Each year, painted lady butterflies embark on one of the most remarkable migrations in the animal kingdom, traveling up to 10,000 km between Africa and Europe in search of optimal breeding conditions.&nbsp;



But what determines how far an individual butterfly will travel? Is migration encoded in their DNA, or is it shaped by external factors?



A recent study, led by scientists at the <a href="https://ist.ac.at/en/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Institute of Science and Technology Austria</a> (ISTA) in collaboration with international research teams, reveals that environmental conditions - not genetics - dictate whether a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-incredible-transatlantic-journey-of-the-painted-lady/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">painted lady</a> will travel long or short distances. 



The findings challenge previous assumptions about butterfly migration and highlight the role of phenotypic plasticity - the ability of organisms to alter their behavior in response to their surroundings.



Study co-author Daria Shipilina is an evolutionary biologist and postdoctoral researcher at ISTA. 



“The painted lady is a strikingly beautiful and colorful butterfly species,” said Shipilina. "Watching them form large aggregations is a true spectacle. But what makes them particularly special is their incredible long-distance migrations.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-one-of-nature-s-most-impressive-migrations">One of nature’s most impressive migrations</h2>



Painted ladies begin their journey in Northwest Africa in the spring. They fly across the Mediterranean into Europe, where subsequent generations continue northward, reaching as far as Sweden and the Arctic tundra. 



For a long time, scientists believed that once these butterflies arrived in northern Europe, they perished in the colder months.&nbsp;



However, recent studies confirmed that painted ladies complete a circular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-butterfly-migration-sparked-by-a-surge-in-vegetation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">migration</a>, returning south in autumn - some staying in the Mediterranean region while others venture all the way back to Africa, even crossing the Sahara.



This discovery raised a crucial question: why do some painted ladies migrate farther than others? Do they have an internal navigation system that dictates their path?



To investigate, Shipilina and her team collected painted lady butterflies from various locations, including Benin, Senegal, Morocco, Spain, Portugal, and Malta, and employed advanced isotope geolocation techniques to track their movements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-the-butterflies-origins-and-destinations">Tracing the butterflies' origins and destinations</h2>



By analyzing the stable isotopes in butterfly wings, the researchers could determine where each butterfly originated as a caterpillar.



“The key principle of this method is that the isotopic makeup - or the stable isotopes - of the adult butterfly’s wings mirrors the isotopic signature of the plants they ate as a caterpillar,” Shipilina explained.



Co-first authors Megan Reich and Clément Bataille from the <a href="https://www.uottawa.ca/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Ottawa</a> spent several years refining this geolocation technique, integrating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-machine-learning-can-help-us-protect-chimpanzees/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">machine-learning</a> algorithms to improve accuracy.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed two distinct migration patterns: while some butterflies took a long trip south, migrating from Scandinavia across the Sahara, others traveled shorter distances, staying in the Mediterranean region.



This raised another question - was this difference encoded in the butterflies’ genes?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-basis-of-butterfly-migration-nbsp">Genetic basis of butterfly migration&nbsp;</h2>



To investigate the genetic basis of migration, the scientists conducted whole <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/butterfly-genome-has-barely-changed-after-250-million-years-of-evolution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genome</a> sequencing on the butterflies. Surprisingly, their analysis showed no significant genetic differences between those that migrated long distances and those that stayed closer to Europe.



“This finding fundamentally differs from what is observed in some birds, another well-studied migratory group,” Shipilina noted. “For example, in willow warblers, a large chromosomal region has been associated with variable migratory direction, illustrating how different phenotypes arise from distinct genomic compositions.”



Additionally, factors like sex, wing size, and wing shape had no clear influence on migration distances, further ruling out genetic or physiological predisposition.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-cues-and-butterfly-migration">Environmental cues and butterfly migration</h2>



If genes don’t dictate migration behavior, then what does? According to the study, environmental conditions play the dominant role.&nbsp;



The scientists propose that phenotypic plasticity - the ability of an organism to adapt its behavior based on external cues - explains why some butterflies migrate farther than others.



For instance, a butterfly in Sweden might receive strong environmental cues to migrate long distances, such as shortening day length and temperature drops, prompting it to cross the Sahara.&nbsp;



Meanwhile, a butterfly in Southern France, where seasonal changes are less extreme, may not experience the same triggers, leading it to migrate only as far as the Mediterranean region.



“Phenotypic plasticity allows organisms to adjust their migratory behavior without changing their genetic makeup,” Shipilina said. “This flexibility could be key to how painted ladies adapt to different climatic conditions.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complexities-of-butterfly-migration-nbsp">Complexities of butterfly migration&nbsp;</h2>



Compared to species like monarch butterflies, painted lady migration remains relatively understudied.&nbsp;



This latest research raises new questions: Does this migration pattern apply to painted ladies worldwide? Are other butterfly species also influenced by environmental cues rather than genetics? How will climate change impact the migration patterns of painted ladies in the future?



The researchers aim to build on these findings to further unravel the complexities of butterfly migration.



“There is still so much to learn about the migration of painted ladies,” Shipilina said. “We are determined to close this knowledge gap - one paper at a time.”



By demonstrating that migration strategies are shaped by the environment rather than hardwired in DNA, this study provides a new perspective on how insects navigate the world.&nbsp;



As climate patterns shift, understanding these flexible behaviors may be critical for predicting and protecting the future of migratory butterflies.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/pnasnexus/pgae586" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PNAS Nexus</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-ralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Butterfly migration habits are not determined by their DNA

Each year, painted lady butterflies embark on one of the most remarkable migrations in the animal kingdom, traveling up to 10,000 km between Africa and Europe in search of optimal breeding conditions.&nbsp; But what determines how far an individual butterfly will travel? Is migration encoded in their DNA, or is it shaped by external factors? A recent study, led by scientists at the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) in collaboration with international research teams, reveals that environmental conditions - not genetics - dictate whether a...

We judge bad behavior more leniently when our family and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/killer-whales-have-close-friendships/">friends</a> are the perpetrators, finds new research published by the <a href="https://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>. However, this leniency may come at a cost to our own sense of self-worth.

“How do we react when our romantic partners, friends or family members behave unethically? Past research tells us a lot about how we respond to a stranger’s unethical behavior, but very little about how we respond when the perpetrator is someone we care deeply about,” said study lead author Rachel Forbes, MA, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto. 

“When someone close to us behaves unethically, we face a conflict between upholding our moral values and maintaining our relationship.”

More than 1,100 participants took part in the research, which involved four separate experiments. In the first, participants read a fictional scenario in which a romantic partner, close friend or stranger committed an unethical or immoral deed. 

For the second experiment, participants were asked to recall their own experience of witnessing a friend, partner or stranger behave badly. 

The third experiment required participants to keep a daily record of all moral transgressions they witnessed in a 15-day period.

In each of the experiments, the participants completed questionnaires about the transgressor, the seriousness of the bad behavior and the most appropriate punishment that should be given. They were also required to answer self-assessment questions about any negative emotions they felt, particularly towards themselves and their own sense of morality.

The results showed that participants were less angry and disgusted when immoral acts were committed by loved ones or friends. They also felt less need to criticize or punish in these instances. However, this came at a cost to themselves; participants felt more shame, guilt and embarrassment when someone close to them was the transgressor, and also reported questioning their own moral values.

In a fourth experiment, participants were physically paired with a loved one, a close friend or a stranger. The pairs were then separated and the individuals were asked to write down answers to some questions about themselves. These answers were switched and given to the experimental partners for assessment. 

In the first test, the answers to the questions were genuine. In the second test, fake answers were exchanged that revealed the other member of the pair had behaved badly by plagiarizing, lying or by being selfish. 

Once again, participants had to report their feelings about the transgressor, the seriousness of the behavior, the appropriate punishment and their own self-worth and moral judgement.

The results in this last experiment were the same as in the previous three, but they were less intense. The researchers feel that their findings are very relevant to situations in everyday life where people witness immoral behavior committed by familiar others. 

“Identifying that observers are more lenient toward close others who transgress raises deeper concerns about how moral norms are policed by individuals in these situations,” said study co-author Dr. Jennifer Stellar. “This may allow people to either overlook and/or fail to call out transgressions committed by close others, which poses a danger for maintaining the moral norms in society.”

The study was recently published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/psp">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

We are faster to forgive bad behavior by our loved ones

We judge bad behavior more leniently when our family and...

The results of two long-running studies in Seattle have exposed a link between fine particle pollution (PM2.5) and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dementia-cases-expected-to-triple-over-the-next-three-decades/">dementia</a>.

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> measured levels of PM2.5 at specific addresses in the Seattle area and averaged these concentrations over a decade. The study revealed that a small increase in PM2.5 was associated with a greater risk of dementia for people living at those addresses.

“We found that an increase of one microgram per cubic meter of exposure corresponded to a 16 percent greater hazard of all-cause dementia," said study lead author Rachel Shaffer. "There was a similar association for Alzheimer’s-type dementia."

The research was focused on more than 4,000 Seattle-area residents enrolled in the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) Study, which is led by the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute.

“The ACT Study is committed to advancing dementia research by sharing its data and resources, and we’re grateful to the ACT volunteers who have devoted years of their lives to supporting our efforts, including their enthusiastic participation in this important research on air pollution,” said Dr. Eric Larson, ACT’s founding principal investigator.

The researchers identified more than 1,000 residents who had been diagnosed with dementia at some point since the ACT Study began in 1994. 

Ultimately, the researchers found that just a one microgram per cubic meter difference between residences was associated with 16 percent higher incidence of dementia. To put that difference into perspective, said Shaffer, in 2019 there was approximately one microgram per cubic meter difference in PM2.5 pollution between Pike Street Market in downtown Seattle and the residential areas around Discovery Park. 

“We know dementia develops over a long period of time. It takes years - even decades - for these pathologies to develop in the brain, and so we needed to look at exposures that covered that extended period,” said Shaffer. "We had the ability to estimate exposures for 40 years in this region. That is unprecedented in this research area and a unique aspect of our study.”

Genetics, diet, and exercise are all associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, but air pollution is now recognized as another key risk factor. The new study adds to a growing collection of evidence which suggests that air pollution has neurodegenerative effects.

“Over an entire population, a large number of people are exposed. So, even a small change in relative risk ends up being important on a population scale,” said Shaffer. 

“There are some things that individuals can do, such as mask-wearing, which is becoming more normalized now because of COVID. But it is not fair to put the burden on individuals alone. These data can support further policy action on the local and national level to control sources of particulate air pollution.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Seattle study confirms that air pollution increases dementia risk

The results of two long-running studies in Seattle have exposed...

A new study from <a href="https://www.bangor.ac.uk/">Bangor University</a> has revealed that many regions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/part-of-the-amazon-now-releases-more-carbon-than-it-stores/">Amazon</a> that have experienced the most deforestation are the same areas that currently exhibit the lowest levels of forest recovery. 

A major focus of the UN Climate Change COP26 Conference in November was the importance of forest restoration in the Amazon as a nature-based solution to climate change.

Forest recovery is a process in which trees return to land that has been previously deforested and then abandoned. The new forest growth can rapidly absorb large quantities of CO­2 from the atmosphere.

Reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere is a central focus of global climate change policies, and a key target for achieving “net zero” emissions.

In the new study, however, an international team of researchers has found that the regions with the greatest potential for large-scale forest restoration have barely recovered, if at all. 

The highly deforested Amazon landscapes include some areas that show no sign of recovery - even 20 years after they were cleared.

Overall, the team found that less than 10 percent of carbon emissions from deforestation in the Amazon has been offset by new forest growth.

The extent of this carbon offsetting varies widely across the nine countries of Amazonia. For example, Brazil has experienced the majority of deforestation and the related CO2 emissions. At the same time, Brazil is falling behind on forest recovery, with only nine percent of its CO2 emissions from deforestation being offset.

On the other hand, in Guyana, where the recovering forests are older, nearly a quarter of deforestation emissions have been offset.

“Research in the Amazon typically focuses on Brazil because it holds most of the forest," said study lead author Charlotte Smith, a PhD researcher at Lancaster University.

"But there are eight other Amazonian countries. Understanding how forest recovery differs between countries can help us understand which countries’ policies are helping to maintain the forest carbon sink, and which ones aren’t.”

Smith noted that data from satellites is crucial for monitoring deforestation across areas as large as Amazonia and is the basis for monitoring the success of countries in achieving their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

“The results of the study highlight three key challenges for the future of Amazon forests, the need to: (1) incentivise large-scale forest restoration in highly deforested regions, (2) protect new forests without disadvantaging the small landowners who depend on the cleared land for farming, and (3) prevent further deforestation," said study co-author Professor John Healey.

"Meeting all these challenges successfully is essential to ensure that the Amazon achieves its potential in mitigating climate change.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Forest recovery is lacking in the most deforested areas of the Amazon

A new study from Bangor University has revealed that many...

Fluctuations in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-sea-level-rose-by-18-meters-after-the-last-ice-age/">sea level</a> can cause eruptions on volcanic islands, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.brookes.ac.uk/">Oxford Brookes University</a>. The researchers found that a major drop in the sea level increases the likelihood of volcanic activity on the Greek island of Santorini. 

The team analyzed the timing of different eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years. They discovered that a 40-meter drop in sea level is a crucial point beyond which eruptions are more likely to occur. The experts say their findings have major implications for millions of people who live on volcanic islands worldwide.

The study, which was focused on the popular tourist destination of Santorini, was led by Dr. Christopher Satow. He says there are clues about past volcanic activity on Santorini in the layers of rock on the cliff face encircling the inner part of the island.

“A huge eruption 3,600 years ago caused the center of what was then a conical island to sink into the sea, revealing an extraordinarily detailed history of over 200 volcanic eruptions preserved within the remaining circle of cliffs," explained Dr. Satow.

“Comparing this eruption history to a sea level record allowed us to show for the first time that the sea level has had an important role in determining the timing of eruptions at Santorini, and probably at many other island volcanoes around the world."

“The mechanism is quite simple: falling sea levels remove mass from the Earth’s crust and the crust fractures as a result. These fractures allow magma to rise and feed eruptions at the surface.”

According to the researchers, eruptions at hundreds of other volcanic islands around the world may also have been influenced by fluctuations in sea level.

“Just as when you pull a plug out of the bath, the water level drops everywhere throughout the bath at the same time; in a similar way, sea level changes occur at the same time everywhere across the globe," explained Dr. Satow, who noted that the climate also has an influence on volcanic activity.

“What is less well known is that on long timescales, the climate can also affect volcanoes. As ice sheets retreated across volcanic landscapes after the last ice age, the removal of mass changed the stress conditions in the Earth’s crust, allowing the fractures which feed volcanic eruptions to form more easily."

“As these ice sheets melted the global sea level rose rapidly, by around 100 meters, adding a significant mass to the crust around many volcanic islands which, in theory, should alter their eruptive activity.” 

Dr Satow pointed out that 57 percent of the world’s volcanoes are islands or are coastal, and are often home to large populations. "Further vital research is needed to fully understand the effects of changing sea level on these volcanoes and the risks they pose to their populations.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Changes in sea level can trigger eruptions on volcanic islands

Fluctuations in the sea level can cause eruptions on volcanic...

A new survey from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> has concluded that rates of anxiety, burnout, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and depression are rising amongst students due to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/second-dose-of-the-covid-19-vaccine-is-far-more-powerful/">COVID-19</a> pandemic. The research, which took place between August 2020 and April 2020, matches data found at other randomly selected college students throughout the U.S.

The "return to campus" survey was focused on 1,072 students at OSU. Among the survey participants, 42.6 percent screened positive for anxiety, 28.3 percent for depression, and 71 percent screened positive for burnout. 

The data collected in April 2021 saw consistent rises compared to data collected at the beginning of the study in August 2020. This included a four percent increase in unhealthy eating, 2.5 percent in alcohol use, two percent in smoking and vaping, and a decrease in physical activity by seven percent. The number of students seeking advice from a mental health counselor increased by eight percent. 

"Mental health promotion and access to services and evidence-based programs are going to be more important than ever," stated Bernadette Melnyk, Chief Wellness Officer of the OSU College of Nursing. "Two-thirds of students who are no longer in college are not in college due to a mental health issue." 

"We would not send divers into a deep ocean without an oxygen tank. How can we send our students throughout life without giving them the resiliency, cognitive-behavioral skills and coping mechanisms that we know are protective against mental health disorders and chronic disease?"

Melnyk and colleagues at other universities are using the findings to expand and integrate resources into curricula and campus life. Melnyk is co-chairing a new “return to campus” mental health commission with the senior vice president of the Office of Student Life, a commission created by OSU President Kristina Johnson. 

Methods within the commission include the creation of a new "Five to Thrive" mental health checklist for all students, which covers healthy habits, healthy coping mechanisms, and encouragement to build and access mental health support systems.

"Students who were dealing the best in terms of their emotional outcomes were connecting with family and friends, building their resiliency, and engaged in physical activity," said Melnyk. 

"So as students are welcomed back to campus this fall, these five steps are so critically important to both fortify a foundation of mental resiliency and make self-care and mental well-being a priority. It's actually a strength to recognize when you need mental health help; it's not a weakness."

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rise in mental health issues as college students return to campus

A new survey from Ohio State University has concluded that...

The body’s ability to fight off food poisoning depends on the time of day, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/">UT Southwestern Medical Center</a>. The researchers found that levels of a natural antimicrobial compound increase during the day, when there is the greatest risk of exposure to toxic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-of-infant-boys-can-enhance-cognitive-skills/">bacteria</a>. 

The experts report that the antimicrobial compound fluctuates on a circadian rhythm that is prompted by gut bacteria. The findings could eventually lead to the development of treatments and vaccines designed to maximize this immune response.

“This study shows that our immune systems are not turned on all the time, which is an unexpected result,” said study lead author Dr. John F. Brooks. “Our findings suggest that there are peak times in which the body is more primed to fight infections.”

Essentially, all animals follow circadian cycles that are aligned with daylight and darkness. These cycles are needed to help animals prepare for changes in their environment.

The researchers theorized that changes in antibacterial immunity may coincide with a circadian cycle. To investigate, they looked for rhythms in the expression of natural antimicrobial compounds produced in the gut of mice to fight off food poisoning. 

The study revealed that one of these antimicrobial molecules, called regenerating islet-derived protein 3g (REG3G), was more abundant at night when the mice are most active. Levels of REG3G were much less abundant during the day, when mice are sleeping. 

The researchers also found that in mice raised to have no gut bacteria, REG3G was essentially absent throughout both the day and the night.

The cycles of REG3G had significant consequences for the ability of mice to fight off infectious bacteria such as those that cause food poisoning. 

When the researchers infected normal mice with bacteria, the animals had higher rates of death if they were exposed at sunset rather than at sunrise. 

“These results make me think twice about waking up in the middle of the night and raiding the refrigerator,” said study co-author Dr. Lora Hooper. “It may be more dangerous to eat bacteria-laden potato salad when your gut defenses are lowest.”

The findings are published online in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Your risk of food poisoning is greater at night

The body’s ability to fight off food poisoning depends on...

While higher testosterone is associated with greater athletic success, a new study from the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> shows that testosterone levels are not very significant in everyday life. The research suggests that the importance of testosterone is highly overrated.

Previous studies have found a link between testosterone and socioeconomic position, such as income and educational achievement.  

The researchers set out to investigate whether testosterone can actually influence socioeconomic position, or if socioeconomic circumstances affect testosterone.

The experts used an approach called Mendelian randomization in a sample of 306,248 UK adults from the UK Biobank. 

The researchers examined how testosterone  influenced socioeconomic position, including income, employment status, neighborhood-level deprivation, and educational qualifications. The study also looked at the effects of testosterone on health and risk-taking behavior.  

“There's a widespread belief that a person's testosterone can affect where they end up in life. Our results suggest that, despite a lot of mythology surrounding testosterone, its social implications may have been overstated," said study co-author Dr. Amanda Hughes.

Just like earlier in studies, the researchers found that men with higher testosterone had higher household income, lived in less deprived areas, and were more likely to have a university degree and a skilled job. Among women, high testosterone levels were associated with lower socioeconomic position, including lower household income, living in a more deprived area, and lower chance of having a university degree. 

Importantly, the study results do not suggest that testosterone-linked genetic variants were associated with any outcome for men or women. 

The researchers concluded that there is little evidence that testosterone meaningfully affects socioeconomic position, health, or risk-taking in men or women. 

“Higher testosterone in men has previously been linked to various kinds of social success. A study of male executives found that testosterone was higher for those who had more subordinates. A study of male financial traders found that higher testosterone correlated with greater daily profits," said Dr. Hughes.

"Other studies have reported that testosterone is higher for more highly educated men, and among self-employed men, suggesting a link with entrepreneurship."

“Such research has supported the widespread idea that testosterone can influence success by affecting behavior. There is evidence from experiments that testosterone can make a person more assertive or more likely to take risks - traits which can be rewarded in the labour market, for instance during wage negotiations. But there are other explanations. For example, a link between higher testosterone and success might simply reflect an influence of good health on both."

"Alternatively, socioeconomic circumstances could affect testosterone levels. A person’s perception of their own success could influence testosterone: in studies of sports matches, testosterone has been found to rise in the winner compared to the loser.”

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

Testosterone does not have an influence on success

While higher testosterone is associated with greater athletic success, a...

Commercial deep sea mining is scheduled to begin within two years, but scientists warn that this type of mining is unnecessary and even dangerous.  

A new study led by scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> calls into question why deep seabed mining should proceed when it’s such an unpredictable risk to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-circling-behavior-discovered-among-marine-mammals/">marine</a> health. 

As of now, deep sea mining is allowed in the exclusive economic zones of coastal nations. Meanwhile, the International Seabed Authority (ISA) is drawing up new regulations for deep sea mining outside of these areas. 

With pressure mounting from the Pacific island of Nauru and The Metals Company, the ISA has two years to finish its regulations. If they are not finished within this time period, mining can begin with no regulations in place. Dr. Kirsten Thompson of the University of Exeter explains the conundrum that seabed mining presents.

"Seabed mining is sometimes presented as an unavoidable consequence of ever-growing demand for minerals, especially to supply certain metals for the green technology transition," said Dr. Thompson.  

"This narrative is put forward by mining companies, who also present deep-sea mining as the ‘lesser of two evils’ in comparison to land-based mining, but it’s impossible to compare the inherent value of land and deep-sea ecosystems. If you're asking 'which destructive industry is better?' then you're asking the wrong question."

The scientists emphasize that better engineering and efficiency are of utmost importance and that it’s simply a "myth" that deep sea mining is necessary. 

"Current estimates of mineral requirements for renewable technology don't fully account for important factors such as technological advances in battery technology, better public transport and behaviour changes such as people taking fewer journeys by car,” said Dr. Kevin Brigden, a metals chemist with Greenpeace Research Laboratories.

There’s also an enormous amount that we do not know about deep sea ecosystems, their role in carbon storage, their biodiversity, or how they could be threatened by mining. The researchers point out that mining is likely to benefit only a handful of mining companies in the world’s richest nations - while threatening the entire world. 

The University of Exeter has launched a "Green Futures" campaign and website to drive action on the environment and climate emergency. To find out more, please visit <a href="https://greenfutures.exeter.ac.uk">https://greenfutures.exeter.ac.uk</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dangers of deep sea mining could soon be realized

Commercial deep sea mining is scheduled to begin within two...

An ambitious plan is underway to rediscover species that are lost to science and possibly extinct. <a href="http://www.rewild.org/">NGO Re:Wild</a> has started a campaign to find 25 species on its “Most Wanted Lost Species” list. In their latest discovery, the scientists have reconnected with a lost <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strong-ocean-currents-push-red-crabs-far-out-of-their-range/">crab</a> in Sierra Leone. 

So far, the organization has also found the Jackson’s climbing salamander in Guatemala, Wallace’s giant bee &amp; velvet pitcher plant in Indonesia, the silver-backed chevrotain in Vietnam, the Somali Sengi in Djibouti, Voeltzkow’s chameleon in Madagascar, and the Fernandina giant tortoise in the Galápagos. 

Dr. Pierre A. Mvogo Ndongo, a researcher at the University of Douala in Cameroon, set out on an expedition to Sierra Leone earlier this year. The goal of the trip was to look for the Sierra Leone crab, which had not been spotted since 1955. In just three weeks of surveying, Dr. Ndongo found the missing crab. 

The researchers also found another freshwater crab, Afzelius’ crab, which had been missing from the scientific record since 1796. To top it off, the team discovered two crabs that are brand new to science. 

Dr. Ndongo explains that the expedition was demanding, but he was determined to succeed. Before setting out to find the Afzelius’ crab, he talked with locals and described a land dwelling crab with a purplish body and orange legs. 

After following up on some false leads, Dr. Ndongo eventually located the crab, which led to concerns for the future of the species. The forest where the crab was found is largely intact, but agriculture is starting to encroach on the edges. 

To find the Sierra Leone crab, Dr. Ndongo searched Sugar Loaf Mountain, racing against the clock as impending COVID-19 lockdowns threatened to strand him. 

“In the four days searching the dense forests on Sugar Loaf Mountain, I was able to find six specimens of the Sierra Leone crab because I was able to recruit local people to go into the forest and search with me. When I found the Sierra Leone crab, I was very very happy. This was after almost three weeks of searching for lost species.”

After grueling searching and carefully digging crabs from their burrows without harming them, conservationists finally have the tools they need to protect these crustaceans, so, hopefully they won’t go missing again. 

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lost crab species rediscovered in Sierra Leone

An ambitious plan is underway to rediscover species that are...

New data from several groups of researchers warns that the number of people with dementia will triple by 2050, and that it will occur in younger and younger individuals. The causes? Demographics and unhealthy lifestyles. 

The different forecasts, reported at the recent <a href="https://www.alz.org/aaic">Alzheimer's Association International Conference</a> in Denver, are intended to warn policymakers and healthcare professionals.

"Improvements in lifestyle in adults in developed countries and other places -l- including increasing access to education and greater attention to heart health issues - have reduced incidence in recent years, but total numbers with dementia are still going up because of the aging of the population," said Dr. Maria C. Carillo, the <a href="https://www.alz.org/">Alzheimer’s Association</a> chief science officer.

The U.S. National Institute on Aging reports that by 2050, people over the age of 65 will make up twice the proportion of the world’s population compared to 2010 - a jump from 8 percent to 16 percent. 

Aging isn’t the only factor, however. Dr. Carillo also lists “obesity, diabetes and sedentary lifestyles in younger people are rising quickly, and these are risk factors for dementia." 

Lifestyle choices can have a big impact early on. Researchers from Maastricht University in the Netherlands, who presented their data at the conference, noted that 350,000 people are diagnosed with younger-onset dementia every year.

Changing demographics and socioeconomic status also appear to be direct indicators of an individual’s risk of dementia. Dr. Ambar Kulshreshtha and other researchers at Emory University found that Alzheimer’s mortality rates were highest in rural areas, and of those rural areas those in the American South were highest. 

“In addition to therapeutics, it's critical to uncover culturally-tailored interventions that reduce dementia risk through lifestyle factors like education, diet and exercise," said Dr. Carillo.

 Kristen Clifford, who is the chief program officer at the Alzheimer’s Association, assures people that support and information are available. "And you have the power to make a new plan and determine how you choose to live your best life with the disease."

---

By <a href="http://rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dementia cases expected to triple over the next three decades

New data from several groups of researchers warns that the...

As global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clouds-have-an-amplifying-effect-on-global-warming/">warming</a> occurs and the climate starts to shift, researchers warn not to expect all of the same changes everywhere. A new study from the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> predicts that places which are already wet will generally receive more rainfall and more varied precipitation.

"As climate warms, climatologically wet regions will generally get wetter and dry regions get drier. Such a global pattern of mean rainfall change is often described as 'wet-get-wetter'. By analogy, the global pattern of rainfall variability change features a 'wet-get-more variable' paradigm,"explained study co-author Zhou Tianjun. 

Overall, this means that Earth environments are set to become more different from each other than they already are, as the planet becomes a more variable place. 

"The amplified rainfall variability manifests the fact that global warming is making our climate more uneven - more extreme in both wet and dry conditions, with wider and probably more rapid transitions between them," said study lead author Zhang Wenxia. 

These wild differences between different environments, as well as less predictable rainfall, will be very challenging for both human infrastructure and survival as well as for ecosystems everywhere. 

Study co-author Kalli Furtado hopes that having this information in hand will help future planning efforts but also acknowledges the hardships predicted, 

"This classification of different precipitation change regimes is valuable for regional adaptation planning," said Furtado.

"For most regions, the increasing rainfall variability, which could translate into impacts on crop yields and river flows, makes climate change adaptation more difficult."

As with so many things with climate change, we are not locked into any single future scenario. Humans still have time to try and mitigate climate change, and to plan for the realities that are ahead. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rainfall will become harder to predict with climate change

As global warming occurs and the climate starts to shift,...

Part of California’s plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2045 relies on natural ecosystems to absorb carbon. But now, new research from <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a> warns that climate change itself may hamper the ability of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellite-data-reveals-vulnerable-tropical-forests-on-a-global-scale/">forests</a> and shrublands to take up carbon. 

The study, published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/2576604x">AGU Advances</a>, predicts that natural carbon storage in California will drop by 9 to 16 percent under varying scenarios. 

“This work highlights the conundrum that climate change poses to the state of California," said study lead author Shane Coffield.

"We need our forests and other plant-covered areas to provide a 'natural climate solution' of removing carbon dioxide from the air, but heat and drought caused by the very problem we're trying to solve could make it more difficult to achieve our objectives."

Despite an aggressive plan involving both artificial means of carbon sequestration and natural carbon sequestration by plants, it seems California may need to work even harder on emissions reduction to reach its carbon neutrality goal. 

"The emissions scenario that we follow will have a large effect on the carbon storage potential of our forests," said study co-author James Randerson.

"A more moderate emissions scenario in which we convert to more renewable energy sources leads to about half of the ecosystem carbon [sequestration] loss compared to a more extreme emissions scenario."

Unfortunately, climate models are not in agreement about the amount of precipitation in California’s future. However, the places most likely to lose carbon sequestration abilities are also some of the areas with large carbon offset projects. 

Overall, it seems the northern part of the state will become wetter, while the southern part becomes drier. Randerson says he hopes the research will be useful for planning.

"We hope that this work will inform land management and climate policies so that steps can be taken to protect existing carbon stocks and tree species in the most climate-vulnerable locations. Effective management of fire risk is essential for limiting carbon [sequestration] losses throughout much of the state."

---
By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reaching carbon neutrality will not be easy in California

Part of California’s plan to reach carbon neutrality by 2045...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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