Beautiful,Night,Landscape,,Old,Volcano,,Crater,Lake.,The,Colorful,Star

From the tiniest fluctuations after the Big Bang, gravity has orchestrated the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets, creating the vast cosmic web we see today.



Gravity isn't just what keeps us grounded -- it's been shaping the universe since its earliest days. Recent studies have provided the most precise tests of gravity on the grandest scales imaginable. 



By examining how cosmic structures have grown over the past 11 billion years, scientists have confirmed that gravity behaves just as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cosmic-glitch-in-gravity-expands-the-theory-of-general-relativity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Einstein's theory</a> of general relativity predicts, even across billions of light-years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-desi-tracks-gravity-over-11-billion-years">DESI tracks gravity over 11 billion years</h2>



Pauline Zarrouk, a cosmologist at the French National Center for Scientific Research (<a href="https://www.cnrs.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CNRS</a>) working at the Laboratory of Nuclear and High-Energy Physics (LPNHE), has been exploring this cosmic evolution.



In collaboration with the international team behind the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (<a href="https://www.desi.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DESI</a>), Zarrouk and her colleagues have traced how cosmic structures grew over the past 11 billion years.



Using data from DESI, the researchers provided the most precise test to date of gravity on the largest scales. 



"General relativity has been very well tested at the scale of solar systems, but we also needed to test that our assumption works at much larger scales," Zarrouk explained. 



"Studying the rate at which galaxies formed lets us directly test our theories and, so far, we're lining up with what <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/radical-new-theory-finally-unites-gravity-spacetime-and-the-quantum-realm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">general relativity</a> predicts at cosmological scales."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-einstein-is-smiling-from-the-grave">Einstein is smiling from the grave</h2>



Their findings confirm that gravity behaves as Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts, even across the immense distances of the universe. 



This validation supports our leading model of the cosmos and narrows down alternative theories of gravity that have been proposed to explain puzzling observations, like the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universe-expansion-rate-dark-energy-measured-11-billion-years-ago/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accelerating expansion</a> of the universe often attributed to dark energy.



The study also sheds light on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-gravity-search-south-pole-neutrinos-experiment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutrinos</a> -- the elusive particles that zip through space almost undetected. 



Previous experiments determined that the combined mass of the three types of neutrinos should be at least 0.059 electron volts (eV/c²). For perspective, an electron has a mass of about 511,000 eV/c². 



DESI's results suggest that the total mass of neutrinos should be less than 0.071 eV/c², tightening the constraints on these mysterious particles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-desi-gravity-and-cosmic-structure">DESI, gravity, and cosmic structure</h2>



"Both our BAO results and the full-shape analysis are spectacular," said Dragan Huterer, a professor at the <a href="https://umich.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Michigan</a> and co-lead of DESI's group interpreting the cosmological data. 



"This is the first time that DESI has looked at the growth of cosmic structure. We're showing a tremendous new ability to probe modified gravity and improve constraints on models of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-energy-is-ripping-the-universe-apart-but-we-arent-sure-how/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark energy</a>. And it's only the tip of the iceberg."



DESI is no ordinary telescope. Mounted on the Nicholas U. Mayall 4-meter Telescope at <a href="https://kpno.noirlab.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kitt Peak National Observatory</a>, it's capable of capturing light from 5,000 galaxies at once. 



Funded by the DOE Office of Science, the project is now in its fourth year of surveying the sky and aims to collect data from roughly 40 million galaxies and quasars by the time it's done.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/theory-gravity-exists-without-mass-so-dark-matter-does-not-exist/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Testing gravity</a> at cosmic scales is crucial. While Einstein's theory has passed every test within our solar system, there's always the possibility that it might behave differently across the vastness of space. 



By confirming that gravity acts as expected over billions of light-years, scientists can be more confident in their models of how the universe has evolved. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-interpreting-the-desi-data">Interpreting the DESI data</h2>



<a href="https://profiles.utdallas.edu/mishak">Dr. Mustapha Ishak-Boushaki</a>, a professor of physics in the <a href="https://nsm.utdallas.edu/">School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics</a> at UT Dallas, co-led the DESI working group that interpreted the cosmological data.



“For this round of DESI results, I focused my efforts at UT Dallas on conducting a large part of the analysis on gravity, which puts constraints on how matter in the universe moves and how large-scale structures, such as clusters of galaxies, evolve,” explained Ishak-Boushaki. 



“The results from DESI, combined with datasets from other experiments, are consistent with general relativity theory operating at cosmic scales, although they do not completely exclude other theories of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/central-theory-of-quantum-gravity-is-modeled-in-the-laboratory/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modified gravity</a>.”



The new results provide an extended analysis of <a href="https://news.utdallas.edu/science-technology/desi-findings-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">DESI’s first year of data</a>, which in April contributed to the largest 3D map of the universe to date and revealed hints that <a href="https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2024/04/04/desi-first-results-make-most-precise-measurement-of-expanding-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark energy might be evolving</a> over time.



“The latest analysis is also consistent with our previous findings that give preference to the theory that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-energy-could-explain-the-rapid-expansion-of-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark energy</a> is not constant, but dynamic, which is a very important result for cosmic acceleration,” Ishak-Boushaki said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-did-this-happen">How did this happen?</h2>



The collaboration is currently analyzing data from the first three years and expects to present updated measurements of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-evidence-suggests-that-dark-energy-comes-from-black-holes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark energy</a> and the universe's expansion history by spring 2025. 



The recent results align with earlier hints that dark energy might be evolving over time, adding to the excitement for what's to come.



"Dark matter makes up about a quarter of the universe, and dark energy makes up another 70 percent, and we don't really know what either one is," said Mark Maus, a PhD student at <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Berkeley Lab</a> and UC Berkeley who worked on theory and validation modeling pipelines for the new analysis. 



"The idea that we can take pictures of the universe and tackle these big, fundamental questions is mind-blowing."



The study utilized nearly 6 million <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lonely-quasars-in-the-early-universe-cannot-be-explained/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies and quasars</a>, allowing researchers to peer up to 11 billion years into the past. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-next-for-desi-and-gravity">What's next for DESI and gravity?</h2>



To sum it all up, with just one year of data, DESI has made the most precise overall measurement of the growth of cosmic structures, surpassing previous efforts that took decades.



The DESI project is remarkable not just for its technological capabilities but also for its collaborative spirit. 



With over 900 researchers from more than 70 institutions worldwide, it's a testament to what can be achieved when the global scientific community comes together.



As we await the next round of results, one can't help but wonder: What other secrets of the universe are waiting to be uncovered? 



The quest to understand gravity, dark matter, and dark energy continues, and each new discovery brings us a little closer to unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos.



The full study was published in <a href="https://data.desi.lbl.gov/doc/papers/">several scientific journals</a>.



-----



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New 'mind-blowing' gravity discovery proves Einstein right again

From the tiniest fluctuations after the Big Bang, gravity has orchestrated the formation of galaxies, stars, and planets, creating the vast cosmic web we see today. Gravity isn't just what keeps us grounded -- it's been shaping the universe since its earliest days. Recent studies have provided the most precise tests of gravity on the grandest scales imaginable. By examining how cosmic structures have grown over the past 11 billion years, scientists have confirmed that gravity behaves just as Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts, even across...

1826989610

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.bu.edu/sph/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Boston University School of Public Health</a> (BUSPH) challenges prevailing narratives about the causes of excess mortality during the COVID-19 pandemic.&nbsp;



The research has produced compelling evidence that many deaths previously attributed to natural causes were, in fact, uncounted fatalities from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-associated-with-lower-covid-19-vaccine-responses/">COVID-19</a>.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-significance-nbsp">Study significance&nbsp;</h2>



"Official COVID-19 mortality statistics have not fully captured deaths attributable to SARS-CoV-2 infection in the United States," wrote the researchers.



"While some excess deaths were likely related to pandemic health care interruptions and socioeconomic disruptions, temporal correlations between reported COVID-19 deaths and excess deaths reported to non-COVID-19 natural causes suggest that many of those excess deaths were unrecognized COVID-19 deaths."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-the-true-toll">Understanding the true toll</h2>



The investigation represents a significant stride in understanding the true toll of the pandemic.&nbsp;



Kristin Urquiza co-founded Marked By COVID, a justice and remembrance movement, after losing her father to COVID. “This study documents the deadliness of COVID-19 and the effectiveness of public health interventions,” said Urquiza. “The least we can do to honor those who died is to accurately account for what happened.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-excess-mortality-nbsp">Excess mortality&nbsp;</h2>



The official count of COVID-19 deaths in the United States stands at nearly 1.17 million, according to federal data. However, this figure is believed to be an underestimation, as suggested by multiple excess mortality studies.&nbsp;



Excess mortality refers to the number of deaths during a given time period that surpasses the number expected under normal circumstances.&nbsp;



Until now, the challenge has been to determine whether these additional deaths were directly due to COVID-19 or resulted from indirect consequences of the pandemic, such as healthcare disruptions or socioeconomic factors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unrecognized-covid-19-fatalities">Unrecognized COVID-19 fatalities</h2>



In collaboration with researchers at the University of Pennsylvania, the BUSPH team provides the first definitive evidence linking a significant portion of excess deaths during the pandemic directly to COVID-19, rather than to non-COVID natural causes like chronic illnesses.&nbsp;



By analyzing monthly data on natural-cause deaths and reported COVID-19 fatalities across 3,127 U.S. counties from March 2020 to August 2022, the team discovered that spikes in non-COVID natural cause deaths coincided with or preceded surges in COVID-19 deaths in most regions. This pattern suggests that many deaths were misclassified and should have been attributed to COVID-19.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-many-deaths-went-uncounted">Many deaths went uncounted</h2>



“Our findings show that many COVID-19 deaths went uncounted during the pandemic. Surprisingly, these undercounts persisted well beyond the initial phase of the pandemic,” said study co-author Dr. Andrew Stokes, who has led numerous studies analyzing excess mortality patterns and drivers during the pandemic.



According to Dr. Stokes, the temporal correlation between reported COVID-19 deaths and excess deaths reported to non-COVID-19 natural causes offers insight into the causes of these deaths.



“We observed peaks in non-COVID-19 excess deaths in the same or prior month as COVID-19 deaths, a pattern consistent with these being unrecognized COVID-19 deaths that were missed due to low community awareness and a lack of COVID-19 testing.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-nbsp">Broader implications&nbsp;</h2>



Study lead author Eugenio Paglino, a PhD student at UPenn, noted that if the primary explanation for these deaths were healthcare interruptions and delays in care, the non-COVID excess deaths would likely occur after a peak in reported COVID-19 deaths and subsequent interruptions in care. “However, this pattern was not observed nationally or in any of the geographic subregions we assessed,” said Paglino.



The study also disproves any claims that mortality during the pandemic can be attributed to COVID-19 vaccinations or shelter-in-place policies.&nbsp;



Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, founding director of the Boston University Center for Emerging Infectious Diseases Policy and Research, said that the research is important because our ability to detect and correctly assign deaths during an epidemic goes to the heart of our understanding of the disease and how we organize our response.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2313661121" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Hidden death toll of COVID-19 pandemic revealed

A new study led by the Boston University School of...

Air,Pollution,In,The,City.,Woman,Wearing,Face,Mask,For

In a compelling study led by the <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7386342/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Alliance against Chronic Respiratory Diseases</a>, researchers have drawn a direct correlation between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-made-covid-19-patients-sicker-for-longer/">air pollution</a> and an increased rate of cardiovascular disease-related deaths across the globe. 



This analysis, which includes data from nearly all member states of the World Health Organization (WHO), sheds light on the stark differences in mortality rates due to air pollution between high-income and low-income countries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-significance-nbsp">Study significance&nbsp;</h2>



"In 2022, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) killed 41 million people, equivalent to 74% of all deaths globally. Cardiovascular disease (CVD) accounts for most NCD deaths, or 17.9 million people die annually from CVD," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Traditional risk factors such as smoking, physical inactivity, the harmful use of alcohol, and unhealthy diet all increase the risk of dying from a CVD. Air pollution, both outdoor or ambient and household, is not included in this risk calculation despite air pollution being a major contributor to the global burden of disease, with an estimated 12% of all attributable deaths in 2019."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pervasive-impact-of-air-pollution">Pervasive impact of air pollution</h2>



The study's findings are a grim reminder of the pervasive impact of air pollution on public health, particularly in relation to ischemic heart disease and stroke - two major types of cardiovascular diseases.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that in all 183 countries examined, deaths related to ischemic heart disease attributable to air pollution were more common than stroke-related deaths caused by the same factor. This distinction underscores the varied ways in which air pollution can affect cardiovascular health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unequal-burden-of-air-pollution-nbsp">Unequal burden of air pollution&nbsp;</h2>



In 2019, the rate of ischemic heart disease-related deaths linked to outdoor air pollution was significantly higher in low-income countries, with 70 deaths per 100,000 people, compared to 16 per 100,000 in high-income countries. This disparity highlights the unequal burden of air pollution, with low-income countries facing more severe health impacts due to poorer air quality.



Furthermore, the research emphasizes a critical issue facing low-income countries: household air pollution. The use of polluting fuels and stoves for cooking - a common practice in these regions - was identified as a major contributor to the problem, leading to more than double the number of stroke-related deaths compared to outdoor air pollution (39 stroke-related deaths per 100,000 versus 19 per 100,000).&nbsp;



This aspect of air pollution represents a significant challenge to public health in low-income countries, where access to clean cooking technologies is often limited.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preventive-strategies-nbsp">Preventive strategies&nbsp;</h2>



Study co-author Dr. Nikolai Khaltaev emphasized the importance of addressing air pollution as part of a holistic approach to cardiovascular disease prevention.&nbsp;



“Effective air pollution control along with lifestyle modifications and disease management should be essential components of cardiovascular disease preventive strategies,” said Dr. Khaltaev.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-nbsp">Broader implications&nbsp;</h2>



The study serves as a crucial call to action for policymakers, healthcare providers, and the global community to intensify efforts towards reducing air pollution and its detrimental effects on cardiovascular health.&nbsp;



The evidence underscores the urgency of implementing effective air pollution control measures, especially in low-income countries where the health impacts are most pronounced.&nbsp;



"Despite increasing awareness of the impact of air pollution on population health, appreciation of air pollution as a modifiable risk factor is still limited among the health professionals who are traditionally more focused on the classic risk factors," wrote the researchers.



"It is important to raise awareness about the harmful impact of air pollution on CVD mortality among the general population, health care providers, research community, and politicians."



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/cdt3.116" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chronic Diseases and Translational Medicine</a>.



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Air pollution fuels cardiovascular deaths worldwide

In a compelling study led by the Global Alliance against...

Volcano,And,Lightning,3d,Illustration,-,Lightning,And,Thunder,Crack

A new study challenges the extraterrestrial origins of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/origin-of-life-on-earth-may-have-been-found-in-ancient-hot-springs/">life</a>, positing that life began on Earth itself. This research, led by the <a href="https://www.sorbonne-universite.fr/en/university" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sorbonne University</a> in Paris, has uncovered that lightning strikes hitting volcanic eruptions across what is now known as Turkey, Peru, and Italy played a crucial role in producing extreme levels of nitrogen, thereby facilitating the birth of the earliest life forms. 



Nitrogen, a fundamental element for life on Earth, when combined with lightning, reacts with oxygen to form nitrogen oxide, which then gets released into the soil, creating a fertile ground for life to emerge and thrive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-significance">Study significance</h2>



"Nitrogen (N) fixation is an essential process for life as it converts atmospheric dinitrogen into biologically assimilable forms," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"Experimental and theoretical studies have proposed that volcanic lightning could have contributed to N-fixation in early prebiotic environments on Earth but geological evidence are still lacking."&nbsp;



"For the first time, significant amounts of nitrate have been discovered in volcanic deposits from very large explosive eruptions."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-atmospheric-nitrate">Atmospheric nitrate</h2>



The researchers analyzed samples from three ancient volcanic sites, which revealed that the substantial amounts of nitrates found were of atmospheric origin, suggesting that these essential life-giving elements were delivered by lightning, not derived from the volcanic eruptions themselves.



"When you look at the different possibilities, the most likely was volcanic lightning," said study lead author Slimane Bekki, an expert in atmospheric sciences at the Sorbonne. “We know that you get a lot of lightning when you have a massive volcanic eruption.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-volcanic-lightning-nbsp">Volcanic lightning&nbsp;</h2>



The phenomenon of volcanic lightning, which typically occurs at the eruption's onset, was observed in two key areas: near the ground within ash clouds and higher up in the plume of volcanic smoke that reaches the stratosphere.



To investigate these phenomena, Bekki and his team conducted fieldwork in southern Peru, central Turkey, and off the coast of Naples, Italy, focusing on regions known for their ancient volcanic activities. Their research confirmed that the large quantities of nitrates detected in the soil were indeed atmospheric, brought about by lightning, rather than being directly emitted by the volcanoes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-blocks-of-life">Building blocks of life</h2>



“Indeed, nitrate produced by storm lightning all around the world are spread out on the Earth's surface, while volcanic deposits are formed locally in a very short period of time and, according to our results, can contain large amounts of fixed N [nitrogen], a prerequisite for the development of life,” the authors wrote.



This groundbreaking research not only provides insight into the atmospheric processes that could have supported the emergence of life on Earth but also emphasizes the unique contributions of volcanic lightning to this complex puzzle.



"These findings provide geological support for a unique role played by subaerial explosive eruptions in high energy–demanding processes, which were essential in supplying building blocks for life during its emergence on Earth," wrote the researchers.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2309131121" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Life on Earth may have been created by volcanic lightning

A new study challenges the extraterrestrial origins of life, positing...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a> have unveiled new insights into the locomotive versatility of dinosaurs, attributing their adaptability as a key factor to their dominance on Earth for 160 million years. 



This study, published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rsos.231495" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Royal Society Open Science</a>, demonstrates that the earliest dinosaurs possessed superior speed and dynamism compared to their contemporaries, which significantly contributed to their evolutionary success.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-locomotion-styles-nbsp">Locomotion styles&nbsp;</h2>



By analyzing limb proportions of various reptiles from the Triassic period (252 to 201 million years ago) - the era marking the emergence and ascendancy of dinosaurs - the team was able to discern the locomotion styles of these ancient creatures.&nbsp;



They distinguished between quadrupedal (four-footed) and bipedal (two-footed) species, additionally evaluating their cursoriality index, indicative of their running capabilities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-advantage-nbsp">Evolutionary advantage&nbsp;</h2>



The findings revealed that dinosaurs and their close relatives were inherently bipedal and cursorial, meaning their limbs were evolutionarily fashioned for running. This adaptability allowed them a broader spectrum of running styles than their rivals, the Pseudosuchia, which included the progenitors of today's crocodiles.



“When the crunch came, 233 million years ago, dinosaurs won out,” said lead author Amy Shipley, an MSc Palaeobiology student at Bristol. “At that time, climates shifted from wet to dry, intensifying the competition for food. Despite being relatively few in number for 20 million years, dinosaurs managed to flourish while the pseudosuchians faltered.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-survival-and-expansion">Survival and expansion</h2>



The study suggests that dinosaurs' capability for water conservation, akin to many of today's reptiles and birds, alongside their versatile mobility, were crucial to their survival and expansion, especially following the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-may-be-enduring-its-seventh-mass-extinction-not-sixth/">mass extinction</a> at the Triassic's close.&nbsp;



“After the end of the Triassic, when there was a mass extinction, the dinosaurs expanded again,” said study senior author Mike Benton, a professor of Paleontology at the same university.&nbsp;



“Most of the pseudosuchians were wiped out by the mass extinction, except for the ancestors of crocodiles, and we found that these surviving dinosaurs expanded their range of locomotion again, taking over many of the empty niches.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-insights">New insights</h2>



Contrary to expectations, the research, co-authored by Dr Armin Elsler, found that dinosaurs did not evolve at exceptionally rapid rates.&nbsp;



“This was a surprise because we expected to see fast evolution in avemetatarsalians and slower evolution in pseudosuchians. What this means is that the locomotion style of dinosaurs was advantageous to them, but it was not an engine of intense evolutionary selection. In other words, when crises happened, they were well placed to take advantage of opportunities after the crisis,” Elsler explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-immensely-adaptable-nbsp">Immensely adaptable&nbsp;</h2>



Dr Tom Stubbs, another collaborator, highlighted the misconception of dinosaurs as solely massive, slow-moving creatures, pointing out their origins as agile, bipedal insect-eaters. This agility and varied leg posture enabled their ancestors to swiftly navigate their environments, capturing prey while evading larger predators.



“And of course, their diversity of posture and focus on fast running meant that dinosaurs could diversify when they had the chance. After the end-Triassic mass extinction, we get truly huge dinosaurs, over ten meters long, some with armor, many quadrupedal, but many still bipedal like their ancestors,” said co-author Suresh Singh. “The diversity of their posture and gait meant they were immensely adaptable, and this ensured strong success on Earth for so long.”&nbsp;



The study not only sheds light on the evolutionary prowess of dinosaurs but also underscores the significance of adaptability in the face of changing environmental conditions and crises.



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Locomotive versatility helped dinosaurs adapt and survive

Researchers from the University of Bristol have unveiled new insights...

Olfactory,System,,Sensory,System,Used,For,Smelling,,Olfaction,Senses.,Components

In an exciting development, researchers have made a significant discovery that sheds light on the intricate process of decision-making by brain cells triggered by odors. 



The study from the University of Colorado <a href="https://www.cuanschutz.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Anschutz Medical Campus</a> reveals how specific brain cells, stimulated by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-sense-of-smell-can-change-the-colors-we-see/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">odors</a>, may be crucial in the rapid decision-making processes we often take for granted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-role-of-the-hippocampus-in-decision-making">Role of the hippocampus in decision-making</h2>



The focus of this research is the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunger-hormones-in-the-gut-can-change-our-eating-behavior/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hippocampus</a>, a vital part of the brain known for its roles in memory and learning. 



While it has been established that "time cells" within the hippocampus are key to its functioning, their exact contribution to associative learning was previously unclear. 



"These are cells that would remind you to make a decision -- do this or do that," explains Diego Restrepo, PhD, the study's senior author and a renowned neuroscientist and professor at the <a href="https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Colorado School of Medicine</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-associative-learning">Understanding associative learning</h2>



In their experiments, researchers observed mice faced with a choice: respond to a fruity odor by licking a spout to receive sweet water or do nothing when presented with the scent of mineral oil. 



The mice's brains quickly learned to associate the fruit <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-can-a-smell-transport-us-to-another-place/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">odor</a> with the reward, demonstrating the fundamental process of decision-making based on sensory cues. 



“They have to associate the odor with the outcome of what they are doing so that’s why they learn decision making,” said Ming Ma, PhD, a first author of the study and a senior instructor in cell and developmental biology at the CU School of Medicine. “When it’s a fruit odor, they lick and get a reward. When it’s mineral oil they stop licking.”



The study further revealed that as the mice's learning progressed, the stimulated brain cells allowed for faster decoding of odors, enabling the mice to proficiently choose the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/simple-treatment-restores-sense-of-smell-in-long-covid-patients/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fruity smell</a>. 



“The more they learned, the more the cells were stimulated leading to more rapid decoding of the odors and allowing the mice to quickly become proficient at choosing the fruity smell,” said Fabio Simoes de Souza, DSc, another first author of the study and an assistant research professor in cell and developmental biology at the CU School of Medicine.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-neural-pathway-from-an-odor-to-the-brain-s-decision">Neural pathway: From an odor to the brain's decision</h2>



This process begins with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/do-we-bond-more-with-people-that-smell-like-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">odor</a> traveling through the nose, sending neural signals to the olfactory bulb and then to the hippocampus, highlighting the close connection between these two organs. 



The swift processing of this odor information leads to immediate decision-making. This discovery is a leap forward in understanding the hippocampus's multifaceted role in decision-making, a function previously unrecognized.



Restrepo speculates that these decision-making cells are not always active to prevent sensory overload. 



This insight opens new avenues in our comprehension of the brain's decision-making capabilities, especially in the context of quick, instinctive choices that both mice and humans constantly make.



Restrepo elucidates the significance of this discovery, stating, "The hippocampus turns on decision-predicting time cells which would give you a hint of what to remember." 



This challenges the traditional view of time cells as mere markers of events and time, revealing their critical role in memory encoding and retrieval during decision-making.



In summary, this research expands our understanding of the brain's decision-making mechanisms and paves the way for future studies that could explore how these processes are altered in neurological conditions, offering hope for new therapeutic strategies. 



The University of Colorado's study is a testament to the ever-evolving nature of neuroscience, promising exciting developments in our understanding of the human brain.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960982224000216?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Odors prompt brain cells to make decisions before ‘you’ know what’s happening

In an exciting development, researchers have made a significant discovery...

A recent publication in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45001-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a> unveils groundbreaking insights into the integral role <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-role-will-forests-play-in-future-climate-change/">forests</a> play within the climate system and the water cycle, underscoring the need for a deeper understanding of their full impact. 



Conducted by researchers from <a href="https://www.su.se/cmlink/stockholm-university" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stockholm University</a> alongside international collaborators from 11 institutions across five countries, including Sweden, the UK, Finland, Germany, and Brazil, the study sheds light on the complex interactions between forests and their contribution to cloud formation, which in turn could significantly affect global temperatures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



Forests, covering a third of the planet's land surface, are crucial for carbon storage and regulating the water cycle. The research uniquely focuses on both boreal and tropical forests, which account for 27% and 45% of the world's forested areas, respectively.&nbsp;



These ecosystems exhibit distinct differences in their emissions and the processes of cloud formation, influencing the feedback loop between forests, clouds, and the climate differently.



"This study, utilizing long-term data from diverse forest environments in Finland and Brazil, marks the first time observational evidence has been presented for these interactions in tropical rainforests," said Sara Blichner, a postdoctoral fellow at the Department of Environmental Sciences at Stockholm University.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-key-findings">Key findings</h2>



One of the critical findings of the study is the underrepresentation of forests in current climate models, particularly regarding their role in cloud formation.



"Our findings suggest that current models may underestimate the impact of forests on cloud formation and climate, especially in tropical regions, which are crucial due to the high amount of solar radiation these areas receive at these latitudes," Blichner explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-refining-climate-models">Refining climate models</h2>



Despite identifying areas for improvement, Blichner emphasizes the reliability of climate models in capturing the core dynamics of climate change.&nbsp;



"Climate models are highly trustworthy in representing the main processes of climate change. Our research aims to refine these models, reducing uncertainties in future climate projections," she said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-natural-emissions">Natural emissions</h2>



Furthermore, the study highlights the growing significance of natural particles from forests in the climate system, especially as man-made particle emissions decrease due to stringent air quality policies. These natural emissions could increasingly influence cloud reflectivity and, consequently, global warming.



"Natural aerosol feedbacks are expected to become more important in the future, as anthropogenic aerosol emissions decrease due to air quality policy," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"One such feedback is initiated by the increase in biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) emissions with higher temperatures, leading to higher secondary organic aerosol (SOA) production and a cooling of the surface via impacts on cloud radiative properties."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-study-implications-nbsp">Study implications&nbsp;</h2>



The collaborative effort underscores the necessity for ongoing research and enhancements in climate modeling to more accurately predict future climate scenarios.&nbsp;



The study also stresses the importance of considering forest conservation as a pivotal strategy in climate change mitigation, given the role of forests in emitting organic gasses that contribute to particle formation, cloud reflectivity, and potentially cooler surface temperatures.&nbsp;



As global temperatures rise, the expectation is that forests will emit more gasses, leading to an increase in particle formation and more reflective clouds, a critical factor in climate regulation.



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Forests play an overlooked role in Earth's climate system

A recent publication in Nature Communications unveils groundbreaking insights into...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a> have solved the mystery behind the blue color of blueberries. The study reveals fascinating insights into the natural world and potentially paves the way for innovative color technologies. 



The study was led by Rox Middleton, a research fellow at Bristol's School of Biological Sciences.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wax-coating-nbsp">Wax coating&nbsp;</h2>



The team has discovered that the blue hue of blueberries, along with several other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-harness-fruit-waste-to-extract-energy/">fruits</a> such as damsons, sloes, and juniper berries, is not due to the pigmentation within the fruit itself but rather the result of tiny structures within the wax coating that covers the fruit.



The research delves into the specifics of how blueberries exhibit their characteristic blue despite the dark red color of the pigments in the fruit skin. The experts found that the blue appearance is created by a layer of wax enveloping the fruit.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blue-uv-coloration-nbsp">Blue-UV coloration&nbsp;</h2>



The wax layer contains miniature structures that scatter blue and ultraviolet (UV) light, producing the blue-UV coloration visible to both humans and birds.&nbsp;



This chromatic blue-UV reflectance stems from the interaction between the randomly arranged crystal structures of the epicuticular wax and light, a mechanism previously unknown.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finding-the-blue-of-blueberries-nbsp">Finding the blue of blueberries&nbsp;</h2>



“The blue of blueberries can’t be ‘extracted’ by squishing - because it isn’t located in the pigmented juice that can be squeezed from the fruit. That was why we knew that there must be something strange about the color," explained Middleton.



“So we removed the wax and re-crystallized it on card and in doing so we were able to create a brand new blue-UV coating.”



This ultra-thin colorant, which is about two microns thick, is visibly blue and reflects UV light - hinting at the possibility of new colorant methods inspired by nature's design.



“It shows that nature has evolved to use a really neat trick, an ultrathin layer for an important colorant," said Middleton.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-nbsp">Broader implications&nbsp;</h2>



The research adds to our understanding of the functional complexity of the wax coatings found on most plants. These coatings are known to serve various purposes, including acting as a hydrophobic, self-cleaning layer, but the study highlights their critical role in visible coloration as well.



Looking forward, the research team aims to explore simpler methods of recreating and applying this coating, which could lead to the development of sustainable, biocompatible, and even edible UV and blue-reflective paints. Such coatings could emulate the multifunctional capabilities of natural biological coatings that protect plants, offering promising applications in various fields.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exciting-results">Exciting results</h2>



“It was really interesting to find that there was an unknown coloration mechanism right under our noses, on popular fruits that we grow and eat all the time," said Middleton.



“It was even more exciting to be able to reproduce that color by harvesting the wax to make a new blue coating that no-one’s seen before. Building all that functionality of this natural wax into artificially engineered materials is the dream!”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-blueberries-nbsp">More about blueberries&nbsp;</h2>



Blueberries are small, round fruits that are known for their sweet and slightly tart flavor, making them a popular choice for use in a variety of culinary dishes like pies, muffins, and jams.&nbsp;



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-benefits">Health benefits</h3>



Blueberries are also celebrated for their health benefits; they are rich in vitamins C and K, dietary fiber, and particularly high in antioxidants, which are compounds that protect your body from free radicals, molecules that can damage cells and contribute to aging and diseases like cancer.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cultivation">Cultivation</h3>



These berries are native to North America but are now grown in many parts of the world, including Europe, South America, and Asia.&nbsp;



The cultivation of blueberries involves two main types: highbush blueberries, which are the most commonly cultivated variety and stand about 4-7 feet tall, and lowbush or "wild" blueberries, which are smaller, more intensely flavored, and grow closer to the ground.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-harvesting">Harvesting</h3>



The harvesting season for blueberries varies by geographical location, but generally, in the Northern Hemisphere, it runs from April to September. Blueberries can be enjoyed fresh, frozen, or dried and have become a staple ingredient in health-conscious diets due to their nutrient-rich profile.&nbsp;



In addition to their dietary benefits, blueberries play a role in cultural traditions and festivals in some regions, celebrating the harvest and heritage of blueberry cultivation. Whether enjoyed as a snack or used as a key ingredient in recipes, blueberries continue to be a beloved fruit around the world.



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Study reveals why blueberries are blue

Researchers at the University of Bristol have solved the mystery...

Scientists have unveiled new insights into the Sun's gamma-ray emissions, producing a fourteen-year movie of the Sun in gamma rays.



This fascinating new study was spearheaded by Bruno Arsioli from the Institute of Astrophysics and Space Sciences (<a href="https://www.iastro.pt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IA</a>) and the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Lisbon (<a href="https://ciencias.ulisboa.pt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ciências ULisboa</a>) in Portugal.



Their research marks a significant advancement in our understanding of the Sun, particularly its polar regions, which were observed to emit high-energy radiation more actively than expected during the previous <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-sunspot-archipelago-15-times-wider-than-earth-spotted-by-nasa/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">solar maximum</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-enigma-of-the-sun-s-gamma-rays">Enigma of the Sun's gamma rays</h2>



The Sun, while radiantly shining in visible light, harbors a much more formidable aspect when viewed in the highest energies of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-solar-wind-which-creates-beautiful-auroras-on-earth-is-now-less-mysterious/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">electromagnetic radiation</a>, such as gamma rays. 



“The Sun is stormed with close to light-speed particles coming from beyond our galaxy in all directions,” says Arsioli. 



These gamma rays, invisible to the naked eye and blocked by <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/earths-magnetic-field-origin-structure-and-impact-on-humanity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's atmosphere</a>, carry a billion times more energy than ultraviolet light.



“These so-called cosmic rays are electrically charged and are deflected by the Sun’s magnetic fields. Those that interact with the solar atmosphere produce a shower of gamma rays," Arsioli explained. 



Understanding the Sun's gamma-ray emissions is crucial for predicting space weather that affects satellite operations and terrestrial communications.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-14-years-of-the-sun-s-gamma-rays">14-years of the Sun's gamma rays</h2>



Arsioli's study, produced a <a href="https://content.cld.iop.org/journals/0004-637X/962/1/52/revision2/apjad1bd2f6_video.mp4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fourteen-year compressed movie</a> of the Sun in gamma rays. 



<a href="https://content.cld.iop.org/journals/0004-637X/962/1/52/revision2/apjad1bd2f7_video.mp4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">A meticulous analysis of these observations</a>, made by the Fermi Large Area Telescope (<a href="https://fermi.gsfc.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fermi-LAT</a>), reveals an unexpected brightness in the Sun's polar regions in gamma rays. 



This phenomenon was particularly pronounced in June 2014, during the peak of solar activity and coinciding with the reversal of the solar magnetic field. 



“We have found results that challenge our current understanding of the Sun and its environment,” says Orlando. 



“We demonstrated a strong correlation of the asymmetry in the solar gamma-ray emission in coincidence with the solar magnetic field flip, which has revealed a possible link among solar astronomy, particle physics, and plasma physics," she concluded.



This discovery challenges the previously held belief that gamma-ray emissions would be uniformly distributed across the Sun's surface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bridging-solar-astronomy-and-particle-physics">Bridging solar astronomy and particle physics</h2>



The research highlights a peculiar asymmetry in the energy of gamma rays emitted from the Sun's poles, with the south pole emitting photons of higher energy compared to the north pole. 



This asymmetry, along with the unexpected concentration of gamma rays at higher latitudes, suggests a complex interaction between cosmic rays, the Sun's magnetic field, and its atmosphere, which remains not fully understood.



Elena Orlando, co-author of the study and a researcher at the <a href="https://www.units.it/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Trieste</a>, INFN, and <a href="https://www.stanford.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a>, emphasizes the significance of these findings. 



The correlation between the asymmetry in solar gamma-ray emission and the solar magnetic field flip suggests a potential link between solar astronomy, particle physics, and plasma physics. 



This opens new avenues for theoretical models that could explain the observed phenomena and improve predictions of solar activity.



The study utilized a novel visualization tool, integrating solar gamma-ray events over periods of 400 to 700 days, which clarified the moments of polar excesses and the energy discrepancy between the north and south poles. 



This approach not only sheds light on the processes generating these gamma-ray excesses at the poles but also underscores the role of cosmic rays as probes of the inner solar atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead-the-next-solar-maximum">Looking ahead: The next solar maximum</h2>



As the Sun approaches a new solar maximum, with another magnetic pole inversion underway, Arsioli and Orlando anticipate further research to assess if this event is followed by an increase in gamma-ray emissions from the poles. 



“In 2024 and the next year we will experience a new solar maximum, and another inversion of the Sun’s magnetic poles has already started. We expect by the end of 2025 to reassess if the inversion of the magnetic fields is followed by a surplus in the gamma rays emissions from the poles,” says Bruno Arsioli. 



Elena Orlando adds, “We have found the key to unlock this mystery, which suggests the future directions that should be taken. It is fundamental that the Fermi telescope will operate and observe the Sun in the coming years.”



Their findings underscore the importance of continuous monitoring of the Sun by current and future gamma-ray space observatories to enhance our understanding of solar activity and its impact on space weather forecasts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-and-future-research">Implications and future research</h2>



In summary, this important study has profoundly shifted our understanding of the Sun, particularly its polar regions' unexpected gamma-ray emissions. 



By analyzing 14 years of data from the Fermi Large Area Telescope, the team revealed that the Sun's poles emit gamma rays more actively than previously thought, especially during periods of intense solar activity. 



This discovery, highlighting an asymmetry in energy emissions between the poles and the correlation with the solar magnetic field's reversal, challenges existing theories and opens new pathways for future research. 



As we approach another solar maximum, this work sets the stage for further investigations that could refine our models of solar activity and enhance space weather forecasting, underscoring the importance of continuous monitoring and study of our star's most energetic phenomena.



The full study was published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ad1bd2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astrophysical Journal</a>.



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The Sun in gamma rays over a 14-year period captured on video

Scientists have unveiled new insights into the Sun's gamma-ray emissions,...

A massive solar storm has caused widespread disruptions in Australia and South Asia, with more activity expected in the coming days. The colossal solar explosion released a plume of energized particles at an astonishing speed of 900,000 miles per hour through space.&nbsp;



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ongoing-solar-storms-spectacular-auroras-and-radio-blackouts/">solar storm</a> reached Earth, triggering blackouts and affecting communication systems notably among ham radio operators and mariners.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-duration-flare-nbsp">Long-duration flare&nbsp;</h2>



The event began with a long-duration flare that erupted from the sun at 8:30 pm ET on Monday. By Tuesday morning, shortly after 10 am ET, the solar explosion had made its presence felt on Earth, leading to notable disturbances.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chance-of-further-disruptions-nbsp">Chance of further disruptions&nbsp;</h2>



The NOAA <a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Space Weather Prediction Center</a> has since issued an alert, indicating a 45 percent chance of further communication disruptions in the days ahead. 



This forecast highlights the unpredictable nature of solar activities and their impact on Earth's technology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-m-class-flare-nbsp">M-class flare&nbsp;</h2>



The flare, classified as an M-class flare by physicists, possesses the capability to cause small to moderate radio blackouts on Earth's daylight side. This classification of solar flares is significant as it directly affects frequencies utilized in crucial services including aviation communication, government time stations, and weather stations, among others.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broad-impact">Broad impact</h2>



Dr. Tamitha Skov, a physicist, highlighted the broad impact of such solar phenomena. She told Daily Mail: "Those who (are typically) impacted are people who rely on GPS/GNSS services, especially at high latitudes, as well as precision farmers and anyone using UAVs for reconnaissance, search and rescue, or aerial photography."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coronal-mass-ejections">Coronal mass ejections</h2>



M-class flares are known for their potential to launch coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are massive eruptions of plasma and magnetic field from the sun’s surface.&nbsp;



The recent CME contained billions of tons of solar material, capable of causing geomagnetic storms that disrupt Earth's magnetosphere and satellites in orbit through a solar wind shock wave.&nbsp;



Keith Strong, a solar physicist, shared insights on the trajectory of the CME, suggesting its potential impact on Earth due to its southern position on the sun.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-likelihood-of-continued-activity">High likelihood of continued activity</h2>



The incident underscores the sun's volatile nature, with EarthSky's predictions indicating a high likelihood of continued solar activity, including C, M, and X flares. While C-class flares are relatively minor, X flares represent major solar events with the capacity to cause significant disruptions globally.



The focal point of this solar activity was sunspot AR3575, responsible for the M-class flare directed towards Earth. In addition, another region, AR3576, is moving towards our planet and is so sizable that NASA's Mars rover observed it last week.



This solar event did not just affect terrestrial communications but also had a significant impact on the poles, where the energized particle stream caused an outage lasting approximately seven hours.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-scream-from-the-sun">A scream from the Sun</h2>



Dr. Skov elaborated on the phenomenon, explaining how solar flares produce "radio bursts" that can overpower satellite signals, including GPS and HF radio communications. She compared this effect to the sun "screaming" at Earth, temporarily drowning out satellite communications.



"This 'scream' is much louder than our satellites can 'chirp' and so it drowns out the satellite signals temporarily," Dr. Skov told Daily Mail. "That being said, the sun doesn't always scream at the exact frequencies that affect GPS signals."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-nbsp">Broader implications&nbsp;</h2>



The recent solar explosion and subsequent blackouts serve as a vivid reminder of our vulnerability to the sun's immense power.&nbsp;



With ongoing research and monitoring, scientists continue to seek better understanding and prediction methods to mitigate the impacts of such solar phenomena on our increasingly technology-dependent world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-solar-explosions">More about solar explosions</h2>



Solar explosions, primarily known as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs), are significant eruptions of electromagnetic radiation and plasma from the Sun's surface and its atmosphere, the corona. These phenomena are the most powerful explosions in our solar system, emanating from the release of magnetic energy stored in the Sun's atmosphere.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-solar-flares">Solar flares</h3>



Solar flares are sudden, intense outbursts of radiation that originate from the Sun’s surface and its immediate atmosphere. They are caused by the tangling, crossing, or reorganizing of magnetic field lines near sunspots.&nbsp;



The energy released during a flare can heat the Sun's plasma to tens of millions of degrees Celsius, producing light across the electromagnetic spectrum, from radio waves to gamma rays.&nbsp;



Although flares can last from minutes to hours, their effects on Earth, such as disturbances in the ionosphere, can impact radio communications, navigation systems, and even power grids.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coronal-mass-ejections-0">Coronal mass ejections</h3>



Coronal mass ejections, on the other hand, involve the release of huge quantities of magnetized plasma into space. Unlike solar flares, which are electromagnetic, CMEs are massive bubbles of gas threaded with magnetic field lines that are ejected over several hours. They can propel billions of tons of coronal material into space at speeds ranging from 250 to over 2,000 kilometers per second.&nbsp;



When these ejections are directed towards Earth, they can interact with our planet's magnetic field, causing geomagnetic storms. Such storms can lead to spectacular auroras, but they can also disrupt satellite operations, communication systems, and power grids.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring">Monitoring</h3>



Both solar flares and CMEs are closely monitored by astronomers and space weather forecasters due to their potential to affect space- and ground-based technological systems.&nbsp;



The study of solar activity and its effects on Earth is an important part of heliophysics, the science that deals with understanding the Sun and its interactions with the Earth and the solar system.&nbsp;



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Solar explosion triggered blackouts on Earth yesterday

A massive solar storm has caused widespread disruptions in Australia...

Extreme weather and natural disturbances often capture headlines for their dramatic impact on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diverse-forests-are-more-resilient-and-productive/">forests</a>, but it's the more common, moderate-severity disturbances - like smaller fires, ice storms, and pest outbreaks - that may play a bigger role in shaping ecosystems than previously recognized.&nbsp;



“Since they’re more common, they’re probably playing a larger role in the ecosystem than we might have appreciated before,” said senior author Brady Hardiman, an associate professor of forestry and natural resources and environmental and ecological engineering at <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Purdue University</a>. 



“At any given time, a huge fraction of the forested landscape is undergoing or regrowing from a moderate-severity disturbance, which took out some of the trees but not all of them. The forest is not regrowing from scratch.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-subtle-effects-of-forest-disturbances-nbsp">Subtle effects of forest disturbances&nbsp;</h2>



In an effort to delve deeper into this topic, a team of researchers from Purdue, used lidar data to examine changes in forest canopy structure resulting from these disturbances. The findings, published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1365-2745.14145" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Ecology</a>, are based on data from the <a href="https://www.neonscience.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Ecological Observatory Network</a> (NEON) across several U.S. states. 



The team discovered that lidar, a technology that measures distance with laser light, can reveal subtle effects of disturbances on forests. Study lead author Dennis Heejoon Choi, a postdoctoral scientist at Purdue, notes the capability of lidar data to detect these subtle signals.



This research is significant because it helps clarify the role of moderate-severity disturbances in forest ecosystems, which has been less understood compared to catastrophic events.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-forest-canopies">Complex forest canopies</h2>



Forest canopies, which include the upper layer of trees, play a crucial role in biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and sheltering various organisms. Complex canopies, which are not uniform and include a variety of tree sizes and species, are particularly good at absorbing light and supporting ecosystem functions.



Elizabeth LaRue, assistant professor at the University of Texas at El Paso and co-author of the study, compares complex canopies to a block of Swiss cheese, with its holes and variations, as opposed to the uniformity of a cheddar block or a Christmas tree farm. This complexity, the researchers found, may help forests better withstand and recover from disturbances.



“You can measure things that might be equivalent to a block of cheese. A block of Swiss cheese would be more complex than, say, a block of cheddar. Some of the metrics we use essentially measure how many holes you have in your block of forest,” she explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supporting-forest-growth-and-recovery-nbsp">Supporting forest growth and recovery&nbsp;</h2>



The study also explores the idea that managing forests to enhance canopy complexity could improve their resilience to various disturbances, supporting continuous growth and recovery. This approach requires a significant amount of data, which the researchers obtained from NEON's comprehensive and repeated observations across the continent.



Handling the NEON data posed challenges, especially in maintaining consistency across different lidar technologies over time. The research team, supported by Purdue’s Rosen Center for Advanced Computing, worked to normalize data despite these challenges, aiming to provide comparative metrics that reflect changes in forest canopies accurately.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-nbsp">Broader implications&nbsp;</h2>



This work contributes to the goals of the Institute for Digital Forestry, which aims to develop tools and methods for more detailed and frequent measurement of individual trees and global forest health.&nbsp;



By integrating forest ecology with computer science and engineering, the institute seeks to provide innovative research in the field of forestry, asking new questions and finding new answers about how forests grow, change, and respond to the world around them.



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Complex canopies help forests recover from disturbances

Extreme weather and natural disturbances often capture headlines for their...

The quest for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/game-changing-invention-converts-both-co2-and-plastic-waste-into-renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> solutions has led to a surge in the development of wind farms worldwide. However, the rapid expansion of wind farms raises questions about their broader environmental impacts and the efficiency of their operation.&nbsp;



Researchers from the <a href="https://ok.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia Okanagan</a> (UBCO) and the <a href="https://www.tudelft.nl/en/">Delft University of Technology</a> (TU Delft) in the Netherlands embarked on a study to address these concerns. The team set out to investigate how wind farms influence airstream patterns and the surrounding atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-of-the-study">Focus of the study</h2>



For the investigation, the experts developed a sophisticated modeling framework aimed at enhancing the accuracy of wind energy forecasts and the productivity of wind farms.&nbsp;



This initiative is not just about maximizing energy output. It is a deep dive into understanding how large-scale wind farms could potentially alter natural wind patterns, an area of study that has become increasingly relevant as wind farms grow in size and number.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-optimizing-power-output-nbsp">Optimizing power output&nbsp;</h2>



“Wind farms are getting so large that they can actually alter the structure of the incoming wind,” explained Dr. Joshua Brinkerhoff, an associate professor in UBCO’s School of Engineering. “The structure they are researching, which engineers call the atmospheric boundary layer, monitors how the wind’s speed, temperature and pressure varies with altitude.”



Understanding and predicting the changes in wind are critical for the strategic placement of turbines within a farm to optimize power output.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-wind-farms-nbsp">Designing wind farms&nbsp;</h2>



The challenge of efficiently designing wind farms is multifaceted. It involves the selection of suitable locations for the farms themselves, as well as the precise positioning of each turbine to maximize energy generation. In this context, the researchers' work on developing the Toolbox for Stratified Convective Atmospheres (TOSCA) is particularly noteworthy.&nbsp;



TOSCA is an open-source framework designed for large-scale studies of wind farm-atmosphere interactions, offering new insights into the dynamics of boundary layer turbulence and atmospheric flow conditions around wind farms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-nbsp">Broader implications&nbsp;</h2>



Sebastiano Stipa, a doctoral student involved in the project, highlighted the capability of TOSCA to address critical challenges in wind energy.&nbsp;



“The results of this research will lead to a better understanding of potential wind farm power estimates and an increase in their energy outputs,” said Stipa. “This new modeling framework can serve as a roadmap for the industry.”



Dr. Brinkerhoff noted that the computer modeling can help when wind farms are being established, especially to forecast whether they can create energy efficiently.



“The most significant finding is that our model can capture the interaction between large wind farms and the oncoming wind,” said Dr. Brinkerhoff. “To date, this hasn’t been captured properly, leading to overestimation of how much power a wind farm will produce. This kind of overestimation is financially disastrous for the wind farm operators.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-wind-energy">More about wind energy</h2>



Wind energy is a form of renewable power generated by harnessing the wind's kinetic energy. This process involves using wind turbines, which are tall structures equipped with blades that rotate when blown by the wind.&nbsp;



The turbines are connected to generators that convert the mechanical energy of spinning blades into electrical energy. Wind farms, which can be located onshore or offshore, consist of multiple turbines and are designed to capture the wind's energy on a large scale.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sustainability-nbsp">Sustainability&nbsp;</h3>



One of the key benefits of wind energy is its sustainability. Unlike fossil fuels, wind energy does not produce greenhouse gases or pollutants, making it environmentally friendly. It's also inexhaustible, as wind is a natural and renewable resource. 



The operational costs of wind turbines are relatively low once they are installed and operational, although initial costs can be high due to the technology and infrastructure required.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-efficiency-nbsp">Efficiency&nbsp;</h3>



The efficiency and productivity of wind energy can vary depending on wind speeds, which are influenced by geographical location, time of year, and weather conditions. 



Areas with consistently high wind speeds, such as coastal regions and hilltops, are ideal for wind farms. The technology behind wind turbines continues to advance, leading to more efficient and less obtrusive designs.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges">Challenges</h3>



Despite its benefits, wind energy also faces challenges. These include the variability of wind, which can affect power supply consistency, and the potential impact on wildlife, such as birds and bats. Additionally, the visual and auditory impact of wind turbines can lead to community opposition.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/wes-9-297-2024" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wind Energy Science</a>.&nbsp;



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Understanding how wind farms interact with wind can optimize their power  

The quest for renewable energy solutions has led to a...

Scientists have recently discovered a transient nature of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/river-plastics-may-harbor-antimicrobial-resistance-genes/">antimicrobial resistant genes</a> (ARGs) within river biofilms, suggesting a potential natural filtration mechanism against wastewater contaminants.&nbsp;



Published in the journal <a href="https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/msphere.00573-23">mSphere</a>, the study highlights how ARGs, upon entering river ecosystems, quickly incorporate into existing biofilms.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-temperatures">Rising temperatures</h2>



However, as temperatures rise, the prevalence of these invasive antimicrobial resistant genes significantly diminishes, with native microbial populations seemingly outcompeting the resistant strains.&nbsp;



Notably, at a temperature of 30 degrees Celsius (86 degrees Fahrenheit), ARG levels were observed to revert to baseline within a fortnight.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unexpected-discovery-nbsp">Unexpected discovery&nbsp;</h2>



This phenomenon indicates that rivers might possess inherent capabilities to counteract the proliferation of antimicrobial resistant genes from wastewater sources, a finding that contradicts the expectations of the study's authors.&nbsp;



The common origin of most wastewater ARGs from human feces, which thrive at body temperature, had led researchers to presume that warmer river waters would facilitate their survival and assimilation into river biofilms.



“We thought they should be rather well-adapted to higher temperatures,” said Uli Klümper, a microbiologist at <a href="https://tu-dresden.de/">Technische Universität Dresden</a>’s Institute of Hydrobiology. Klümper, who undertook the study alongside Ph.D. student Kenyum Bagra from the <a href="https://www.iitr.ac.in/">Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee</a> under a DAAD exchange fellowship, aimed to assess how increased river temperatures might influence the integration of wastewater bacteria into natural biofilms.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-focus-of-the-research-nbsp">Focus of the research&nbsp;</h2>



The experimental approach involved deploying glass slides in the Lockwitzbach River to develop natural biofilms, which were then subjected to artificial river conditions at various temperatures.&nbsp;



Despite an initial influx of antimicrobial resistant genes from wastewater across all temperatures, only the higher temperature setting saw a significant reduction in ARGs over time, eventually matching the original biofilm's ARG composition.



“The introduction seems to be temperature independent,” Klümper noted, highlighting the unexpected resilience of the natural biofilm communities at elevated temperatures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-implications-nbsp">Broader implications&nbsp;</h2>



These observations challenge the assumption that global warming will invariably enhance the spread of pathogenic ARGs, suggesting a more complex interaction within river ecosystems that could mitigate such risks. Klümper also pointed out the variability of real-world conditions, where continuous wastewater discharge might affect biofilm compositions differently.



The study not only sheds light on the dynamic interactions between ARGs and river biofilms but also underscores the potential of natural water bodies to act as barriers against the spread of antimicrobial resistance. Furthermore, it emphasizes the importance of environmental surveillance in understanding and managing the implications of such ecological processes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-about-antimicrobial-resistance-nbsp">More about antimicrobial resistance&nbsp;</h2>



Antimicrobial resistant genes are segments of DNA that enable bacteria and other microbes to resist the effects of antibiotics.&nbsp;



These genes can be naturally present in the genetic makeup of certain bacteria, or they can be acquired from other bacteria through various mechanisms such as conjugation (transfer of DNA between bacteria via direct contact), transformation (uptake of genetic material from the environment), and transduction (transfer of DNA from one bacterium to another via viruses).



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-nbsp">Public health&nbsp;</h3>



The presence of antimicrobial resistant genes in bacteria is a major concern for public health because it can lead to infections that are difficult or sometimes impossible to treat with existing antibiotics.&nbsp;



This resistance can arise through the misuse or overuse of antibiotics in human medicine, veterinary practice, and agriculture, which creates selective pressure that favors the survival and proliferation of resistant bacteria.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deadly-infections">Deadly infections</h3>



As resistant bacteria spread, they can cause infections in humans and animals that are harder to cure, often requiring longer hospital stays, more expensive and toxic medications, and may result in higher mortality rates.&nbsp;



The World Health Organization (WHO) and other health agencies worldwide consider antimicrobial resistance (AMR) one of the top 10 global public health threats facing humanity.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ongoing-efforts">Ongoing efforts</h3>



To combat the rise of antimicrobial resistance, efforts are focused on the prudent use of antibiotics, development of new antibiotics and alternative treatments, infection prevention and control, and the monitoring and surveillance of resistant infections and the presence of resistance genes in different settings.&nbsp;



Ongoing research is focused on understanding how resistance genes are transferred and how resistance mechanisms work, with the goal of finding ways to circumvent or disable these mechanisms.



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Warmer rivers keep antimicrobial resistant genes at bay

Scientists have recently discovered a transient nature of antimicrobial resistant...

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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

[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.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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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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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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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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



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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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today’s Video of the Day from 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

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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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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...