Every living organism relies on a genetic blueprint encoded in its DNA, yet the amount of DNA - or genome size - varies dramatically across the tree of life.&nbsp;



In animals alone, genome sizes range from the minuscule genome of Intoshia variabili, a marine parasite - which is about 200 times smaller than the human genome - to the massive genome of the marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus) - which is over 40 times larger than ours.&nbsp;



Plants exhibit a similar range, with the fork fern (Tmesipteris oblanceolata) setting the record with a genome size over 50 times larger than that of humans.



This diversity in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genome-mapping-completed-for-dozens-of-common-animals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">genome</a> size reveals the vast variety of life forms on Earth, but it also raises a fascinating question: If smaller genomes lead to faster, more efficient growth, why do some species have larger genomes?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advantages-of-smaller-genome-sizes">Advantages of smaller genome sizes</h2>



The replication of DNA is essential for cell production and growth, making smaller genomes more efficient as they require fewer resources and time to replicate.&nbsp;



Smaller genomes demand fewer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/excess-nutrients-are-creating-ocean-dead-zones/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nutrients</a>, especially the DNA-building elements nitrogen and phosphorus, making them ideal for rapid growth and reproduction.



Because of these advantages, it’s not surprising that most species have evolved with relatively small genomes.&nbsp;



However, large genomes persist in some organisms, suggesting that these genomes may confer certain benefits in specific environments, where the costs of carrying extra DNA are outweighed by unique growth advantages.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-large-genome-benefits-in-grasses">Exploring large genome benefits in grasses</h2>



A research team led by the <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sheffield</a> has recently studied the potential benefits of large genomes in grass species. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fairy-circles-kill-all-newly-planted-grasses-deepening-their-mystery/">Grasses</a>, a vast plant family found worldwide from arctic tundras to tropical savannas, vary in genome size, making them an ideal group to examine how genome size affects growth in different conditions.



The study, published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.20150" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Phytologist</a>, examined the growth of various grass species under conditions mimicking their natural environments - high temperatures, low nutrients, and drought. 



The scientists compared growth rates to each species’ genome size and observed that while grasses with smaller genomes generally grew better across most conditions, larger genomes provided advantages in two specific scenarios.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-large-genomes-thrive-in-nutrient-rich-environments">Large genomes thrive in nutrient-rich environments</h2>



The first scenario where larger genomes proved beneficial was in nutrient-rich soils. While low nutrient levels slowed down large-genome grasses, those with large genomes thrived in high-nutrient environments.&nbsp;



Here, the extra DNA content meant larger cells that produced more biomass, such as leaves, which allowed these plants to outgrow and overshadow neighbors with smaller genomes.&nbsp;



In nutrient-poor areas, however, the demands of replicating additional DNA outweighed these benefits, making smaller genomes more favorable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-growing-seasons-and-genome-sizes">Growing seasons and genome sizes</h2>



The second advantage for large-genome grasses occurred in cooler environments, such as temperate regions with lower growing season temperatures.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-plants-grow-more-branches-and-become-bushy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Plant growth</a> typically has two stages: cell division, where new cells are generated, and cell expansion, where cells swell with water to help the plant grow taller or spread. 



Cool temperatures significantly slow down cell division, but they have less impact on cell expansion.&nbsp;



Consequently, grasses with larger cells, which accompany large genomes, can expand more rapidly by cell enlargement even in cooler weather, outpacing smaller-genome plants that rely on faster cell division in warmer temperatures.



This cell expansion process explains the early spring growth of plants like daffodils and bluebells, which also have large genomes.&nbsp;



These plants perform much of their cell division in warmer months, allowing them to use cell expansion to grow quickly in early spring, well before smaller-genome plants begin to compete for light and nutrients.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genome-size-diversity">Genome size diversity</h2>



The diversity in genome sizes among grasses may be one reason for their global success, as it allows them to adapt to a wide range of environmental conditions.&nbsp;



While smaller genomes typically support efficient growth, larger genomes offer unique advantages in specific environments, enabling certain species to thrive where others cannot.&nbsp;



This genetic diversity in grasses underscores the importance of variation in supporting species’ survival and adaptability across ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genome-size-and-evolutionary-success">Genome size and evolutionary success</h2>



The relationship between genome size and survival is not limited to plants. Our own medium-sized genome has supported humanity’s adaptability, though we don’t face the same nutrient limitations as stationary plants.&nbsp;



Unlike grasses, humans can move to seek out food and resources, which may allow us to bear the metabolic costs associated with our DNA without significant limitation.&nbsp;



This mobility highlights how different species leverage their genetic make-up in conjunction with unique behaviors and environmental interactions to thrive across diverse habitats.



In summary, the role of genome size in evolutionary success is nuanced and complex.&nbsp;



From the efficient replication of small genomes to the adaptability enabled by larger ones, genome size continues to shape the ecological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asian-forests-proving-resilient-both-climate-change-human-actions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resilience</a> and global distribution of life on Earth.



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How does genome size impact evolutionary success?

Every living organism relies on a genetic blueprint encoded in its DNA, yet the amount of DNA - or genome size - varies dramatically across the tree of life.&nbsp; In animals alone, genome sizes range from the minuscule genome of Intoshia variabili, a marine parasite - which is about 200 times smaller than the human genome - to the massive genome of the marbled lungfish (Protopterus aethiopicus) - which is over 40 times larger than ours.&nbsp; Plants exhibit a similar range, with the fork fern (Tmesipteris oblanceolata)...

In the first week of Donald Trump’s presidency, he signed a number of executive actions having to do with issues that relate to nature and science. Among them are measures to speed up construction of the Keystone XL and Dakota Access Pipelines. His administration has also issued media blackouts on federal agencies such as the<a href="https://www.epa.gov"> EPA</a> and the <a href="https://www.doi.gov">Department of the Interior</a>. Despite taking these actions, Trump has yet to choose a science advisor. 

Trump currently has no nominees for the role, officially known as the Director of the <a href="https://www.usa.gov/federal-agencies/office-of-science-and-technology-policy">Office of Science and Technology Policy</a>. The person who fills the position will be charged with supplying the President with information necessary to develop educated policy decisions surrounding scientific issues.

In addition to the science advisor position remaining open with no nominees in sight, the Trump transition team has only met once with the OSTP office since the election. This overall lack of concern signals to those in the science field that such issues will not be at the forefront of the Trump agenda. 

This comes in sharp contrast to the previous administration. President Obama chose John Holdren, the current OSTP director, over a month before taking office. 

While the scientific community is concerned with the lack of attention that’s being given to filling the role, they’re also concerned with the names that are being floated as possible nominees. David Gerlenter, a computer scientist at Yale University and physicist William Happer of Princeton University are real possibilities. Both firmly deny that climate change has any basis in science – a concerning position for someone who advises the President on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rogue-social-media-trump-resistance/">environmental policy</a> issues. 

Trump’s delay in filling the position is reminiscent of the actions taken (or lack thereof) by President George W. Bush, who didn’t select OSTP director until the June after he took office. The OSTP and issues on which it advises were similarly put on the back burner during the Bush administration. 

--
By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nearly two weeks in and Trump still has no science advisor

In the first week of Donald Trump’s presidency, he signed...

Oldest human ancestor revealed. When you look through <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/chimps-family-opposites-attract/">family</a> photos, it’s often easy to see where you got your blue eyes or turned-up nose. It may come as a surprise, then, that none of us resemble the creature that scientists are calling our oldest human ancestor.

Known as Saccorhytus, traces of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/french-bulldogs-craze/">animal</a> were found preserved as a 540-million-year-old fossil. Despite its age, scientists said the fossil was “exquisitely well-preserved.” The tiny being was only about a millimeter in size – so small that it lived between grains of sand at the bottom of the sea. 

<a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk">University of Cambridge</a> professor Conway Morris, who led the research team, spoke to<a href="http://www.bbc.com/news"> BBC News</a> about their discovery. “To the naked eye, the fossils we studied look like tiny black grains,” he said, “but under the microscope the level of detail was jaw-dropping.” Their findings were published in the journal<a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature21072.html"> Nature</a>. 

While it may seem odd that our earliest <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/oldest-human-ancestor-found/">ancestor</a> is a minuscule sea creature, Saccorhytus was one of the steps in the evolutionary process that created fish, as well as humans. It belongs to a category of animals called “deuterostomes.”  This group includes animals such as sea cucumbers and urchins. Its name, which means “second mouth,” refers to a developmental process in which the anal opening develops before the mouth. (Too much information? Let’s move on.) In short, vertebrates are all deuterostomes. 

Despite its being a deuterostome ancestor, scientists can only find an oral opening on Saccorhytus. “Our material is generally crushed, and despite the superb preservation we might have overlooked the evidence,” Morris said to the<a href="https://www.nytimes.com"> New York Times</a>. 

If, in fact, there isn’t an additional opening, researchers believe that the creature ate and excreted waste through the one orifice. (Still too much info. Right.) 

Saccorhytus had a symmetrical body and seems to have moved by contracting its muscles and wriggling around. Scientists also note that it had tiny conical structures that were possibly an early form of gills.

Most noteworthy, though? Its large mouth, which it used to suck in food particles before digesting them and…  Well, you know.

–

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: Conway Morris,<a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk"> University of Cambridge</a>

Big-mouthed, minuscule creature is oldest human ancestor

Oldest human ancestor revealed. When you look through family photos, it’s...

While California’s long <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/southern-california-drought-continues/">drought</a> isn’t over, a pair of rainstorms that ripped down the West Coast may have gone a long way towards repairing the water shortage. Scientists believe powerful storms that swept California from December through January have likely refilled a whopping 37% of California’s snow-water deficit.

The team from the <a href="http://www.colorado.edu">University of Colorado</a> at Boulder analyzed rainfall totals from two recent storms over the Sierra Nevada region. The storms dropped nearly 17.5-million acre feet, or 21.6 cubic kilometers of water on the mountain range. 

Scientists determined this amount by looking at data from NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), a device located on NASA’s Aqua and Terra satellites. They also looked at a computer model drawn up by the University of Colorado and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory at <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>, as well as data from <a href="http://www.water.ca.gov/">California Department of Water Resources</a> snow sensors. 

These numbers are noteworthy because they total more than 120% of the average snow accumulation for the area in the pre-drought time before 2012. From 2012 to 2016, California began experiencing an average annual snow-water deficit of nearly 10.8 million acre feet (13.3 cubic kilometers). This added up to 54 million acre feet (67 cubic kilometers) over that period. 

The storms that dumped large amounts of rain over California this winter are known as “atmospheric rivers.” These send huge amounts of moisture from the tropics to the west coast of the U.S., resulting in heavy rain and snowstorms. The Pineapple Express is an example of one of these atmospheric rivers. 

Although the new numbers are promising, Noah Molotch, leader of the study, says that one rainy winter season won’t be enough to make up its water deficit. 

"When the snow stopped falling five years ago, the state had to tap into its groundwater reserves to keep up," he said. "One snowy winter won’t be able to entirely reverse that, but there is, at least, some cautious optimism.”

<a href="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/22222.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-130703" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/22222-300x172.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="172" /></a>

--
By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/storms-filled-37-percent-of-ca-snow-water-deficit">NASA</a>

Powerful storms pump up California’s snow-water deficit by 37%

While California’s long drought isn’t over, a pair of rainstorms...

In the past week, President Donald Trump has instituted a media blackout on federal agencies like the<a href="http://www.epa.gov"> EPA</a>,<a href="https://www.usda.gov/"> USDA</a>, and the<a href="https://www.doi.gov"> Department of the Interior</a>. The agencies were instructed to cease all communication via press releases and social media posts. This move alarmed many federal employees who were concerned that information released going forward would be carefully filtered to support the new administration’s political agenda. But concerned employees aren’t going gentle into the darkness of a media blackout and instead have found a useful new tool: rogue social media accounts.

The first warning shot was fired from someone with access to the Twitter account belonging to<a href="https://www.nps.gov/badl/index.htm"> Badlands National Park</a>. On Tuesday, they posted several messages about <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/attribution-science-extreme-weather-events/">climate change</a>. A spokesperson from the Park Service said that the posts were from a former employee who was not authorized to use the account.

Next: a new and ingenious strategy in the resistance to the gag on these organizations. Rogue social media accounts appeared with the purpose of distributing information that can no longer be put out via official channels. An<a href="https://twitter.com/AltNatParkSer"> AltUSNatParkService</a> Twitter account appeared, followed by a slew of other accounts including<a href="https://twitter.com/AltForestServ"> AltUSForestService</a> and<a href="https://twitter.com/RogueNASA"> Rogue NASA</a>.

At first, these accounts claimed to be run by anonymous federal employees. Many of them have since shifted gears and say they are run by non-government activists.

Whatever the truth may be, the accounts all have the same goal – posting and promoting scientific research, facts, and information that has mysteriously disappeared from agency websites since Trump took office. Some of the accounts, such as BadHombreLands NPS, are using their social media presence for calls to action against legislation that threatens public lands. 

What will become of these accounts remains to be seen, but it’s clear that social media will be a useful tool in the growing scientific resistance to the Trump agenda. 
By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trump environmental resistance fights blackout via rogue social media accounts

In the past week, President Donald Trump has instituted a...

Hamsters fed corn turn from cute and cuddly into something from a horror movie.

Hamsters are cuddly, adorable, and sweet – until you feed them a corn-based diet. In a scene that’s reminiscent of a 1980’s horror movie, corn-fed hamsters turn into dark-tongued cannibals that store their young in their hamster pantries and munch on them during mealtimes.

Surprised? Scientists in northeastern France were, too, as they started what they thought would be an experiment on how a hamster’s diet affects its ability to reproduce in the wild. They tested groups of hamsters with two different diets – one that was corn-based and one that was wheat-based. Both diets included sides of yummy worms and clover.

Neither group had problems reproducing and had babies at similar rates. However, the mortality rates of the babies in the corn-based diet group were higher. Researchers soon found that this was because the mothers would store the tiny pups in with their supply of maize and then eat it all – pups included.

The reason? Scientists suspected Vitamin B3 deficiency after they noted that the corn-fed hamsters had dark, swollen tongues, thick blood, and would run around in circles and pound on their feeders when scientists appeared in the room. To confirm their suspicion, they added Vitamin B3 supplements to the hamsters’ diets without making any additional changes. The frantic and cannibalistic behavior ceased.

The team of researchers, led by Mathilde Tissier at the<a href="http://en.unistra.fr/"> University of Strasbourg</a>, believe that the study sheds light on the plummeting population of Cricetus cricetus hamsters in western Europe. There, hamsters live in virtual mazes of maize as their natural habitat has given way to industrial corn farming. The scientists published their findings in the British Royal Society journal<a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org"> Proceedings B</a>.  

Gerard Baumgart, President of the Research Centre for Environmental Protection in Alsace has worked for years to protect endangered hamster. He believes the study is a call to action and said to the <a href="https://www.afp.com/en/news-hub">AFP</a>, “There's clearly an imbalance. Our hamster habitat is collapsing.” 

–

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: Mathilde Tissier,<a href="http://en.unistra.fr/"> University of Strasbourg</a>

&nbsp;

Hamsters fed corn become carnivorous cannibals

Hamsters fed corn turn from cute and cuddly into something from...

Human-pig embryos could revolutionize our medical industry. For patients hoping for an <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-work-increase-genetic-diversity-yellowstone-bison/">organ transplant</a>, the wait to get a new heart, liver, or kidney can stretch out for years. To shorten these wait times, doctors are researching ways to grow human organs in a laboratory. Recently, they came one step closer to their goal by successfully growing human cell inside pig and cattle embryos. 

Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte and his colleagues at the<a href="http://www.salk.edu"> Salk Institute</a> in La Jolla, California published their work in the journal<a href="http://secure.jbs.elsevierhealth.com/action/getSharedSiteSession?rc=1&amp;redirect=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cell.com%2Fcell%2Ffulltext%2FS0092-8674%2816%2931752-4&amp;code=cell-site"> Cell</a>. They made pig embryos in the lab and injected each one with human stem cells. The embryos were only allowed to grow for four weeks, after which they were destroyed. 

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/end-era-ringling-bros-circus-will-shut/">Animals</a> with cells from different species are called chimeras – named after a creature in Homer’s Iliad that was “<a href="http://www.earth.com/image/sea-lion-mugs-camera-rescue-fishing-gear/">lion</a>-fronted and snake behind, a goat in the middle.” Experiments involving chimeras – and particularly those using human cells – have sounded alarm bells amongst those concerned with the ethics of human-animal research. Ethicists wonder if the insertion of human cells into an animal begins to cross a line in which that animal should be given human rights. The U.S. government pulled taxpayer funding of chimera-based scientific experiments in 2015, and any new work must be privately funded.

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cat-litter-alzheimers-link/">Scientists</a> at Salk first discovered that they could grow cells from one species inside another when they attempted the procedure on rats and mice. First, they created a mouse embryo without a pancreas. Then, they successfully implanted and grew a rat pancreas inside the mouse embryo. They have also repeated the same experiment with rat hearts and eyes inside mouse embryos. 

When the team began researching human stem cells, they realized they needed a larger creature in which to grow them. Although Salk told<a href="http://www.usatoday.com"> USA Today</a> that the ability to grow human organs is “far away,” scientists hope to eventually be able to grow human pancreases, livers, and hearts.  

–

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte,<a href="http://www.salk.edu"> Salk Institute</a>

&nbsp;

Human-pig embryos pave possible future for transplants

Human-pig embryos could revolutionize our medical industry. For patients hoping...

It looks as though one of the world’s biggest <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/obama-bans-oil-gas-leasing-arctic-atlantic/">oil</a> companies won’t have to shell out damages anytime soon. 

People from the Nigerian communities of Bille and Ogale brought a lawsuit against oil company Shell due to spills that they say negatively impacted them. Now, a judge has decided that the case cannot proceed in the UK. 

The claimants’ lawyers were surprised to see the case dismissed so quickly. They insist that Shell’s parent company – <a href="http://www.shell.com/">Royal Dutch Shell</a> – should be held responsible for the actions of the company’s Nigerian branch. 

Justice Fraser, the judge in the case, disagreed, stating that “there is simply no connection whatsoever between this jurisdiction and the claims brought by the claimants, who are Nigerian citizens, for breaches of statutory duty and/or in common law for acts and omissions in Nigeria, by a Nigerian company.”

The two claims in the case were brought by 2,000 fishermen in the Bille kingdom, as well as 40,000 people in the Ogale community. These two areas lie in the Niger delta, an area that’s a prime location for <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/california-gov-offshore-oil-drilling/">oil drilling</a>. 

Of the ruling, King Okpabi of the Ogale community said to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/">The Guardian</a>, “Our community is disappointed but not discouraged by this judgment and we are confident that, as in the Netherlands, the court of appeal will see things differently. Royal Dutch Shell makes billions of dollars of profit each year from Nigerian oil, but our communities which host its infrastructure have been left environmentally devastated.”

Chief Temebo, the spokesperson for the Bille Council of Chiefs, also expressed his frustration, saying, “If the claim does not continue in the English courts, we have no hope that the environment will ever be cleaned up and the fish will ever return to our waters. Shell will do nothing unless they are ordered to by the English courts.”

Shell denies any wrongdoing. They suggest that any oil spills that have occurred in affected areas were caused by thieves, sabotage, or illegal refining activities. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

UK Judge shuts down Nigerian Shell lawsuit

It looks as though one of the world’s biggest oil...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cats-just-smart-dogs-thank-much/">Cat lovers</a> take a lot of heat. They’re stereotyped as being eccentric recluses who struggle to find a piece of cat hair-free clothing every time they set foot out the door. Their lives revolve around the care and feeding of a demanding, aloof little fur ball (or three). And now, cat lovers are getting no love from the scientific community, as researchers have just announced a possible link between cat litter and Alzheimer’s disease. 

The problem lies in a tiny parasite called Toxoplasma gondii. It thrives in soiled litter boxes and is a real threat to pregnant women who end up with litter scooping duty. However, it’s also a risk to other cat owners who scoop the litter box and fail to wash their hands thoroughly afterwards. 

If a person is infected with T. gondii, the parasite moves into their brain. There, it can increase the risk of anxiety, schizophrenia, and even brain cancer. Scientists are also looking into whether or not the infection may cause Alzheimer’s disease. 

Scientists published the study in the <a href="http://www.journalofparasitology.org/">Journal of Parasitology</a>. Journal editor Michael Sukhdeo of <a href="http://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> said that the Alzheimer’s-T. gondii link is likely because “the parasite likes to live in the brain. 

In their research, they looked at mice who were infected with T. gondii, as well as others who were altered to show symptoms similar to Alzheimer’s. Researchers found that mice infected with the parasite demonstrated impairments to their learning and memory that mimicked the classic symptoms of Alzheimer’s. 

They also noted that the infection altered the mice’s brain chemistry and increased their chances of developing Alzheimer’s. 

The findings increase the health risk posed by cat litter to pregnant women, but they also mean that other adults need to be more cautious when handling soiled cat litter. People who are infected may notice flu-like symptoms; they may also experience no symptoms whatsoever. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Source: Michael Sukhdeo, <a href="http://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>

Oh, poop! Scientists link cat litter to Alzheimer’s

Cat lovers take a lot of heat. They’re stereotyped as...

<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> has launched a new public web portal making all scientific NASA research available to everyone. Oh – and it’s all free of charge. Cue a collective cheer from space geeks everywhere!

This is all happening thanks to NASA’s new policy regarding NASA research articles in peer-reviewed journals. They must be made publicly accessible and it has to happen within a year after they’re published. 

Science fans aren’t the only ones celebrating. Officials at NASA are also pretty pleased with the chance to show off all of their research and hard work. 

“At NASA, we are celebrating this opportunity to extend access to our extensive portfolio of scientific and technical publications,” said NASA Deputy Administrator Dava Newman in a news release. “Through open access and innovation we invite the global community to join us in exploring Earth, air and space.”

Previously, people had to pay to access many of NASA’s published journal articles. The new policy was put into place after a 2013 request from the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. They wanted to ensure that the public had easy and open access to the results of federally-funded research. 

NASA developed public access plan through a coordinated effort between science and technology research teams across the organization. As time goes on, it hopes to further improve the plan in ways that will increase public access to search results. 

At the moment, the database – called <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/open/researchaccess/pubspace">PubSpace</a> – has 861 articles available for public perusal. People can simply wander through the site or search for a topic that interests them. NASA will add to the database as more research is published. 

“Making our research data easier to access will greatly magnify the impact of our research,” said NASA Chief Scientist Ellen Stofan. “As scientists and engineers, we work by building upon a foundation laid by others.”

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: Dava Newman and Ellen Stofan, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>

Access to NASA research made free to the public

NASA has launched a new public web portal making all scientific NASA...

Has human behavior really changed the Earth’s climate baseline? Specifically, has our carbon dioxide emissions helped make the planet hotter? Scientists are working to define a “pre-industrial” period of time to use as a baseline in order to accurately take measurements to find out how humankind has affected global temperatures. 

For years, scientists have used the time period 1850-1900 as the “pre-industrial” time before factories and gas-guzzling cars sent fumes spiraling into the air. However, according to a paper published in the<a href="http://journals.ametsoc.org/toc/bams/current"> Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society</a> (BAMS), that might soon change.

The researchers who published the paper say that humans were already affecting the Earth’s climate long before 1850. In fact, they say that by that time, there were already higher amounts of greenhouse gases such as methane.

This has caused Ed Hawkins from<a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/"> Reading University</a>, as well as his colleagues who worked on the paper, to suggest that 1720-1800 would serve as a better baseline time period to know what our climate was like before industry started ramping up.

Why this particular period? It was before big industry and fossil fuel use exploded in popularity. There were also no major natural disasters such as volcanic eruptions that might have altered global temperatures during this time. 

Having a more precise idea of how much our climate has changed due to human industry and behavior will give policymakers the ability to make better-informed decisions about setting climate goals. If the original baseline was already hotter due to human activity, this means that current temperature limits may need to be readjusted. This includes the one laid out in the Paris agreement, which seeks to maintain the Earth’s temperature at “well below 2C above pre-industrial levels.”

Hawkins said that politicians may want to use the new baseline in future policy discussions. ”We obviously have much better observations now and over the past few decades, and so the policy-makers may want to reframe the question,” he said to BBC News.

–

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: Ed Hawkins,<a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/"> Reading University</a>

Scientists reconsider “pre-industrial” climate baseline

Has human behavior really changed the Earth’s climate baseline? Specifically,...

President Trump called himself “an environmentalist” during a Tuesday morning meeting and then signed two executive actions to proceed with the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/keystone-xl-pipeline-review-drags-on-3/">Keystone XL </a>and Dakota Access pipelines (DAPL), a move in direct opposition to environmentalists.

“I am to a large extent an environmentalist. I believe in it, but it’s out of control,” Trump said.

Addressing chief executives from Ford, Fiat Chrysler, and General Motors – the largest U.S. auto manufacturers – Trump vowed to dismantle government regulations in place to preserve clean air and water.

The move was consistent with his campaign rhetoric which dismissed climate change science as a Chinese hoax looking to undercut American industry. 

“We’re bringing manufacturing back to the United States big league. We’re reducing taxes substantially and we’re reducing unnecessary regulations. And we want regulations, but we want real regulations that mean something,” Trump said.  

Following through on his campaign promises to gut regulations and slash taxes is indeed in line with his vow to fortify the fossil fuel industry. But for many, the actions prove his environmentalist claims hollow.

“Trump is an environmentalist in the same way that he is a feminist: every action and move he makes is offensive, divisive, and dangerous to the people and places we love, but he pays lip service to what he thinks people want to hear. He’s the only world leader to deny climate change and has actively attacked environmental protections from the moment he walked in the White House door,” Michael Brune, executive director of the <a href="http://www.sierraclub.org">Sierra Club</a> told Yahoo News. 

Trump signing executive orders to advance construction of the Keystone XL and DAPL is a crushing blow to the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and Native-American tribes from across the nation who spent months braving weather and police harassment protesting the projects last fall.

“Donald Trump has made it clear that his America does not include millions of Americans who fought to protect our land, water, sacred sites and climate from dangerous pipelines,” said Erich Pica, president of<a href="http://www.foe.org"> Friends of Earth</a> in a statement to Al Jazeera.

Environmental activists who oppose the two pipelines have asked “all New Yorkers who care about the future of our planet,” to march on Manhattan’s Trump Tower at 6PM Tuesday evening. The<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/1832909786988486/"> Facebook announcement</a> of the protest added, “If Trump wants to build pipelines, he’s going to have to go through ALL OF US.”

--

By Darryl Joseph, Earth.com Staff Writer

Trump signs executive order to proceed with DAPL

President Trump called himself “an environmentalist” during a Tuesday morning...

<a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> scientists have confirmed a groundbreaking 2009 study: it’s possible to isolate dinosaur collagen from fossilized bones.

The new study isolated collagen peptides from a Brachylophosaurus specimen dating back 80 million years. The research lends support to the original breakthrough in 2009, showing that organic molecules can survive in fossils for much longer than previously believed. 

“Sequence data from biomolecules such as DNA and proteins, which provide critical information for evolutionary studies, have been assumed to be forever outside the reach of dinosaur paleontology,” the researchers wrote in the new study.

Mass spectrometry technology improvements, along with new databases of proteins, allowed for the breakthroughs in dino genetics.

Using the new equipment, the North Carolina State researchers extracted and analyzed a sample from the same fossils used for the 2009 study. They confirmed two of the peptide sequences recovered in 2009, and discovered six new peptide sequences.

Collagen – even 80 million-year-old dinosaur collagen – is a protein. Proteins are made up of peptides, so collecting ancient peptides from fossil remains allows paleontologists to piece together dino DNA. That allows them to study how a dinosaur may fit into evolutionary chains, and discovered any distant modern relatives. 

Brachylophosaurus canadensis, the duck-billed dinosaur that was the star of the new study, is related to modern crocodiles and alligators, as well as some ancient bird ancestors.

Previous studies that found dinosaur collagen peptides were controversial. However, the new study shows that with modern instrumentation and equipment, the results can be repeated.

“[T]his study demonstrates the importance of reexamining previously studied specimens with updated methods and instrumentation, as we obtained roughly the same amount of sequence data as the previous study with substantially less sample material,” the scientists wrote.

The study was published in the <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.jproteome.6b00873">Journal of Proteome Research</a>. The scientists also submitted their data to <a href="http://www.proteomexchange.org/">ProteomeXchange</a>, with the identifier PXD005087.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Study confirms 2009 dinosaur collagen discovery

North Carolina State University scientists have confirmed a groundbreaking 2009...

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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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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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?

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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

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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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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