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...

Mexican avocado deforestation: world authorities voice concerns as forests are lost to make way for orchards. 

In Mexico, deforestation rates are much higher than anyone previously thought. Michoacan, the world's largest producer of avocados, obliterates a shocking 20,000 hectares of forest each year for agriculture, nearly 40% of which consists of avocado orchards. Not only are they destroying forest habitats, the thirsty avocado plants require twice as much water as the decimated vegetation. Species like the famous monarch butterfly are in danger if deforestation increases at this rate.

Due to the thirsty fruit, less water is going to the Michoacan's crystalline mountain streams, which means the animal and plant populations of the forest are going without.

As avocados rise in popularity so do the demands on production. Growers have been encouraged to expand orchards and increase their revenues, increasing the toll taken on the ecosystem. Warnings are coming today before irreparable damage is caused to the area.

All in all, Michoacan already hosts around 150,000 hectares of orchards and has granted no new deforestation permits in the past few years. This impoverished state relies on revenue and jobs created from avocado production – the authorities are keen to encourage people to work within this legal field rather than in the growing synthetic drug production industry.

Talia Coria, an official in the attorney general's office for environmental protection, commented, "That is why we are sitting down now with all the parties involved to find a way to continue this industry of avocado growing, which provides a lot of jobs and income for the state, in harmony with the conservation of our natural resources. We are going to search for a way . . . to ensure that all avocados exported are legal, and that the environment has not been affected by their production. The avocado growers appear to be convinced that we have to find options for conserving the environment."

However, this district has no definite plan to develop any official sustainable avocado schemes to reduce Mexican avocado deforestation, despite Ms. Coria admitting it is difficult to differentiate the legal avocados from avocados grown on illegal sites, adding that other agricultural activities have also contributed to the deforestation.

Mexican avocado deforestation: orchards to blame

Mexican avocado deforestation: world authorities voice concerns as forests are...

A new microsatellite resource helps in keeping plant research costs down.

Too often, scientific breakthroughs are held back due to lack of funding. Genetic research, in particular, can quickly become costly when dealing with specific genome analysis. 

A team of scientists from the University of Florida led by Richard Hodel set out to make genetic research easier and more affordable. Through two pieces published in Applications in Plant Sciences, they have laid out guidelines for using microsatellites for research projects on a wide variety of plant species. In addition, they offer a resource of over five million microsatellites.

Microsatellites are genetic markers that are unique in their ability to be used for many different kinds of genetic research. They can be tested for the presence of a particular gene, used to discover the relationship between individual cases versus the full population, as well as to track and create genome maps.

Hodel remarks, “Often, an initial barrier to starting a project is securing funding to develop genetic markers, if none are available for the study system of interest. Our microsatellite resource will allow researchers to search for loci that are available for a wide range of species, for free.”

Microsatellites were originally identified from sequence data found in the online database of the One Thousand Plant Transcriptomes Project (1KP). Genetic data from the 1KP database can be utilized for marker development and is what allowed the team to compile the 5 million new microsatellite resource for further research.

The resource is essentially a gift to the genetic research community and opens the door for lower-budget research projects to thrive. Hodel adds, “The goal was to give people practical guidance and to enable them to consider all of their options.”

Microsatellite can help reduce plant research costs

A new microsatellite resource helps in keeping plant research costs...

Golfers beware – a new golf course fungal disease is attacking southern U.S. courses.

Drought conditions, uninvited wildlife, and fungal growth are all common problems for golf courses from time to time. Recently, however, a strange new phenomenon has been popping up on golf courses in the southeastern United States, where patches of turf turned black and resembled a large ink spill. Not only has the golf course fungal disease ruined the famously pristine aesthetic of these courses, but it has also made some golfers fearful of playing.

Scientists from Mississippi State University have finally identified the culprit. Curvularia malina is a new fungus species previously unknown to experts. The name “malina” stems from the Sanskrit word meaning “dirty or stained,” due to its dark, blotchy appearance. The finding was published by Dr. Young-Ki Jo and his partner Dr. Maria Tomaso-Peterson in the Mycologia journal.

Because the pathogen is newly discovered, golf course managers have been sweating over how to address the issue. “If we don’t know the biology of a fungus, there is no management protocol,” said Dr. Jo. Fungicides can be incredibly expensive, costing over $5,000 per treatment, and may not even be effective against the new strain. 

Nevertheless, Jo and team were able to come up with a fungicide that could work preventatively against Curvularia malina at the times of year when it’s most likely to occur. Not surprisingly, it is during the more humid months when the fungus flourishes. Luckily, it doesn’t actually kill grass, and the condition often clears up once drier conditions return. 

Curvularia malina will still leave a blemish on the grass even after it clears up. As a result, southern golf courses will need to keep on top of preventative preparation in order to stay one step ahead of the new fungal threat.

Golfers beware – new golf course fungal disease

Golfers beware – a new golf course fungal disease is...

Drones elevate ecological research, a new report out today reports, discussing their wide benefits.

Collecting large sample databases is fundamental for plant research, but it’s often tricky to collect data from broad sites by foot. Data collection can be a time sap, occur in dangerous areas, and even compromise the areas you are researching. However, a solution has been addressed today in a new review. Scientists are succeeding in using micro-unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones as you and I know them, to conduct these field data experiments.

These drones elevate ecological research and would have nearly zero impact on the area of study, simply flying over the landscape and gathering inconspicuous aerial photographs for data.

Dr. Mitch Cruzan, professor at the Department of Biology at Portland State University and lead author of the review published today, says, “The potential of drone technology in research may only be limited by our ability to envision novel applications . . . . This technology has the potential for the acquisition of large amounts of information with minimal effort and disruption of natural habitats.”

In his study, Dr. Cruzan states that drones can amass years of data noninvasively, helping to monitor vital trends such as habitat restoration efforts, rare and threatened plant populations, agriculture surveys, and carbon storage measures. He believes that drone surveys can become the “holy grail of ecological data.” The capabilities of this technology for research are nearly limitless, with drone-captured data being paired with additional technology such as 3D rendering to reach a variety of scientific conclusions. The professor believes scientists can learn about plant health, phenology, reproduction, diseases, and human-mediated disturbances all from the safety and comfort of their labs.

Researchers can fly small drones along research areas of up to 40 hectares in size. The drones' internal GPS system enables hovering over pinpointed locations and altitudes, collecting high-resolution images. However, this method is not impervious to problems – Cruzan warns researchers of "shadow gaps" when collecting data. Taller vegetation can obscure shorter vegetation, hiding it from view in aerial photographs. In order to get accurate data relating to each area, researchers must create overlapping images. 

You don’t need to be David Bailey to operate a drone, but you do need some training in order to ensure your precious data is usable. The report talks about operator requirements and how to guarantee that your video feeds are aligned properly with camera stabilization, and using the right lenses for each area. Most importantly, it talks about metadata of the drone's altitude, speed, and elevation for every captured image.

Following the data collection, georeferenced images are joined together into a digital surface model (DSM), which looks to us a little like a photo collage, to be analyzed. The GIS software classifies vegetation types, landscape features, and even individual species in the DSMs, using manual or automated, machine-learning techniques.

To test their concept, Cruzan and colleagues used drone technology for a landscape genetics study on the Whetstone Savanna Preserve in southern Oregon, USA. "Our goal is to understand how landscape features affect pollen and seed dispersal for plant species associated with different dispersal vectors," says Dr. Cruzan. They flew drones over threatened vernal pools and then analyzed the images, claiming if they had manually researched these habitats, not only would it have taken hundreds of hours, they also may have compromised the ecological integrity of these highly sensitive areas.

Before drones, research teams used light detection and ranging (LiDAR) equipment. LiDAR uses remote sensing technology to capture aerial images, but has several pitfalls: it’s expensive, requires specialist equipment, requires flyovers, and is conducted at a much higher elevation. Due to this high elevation, LiDAR isn’t really useful for analyzing subtle differences in vegetation, a task drone research excels in with its low-altitude, high-resolution footage.

The drone method is not perfect, however. Drones, though more affordable, range greatly in quality, low-end models sporting much cheaper cameras offering lower resolution. Flight regulations limit drone use, so you must be mindful of any limitations before you embark on a drone study. Finally, if a researcher can’t identify plant species from data, they still must return to the field the old-fashioned way, collecting data on foot.

Dr. Cruzan stresses that, despite its limitations, robotic drones elevate ecological research incredibly flexibly, believing it a highly versatile addition to the more traditional methods of data collection. He states that “using a broad range of imaging technologies and analysis methods will improve our ability to detect, discriminate, and quantify different features of the biotic and abiotic environment." As drones elevate ecological research increasingly, access to open-source software and better equipment will continue to advance ecological research.

—

From <a href="http://www.bioone.org/doi/pdf/10.3732/apps.1600041" target="_blank">Applications in Plant Sciences</a>

Drones elevate ecological research

Drones elevate ecological research, a new report out today reports,...

Plant hormone evolution is the focus of a new study.

Plants are rather assertive organisms. Back in Earth’s deep, dark history, plants found homes in mosses and needed moisture to thrive. When confronted with dry periods, they became resourceful and figured out ways to survive.

Ferns developed an impermeable waxy covering. Pores in the leaves followed, allowing the plants to exchange carbon dioxide and oxygen with the environment. When dry conditions strike, ferns close these pores to prevent precious water stores from being lost through evaporation.

This assumption is backed by new findings published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Together with an international research team from Würzburg (Germany), Hobart (Australia) and Purdue (USA), Professor Rainer Hedrich from the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) in Bavaria examined the pore regulation of land plants at an early evolutionary stage.

His experiments focused on abscisic acid (ABA), a plant hormone that regulates water balance and pore function in higher flowering plants. ABA is also essential for triggering dormancy.

The research found differing results for ferns and flowering plants, aiming to conduct further tests to understand their hypotheses.

—

Read the full study <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2016/10/25/1606614113" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.

Plant hormone evolution

Plant hormone evolution is the focus of a new study....

Fall leaf colors are not a simple matter as scientists examine sometimes contradictory causes.

Many people consider autumn to be their favorite time of the year: crisp air, new school supplies, and pumpkin spice lattes. However, the most significant natural feature of the fall season is the changing face of our trees, whose leaves become a riot of red, yellow and orange before they eventually die and fall to the forest ground.  

This spectacle is observed by millions worldwide, particularly in the USA. People take pleasure in the changing landscape, enjoying drives in the mountains, hikes and even watch "leaf cams” online. Autumn leaves are clearly beautiful and appealing, but what is the scientific reason for these bold fall colors?

In the spring and summer, leaves are green because chlorophyll, the chemical that converts light into energy by photosynthesis, is present at that time. If no other compounds were present, leaves would naturally turn yellow in the fall when the chlorophyll breaks down due to temperature, light and weather conditions. However, when the chlorophyll is no longer present, it is possible to see the effects of other chemicals present in the leaves, such as carotenes or carotenoids, which result in orange leaves.

Red leaves are not the result of pre-existing chemicals in the leaves; rather, the color is from a chemical produced as the leaves die. These compounds, called anthocyanins, are made from residual sugar, similar to what you find in grapes and apples. Shade variations result from interactions with leftover chlorophyll pigment. An additional source of variation comes from the differences in the tree species, genetics and environment, according to Dr. John Silander, an ecologist and evolutionary biologist at the <a href="http://www.uconn.edu" target="_blank">University of Connecticut</a>.

Understanding the chemical basis for the change doesn’t explain why the leaves turn red, a process that takes energy. Dr. Silander points to some evolutionary explanations, but noted they contain contradictions. According to a 2007 paper published in The Botanical Review, leaves may change color to attract animals to feed on fruit and thereby spread seeds. It’s also possible that the coloration serves the opposite function, to warn animals that the leaves contain compounds that would be toxic to them, like the famous wings of the monarch butterfly. 

Alternatively, the coloration may be a pest deterrent, since insects could prefer to camouflage their eggs in drab leaves. “It may be an ‘I’m super-healthy, don’t bother’ signal to potential insects, pests, or parasites that they should look elsewhere,” Kerissa Battle, a community science educator at Community Greenways Collaborative, wrote in an email. But then again, she said, the red color could also signal that a leaf is on its way out, with few nutrients left to eat before it drops.

Another, non-evolutionary, explanation could be related to sun protection, at least in maple trees. Dr. Robert Guy, a professor of forestry at the University of British Columbia, proposed this idea supported by the work of Dr. Abby van den Berg, an ecologist at the University of Vermont. They found that protecting leaves from sun damage allows them to carry out important processes like storing nutrients in the tree.   “Protection from bright light (and probably UV light as well) during the process of leaf senescence is the best explanation for why the leaves of some trees turn red in autumn,” Dr. Guy wrote in an email.

Whether the changing colors function as animal attraction, pest deterrent, sign of health, or sunscreen, enjoy the glory of the autumn foliage season in the knowledge that they are not only beautiful, but potentially very useful too.

The science behind fall leaf colors

Fall leaf colors are not a simple matter as scientists...

High avocado prices are fueling deforestation in Mexico. Americans' love for avocados and rising avocado prices for the highly exportable fruit are fueling the deforestation of central Mexico's pine forests as farmers rapidly expand their orchards to feed demand.

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/healthier-food-pairings/">Avocado</a> trees flourish at about the same altitude and climate as the pine and fir forests in the mountains of Michoacan, the state that produces most of Mexico's avocados. That has led farmers to wage a cat-and-mouse campaign to avoid authorities, thinning out the forests, planting young avocado trees under the forest canopy, and then gradually cutting back the forest as the trees grow to give them more sunlight.

"Even where they aren't visibly cutting down forest, there are avocados growing underneath (the pine boughs), and sooner or later they'll cut down the pines completely," said Mario Tapia Vargas, a researcher at Mexico's National Institute for Forestry, Farming and Fisheries Research.

Given that Michoacan's forests contain much of the wintering grounds of the monarch butterfly, the deforestation is more than just an academic issue. Authorities have already detected small avocado plots in the monarchs' reserve where farmers have cut down pine forest.

Worse, Tapia Vargas said, a mature avocado orchard uses almost twice as much water as fairly dense forest, meaning less water reaches Michoacan's legendary crystalline mountain streams on which the forests and animals depend.

Greenpeace Mexico says people are likely to suffer, too.

"Beyond the displacement of forests and the effects on water retention, the high use of agricultural chemicals and the large volumes of wood needed to pack and ship avocados are other factors that could have negative effects on the area's environment and the well-being of its inhabitants," Greenpeace said in a statement.

The two-lane rural roads that cut through the mountains are choked with lines of heavy trucks carrying avocados out and pickers in to the orchards.

But it is hard to argue farmers out of the economic logic of growing avocados.

"Avocado farming is very attractive, because of the prices being the way they are," Tapia Vargas said.

Avocado prices jumped from around 86 cents apiece in January to around $1.10 in July, partly because of weak seasonal supply from Mexico. And the peso lost 16 percent of its value against the dollar over the past year, making exports cheaper for the U.S. customers. Mexican farmers can make much higher profits growing avocados than from most other crops.

It is the enormous U.S. appetite for avocados that has driven the expansion. Between 2001 and 2010, avocado production in Michoacan tripled, but exports rose 10 times, according to a report published in 2012 by Tapia Vargas' institute.

And if Super Bowl guacamole has had this effect, just wait for skyrocketing demand from China, where imports of Mexican avocados have been growing by about 200 percent annually.

"You can imagine what it will take (to supply) the Chinese market," Michoacan Gov. Silvano Aureoles told local media in July.

The Tapia Vargas report suggested the expansion caused loss of forest land of about 1,700 acres (690 hectares) a year from 2000 through 2010.

Ignacio Vidales, another government researcher who specializes in avocados, said he believes the deforestation rate has slowed, in part because authorities are taking it more seriously.

"We think that it (deforestation) is less, because there is more enforcement now than in previous years," said Vidales.

Authorities have begun to fight back.

On July 31, federal police in Morelia, the Michoacan state capital, detained 13 people and seized two avocado plants and two vehicles that were being used to turn a recently deforested plot into an orchard.

Police said 260 pine trees and 87 firs had been cut down on a 12-acre (4.7-hectare) plot to make room for 1,320 avocado saplings. While the trees take seven years to reach maturity, if each bore 100 avocados a year - a fairly low yield - those farmers could make as much as $500,000 annually from the plot, a fortune for area farmers.

"More than anything else, it is economic pressure," Vidales said. "They have seen that planting avocados is more profitable than planting corn, or other crops, or even the forest."

© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

High avocado prices are fueling deforestation in Mexico

High avocado prices are fueling deforestation in Mexico. Americans' love...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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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



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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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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



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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



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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



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Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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