On September 29, 2024, something unusual happened in our cosmic neighborhood. Earth captured a tiny asteroid named 2024 PT5, turning it into a temporary mini-moon. 



That's right... as of today, November 2, 2024, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/its-official-earth-now-has-two-moons-captured-asteroid-2024-pt5/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth has two moons</a>.



Richard Binzel, an astronomer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (<a href="https://www.mit.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIT</a>), shed some light on these fleeting celestial companions.



"These happen more often than we think, but they're small and tough to spot," Binzel explained. "Only lately have our telescopes become powerful enough to catch them regularly."



Back in August, a team of astronomers from the <a href="https://www.ucm.es/english" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Complutense University</a> of Madrid detected the small space rock using a powerful telescope in Sutherland, South Africa.



They weren't the only ones keeping an eye on it. The asteroid was first noticed on August 7, 2024 by NASA's Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (<a href="https://atlas.fallingstar.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ATLAS</a>) at Haleakala Observatory in Hawaii.



This discovery sparked excitement among astronomers, offering a chance to learn more about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-test-simulation-shows-earth-not-prepared-prevent-large-asteroid-strike/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">near-Earth objects</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-exactly-is-2024-pt5">What exactly is 2024 PT5?</h2>



Earth occasionally captures small asteroids like 2024 PT5, placing them into temporary orbits around our planet. 



While most asteroids circle the sun on their regular paths, some venture close enough for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-global-electric-field-discovered-equally-important-gravity-magnetic-fields/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's gravity</a> to snatch them up for a brief visit.



These cosmic visitors only stay in Earth's orbit for a short time -- typically a few weeks or months -- before breaking free and resuming their solar journey.



Each mini-moon gives scientists a rare opportunity to examine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/27500-hidden-near-earth-asteroids-discovered-using-google-cloud/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">near-Earth asteroids</a> up close, revealing valuable insights about our solar system's mechanics.



So, what makes this asteroid special, aside from the fact that new technology and the internet made it famous? 



William Blackmore, Planetarium Director and Astronomy Instructor at <a href="https://www.mhcc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mt. Hood Community College</a>, offered his thoughts.



"All mini-moons are unique in their own way," Blackmore explained. "This one isn't different from others except that it's the most recent.”



2024 PT5 will be around for about two more weeks, probably until mid-November.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-comparing-2024-pt5-to-our-moon">Comparing 2024 PT5 to our moon</h2>



Let's compare our moon to this new mini-moon: 2024 PT5 is only about 37 feet across, while our familiar moon stretches a massive 2,159 miles in diameter. That makes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-did-earth-get-its-moon-a-new-theory-has-emerged/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">our moon</a> over 300,000 times wider than this tiny asteroid.



Knowing it’s up there is pretty exciting, even though we can't see it for ourselves without an invitation to a huge Earth telescope installation.



“These temporary captures are natural cosmic laboratories,” Binzel mentioned. “They help us understand the small bodies that come close to Earth and could be important for future space missions.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-asteroid-2024-pt5-became-famous">How Asteroid 2024 PT5 became famous</h2>



Understanding how 2024 PT5 became Earth's temporary moon involves a bit of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/finding-order-in-the-chaos-of-the-three-body-problem/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">orbital mechanics</a>. 



Blackmore explained, "It's moving along with us in our orbit around the sun. It's part of a group of asteroids called the Arjuna asteroids, which move at about the same pace as Earth."



He added an interesting analogy: "Imagine a skateboarder dropping into a skate park. They ride the curves, adding energy as they go. That's like the asteroid getting caught in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dart-mission-debris-will-create-a-human-made-meteor-shower/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's gravitational field</a>, riding the curve before moving on."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-spotting-mini-moons">Significance of spotting mini-moons</h2>



Spotting mini-moons is tough because they're incredibly small and faint. These tiny asteroids are often just a few dozen feet across, which means they don't reflect much sunlight. That makes them nearly invisible against the dark backdrop of space.



Plus, they're zipping around at high speeds and don't hang around for long, so by the time we point our telescopes their way, they might already be gone. 



It's like trying to catch a glimpse of a firefly from miles away -- you need the right conditions and equipment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-high-tech-telescopes">Modern high-tech telescopes</h2>



Astronomers find them by using powerful telescopes equipped with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gaia-reveals-moons-around-hundreds-of-asteroids/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sensitive detectors and smart software</a>.



Projects like the ATLAS system scan the skies every night, searching for any objects that weren't there before. 



When they spot something moving in a way that suggests it's close to Earth, they alert other astronomers to help confirm the find. 



It's a collaborative effort, combining technology and teamwork to spot these elusive cosmic visitors.



Knowing more about these temporary moons helps us prepare for any potential asteroid threats and opens up possibilities for mining resources from near-Earth objects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-in-observing-2024-pt5">Challenges in observing 2024 PT5</h2>



For those eager to see this mini-moon, both experts warned that it would be extremely difficult. "You'd need a telescope with a diameter of at least 30 inches," Blackmore mentioned. "That's beyond what most amateur astronomers have."



Todd agreed, adding, "It won't be visible to the naked eye. Being 33 feet wide and so far away, you'd need a very large telescope."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



While 2024 PT5 doesn't pose any threat to Earth, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-there-a-fifth-force-of-nature-asteroids-provide-new-clues/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">studying it is crucial</a>. 



"It's important to analyze how it moves and interacts with Earth's gravitational pull," Blackmore said. "This helps us refine our techniques for tracking objects that could cross our path again."



Todd highlighted the practical applications of this knowledge. 



"We need to understand how to intercept an asteroid at a distance and change its direction," he said. "This could be vital in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-dart-mission-proves-humanity-can-be-saved-from-asteroid-collision/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preventing potential impacts</a> in the future."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inspiration-for-future-space-missions">Inspiration for future space missions</h2>



Blackmore envisioned future missions that could take advantage of these temporary visitors. 



"It would be fascinating if we had missions ready to send small satellites or probes to these objects when they come close," he mused. "Imagine building a network of sensors or cameras traveling along with us, like space webcams."



Todd also saw <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-named-psyche-is-worth-10000-quadrillion-for-whoever-can-extract-minerals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potential in asteroid mining</a> and scientific discovery. 



"There might be materials on these asteroids that we can't find on Earth," he said. "They could solve problems in medicine or technology. But we need to weigh the benefits carefully."



To sum it all up, the brief visit of asteroid 2024 PT5 serves as a reminder of the dynamic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/building-blocks-of-life-found-in-asteroids-were-formed-in-cold-regions-of-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nature of our solar system</a>. 



While it won't be with us for long -- just a couple more weeks -- its presence offers valuable opportunities for learning and exploration.



As technology advances, we'll likely spot more of these mini-moons. Each one gives us a chance to understand our cosmic environment better and prepare for the future. 



So even though you'll never see it, you might want to spare a moment of your time and stop to appreciate 2024 PT5 while you still can.



The full study was published in the&nbsp;<a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2515-5172/ad781f" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">journal IOPscience</a>.



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Earth's second moon, a mini-moon, will drift away in a few days and never return

On September 29, 2024, something unusual happened in our cosmic neighborhood. Earth captured a tiny asteroid named 2024 PT5, turning it into a temporary mini-moon. That's right... as of today, November 2, 2024, Earth has two moons. Richard Binzel, an astronomer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), shed some light on these fleeting celestial companions. "These happen more often than we think, but they're small and tough to spot," Binzel explained. "Only lately have our telescopes become powerful enough to catch them regularly." Back in August,...

The oldest fossils of methane-cycling microbes have been discovered by an international team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.unibo.it/en">University of Bologna</a>. The microbes lived 3.42 billion years ago in a hydrothermal system beneath the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-ocean-plastic-sink-is-no-longer-missing/">ocean</a> floor. 

According to the researchers, the fossils represent the oldest evidence for this type of life. The microbes push the boundaries of potentially habitable environments on early Earth, as well as on other planets.

The experts analyzed microfossil specimens in a rock collected from the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa, which is known for containing some of the oldest sedimentary rocks on the planet.

The analysis revealed that the fossils have a chemically and structurally distinct core that is consistent with a cell wall or membrane around intracellular or cytoplasmic matter.

"We found exceptionally well-preserved evidence of fossilized microbes that appear to have flourished along the walls of cavities created by warm water from hydrothermal systems a few meters below the seafloor," said study lead author Professor Barbara Cavalazzi.

"Sub-surface habitats, heated by volcanic activity, are likely to have hosted some of Earth's earliest microbial ecosystems and this is the oldest example that we have found to date."

When the colder ocean water interacted with warmer hydrothermal fluids, this could have potentially created multiple micro-habitats. The researchers noted that clusters of filaments were found in the walls of the cavity, and individual filaments were spread across the cavity floor.

The filaments were found to contain most of the major elements necessary for life. Furthermore, nickel concentrations were comparable to that of modern microbes, known as Archaea prokaryotes, which can live without oxygen and use methane for their metabolism.

"Although we know that Archaea prokaryotes can be fossilized, we have extremely limited direct examples. Our findings could extend the record of Archaea fossils for the first time into the era when life first emerged on Earth," said Professor Cavalazzi.

"As we also find similar environments on Mars, the study also has implications for astrobiology and the chances of finding life beyond Earth."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Methane-cycling microbes lived on Earth billions of years ago

The oldest fossils of methane-cycling microbes have been discovered by...

Bacteria are not the only microorganisms in the gut that influence human health and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/swiss-bats-may-harbor-zoonotic-diseases/">disease</a>. According to a new study, fungi play an overlooked role in the gut microbiome and immune system. 

Study senior author Dr. June Round is a professor of Pathology at the <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/">University of Utah Health</a>. 

"Fungi have been wholly understudied in part because they are vastly outnumbered by bacteria," explained Dr. Round, who noted that new tools and technologies are starting to make investigations like this one possible. "This work adds an important piece to the bigger picture."

The study suggests that while fungi thrive in the healthy gut, they can cause intestinal damage that may contribute to inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Dr. Round said she became interested in this research after noting that a common medical test for diagnosing Crohn's disease, a type of IBD, works by detecting antibodies against fungi. 

The researchers set out to investigate how antibodies affect fungi's influence on disease by looking for the trigger of the immune response. 

Experiments and tests revealed that the yeast Candida albicans induced the strongest immune response. This particular type of fungi is one of the main species found in the human gut.

The researchers found that mice populated with the yeast in its normal, rounded state remained healthy. By contrast, the invasive form of Candida caused intestinal damage that resembled IBD. 

The results indicate that the gut's antibody responses prevent disease by recognizing the harmful form of fungi. This new insight may lead to the development of therapies for treating IBD and for improving overall gut health.

Beyond the implications for disease, the findings also suggest fungi may play an important role in balancing a healthy gut. 

"The immune system is constraining Candida to its least pathogenic form," said study lead author Dr. Kyla Ost. "This is showing us that the communication between host and microbe can be friendly, as opposed to antagonistic, in order to benefit both."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fungi help to balance a healthy gut

Bacteria are not the only microorganisms in the gut that...

Scientists have long known that single-celled algae called dinoflagellates are essential for the health of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natural-sunscreen-helps-blue-rice-corals-adapt-to-warming-climate/">corals</a>. In a classic case of symbiosis, the algae photosynthesize inside of corals, providing essential nutrients. The corals, in turn, provide shelter in the stony structures they build to the vulnerable dinoflagellates.

Recently, this relationship has become threatened by warming oceans and pollution, which contribute to coral bleaching. This is when stressed corals expel their dinoflagellate symbionts, leading to dead and ghostly pale reefs. Seeking to understand the symbiotic relationship of corals and algae, <a href="https://www.oist.jp/">OIST</a> researchers have taken a closer look at the most common type of tropical corals.

Corals from the Acroporidae family are the main stony reef building coral found in tropical and subtropical waters. These corals are also especially vulnerable to bleaching. 

“For coral reef conservation, it's vital for us to fully understand the partnership between stony coral and the algae that live inside these animals, at the level of a single cell. But until recently, this was very hard to achieve," explained study co-first author Professor Kaz Kawamura of Kochi University.

Historically, corals have been extremely difficult to grow in the lab, and scientists had to rely on close relatives of corals to stand in for them in research sometimes. In April of this year, the research team changed that, publishing details of their success of raising coral in a culture. 

Roughly 40 percent of the newly cultured coral polyps reached out to make contact with dinoflagellates. Within about thirty minutes, the algae were engulfed by the corals. 

Some of the corals actually broke down their would-be symbionts for food, the rest successfully became hosts. The fact that some of the dinoflagellates were actually consumed by the coral hints at how the relationship may have evolved by accident so long ago. 

"It may be that originally, the ancestors of coral engulfed these algae and broke them down for food. But then over time, they evolved to use the algae for photosynthesis instead," said study co-first author Dr. Satoko Sekida.

Hopefully, the researchers learned some things that may help corals survive a long time into the future. Next, they hope to achieve a stable culture where both the coral cells and dinoflagellates can reproduce together.

"This would be very exciting as then we can ask new questions, like how the corals react when placed under stress," said Professor Satoh. "This could give us a more complete understanding of how bleaching occurs, and how we can mitigate it."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Individual corals seen engulfing algae for the first time

Scientists have long known that single-celled algae called dinoflagellates are...

In a new study led by <a href="https://www.sun.ac.za/">Stellenbosch University</a>, researchers explain that we can learn alot about the impacts of climate change from animals themselves. The researchers say that paying closer attention to how birds, rabbits and other animals respond to environmental conditions will make it easier to predict how climate change will affect them in future.

During their investigation, the study authors found that the ability of animals to cope with climate change depends on how well they can modify their living spaces, such as building nests and burrows.

"It's crucial that we continuously improve our ability to predict and mitigate the effects of climate change," said study co-author Professor John Terblanche.

"One of the ways we can do this is by gaining a better understanding of how animals influence their own small-scale experience of climate at the level of individual members in a population."

The researchers noted that in order to enhance the predictive power of typical contemporary climate change models, it will be important to understand how animals transform their living space in response to local climate variability.

"Improving such models will be key to forecasting the effects of climate change on species, and to predict future effects, including how species ranges may shift and what the relative risks of extinction are for different animal species with high levels of precision."

According to the study authors, knowing which species will proliferate with climate change is central to understanding pest outbreaks on crops, or disease vectors changing risks for humans.

"Climate change will impact the spread of disease vectors, the health of marine and terrestrial biomes around the world and will influence whether agriculture and fishing will be able to continue supporting human populations, as they have in the past."

The experts explain that some animals have found unique ways to protect themselves against extreme climate conditions.

"Many animals dig burrows, construct nests for themselves or their offspring, build homes for entire colonies (ants and termites), induce plants to produce galls, build leaf mines, or simply modify the structure or texture of their local environments," said the study authors.

"For example, birds build nests to keep eggs and chicks warm during cool weather, but also make adjustments in nest insulation to keep the little ones cool in very hot conditions. Mammals, such as rabbits or mice, sleep or hibernate in underground burrows that provide stable, moderate temperatures and avoid above-ground conditions that often are far more extreme outside the burrow."

"We've also seen how termites and ants build mounds that capture wind and solar energy to drive airflow through the colony, which stabilizes temperature, relative humidity, and oxygen level experienced by the colony."

These modifications divide the climate into local conditions known as the microclimate. 

"Two features of microclimates are important. First, microclimates typically differ strongly from nearby climates, which means that the climate in an area may provide little information about what animals experience in their microhabitats," explained the researchers.

"Second, because extended phenotypes are built structures, they often are modified in response to local climate variation, and potentially in response to climate change."

Terblanche said we need a much better understanding of how much animals can adjust these structures in response to varying climate conditions.

"Another key challenge is to understand how much flexibility there is in extended phenotypes, and how rapidly they can evolve. At this point, we pretty much have no idea whether these processes can keep up with climate change," concludes study lead author Art Woods of the University of Montana.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/ecology-evolution/home">Trends in Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Animals can show us how they will respond to climate change

In a new study led by Stellenbosch University, researchers explain...

A new piece of technology can create energy from sweat on your fingertips while you sleep. In a study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, scientists report that their device can create 300 millijoules (mJ) of electricity per square centimeter while the person wearing it sleeps for ten hours. 

The scientists hope to integrate this technology into easily wearable forms, like gloves. Their device could generate energy with simple, easy tasks such as typing.

The study represents a large technical advance. Previous technology generating electricity from sweat required heavy workouts. The energy input of such devices made them inefficient, often creating just a one percent return from the amount of energy put in. 

Study lead author Joseph Wang is a professor at the University of California, San Diego.

“Normally, you want maximum return on investment in energy," said Professor Wang. "You don't want to expend a lot of energy through exercise to get only a little energy back." 

"But here, we wanted to create a device adapted to daily activity that requires almost no energy investment - you can completely forget about the device and go to sleep or do desk work like typing, yet still continue to generate energy. You can call it 'power from doing nothing.’ ”

The scientists claim that the little bit of electricity generated from the fingertips into the device is enough to power small wearable technology.

Interestingly, using the fingertips for sweat harvesting was no accident. We have more sweat glands in our fingers than anywhere else on our body. 

The device appears to be a piece of foam connected to electronics. The technology uses lactate, a component of sweat as a biofuel to generate electricity. 

Beyond containing the sweat harvesting technology, the new tech also contains generators that make electricity from movement, creating up to 20 percent more electricity. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/home">Joule</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Energy can be generated from sweaty fingertips

A new piece of technology can create energy from sweat...

Raw dog food is an international public <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/health-impacts-of-plastic-pollution-are-a-top-concern/">health</a> risk, according to research presented online at this year’s <a href="https://www.eccmid.org/">European Congress of Clinical Microbiology &amp; Infectious Diseases</a> (ECCMID).

Scientists recently tested 55 dog foods for antibiotic resistant bacteria and came back with shocking results. The foods examined for the study included wet, dry, semi wet, raw frozen food,  and treats. 

Alarmingly, 54 percent of the samples contained enterococci, a bacteria that generally lives harmlessly in the human gut but can cause dangerous infections when it spreads to other body parts. 

Of the enterococci bacteria, 40 percent were resistant to several antibiotics, 23 percent were resistant to linezolid, a last resort antibiotic that is critically important when other antibiotics fail. 

Most of the antibiotic resistant enterococci were found in raw dog food. In fact, all of the raw dog food samples contained resistant bacteria, while only three of the non-raw samples contained the multi-antibiotic resistant enterococci. 

Genetic sequencing showed that much of the bacteria found in raw dog food is identical to bacteria found in European hospital patients, wastewater, and farm animals. 

The researchers showed experimentally that the genes for resistance can spread from the bacteria in dog food to other bacteria. This suggests that dog food could be a dangerous spreader of antibiotic resistance in enterococci.   

Approximately 700,000 people are killed annually by antibiotic resistant bacteria. The WHO estimates that this could rise to 10 million deaths by 2050 if nothing is done to change the trend. This classifies antibiotic resistant bacteria as one of the greatest public health threats world wide. 

Scientists recommend basic hygiene as a way to slow the spread of antibiotic resistant bacteria, suggesting pet owners wash their hands with soap after handling pet food or waste. 

"The close contact of humans with dogs and the commercialization of the studied brands in different countries poses an international public health risk," said Dr Ana R. Freitas of the University of Porto.

"European authorities must raise awareness about the potential health risks when feeding raw diets to pets and the manufacture of dog food, including ingredient selection and hygiene practices, must be reviewed."

"Dog owners should always wash their hands with soap and water right after handling pet food and after picking up feces."

The research will be presented at the <a href="https://www.eccmid.org/">European Congress of Clinical Microbiology &amp; Infectious Diseases</a> (ECCMID).

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Raw dog food is spreading antibiotic resistance

Raw dog food is an international public health risk, according...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.mpi-cbg.de/">Max Planck Institute</a> have discovered that storks are attracted to the smell of freshly mowed grass to find their preferred prey, including snails and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frogs-have-lungs-that-cancel-out-background-noise/">frogs</a>. 

While it is known that birds adapt their sight and hearing to achieve success in their environment, the new study suggests that the significance of their sense of smell has been underestimated. 

"It was simply assumed that birds can't smell well because they don't have real noses," explained Martin Wikelski, director at the <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior</a>. "Yet they have a very large olfactory bulb in the brain with many receptor molecules for scents." 

To investigate whether a keen sense of smell can lead birds to freshly mowed meadows, the researchers monitored the movements of white storks tagged with GPS sensors. 

"We first had to rule out the possibility that the storks could hear the tractor or see the mowing process," said Wikelski. 

For this reason, the study only included storks that were more than 600 meters away from the mowed meadow, which means they did not have direct visual contact. 

As the mowing was underway, it turned out that only storks located downwind flew to the meadow. Those that were located upwind - and could not perceive the grass smell - did not respond. 

The researchers found that the smell of cut grass alone attracted the storks, including a field that was artificially sprayed with the scent. The results of the study contradict the assumption that storks primarily use their vision for foraging. 

"There have been storks that have flown more than 25 kilometers from the other side of Lake Constance to mowed meadows," said Wikelski.

Based on their findings, the experts believe that sense of smell plays a previously overlooked, important role in the foraging activities of other bird species as well. They noted that birds of prey such as buzzards can regularly be seen flying over freshly mowed meadows.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Storks are attracted to the smell of freshly mowed grass

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute have discovered that storks...

A recent study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a> has calculated the amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-plastics-emit-greenhouse-gases/">greenhouse gases</a> produced by major cities globally, including 167 urban areas in various stages of development. According to the researchers, cities make up only two percent of Earth’s surface but are outsized producers of greenhouse gases. 

“Nowadays, more than 50 percent of the global population resides in cities," said study co-author Dr. Shaoqing Chen of Sun Yat-sen University. "Cities are reported to be responsible for more than 70 percent of GHG emissions, and they share a big responsibility for the decarbonization of the global economy."

"Current inventory methods used by cities vary globally, making it hard to assess and compare the progress of emission mitigation over time and space.”

The study found that the 25 top-emitting cities were responsible for 52 percent of all urban greenhouse gases, with cities in Europe, Australia and the United States contributing more gases per capita than cities in developing areas. 

Of the 42 sites where greenhouse gases were monitored over time, 30 had decreased their greenhouse gas emissions during the study period. In several urban areas, however, there was an increase in emissions.

Overall, 113 of the 167 cities monitored have established a greenhouse gas reduction goal, and 40 of them are striving to reach carbon neutrality. 

Unfortunately, the world is a long way from reaching many greenhouse gas reduction goals, including the targets that were established in the Paris Agreement. 

The study authors recommend an approach of looking more closely at where greenhouse gases are coming from in each city - whether from transportation, waste treatment or household electricity usage. With more information, more targeted mitigation can take place. Only through a logical approach can we reduce greenhouse gases.    

The researchers also identified some of the most important sources of greenhouse gas emissions. "Breaking down the emissions by sector can inform us what actions should be prioritized to reduce emissions from buildings, transportation, industrial processes and other sources," said Dr. Chen.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-cities">Frontiers in Sustainable Cities</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Half of urban greenhouse gas emissions linked to 25 cities

A recent study published by Frontiers has calculated the amount...

A new study calculated the benefit of coastal environments in terms of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-could-release-much-more-carbon-than-expected/">carbon</a> uptake. The researchers concluded that coastal ecosystems in Australia, Indonesia and the U.S. take up the most carbon worldwide.

Unfortunately, the experts found that Australia and Indonesia gain little of the benefit from the carbon uptake of their own coastal ecosystems. 

Study co-author Wilfried Rickels is the head of the Global Commons and Climate Policy Research Center at the Kiel Institute. 

"If we take into account the differences in marginal climate damages that occur in each country, we find that Australia and Indonesia are clearly the largest donors in terms of globally avoided climate damages originating from coastal CO2 uptake, as they themselves derive comparatively little benefit from the high storage potential of their coasts," said Rickels.

"The U.S., on the other hand, also store a lot of carbon in their coastal ecosystems, but at the same time benefit the most from natural sinks behind India and China. In monetary terms, the three countries realize annual welfare gains of about 26.4 billion US dollar (India), 16.6 billion US dollar (China) and 14.7 billion US dollar (U.S.) thanks to global coastal ecosystems and the resulting lower climate impact costs."

The benefits were calculated using an estimate of the social costs of carbon, which includes the sum of natural and human created carbon stocks. The estimates also accounted for how differently each nation is impacted by carbon and extension climate change. 

&nbsp;

The study did not look at the overall net impact of each nation. When other carbon sinks and emissions are considered, Indonesia, Australia and the United States do not rank as beneficial - meaning they emit more carbon than is stored in their coastal ecosystems. 

When this more full picture of carbon emissions and sinks is considered, Guinea-Bissau, Belize, Vanuatu, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Guinea, Comoros, Samoa, Madagascar, and Papua New Guinea are the only nations that store more carbon in coastal environments than they emit. 

The study emphasized that coastal ecosystems have many other wonderful benefits beyond storing carbon. 

"Coastal ecosystems are an essential component of marine ecosystems and are therefore particularly important for marine biodiversity and for fisheries," said study lead author Martin Quaas of <a href="https://www.idiv.de/en/index.html">iDiv</a>. "At the same time, they contribute to flood and coastal protection and are therefore important for adaptation to climate change."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

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By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coastal ecosystems are important carbon sinks

A new study calculated the benefit of coastal environments in...

A new study has found that a dangerous gene responsible for antibiotic resistance can be passed from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-coronavirus-identified-that-has-originated-in-dogs/">dogs</a> to their owners. The mcr-1 gene has been found in healthy humans and their pet dogs.

The mcr-1 gene provides resistance to the antibiotic colistin, which is used as a last resort to treat drug resistant bacterial infections. The gene was first discovered in China, and has since been found in people and animals around the world. 

The research was led by Dr. Juliana Menezes, a PhD student in the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the <a href="https://www.ulisboa.pt/en">University of Lisbon</a>. 

"Colistin is used when all other antibiotics have failed - it is a crucial treatment of last resort. If bacteria resistant to all drugs acquire this resistance gene, they would become untreatable, and that's a scenario we must avoid at all costs," said Dr. Menezes.

The experts set out to investigate whether household pets may be acting as a reservoir of the mcr-1 gene and promoting the spread of antibiotic resistance. 

The study was designed to look for bacteria with resistance to colistin in healthy pet owners. The team analyzed fecal samples from 80 households, including 126 people and 102 cats and dogs.

Among the pets that were tested, 61 were healthy, 23 had skin and soft tissue infections (SSTI), and 18 had urinary tract infections (UTI).

The study revealed that eight dogs and four humans harbored bacteria with the mcr-1 gene. Three of the dogs were healthy, four had SSTIs, and one had a UTI. 

Upon further analysis, the researchers confirmed that the bacteria isolated from all 12 mcr-1 positive samples were resistant to multiple antibiotics.

In two of the households where dogs had skin and soft tissue infections, the mcr-1 gene was found in both dog and owner. Genetic testing showed that in one case, mcr-1 had clearly been transmitted between pet and owner.

While transmission in both directions is possible, it is thought that in this case the gene passed from dog to human, explained Dr. Menezes.

The findings raise concerns that pets can act as reservoirs of the dangerous gene, promoting the spread of bacterial resistance to last-resort antibiotics. The World Health Organization (WHO) classifies antibiotic resistance as one of the greatest public health threats facing humanity.

"We know that the overuse of antibiotics drives resistance and it is vital that they are used responsibly, not just in medicine but also in veterinary medicine and in farming," said Dr. Menezes. 

In separate research, experts have found that raw dog food is a major source of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, making it an "international public health risk."

Both studies will be presented at the <a href="https://www.eccmid.org/">European Congress of Clinical Microbiology &amp; Infectious Diseases</a> (ECCMID).

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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

Dogs may be passing antibiotic resistance to their owners

A new study has found that a dangerous gene responsible...

A new study from <a href="https://www.swansea.ac.uk/">Swansea University</a> reveals that coastal wetlands provide even more flood protection than previously realized. Beyond filtering water and creating habitats for fish, coastal wetlands protect coastal communities from flooding. 

The experts used computer simulations to demonstrate that wetlands located in estuaries, such as salt marshes, can reduce flooding levels by up to two meters. The projections also show that these types of wetlands provide protection far inland up estuary channels.

According to the researchers, the simulated benefits they observed could save up to $38 million in avoided flood damage costs per estuary during a large storm.

The research is particularly relevant today as urban development poses increasing threats to coastal wetlands. At the same time, 22 of the world's largest 32 cities - including London and New York - are built on low-lying land around estuaries. 

Flooding is a growing threat to low-lying cities as climate change ramps up the intensity and frequency of storms.

"Our study shows that coastal wetlands play a crucial role in reducing storm-driven flooding in estuaries. They are nature's flood defenses and we need them now more than ever," said Dr. Tom Fairchild.

Previous studies have focused on wetlands along open coastlines, where the plants absorb wave energy and help keep waves from pushing inland. 

The experts found that coastal wetlands play a much bigger role in storm flood prevention. In addition to absorbing wave energy, these wetlands reduce storm surges as they move up estuary channels.

"Our work shows that when big storms hit, nature works extra hard for us, preventing or reducing coastal flooding for free," said study co-author Dr. John Griffin. "The upshot is, by protecting and restoring coastal wetlands, we help protect ourselves from the growing threat of flooding. It's a no-brainer."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</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

Coastal wetlands are a powerful weapon against flooding

A new study from Swansea University reveals that coastal wetlands...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a> have discovered how sea otters keep warm in freezing cold waters. The experts report that these small <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shark-denticles-reveal-human-impacts-over-centuries/">mammals</a> can heat their bodies up internally using extra energy produced by their skeletal muscle, which ramps up their metabolic rate.

While scientists have known for years that sea otters depend on their high metabolism to generate the heat they need to survive, no one knew how they were producing this heat.

The researchers found that the muscles of sea otters' muscles have enough leak respiration, or leftover energy, to account for their high metabolic rate. This breakthrough explains how sea otters survive in cold water.

For the investigation, the team collected skeletal muscle samples from both northern and southern sea otters of varying ages and body masses. By measuring respiratory capacity, the experts determined that the sea otter muscles produce more energy than what is needed for movement.

Study co-author Professor Tray Wright is a physiologist and researcher in Texas A&amp;M's College of Education &amp; Human Development.

"You mostly think of muscle as doing work to move the body," said Professor Wright. "When muscles are active, the energy they use for movement also generates heat."

Professor Wright explained that because muscle makes up a large portion of body mass, often 40-50 percent in mammals, it can warm the body up quickly when it is active.

"Muscles can also generate heat without doing work to move by using a metabolic short circuit known as leak respiration."

Shivering is one form of muscle-generated heat through involuntary movement. Professor Wright said that shivering allows the body to activate muscle by contracting to generate heat, while leak respiration can do the same without the tremors.

The researchers were surprised to find that the muscle of even newborn sea otters had a metabolic rate that was just as high as the adults.

"This really highlights how heat production seems to be the driving factor in determining the metabolic ability of muscle in these animals," said Professor Wright.

Living in freezing cold water requires a lot of energy. Sea otters eat up to 25 percent of their body mass each day to keep up with their daily activities and fuel their high metabolism.

"They eat a lot of seafood, including crabs and clams that are popular with humans, which can cause conflict with fisheries in some areas."

Professor Wright said that we know how critical muscle is to animals for activities like hunting, avoiding predators and finding mates, but this research highlights how other functions of muscle are also critical to animal survival and ecology.

"Regulating tissue metabolism is also an active area of research in the battle to prevent obesity. These animals may give us clues into how metabolism can be manipulated in healthy humans and those with diseases where muscle metabolism is affected."

Going forward, Professor Wright said there is still a lot we don't know about otters, including how they regulate their muscle metabolism to turn up the heat on demand.

"This is really just the first look into the muscle of these animals, and we don't know if all the various muscle types are the same, or if other organs might also have an elevated ability to generate heat."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sea otters have a secret ability to generate internal body heat

Researchers at Texas A&amp;M University have discovered how sea otters...

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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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