which controls whether the gene is expressed in any given cell, is either altered or entirely missing in electric fish.&nbsp;



Before an electric organ could evolve, the sodium channel gene had to be turned off in the muscle. “If they turned on the gene in both muscle and the electric organ, then all the new stuff that was happening to the sodium channels in the electric organ would also be occurring in the muscle,” Professor Zakon explained. “So, it was important to isolate the expression of the gene to the electric organ, where it could evolve without harming muscle.”



The scientists have also found that the way in which electric organs developed was different in the two main groups of electric fish (the African and the South American). While the electric fish in Africa had mutations in the control region, those from South America lost it entirely.



The implications of these findings go well beyond the evolution of electric fish. “This control region is in most vertebrates, including humans. So, the next step in terms of human health would be to examine this region in databases of human genes to see how much variation there is in normal people and whether some deletions or mutations in this region could lead to a lowered expression of sodium channels, which might result in disease,” concluded Professor Zakon.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abm2970">Science Advances</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

How did the organs of electric fish evolve?

Electric organs help electric fish do a variety of amazing...

Adults sleep far better with a partner than they do alone, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a>. The research has revealed that people who usually sleep with a spouse or partner have less <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/listening-music-exercise-fight-fatigue/">fatigue</a>, less severe insomnia, and longer sleep duration compared to individuals who sleep by themselves.



In addition, study participants who slept with a partner reported falling asleep faster and had a lower risk of sleep apnea. Furthermore, the results showed that sleeping with a partner was associated with lower depression, anxiety, and stress scores, and greater social support and life satisfaction. 



Meanwhile, sleeping alone was associated with a higher risk of depression, less social support, and less life satisfaction.



“Sleeping with a romantic partner or spouse shows to have great benefits on sleep health including reduced sleep apnea risk, sleep insomnia severity, and overall improvement in sleep quality,” said study lead author Brandon Fuentes.



The analysis was focused on data collected in the Sleep and Health Activity, Diet, Environment, and Socialization (SHADES) study, which involved more than 1,000 adults in southeastern Pennsylvania.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Very few research studies explore this, but our findings suggest that whether we sleep alone or with a partner, family member, or pet may impact our sleep health,” said senior study author Dr. Michael Grandner, director of the Sleep and Health Research Program at the University of Arizona. “We were very surprised to find out just how important this could be.”



The researchers also found that sleeping with a child did not produce the same benefits. Parents who often slept in a bed with their child had a greater risk of severe insomnia and sleep apnea, and also had less control over their sleep. In addition, sleeping with a child in the bed was associated with more stress. 



The study abstract is published in an online supplement of the journal Sleep. The research was presented during <a href="https://www.sleepmeeting.org/">SLEEP 2022</a>, the annual meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies.&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

Adults sleep better when they share a bed with a partner

Adults sleep far better with a partner than they do...

While many types of occurrences become increasingly difficult to recall with the passage of time, experiencing frightening events usually gives rise to strong, vivid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-the-brain-connect-meaningful-memories/">memories</a> that are often very difficult to forget. To explain this puzzling phenomenon, a team of neuroscientists led by <a href="https://tulane.edu/">Tulane University</a> and <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a> has investigated the formation of fear memories in the amygdala, a neuronal structure considered to be the emotional and motivational hub of the brain. 



The scientists discovered that the stress neurotransmitter norepinephrine – also known as noradrenaline – facilitates the processing of frightening events in the brain by stimulating a specific population of inhibitory neurons in the amygdala to generate a repetitive bursting pattern of electrical discharges. This pattern of electrical activity modifies the frequency of brain wave oscillation in the amygdala from a resting to an aroused state, which promotes the formation of fear memories.&nbsp;



In order to explain this phenomenon, study senior author Jeffrey Tasker – an expert in Neurophysiology and Neuroendocrinology at the University of Tulane – provides the example of how memories of an armed robbery form.&nbsp;



“If you are held up at gunpoint, your brain secretes a bunch of the stress neurotransmitter norepinephrine, akin to an adrenaline rush. This changes the electrical discharge pattern in specific circuits in your emotional brain, centered in the amygdala, which in turn transitions the brain to a state of heightened arousal that facilitates memory formation, fear memory, since it’s scary. This is the same process, we think, that goes awry in PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] and makes it so you cannot forget traumatic experiences.”



Further research is needed to clarify the difference between healthy, adaptive fear memories, which help organisms survive by allowing them to remember dangerous situations and avoid them in the future, and pathological forms of memory that lead to mental disturbances such as neuroses, PTSD, depression, or anxiety disorders.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28928-y#Sec2">Nature Communications</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

How memories of fear are seared into our brains

While many types of occurrences become increasingly difficult to recall...

A breakthrough study led by <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a> is shedding new light on a network of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-monarch-butterflies-are-killed-by-parasites-yearly/">parasites</a> shared by wild and domestic animals. The study may ultimately provide critical new insight into disease transmission among animals and humans.&nbsp;



"Parasites account for a large fraction of animal diversity and are key constituents of food webs. They are also pivotal in determining the health, fitness, population dynamics, and community composition of their hosts," wrote the study authors. "Nonetheless, our understanding of parasite diversity remains limited."&nbsp;



The researchers say that this limited knowledge is largely due to logistical constraints, explaining that many studies focus on single-host and single-parasite interactions, even though most parasites are capable of infecting multiple hosts.



The international research team analyzed DNA from the animal dung of large herbivores. The experts stumbled upon an entire network of gastrointestinal parasite sharing among 17 wild and domestic herbivore species.&nbsp;



The research reveals a previously unknown pattern of parasite diversity at the wildlife-livestock interface. For example, the researchers found that gastrointestinal parasites tend to infect hosts with similar gut types and evolutionary history, and that domestic animals play a central role.&nbsp;



Study lead author Georgia Titcomb set out to investigate how large, wild and domestic animals might be sharing parasites at water sources where they gather. She became frustrated using typical methods of manually identifying and counting parasite eggs.&nbsp;



“I’d pore over the microscope and see eggs that all looked exactly the same,” said Titcomb. “There was no way to tell if the amorphous microscopic oval I found in cow poop could be capable of infecting an antelope.”



Titcomb explained why she reached out to study co-author Rob Pringle of Princeton, who had used DNA sanples from herbivore dung to analyze their diets. “I was inspired by their paper. I wondered: What if we could adapt this method to discover the immense diversity of parasites in these herbivores?”&nbsp;



“We wanted to understand the factors that influence the composition and similarity of parasite communities in different host species, as well as get a sense for who might be sharing parasites with whom," said Pringle.



The researchers used a method known as DNA metabarcoding to identify parasites in 17 large herbivore species found at Mpala Research Centre in central Kenya.&nbsp;



“Having such a rich diversity of herbivores that all overlapped in one study location allowed us to investigate a wide range of factors that might explain their parasite infections,” said Titcomb.



After considering variables like body size, diet and social group size, the researchers noticed some patterns in the spread of parasites among the animals.&nbsp;



“The most important factor was the evolutionary history of the host,” said Titcomb. “More closely-related hosts had more closely-related parasites.”&nbsp;



Furthermore, the structure of the host’s gut could predict the community of parasites that were present. The researchers were surprised to find that several livestock species played a central role in the parasite-sharing network that they uncovered.



“Camels, cows and donkeys each shared parasites with multiple wildlife species. Despite being dewormed at weaning, cows still shared parasites with at least eight other species," said Titcomb.



The study authors say that the discovery of substantial parasite sharing at the livestock-wildlife interface suggests that regularly deworming camels and donkeys could be an effective local management intervention to reduce transmission between livestock and several globally threatened ungulates.&nbsp;



"More broadly, our results suggest that changes to domestic animal communities or their parasite loads (e.g. via stocking density, ranging patterns or anthelmintic treatment) will impact parasitism in sympatric wild hosts.'



The researchers also explained why the DNA metabarcoding method is not perfect. “There are many aspects to consider when using these techniques, which are constantly evolving,” said Titcomb. “Additionally, we aren’t yet able to reliably quantify the intensity of an infection, which is important for animal health and for detecting potential superspreaders.”



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

New clues about disease transmission among animals

A breakthrough study led by UC Santa Barbara is shedding...

In recent decades, giant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-ocean-temperatures-lower-giant-kelps-nutritional-value/">kelp</a> forests have struggled to stay healthy, while some have vanished altogether. This however is not the case in Patagonia, where giant kelp are thriving along the southwestern coast, and have been for almost 200 years.&nbsp;



<a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021JC017801">New research</a> published by the American Geophysical Union suggests that frequent marine cold spells in the Patagonian region could be keeping kelp happy.



Giant kelp forests are critical species within their ecosystems, and are among the world’s <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-020-69238-x">most productive</a> and biodiverse. Some impacts facing these species include unregulated harvesting, and heat wave induced changes in other species' diets, such as urchin, who are left to feed on kelp when other sources of food disappear. These threats have led to losses of two percent of kelp forests each year.&nbsp;



Despite these impacts, Patagonia’s giant kelp forests look the same as they did in the early twentieth century. “It’s a very persistent ecosystem, so the question was, ‘Why has this particular kelp forest survived so long?’” said study lead author and marine geographer Alejandra Mora-Soto.



To answer this question, the research team analyzed sea surface temperatures from the southernmost 800 miles of South America’s coastlines from 1981 to 2020. They were looking for marine heat waves and cold spells.&nbsp;



“Glacial melting means more cold water entering the ocean environment. This can create very short peaks in cool temperatures, from a few days to two to three weeks,” said Mora-Soto.&nbsp;



Along the coast of Patagonia, the climate is not warming as rapidly as in other regions. Cool waters, like air conditioning, regulate the kelp’s environment and keep the temperature at levels that kelp can tolerate.&nbsp;



In the immediate future, the outlook of kelp forests is a positive one. Current climate and ocean models predict the Southern Ocean, where thriving kelp forests live, will avoid warming dramatically. But as glacial melt increases, freshwater can bring sunlight-blocking sediment, different nutrients, and cold temperatures.



“If there’s ice in the system, that could be very stressful for kelp,” said Mora-Soto. Scientists don’t yet know how long kelp species can tolerate extremely cold water. This emphasizes the need to protect these resilient and unique forests.&nbsp;



“In Southern Patagonia, most of the lands surrounding the kelp forests are protected, but not necessarily the waters,” explained Mora-Soto. "And in the northern regions of Chile, kelp forests are harvested for the alginate industry, creating underwater deserts in environmentally favorable conditions. I hope environmentalists, NGOs, local communities and the current government can help make the protection of kelp something real.”



A growing collection of research demonstrates the value of kelp forests in reducing the effects of climate change, which means that they are worthy of protection.&nbsp;



The research was published in the <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/21699291">Journal of Geophysical Research-Oceans</a>.



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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

Giant kelp are struggling, but not in Patagonia

In recent decades, giant kelp forests have struggled to stay...

The Shelta Cave crayfish, (Orconectes sheltae) is a small crayfish living in a cave owned and managed by the National Speleological Society (NSS), whose headquarters are next door. The Shelta Cave crayfish was first studied in the 1960’s by Dr. John Cooper, a biologist and member of the NSS who used the research as part of his dissertation.&nbsp;



“The crayfish is only a couple of inches long with diminutive pincers that are called chelae,” explained Dr. Matthew L. Niemiller of the University of Alabama Huntsville. “Interestingly, the crayfish has been known to cave biologists since the early 1960s but was not formally described until 1997 by the late Dr. John Cooper and his wife Martha.”



The cave was once a place of crayfish diversity with at least three species of crayfish alone and a total of twelve cave dependent species all together. “No other cave system to date in the U.S. has more documented cave crayfishes co-occurring with each other,” said Dr. Niemiller.



Unfortunately, this crayfish’s paradise wasn’t to last. The NSS installed a bat gate, usually a device that keeps people out but allows bats to move freely in the 1970’s.&nbsp;



“The initial design of the gate was not bat friendly, and the bats ultimately vacated the cave system,” said Dr. Niemiller. “Coupled with groundwater pollution and perhaps other stressors, that all may have led to a perfect storm resulting in the collapse of the aquatic cave ecosystem.”



The Shelta Cave crayfish was always rare and after the crash scientists couldn’t find the rare animal. Now, Dr. Niemiller and his team found the rare crayfish where it’s always been in Shelta Cave.



“To the best of our knowledge, only 115 individuals had been confirmed from 1963 through 1975. Since then, only three have been confirmed – one in 1988 and the two individuals we report in 2019 and 2020,” said Dr. Niemiller, “After a couple of decades of no confirmed sightings and the documented dramatic decline of other aquatic cave life at Shelta Cave, it was feared by some, including myself, that the crayfish might now be extinct.”



The news that the Shelta Cave crayfish is still alive is undoubtedly good but it points to its precarious position, dependent on groundwater below an urban area. The crayfish will only survive so long as groundwater is clean and abundant, something very much controlled by humans above.&nbsp;



The Shelta Cave crayfish is not alone either, there are many species dependent on caves and some living in only one cave in the US. These ecosystems below us are easily overlooked, below our feet are entire worlds of life and geology hanging on the balance of our decisions.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://subtbiol.pensoft.net/">Subterranean Biology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rare crayfish rediscovered in a cave in Huntsville

The Shelta Cave crayfish, (Orconectes sheltae) is a small crayfish...

Dandelions flower in the early spring and provide a welcome source of nectar and pollen to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/multiple-habitats-must-be-protected-to-save-bumblebees/">bees</a>, butterflies, birds and other pollinators. As the season progresses, they develop a "fluffy" head of seeds that will be dispersed by wind currents and may help the young-at-heart to tell the time.&nbsp;



Each seed head has a flat platform (or floral podium) on which are situated many small seeds. Each seed is joined by a narrow tube to around 100 bristles or "hairs," which form the parachute-like structure. This skirt of fine hairs catches the wind and enables the seed to fly off to a new destination. Dandelion seeds are some of the best flyers in nature, often spreading as far as 100 kilometers away from the parent plant.&nbsp;



However, the success of seed dispersal depends on the weather. The all-important fluffy skirt closes when the air is humid (and wind is less likely), and opens wide when the air is dry. In the drier, windier conditions, the many small ‘hairs’ spread apart, enabling each parachute to catch the air currents more successfully and fly the seeds away. But until now, nobody knew how these plants sense and respond to the moisture levels in their environments.



In a study of the microscopic structure of dandelion parachutes, a team of scientists led by <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> has worked out the potential mechanism whereby each seed’s parachute responds to the presence of water vapor in the air. They have also created a model to simulate the fine structure of each parachute and to predict how the relevant components work together to enable the parachute to close in humid conditions and open when it is dry.&nbsp;



The researchers identified a structure at the center of each seed-carrying parachute that acts like an actuator – a device that converts signals into movement – without using any energy.&nbsp;The structure is composed of different types of plant tissues, some of which have cells that absorb water from the atmosphere and swell, while others are composed of cells that resist water absorption. The experts hypothesized that parachute opening and closure arises from the differential water absorption or swelling properties of these different tissue regions.



The actuator has a unique radial, tube-like design to which the parachute hairs are attached. As the actuator changes shape due to absorption or evaporation of water from the tissues, the angles of the hairs change and they all move simultaneously. The actuator expands in humid conditions, pushing the parachute hairs toward one another, and the parachute closes. In dry conditions, the actuator contracts and the hairs spread out like the spokes of an umbrella, opening the parachute.&nbsp;



In fact, most cells of the actuator appear collapsed and are closely packed together in dry conditions. But when water is added the actuator cells show substantial increases in area and circularity as they absorb the water and change shape. This causes radial expansion within two minutes, which pushes the parachute hairs close together and closes the parachute.&nbsp;



“Our findings reveal how the dandelion ensures the survival of its species by making perhaps the most important decision in a plant’s life – to stay or go seek a better habitat," said Dr. Naomi Nakayama, who led the research.



Researchers at Imperial, the Universities of Edinburgh, Oxford, Lyon and Ecole Polytechnique de Paris, investigated this biomechanical phenomenon using their combination of expertise in plant biology and mechanical engineering.&nbsp;To understand the microscopic changes in the shapes of the cells in humid and dry conditions, they placed dandelions into a humidity-controlled chamber and then measured the changes in the actuator tissues using multiple imaging techniques, including an environmental scanning electron microscope.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Once the experts understood that the floral podium was made of two layers, a top one that did not expand much in the presence of water and an underneath one that absorbed water and expanded easily, they built a structural computer model of the actuator accounting for these differences and for forces associated with changes in hydration level. Their model agreed quantitatively with most of their observations, which indicated that differences in the capacity to absorb water are key to actuation and therefore to parachute opening and closing.&nbsp;



The researchers found that parachute opening is modulated by the level of humidity in the atmosphere: higher humidity triggered swelling in the actuator and mechanical movement of hairs upwards, which closed the parachutes. Some regions of the actuator swelled noticeably, whereas others, such as the vasculature, barely changed. They observed that the actuator shape change was caused by uptake and release of water droplets, creating a crease in the area the parachute hairs are attached.&nbsp;



Plant structures can serve as important inspiration for soft robotics as, like plants, these robots don’t use joints or rigid parts to move appendages. Finding out how dandelion parachutes respond to their environment by moving many appendages simultaneously could help engineers create robots that move multiple fingers and arms with very simple yet functional designs. The way the dandelion actuator changes shape in some tissue regions but not others can also teach us about mechanisms of shaping and movement in soft robots and biological tissues.&nbsp;



“Our work is a great example of what the natural world can teach us about interacting with our environments," said Dr. Nakayama. "It’s also a fantastic piece of multidisciplinary collaboration: bringing varying disciplines together to spark new ways of investigating biological and engineering problems.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30245-3#Abs1">Nature Communications</a>.



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

What dandelions are "thinking" - the secret to their success

Dandelions flower in the early spring and provide a welcome...

Guppies, the popular aquarium fish in the US, are ubiquitous in Trinidad. New research from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>’s Department of Integrative Biology shows they may also be important to our understanding of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stinging-cells-shed-light-on-the-early-evolution-of-animals/">evolution</a>.



“In Trinidad, they’re called drain fish and locals would ask us, ‘Why are you studying drain fish?’” said Professor Sarah Fitzpatrick. “Guppies in Trinidad are kind of like squirrels here,” added Professor Sarah Evans.



Trinidadian guppies have long been a research model for scientists looking at evolutionary questions. Now, the research team is using the fish to study how microbes in the gut can help a host’s health and quality of life. It’s not just guppies either, previous research shows that our own health is directly connected to the microbes living in our gut.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Because the microbiome affects fitness - an organism’s health and reproduction - it can affect evolution,” said Professor Evans, who is a core faculty member of MSU’s Ecology, Evolution and Behavior Program.



Some organisms like termites or pandas actually depend on microbes in their guts to digest their food like wood or leaves - without which, they wouldn’t be able to live. The Michigan State researchers wanted to understand what factors drive certain microbes to take up residence. These factors may include gut shape, diet or environmental characteristics.&nbsp;



Guppies in Trinidad are often unique to individual streams, not leaving their little water course for their entire lives. Due to this, unique guppy ecosystems are easy to find and make studying evolution quite easy.&nbsp;



“Trinidad is a continental island,” said Professor Fitzpatrick. “It split off from South America a long time ago. It actually has a continuation of the northernmost part of the Andes mountain range.”&nbsp;



Decades back in the 1950s, evolution researchers experimentally transferred guppies from an area with lots of natural predators to an ecosystem with few predators. Over time, the new guppies would change to be more similar to the native guppies, and the same works in reverse as well.&nbsp;



“And it’s repeatable. They evolve in many of the same ways almost every time,” said Professor Evans. “That’s why this system is in textbooks.”



"As we unravel the complexities of host–microbiome evolution in the wild, studies should consider environmental microbial colonization, host phenotypic plasticity in nature, and more realistic environmental conditions excluded from laboratory studies," wrote the researchers.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Guppies are helping us understand evolution

Guppies, the popular aquarium fish in the US, are ubiquitous...

On August 14, 2021, for the first time ever recorded, rain fell on the high central region of the Greenland ice sheet – an extraordinary event that was followed by rapid melting of surface snow and ice. A research team led by the <a href="https://eng.geus.dk/">Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland</a> (GEUS) has now investigated what caused this extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/winter-rainfall-arctic-ecosystems/">rainfall</a> and how did it affect the ice sheet.



By analyzing data collected by automatic weather stations placed across the ice sheet, satellite measurements of surface reflectivity (“albedo”), and information on atmospheric circulation patterns, the experts discovered that the rain had been preceded by a major heatwave at a time of year when melting is usually slowing down.



“It turns out that the rain itself wasn’t the most important factor,” said study lead author Jason Box, a professor of Glaciology at GEUS. “There is an irony. It’s not really the rain that did the damage to the snow and ice, it’s the darkening effect of the meltwater and how the heat from the event erased snow that had overlaid darker ice across the lower third of the ice sheet. Unusually warm&nbsp;atmospheric rivers&nbsp;swept along Greenland in the late summer months, bringing potent melt conditions when the melt season was drawing to a close.”



In fact, according to the scientists, this sudden increase of ice melt could have happened without any rainfall. The main culprit appeared to be the heat itself, which melted and removed the surface snow, changing the ice sheet’s albedo so that the ice absorbed more of the Sun’s rays. Between 19 and 20 August 2021, this melt caused the ice sheet’s snowline to drop by 788 meters, exposing a wide area of dark bare ice.



The researchers concluded that the heatwave which caused the rainfall is a perfect example of “melt-albedo feedback that amplifies the melt impact of the initial melt perturbation.” Thus, better understanding the nature and frequency of heatwaves appears to be more important than only analyzing the rainfall that heatwaves may or may not produce.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021GL097356">Geophysical Research Letters</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

Major heatwave caused unprecedented rainfall in Greenland

On August 14, 2021, for the first time ever recorded,...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> has found that a community’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sleep-helps-us-process-our-emotions/">sleep</a> health is the most significant health predictor of children’s opportunities for positive growth and success. These results suggest that promoting sleep health at a neighborhood level may be a highly efficient way of promoting overall health and well-being.



The scientists merged neighborhood sleep health data collected by the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">Centers for Disease Control and Prevention</a> (CDC) with data from the <a href="https://www.diversitydatakids.org/child-opportunity-index">Child Opportunity Index</a> (COI) – a database providing indices for education, health, environment, and social and economic factors which impact child development.&nbsp;



Their analysis revealed that sleep health was the strongest predictor of the opportunities for children in a neighborhood, accounting for 57.2 percent of the variance in the COI global score. Moreover, community-level sleep health was also the most significant predictor of each individual component of the COI, including the “education,” “health and environment,” and “social and economic” scores.&nbsp;



“The most surprising thing we discovered in this study was that not only was a neighborhood’s sleep health a strong predictor of every element that makes up the Child Opportunity Index, but that it was the most important predictor when compared to other metrics of community health,” said study lead author Suzanne Gorovoy, a postdoctoral researcher in Behavioral Sleep Medicine at the University of Arizona.



“When neighborhoods were examined relative to the percent that get the recommended amount of sleep, as well as the levels of a wide range of other metrics [including access to health insurance, routine medical checkups, older adult preventive care, leisure-time activity, or prevalence of medical conditions and behaviors such as hypertension and smoking], it was sleep that outperformed them all in terms of ability to predict that neighborhood’s Child Opportunity Index,” Dr. Gorovoy explained.&nbsp;



“In fact, sleep health alone overlapped with the overall index by over 50 percent. That means that a neighborhood’s sleep health is an extremely powerful indicator of that neighborhood’s ability to provide good educational experiences, healthy and safe environments, and social supports.”



These findings suggest that public health efforts targeting sleep health at the community level could have major benefits in helping the community’s children develop in a healthy, successful way.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/sleep/article/45/Supplement_1/A34/6592439?login=false">Sleep</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

Community sleep health predicts success among children

A new study led by the University of Arizona has...

New research led by the <a href="https://www.univr.it/en/home">University of Verona</a> and presented at the European Alliance of Associations for Rheumatology (<a href="https://congress.eular.org/">EULAR</a>) Congress 2022 has investigated the association between long-term exposure to air <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/severity-of-covid-symptoms-linked-to-air-pollution/">pollution</a> and immune-mediated diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The experts found that people exposed to high levels of air pollution for long periods of time are at a significantly higher risk of developing autoimmune diseases.  



Particulate matter (PM) is a mixture of solid and liquid particles in the air, consisting of a variety of chemicals and materials, some of which are highly toxic (particularly the so-called <a href="https://ww2.arb.ca.gov/resources/inhalable-particulate-matter-and-health">PM10 and PM2.5</a>). By analyzing data from over 80,000 people in Italy, the scientists found a positive association between PM levels measured at local air-quality stations and the risk of developing autoimmune diseases.&nbsp;



The results revealed that exposure to PM10 above 30 µg/ m³ and PM2.5 above 20 µg/ m³ was associated with 12 percent and 13 percent higher risks of autoimmune disease. While exposure to PM10 was linked to an increased risk of RA but no other autoimmune disease, exposure to high levels of PM2.5 led to higher risk of both RA and IBD. Overall, chronic exposure to particulate matter was associated with a 10 percent higher risk of developing immune-mediated diseases.



The same research team has also investigated the link between long-term exposure to PM and osteoporosis - which although is not an autoimmune disease, it seems to be caused by a malfunctioning immune system - in a cohort of 60,000 women at high risk of fracture. They found that chronic exposure above 25 μg/m³ for PM2.5 and 30 μg/m³ for PM10 was associated with a 16 percent and 15 percent higher risk of having osteoporotic bone mass scores at any site.



A related study has discovered that a leading cause for the development of RA is exposure to crystalline silica, a substance released during cleaning activities that include the handling of dusty clothes or talcum powder. Such findings suggest that cleaning activities are underestimated sources of silica exposure that are overrepresented in women with RA compared to the general population, and may significantly contribute to the pathogenesis of the disease.



Further research is needed to clarify the connections between air pollution and immune-mediated diseases, and to properly map the intricate relationships between environmental factors, gender, occupation, and disease risks.&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

Air pollution increases the risk of autoimmune disease

New research led by the University of Verona and presented...

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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

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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

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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



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

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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

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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

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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...