Air pollution is a silent menace that can subtly worsen the heart conditions that many patients battle daily. Often, we are not aware of the full extent of this danger.



Unlike viruses or bacterial infections, which are more tangible and typically easier to detect and manage, this invisible threat arises from the very air we breathe, infiltrating our bodies with harmful particles that can exacerbate chronic heart issues.



A new study by heart researchers at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City finds that patients with heart disease, particularly those who have suffered heart failure, are especially vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution and poor air quality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-air-pollution-and-heart-health">Air pollution and heart health</h2>



The results of the study were presented at the American Heart Association's 2024 Scientific Sessions international conference in Chicago.



The experts found that two inflammatory markers - CL27 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 27) and IL-18 (interleukin 18) - were elevated in heart failure patients who were exposed to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/poor-air-quality-linked-to-cognitive-problems-in-infants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poor air quality</a>, but did not change in those without heart disease.



This suggests that air pollution places additional stress on the bodies of patients with pre-existing heart conditions.



“These biomarkers rose in response to air pollution in people who already had <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-research-proves-that-air-pollution-causes-heart-problems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart disease</a>, but not in patients who were heart disease free, showing that heart failure patients are not as able to adapt to changes in the environment,” said Dr. Benjamin Horne, the study's principal investigator, is a professor of research at Intermountain Health.



The findings emphasize the unique vulnerability of individuals with heart problems, and highlight the need for targeted protective measures to mitigate the harmful effects of poor air quality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unraveling-the-research-process">Unraveling the research process</h2>



The retrospective study involved collaboration between Intermountain Health researchers and scientists from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a> and the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard School of Public Health</a>. 



They analyzed blood samples from patients enrolled in the Intermountain INSPIRE registry, which collects blood, biological samples, medical information, and laboratory data from both healthy individuals and those with various medical conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identifying-air-pollution-peaks">Identifying air pollution peaks</h2>



The researchers examined blood for 115 different proteins that are indicative of increased inflammation.



The samples came from 44 heart failure patients and 35 individuals without heart disease. 



Blood was drawn on days with low air pollution (PM2.5 levels under 7 μg/m3) and days on which pollution spiked (PM2.5 levels of 20 μg/m3 or higher). This allowed the researchers to compare the samples and determine the effects of pollution spikes.



The spikes were due either to summer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preparing-for-disaster-raising-awareness-to-reduce-wildfire-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildfire</a> smoke or winter inversions, where warm air traps pollution close to the ground.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proactive-measures-for-heart-patients">Proactive measures for heart patients</h2>



“It’s important that individuals with known heart disease, including those diagnosed with heart failure, need to be especially cautious during periods of poor air quality," said Dr. Horne.



"This includes exercising indoors, making sure to take their prescribed medications, and avoiding areas like roadways and highways where there’s a lot more traffic and pollution."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-air-quality-matters">Why air quality matters </h2>



The&nbsp;results&nbsp;of&nbsp;this study highlight a pressing need for enhanced public education and prevention among heart patients during times of adverse&nbsp;air quality.



Air pollution is an increasingly common problem, in both developed and developing countries. This is due, in part, to&nbsp;urbanization, industrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-carbon-dioxide-emissions-hit-a-record-high-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> and climate change. 



Individuals with heart diseases, along with many others, have increased susceptibility. The study reiterates the need for improved air quality monitoring and public health interventions that are centered on heart patients' needs. In terms of healthcare professionals, these findings pave the way for more focused education for patients with a comorbid condition. Physicians may advise that the suggested strategies be implemented, such as having <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bioengineered-super-plant-acts-as-natural-indoor-air-purifier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">air purifiers</a> at home or not opening windows during days of poor air quality.



This proactive approach not only mitigates immediate health risks but also promotes long-term well-being for heart patients. In addition, policymakers may use research like this as the foundation for their advocacy of stronger air quality standards and environmentally conscious, sustainable urban planning that decreases pollution-emitting sources.



If&nbsp;stricter&nbsp;regulations&nbsp;on&nbsp;emissions&nbsp;are&nbsp;enacted,&nbsp;coupled&nbsp;with&nbsp;a focus on&nbsp;cleaner technologies, communities&nbsp;can&nbsp;protect&nbsp;more&nbsp;than&nbsp;just&nbsp;heart patients. The public in&nbsp;general&nbsp;will benefit by improving overall health, reducing healthcare burdens for governments.



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Heart disease patients have a unique vulnerability to air pollution

Air pollution is a silent menace that can subtly worsen the heart conditions that many patients battle daily. Often, we are not aware of the full extent of this danger. Unlike viruses or bacterial infections, which are more tangible and typically easier to detect and manage, this invisible threat arises from the very air we breathe, infiltrating our bodies with harmful particles that can exacerbate chronic heart issues. A new study by heart researchers at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City finds that patients with heart disease,...

Coastal and pelagic soundscapes are becoming more and more noisy, as offshore energy development, shipping and construction activities become more widespread and intense. One acoustic impact of the louder noise is a reduction in hearing sensitivity recorded in some marine and freshwater <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disposable-masks-are-increasingly-impacting-marine-animals/">animals</a>, including fish, squid and whales. 



Researchers now say that reptiles, such as turtles, are also likely to experience hearing loss as a result of exposure to underwater noise pollution. The results of their recent study will be presented at the 2022 <a href="https://osm2022.secure-platform.com/">Ocean Sciences Meeting</a>, being held online until the 4th of March.&nbsp;



“Our preliminary findings are the first to support that these animals are vulnerable to underwater hearing loss after exposure to intense noise,” said Andria Salas, who is a researcher at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and will present the findings of the research. “We have assumed that turtles experience hearing loss when exposed to sufficiently intense sounds as observed in other animals, but there hasn't been any data collected specifically on turtles.”



The researchers used two non-threatened species of freshwater turtles in their experiments to determine the impact of loud noise on hearing. They inserted a minimally invasive electrode just under the skin above a turtle’s ear, to monitor the very small electrical voltages created by the turtle’s auditory system when it hears sounds. Before exposing the turtles to loud noise, the researchers first determined the lower threshold of turtles’ underwater hearing and which sound frequencies they heard best.



They then exposed the turtles to loud noise before removing them from the source and continuing to measure hearing sensitivity over the next hour to determine the extent of underwater hearing loss and whether this recovered in the short term. The turtles’ hearing was checked again two days later, to establish whether it had recovered fully.&nbsp;



The researchers found that, while the turtles always recovered their hearing, sensitivity loss could last anywhere from 20 minutes to over an hour. In some instances, however, hearing had not recovered by the end of the testing hour, indicating that the turtles needed more time to recover fully from the noise exposure. The hearing of one turtle was affected for multiple days.



Salas and her colleagues were surprised by the relatively low level of noise that caused these changes to the turtles’ hearing, which is essential for communication and avoiding predators. The new findings could have implications for the survival of some threatened turtle species.&nbsp;



“If this occurs in nature, turtles would be less able to detect sounds in their environment on these timescales, including sounds used for communication or warning them of approaching predators,” she said. “Over half of turtle and tortoise species are threatened, and noise pollution is an additional stressor to consider as we work towards protecting these animals.”



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

Sea turtles suffer from hearing loss caused by noise pollution

Coastal and pelagic soundscapes are becoming more and more noisy,...

A new study led by the University of Miami’s <a href="https://www.rsmas.miami.edu/">Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science</a> has found that a stressful temperature treatment in the laboratory for 90 days can make corals more tolerant to increased water temperatures.



Since global warming is the greatest threat that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-destroyed-14-percent-of-the-worlds-coral-reefs/">coral reefs</a> currently face, these findings can offer restoration scientists new approaches to increase the success rate of planting new, more resilient coral onto degraded reefs as climate change continues to increase water temperatures.



While previous “stress-hardening” experiments have exposed corals to short-term higher temperatures, this new study assessed the effect of a long-term, variable treatment, where temperatures were increased to a stressful level for a brief period of time, twice per day.



“This ‘training’ regime is akin to an athlete preparing for a race,” said study lead author Allyson DeMerlis, a Ph.D. candidate at the UM Rosenstiel School. “We were able to demonstrate that this temperature treatment can boost the corals’ stamina to heat stress.”



DeMerlis and her colleagues collected fragments from six distinct genetic individuals of Caribbean staghorn coral from the UM Rosenstiel School’s <a href="https://rescueareef.rsmas.miami.edu/">Rescue a Reef</a> coral nursery and randomly assigned them to three groups: field control, laboratory control, and variable temperature treatment. 



While the laboratory control corals were kept at a constant 28 degrees Celsius for a period of three months, the variable temperature treatment corals were exposed twice per day to fluctuating temperatures between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius.



The scientists measured bleaching progression and the number of days that corals endured thermal stress before bleaching. They found that the variable temperature treatment significantly improved tolerance to thermal stress. Moreover, untreated corals were more prone to succumb to disease-like signs of tissue loss.



These results prove the benefits of using such methods to increase corals’ thermal endurance, and could be applied in the field by restoration practicians in order to identify locations where their nurseries and outplanting sites could be exposed to higher, fluctuating temperatures.



“We have unfortunately reached the point where active intervention and restoration are necessary to ensure that valuable coral reefs are able to persist for generations to come,” said study senior author Ian Enochs, a coral scientist at the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA).&nbsp;“We want to increase the efficiency and efficacy of these efforts, and ultimately ensure that the corals that are placed back out on a reef have the greatest chance of enduring the stressful conditions they will face in the future.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Our findings bring a glimmer of hope to the uncertain future of corals, as we identified a treatment in which we can enhance their tolerance to heat stress,” concluded DeMerlis.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00338-022-02232-z">Coral Reefs</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Corals can be trained to endure heat stress

A new study led by the University of Miami’s Rosenstiel...

After noticing an increase in the number of disposal masks littering rocky pools, an international team of researchers became interested in learning how masks and their chemicals are affecting marine life. It is already known that polypropylene, a type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-interior-has-accumulated-missing-plastics/">plastic</a> found in masks, has detrimental effects on aquatic animals.&nbsp;



The researchers observed the behavior of three small crustaceans - blue mussels (Mytilus edulis), sea snails (Littorina littorea), and copepods - in the presence of masks and compared this to their normal behavior.&nbsp;



When put into a simulated rocky environment with mask fragments, scientists noticed that mussels were 40 percent more likely to cluster together, a behavior typically observed when confronted with a threat which is also used to measure stress in the species. The experts believe mussels are using their osphradium (a sensory organ) to detect the chemicals released by the masks and aggregate together as a result.&nbsp;



Marine snails were also affected. Although they did not avoid the mask or the mask fragments, they did exhibit stress when they crawled on them and preferred not to crawl over them. Furthermore, the chemicals from the masks seemed to make them less alert, which means they might be more likely to suffer predation.&nbsp;



The study also suggests that copepod reproduction is affected by mask chemicals. Male copepods found it more challenging to detect female pheromones, which meant they were less likely to find females and mate with them.



The findings of this study may have wider implications. The species observed for this study are keystone species, which means that other members of the ecosystem heavily depend on them. A decline in populations of keystone species could have devastating consequences for other members of their community, including human consumers.&nbsp;



“We’re seeing more and more masks in rocky pools,” said Laurent Seuront, a marine ecologist at the French Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique. “This could cascade up the food chain and up to us.”



The research will be presented by Seuront at the <a href="https://osm2022.secure-platform.com/">2022 Ocean Sciences Meeting</a>, which will be held online. The meeting brings together researchers from the <a href="https://www.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a>, the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography, and The Oceanography Society.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Disposable masks are increasingly impacting marine animals

After noticing an increase in the number of disposal masks...

In response to the dire circumstances surrounding the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/many-older-adults-develop-medical-conditions-after-covid-19/">COVID-19</a> pandemic, countries pledged around $13 trillion in stimulus packages to help economic recovery. However, of this large sum of money that could have been used to restructure economies in a more visionary manner, only six percent of it was invested in projects that address climate change issues.&nbsp;



This is the finding of a <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> study, details of which are published today in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>. The authors analyzed over $13 trillion in COVID-19-related stimulus packages from 19 countries and the European Union, and found that the vast majority of recovery spending didn’t address climate issues at all. Moreover, three percent of the money went to support projects that are likely to increase greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“These economic recovery packages provided an opportunity for countries, including the United States, to really envision what they want their economies to look like going forward,” said co-author&nbsp;<a href="https://engineering.jhu.edu/ehe/faculty/scot-miller/">Scot Miller</a>, an assistant professor of environmental health and engineering at Johns Hopkins. “The pandemic could have been an opportunity to push countries toward greener economies and a lot of governments have failed to do so.”



The team of scientists analyzed each nation’s stimulus policy from the beginning of the pandemic in 2020 to well into 2021, identifying the percentage of funds allocated to projects that would lower greenhouse gas emissions, those that would increase them and those that would have no impact. The six percent of recovery funding that did support emission-reducing projects was invested in activities such as the development of electric vehicles and transit infrastructure, building energy efficient homes and offices, and carrying out research into renewable energy.&nbsp;



“Even though this was a public health crisis, in principle governments could have intervened in the economy in a way that changed everything, getting together to do something really big to meet the climate challenge,” said lead author&nbsp;<a href="https://sais.jhu.edu/users/jnahm1">Jonas Nahm</a>, assistant professor of energy, resources, and environment at Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies. “But the vast majority of the money spent has very tenuous relations to emissions so it was, overall, very disappointing.”



The team found that of green stimulus measures, only about 27 percent would directly reduce greenhouse emissions. The remaining approximately 72 percent would have only an indirect impact; these included projects like subsidies for biofuel producers in Brazil, or funding in Germany to aid the construction of electric vehicle charging stations.



South Korea and the European Union each devoted 30 percent of their stimulus money to funding green projects, while Brazil, Germany and Italy invested more than 20 percent. France spent ten percent of its recovery money on green projects, but the majority of countries, including the United States, Japan, Russia, and the United Kingdom, paid almost no attention to climate-related projects and spent less than five percent of their stimulus packages in this area.&nbsp;



Governments clearly did not prioritize climate protection over economic growth in the attempts to recover from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This is common during economic downturns, the authors say, yet stimulus spending during recessions offers an opportunity to combine climate and economic objectives. In the aftermath of the 2009 recession, for instance, 16% of global stimulus spending targeted emissions-reducing activities.



The trillions of dollars pledged by countries around the world to stimulate economic recovery were spent, instead, mainly on unconditional checks issued to individuals and businesses. They could have been invested in technology, infrastructure, and research and development to meet the climate goals of the Paris Agreement, creating jobs and economic recovery along the way.&nbsp; Signatories to the Agreement have 2030 deadlines to meet concerning interim emissions goals, and recovery funding could have been used to support their attempts to reach these targets.&nbsp;



“If there was ever an opportunity to tie economic recovery with these climate goals that are drawing closer by the day, this would have been the time to do it,” Miller said. “In the months and years ahead, we shouldn’t forget about climate and greenhouse gas emissions goals when devising economic recovery measures. These 2030 climate goals are coming faster and sooner than we think and we can’t put off thinking about climate change until the pandemic is over.”



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

Pandemic stimulus funding could have been used to address climate crisis

In response to the dire circumstances surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic,...

The use of eDNA, or environmental DNA, is an increasingly common practice in conservation. DNA found in the environment has been used to detect endangered <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-turtles-are-making-a-comeback-in-the-cayman-islands/">turtles</a> in Vietnam, and has also been used in demanding environments like the Amazon and Mt. Everest.&nbsp;



In an attempt to monitor whale and dolphin populations, many of which are endangered, researchers from three universities and the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> (WCS) have turned to eDNA collected from water samples. This method can be used in concert with other monitoring methods, including acoustic surveys. It’s even possible that eDNA may one day be used to identify individual animals.&nbsp;



Whales and dolphins are increasingly in need of protection and careful monitoring. Plans by the Biden administration, the state of New York (where the study was carried out) and others to increase offshore wind administration pose potential threats to whales. This on top of threats from fishing gear, whaling, pollution and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-whales-are-killed-by-ship-strikes-each-year/">strikes with ships</a>. 



Environmental DNA could be one more tool to help understand and protect whales and dolphins. WCS has already been working to develop guidelines for wind energy to make it as whale and dolphin friendly as possible.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; 



“Determining how cetaceans and other threatened marine animals use coastal habitats is critical to their effective conservation," said study lead author Dr. Elizabeth Alter of California State University.



"By generating eDNA data in parallel with survey data, it will be possible to gain a clearer understanding of how this tool can be used in management and conservation contexts to monitor species of conservation concern over large marine ecosystems.”



Not only are whales and dolphins detectable with eDNA, so are some of their prey species, such as fish. Monitoring whales, dolphins, and smaller animals may provide a greater understanding of the state of various populations and the habitats that are suitable for them.&nbsp;



Study co-author Dr. Howard C. Rosenbaum is the director of WCS’s Ocean Giants Program and a senior scientist at the NY Aquarium.



“Innovation and application of new techniques, such as the possibility of using eDNA, that leads to having better information about distribution of whales, dolphins and their prey is so important today, especially where potential impacts in these habitats may be increasing human activities," said Dr. Rosenbaum.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>.&nbsp;



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

Environmental DNA collected from water used to monitor whales

The use of eDNA, or environmental DNA, is an increasingly...

Farming insects for food and for animal feed is set to take off in the near future, according to the authors of an Opinion piece published today in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/plant-science/home">Trends in Plant Science</a>. The experts point out that the EU has recently authorized the incorporation of insects into pig and poultry feed, and that this will support the newly developing practice of insect farming. 



Insects provide an excellent source of readily available protein and, unlike the situation with mammal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scavengers-protect-livestock-from-infectious-disease/">livestock</a>, the whole insect body is edible. In addition, the farming of insects gives rise to a steady supply of waste products that can be used to fertilize soils and improve crop growth.



In the publication, researchers including Marcel Dicke of Wageningen University discuss the many potential benefits of using the waste from insect production in circular farming practices to promote sustainable agriculture. The authors argue this approach could enhance plant growth, health, pollination, and resilience.



Waste comes in two main forms; there are the exuviae (molted exoskeletons or skins), and the frass, which is insect feces mixed with uneaten food. Both substances are rich in nutrients and could form an important organic fertilizer, especially these days as the use of inorganic fertilizers becomes more and more restricted. Frass is rich in nitrogen, an element that is required for plant growth, but that is often in short supply in the soil. And exuviae contain chitin, an amino-sugar polysaccharide that is indigestible for most animals but can be broken down by bacteria.&nbsp;



“There is a set of bacteria that can metabolize chitin, and those microbes help plants to be more resilient to diseases and pests,” explained Dicke. “When exuviae are added to soil, the populations of those beneficial bacteria increase.”



The scientists propose that by adding waste from insect farming to the soil, the microbial populations in the soil could be enhanced. Microbes are very beneficial for plant growth and modern agricultural practices often include inoculating soils with specific types of soil bacteria that improve crop growth, resistance to disease and herbivory, and tolerance of abiotic conditions. Enhancing soil microbes is seen as an attractive alternative to using agrochemicals.



However, inoculating soil with microbes is not always a successful practice. The authors of the paper suggest, instead, that enriching the soil with organic waste from insect farming will encourage the development of the important microbes anyway. They propose that insect “livestock” could be fed waste from crops, such as offcut leaves and stems. The insects would form food for people or for livestock, such as poultry or pigs, and their waste could be introduced into the soil as an organic fertilizer, to enhance the growth of the crops. This type of circular farming leads to almost no wastage.&nbsp;



Insects are very efficient to farm, especially when compared with more traditional livestock. It takes roughly 25 kilograms of grass to produce one kilogram of beef. The same amount of grass can produce ten times as much edible insect protein. This is because insects are more efficient at converting their food into body mass, and also because up to 90 percent of an insect’s body mass is edible, as opposed to only 40 percent of a cow.



The team’s research showed that beneficial soil bacteria, derived from the enrichment of the soil with insect waste, can boost plant growth and also cause changes in plant physiology, attract mutualistic insects such as pollinators and natural enemies, and suppress insect pests on crop plants. They stress that further studies on the effects of insect waste on plant production are needed because these interactions are complex and dynamic but potentially extremely useful.&nbsp;



Currently, several different species of insects are farmed for use as both human food and livestock feed. These include yellow mealworms (Tenebrio molitor), lesser meal-worms (Alphitobius diaperinus), house crickets (Acheta domesticus), black soldierflies (Hermetiaillucens), and houseflies (Musca domestica).&nbsp;



“I have eaten crickets, mealworms, and locusts,” said Dicke. “Many people in in our part of the world need to get used to eating insects, but I can tell you that I've eaten many other insect species around the globe, and I've always had a wonderful meal on them.”



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

Insect farming could have huge benefits for crop production

Farming insects for food and for animal feed is set...

Although oxygen is essential for a variety of biochemical reactions that keep us alive, its oxidation process generates harmful reactive substances that our bodies cannot always neutralize quickly, often causing irreparable damage, such as that caused by oxidative stress - a phenomenon leading to premature <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-physical-activity-protects-the-brain-from-aging/">aging</a> or illness.



Many studies have argued that having green spaces in the vicinity of one’s home has a positive effect on health, since greenness improves mental health and encourages physical exercise. However, less attention has been paid to the direct effects of vegetation on biological processes such as oxidative stress and inflammation.&nbsp;



A new study led by the <a href="https://www.isglobal.org/en">Barcelona Institute for Global Health</a> (ISGlobal) has found that greater exposure to vegetation is associated with lower levels of oxidative stress in children, regardless of the children’s physical activities.



The scientists analyzed a cohort of 323 healthy children aged 8-11 from five primary schools in Asti, a small city in north-western Italy. Parents completed a questionnaire regarding how often their children engaged in physical activity, while oxidative stress was quantified by measuring the concentration of the compound isoprostane in children’s urine. Exposure to residential and school greenness was defined and calculated by using the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/MeasuringVegetation/measuring_vegetation_2.php">Normalized Difference Vegetation Index</a> (NDVI).



The researchers found that children with higher exposure to vegetation had significantly lower levels of oxidative stress, regardless of how much (or little) physical activity they were usually engaged in.&nbsp;



Several factors could explain this direct link between green space exposure and oxidative stress. According to study senior author Judith Garcia-Aymerich, the head of the <a href="https://www.isglobal.org/en/-/enfermedades-respiratorias">Non-Communicable Diseases and Environment Program</a> at ISGlobal, “increased exposure to these areas may contribute to children’s&nbsp;immune development&nbsp;by bringing them into&nbsp;contact with organisms&nbsp;that tend to colonize natural environments.” Moreover, contact with green spaces can increase exposure to Vitamin D, which is a powerful antioxidant that helps preventing the negative effects of oxidative stress and inflammation. Finally, vegetation improves air quality in urban areas, reducing thus the oxidative stress caused by pollution.



&nbsp;“The short- and long-term health effects of excess oxidative stress are unknown, so we need to&nbsp;conduct further research&nbsp;and&nbsp;support city and public-health strategies&nbsp;that favor greenness,” concluded Dr. Garcia-Aymerich.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0013935122001840?via%3Dihub">Environmental Research</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exposure to green space reduces oxidative stress in children

Although oxygen is essential for a variety of biochemical reactions...

A research team led by the <a href="https://www.kaust.edu.sa/">King Abdullah University of Science and Technology</a> (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia has recently created a solar-driven system that could successfully grow spinach by using water drawn from the air while producing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electricity-may-be-the-cheapest-energy-source-by-2050/">electricity</a>. This proof-of-concept design offers a sustainable, low-cost strategy to improve food and water security for people living in regions with dry, hot climates.



“A fraction of the world’s population still doesn’t have access to clean water or green power, and many of them live in rural areas with arid or semi-arid climate,” said study senior author Peng Wang, a professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at KAUST. “Our design makes water out of air using clean energy that would’ve been wasted and is suitable for decentralized, small-scale farms in remote places like deserts and oceanic islands.”



The system constructed by Professor Wang and his team - called WEC2P – is composed of a solar photovoltaic panel placed over a layer of hydrogel, which is mounted on top of a large metal box used to condense and collect water. The hydrogel can effectively absorb water vapors from the air and release the water content when heated.



The scientists conducted a plant-growing test by using this solar-powered system in Saudi Arabia for two weeks in June, when the weather was extremely hot. They managed to use the water solely collected from air to irrigate 60 water spinach seeds planted in a plastic box. The results were impressive: 57 out of 60 seeds sprouted and grew normally up to 18 centimeters.



“Our goal is to create an integrated system of clean energy, water, and food production, especially the water-creation part in our design, which sets us apart from current agrophotovoltaics,” said Dr. Wang. In order to do this, he plans to design a better hydrogel that could absorb more water from the air.



“Making sure everyone on Earth has access to clean water and affordable clean energy is part of the Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations. I hope our design can be a decentralized power and water system to light homes and water crops,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports-physical-science/fulltext/S2666-3864(22)00048-0">Cell Reports Physical Science</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Solar panels used to grow plants in the desert

A research team led by the King Abdullah University of...

The La Brea Tar Pits are located in urban Los Angeles, at a site where natural asphalt has seeped up from the ground for tens of thousands of years. In the past, animals became trapped in the tar and died, their bones being fossilized over time. Today, the site is famous for its deposits of Ice Age animals, particularly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-mammoths-survived-longer-than-initially-thought/">mammoths</a> and mastodons, which are excavated in real time by paleontologists.



The bones of long-lost animals from the tar pits are impressive and fascinating, and are on display in the <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/">Natural History Museum</a> of Los Angeles County; but the animals themselves remain dead and extinct. In an attempt to bring some of these creatures “back to life” for visitors to the museum, scientists and designers have got together to produce lifelike, 3D animations of the long-lost species through augmented reality (AR). Dr. Matt Davis and colleagues at the Natural History Museum and La Brea Tar Pits collaborated with researchers and designers at the University of Southern California (USC) to create more than a dozen new, scientifically accurate&nbsp;<a href="https://skfb.ly/osowz">virtual models of the Ice Age animals</a> that used to roam the area up to 38,000 years ago.&nbsp;



The team had originally set out to research how AR impacts learning in museums in general, but soon realized that there weren’t any accurate Ice Age animals in the metaverse yet. They decided to use the latest paleontological research, along with the newest design technologies, to make their own. In addition, they chose to publish all the research and detail that goes into reconstructing extinct species in the virtual world, so that others can appreciate and perhaps add to the paleoart animals in the metaverse. Their research is published today in the journal <a href="https://palaeo-electronica.org/">Palaeontologia Electronica</a>.



According to study co-author Dr. William Swartout, Chief Technology Officer at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies: “The innovation of this approach is that it allows us to create scientifically accurate artwork for the metaverse without overcommitting to details where we still lack good fossil evidence.”



In some instances, when the skin and fur of an animal has been preserved, a great deal of detail is known about its appearance. For example, virtual Shasta ground sloths from La Brea can be depicted with long, shaggy fur because specimens with their skin and fur have been excavated. However, many fossils do not show this extent of detail and paleoartists have to make their own decisions about how the animals might have looked while they were alive. The researchers hope their article will bring more understanding about the processes involved in creating lifelike representations of extinct animals.&nbsp;



“Paleoart can be very influential in how the public, and even scientists, understand fossil life,” said Dr. Emily Lindsey, Assistant Curator at La Brea Tar Pits and senior author of the study. Although paleoart has an important role in improving people’s understanding of prehistoric animals, a lot of paleoart is treated as an afterthought, and is not subjected to the same rigorous scrutiny as other scientific research. This can lead to particularly bad reconstructions and misrepresentations of extinct animals being propagated for generations in both popular media and academic publications.



“We think paleoart is a crucial part of paleontological research,” said Dr. Davis, the study’s lead author. “That’s why we decided to publish all the scientific research and artistic decisions that went into creating these models. This will make it easier for other scientists and paleoartists to critique and build off our team’s work.”



Visitors to the La Brea Tar Pits and Natural History Museum can now view scientifically based 3D AR animations of different animals on their cell phones. These include the giant sloth, saber-toothed cat, dire wolf, Shasta ground sloth, Harlan’s ground sloth, American lion, Columbian mammoth, American mastodon, Western camel, ancient bison, dwarf pronghorn, Western horse, teratorn bird, and short-faced bear.&nbsp;



Dr. Davis and colleagues hope that other paleoartists and scientists will follow their example by publishing all the research that goes into their reconstructions of extinct species as this will lead to better and more accurate paleoart for everyone.



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

Extinct Ice Age animals join the metaverse

The La Brea Tar Pits are located in urban Los...

The Cauca River rises in the Andes, in western Colombia, and flows northwards for 1,500 km before entering the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-future-of-caribbean-hurricanes-depends-on-the-extent-of-global-warming/">Caribbean</a> Sea. Its journey from headwaters to sea takes it between the western and central cordilleras, where it flows through a spectacular canyon carved out of the rock between the parallel mountain ranges. Although there are several different explanations for how great canyons form, the story behind the Cauca River Canyon has not been investigated before.



In recent years, however, experts in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences&nbsp;(EES) at <a href="https://www.syracuse.edu/">Syracuse University</a> have undertaken research on the massive Cauca River Canyon in the tropical Andes of Colombia. The team’s objective was to decipher the timing of incision of the 2.5-km-deep canyon using the cooling history of rocks from the canyon walls and a regional analysis of channel steepness in rivers. They then planned to compare their findings with known tectonic and climatic processes that took place in the region during the past 10 million years to figure out what caused the canyon’s incision.&nbsp;



The researchers used a combination of techniques to work out how the river canyon had formed. They analyzed the landscape using data from satellite imagery; collected bedrock samples on the eastern side of the canyon between 300 and 2300 m of elevation; and analyzed the rock samples using thermochronology. This is a technique that allows the researchers to deduce when and how fast a canyon is carved into a mountain by tracking when the rocks cooled to surface temperatures. Certain minerals, in this case apatite, become radioactive clocks as the rocks cool.



During the course of their analysis, they came across an unexpected feature of the landscape – a massive plateau raised about 2.5 km (8,200 ft) above sea level and surrounded by hundreds of waterfalls and very steep rivers that drained the edges of the plateau.



“Finding such a flat landform at high elevations in a tropical climate is unexpected and suggested that the topography could not be very old,” said study lead author Nicolás Pérez-Consuegra, a postdoctoral fellow at MIT. “If the topography had been old, the rivers would have probably already eroded the plateau.”



The researchers were perplexed by what processes could have caused the elevated plateau to arise. The team believes that, between the period of 50 to 10 million years ago, erosion smoothed the landscape to low, rolling hills but that, around 10 million years ago, tectonic forces began lifting that smoothed landscape, creating a plateau that is perched at its current elevation today. This was likely caused by a change in the angle of the oceanic plate that subducts beneath northern South America, through a process called slab flattening.



Their rock dating analysis led them to identify that a single incision event occurred in the late Miocene (ca. 7−6 Ma) and that this is what formed the Cauda River Canyon. It was carved as a response to rock uplift, due to tectonic movements, in the northern Central Cordillera.&nbsp;



Their results were presented in two papers that appeared in&nbsp;the journals <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0921818121002265?via%3Dihub">Global and Planetary Change</a>,&nbsp;and&nbsp;the Bulletin of the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1130/B36047.1">Geological Society of America</a> respectively.&nbsp;



These findings provide a plausible link between tectonic processes, rooted deep in the Earth, and erosion in the form of canyons being carved by rivers. Pérez-Consuegra says the team is now trying to determine catchment-scale erosion rates in the Central Cordillera of Colombia to discover how fast the rivers are incising and eroding into the plateau. They have collected sand from more than 20 rivers to calculate erosion rates through a technique which uses cosmogenic nuclides to estimate the length of time rock takes to traverse the upper 1.2 m (4 ft) of the Earth’s surface as it is converted to sediment.



The study expands the understanding of erosion hotspots in tropical landscapes and why they occur in certain areas. They will be able to pinpoint areas where erosion is most active, and where human populations will be most vulnerable as a consequence of this. Their findings will help inform decision makers who must take erosion and landslides into consideration when planning the development of infrastructure.&nbsp;



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

River canyon shows that tropical locations can be erosion hotspots

The Cauca River rises in the Andes, in western Colombia,...

According to a new national mental health survey led by the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> (UBC) in partnership with the <a href="https://cmha.ca/">Canadian Mental Health Association</a> (CMHA), 57 percent of respondents worried that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/canadas-plant-based-vaccine-is-finally-approved/">COVID-19</a> will continue to circulate among the population for years to come, with new variants emerging regularly. These fears that the pandemic end is nowhere in sight are also compounded by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-people-are-increasingly-anxious-over-climate-change/">climate change anxiety</a>, with 48 percent of the respondents expressing worries about how the climate crisis may exacerbate the negative impact of the pandemic.&nbsp;



This is the fourth round of the&nbsp;<a href="https://covid19.research.ubc.ca/research/assessing-mental-health-impacts-covid-19-national-survey-study">Assessing the Impacts of COVID-19 on Mental Health&nbsp;</a>survey led by Dr. Emily Jenkins, an assistant professor in the School of Nursing at UBC, and Dr. Anne Gadermann, an assistant professor in UBC’s School of Population and Public Health. It was conducted in December 2021 (almost a year after the third survey) and comprised the answers of a nationally representative sample of 3,030 Canadian adult residents.



As in the previous rounds, this survey highlighted ingrained inequalities in how different social groups were affected by the pandemic. While 37 percent of the participants claimed that the pandemic had a negative impact on their mental health, these numbers were increasingly higher in vulnerable social groups such as those who were unemployed due to the pandemic (57 percent), had pre-existing mental health issues (54 percent), identified as LGBTQ2+ (49 percent), were students (47 percent), or had disabilities (44 percent).&nbsp;



“The pandemic has made it impossible to ignore the longstanding service gaps and systemic barriers in our systems,” said Dr. Jenkins. “We need to ensure equitable access to treatment and services, take action on the social and structural issues that cause these inequities, and sustain investment in these efforts beyond the conclusion of the pandemic. It’s time to put in the work to address the longstanding barriers to good mental health in our society.”



The fact that the pandemic emerged at the same time that the negative effects of climate change are starting to be clearly visible globally is significantly compounding the mental health issues Canadian citizens are struggling with. “With the heat domes and atmospheric rivers British Columbia experienced in 2021, there was more awareness of climate crisis effects compounding mental health struggles alongside the pandemic. All these different issues were colliding and we wanted to account for that,” said Jenkins.



Fortunately, many of the respondents living in British Columbia (76 percent) reported that they were coping very or fairly well with the stress caused by the pandemic, with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physical-exercise-reduces-chronic-anxiety-better-than-drugs/">exercising</a> or going for walks as some of the key coping mechanisms.



A complete summary of the findings can be found <a href="https://cmha.ca/brochure/summary-of-key-findings-ubc-4/">here</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pandemic stress is compounded by climate anxiety

According to a new national mental health survey led by...

The San Andreas Fault is an 800-mile-long sliding tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate. It cleaves California from north to south, as the two tectonic plates slowly grind against each other, threatening to give rise to massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-linked-to-earthquakes-more-than-1200-miles-away/">earthquakes</a>.&nbsp;



San Andreas comprises three major sections which can move independently. In the southern and the northern sections, the plates are locked most of the time, causing stresses to build over years, decades, or even centuries, and occasionally leading to large earthquakes, such as the catastrophic one from San Francisco in 1906 that had a magnitude of 7.9 and killed over 3,000 people.&nbsp;



In the central section though, which separates the other two, the plates slip past each other slowly, at a steady 26 millimeters rate each year. Until recently, scientists thought that this so-called “<a href="http://funnel.sfsu.edu/creep/WhatsCreepPage.html">aseismic creep</a>” prevents stresses from building and does not lead to large earthquakes.



However, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsa/geology/article-abstract/doi/10.1130/G49451.1/612167/History-of-earthquakes-along-the-creeping-section">Geology</a> suggests that this central creeping section of the San Andreas Fault has in fact hosted many major earthquakes throughout history, some of them possibly happening fairly recently. By using novel chemical-analysis methods to calculate the degrees of heating that the sedimentary rocks withstood in the distant past - a sign that earthquakes took place there - the researchers argue that the creep may have witnessed over 100 earthquakes during its history. Some of these quakes may have been even larger than the disastrous 1906 San Francisco one.



“The creeping section is a difficult place to do Paleoseismology, because evidence for earthquakes can be easily erased by the creep,” said Morgan Page, a seismologist at the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a>. “If this holds up, this is the first evidence of a big seismic rupture in this part of the fault.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Ultimately, our work points to the potential for higher magnitude earthquakes in central California and highlights the importance of including the central (San Andreas Fault) and other creeping faults in seismic hazard analysis,” the study authors added.



However, according to the researchers, although massive earthquakes did occur along the creep and thus they could happen again, since tectonic strain is not currently accumulating at significant rates in the area, no such disastrous events are foreseen in the near future.



“People should not be alarmed,” concluded study co-author Stephen Cox, a geologist at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>.&nbsp; “Building codes in California are now quite good. Seismic events are inevitable. Work like this helps us figure out what is the biggest possible event, and helps everyone prepare.”



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Slow-moving section of the San Andreas Fault could produce major activity

The San Andreas Fault is an 800-mile-long sliding tectonic boundary...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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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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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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 <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



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.

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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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.

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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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.

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



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.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



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.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



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.

Kangerlussuaq Glacier 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 the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



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.

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video 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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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Aerial,Photo,Of,River,In,Amazon,Rainforest,Jungle,In,Peru

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists are using autonomous sound sensors to monitor deforestation in the Amazon. By recording soundscapes, the experts can determine which animals are present through their distinct sounds.&nbsp;



Using this method, sounds can be used as scientific measurements to analyze the effects of deforestation. The researchers will gain a better understanding of how the acoustics of a forest can be used to measure its health.&nbsp;



"From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look lush and green, like a place buzzing with activity and full of sounds. But inside the rainforest, the animal life may tell a different story, of a harsh environment and a quieter soundscape," says NASA.



Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center&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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

[sendtonews key="u0TYxxqfF7-2186404-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA’s...