The COVID-19 lockdown reshaped lives in many ways, including how people approached pet ownership. During the pandemic, a surge in puppy purchases swept across the U.K. as individuals and families sought companionship while they were confined to their homes.



While many welcomed new furry companions with open arms, concerns arose about the long-term consequences of these impulsive adoptions.



Would owners remain committed once life returned to normal? Would these dogs develop behavioral problems due to rushed decisions and inadequate training? Researchers at The Royal Veterinary College (<a href="https://www.rvc.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RVC</a>), U.K., led by Dr. Bree Merritt, set out to answer these questions.



The study, published in the journal PLOS One, reveals the complex reality of pandemic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reimagining-pet-diets-for-a-more-sustainable-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">puppy ownership</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-puppy-purchases-during-the-pandemic">Puppy purchases during the pandemic</h2>



As lockdown measures took hold in early 2020, people found themselves spending more time at home. Many saw this as the perfect opportunity to welcome a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-dog-day-honoring-mans-best-friend/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">puppy</a> into their lives.



The demand for dogs soared, leading to inflated prices, overwhelmed breeders, and, in some cases, unethical breeding practices.



Animal welfare experts expressed concerns about the potential fallout. They worried that some buyers acted impulsively, without considering whether they could provide for a dog long-term. Would these pandemic puppies face neglect, abandonment, or behavioral struggles in homes that were unprepared for their needs? 



These questions fueled the need for deeper research into the experiences of owners and their dogs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-pandemic-puppy-owners">Tracking pandemic puppy owners</h2>



To better understand the reality of pandemic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-owners-ages-and-beliefs-influence-their-pet-food-choices/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">puppy ownership</a>, the researchers surveyed nearly 800 U.K. dog owners who had purchased a puppy between March and December 2020. The study aimed to uncover their motivations, training approaches, and overall experiences.



Participants provided details about their daily interactions with their pets, their emotional connection, and any difficulties they faced. A follow-up survey was conducted when the puppies reached 21 months of age. 



This allowed researchers to assess how ownership experiences evolved over time and whether the initial excitement had given way to unexpected challenges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-owners-stayed-committed-but-at-a-cost">Owners stayed committed, but at a cost</h2>



Despite widespread concerns that many pandemic puppies would end up abandoned or rehomed, the study found that 98% of surveyed owners still had their dogs at 21 months old. 



This high retention rate suggests that, for most, the commitment to their pets remained strong even as their daily routines returned to normal.



However, the study also revealed that ownership came with significant challenges. Of those surveyed, 40% admitted that the pandemic influenced their decision to get a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-dogs-say-goodbye-before-they-die-these-signs-will-tell-you-if-your-friend-is-leaving-soon/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dog</a>.



These owners were more likely to report difficulties related to costs, lifestyle changes, and unexpected responsibilities. Many struggled with cleaning up after their pets, sacrificing personal activities, and managing expenses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-behavioral-issues-and-owner-burden">Behavioral issues and owner burden</h2>



One of the biggest concerns for pandemic puppy owners was behavioral issues. 



Dogs that grew up in lockdown often had limited exposure to the outside world, leading to problems such as separation anxiety, control struggles, and aggression. Owners who reported behavioral difficulties felt a greater burden of dog ownership.



While various problem behaviors caused stress, aggression had the most significant impact. Owners of aggressive dogs experienced a weaker emotional connection with their pets compared to those dealing with other challenges. 



This highlights the importance of early intervention and training to prevent behavioral issues from escalating.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-capturing-the-whole-picture">Capturing the whole picture</h2>



The study acknowledged a potential limitation in its findings. Owners who had already rehomed their dogs might have been less likely to participate in the follow-up survey. 



This means the 98% retention rate could represent a best-case scenario. Some dogs may have been relinquished after the survey period ended, making the overall picture more complex than the data suggests.



Additionally, the financial and emotional burdens of dog ownership might have driven some participants to keep their struggles private. Many may have hesitated to admit difficulties, especially if they felt judged for their decision to acquire a dog during the pandemic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-need-for-better-behavioral-support">Need for better behavioral support</h2>



For those who faced challenges with their pandemic puppies, access to evidence-based behavioral support could make a crucial difference. Professional training and behavior modification techniques could help struggling owners manage their dogs more effectively, improving their overall quality of life.



"Relationships with our dogs can be immensely rewarding, but it’s not all fun and games. Looking after them can be hard work, expensive or even change day-to-day activities," noted Dr. Merritt.



"Problem behaviors are likely to be a much wider concern beyond just those dogs who were brought home during the pandemic. These results show how important it is to find evidence-based help for problem behavior to improve the emotional health of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/friends-family-members-and-guardians-dogs-are-more-than-just-pets/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dogs</a>, their owners and sustain their relationship.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impulsive-pandemic-puppy-purchases">Impulsive pandemic puppy purchases</h2>



The findings of this study serve as an important reminder that dog ownership requires long-term planning, not just short-term enthusiasm. 



Many pandemic puppy buyers made decisions based on the temporary circumstances of lockdown life. Once restrictions eased and daily routines resumed, they found themselves struggling with responsibilities they had not fully anticipated.



"Impulsive acquisition of dogs based on short-term circumstances is an enduring challenge for the canine welfare sector," said Dr. Rowena Packer, senior author of the study. 



"Here, we demonstrate that puppy purchases that were a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic, such as having increased time for a dog during this atypical period, resulted in owners who felt a greater burden of dog ownership by the time their puppy was a young adult, compared to owners whose purchases were planned based on longer-term circumstances."



"U.K. campaigns have long encouraged owners to consider their ability to care for a dog for the duration of its lifetime at acquisition. However, if the efficacy of these messages remains limited, greater interventions may be needed to emphasize the responsibilities of dog ownership, ideally prior to purchase.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-lifelong-commitment">A lifelong commitment</h2>



While most pandemic puppy owners chose to keep their dogs, the challenges they faced highlight the importance of informed decision-making. 



Owning a dog is not just about companionship; it requires time, effort, and financial resources. Without proper preparation, owners can find themselves overwhelmed, and their pets may suffer as a result.



The study reinforces the need for education and support for prospective dog owners. Those considering bringing a pet into their home must evaluate their long-term ability to care for an animal - not just their immediate desire for companionship.



With the right guidance, future pet buyers can ensure a fulfilling and responsible relationship with their dogs, built on commitment rather than impulse.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0316166" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Pandemic puppy owners report challenges but remain committed

The COVID-19 lockdown reshaped lives in many ways, including how people approached pet ownership. During the pandemic, a surge in puppy purchases swept across the U.K. as individuals and families sought companionship while they were confined to their homes. While many welcomed new furry companions with open arms, concerns arose about the long-term consequences of these impulsive adoptions. Would owners remain committed once life returned to normal? Would these dogs develop behavioral problems due to rushed decisions and inadequate training? Researchers at The Royal Veterinary College (RVC),...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.sysu.edu.cn/sysuen/">Sun Yat-sen University</a> in China has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-island-birds-are-changing-and-human-activities-are-to-blame/">birds</a> with brightly-colored feathers under their wings may have evolved these traits in order to avoid mid-air collisions. By comparing the underwing colors of 1,780 bird species, the experts found that larger birds, as well as those that flocked together in big colonies, were more likely to have brightly-colored, contrasting feathers – most probably because large birds cannot duck and weave as easily as smaller ones, while birds living in large colonies need to constantly avoid collisions with a multitude of conspecifics.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Collisions between fast-moving objects often cause severe damage, but collision avoidance mechanisms of fast-moving animals remain understudied,” the authors wrote. “Particularly, birds can fly fast and often in large groups, raising the question of how individuals avoid in-flight collisions that potentially are lethal.”



Since heavier bird species, such as the California Condor, the Great White Pelican, and the Whooping Crane, have reduced manoeuvrability, limiting their ability to make fast, sharp turns in order to avoid in-flight collisions, the researchers believe they have evolved their color patterns to help them being easily spotted by their conspecifics during flight. Similarly, birds living in large flocks where the risks of collisions are significantly higher, have also developed such traits.



Besides helping them avoid collisions, the evolution of bright, contrasting underwings may have yet another benefit: increasing the chances of escaping predators. “A number of predators do frequently attack individuals in colonies. For example, African Fish Eagles or baboons regularly try to kill flamingos,” the authors explained. “Upon escaping, individuals display their black-pink contrasting patches on their ventral wings, which could signal the presence of a predator to neighbors, enhance the confusion effect, and reduce collisions during escape.”



In future research, the scientists aim to clarify the mechanisms underlying collision avoidance in gregarious, fast-moving birds, as well as in a variety of other animals.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.0678">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&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;

Some birds evolved bright colors to avoid collisions

A new study led by the Sun Yat-sen University in...

Whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-found-a-terrifying-decline-in-flying-insects/">insects</a> feel pain or not has been a matter of heated scientific debate for decades. According to a new study led by <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University</a> in London, insects most likely have central nervous system control of nociception (the ability to detect potentially or actually damaging stimuli), which would make it plausible that they can experience pain. These findings suggest that insects should be included in animal welfare protection lists, particularly as insect farming ramps up.



Nociception is the detection of painful stimuli and is often accompanied by subjective feelings of pain which allows animals to adapt their behavior in a variety of potentially dangerous contexts. In mammals, the modulation of nociception is executed by neurons in the brain – a phenomenon known as “the descending control of nociception.”



“For example, if an animal is injured during a fight, the dampening of their nociceptive processing may increase the animal’s fighting performance by ensuring they do not waste time or energy on responding to the injury,” the study authors explained. “Likewise, when the animal has returned to safety, the descending controls can facilitate nociceptive processing, encouraging the animal to protect the injured location so that its healing is promoted.”



Until recently, few studies have investigated whether this descending control is present in insect species too. By analyzing previous molecular, behavioral, and anatomical evidence in the case of various types of insects, the scientists discovered that, similarly to mammals, they also have evolved descending controls for nociception.&nbsp;



“Behaviorally, changes to the insect brain can change their nocifensive behavior, whether this change is physical manipulation or the processing of motivational stimuli,” the researchers wrote. “Anatomically, insects have descending neuronal projections from the brain to the ventral nerve cord, where nocifensive behavior is executed.”



Although there is no direct way to measure the subjective experience of pain in any animal species, the discovery of brain controls for nociception in insects makes it plausible that they have in fact painful experiences. “Descending control of nociception in humans can also affect pain perception, so it could be argued that pain is also affected in non-verbal animals,” said study senior author Lars Chittka, a zoologist at the Queen Mary University.



“This is certainly the accepted argument for mammals such as mice, where a reduction in nociceptive behavior is accepted as equaling a reduction in pain. This is important in terms of ethics, as insects are subjected to potentially-painful stimuli in research and farming,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2022.0599">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</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;

Insects may be able to experience pain

Whether insects feel pain or not has been a matter...

Alaska, also known as America's final frontier, attracts many visitors. Some come for the wolves, and others for the grizzlies. According to a new study published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0268594">PLoS ONE</a>, nearly 300,000 birdwatchers flock to Alaska each year for a chance to get a glimpse of rare birds.&nbsp;



Regardless of any economic benefits, birds deserve our protection. At the same time, however, the fact that birdwatching boosted Alaska's economy by about $378 million in 2016 could certainly motivate conservation efforts.&nbsp;



The researchers found that In 2016, birdwatching created 4,300 jobs in Alaska. Although those working in the birding industry did not make as much money, the number of jobs created is comparable to those in the mining and telecommunications industries.&nbsp;



"Once you have visitors who are coming to Alaska spending money on viewing rare species that our surroundings provide the critical habitat for on a global scale, it becomes an incentive to keep that habitat high quality for birds," explained study lead author Tobias Schwoerer of the UAF <a href="https://uaf-iarc.org/">International Arctic Research Center</a>.



Also, since birders are more likely to visit remote places, the money gets spread further than in other money-making industries; rural areas, in particular, seem to benefit.&nbsp;



"Independent travelers are more likely to take a flight out to the Pribilofs, or go to the Aleutians to see an exotic species they can't find elsewhere, or book a trip with a small operator who drives Sprinter vans from Fairbanks to Prudhoe Bay," said Schwoerer.



The study used visitor exit surveys to determine how many birders visited the state. Schwoerer incorporated the visitor statistics into a computer model to show how birdwatchers' spending spreads through the economy.



"This study gives us a glimpse of how diverse our state's tourism is and can be in the future, as well as how intertwined our communities are with visitors in the shared experience of marveling at the wonders of birds," said Natalie Dawson.



"Sustainable and well-managed birdwatching is a growth sector. Birdwatching in Alaska is a type of tourism where Alaskans can capitalize on the region's intact lands and waters," said David Krause of Audubon Alaska. "It's an exciting place of opportunity that protects irreplaceable and fragile ecosystems while supporting jobs."



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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

Birdwatching boosts Alaska's economy by hundreds of millions

Alaska, also known as America's final frontier, attracts many visitors....

Geckos are known for their grippy feet which allow them to scale vertical surfaces. This superpower comes from millions of microscopic, hairlike structures on their toes. Scientists already understood gecko adhesion, but now have a clearer picture of the molecular structures that give the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pipeline-installation-boosts-diversity-of-seafloor-animals/">animal</a> its grip.&nbsp;



In a study from the <a href="https://www.nist.gov/">National Institute of Standards and Technology</a> (NIST), researchers analyzed the setae by zooming in using X-rays called a synchrotron. The experts discovered that the structures are coated in an ultra-thin film of water-repelling lipid molecules.



Setae are flexible and assume the microscopic contours of any surface the gecko is climbing. To release its foot, the gecko changes the angle of the setae, interrupting those forces and allowing the animal to take its next step.&nbsp;



These lipids are hydrophobic, meaning they repel water. “The lipids might function to push away any water beneath the spatulae, allowing them to make closer contact with the surface,” said study co-author Tobias Weidner of Aarhus University in Denmark. “This would help geckos maintain their grip on wet surfaces.”



The setae are made of a keratin protein similar to that found in human hair and fingernails which are extremely delicate. These keratin fibers are aligned in the direction of the setae, which might help them resist abrasion.



“You can imagine gecko boots that don’t slip on wet surfaces, or gecko gloves for holding tools that are wet,” said NIST physicist and study co-author Dan Fischer. “Or a vehicle that can run up walls, or a robot that can run along power lines and inspect them.”



The NIST synchrotron microscope can uniquely identify molecules on the surface of a three-dimensional object, measure their orientation and map their position. It is located at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Brookhaven National Laboratory, where the National Synchrotron Light Source II provides a source of high-energy X-rays for illumination.&nbsp;



This microscope is typically used on advanced industrial materials, including batteries, semiconductors, solar panels and medical devices. “But it is fascinating to figure out how gecko feet work, and we can learn a lot from nature when it comes to improving our own technology," said Fischer.&nbsp;



“A lot was already known about how setae work mechanically,” said study co-author Cherno Jaye. “Now we have a better understanding of how they work in terms of their molecular structure.”&nbsp;



Geckos have inspired many products like adhesive tapes. Understanding the molecular features of setae could further inspire inventors to mimic nature in design, a concept called biomimicry.



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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

What gives gecko feet their grip?

Geckos are known for their grippy feet which allow them...

The word "hangry"’ is one of the most recent additions to the Oxford English Dictionary. It is defined as being irritable or bad tempered as a result of feeling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/overfishing-is-wiping-out-large-bodied-fish-in-the-amazon/">hungry</a>, and has come into popular use in everyday language in the past few years. Despite this, the phenomenon has not been explored scientifically outside of laboratory conditions.



A new study published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> is the first to investigate how hunger affects people’s emotions in their daily lives. The research, led by academics from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> (ARU) in the UK and the Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences in Austria, involved 64 adult participants from central Europe who recorded their feelings and levels of hunger on a smartphone app, five times a day for 21 days. This meant that data collection took place in the participants’ homes and workplaces and reflected the link between hunger and emotional wellbeing in a natural environment.



“Many of us are aware that being hungry can influence our emotions, but surprisingly little scientific research has focused on being ‘hangry.' Ours is the first study to examine being ‘hangry’ outside of a lab. By following people in their day-to-day lives, we found that hunger was related to levels of anger, irritability, and pleasure," explained study lead author Professor <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/people/viren-swami">Viren Swami</a>.



The results of the research show that people who are hungry are more likely to feel angry and irritable, and also to experience less pleasure from their daily lives. The effects of hunger were substantial, even after the researchers took into account demographic factors such as age and sex, body mass index, dietary behavior and individual personality traits.&nbsp;



Being hungry explained 37 percent of the variance in irritability, 34 percent of the variance in anger and 38 percent of the variance in pleasure recorded by the participants. The research also found that the negative emotions – irritability, anger, and unpleasantness – are related to both day-to-day fluctuations in hunger, and to residual levels of hunger, measured using averages over the three-week period.



“Although our study doesn’t present ways to mitigate negative hunger-induced emotions, research suggests that being able to label an emotion can help people to regulate it, such as by recognizing that we feel angry simply because we are hungry,” explained Swami. “Therefore, greater awareness of being ‘hangry’ could reduce the likelihood that hunger results in negative emotions and behaviors in individuals.”



The field work for the study was carried out by Stefan Stieger, Professor of Psychology at Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences. Professor Stieger said: “This ‘hangry’ effect hasn’t been analyzed in detail, so we chose a field-based approach where participants were invited to respond to prompts to complete brief surveys on an app. They were sent these prompts five times a day at semi-random occasions over a three-week period.”



“This allowed us to generate intensive longitudinal data in a manner not possible with traditional laboratory-based research,” he added. “Although this approach requires a great deal of effort – not only for participants but also for researchers in designing such studies – the results provide a high degree of generalizability compared to laboratory studies, giving us a much more complete picture of how people experience the emotional outcomes of hunger in their everyday lives.”



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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

People become "hangry" when their blood sugar is low

The word "hangry"’ is one of the most recent additions...

Wolves are iconic symbols of the wild; perhaps that is why some people love them while others despise them. A new study published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fcosc.2022.881483/full">Frontiers in Conservation Science</a> demonstrates that the common reason for hating these animals is baseless and that loving them for utilitarian reasons is also unfounded.&nbsp;



“Based on the currently available evidence (not just from the United States) large predators, despite their ability to kill ungulates and livestock, will not eliminate deer, threaten people or lead to intolerable losses of livestock – the myths," explained the researchers. "On the other hand, large predators are unlikely to right all wrongs humans have inflicted on ecosystems – the wishful thinking.”



“I was as fooled like everybody else by the lovely stories that came out of Yellowstone saying, you bring wolves back, and you restore the rivers, and everything’s hunky-dory," said study co-author Professor Bernd Blossey of <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>. "Once I started digging like an archaeologist into the literature, I found things that were not supportive of what I thought I knew.”



Professor Blossey explained that predators still have a place on the land, “The hopes and fears that we have on both sides of the debate – neither are realized. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t allow the wolves, the mountain lions, to return to their traditional landscapes – they’re a part of it.”



When the United States took wolves off the endangered species list, many individuals, organizations, and even state governments claimed that wolves needed to die to safeguard hunting and ranching operations. The study authors note that wolves and other predators do not threaten the most commonly hunted ungulates.&nbsp;



“What we do to landscapes, whether that’s forestry, agriculture or gardening, provide deer with a perfect landscape for them to live in. Hunters don’t remove enough deer, cars don’t remove enough," said Blossey. "Their populations exploded, because the living conditions were just absolutely wonderful.”



As far as ranching is concerned, several factors lead to the loss of livestock, including lighting strikes, extreme temperatures, disease, inadequate husbandry, and poor foraging options. Moreover, there are simple steps that ranchers can take to safeguard livestock from wild predators like wolves.



The researchers want us to stop placing wolves into shallow categories and appreciate them for what they are, beneficial members of the ecological community. “As long as people learn to live with and tolerate the new (old) neighbors, a careful but not fully conflict-free existence appears possible.”



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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

Wolves may not be heroes, but they're not villains either

Wolves are iconic symbols of the wild; perhaps that is...

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;



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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...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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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"

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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

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