Amber, the fossilized "blood" of ancient coniferous trees, holds the key to an extraordinary chapter of Earth's history.



Imagine stepping into a time machine capable of transporting you back to the era of the dinosaurs. 



Suddenly, you're immersed in a dense, swampy forest, surrounded by buzzing insects, blooming flowers, ferns, and conifers. Strikingly, this lush habitat is where snowy West Antarctica currently stands.



Recently, scientists from top universities in Germany and the UK have unearthed amber in this desolate landscape for the first time. 



These discoveries reveal that between 83 and 92 million years ago, coniferous trees once thrived on what is now the planet's southernmost continent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-amber-discovery-in-antarctica">Amber discovery in Antarctica </h2>



Coupled with the discovery of roots, pollen, and spore fossils, the unearthed amber supports the evidence indicating the existence of a swampy rainforest in the region of the South Pole during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-discovery-reveals-ancient-alaska-warm-lush-landscape/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mid-Cretaceous</a> period.



This prehistoric environment was "dominated by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/conifer-communication-is-altered-by-air-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conifers</a>," not unlike the present-day forests in New Zealand and Patagonia.



This Antarctic amber discovery peels back the icy layer shrouding the continent's history, and reveals an ancient habitat that was warm and moist enough to host coniferous trees capable of producing resin.



During the mid-Cretaceous, these resilient trees were able to endure total darkness during the long winter months.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-resin-producing-trees-on-all-continents">Resin-producing trees on all continents</h2>



Previously, Cretaceous amber deposits had only been found as far south as Australia's Otway Basin and New Zealand's Tupuangi Formation. 



"It was very exciting to realize that, at some point in their history, all seven continents had climatic conditions allowing resin-producing trees to survive," said marine geologist Johann Klages from the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alfred Wegener Institute</a> in Germany.



The goal now is to explore deeper into the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/large-herbivore-extinctions-drastically-affect-forest-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forest's ecosystem</a> - to uncover whether the forest experienced extensive fires and if traces of life can be found encapsulated within the amber.



Renowned scientists have been unearthing fossilized wood and leaves in Antarctica since the early 19th century. However, most of these discoveries date back hundreds of millions of years. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evidence-of-antarctica-s-past">Evidence of Antarctica's past</h2>



The fate of Antarctica's lush forests, as the land mass separated from Australia and South America and spiraled towards the South Pole, is currently unknown. 



In 2017, researchers unearthed well-preserved evidence of these once-thriving habitats by drilling into the seafloor near West Antarctica. 



After years of analysis, Klages and his team of researchers published a 2020 research paper documenting a 3-meter-long network of fossilized roots that dates back to the mid-Cretaceous.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-amber-revelation-in-antarctica">The amber revelation in Antarctica </h2>



Drill expeditions have provided compelling evidence that ancient forests once thrived in Antarctica.



Present in the layer of mudstone where the fossilized roots were found were also tiny slices of translucent amber, each a different hue of yellow to orange.



This amber serves as evidence of resin flow, a natural process where sap leaks out of a tree to seal its bark against potential harm from fires or insect pests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-was-the-amber-preserved">How was the amber preserved?</h2>



The Cretaceous, one of the warmest periods in Earth's history, was prone to frequent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-were-common-in-ancient-antarctica/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forest fires</a>, evident from the volcanic deposits found on Antarctica and adjacent islands.



The preservation and fossilization of the amber can be attributed to high water levels promptly enveloping the tree resin. This quick coverage shielded the resin from harmful ultraviolet radiation and oxidation. 



Excitingly, it appears that the amber encompasses tiny bits of tree bark, though further analysis is required for confirmation.



Slowly but surely, researchers are piecing together details of what Antarctica's prehistoric forests once looked like and how they functioned 90 million years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-amber-in-paleoclimate-studies">Significance of amber in paleoclimate studies</h2>



Amber&nbsp;is&nbsp;much&nbsp;more&nbsp;than&nbsp;the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/team-finds-mangrove-forest-that-was-lost-for-22-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fossilized</a> remnant&nbsp;of ancient trees.&nbsp;It&nbsp;is&nbsp;a&nbsp;kind of&nbsp;time capsule that&nbsp;informs&nbsp;us about&nbsp;conditions on the Earth&nbsp;millions of years ago&nbsp;and allows further insight into its climate.&nbsp;



This discovery of amber&nbsp;in&nbsp;Antarctica is&nbsp;very&nbsp;significant&nbsp;as&nbsp;it indicates that the region once&nbsp;must&nbsp;have had&nbsp;a warm and humid climate&nbsp;suitable&nbsp;for&nbsp;dense&nbsp;forests of trees that could produce&nbsp;resin.



This&nbsp;discovery&nbsp;has&nbsp;sparked a challenge to&nbsp;current perceptions of Antarctica's past and contributed&nbsp;to the growing body of evidence for a once green, thriving landscape on the continent. Information&nbsp;on&nbsp;the amber's chemical composition and inclusions will give scientists clues about what life&nbsp;must&nbsp;have been like in that&nbsp;ancient environment:&nbsp;its temperatures, humidity levels,&nbsp;diversity of flora and fauna,&nbsp;and&nbsp;indeed&nbsp;everything&nbsp;thriving&nbsp;at&nbsp;the&nbsp;time.



Such analysis&nbsp;can&nbsp;be&nbsp;pieced together&nbsp;to&nbsp;form&nbsp;a more complete picture of global climate patterns during the mid-Cretaceous period - the warmest&nbsp;era&nbsp;in Earth's&nbsp;existence.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/antarctic-science/article/first-discovery-of-antarctic-amber/700244C13B3972F0048EAC029E34263E" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antarctic Research</a>.



Image Credit: Alfred-Wegener-Institut / V. Schumacher



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90-million-year-old amber reveals Antarctica's secret past

Amber, the fossilized "blood" of ancient coniferous trees, holds the key to an extraordinary chapter of Earth's history. Imagine stepping into a time machine capable of transporting you back to the era of the dinosaurs. Suddenly, you're immersed in a dense, swampy forest, surrounded by buzzing insects, blooming flowers, ferns, and conifers. Strikingly, this lush habitat is where snowy West Antarctica currently stands. Recently, scientists from top universities in Germany and the UK have unearthed amber in this desolate landscape for the first time. These discoveries reveal...

An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by renowned American geneticists has announced its plans to create human cells that are resistant to viruses, cancer, freezing, and aging - and the experts believe they can make this happen in the next ten years. 

Over 200 scientists who are participating in the “Genome-Project write” (GP-write) met in Boston earlier this week, where the ambitious target was unveiled.

GP-write was launched to pick up where the Human Genome Project left off in 2003. The former project revolutionized science and medicine by successfully demonstrating how to read a human genome. 

GP-write has a mission of better understanding the human genome by learning to write and build it, and the development of virus-resistant cells will be the first major undertaking by the group.

Professor Jef Boeke is the director of the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/institute-systems-genetics/">Institute for Systems Genetics at NYU Langone Medical Center</a> and one of four experts leading GP-write.

“The ultra-safe cell lines, made using technologies broadly applicable to plant, microbial and mammalian species, are aimed at complete resistance to all viruses and prions, and partial resistance to senescence and cancer, plus biocontainment,” explained Professor Boeke.

George Church of <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>, who developed the first method of sequencing genomes in 1984 and helped optimize <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/better-smelling-longer-lasting-roses/">CRISPR</a> genome editing technology, is also a member of the GP-write Leadership Group. 

Professor Church said that ultra-safe cells could have a major impact on human health and could make pharmaceuticals safer, cheaper, and more reliable.

The team will use a process called DNA recoding to create the virus-resistant cells. Professor Church previously led a team that showed how it is possible to recode E. coli. Viral resistance was accomplished in the bacteria after 321 changes to its genome, yet the process will be a lot more challenging in a human genome.

“Recoding every protein in the human genome, for example, would require 400,000 changes,” said Professor Church. Specific redundant codons will have to be removed from all 20,000 human genes. 

Beyond fighting cancer in cells and making them more resistant to the damage that comes along with age, the ultra-safe cells could help to combat the growing issue of antibiotic resistance.

According to Professor Boeke, “The overall GP-write project is focused on writing, editing and building large genomes. We will generate a wealth of information connecting the sequence of nucleotide bases in DNA with their physiological properties and functional behaviors, enabling the development of safer, less costly and more effective therapeutics and a broad range of applications in other areas such as energy, agriculture, healthcare, chemicals and bioremediation." 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists aim to create cells resistant to viruses and aging

An interdisciplinary team of researchers led by renowned American geneticists...

Scientists have managed to manufacture an early stage <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/edit-genes-human-embryos/">embryo</a> using no sperm and no egg by mixing two types of stem cells from mice. Though the technique is far from being perfected, critics of the research say that it may lead to cloning humans.

The experts combined embryonic stem cells with trophoblast stem cells and watched as they organized into a blastocyst, a hollow structure that contains a cluster of cells. It is from this inner cell mass (ICM) in the blastocyst that the embryo emerges. 

Blastocyst formation usually begins around five days after fertilization. To prepare for implantation, the outer layer of the blastocyst is replaced by underlying cells called the trophoblast, which ultimately becomes the placenta if implantation is successful.

Study lead author Nicolas Rivron is an expert in biological science and an assistant professor at <a href="https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/">Maastricht University</a> in the Netherlands. 

Professor Rivron explained to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a> that little is known about how cells organize in the earliest days of pregnancy. This research may be able to provide experts with new insight into why embryos often fail to implant, which is a leading cause of infertility. Manufactured embryos could also be used for pharmaceutical testing.

“Because embryos are so precious and scarce, it is almost impossible to test new medicines on them,” Professor Rivron told CNN. “You would need typically huge numbers of embryos in order to test medicines in the proper way. Here, because we are using stem cells, we can generate an infinite number of early embryos.”

When the blastocyst was tested in the womb of a mouse, it stimulated changes that would occur with a normal embryo yet failed to implant.

According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>, Professor Rivron said that a viable mouse embryo could be engineered in as few as three years, but a human embryo would take decades to manufacture.

“I do not believe in using blastocysts for human reproduction,” the professor told the Daily Mail. “This is ethically very questionable, this would be clones of somebody who is already alive. Human cloning is totally forbidden.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Embryo developed by scientists using no egg or sperm

Scientists have managed to manufacture an early stage embryo using...

In the wide world of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/boozing-beetles-alcohol/">alcohol</a>, brewers and distillers can make alcoholic beverages using everything from potatoes to grapes – so why not wood? Researchers at Japan’s <a href="https://www.ffpri.affrc.go.jp/en/">Forestry and Forest Products Research Institute</a> report that lumber-based beverages might soon be the newest member of the alcohol family. Apparently, these beverages have woody qualities that make them similar to alcohol aged in wood barrels.

To make this woody drink, the researchers pulverized wood into a creamy paste, then added yeast and an enzyme to begin the fermentation process. They are able to use different woods – such as cedar, birch, and cherry – and avoid using heat in order to preserve the flavor of each specific food. Using four kilograms of cedar wood gave them almost four liters of liquid, with an alcohol content of about 15 percent.

A similar process of wood fermentation is currently used to produce biofuel, but the final product is flavorless and contains toxins – so it’s not exactly drinkable. “But our method can make it drinkable, and with a wood flavor, because it does not require high heat or sulphuric acid to decompose the wood,” says researcher Kengo Magara.

The Forestry and Forest Products Research in Japan – a government institute – plans on commercializing the venture with a partner in the private sector and have the wood alcohol on shelves within three years. 

“We thought it would be interesting to think that alcohol could be made from something around here like trees,” Magara says. “It’s a dream-inspired project.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lumber liquor: Scientists unveil alcohol that’s made from trees

In the wide world of alcohol, brewers and distillers can...

Ecstasy is best known for being a “party drug,” used to create an intense feeling of euphoria that can last for hours. It also reduces fear and gives the user an overwhelming sense of love and acceptance of themselves and others. Now, scientists may have found another use for the drug – outside of its usual dance parties and raves.

Dr. Allison Feduccia of the <a href="http://www.maps.org/">Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies</a> (MAPS) Public Benefit Corporation in Santa Cruz, California led a study of veterans and emergency service personnel diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Through treating this condition with varying doses of MDMA (the more scientific term for ecstasy), the study found that ecstasy could effectively treat or even cure the disorder, as it reduced depression and improved sleep quality.

This illegal drug has been an emerging treatment for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-outdoors-mental-health/">PTSD</a> in recent years, with the US Food and Drug administration already calling the drug a “breakthrough therapy,” putting it on the fast track for review and potential approval. Currently, approved treatments such as counseling and legal prescribed drugs have been shown to be ineffective.

About eight percent of the population suffers from PTSD, with one-in-six military personnel and veterans and as much as a third of emergency service workers affected by the condition. The disorder can appear as insomnia or hyper-alertness, with those who suffer from it being six times more likely to commit suicide and have marital problems.

For her study, Feduccia randomly selected 26 volunteers, including 22 veterans, three firefighters, and one police officer – all who had suffered from PTSD for at least six months. Out of these participants, groups were randomly selected to receive 30, 75, or 125mg doses of MDMA during counselling sessions. 

One month after the second session took place, over half of the 125mg group no longer had PTSD, and almost all of the 75mg group were shown to no longer be suffering from PTSD as well. For the 30mg group, slightly less than 30 percent of the participants no longer showed signs of the condition. On average, the two higher dose groups experienced up to five times greater reductions in symptom severity – including decreases in depression and improvements in sleep. After one year, about 57 percent of the two high dose groups were still clear of PTSD.

“In this environment, our study suggests that MDMA might help augment the psychotherapeutic experiences and may have a role to play in the future treatment of PTSD,” says Feduccia. “However, we would certainly not recommend that individuals try these drugs for the treatment of psychiatric disorders without the support from trained psychotherapists.”

The findings of this study add to two previous studies by MAPS, both of which showed encouraging results as well. While further studies are needed – as well as larger sample sizes – these studies show that there could be a light at the end of the tunnel for those that suffer from this terrible disorder. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ecstasy shows promising results as a potential treatment for PTSD

Ecstasy is best known for being a “party drug,” used...

A research satellite launched by the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> (ESA) in 2010 is giving scientists invaluable insight into the shifting ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. The organization is reporting that CryoSat is exceeding expectations by showing how mountain glaciers are responding to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flooding-hawaii-climate-change/">climate change</a> in Patagonia as well.

Although satellite radar data has been used to monitor ice loss for around 25 years, technology has not been capable of tracking the status of ice on smaller mountain glaciers. Patagonia has many of the world's largest glaciers, and some of them are retreating at the fastest rate on the planet.

“This is because the weather is relatively warm and these glaciers typically terminate in fjords and lakes, exacerbating surface melting and causing them to flow faster and lose ice as icebergs at their margins,” ESA explained in a report.

A novel method of analyzing data from CryoSat is making it possible to get a closer look at the rapidly retreating ice cover in Patagonia. Luca Foresta is the co-author of a study led by the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> that describes what this new technique has revealed.

“We’ve used CryoSat to discover that between 2011 and 2017 there was widespread thinning, particularly in the northern part of the ice fields,” said Foresta.

“For example, the Jorge Montt glacier, which flows down to the ocean, retreated 2.5 km and lost about 2.2 Gt of ice a year, and the Upsala glacier, which terminates at a lake, lost 2.68 Gt a year.”

“In contrast, however, Pio XI, the largest glacier in South America, advanced and gained mass at a rate of about 0.67 Gt a year.”

According to the study authors, the Patagonian ice fields contributed an estimated 15.4 percent to the total mass loss from glaciers and ice caps in the first decade of this century. 

This contribution is only growing, as the researchers established that the Patagonian region lost 24 percent more ice between 2011 and 2017 compared to the amount of ice lost between 2000 and 2014.

The study co-authored by Luca Foresta is published in the journal in <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/remote-sensing-of-environment">Remote Sensing of Environment</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.esa.int/">ESA</a>/Planetary Visions

CryoSat satellite reveals substantial ice loss in Patagonia

A research satellite launched by the European Space Agency (ESA)...

Biodegradable water bottle

An entirely biodegradable water bottle might sound too good to be true, but thanks to the innovations of an Edinburgh-based company, plastic-free biodegradable water bottles could soon be a reality and ready for consumers. 

James Longcroft invented the plastic-free bottle after launching a non-profit water bottle company, <a href="https://choosewater.org/">Choose Water</a>, as a means to provide clean drinking water to countries in Africa two years ago. 

Longcroft saw the growing problem with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-oceans-triple/">plastic pollution</a> filling up landfills and ending up in the oceans and decided to go plastic-free. 

After experimenting with different materials and techniques, Longcroft designed an effective replacement bottle that didn’t use any fossil fuels in the production process.

The paper bottle surrounds a waterproof seal made of entirely sustainably-sourced natural ingredients and can break down in salt-water in just three weeks. 

“The outside is made from recycled paper, but the inside had to be waterproof, provide strength so the bottle would retain its structure, and keep the water fresh – just like plastic,” Longcroft told the <a href="https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/edinburgh-inventor-creates-biodegradable-water-bottle-to-fight-plastic-problem-1-4731899">Scotsman</a>. “We've managed to do all that, which is pretty exciting. It's made with a combination of natural, sustainable materials. I've just mixed some stuff together from trees and plants – they're all natural.” 

The bottle costs just a little more to make than the average price of just one plastic single-use bottle. After use, the new bottle starts to break down almost immediately and takes only a few weeks to completely biodegrade. 

The steel cap is the only part of the bottle that doesn’t break down quickly but still begins to decompose within a year. 

Plastic pollution is increasing and while researchers, engineers, and policymakers are scrambling to find ways to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and oceans, plastic production is projected to exceed 500 million metric tons by 2050. 

Choose Water’s plastic-free bottle could be a major step in reducing plastic pollution and creating new ways to package and sell products that are sustainably sourced. 

 “Changing an industry will be a massive uphill battle but with the public's support we will change the way we look at bottled water',” Longcroft was quoted as saying in the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5678023/The-paper-bottle-disintegrates-saltwater-just-THREE-WEEKS.html">Daily Mail</a>. “We really want to get our bottles on shelves and into people's hands as soon as possible, if we can stop even one plastic bottle ending up in the environment it will be worth it.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire

Plastic-free water bottles could soon hit the shelves

An entirely biodegradable water bottle might sound too good to...

Experts have identified nerve cells in the brains of mice that trigger their physical response to visual threats. Researchers at the <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford University School of Medicine</a> found that altering the activation levels of two nuclei controlled whether mice would become courageous or afraid when confronted by a simulated predator.

The two adjacent clusters of nerve cells, located in the center of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strong-grip-brain-function/">brain</a>, determined whether the mouse would have a passive or aggressive reaction to a perceived threat.

Study senior author Dr. Andrew Huberman explained that human brains likely contain this same circuitry. Therefore, finding non-invasive ways to strengthen or weaken the signals of the nuclei may help treat people with excessive anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder.

“This opens the door to future work on how to shift us from paralysis and fear to being able to confront challenges in ways that make our lives better,” said Dr. Huberman.

When a predator such as a hawk or an owl is advancing, a mouse must make a split-second decision to freeze, duck into a shelter, or run for its life. 

The researchers simulated the aerial approach of a bird on an overhead screen to examine which regions of the brains of mice would become active. They noted heightened activity in a structure called the ventral midline thalamus, or vMT. 

Although the vMT was found to receive a broad amount of inputs, its output points were limited to two main destinations - the basolateral amygdala and the medial prefrontal cortex.

In previous studies, the amygdala has been linked to the processing of threat detection and fear and the medial prefrontal cortex has been linked to anxiety and high-level executive functions.

The investigation revealed that the nerve tract leading to the basolateral amygdala originated from a nerve-cell cluster in the vMT called the xiphoid nucleus. The researchers also discovered that the tract that leads to the medial prefrontal cortex came from a cluster called the nucleus reuniens.


The experts modified specific nerve cells to stimulate or inhibit activation levels in these two nerve tracts. Stimulating xiphoid activity caused the mice to freeze out of fear, while stimulating the nucleus reuniens caused the mice to become aggressive and brave. 

Dr. Huberman said the courageous behavior was unmistakable, and loud. He explained, “You could hear their tails thumping against the side of the chamber. It's the mouse equivalent of slapping and beating your chest and saying, ‘OK, let's fight!’”

In the absence of a predator, stimulation of the nucleus reuniens did not trigger any aggressive behavior.

Dr. Huberman said that human brains have a structure that is equivalent to the vMT. He theorized that episodes or malfunctioning circuitry in people with chronic anxiety, phobias, or PTSD may cause vMT signaling to persist with repeated exposure to stressful conditions.

The team is now investigating techniques that may adjust the arousal states of people suffering from severe anxiety issues. The researchers believe that shifting the balance of nerve signaling strength in the human equivalent of the vMT may help patients learn how to better cope with stress.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fear and courage have controllable switches in the brain

Experts have identified nerve cells in the brains of mice...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-magnetic-poles-flip/">we reported</a>, there has been recent speculation as to whether Earth’s magnetic poles may be on the verge of reversing, which would result in drastic consequences.

The role of Earth’s magnetic field can’t be overstated, as it protects us from harmful radiation and solar winds. The origins of the field lie in the Earth’s liquid outer core which is rich in iron, nickel, and other metals.

Research has shown that <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/2012-poleReversal.html">the poles have flipped before</a> on numerous occasions, but it has remained unclear when will it happen again, since we may be long overdue for another reversal.

It has been suggested that due to the weakening of the magnetic field over the last two hundred years, the Earth's poles could flip at any moment. 

But according to a new study conducted by an international team of researchers, a magnetic pole reversal is not as imminent as previously thought. 

“Our research suggests instead that the current weakened field will recover without such an extreme event, and therefore is unlikely to reverse,” said Richard Holme, a co-author of the study. 

The study was published in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For the study, the researchers modeled two of the most recent geomagnetic excursions events: the Lashamp which happened around 41,000 years ago and the Mono Lake event which occurred around 34,000 years ago. 

Excursion events are not full reversals but periods of significant changes in the magnetic field. In both the Lashamp and Mono Lake events, the poles came close to flipping but eventually went back to normal. 

Neither of the fields modeled resulted in a complete reversal or excursion and even though there were similarities between the models and the earth’s current field structure, the sequence of events that led to previous excursions don’t match what’s happening with poles now. 

“There has been speculation that we are about to experience a magnetic polar reversal or excursion,” said Holme, a co-author of the study. “However, by studying the two most recent excursion events, we show that neither bear resemblance to current changes in the geomagnetic field and therefore it is probably unlikely that such an event is about to happen.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth’s magnetic field is not about to reverse, new study finds

As we reported, there has been recent speculation as to...

A new water <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/boozing-beetles-alcohol/">beetle</a> discovered in Malaysian Borneo by a team of experts and citizen scientists has been named after actor and environmentalist Leonardo DiCaprio. The name is a tribute to the 20th anniversary of the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation (LDF) in recognition of the organization's efforts to protect biodiversity.

The Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation is committed to supporting “the long-term health and wellbeing of all Earth's inhabitants.” 

Founded in 1998, the LDF has awarded $80.1 million in grants to 132 environmental organizations in 50 countries. These grants have funded over 200 climate change mitigation, wildlife conservation, and habitat preservation projects.

Grouvellinus leonardodicaprioi is one of three previously unknown water beetles found during the first field trip of Taxon Expeditions, an organization that unites nature enthusiasts and international experts to search remote regions for new species.

The group recovered G. leonardodicaprioi at a waterfall in the Maliau Basin. Dr. Iva Njunjic is an entomologist and the founder of Taxon Expeditions.

“Tiny and black, this new beetle may not win any Oscars for charisma, but in biodiversity conservation, every creature counts,” said Dr. Njunjic.

Taxon Expeditions hopes to harness the power of citizen scientists for biodiversity discovery and protection. Despite 250 years of research, scientists estimate that only 20 percent of the world's species are currently known.

In 2016, Leonardo DiCaprio said in a statement, “We've been given this gift, our planet, and we've found no other place in the universe that we can inhabit. I want to do something to create radical change to help save it. It's our responsibility.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://zookeys.pensoft.net/">ZooKeys</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Taxon Expeditions - Hendrik Freitag

New beetle named after Leonardo DiCaprio for his environmentalism

A new water beetle discovered in Malaysian Borneo by a...

Sleeping with the light on can make your circadian rhythm miss a beat. Now, medical researchers are beginning to understand why.

A new study published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1113/JP275501">Journal of Physiology</a> explores how missing sleep during the dark hours of the night can affect the production of melatonin. The hormone, which helps regulate sleep and is produced by the brain during the night, can be suppressed if someone is frequently exposed to light before sleep.

In a 9- to 10-day inpatient study at <a href="https://www.brighamandwomens.org/">Brigham and Women’s Hospital</a>, researchers used continuous and intermittent light during sleeping periods to test whether melatonin suppression and the circadian rhythm are connected. The study included tight control over the participants activity levels and sleep/wake schedule.

The team hopes to find whether a correlation between melatonin levels and circadian phase resetting – the process that sets the internal clock using day and night cues from one’s environment – might equal causation.

But in the end, the research didn’t show a strong link. The intermittent light patterns were shown to trigger larger phase shifts, even though they caused less melatonin suppression. 

"Overall, our data suggest that melatonin suppression and phase resetting are sometimes correlated, but ultimately are regulated by separate neurophysiological processes. Therefore melatonin suppression is not a reliable surrogate for phase resetting," said Dr. Shadab Rahman, who led the study.

The study could have an impact on people who have poor quality sleep, like shift workers, as well as those battling depression. 

The small sample size indicates that more research is needed, the researchers warned. Still, it may be time to look into techniques other than melatonin suppression to reset circadian rhythm.

"This is an important consideration for developing light-therapy treatments for people who have poor quality sleep and biological clock disruption, such as shift workers, or disorders such as depression. Additional work is needed to optimize light therapy protocols used as treatment," Rahman said.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Sleeping when it's light? Your circadian rhythm may be off

Sleeping with the light on can make your circadian rhythm...

For decades, humanity has looked for our future among the stars. The time it would take to travel between solar systems, however, have posed a problem: how could a ship be sent that would still have living humans aboard when it reached its destination? The answer: generation ships – and now one group of scientists has an idea of how to build them.

Generation ships – starships that could support a large group of humans for several generations as they travel between star systems – have always been a potential solution when it comes to moving beyond Earth’s own solar system. 

After all, a trip to Mars, one of Earth’s closest neighbors, would take seven months. It took more than 9 years for the New Horizons mission to reach Pluto. A journey to Alpha Centauri B, perhaps the closest planet outside Earth’s solar system, could take 100 years or more.

Scientists have long wondered how they could create a ship large enough to support several generations of travelers on such a trip. Now, a team of scientists from <a href="https://www.tudelft.nl/en/">Delft University of Technology</a> have a potential solution. Hollowed-out asteroids could provide the framework for generation ships capable of traveling long distances over decades or centuries.

"We need self-sustaining and evolvable space technology capable of enduring the many decades needed to journey from our solar system to another," project leader Angelo Vermeulen said in a <a href="https://phys.org/news/2018-04-evolving-asteroid-starships.html">press release</a>.

The <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/ESA_s_MELiSSA_life-support_programme_wins_academic_recognition">MELiSSA Programme</a>, an international effort by 11 countries to create a sustainable life support system, could be used to make the hollowed-out asteroids viable living spaces. The project’s oxygen-producing algae system has already seen some success.

"The MELiSSA concept gives the starship its baseline life support," Vermeulen said. "Meanwhile, we're also integrating other technologies such as 3-D printing and asteroid mining into our design."

A number of rockets attached to the asteroid would create some maneuverability, the team said.

The team will present their work at next month’s <a href="https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Space_Engineering_Technology/Melissa/Register_for_AgroSpace-MELiSSA_workshop_16-18_May_2018">AgroSpace MELiSSA Workshop</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Could hollow asteroids be used as generation ships?

For decades, humanity has looked for our future among the...

Two weeks ago, NASA posted a “puzzler” image from Operation IceBridge, asking readers if they could explain some mysterious holes spotted in the Arctic ice.

Recently, the agency posted the answer: The holes in the Beaufort Sea are areas where new ice is forming. Circular features around the holes show where the ice is still flexible. The area where the new ice is forming was most likely a long, linear area of water, the scientists said.

“The ice is likely thin, soft, and mushy and somewhat pliable,” Dr. Don Perovich of <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/">Dartmouth College</a> told <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>. “This can be seen in the wave-like features in front of the middle ‘amoeba.’”

Some “finger rafting” – where two thin ice floes meet – to the right of the image indicates that the ice could be forming in a generally left to right motion when looking at the photo, he said.

<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/icebridge/index.html">Operation IceBridge</a> researchers agreed with his assessment.

“It’s definitely an area of thin ice, as you can see finger rafting near the holes and the color is gray enough to indicate little snow cover,” IceBridge project scientist Dr. Nathan Kurtz said. 

Still, that doesn’t explain everything about the photo – particularly those circular, “amoeba-shaped” holes in the ice.

“I’m not sure what kind of dynamics could lead to the semi-circle shaped features surrounding the holes. I have never seen anything like that before,” Kurtz said.

A couple of experts on the Arctic suggested that seals might have created the holes so they could come up to breathe. But it could also be a feature of drainage or caused by warm spots of water, they said.

“The other possibility is that warmer water from Beaufort currents or out of the Mackenzie River is finding its way to the surface due to interacting with the bathymetry, just the way some polynyas form,” Dr. Chris Shuman of the University of Maryland said.

To read the full story, visit <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=92030&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_previous">NASA’s Earth Observatory</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer 

Image credit: NASA

Operation IceBridge offers theories on mysterious holes in Arctic ice

Two weeks ago, NASA posted a “puzzler” image from Operation...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from 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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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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...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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...