On February 2, 1887, residents of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania turned to a large rodent to predict the arrival of spring, marking the first official Groundhog Day.&nbsp;



Over 130 years later, according to Rob Guralnick, curator of biodiversity informatics at the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Museum of Natural History</a>, we haven’t made much progress in predicting seasonal changes.



“We can’t generate good forecasts for whether spring will arrive early or late next year nearly as well as we can make predictions about the weather,” Guralnick said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-the-climate-response-of-plants">Predicting the climate response of plants</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-the-oceans-hidden-influence-on-global-weather-patterns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Weather patterns</a> undoubtedly influence the seasons, but how plants and animals respond to those changes - a field called phenology - is equally important.&nbsp;



While meteorologists can reliably forecast temperatures months ahead, predicting when plants will sprout leaves or flowers remains a challenge. Add climate change into the mix, and the puzzle becomes even harder to solve.



However, a new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01807-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a> offers promising advancements.&nbsp;



By improving existing methods and incorporating the rate at which springtime temperatures rise, the study accurately predicts how seasonal cycles have shifted over the past 150 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plants-bloom-earlier-in-a-warmer-climate">Plants bloom earlier in a warmer climate </h2>



The breakthrough came after researchers rediscovered a forgotten 19th-century report containing thousands of phenological observations across the eastern United States.&nbsp;



This report - the earliest citizen science project organized by the <a href="https://www.si.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Smithsonian Institution</a> - documented when plants and animals became active across regions stretching from Michigan to Florida.



Theresa Crimmins, director of the <a href="https://www.usanpn.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">USA National Phenology Network</a> and co-author of the study, stumbled upon the report while researching for a book chapter.&nbsp;



“I dug up this old document and realized there was actual data in it. Most of the other reports that had been referenced were just summaries,” said Crimmins.



The team used these historical records as a baseline. By comparing them with modern observations, they uncovered striking shifts.



“All 18 species advanced their leaf growth and flowering phenology,” Crimmins explained. “On average, it’s occurring more than three weeks earlier than it did in the past. There are some species that are flowering more than a month earlier.”



The findings confirm what scientists suspected: global warming has led to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-spring-follows-the-hottest-february-on-record/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">earlier springs</a> and longer summers. Yet the study’s use of historical data over such an extensive time period is rare, making the results particularly compelling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-regions-are-changing-faster-than-others">Some regions are changing faster than others</h2>



Interestingly, not all areas of the U.S. have experienced the same shifts. Phenology in the Northeast has advanced far more than in the Southeast, highlighting variations in the rate of change across latitudes.&nbsp;



Traditional models used to predict <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-plants-actively-shaped-earths-climate-cycle-throughout-history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant activity</a> focus on two main variables: a plant’s location and the amount of warm weather needed for it to grow. While these models work for specific species in localized areas, they struggle to explain broader trends across diverse ecosystems.



“Not only is there variation across species, there’s variation across latitudes in the rate of global warming. Climate is warming faster at higher latitudes,” said co-author Lindsay Campbell, an assistant professor at the University of Florida’s <a href="https://fmel.ifas.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Medical Entomology Laboratory</a>.



These complexities can result in unexpected patterns. For example, red maples, which typically bloom early in spring, may be outpaced by pink azaleas - traditionally later bloomers - if they grow in an area where temperatures rise quickly.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-missing-factor-warming-velocity">A missing factor: Warming velocity</h2>



To solve these mysteries, Guralnick suspected an overlooked factor: the rate at which temperatures increase in spring, also called “warming velocity.”&nbsp;



Areas near large bodies of water, for example, warm more slowly because water retains heat longer than air. Such regions tend to experience gradual warming and milder winters.



To test this idea, Michaela Keys and Carolyn Davis, two museum interns, digitized the Smithsonian’s historical data. Co-author Erin Grady, a graduate student at the University of Florida, compiled modern observations from citizen science platforms like <a href="https://www.inaturalist.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">iNaturalist</a> and the National Phenology Network.



Once the team ran the numbers, the results were clear: adding warming velocity dramatically improved the accuracy of their predictions. It also provided explanations for anomalies like late-blooming plants flowering ahead of early bloomers under certain conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-dance-between-plants-and-climate-change-nbsp">Complex dance between plants and climate change&nbsp;</h2>



These findings have important implications for conservation. As global temperatures continue to rise, species are not only shifting their seasonal cycles but also changing where they live. For conservationists, being able to predict these changes is vital for protecting ecosystems.



“I’ve always been skeptical about whether we’ll be able to predict what the world will look like in the near future, but I think we’re getting better at it as we take a more holistic view and as we get the underlying processes nailed down,” Guralnick said. “Doing so helps us manage the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-rich-tree-diversity-adapt-better-changing-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diversity</a> we have left.”



By combining historical observations with modern data and improved models, scientists are inching closer to understanding the complex dance between plants, temperature, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-defy-climate-change-through-acclimation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>.&nbsp;



As the planet warms, tools like these will be crucial for anticipating and mitigating the impacts of a shifting world.



-----



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Predicting how climate change will alter plant growth cycles

On February 2, 1887, residents of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania turned to a large rodent to predict the arrival of spring, marking the first official Groundhog Day.&nbsp; Over 130 years later, according to Rob Guralnick, curator of biodiversity informatics at the Florida Museum of Natural History, we haven’t made much progress in predicting seasonal changes. “We can’t generate good forecasts for whether spring will arrive early or late next year nearly as well as we can make predictions about the weather,” Guralnick said. Predicting the climate response of plants...

Could a little bit of extra greenery on building façades help cool down urban heat islands? That’s what a group of scientists from the <a href="http://www.tu-berlin.de/menue/home/parameter/en/?no_cache=1">Technische Universität Berlin</a> and <a href="http://www.fu-berlin.de/en/">Freie Universität Berlin</a> set out to discover in a new study.

Some urban metropolitan areas are measurably hotter than surrounding rural land, and scientists have dubbed them “heat islands.” According to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/heat-islands">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a>, cities with more than 1 million people can be anywhere from 1.8 to 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than the surrounding region.

Though there are many potential causes of heat islands, scientists suspect the main culprits are replacing green space with asphalt and concrete, which absorb the sun’s heat.

Façade greening, the practice of planting greenery that takes up little space on the ground but can shade much of a building’s surface, is one step identified by scientists as a method to cool temperatures, according to <a href="http://oneecosystem.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=9280">the new study’s authors</a>. Additional vegetation in cities can reduce temperatures by providing shade and cool the air through evapotranspiration, according to the EPA.

The Berlin research team decided to look into how their city could implement façade greening, as well as any barriers stopping the practice’s adoption. 

They found that, under current conditions, the likelihood of Berlin implementing façade greening is only 2 percent, even though there is the potential for greening over about 1,400 acres of the city.

Financial incentives to adopt façade greening and other programs could raise the adoption rate to 14 percent, the team said. However, better success would require the willingness of building owners, city officials and other involved parties, as well as a combination of supportive programs and education. 

The researchers used Bayesian networks to determine the likelihood of Berlin adopting façade greening programs on a larger scale. A Bayesian network is an analytical graphical model of a real world system that takes into account the “actors,” current conditions, planned changes, parameters that won’t change, the desired outcome, and more. 

In the case of Berlin, data for the model was collected by interviewing two façade greening experts and two climate protection commissioners from different administrative areas of the city.

The study was published in <a href="http://oneecosystem.pensoft.net/">One Ecosystem</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists: green facades could cool urban heat islands

Could a little bit of extra greenery on building façades...

Scientists can now get a very close look at how plants make oxygen using water molecules, thanks to an international team of researchers.

Led by Dr. Johannes Messinger from <a href="http://www.umu.se/english">Umea University</a> in Sweden, the scientists used experimental molecular studies to produce high-resolution images of photosystem II, a protein complex in the light-dependent reactions of the process of photosynthesis.

The images will allow researchers to take a close look at the step-by-step conversion of two water molecules into one oxygen molecule that takes place during this part of photosynthesis, Messinger said.

Plants play a large role in mitigating the effects of climate change, according to the researchers. In addition to absorbing atmospheric carbon from the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, plants also convert water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen.

If humans can learn how plants split water molecules, they can do the same, providing more oxygen in the atmosphere and hydrogen as a cleaner source of energy than carbon-based fuels, Messinger said.

The visualization of the plants’ process was created with the help of the X-ray free electron laser at Stanford University’s <a href="https://www6.slac.stanford.edu/">SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory</a>.

The team grew microcrystals of the photosystem II protein, then placed them on a conveyor belt. The laser was used to stimulate the crystals similar to sunlight and jumpstart the water splitting process. 

The crystals were then hit with superfast X-ray pulses to visualize them. The study describes how the scientists were able to use the data gathered during this experiment to produce high-resolution images showing the structural differences in the photosystem II protein at different stages of the water splitting process.

Messinger has since joined the Molecular Biometrics Programme at <a href="https://www.uu.se/en/">Uppsala University</a>.

—

Researchers on verge of solving how plants make oxygen

Scientists can now get a very close look at how...

<div>World demand for coffee continues to set new records every year. Americans alone drink over 500 million cups of coffee a day.</div>
<div></div>
<div>Where does all of that coffee come from? Brazil is the world's largest producer and exporter of coffee. But environmental changes could harm Brazil's coffee plants.</div>
<div>

Coffee plants are incredibly sensitive to temperature changes. Increasing temperatures world-wide could make it difficult to grow coffee in Brazil. Farmers have tried to lower the temperature for coffee plants by intercropping them with shade trees. But so far, they haven't been very successful. The trees provided too much shade and competed with the coffee plants for nutrients. The farmers lost money because they didn't produce as much coffee.

Researchers needed to find the right type of shade tree to make intercropping work. So the intercropping matchmakers stepped in. Rogério P. Soratto and Marcos J. Perdoná work respectively for the Department of Crop Science at São Paulo State University and São Paulo Agency of Agribusiness Technology, Brazil. Their goal was to determine the best shade tree to intercrop with coffee plants.

A perfect match would be a tree that provided the right amount of shade. It would ideally also be a tree that produced a second cash crop.

"We realized that the Arabica coffee intercropped with macadamia trees is a 'perfect marriage.' This partnership benefits the coffee plants and improves environmental conditions. It also provides a considerable source of income to coffee producers," explained Perdoná.

The match looked good on paper. But the researchers needed to know how the marriage would work out long term. They had three important questions to answer: How would the macadamia trees affect the performance of the coffee plants? Would the macadamia trees interfere with the farming machines? And would farmers be able to profit from the macadamia trees?

Soratto and Perdoná planted Arabica coffee plants with six different types of macadamia trees. They also planted one coffee crop with no trees. Over eight years, the researchers collected information. They measured how tall the plants and trees grew and how large the macadamia tree canopies were. They also kept track of how much coffee and macadamia each experimental plot produced.

"We had to adapt and create new managements specific to the intercropping conditions to grow coffee," said Soratto. "The goal was to enhance cooperation between the species and reduce the competition between them." Once the two crops were cooperating, the researchers discovered the union could help Brazilian farmers economically grow coffee.

Currently, 90% of Brazilian coffee farms grow coffee as a monocrop. But based on this study, more farmers may decide to intercrop with macadamia trees. "We found that farmers could use several varieties of macadamia in the intercropping system. But macadamia cultivar HAES 816 is the most suitable for intercropping with Arabica coffee. This variety of macadamia tree provides the best economic result. The economic benefit of this combination is 178% higher than the monocropped coffee," said Perdoná.

HAES 816 is nearly a match made in heaven for intercropping with coffee. It's a Hawaiian macadamia and has a smaller canopy than other types of macadamia trees. The smaller canopy means it competes less with the coffee plants while still providing shade. The farmers don't have to prune the trees as often, and they can still use their machines to manage the crops.

But the perks don't stop there. Intercropping also improves soil fertility. This means farmers can produce more crops with less fertilizers and pesticides. Plus shaded coffee plantations can reduce water pollution and help decrease the greenhouse effect. With a marriage this good, Brazil, which is the world's largest producer and exporter of coffee, may also become the largest producer of macadamia.

</div>
<div>--</div>
<div></div>
<div>Credit: <a href="http://www.unesp.br/international/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">São Paulo State University</a></div>

Global warming will make it difficult to grow coffee, scientists say

World demand for coffee continues to set new records every...

On Election Day, 56 percent of California voters gave their approval to Proposition 64, which legalized marijuana. 

That means California (along with Nevada and Massachusetts) will be joining the five states where recreational pot is already legal: Colorado, Washington, Oregon, and Alaska.

So what does this mean for California residents?

First off, not all of the changes will come overnight. According to Amanda Reiman of the <a href="http://www.drugpolicy.org/">Drug Policy Alliance</a>, the group that helped to write the initiative, it’s not yet legal to buy marijuana without a medical card, and it probably won’t be until sometime in 2018. 

The state still needs to hammer out a lot of regulations, she said, so outside of areas that already have large and well-organized medical marijuana networks, there may be a wait.

However, as of November 9, the day after the election, Californians over the age of 21 can now possess, use, share and grow marijuana. Someone who already grows cannabis with a medical card can give a plant to a friend, or offer them marijuana that’s ready to use. But it cannot be bought or sold, even between acquaintances, until legal shops are cleared to open and state regulations on sales are in place.

 Other things to know:

Where to grow cannabis

Marijuana doesn’t have to be grown in your home in some places, but many areas require that it be grown in a “enclosed and secure” space, and a few cities do have ordinances barring outdoor cultivation. That makes growing indoors the easiest way to obey existing laws.

How much you can grow

Each household is permitted to have no more than six plants at one time, no matter how many people live there. 

Where pot can be smoked or ingested

Weed cannot be used while driving, and it cannot be taken across state lines or on a plane. People under the age of 21 are not permitted to ingest or smoke cannabis anywhere. Adults may not ingest or smoke in public. Prop. 64 does allow for licensed on-site use at some businesses, but it’s unlikely licenses will be issued any time soon. In the meantime, private homes are the only legal place to consume marijuana at this time. 

Criminal penalties

Starting on November 9, the penalties for using marijuana in California changed. Under the new law:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Some of those with criminal records related to pot possession will be able to have their records expunged, and if they are still serving a sentence, may be able to get an early release. However, this will almost certainly be limited only to activities which are now legal, not to those still illegal under the new law.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Juveniles (those under 18) will now be sentenced with counseling and community service if they are found to be in possession of pot, rather than jail time. </li>
</ul>
---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California voted to legalize marijuana: what you need to know

On Election Day, 56 percent of California voters gave their...

A cheatgrass invasion in the Western United States is mobilizing scientists looking for ways to stop or slow the nuisance.

Over the course of the past 100 years, an aggressive, non-native cheatgrass has been taking over the land in southwest Idaho and terrorizing natural plant life. The cheatgrass invasively spreads its roots that cheat other plants of water and nutrients in the springtime, hence the name. 

Additionally, in summer the cheatgrass dries out becomes a massive fire hazard. The neighboring plants, already weak from lack of nutrients, also become susceptible to the increased likelihood of wildfire. These fires can cause widespread damage for hundreds of square miles.

Scientists have begun experimenting with a a soil bacteria to determine if it can be an effective combatant against the aggressive cheatgrass.

Matt Germino, a research ecologist at the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, noted,"We hope that we can identify the effectiveness of the bacteria on annual grasses and to identify non-target risk effects.”

Soil microbiologist Ann Kennedy of the <a href="http://www.usda.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.S. Department of Agriculture's</a> Agricultural Research Service has been tasked with finding the perfect soil bacteria to fight cheatgrass invasion during the spring, when it poses the greatest threat.

"In the spring they come up great guns, which then doesn't let that plant grow very well in the spring, or even over winter very well," said Kennedy. "You can draw down the seed bank of these annual weeds to where basically they're gone."

If the soil bacteria can stunt the growth of cheatgrass during springtime, the native neighboring plants, such as sagebrush, can develop enough to fight the cheatgrass themselves. 

Animals who rely on the sagebrush as a main food source, such as the sage grouse bird, have been gravely impacted by the cheatgrass issue – the sage grouse bird population has dwindled from 16 million to less than 500,000. In order to avoid an endangered species listing for sage grouse bird, the federal government has been ramping up efforts to protect the species. 

Even if scientists like Germino and Kennedy are able to identify the right soil bacteria combatant to fight cheatgrass, Germino points out there is still a much larger issue at play.

"It's unlikely that any one technology will be the magic bullet," he said. "Cheatgrass has come to dominate our lands. Chances are there are fundamental problems in the health of the land, or how we are treating the land."

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cheatgrass invasion in western states terrorizes plant life

A cheatgrass invasion in the Western United States is mobilizing...

Carbon-hungry plants may be getting better at recycling greenhouse gases, slowing down global warming, according to a study led by Dr. Trevor Keenan of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The study found that while human activity is still generating increasing amounts of carbon, Earth’s vegetation has begun absorbing and recycling more carbon dioxide – the main warming offender.

The research team found that between 2002 and 2014, the rate at which carbon dioxide increased in the Earth’s atmosphere remained steady, at about 1.9 ppm per year. However, human-caused carbon dioxide emissions went up during that time.

The researchers believe the reason atmospheric carbon dioxide grew at a steady rate rather than increasing at the same pace as human-driven emissions is because plants stepped up their absorption. 

As carbon emissions increase, plants increase their uptake of carbon during photosynthesis, which fuels more plant growth, the study found. That growth increases plants’ ability to take in even more carbon.

At the same time, rising surface temperatures appear to have kept plant respiration, which produces carbon dioxide, from increasing at the same rate as photosynthesis.

The researchers based their findings on data about Earth’s vegetation from satellite measurements, observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and computer modeling. They used ten vegetation models to predict how the carbon cycle has changed in recent decades.

They also looked at other “carbon sinks” on Earth such as the oceans. However, while the oceans are continuing to take in a steady amount of carbon, the study found no evidence of a spike that would offset human production, which reinforces that the carbon-hungry plants are pulling additional weight in absorbing carbon. 

While the study results are promising, the scientists were quick to warn that increased photosynthesis is not enough to reverse climate change. Humans must continue working to reduce greenhouse gases, they said.

Carbon dioxide and other so-called <a href="http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greenhouse gases</a> have been linked to global warming. 

—

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Communications</a>.

Carbon-hungry plants prevent warming by recycling greenhouse gases

Carbon-hungry plants may be getting better at recycling greenhouse gases,...

Root biomass estimations can help us combat some of climate changes’ effects on plant ecosystems.

Most people don’t typically think about the root systems of plants until they’re causing some sort of inconvenience – like a disrupted sidewalk or plumbing. But as climate change continues to alter the earth’s landscape and droughts continue to worsen, the study of root systems has become increasingly important to plant sustainability and carbon absorption. 

In particular, the measure of root biomass can be important to plant breeding programs – unfortunately it’s an incredibly laborious process. One must wash, filter, dry, and weigh tiny root particles to varying accuracy. Recently, scientists have begun using the ability of an object to store an electrical current, otherwise known as electrical capacitance, to determine root biomass. However, this method had only been effective in hydroponically grown plants, as opposed to soil-grown.

According to Craig Carlson of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "A majority of electroconductivity studies have focused on annual grasses and hydroponic systems. We wanted to develop a cheap, quick method of measuring root biomass in soils."

Carlson, along with Larry Smart, ever so slightly altered the root electrical capacitance (REC) method to work in soil by using a stem clamp, soil probe, and capacitance meter. This method allowed the team to make quick predictions of dry root biomass in a variety of shrub willow species without having to dig through soil and measure tiny roots. Their findings were published in the most recent issue of Applications in Plant Sciences.

Shrub willows serve as an ideal renewable biofuel crop because they grow quickly, need little care, and quickly deposit carbon. A more thorough understanding of the shrub willow root biomass serves as an indicator of plants’ ability to grow in drought conditions. Dr. Smart’s breeding program has made great progress in breeding new hybrids that grow quickly and are resistant to disease. 

"Craig's method allows us to select new cultivars that could be more drought tolerant or be able to occupy marginal sites, such as reclaimed mine sites in West Virginia," said Smart. “This method could be directly applied to breeding programs for crops that generally require grafting to rootstocks to maintain scion varieties,” (apples, for example). “Additionally, it will be helpful for other agricultural species. Our next step is to take this method into the field and see if these correlations hold up.”

Root biomass estimations can help us combat climate change

Root biomass estimations can help us combat some of climate...

A gene network controls how flowers and plants grow, according to a new study.

A complex network of genes work together to determine how many branches and flowers plants develop – a finding that could affect crop production, according to scientists at the <a href="http://www.cshl.edu/" target="_blank">Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory</a>, which conducted the research. 

The study, led by Dr. Zachary Lippman, looked at the genetic code of plants in the nightshade family, which includes peppers, potatoes and tomatoes, among other major crops. 

The scientists analyzed RNA sequences and discovered a complicated genetic network that controls when plants grow branches and flowers, how many branches and flowers grow and under what conditions, and what triggers this gene network to limit growth to fewer branches or flowers. 

Lippman's team looked at nearly 20,000 genes in five different nightshade species, taking a comparative genomics approach. They found about 300 that change at different points during meristem maturation – flower buds grow from the meristem, an actively growing area usually found at the tip of a shoot or branch.

The team published their findings in <a href="http://genome.cshlp.org/" target="_blank">Genome Research</a>.

The information helps to answer why some plants in the nightshade family are big producers, like tomatoes, while others only produce one or a few flowers.

Flower production is vital when it comes to growing crops like tomatoes. Each tomato comes from a single flower, so a plant with more flowers will produce more fruit. A higher number of branches supports more flowers.

In some flowering plant families, different species can be crossbred to isolate the genes that control flower production. However, plants in the nightshade family are not cross-compatible. 

Though the study was limited to nightshade plants, Lippman believes the findings will translate to other plant families as well. 

The scientists believe that a better understanding of how plant genetics control the number of stems and blooms on a plant will allow for the creation of plants that can produce more fruit. 

However, they also found that using genetic manipulation to encourage a plant to produce as many flowers as possible can backfire. A modified tomato plant produced a large number of blossoms, but because it spent all its energy stores and resources on flowering, it was unable to produce a good yield of fruit, Lippman said.

Gene network controls how flowers and plants grow

A gene network controls how flowers and plants grow, according...

Avocado supply is struggling to meet consumer demands.

Avocados have gotten a reputation as a superfood, packaging essential nutrients with a creamy flavor  –  and it’s driving up their price. 

The pear-shaped fruit won over chefs like Nigella Lawson, whose avocado on toast recipe caused sales of the fruit to skyrocket in the UK. Americans are eating nearly twice as many avocados as they were a decade ago.

But the avocado supply chain is struggling to handle surging demand. 

Hikes in prices due to recent poor harvests and industrialization in Michoacan, Mexico, have led farmers there to go on strike, demanding a higher price for their crop from the packers that sell it in the U.S. and see most of the profits. The farmers have stalled and physically blocked shipments during the strike.

Mexico supplies approximately 49 percent of avocados to the U.S., and Peru and Chile, which also grow the fruit, cannot keep up with U.S. demand alone. The U.S. relies on Mexico to supply avocados during the winter months, when California’s growing season is over. Years of drought have led to a poor harvest in California, as well. 

California and Mexico are not the only places with shortfalls this year. New Zealand also had a poor harvest, which has spurred a rise in agricultural crime. About 40 large avocado thefts were reported in the first half of 2016, prompting some supermarkets in Australia to remove their avocado displays from the stores overnight.

In the UK, avocado prices are rising on fears that new demand from China and drought in South Africa will limit the number of avocados the country can import. 

News of rising demand – and prices – comes on the heels of reports of <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/global-avocado-demand-causes-deforestation-mexico-489459" target="_blank">illegal deforestation in Michoacan</a> to make room for more avocado farms. The destruction has already had an impact on local wildlife, including monarch butterflies. 

California farmers use about 80 percent of the state’s water and ship most of their crops out of the state, which is in the midst of a five-year drought. It takes 4.1 gallons of water to produce <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2015/05/21/us/your-contribution-to-the-california-drought.html" target="_blank">one slice of avocado</a>.

Avocado supply is struggling to meet consumer demands

Avocado supply is struggling to meet consumer demands. Avocados have...

A new Caribbean coral reef study reveals the symbiotic relationship between coral and microscopic algae.

An endangered species of Caribbean coral and microscopic symbiotic algae may go together like peanut butter and jelly, but not because of typical host-symbiont genetics, said researchers from the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Exeter</a>.

The researchers found that the reef-building coral Orbicella annularis and the single-celled algae Symbiodinium get along so well because of geographical and environmental factors, according to their research published in the <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B</a>.

The algae colonize tropical corals – not just in the Caribbean but around the world – and produces nutrients for hosts through photosynthesis, the typical biological process that converts light to chemical energy. Orbicella annularis and other corals rely on those nutrients to survive. The symbiotic relationship is necessary for the coral to survive, the scientists discovered.

The research also uncovered one reason why rising ocean temperatures are so devastating for coral reefs: long-lasting increases in temperature can lead to coral bleaching, which separates the microscopic algae from its hosts. This can lead to coral death. 

Coral is vital for a number of reasons. Coral reefs contain some of the <a href="http://www.qm.qld.gov.au/microsites/biodiscovery/05human-impact/importance-of-coral-reefs.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">most diverse ecosystems on Earth</a>. They also protect shorelines from the brunt of damage from waves and tropical storms, support the fishing industry by providing habitat in which fish breed and live, and provide and help to recycle nutrients for marine life.

While the two organisms need each other, they aren’t drawn together by any genetic factors, the scientists said. Instead, it’s a mutually beneficial relationship based on geography and environment, they found. Symbiodinium is found on several types of coral, and coral species can host a variety of different algae types.

If scientists can determine how and why the symbiotic relationship between Caribbean coral reef and algae formed, they might be able to better protect and restore threatened coral reefs, said Exeter’s <a href="http://biosciences.exeter.ac.uk/staff/index.php?web_id=jamie_stevens" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Jamie Stevens</a>, who oversaw the research.

For the report, the research team collected coral and algae by hand from 33 sites across the Caribbean and in the Bahamas.

Caribbean coral reef study reveals symbiotic relationship

A new Caribbean coral reef study reveals the symbiotic relationship...

Urban forest planning has been simplified by a new manual and extensive database helping city personnel with improved planning for their forests.

For some cities, trees grow into a lot of trouble. Their roots lift sidewalks, their branches tangle into power lines, and they drop limbs and leaves on everything below. Anyone who has spent time walking the streets of Los Angeles can attest to all of these issues.

In extreme cases, "problem" trees are removed and replaced with species deemed less "troublesome" – but if replacements aren't carefully chosen, the problem will just repeat further down the road.

A new manual and an extensive database released by the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Southwest Research Station aims to make those problems a thing of the past.

The projects are the result of 14 years of research into urban forests across the U.S., according to the U.S. Forest Service.

The study goes far beyond any previous attempts, said lead author Greg McPherson, a research forester with the Forest Service. In total, researchers analyzed more than 14,000 trees. The data they collected was used to create a database with more than 170 tree species of several different ages and across 16 climate zones.

Researchers also developed new methods of statistical modeling to predict each tree species' growth. In the past, a tree's diameter or age was generally used to estimate its expected growth. The Forest Service's new manual and database use 365 different sets of equations to estimate tree growth, meant to help planners with urban forests. Each set includes step-by-step instructions for their use, so anyone can use the manual without extensive training.

With the help of these new tools, city personnel in charge of urban forest planning can determine how tall a tree is expected to grow well before thinking about purchasing and planting it. That way, cities can make better use of tree-planting resources and city residents can enjoy mature, lush urban forests with less impact on lifestyle.

The manual also offers information on the amount of each tree species' foliage, which can be used to determine how well the trees clean pollution from the air.

Urban forest planning simplified by new database

Urban forest planning has been simplified by a new manual...

Genetically engineered potatoes have been approved by U.S. Dept of Agriculture.

On Friday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture approved two types of genetically engineered potatoes designed to resist the disease that caused the Irish potato famine. The two varieties included J.R. Simplot Co.’s Ranger Russet and second generation of Innate potatoes.

On an aesthetic level, the potatoes will have less exterior bruising and extended storage capacity. Less bruising will result in a predicted 15% decrease in waste, as the bruised potatoes don’t sell as easily. 

But there is also an added health benefit to the new potatoes: when potatoes are cooked at high temperatures, it creates a chemical that’s a potential carcinogen. The genetically engineered potatoes, however, will release release much less of it.

Late blight is the official name of the disease that caused the infamous Irish potato famine, a pathogen that still remains a problem to this day. The genetically engineered potatoes will be resistant to late blight thanks to an Argentinian potato variety that naturally produces a defense. 

Another added benefit is that the new potatoes will be able to be kept in cold storage for a longer duration. This, in turn, could be good news for the potato chip industry and save money on trucking costs.

Last year, J.R. Simplot Co. began selling the first generation of genetically engineered potatoes. While they sold over 40 million pounds in 35 different states, many consumers are still adamantly resistant to genetically modified foods. McDonald’s has refused to use genetically modified potatoes for french fries.

Simplot has been fighting the stigma with a marketing campaign featuring Olympic gold medalist and Boise resident Kristin Armstrong. The long-term effects of GM plants on human health and the environment are unknown.

Next, the potatoes will be reviewed by the Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. J.R. Simplot Co. plans to have them on the market by next spring.

New genetically engineered potatoes approved by USDA

Genetically engineered potatoes have been approved by U.S. Dept of...

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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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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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



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 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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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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 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...