An asteroid impact on Mars 11 million years ago sent fragments of the red planet hurtling through space. One of these pieces eventually crashed into Earth, making its way to Purdue University and becoming known as the Lafayette Meteorite.&nbsp;



This rare find has been instrumental in unlocking secrets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/manganese-discovery-ancient-mars-earth-like-water-lake-habitable/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mars</a>’ watery past, with new research recently published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.7185/geochemlet.2443" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geochemical Perspective Letters</a> that provides insight into the timing and nature of Mars’ ancient water activity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-mars-watery-past">Tracing Mars’ watery past</h2>



Scientists have long known that the Lafayette Meteorite interacted with liquid water on Mars, but the exact timing of this event was uncertain.&nbsp;



Dr. Marissa Tremblay, an assistant professor at Purdue University’s <a href="https://www.eaps.purdue.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences</a> (EAPS), led an international research team to determine the age of the water-altered minerals in the meteorite, pinpointing it to 742 million years ago.



“Dating these minerals can therefore tell us when there was liquid water at or near the surface of Mars in the planet's geologic past,” Tremblay explained.&nbsp;



The findings suggest that while liquid water wasn’t abundant on the surface at this time, it likely came from melting subsurface ice, or permafrost, caused by intermittent volcanic activity - a phenomenon still observed on Mars today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preserving-a-moment-in-mars-geological-timeline">Preserving a moment in Mars’ geological timeline</h2>



The study not only identified when water interacted with the meteorite but also established that the dating was unaffected by events after the meteorite left Mars.&nbsp;



“The age could have been affected by the impact that ejected the Lafayette Meteorite from Mars, the heating it experienced during the 11 million years it was floating in space, or the heating when it fell to Earth,” Tremblay said.&nbsp;



However, the team confirmed that none of these factors altered the age, validating the timeline of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-lost-most-of-its-water-but-where-did-it-go/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water</a> interaction.



Study co-author and Purdue EAPS researcher Ryan Ickert applied heavy isotope analysis to further verify that previous data on the meteorite’s water-rock interaction had likely been skewed by other geological processes.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This meteorite uniquely has evidence that it has reacted with water. The exact date of this was controversial, and our publication dates when water was present,” said Ickert.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mysterious-journey-of-the-meteorite">Mysterious journey of the meteorite </h2>



The Lafayette Meteorite’s journey to Purdue is something of a mystery. It was found in a university drawer in 1931, though how it got there remains unknown.&nbsp;



In previous research, Tremblay and her team used crop disease markers from organic contaminants found on the meteorite to narrow down when it might have fallen to Earth.



Once the meteorite was ejected from Mars, it endured constant cosmic ray bombardment in space, which produced certain isotopes, offering clues to its time of impact on Earth.&nbsp;



“Many meteoroids are produced by impacts on Mars and other planetary bodies, but only a handful will eventually fall to Earth,” Tremblay said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planetary-time-capsules">Planetary time capsules</h2>



Meteorites like Lafayette serve as planetary time capsules, offering invaluable data on the geological and environmental history of their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-meteorites-can-be-traced-to-three-asteroid-families/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">home worlds</a>. With their dense structure, metallic content, and magnetic properties, meteorites are often distinguishable from Earth rocks.&nbsp;



“We can identify meteorites by studying what minerals are present in them, their mineral relationships, and by checking for a fusion crust formed during entry into Earth’s atmosphere,” Tremblay explained.&nbsp;



By analyzing these traits and their chemical signatures, scientists can often determine a meteorite’s planetary origin.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-history-of-meteorites">Complex history of meteorites</h2>



This research marks a significant milestone for the team, which included scientists from institutions across the globe, such as the Scottish Universities Environmental Research Center (SUERC), the University of St. Andrews, the University of Glasgow, the University of Bristol, and London’s <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Natural History Museum</a>.&nbsp;



“Before moving to Purdue, Ryan and I were both based at SUERC, where the argon-argon isotopic analyses of the alteration minerals in Lafayette took place,” Tremblay said.&nbsp;



Their partners at SUERC and the Natural History Museum have long contributed to studying Lafayette’s complex history.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dating-minerals-in-meteorites">Dating minerals in meteorites</h2>



Dating the water-altered minerals in Lafayette, and others in its class of Martian meteorites called nakhlites, has been a central focus in planetary science, as they uniquely capture moments when liquid water was present on Mars.&nbsp;



Due to complex alterations over time, previous attempts to date these minerals were plagued with uncertainties.&nbsp;



However, the team has now developed a robust dating method that could be applied to other meteorites, enhancing our understanding of when water might have been present on Mars and other planetary bodies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-planetary-science">The future of planetary science</h2>



Thanks to the Stahura Undergraduate Meteorite Fund, Tremblay and Ickert’s research on the Lafayette Meteorite will continue, with the involvement of undergraduate students in Purdue EAPS.&nbsp;



This opportunity allows students to engage in real-world planetary science, helping to reveal the intricate histories of meteoritic samples.



Tremblay and her team’s work on the Lafayette Meteorite highlights its scientific significance, revealing a complex history that ties it to Mars’ geological past.&nbsp;



Their findings not only deepen our understanding of Mars but also set a precedent for future studies that might unveil even more about the red planet’s climate history, water activity, and potential for supporting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-mars-rocks-contain-signs-of-life-scientists-call-to-bring-them-back-to-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">life</a>.



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Meteorite that struck Mars reveals when the planet had liquid water

An asteroid impact on Mars 11 million years ago sent fragments of the red planet hurtling through space. One of these pieces eventually crashed into Earth, making its way to Purdue University and becoming known as the Lafayette Meteorite.&nbsp; This rare find has been instrumental in unlocking secrets of Mars’ watery past, with new research recently published in the journal Geochemical Perspective Letters that provides insight into the timing and nature of Mars’ ancient water activity. Tracing Mars’ watery past Scientists have long known that the Lafayette...

Tetra Pak is a Swiss company known for making things like the container you may have eaten yogurt from at breakfast or drank juice from. These cartons are seen by some as sustainable alternatives to plastic water bottles. Unfortunately, the reality doesn’t seem to stack up to this hope. <a href="https://drinkpathwater.com/blogs/news/10-sad-truths-about-cartons-like-tetra-pak%C2%AE-why-they-are-not-a-sustainable-solution-for-bottled-water">Only about 26%</a> of these paks end up being recycled worldwide, due to few facilities being able to accept them.&nbsp;



Despite their over inflated environmental claims, it does seem that Tetra Pak is now truly trying to do something good for the planet. The company is launching The Araucaria Conservation Programme, a restoration project in Brazil’s endangered Atlantic Forest. Partnering with Brazilian NGO Apremavi, the project plans to restore at least 7,000 hectares over a decade.&nbsp;



The project focuses on the Atlantic Forest, a habitat more threatened than the Amazon and one of the most threatened ecosystems on earth. Only 12% of the original forest remains and much of the wildlife has been reduced by hunting. The project aims specifically at the Araucaria Forest within the greater Atlantic Forest, where only 3% of its original land is preserved.&nbsp;



"This initiative is our response to the United Nations challenge to make this the decade of ecosystem restoration," said Julian Fox, Director Nature Programs of Tetra Pak.



"We are thrilled to be a lead partner of such a pioneering project, connecting a range of stakeholders and merging environmental restoration with carbon capture analysis to help mitigate climate change and recover biodiversity."



The first year of the project is focused on a pilot program of restoring 80 hectares as well as mapping additional areas to be restored in the future. Tetra Pak also plans to certify a larger area under carbon and biodiversity standards as part of its goal to become carbon neutral by 2030.&nbsp;



"Among the proposed methodologies are the planting of native seedlings, the ecological enrichment of secondary forests and natural regeneration. In the long run, the restored areas will be integrated into ecological corridors, contributing to reducing pressure on endangered animals such as the purple-breasted parrot and the pampas deer," said Miriam Prochnow, Counselor and Co-Founder of Apremavi.



"These actions are fundamental for the protection of biodiversity, the restoration of soil quality and the maintenance of water availability in the region."



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

Tetra Pak will help restore Brazil’s endangered Atlantic Forest

Tetra Pak is a Swiss company known for making things...

The Westdahl Peak <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanoes-stabilize-temperatures-at-earths-surface/">volcano</a> adds to the magnificence of the Aleutian Island chain in Alaska. Still, it’s important to remember that after its 1992 eruption, the volcano was predicted to erupt again in 2010. However, here we are in 2022, and so far, no eruption. 



Researchers at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> decided to take advantage of this opportunity to investigate why Westdahl Peak has not exploded. Specifically, the scientists wanted to determine whether ice caps affect volcanic eruption cycles in high-latitude regions.



“Volcanic forecasting involves a lot of variables, including the depth and size of a volcano’s magma chamber, the rate at which magma fills that chamber and the strength of the rocks that contain the chamber, to name a few,” said undergraduate researcher Lilian Lucas. “Accounting for overlying pressure from polar ice caps is another critical, yet poorly understood, variable.”



The researchers found that having an ice cap does affect volcanic cycles by increasing the eruption time. The data indicate that ice can delay an eruption for decades, depending on the thickness of the ice. 



“More specifically, the models without the presence of the confining pressure of the ice cap calculated a time to eruption of about 93 years," said Lucas. “Adding a 1-kilometer-thick ice cap to the model then increases the eruption date to approximately 100 years. Models are not a perfect tool to use in forecasting future eruptions, however, we are mainly interested in the increase in this time as a result of the increased ice load.”



These results imply that ice thickness should be considered when estimating eruption cycles, especially since volcanic eruptions have a significant impact on human life.&nbsp;



“Volcanic ash in the atmosphere is hazardous to aircraft engines and can cause major disruptions in air traffic, so more accurate forecasting – even on the scale of months – can provide critical safety information for air traffic and nearby inhabitants," said study co-author Jack Albright.



“Furthermore, it will be important to consider how climate change and glacial ice melt might impact Westdahl Peak and other high-latitude volcanoes in the future," said study co-author Yan Zhan.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2022.868569/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>.



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

Ice caps can delay volcanic eruptions

The Westdahl Peak volcano adds to the magnificence of the...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> (UBC) has identified four high-traffic areas in the Pacific Ocean which should be considered of high priority in the conservation efforts focused on large pelagic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-have-found-the-worlds-largest-fish-breeding-site/">fishes</a>, such as tuna, blue marlin, or swordfish. According to the experts, these areas should become part of “blue corridors” – routes where strict fisheries management measures or partial bans of industrial fishing should be enforced in order to protect endangered fish communities and allow for increased connectivity of habitats.



By investigating the tendency of fish to return to their birth-place to reproduce – a phenomenon known as “philopatry,” and pairing this information with catch distribution maps and tagging and genetic sequencing studies, the scientists identified the migration routes of 11 tuna and other large pelagic fishes in the Pacific Ocean, and determined which areas should be considered as of “high” or “very high” priority for conservation efforts.



“We applied the concept of philopatry to the movements extracted from tagging studies of species such as the near-threatened Pacific bluefin tuna and the heavily-fished yellowfin tuna, and we also combined this information with the links between populations inferred from genetic studies. This allowed us to identify tentative annual migration cycles,” explained study lead author Veronica Relano, a doctoral student in Fisheries Management at UBC.&nbsp;



After analyzing the seasonal migration routes of the 11 fish species individually, the researchers superposed them and observed that several species and populations use the same routes – two in the northeastern and central sections of the Pacific Ocean and two in the southwestern and central sections. These areas should become part of blue corridors allowing populations of large pelagic fishes to maintain themselves and travel safely between habitats.



“But before setting up any protected area to support the rebuilding of diminished fish populations, it is important to consider the entire body of knowledge available on the migrations and movements of different species,” said study co-author Daniel Pauly, an expert in aquatic ecosystems at UBC.&nbsp;



“This is what we set out to do with this study. Our findings suggest in which areas such efforts would be more effective, but as stated in our title, the closed migration cycles we propose are tentative, and thus it would be nice if other researchers set out to test their validity.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/14/9/5577">Sustainability</a>.



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

Experts pinpoint “blue corridors” for large migratory fish

A new study led by the University of British Columbia...

Many women struggle to conceive and give birth to a baby, a situation that is known to cause distress and anxiety. But does it work the other way around, perhaps? Does <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/proboscis-monkeys-are-stressed-out-by-tourist-boats/">stress</a> cause infertility? Research over the past 20 years has attempted to determine whether levels of stress are associated with pregnancy rates, but the findings have been contradictory.&nbsp;



Now, in a study published today by <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/">The Endocrine Society</a>, scientists have tested whether female rats that are exposed to a distressing scream sound have reduced fertility or diminished ovarian reserve.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Ovarian reserve refers to the number and quality of ova (egg cells) that remain in a female mammal’s ovaries, and is thus a measure of potential reproductive success in future. Female mammals are born with a finite number of ova in their ovaries, and they cannot generate more during their lifetime. Diminished ovarian reserve is the loss of normal reproductive potential in the ovaries due to a lower count or quality of the remaining eggs.



The researchers exposed a small sample of female rats to a scream sound for a period of 3 weeks and then analyzed the effect of this stressor on the levels of sex hormones, the number and quality of remaining ova, and the ability to become pregnant and give birth to young after mating.&nbsp;



“We examined the effect of stress on ovarian reserve using a scream sound model in rats,” said Dr. Wenyan Xi. “We found that female rats exposed to the scream sound had diminished ovarian reserve and decreased fertility.”



The researchers found that rats exposed to the stressful sound had decreased levels of estrogen and anti-Müllerian hormone. Estrogen hormones are important in growth and reproductive development, and anti-Müllerian hormone, produced by the ovaries, helps form the reproductive organs. These female rats also had ova in their ovaries that were less numerous and of a lower quality, resulting in smaller litters of offspring.&nbsp;



“Based on these findings, we suggest stress may be associated with diminished ovarian reserve,” said Dr. Xi. “It is important to determine an association between chronic stress and ovarian reserve because doing so may expand our appreciation of the limitations of current clinical interventions and provide valuable insight into the cause of diminished ovarian reserve.” The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/endo">Endocrinology</a>.



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

Stress may be linked to female fertility issues

Many women struggle to conceive and give birth to a...

Many herbivorous animals, such as deer, caribou, or bison are often infected by a variety of internal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parasites-help-worker-ants-live-much-longer-lives/">parasites</a>, including worms called helminths. Although most of these infections are not lethal, they can still have a major impact not only on the animals’ health and behavior, but also on the larger ecosystems they inhabit.&nbsp;



For instance, infected herbivores usually eat less grass or other vegetation than they normally would. Thus - in a fascinating twist - a world with more (nonlethal) parasitic infections is often a greener, more biodiverse, world. A research team led by the <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a> (WUSTL) has now employed a mathematical model and a global meta-analysis to investigate such cascading consequences of common parasitic infections in wild animals on terrestrial ecosystems.



“Parasites are well known for their negative impacts on the physiology and behavior of individual hosts and host populations, but these effects are rarely considered within the context of the broader ecosystems they inhabit,” said study lead author Amanda Koltz, a global change ecologist at WUSTL.&nbsp;



“In this study, we show that pervasive parasitic infections reduce herbivory rates and can therefore trigger trophic cascades that impact plant communities. This work helps fill a recognized knowledge gap regarding the ecological consequences of parasitic infections in natural ecosystems.”&nbsp;



While previous studies have suggested that the types of parasites that eventually kill their hosts can trigger cascading effects on ecosystems in similar ways to predators, the broader effects of nonlethal infections have not yet been systematically discussed.



“The potential for lethal infections that dramatically increase host mortality to have ecosystem-level effects is somewhat intuitive, especially when the hosts that are killed play a key role in the ecosystem. For example, rinderpest, a virus that killed millions of ruminants in sub-Saharan Africa prior to the 1960s, changed tree densities in the Serengeti ecosystem through its effect on wildebeest mortality,” explained study senior author Vanessa Ezenwa, a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>. “Our model suggests that sublethal infections, although more cryptic, can have equally important effects on ecosystems; and our meta-analysis shows how pervasive the sublethal effects of helminth parasites are in nature.”



The researchers focused on the effects of helminth parasite infections on population densities of caribou hosts and their plant and lichen food resources. They found that any of the three types of harm caused by parasitic infections – harm to host survival, reproduction, or feeding rates – can cause cascading effects. However, while helminth infections significantly reduce the feeding rates of hosts, they are not associated with host survival or fecundity.



“Taken together, the broader relevance of these results is that there are likely widespread - yet overlooked - ecological consequences of sublethal parasitic infections. Given that helminth parasites are ubiquitous within free-living populations of ruminants, our findings suggest that global herbivory rates by ruminants are lower than they otherwise would be due to pervasive helminth infections. By reducing ruminant herbivory, these common infections may contribute to a greener world,” concluded Dr. Koltz.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2117381119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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

Nonlethal parasite infections can lead to a greener world

Many herbivorous animals, such as deer, caribou, or bison are...

While the effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems have already been studied extensively, its impact on marine ecosystems remains largely a mystery. On land, due to CO2 fertilization and the earlier thawing of spring snow in high altitudes, climate change is expected to significantly extend the growing season of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-may-remove-toxic-metals-from-soil/">plants</a>. But what will its effects be on the seasonal response of plankton populations in the oceans?&nbsp;



A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-022-01353-1">Nature Climate Change</a> has found that global warming will have a substantial influence on the timing of future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/phytoplankton-remain-surprisingly-active-underneath-arctic-sea-ice/">phytoplankton</a> blooms. By analyzing climate change supercomputer model simulations conducted with a highly realistic Earth system model, the researchers discovered that such shifts in the timing of plankton blooms will become clearly detectable against the backdrop of natural variations by the end of the 21st century.&nbsp;



To better differentiate the anthropogenic effect on plankton seasonality from naturally occurring chaotic variations, the team ran the computer model 30 times, with rising greenhouse gas concentrations and slightly different initial conditions.



The factors controlling changes in the timing of phytoplankton productivity largely derive from the complex relation between the ocean’s primary producers and the zooplankton that act as predators. Seasonal changes in ambient environmental factors such as temperature, light levels, or nutrient concentrations (the so-called “bottom-up” controls), together with the number of predators (“top-down” controls) make phytoplankton thrive or decline. In turn, predator populations respond quickly to the phytoplankton abundance.&nbsp;



The study results suggest that climate change will most likely disrupt this delicate coupling between external environmental factors and zooplankton responses, causing seasonal shifts in the blooming of phytoplankton. “The additional level of predator/prey interactions makes the ocean’s response more complex than the response of land plants, where the control is mostly bottom-up,” said study co-author Dr. Karl J. Stein, an assistant researcher at the <a href="https://ibsclimate.org/">IBS Center for Climate Physics</a> (ICCP).&nbsp;



Thus, the mismatch in the timing of the life cycles of phytoplankton and zooplankton that feed on them may impact the entire seasonally-paced clockwork of the marine food web, particularly in the high-productivity regions of the Northern Hemisphere’s high latitudes.



“Our study demonstrates the power of large ensemble computer model simulations to understand how ecosystems respond to future climate change, in this case their seasonality,” said study lead author Dr. Ryohei Yamaguchi, a climate expert at ICCP. “Having established the timing and underlying mechanisms of future plankton bloom changes, we will address further whether such changes will have a negative impact on future food security,” he concluded.&nbsp;



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

Climate change will affect the timing of plankton blooms

While the effects of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems have...

Depression is a common mental health problem, affecting over a million Australians each year, and sometimes even leading to suicide. A research team led by the <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/">University of Technology Sydney</a> (UTS) has now found that switching from a poor diet to a healthy Mediterranean one can significantly reduce depression in young men aged 18-25. This study contributes to the emerging field of Nutritional Psychiatry, which explores the impact of specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-have-nutritional-wisdom-we-eat-what-our-body-needs/">nutrients</a>, foods, and dietary patterns on mental health.



The scientists enrolled 72 young participants with moderate to severe depression for a 12-week randomized control trial to assess how switching to a Mediterranean diet affects their symptoms of depression. Prior to the study, about 30 percent of the participants failed to adequately respond to standard treatments for depression, such as cognitive behavioral therapy or anti-depressant medication.



“We were surprised by how willing the young men were to take on a new diet,” said study lead author Jessica Bayes, a doctoral student in Nutritional Psychiatry at UTS. “Those assigned to the Mediterranean diet were able to significantly change their original diets, under the guidance of a nutritionist, over a short time frame.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The new diets included colorful vegetables, legumes, and wholegrains, olive oil, oily fish, and raw, unsalted nuts. “The primary focus was on increasing diet quality with fresh wholefoods while reducing the intake of ‘fast’ foods, sugar and processed red meat,” said Bayes.



“There are lots of reasons why scientifically we think food affects mood. For example, around 90 percent of serotonin, a chemical that helps us feel happy, is made in our gut by our gut microbes. There is emerging evidence that these microbes can communicate to the brain via the vagus nerve, in what is called the gut-brain axis,” she explained. “To have beneficial microbes, we need to feed them fibre, which is found in legumes, fruits and vegetables.”



Most of the participants reported significant mood improvements after the trial, and many of them were keen to continue the diet after the study ended, suggesting how effective, tolerable, and worthwhile have found these dietary changes.



“Medical doctors and psychologists should consider referring depressed young men to a nutritionist or dietitian as an important component of treating clinical depression,” Bayes concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac106">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>.&nbsp;



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

Healthier diets can reduce depression in young men

Depression is a common mental health problem, affecting over a...

In humans, certain personality traits are connected to our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harbor-seals-use-vocal-learning-to-sound-larger-than-they-appear/">learning</a> abilities. Historically, many have doubted that nonhumans have personalities, so this sort of connection in other animals has never been tested.&nbsp;



However, recent research has shown convincing evidence for personalities in spiders, apes and other animals. If you have a pet, you may wonder how it hasn’t always been obvious that we’re not the only creatures with individual personalities. Animals that seem to be friends or even entire groups often share similar personality traits.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Now, a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a> looks at the connection between personality and cognitive abilities in Marmoset monkeys. Vedrana Šlipogor and colleagues from the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> looked at marmosets because of their complex social lives, mirroring our own in many ways.&nbsp;



First, the scientists assessed individual monkey’s personalities by giving them tasks and looking at how engaged they were in novel situations. For instance, monkeys were trained to hold a stick, stand on a scale and reach as high as possible.&nbsp;



Overall, the monkeys fell into two broad categories. The scientists found the monkeys to be either bold or more shy. The monkey’s learning abilities were also tested as they were required to form associations between objects with similar sizes, shapes or colors.&nbsp;



The researchers found that female marmoset monkeys learned faster than males. The results also showed that monkeys with bolder personalities learned more quickly than shy individuals. However, there were many other social factors at play. Being part of certain social groups or families improved learning speed, for instance. This may be due to former social support as well as genetics.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“It seems that both certain personality traits as well as social environment have an effect on individual variation in cognition in marmoset monkeys," said Šlipogor. “In our future studies we aim to see whether these findings hold with other tasks that are perhaps more cognitively demanding for the monkeys, and whether this effect can be found in other highly social animals with similar socio-ecological features.”



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

Marmosets with bold personalities are faster learners

In humans, certain personality traits are connected to our learning...

A new study from <a href="https://www.sfu.ca/">Simon Fraser University</a> may revolutionize the way that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunger-alters-the-behavior-of-worms-and-perhaps-humans-too/">humans</a> are trained for sports or how we are rehabilitated after injuries. The researchers have uncovered new clues about how the nervous system learns the optimal ways to move the human body.&nbsp;



“How does our brain figure out how to best move our body? It turns out that this can be a challenging problem for the nervous system, considering we have hundreds of muscles that can be coordinated hundreds of times per second - with more possible coordination patterns to choose from than moves on a chessboard,” explained study senior author Professor Max Donelan.



“We often experience changes to our body and our environment. Perhaps you enjoy a long run on a Saturday morning - your muscles may fatigue as the length of the run increases. Perhaps you choose to run on the beach on vacation - the sand may be uneven and loose in comparison to the pavement on the sidewalk. While we might register that these changes have occurred, we might not appreciate how our body adapts to these changes.”



In collaboration with mechanical engineers at Stanford, Professor Donelan’s team of neuroscientists investigated the walking characteristics of study participants who were wearing exoskeletons.



The study revealed that, in order to learn a new movement coordination pattern, the nervous system adapts by evaluating many different options. This evaluation measures the variability across levels of movements in the joints and muscles.



Ultimately, the team found that the nervous system learns to adapt to specific aspects of movement and simultaneously decreases variability among these aspects. The study also showed that these adaptive changes can improve movement while reducing the energy cost of walking by about 25 percent.



“We created new contexts using exoskeletons that act to assist walking, and then studied how people explore new movements and learn more optimal ones,” said study lead author Sabrina Abram.



The experts report that the nervous system appears to benefit from first searching among many different coordination patterns, and also benefits from reducing this search space over time. “This is because continuing to search among coordination patterns that already reduce energy can in turn increase energy, as well as add to the already challenging problem of figuring out the best way to move," said Abram.



“We would all like to move in the best way possible," said Professor Donelan. "For healthy people, it seems that, with the right circumstances, the brain can take care of this. For those recovering from an injury, we might learn about how to best rehabilitate this injury from a better understanding of how the nervous system learns to adapt.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.



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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

Your nervous system learns how to move the best way possible

A new study from Simon Fraser University may revolutionize the...

One might assume that a two-mile high glacial sheet in the eastern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-groundwater-system-discovered-beneath-antarctica/">Antarctic</a> would be resting on solid rock below. However, a recent study has revealed the presence of a lake underneath a section of this ice sheet, a lake that lies at the bottom of a mile-deep canyon. 



Scientists used sophisticated instruments on board a polar research aircraft to survey the underside of the world’s largest ice sheet, in Princess Elizabeth Land on the east of Antarctica. The task took them three years to complete and this was how they identified the presence of the deep canyon running under the ice sheet, with a large lake at its base. They named the lake after the research plane that enabled them to identify the feature – Lake Snow Eagle.&nbsp;



Initially, the scientists were alerted by an unusual smooth depression that appeared on satellite images of the ice sheet. In order to confirm the nature of this feature, they conducted systematic flights over the site, surveying it with ice penetrating radar and sensors that measure minute changes in Earth’s gravity and magnetic field.&nbsp;



Study lead author Shuai Yan is a graduate student in the Jackson School of Geosciences at <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">UT Austin</a>. He was the flight planner for the field research that investigated the lake.&nbsp;“I literally jumped when I first saw that bright radar reflection," said Yan.



What Yan saw was evidence of the lake’s water that, unlike ice, reflects radar like a mirror. Along with the gravity and magnetic surveys, which lit up the underlying geology of the region and the depth of water and sediments, Yan constructed a detailed picture of a jagged, highland topography with Lake Snow Eagle nestled at the base of a canyon.&nbsp;



The lake measures about 30 miles in length, is nine miles wide, and has a depth of around 650 feet. But what excited the scientists most was the fact that the sediments at the bottom of the lake are 1,000 feet deep and might contain river deposits that are older than the ice sheet itself. Such sediments would give a history of the ice sheet since its earliest beginnings and this would help scientists understand what Antarctica was like before it froze and how climate change has affected it over time.



“This lake is likely to have a record of the entire history of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, its initiation over 34 million years ago, as well as its growth and evolution across glacial cycles since then,” said study co-author and polar expert Don Blankenship. “Our observations also suggest that the ice sheet changed significantly about 10,000 years ago, although we have no idea why.”



In future, the researchers wish to drill into the sediment in order to extract cores that may fill in the gaps in understanding about Antarctica’s glaciation history. In addition, this may provide vital information about how the ice sheet will behave as the climate warms in future.&nbsp;



“This lake’s been accumulating sediment over a very long time, potentially taking us through the period when Antarctica had no ice at all, to when it went into deep freeze,” said co-author Martin Siegert, a glaciologist at Imperial College London. “We don’t have a single record of all those events in one place, but the sediments at the bottom of this lake could be ideal.”



Lake Snow Eagle is one of many features uncovered by ICECAP-2, an international collaboration to map the last unknown regions of East Antarctica by polar research teams from the U.S., U.K., China, Australia, Brazil and India. The team for this paper included scientists from UTIG, Scripps Institute for Oceanography, Imperial College London, the Australian Antarctic Division, and the Polar Research Institute of China. The research was supported by the G. Unger Vetlesen Foundation and funded by governments and institutions of the countries involved.



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

New lake may hold the entire history of an Antarctic ice sheet

One might assume that a two-mile high glacial sheet in...

Healthy eating habits can lower the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obesity-is-the-epidemic-crisis-of-our-time/">obesity</a>, cardiovascular disease and cancer. But, as many parents know, getting children to eat their greens can be a challenge. New research has found that toddlers eat more vegetables if they are rewarded for trying them.



Britt van Belkom of the Institute for Food, Health &amp; Safety by Design at Maastricht University Campus Venlo said it is important to start eating vegetables from a young age. “We know from previous research that young children typically have to try a new vegetable eight to ten times before they like it."



“And so we looked at whether repeatedly asking children to try some vegetables would make them more willing to eat their greens.&nbsp; We were also interested in whether providing a fun reward would make a difference.”



To test this theory, 598 children between the ages of one and four took part in “The Vegetable Box” program in day care centers across the Netherlands. The children were randomly assigned to one of three groups: exposure/reward, exposure/no reward or control (no exposure/no reward).



Children in the first two groups were given the chance to try different vegetables daily, for three months. Children in the reward group received fun, non-food rewards, such as a sticker or toy crown, when they tried something new.



The knowledge of vegetables, and children's willingness to try them, was also measured. This was done by asking the kids to name the 14 different vegetables they were shown, including tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers, carrots, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, peas, cauliflower, mushrooms, green beans, chicory, pumpkin, and asparagus.



Consumption was measured by giving them the chance to taste bite-size pieces of six vegetables (tomato, cucumber, carrot, bell pepper, radish and cauliflower) and counting how many they were willing to taste.



At the pre-test, children in the control group could identify around eight vegetables, and 10 vegetables in the post-test. All of the children in the two exposure groups could identify around nine vegetables pre-test, which increased to 11 post-test.



In both groups, children were willing to try around five to six vegetables on average, and this number increased to 7 in the reward group. The results show that regularly offering vegetables to toddlers can increase their ability to recognize them, while rewarding them increases their willingness to try them.&nbsp;



“The type of reward is, however, very important – it should be fun but not food," said van Belkom.



This research was presented at this year’s <a href="https://easo.org/congress/">European Congress on Obesity</a> (ECO) in Maastricht, the Netherlands.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Children are willing to try vegetables when they're rewarded

Healthy eating habits can lower the risk of obesity, cardiovascular...

In Batesian mimicry, a harmless animal species imitates a more dangerous one in an evolutionary “ruse” that affords protection from potential predators. A research team led by the <a href="http://www.unina.it/">University of Naples Federico II</a> in Italy has now discovered the first case of acoustic Batesian mimicry in mammals: greater mouse-eared <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bats-play-an-active-role-in-plant-pollination/">bats</a> imitate the buzzing sound of hornets – a species of large, stinging wasps – in order to discourage predatory owls from eating them.



“In Batesian mimicry, a non-armed species imitates an armed one to deter predators,” said study senior author Danilo Russo, a professor of Ecology at the University of Naples. “Imagine a bat that has been seized but not killed by the predator. Buzzing might deceive the predator for a fraction of a second - enough to fly away.”



Professor Russo made this striking discovery while conducting field research in which he frequently trapped bats in mist-netting operations. “When we handled the bats to take them out of the net or process them, they invariably buzzed like wasps,” he said.



At the beginning, Professor Russo and his colleagues considered the buzzing as a type of unusual distress call, potentially aiming to send alert signals to conspecifics or to deter predators. A few years later, they designed a careful experiment to better understand the functionality of these peculiar sounds.&nbsp;



First, they looked at the acoustic similarity between the buzzing sounds of bats and those of stinging social hymenopteran insects. Next, they played these sounds on a speaker to captive owls to observe their reactions. The owls reacted in different ways, which is likely due to their previous experiences, yet most of them consistently reacted to insect and bat buzzes by moving away from the speaker.



Interestingly, the analyses of the sounds revealed that the similarity between the buzzes emitted by bats and hornets was most evident when acoustic parameters that owls are incapable of hearing were removed from the analysis. Thus, the buzzing sounds were even more similar when heard the ways owls hear them.



While there is a possibility that owls might simply avoid the buzzing sounds just because they have been stung by hornets before, there is not enough data to prove this hypothesis. Stronger evidence shows that birds avoid such potentially harmful insects in general, due to evolutionary reasons. For instance, if hornets move into tree cavities or nest boxes, birds will not explore these places and will definitely not nest there.&nbsp;



Since bats, owls, and hornets share many spaces, such as caves, rock crevices, or buildings, there are plenty of opportunities for them to interact. Even so, such an intricate example of Batesian mimicry among distantly related species is highly intriguing.



“It is somewhat surprising that owls represent the evolutionary pressure shaping acoustic behavior in bats in response to unpleasant experiences owls have with stinging insects. It is just one of the endless examples of the beauty of evolutionary processes!” Professor Russo concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)00486-9?utm_source=EA">Current Biology</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

Some bats buzz like hornets to deter predators

In Batesian mimicry, a harmless animal species imitates a more...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.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



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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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