From the shifting sands of the Saharan desert to the cracking glaciers in the chilly Antarctic, our Earth is constantly transforming right beneath our feet. The upcoming U.S.-India NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission is about to take us a step closer to understanding this ceaseless change and the intricate mechanisms behind it.



This remarkable satellite mission, set to launch in a few months, will track dynamic changes in Earth’s surface, from wetlands to ice sheets and disaster-hit infrastructure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nisar-revolutionizing-earth-observation">NISAR: Revolutionizing Earth observation</h2>



NISAR is a remarkable advancement in Earth observation, thanks to its unique dual-band radar system. This system combines two types of radar: the L-band, with a 25-centimeter wavelength, and the S-band, with a 10-centimeter wavelength. 



The L-band can penetrate through vegetation and observe larger features such as tree trunks, boulders, or the ground beneath forest canopies. In contrast, the S-band, with its shorter wavelength, is more sensitive to smaller surface-level features like leaves and fine textures.



The complementary nature of these two radar signals enables scientists to study a wide range of Earth’s features with greater precision. 



The L-band provides insights into broader and deeper structures, while the S-band focuses on finer surface details. Together, they offer a comprehensive view of Earth’s surface changes, capturing data on an unprecedented scale and frequency. 



“The planet’s surfaces never stop changing - in some ways small and subtle, and in other ways monumental and sudden,” said Paul Rosen, NISAR <a href="https://nisar.jpl.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Project</a> Scientist at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (<a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JPL</a>).



“With NISAR, we’ll measure that change roughly every week, with each pixel capturing an area about half the size of a tennis court.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-nisar-can-do">What NISAR can do</h2>



The NISAR satellite is designed to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/take-a-glimpse-at-our-planets-new-ai-satellite-phsat2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">observe</a> nearly all of Earth’s land and ice surfaces with exceptional precision. This means it can monitor changes across vast areas of the planet, including natural features like glaciers and forests. 



The satellite will track how glaciers move and whether they are melting or growing. It will also <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parker-solar-probe-will-fly-through-suns-atmosphere-tomorrow-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monitor</a> forests to measure growth or loss, helping us understand how much carbon they absorb or release. Additionally, it will observe wetlands to track changes in these vital ecosystems.



Beyond natural processes, NISAR will focus on major events like earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions. By detecting how the ground shifts during these events, it can provide critical information for disaster response teams. 



For instance, it can help assess damage and guide recovery efforts. This data will also contribute to a better understanding of the global carbon cycle - how carbon moves through the atmosphere, land, and oceans - which is essential for studying climate change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-legacy-of-an-early-radar-satellite">Legacy of an early radar satellite </h2>



NISAR is built on decades of radar technology advancements. Rosen noted that the concept of using spaceborne synthetic aperture radar (SAR) began in the 1970s with NASA’s Seasat mission. 



Seasat was an early radar satellite. It was the first Earth-orbiting satellite designed for remote sensing of the ocean. While Seasat operated for just a few months, it revolutionized how scientists study Earth.



The satellite inspired later missions that refined radar imaging and laid the groundwork for today’s sophisticated systems, like NISAR. 



This legacy demonstrates how earlier missions influenced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sentinel-2c-satellite-delivers-first-breathtaking-images-of-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modern Earth observation</a> and continue to inspire scientists to innovate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-the-nisar-mission">Significance of the NISAR mission</h2>



The NISAR mission will generate massive datasets to benefit scientists and decision-makers alike. Whether monitoring soil moisture or studying cryospheric processes, the data will be freely accessible via cloud storage.



“Our data products will fit the needs of users across the mission’s science focus areas,” noted Rosen.



The NISAR mission highlights the power of international collaboration. NASA and <a href="https://www.isro.gov.in" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ISRO</a> began working together in 2014 to combine their strengths and expertise. 



Each agency contributed unique radar systems - NASA's L-band radar and ISRO's S-band radar - and together, they created a unified satellite mission to observe Earth.



This partnership wasn’t without challenges. With a 9,000-mile (14,500-kilometer) distance between them and operations across several time zones, coordination was complex. 



Teams on different continents built <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parker-solar-probe-completes-closest-ever-approach-to-the-sun/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parts of the satellite</a>, which were later brought together in India for final assembly. Despite the logistical hurdles, the collaboration succeeded, demonstrating the commitment and innovation of both agencies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-global-challenges">Addressing global challenges </h2>



More than just advanced technology, NISAR symbolizes what can be achieved when nations work together. 



This mission reflects a shared dedication to understanding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clusters-final-mission-a-fiery-return-to-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth’s changes</a> and addressing global challenges like climate change and disaster management.



As launch day approaches, NISAR stands as both a technological achievement and a beacon of international unity, ready to reveal valuable insights about our ever-changing planet.



Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech



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Satellite mission will closely monitor changes on Earth's surface

From the shifting sands of the Saharan desert to the cracking glaciers in the chilly Antarctic, our Earth is constantly transforming right beneath our feet. The upcoming U.S.-India NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar) mission is about to take us a step closer to understanding this ceaseless change and the intricate mechanisms behind it. This remarkable satellite mission, set to launch in a few months, will track dynamic changes in Earth’s surface, from wetlands to ice sheets and disaster-hit infrastructure. NISAR: Revolutionizing Earth observation NISAR is a remarkable...

A new nanotexture that kills 70 percent of bacteria was created in a lab by a team of Australian and Japanese scientists. The goal of the research is to tackle the issue of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotics-used-on-food-crops-may-be-starving-bees/">food</a> waste, especially in meat and dairy.&nbsp;



It is estimated that more than 30 percent of the food we produce goes to waste. Sometimes an entire shipment of food is lost when bacteria is found. The scientists were inspired by the texture of some insect wings that are known to kill bacteria.&nbsp;



“Eliminating bacterial contamination is a huge step in extending the shelf life of food,” said study co-author Professor Elena Ivanova of <a href="https://www.rmit.edu.au/">RMIT University</a>. "We knew the wings of cicadas and dragonflies were highly-efficient bacteria killers and could help inspire a solution, but replicating nature is always a challenge."



"We have now created a nanotexturing that mimics the bacteria-destroying effect of insect wings and retains its antibacterial power when printed on plastic. This is a big step towards a natural, non-chemical, antibacterial packaging solution for the food and manufacturing industry.”



The texture, as on insect wings, is made of very small “nano pillars.” When bacteria land on the nano pillars, their membranes are pierced and they are killed.&nbsp;



“It’s like stretching a latex glove,” said Professor Ivanova. “As it slowly stretches, the weakest point in the latex will become thinner and eventually tear.”



The pattern of the antibacterial texture was discovered in Australia and then shared with the Japanese researchers who discovered how to implant the texture onto plastic, where it could be used for packaging.&nbsp;



“The nanotexturing created in this study holds its own when used in rigid plastic," said Ivanova. "Our next challenge is adapting it for use on softer plastics."



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/acsappliednanomaterials">ACS Applied Nano Materials</a>.



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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

Insect wings inspire new method to kill bacteria on food

A new nanotexture that kills 70 percent of bacteria was...

According to a recent study from <a href="https://www.physoc.org/">The Physiological Society</a>, one of the best ways to keep your muscles healthy is to have a lifetime of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-physical-activity-protects-the-brain-from-aging/">physical activity</a>. Researchers at the University of Copenhagen analyzed muscle, stem cell, and nerve activity in 46 males. The experts concluded that older, active adults with a history of lifelong exercise have better functioning muscles compared to younger adults with a sedentary lifestyle.



For the investigation, the participants were separated into three groups: young sedentary (15), elderly lifelong exercise (16), and elderly sedentary (15). As the individuals executed a heavy resistance exercise, the researchers measured their force during the movement and took blood and muscle samples.&nbsp;



Older, active adults with a lifelong history of exercise performed better on the exercise, and also had more satellite cells in their muscles. These cell types protect the nervous system and are essential for muscle regeneration. 



The study authors noted that previous studies like this one have only been focused on professional athletes.



"This is the first study in humans to find that lifelong exercise at a recreational level could delay some detrimental effects of aging. Using muscle tissue biopsies, we've found positive effects of exercise on the general ageing population. This has been missing from the literature as previous studies have mostly focused on master athletes, which is a minority group," explained lead author Casper Soendenbroe.



"Our study is more representative of the general population aged 60 and above, as the average person is more likely to take part in a mixture of activities at a moderate level."



The researchers us to know that we don't have to be super athletes to make a difference in our health. Participating in activities like swimming, biking, or running throughout our lifetime can help protect our muscles against age-related deterioration.&nbsp;



However, more research is necessary to support a broad conclusion. Most noteworthy is that this study only involved male subjects, which is an obvious limitation as it excludes about 50 percent of the human population.&nbsp;



Moreover, the average age of the males in the study was 73. However, the most apparent effects of aging on the muscles occur at 80+ years. Therefore, we don't yet know if individuals would continue to see the benefits of lifelong exercise as they get older.&nbsp;



The study is published in <a href="https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14697793">The Journal of Physiology</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

Lifelong exercise may be the secret to staying young

According to a recent study from The Physiological Society, one...

Heat is often intensified in cities, since asphalt, concrete, and similar materials absorb and retain significantly more heat than vegetation – a phenomenon known as the <a href="https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/climate-change-impacts/urban-heat-islands">urban heat island</a> effect. According to a new study led by climate scientists from NASA’s <a href="https://www.giss.nasa.gov/">Goddard Institute for Space Studies</a> (GISS), rooftop gardens and greenery could help ease some of the severe heat in cities by harnessing the cooling power of plants to lower the temperature.



“As cities grow and develop, they need to make good decisions about their infrastructure, because these decisions often last for 30 or 50 years or longer,” said&nbsp;study co-author Christian Braneon, a climate scientist and civil engineer at <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> and GISS. “In the context of more frequent heat waves and more extreme heat, it’s important to understand how these urban design interventions can be effective.”



By using freely available satellite data, Dr. Braneon and his colleagues studied three sites in Chicago to assess how rooftop gardens affected surface temperatures around the buildings. While two of the roofs reduced temperatures, the other one did not, thus indicating that effectiveness may depend on a variety of factors, ranging from geographical location and plant diversity to rooftop structure and the cooling efficiency of the building itself.



“In a lot of places, you might be developing an area that didn’t have something there before; it just had overgrown vegetation. You might think that putting a green roof on your new building would make a significant impact. But what we see is that a lot of impervious material may also be added there – such as a parking lot around the building. As a result, you might reduce the impact of the parking lot, but you certainly haven’t created the cooling effect that the overgrown vegetation had,” explained Dr. Braneon.



Further research is needed to assess the effectiveness of the use of greenery and rooftop gardens in other locations in various cities. This could help experts fully understand the diversity of factors that influence processes of urban heating and cooling. Most importantly though, the dynamics of the climate should always be taken into account.



“Traditionally, civil engineers and urban planners assumed a stationary climate,” said Dr. Braneon. “The whole practice is built on the premise that we can look at the past to assess risk in the future. Everything is being flipped on its head due to climate change, so I’m hoping to do more work that changes how civil engineers and urban planners practice.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scs.2021.103376210670721006491">Sustainable Cities and Society</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

Rooftop gardens can lower city heat

Heat is often intensified in cities, since asphalt, concrete, and...

According to the United Nations’ first-ever <a href="https://inweh.unu.edu/water-security-in-africa-a-preliminary-assessment/">assessment</a> of water security in Africa, only 29 African nations have made some progress over the past three to five years, while 25 have made none. This is despite the global <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">Sustainable Developments Goals</a> and commitments that were made in 2015.



This assessment – published on the eve of World Water Day (March 22) – employed ten indicators to quantify water security in Africa’s 54 countries: access to drinking water, access to sanitation, hygiene and health, water availability, efficiency of water use, water infrastructure, water quality, water governance, water disaster risks, and physiography.



On a scale of 100, all country scores besides those of Egypt are below 70. Only 13 African countries have reached a modest level of security in recent years, with Egypt, Botswana, Gabon, Mauritius, and Tunisia being the continent’s top five most water-secure countries. 



At the opposite end of the scale, Somalia, Chad, and Niger are the least water-secure African nations. Thus, according to the report, there has been little progress in national water security of most African states over the past three to five years.



In order to compare Africa’s situation globally, the authors of the report call for global standards for water security measurement data and assessment. 



“Some critical components of water security simply cannot be assessed without introducing surrogates or proxies. With such poor data availability, progress toward water security is difficult to assess accurately,” the scientists warned.



However, according to lead author Grace Oluwasanya - a water scientist at the <a href="https://unu.edu/">United Nations University</a> - “data limitations do not change the main outcome of this assessment, which is strong and clear. Overall levels of water security in Africa are low. Not a single country let alone a subregion have at present achieved a state that can be seen as ‘model’ or even ‘effective’ stage of water security.”



“This assessment for African countries aimed to create a quantitative starting point and a platform for subsequent discussions with national, regional, and international agents; it is neither a prescription nor a guide,” added co-author Duminda Perera, a water resource professional at the United Nations University.



“As this quantitative tool develops, it will help generate targeted policy recommendations and inform decision-making and public-private investments toward achieving water security in Africa,” he concluded.



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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

Water security in Africa remains very poor

According to the United Nations’ first-ever assessment of water security...

During the Triassic period, early <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/new-evidence-reveals-that-dinosaurs-died-in-the-spring/">dinosaurs</a> evolved but it wasn’t until mass extinction ushered in the Jurassic did dinosaur diversity explode. New research looks at the complex causes of the mass extinction event that paved the way for more dinosaurs.&nbsp;



“This new study adds soil erosion and wildfire activity to the list of factors that drove this mass extinction to end the Triassic era, building on our previous research that found a rise in levels of acid and hydrogen sulfide in the ocean caused by rapid increases in carbon dioxide due to a surge in volcanic activity," explained Dr. Calum Peter Fox of WA-Organic and Isotope Geochemistry Centre (WA-OIGC).



"Similar to modern large-scale fire events that are driven by climate change, periods of wildfire activity have significant impacts for land-dwelling fauna and flora and drive environmental and ecosystem stress that can lead to mass extinctions.”



Dr. Fox and colleagues investigated the ancient fires at the end of the Triassic and found similarities to the modern rise of atmospheric carbon.&nbsp;



“By studying polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, which can be formed during the incomplete combustion of organic matter, we found that soil erosion was a more prominent terrestrial ecological stress than intensive wildfire activity during the end-Triassic mass extinction event in the Bristol Channel of the south-west United Kingdom," said Dr. Fox.



"This tells us land and marine ecosystem and environmental stresses occurred at the same time and were likely exacerbated by soil erosion, with fire activity likely to be more localised in other areas rather than widespread across Europe.”



Professor Kliti Grice also found similarities between the modern land degradation caused by soil erosion and the likelihood of the same thing happening at the close of the Triassic.&nbsp;



“These processes certainly have implications in the modern day due to the introduction of pollutants and pesticides," said Professor Grice.



"Observing that soil erosion had major impacts in our history and in comparing and contrasting a global record of the past, we can anticipate the scale and duration of currently-occurring and future soil erosion events.”



The scientists hope that by looking to the past at previous mass extinction events, we might be able to better understand the one we’re living through now and potentially even mitigate it.&nbsp;



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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

Soil erosion and fire contributed to Triassic mass extinction

During the Triassic period, early dinosaurs evolved but it wasn’t...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spread-coyotes-deer-numbers/">coyotes</a> have spread outside their native regions from the western United States towards the east, they have started to hunt North Carolina’s two native species of fox. A new study led by <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> has found that preserving tree cover may be essential in helping the gray fox survive with coyotes in rural areas, most probably due to the fox’s ability to climb trees. However, in suburban forest fragments, gray foxes appeared to be able to easily coexist with the coyotes.



“Coyotes are well known to persecute smaller foxes,” said study co-author Roland Kays, an associate professor of Biology at NC State University. “They go out of their way, more than you see in other interactions between species, to really bully, chase and kill the smaller foxes. There is some reason for concern if this species is going to survive. How is that going to happen in an urban environment where you also have people?”



Professor Kays and his colleagues used wildlife photos taken by volunteers to find out in which places coyotes and gray foxes coexist. They discovered that the two species are most likely to be found together in regions with high housing density and low forest cover, such as the suburbs.



“These two species were more likely to use the same sites in suburban areas, especially small forested wood lots,” said study lead author Arielle Parsons, a postdoctoral researcher at NC State University. “We expected them to use these wood lots at different times to avoid each other, but actually we found that they use these suburban forest fragments at the same time.”



According to the scientists, the two species could coexist in the suburbs because coyotes are just moving through, without establishing territories. In rural areas though, coyotes and foxes are less likely to be seen together. However, gray foxes were more likely to inhabit rural regions with extensive tree cover.



“Gray foxes are very good at climbing trees; they have sharp claws,” said Professor Kays. “They’re one of the only dog relatives that can climb trees. Coyotes can’t. It could be that climbing trees helps them deal with coyotes.”



Thus, gray foxes appear to be at risk in areas with few houses and little tree cover. “There are things we can do to change the ways wildlife species are able to adapt to human-dominated environments. Reducing habitat fragmentation and preserving forest and green spaces can help enhance the ability for these species to coexist,” concluded Dr. Parsons.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ecs2.3993">Ecosphere</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

Trees help gray foxes coexist with coyotes

As coyotes have spread outside their native regions from the...

NASA is preparing to send humans to Mars sometime in the next decade. However, a three-year long mission will expose <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-hibernating-squirrels-can-teach-space-travelers/">space travelers</a> to a long period of microgravity, which will cause them to lose bone mass. A new study presented at the meeting of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/meetings/acs-meetings/registration/why-attend.html">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) argues that a special, transgenic type of lettuce could be grown by astronauts embarked in long space trips, and may help them guard against bone loss through a bone-stimulated hormone that it contains.



Previous studies of astronauts on long space missions have shown that they lose an average of one percent of bone mass during each month spent in space – a condition called osteopenia. While at the moment, astronauts on the International Space Station perform certain physical exercises to maintain bone mass during their six-month long stays, a three-year long mission to Mars would leave astronauts vulnerable to osteopenia, and later, osteoporosis.



A medication containing a peptide fragment of human parathyroid hormone (PTH) stimulates bone formation and could guard astronauts against osteopenia, but it requires daily injections. According to scientists from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a>, an easier and more practical way is to use plants such as lettuce to synthesize pharmaceuticals like PTH.&nbsp;



In order to increase PTH’s stability and bioavailability in the body, the researchers attached a piece of another protein - the fragment crystallizable (Fc) domain of a human antibody - to PTH’s sequence. Fc increases the time that the attached peptide circulates in the blood, making it more effective. To introduce a gene encoding PTH-Fc to lettuce, the scientists infected plant cells with Agrobacterium tumefaciens, a species of&nbsp;bacteria used in the laboratory to transfer genes to plants. The resulting plants express about 10 to 12 milligrams of the modified peptide hormone per kilogram of fresh lettuce.



“One thing we’re doing now is screening all of these transgenic lettuce lines to find the one with the highest PTH-Fc expression,” said study co-author Karen McDonald, a chemical engineer at UC Davis. “We’ve just looked at a few of them so far, and we observed that the average was 10-12 mg/kg, but we think we might be able to increase that further. The higher we can boost the expression, the smaller the amount of lettuce that needs to be consumed.”



Before this lettuce can reach astronauts’ plates though, the scientists must optimize the PTH-Fc expression levels, and then test the lettuce for its ability to safely prevent bone loss in animal models and human clinical trials.&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

Special lettuce could protect astronauts from bone loss

NASA is preparing to send humans to Mars sometime in...

Spring is arriving earlier in northern climates as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rainfall-patterns-will-decide-if-miami-blue-butterflies-can-survive/">rainfall</a> becomes less frequent, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>. The experts identified a link between a drop in the total number of rainy days each year and the early appearance of leaves.



While experts had already determined that rising temperatures have led to the first leaves coming out at earlier dates, this research shows that fewer rainy days play the second largest role in this early leaf-out, explained study co-author Desheng Liu of The Ohio State University.



"Scientists have looked mainly at how temperature affects when leaves first appear and, if they considered precipitation at all, it was the total amount," said Liu. "But it isn't the total amount of precipitation that matters the most – it’s how often it rains."



The results of the study showed that a decline in rainfall frequency will cause spring to emerge an additional one to two days earlier each decade through the end of the century.



"This study exemplifies the complex consequences of climate change," said Rainer Amon, a program director in NSF's Office of Polar Programs. "We are not simply facing a warmer atmosphere, but also a shift in the diurnal and seasonal timing of biological processes on a global scale."



The researchers explained that fewer rainy days lead to the earlier arrival of spring because trees and other plants are receiving more solar radiation earlier in the year, which stimulates leaf growth.



With fewer rainy days, daytime temperatures are hotter as more sunlight heating reaches the Earth’s surface and atmosphere.&nbsp;



The study was focused on data north of 30 degrees latitude, which includes most of the United States. The experts analyzed satellite images that recorded when vegetation started to turn green from 1982 to 2018. This data was compared with the number of rainy days during each season.&nbsp;



According to study co-author Jian Wang, the findings demonstrate that we should expect an even earlier spring in the future compared to what current models tell us.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</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

Spring is arriving earlier as rainy days become less frequent

Spring is arriving earlier in northern climates as rainfall becomes...

The evolution of jaws in early vertebrates was an extremely significant innovation. The fossil record shows that the earliest jawed fish were around at the start of the Devonian Period, just over 400 million years ago. Prior to that, all fish were jawless, much like the hagfish and lampreys of today. Jaws allowed vertebrates to exploit a wide range of food sources, and to become formidable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predators-help-prevent-biodiversity-loss/">predators</a>.&nbsp;



However, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> has shown that fish with the earliest jaws were stuck in a compromise between maximizing the strength of their jaws and their bite speed. Big, strong jaws would enable the fish to handle sizeable prey, but the weight of these jaws would make lightning-speed reactions impossible. It seems that, irrespective of the particular way in which early fish species evolved to use their jaws, they were always faced with this same trade-off.&nbsp;



Jaws evolved from the gill arches of jawless fish; these structures supported the gills of early fish and therefore had more of a gaseous exchange function. In fact, the original selective advantage gained by fish with jaws was probably related to increased efficiency in gaseous exchange, rather than to feeding. However, the advantages of jaws for feeding would soon have made this their primary function. All vertebrate jaws, including the human jaw, evolved from the early fish jaw plan.&nbsp;



The new study, which is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>, investigates how a breathing structure came to be a successful biting structure and what constraints there were on this evolutionary change. The researchers collected data on the shapes of the earliest fossil jaws and developed mathematical models to characterize them. They then imagined the range of theoretical jaw forms that early fish might have exploited, and ran these through the model in order to characterize them and compare them to the actual fossil jaws.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Previous research had identified that the jaws in early fish fossils are rather similar, showing little of the diversification and radiation that evolutionary biologists might have expected for such a useful innovation. However, when the researchers tested all the different jaw shapes (both actual and theoretical) for their strength (how likely they were to break) and speed (how efficiently they could be opened and closed), they found that the jaws of early fish represented an optimal trade-off between these two factors. They had already reached this state of optimal compromise early on in evolutionary history.



The researchers say their results show that many fish taxa have independently evolved similar jaw morphologies that represent a compromise between strength and snappiness, and that this is evidence for a widespread convergence in jaw shape. Since this optimality was achieved very early in jaw evolution, they feel this supports the idea that early jaws were soon adopted for a predatory function, which would have required both speed and strength.&nbsp;



Some fish groups appear to have evolved away from this optimum balance between strength and speed over time, perhaps as a result of specializing in slower prey or prey that are smaller or weaker. For example, feeding on plankton by filtering the water would not require optimum strength in the jaws.&nbsp;



“Jaws are an extremely important feature to gnathostomes – or jaw-mouths. They are not only extremely widespread, but almost all creatures that have them, use them in the same way – to grab food and process it. That’s more than can be said for an arm or a foot or a tail, which can be used for all sorts of things," said study lead author <a href="https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/persons/william-j-deakin">William Deakin</a>, who is a PhD student at the&nbsp;University of Bristol.



“This makes jaws extremely useful to anyone studying the evolution of function. Very different jaws from very different animals can be tested in similar ways. Here we have shown that studies on a large variety of jaws, using theoretical morphology and adaptive landscapes to capture their variety in function, can help shed some light on evolutionary questions.”



According to study co-author Professor <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Philip-Donoghue-4fd2d6ef-3986-4566-97e4-7ae7db296525/">Philip Donoghue</a>, the earliest jawed vertebrates have jaws in all shapes and sizes, long thought to reflect adaptation to different functions. "Our study shows that most of this variation was equally optimal for strength and speed, making for fearsome predators.”



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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

Early animal jaws optimized bite strength and speed

The evolution of jaws in early vertebrates was an extremely...

Millions of Joro spiders are expected to colonize the entire East Coast this spring. The spiders will literally drop from the sky, using their webs like parachutes. The invasion is predicted to begin in May, and while it may sound terrifying, experts say we have nothing to fear.



Joro spiders are large spiders with bright blue and yellow striped bodies and black and red legs. The spiders are native to most of Japan but arrived in the United States around the year 2013. Gaining a foothold in Georgia, Joro spiders have spread throughout the southeastern US.&nbsp;



With their colorful bodies and the golden silk they produce, Joro spiders are easy targets for human aggression. However, unlike some other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-species-can-hitchhike-on-ocean-plastic/">non-native species</a>, Joros do not seem to cause any harm. In fact, the spiders may possibly provide another food source for birds and are fairly harmless to people and their pets.&nbsp;



Unless directly threatened. Joro spiders do not bite. When they do, their fangs are often too small to pierce human skin. New research from the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> suggests that the spiders are just beginning their spread throughout the US.&nbsp;



“People should try to learn to live with them," said study co-author Andy Davis. "If they’re literally in your way, I can see taking a web down and moving them to the side, but they’re just going to be back next year.”



"The way I see it, there’s no point in excess cruelty where it’s not needed,” added co-author Benjamin Frick, an undergraduate researcher in the School of Ecology. “You have people with saltwater guns shooting them out of the trees and things like that, and that’s really just unnecessary.”



The research compared the physiology of Joro spiders with the golden silk spider, which arrived in the US from the tropics about 160 years ago. The study showed that the golden silk spiders have remained in the southeast because their low metabolisms and slow heart rate leave them vulnerable to cold. The same can not be said for Joro spiders with heart rates 77 percent higher.&nbsp;



“Just by looking at that, it looks like the Joros could probably survive throughout most of the Eastern Seaboard here, which is pretty sobering,” said Davis.



The spiders can move around by ballooning a ride on air currents using their silk. Just as likely, they may hitch a ride with people on cars, planes, anything that moves.&nbsp;



“The potential for these spiders to be spread through people’s movements is very high,” said Frick. “Anecdotally, right before we published this study, we got a report from a grad student at UGA who had accidentally transported one of these to Oklahoma.”



Even though a future where Joro spiders live throughout the eastern US is a very real possibility, the authors caution that it’s no reason to fear. Actually, if we are to find blame we should just look in the mirror.&nbsp;



“There’s really no reason to go around actively squishing them,” said Frick. “Humans are at the root of their invasion. Don’t blame the Joro spider.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13653032">Physiological Entomology</a>.



Image Credit: UGA/Submitted Photo



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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

Millions of Joro spiders will parachute out of the sky this spring

Millions of Joro spiders are expected to colonize the entire...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-species-are-arriving-with-ships-in-antarctica/">Antarctica</a> – the coldest place on the planet – has recently experienced an episode of warm weather unlike any ever observed, shocking climate scientists worldwide. The temperatures over the eastern Antarctic ice sheet have soared to 40°C above normal, causing an unusual amount of melting for this region.&nbsp;



For instance, the average high temperature during March in Vostok – a Russian meteorological observatory located about 808 miles from the South Pole at the center of the eastern ice sheet – is around minus 53°C. But on Friday, March 18, the temperature leapt to -17.7°C, breaking the previous record by a staggering 15 degrees.



“In about 65 record years in Vostok, between March and October, values ​​above -30°C were never observed,” said climate journalist Stefano Di Battista. “Antarctic climatology has been rewritten.”



Jonathan Wille is an expert in Polar Meteorology at the <a href="https://www.univ-grenoble-alpes.fr/">Université Grenoble Alpes</a> in France. He told the Washington Post: “This event is completely unprecedented and upended our expectations about the Antarctic climate system." Temperatures running at least 32°C above normal have expanded over vast regions of eastern Antarctica from the Adélie Coast through most of the eastern ice sheet’s interior. Computer modeling suggests that in some areas the temperatures might have even climbed up to 50°C above normal.



According to Professor Wille, these warming was initiated by an extreme atmospheric river (a narrow corridor of water vapor in the atmosphere) on Antarctica’s east coast. This atmospheric river made landfall on Tuesday, March 15, between Dumont d’Urville and Casey Stations and caused a massive amount of rainfall, potentially leading to a significant melting event in the area.&nbsp;



Afterwards, the moisture from the storm diffused and spread over the interior of the continent. The moisture was prevented from escaping by a strong blocking high pressure system - a so-called heat dome. “This is not something we’ve seen before,” said Professor Wille. “This moisture is the reason why the temperatures have gotten just so high.”



While it is difficult to attribute this one event to climate change, Professor Wille and his colleagues do think that rising temperatures helped prime conditions for such an event and that this could be just the beginning of even more extreme occurrences.&nbsp;



“We do believe they will become more intense because it just simple physics … but the details, we’re still trying to figure that out. It would be very difficult to say that there’s not a climate change fingerprint on an event like this,” Professor Wille told the Post.



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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

Soaring temperatures in Antarctica have scientists in shock

Antarctica – the coldest place on the planet – has...

In 2012, the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/ga/">United Nations General Assembly</a> designated today, March 21, as the International Day of Forests to raise awareness of the importance of all forest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salt-pollution-threatens-freshwater-ecosystems/">ecosystems</a>.&nbsp;



"When we drink a glass of water, write in a notebook, take medicine for a fever or build a house, we do not always make the connection with forests. And yet, these and many other aspects of our lives are linked to forests in one way or another," reports the UN.



"Forest sustainable management and their use of resources are key to combating climate change, and to contributing to the prosperity and well-being of current and future generations. Forests also play a crucial role in poverty alleviation and in the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Yet despite all these priceless ecological, economic, social and health benefits, global deforestation continues at an alarming rate."



According to the UN, around 1.6 billion people are directly dependent on forests for food, shelter, energy, medicines and income. Meanwhile, 10 million hectares of forest are lost every year.&nbsp;



The State of the World’s Forests 2020 report, released by the the Food and Agriculture Association of the United States, notes that deforestation and forest degradation continue to take place at alarming rates, and this is a major contributor to the ongoing biodiversity crisis.



"Since 1990, it is estimated that 420 million hectares of forest have been lost through conversion to other land uses, although the rate of deforestation has decreased over the past three decades," says the report.&nbsp;



"Between 2015 and 2020, the rate of deforestation was estimated at 10 million hectares per year, down from 16 million hectares per year in the 1990s. The area of primary forest worldwide has decreased by over 80 million hectares since 1990."



In the Amazon forest alone, thousands of plant and animal species are threatened with extinction as a direct result of deforestation. The <a href="https://www.bgci.org/globaltreesearch">GlobalTreeSearch database</a> reports that there are currently 60,082 tree species in existence. More than 20,000 of these tree species are on the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species.



"International Forest Day is a tremendous occasion to celebrate the world’s wildlife and humanities’ achievements in preservation of it, to educate the public on forests and ecosystems. But it is also a suitable opportunity and the right time to address global problems and to mobilize political will to take action," says the UN.



"Last month, the UN agency on climate change, IPCC, published a report revealing the deadly consequences of climate change for people in all parts of the world in the coming decades. The consequences of climate change are worse than ever, highlighting the importance of global unity."



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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

International Day of Forests: a time for global unity

In 2012, the United Nations General Assembly designated today, March...

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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

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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

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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

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

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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

[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

[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

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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...