The term "aging" generally conjures up images of graying hair, slowing pace, and the eventual appearance of wrinkles. Yet, beyond these physical markers, aging is a fundamentally cellular and molecular process, even for organisms like bacteria, which also experience age-related changes.



From humble single-celled organisms to complex mammalian systems, all living organisms experience the impact of passing time, according to a recent report from the <a href="https://asm.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">American Society for Microbiology</a>.



As they age, cells accumulate damage that impairs function, leading to numerous age-related disorders in humans. But what about bacteria? Can these single-celled entities feel the passage of time?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bacteria-age-and-binary-fission-factor">Bacteria age and binary fission factor</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-use-biological-clocks-to-predict-and-survive-cold-weather/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bacteria</a>, being single-celled organisms, propagate differently from humans. Rather than sexual reproduction, they undergo a process known as binary fission. 



In this process, they duplicate their DNA and divide into two, resulting in rapid replication. Interestingly, the fastest-growing bacterium can split in less than 10 minutes.



Historically, it was believed that bacteria, thanks to binary fission's symmetrical nature, did not age. After all, this process results in a parent and offspring identical in age, leading to a concept dubbed "functional immortality."



Aging, it was assumed, required an asymmetric division where the parent is older than the offspring.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aging-of-bacteria">Aging of bacteria</h2>



Contrary to the longstanding belief, evidence emerged in 2005, suggesting that, like us, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-and-imprint-new-era-dna-transformation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a> do age. The researchers found that Escherichia coli (E. coli) exhibit differences between "old" and "new" (parent and offspring) cells.



These distinctions became evident as scientists watched the cells divide under a microscope, noting that older cells' growth rate and offspring production decline over time. 



Moreover, the senior cells died more frequently than their younger counterparts. Clearly, despite similar appearances, cells underwent divisions that left them functionally asymmetric and susceptible to aging.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-asymmetry-to-the-rescue">Asymmetry to the rescue</h2>



So, how does this asymmetry help? It turns out, this type of division is crucial for the population's overall fitness. 



An asymmetric division maintains variance, the variety upon which natural selection acts. More variation typically means a better chance of survival under changing conditions.



One of the key players in this aging process is protein aggregation. This process occurs in bacteria and eukaryotic cells and is associated with age-related diseases in humans, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, where harmful protein clumps can lead to cell death.



In <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hungry-bacteria-will-devour-plastic-waste/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a>, scientists found a smart way of dealing with this problem. As a feature of asymmetric division, older cells accumulate these proteins segregating age-related damage and keeping their offspring looking "younger" at the molecular level.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cellular-states-of-stress">Cellular states of stress</h2>



Another culprit contributing to aging, both in humans and bacteria, is stress. E. coli cells activate a stress state inside the cell to survive mutations accumulated over their lifetimes. 



Some of these mutations, while not lethal, can negatively impact the cell's fitness by causing a critical protein to lose its function.



In a study analyzing the effects of over 60 different nonlethal loss-of-function mutations in E. coli, researchers found that these mutants increased their metabolic activity to compensate for lost protein function. 



Still, this adaptation comes at a cost. These cells grow slower and enter a state similar to purgatory faster than non-mutants, especially in nutrient-poor environments.



The findings suggest an "aging cost" associated with maintaining resistance to stress on a population level. Could understanding bacterial aging lead us to new antibiotic targets? Might this ancient mechanism of aging shed light on certain human diseases perpetuated through cellular stress states?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complexities-of-aging">Complexities of aging</h2>



Time and age certainly doesn't stand still for anyone, humans and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-soil-bacteria-contribute-to-atmospheric-co2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bacteria</a> included. But perhaps bacteria's susceptibility to aging is a blessing in disguise. 



These hardy organisms make excellent subjects for studying the nuances of aging, given their rapid growth and the ability to observe numerous generations in a single experiment. After all, understanding the complexity of aging is inherent to unlocking the mysteries of life itself.



The discovery that bacteria are not eternal beings, as once thought, but vulnerable to aging like all living organisms, signifies the interconnectedness of life at every level.



The concept of time, aging, and the decline in function straddle across the biological spectrum, making it possible to draw parallels between the simplest life forms and the most complex ones.



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Do bacteria age or are they immortal?

The term "aging" generally conjures up images of graying hair, slowing pace, and the eventual appearance of wrinkles. Yet, beyond these physical markers, aging is a fundamentally cellular and molecular process, even for organisms like bacteria, which also experience age-related changes. From humble single-celled organisms to complex mammalian systems, all living organisms experience the impact of passing time, according to a recent report from the American Society for Microbiology. As they age, cells accumulate damage that impairs function, leading to numerous age-related disorders in humans. But what...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.rush.edu/">Rush University Medical Center</a> found that the MIND diet, a hybrid of the Mediterranean and DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) diets, significantly slows <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/colorful-foods-can-prevent-cognitive-decline/">cognitive</a> decline in older adults and improves their cognitive functioning. 



The MIND diet includes at least three servings of whole grains, a green leafy vegetable, and another vegetable of choice per day, washed away with a glass of wine, together with frequent nut snacks. It should also include regular consumption of beans (every two days), poultry and berries (twice per week), and fish (once per week.) A person following the MIND diet should significantly limit items such as butter, sweets, pastries, whole fat cheese, and fried or fast foods.



<a href="https://www.rush.edu/news/new-mind-diet-may-significantly-protect-against-alzheimers-disease">Previous studies</a> have already suggested that following a MIND diet can significantly protect against Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. According to the new research, which is published in the <a href="https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease/jad210107">Journal&nbsp;of Alzheimer’s Disease</a>, participants in a longitudinal study who moderately followed the MIND diet had increased cognitive functioning later in life.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Some people have enough plaques and tangles in their brains to have a postmortem diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, but they do not develop clinical dementia in their lifetime,” said study&nbsp;lead author Klodian Dhana, an assistant professor in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.rushu.rush.edu/research/departmental-research/internal-medicine-research/geriatrics-gerontology-and-palliative-medicine-research">Division of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine</a> at&nbsp;Rush Medical College.&nbsp;



“Some have the ability to maintain cognitive function despite the accumulation of these pathologies in the brain, and our study suggests that the MIND diet is associated with better cognitive functions independently of brain pathologies related to Alzheimer’s disease.”



Participants from the&nbsp;ongoing <a href="https://www.rushu.rush.edu/research/departmental-research/memory-and-aging-project">Memory and Aging Project</a>, which has begun in 1997, were given a score according to how closely they followed the MIND diet and undertook annual evaluations and cognitive tests. The scientists found that participants with higher MIND diet scores performed significantly better at cognitive tests and showed less signs of cognitive decline as they grew older.&nbsp;



“We found that a higher MIND diet score was associated with better memory and thinking skills independently of Alzheimer's disease pathology and other common age-related brain pathologies. The diet seemed to have a protective capacity and may contribute to cognitive resilience in the elderly,” explained Professor Dhana.



“Diet changes can impact cognitive functioning and risk of dementia, for better or worse. There are fairly simple diet and lifestyle changes a person could make that may help to slow cognitive decline with aging, and contribute to brain health."



---



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

The MIND diet slows cognitive decline

Researchers at the Rush University Medical Center found that the...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> have discovered that a gout medicine already approved by the United States’ Food and Drug Administration (<a href="https://www.fda.gov/">FDA</a>) in 1979 could also help combat <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/over-one-third-of-americans-had-covid-19-by-the-end-of-2020/">COVID-19</a>. 



Probenicid, generally used to treat the joint tenderness and pain caused by gout, may prove effective against SARS-CoV-2 by preventing the virus from taking over a person’s cells and using them to replicate. Thus, prebencid may successfully stop the virus from spreading throughout the body and causing severe illness.



Scientists believe that gout medicine can also work in the fight against other respiratory illnesses, including the common flu, which doesn’t have a clear therapeutic path either. “There's really nothing out there to safely fight these viruses,” said lead author Dr. Ralph Tripp, a professor in the <a href="https://vet.uga.edu/education/academic-departments/infectious-diseases/">Department of Infectious Diseases</a> at the University of Georgia.



“This antiviral works for all RNA respiratory viruses we tested, including SARS-CoV-2. RSV, coronavirus and flu all circulate in the same season. Bottom line is you can potentially reduce infection and disease using this one oral drug.”



Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, many drugs have been used in the hope that they will manage to cure the disease, including monoclonal antibodies. However, these drugs are expensive, not very widely available, and they are mostly used when patients already reach a critical condition and they are hospitalized.



“These treatments have seen some effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2, but they're very expensive and very hard to come by,” explained Professor Tripp.&nbsp;“In reality, there are only a handful of options that can actually be used because of the cost, restricted IV usage, and lack of access. That's not very useful to the world.”



On the other hand, Probencid can be cheaply produced and distributed around the world, which creates an opportunity for low income nations to easily access these potentially helpful treatments. &nbsp;



“SARS-CoV-2, RSV and flu have a huge impact on health systems throughout the world. Probenecid has a potent antiviral effect against these viruses, and it works safely,” concluded Professor Tripp.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-97658-w?utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_source=commission_junction&amp;utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink_PID100032693&amp;utm_content=deeplink">Nature Communications</a>.



&nbsp;---



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

Gout medicine found to be effective against COVID-19

Researchers at the University of Georgia have discovered that a...

The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an extremely common research animal for biologists. Thus, it may not be much of a surprise that scientists know a lot about the humble little worm’s sensory abilities. Shawn Xu’s research lab has been working with C. elegans for years and found some interesting things.&nbsp;



The worm was discovered to react to light, without eyes. Now, in a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>, the scientists have established that the worm can hear without ears.&nbsp;



"There was just one more primary sense missing - auditory sensation, or hearing," said Xu. "But hearing is unlike other senses, which are found widely across other animal phyla. It's really only been discovered in vertebrates and some arthropods. And the vast majority of invertebrate species are thus believed to be sound insensitive."



The researchers showed that when a noise was played for the worms, the little creatures moved away from it, showing that they could hear and discern where the sound was coming from. The research has important implications in our understanding of other animals.



"Our study shows that we cannot just assume that organisms that lack ears cannot sense sound," said Xu.



After the researchers confirmed that the worms were responding to air borne sounds, not vibrations in the substrate they were resting on, they discovered hearing neurons attached to the worms’ skin. This points to the difference in how these worms hear compared to both vertebrates and arthropods, suggesting that each evolved the sense of hearing separately.&nbsp;



"Based on these differences, which exist down to the molecular level, we believe the sense of hearing has probably evolved independently, multiple times across different animal phyla," said Xu. "We knew that hearing looks very different between vertebrates and arthropods."



"Now, with C. elegans, we have found yet another different pathway for this sensory function, indicating convergent evolution. This stands in sharp contrast to the evolution of vision, which, as proposed by Charles Darwin, occurred quite early and probably only once with a common ancestor."



As exciting as this discovery is, Xu expects that it will lead to more research and more interesting conclusions about sensory biology.&nbsp;



"This opens a whole new field for studying auditory sensation, and mechanosensation as a whole. With this new addition of auditory sensation, we have now fully established that all primary senses are found in C. elegans, making them an exceptional model system for studying sensory biology."



---



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

Worms without ears can hear through their skin

The roundworm Caenorhabditis elegans is an extremely common research animal...

Men’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleeping-heart-disease-risk/">sleeping</a> patterns might be more powerfully influenced by the lunar cycle than women’s, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969721052992?via%3Dihub">Science of the Total Environment</a>. Researchers from <a href="https://www.uu.se/en">Uppsala University</a> found that men tend to sleep worse on nights during the first half of the lunar cycle.



For decades, scientists have struggled to understand whether any correlation between sleep patterns and the lunar cycle exists in humans. The results have been rather conflicting, with some studies finding strong correlations and others finding none.&nbsp;



Moreover, most previous studies faced a serious methodological problem: they did not control their analyses for variables that are known to have a significant impact on human sleep, such as insomnia or obstructive sleep apnea.



Led by Dr. Christian Benedict, an associate professor of Neuroscience at Uppsala, a team of researchers aimed to address these problems by adjusting their findings to chronic sleep problems such as insomnia or sleep apneas. Additionally, their study is the first to investigate sex-specific associations of the lunar cycle with sleep.&nbsp;



The lunar cycle can be described in terms of a waxing and waning period. During the waxing period, the amount of the illuminated moon surface as observed from the Earth increases, and the time when the moon passes a place’s meridian gradually shifts to late evening. By contrast, during the moon’s waning period, the illuminated moon surface decreases and the moment when the moon crosses a location’s meridian shifts to daytime.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"We used one-night at-home sleep recordings from 492 women and 360 men,” reported Dr. Benedict. “We found that men whose sleep was recorded during nights in the waxing period of the lunar cycle exhibited lower sleep efficiency and increased time awake after sleep onset compared to men whose sleep was measured during nights in the waning period. In contrast, the sleep of women remained largely unaffected by the lunar cycle. Our results were robust to adjustment for chronic sleep problems and obstructive sleep apnea severity.”&nbsp;



The experts think that the moon might impact sleep through the presence of the sunlight reflected by the moon at times when people usually go to sleep, and that the male brain could be more sensitive to ambient light than the female brain.



Dr. Benedict concluded that it is difficult to understand whether the association of sleep with the lunar cycle was causal or just correlative. Further research is needed to disentangle the peculiar relationship that exists between human sleep and the moon.&nbsp;



---



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

The moon disrupts sleep among men more than women

Men’s sleeping patterns might be more powerfully influenced by the...

Microplastics are tiny fragments (less than 0.2 in or 5 mm in length) of any type of plastic that are found in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pandas-can-thrive-in-less-than-perfect-environments/">environment</a>. They have been identified in oceans, fresh water and air, as well as in our food, drinks and house dust.&nbsp;



Microplastics enter the environment in one of two ways: tiny, man-made particles such as microfibers from clothing and microbeads from cosmetics, or plastic pellets from packaging, are already less than 0.2 in when they are disposed of; larger plastic items degrade and fragment due to natural weathering processes in the environment.



Because microplastics have a ubiquitous distribution it is not surprising that they have been found in the feces of humans and pets. Their effects on human health are not yet known.&nbsp;



It used to be thought that the plastic particles passed through the digestive system without causing damage. Now, it is understood that some fragments pass through, some get lodged in the stomach and intestinal lining, and the very tiniest particles move into the bloodstream and travel to organs and cells. Studies on laboratory animals have shown that exposure to microplastics can cause inflammation, cell death and metabolic disorders.&nbsp;



In a recent pilot study, reported in the American Chemical Society’s <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/estlcu">Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters</a>, a team of scientists led by Kurunthachalam Kannan from the New York University School of Medicine assess the levels of human exposure to two common microplastics - polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polycarbonate (PC) - by measuring levels in infant and adult feces.



The researchers used fecal samples from six infants and 10 adults in New York State, along with three samples of meconium (a newborn infant’s first stool). Mass spectrometry was used to determine the concentrations of PET and PC microplastics in the samples.&nbsp;



The experts found at least one type of plastic present in every sample and, although levels of PC microplastics were similar in adult and infant stools, feces from infants contained, on average, 10 times higher concentrations of PET than feces from adults.&nbsp;



The authors hypothesize that infants are exposed to higher levels of PET plastics through their extensive use of drinking bottles, teethers and toys, all of which are in regular and direct contact with the mouth. Further, more detailed studies are needed in order to corroborate these findings, they say.



---



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

Infants carry higher levels of microplastics than adults

Microplastics are tiny fragments (less than 0.2 in or 5...

A new study published in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs10902-021-00440-y">The Journal of Happiness Studies</a> has investigated the impact of fruit, vegetables and exercise on individual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cuddling-with-dogs-can-improve-your-well-being/">well-being</a>. The experts found that fruit and vegetable consumption, along with physical activity, increase general life satisfaction.



While correlations between healthy lifestyles and well-being have previously been documented and used in public health campaigns advocating the value of healthier diets and exercise, this new study shows that there is also a positive causation between a healthy lifestyle and general wellbeing.&nbsp;



“There has been a bigger shift in recent years for healthier lifestyle choices. To establish that eating more fruit and vegetables and exercising can increase happiness as well as offer health benefits is a major development,” said study co-author Uma Kambhampati&nbsp;from the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a>. “This may also prove useful for policy campaigns around environment and sustainability.”



The researchers argued that the capacity of individuals to delay gratification and apply self-control plays a fundamental role in influencing lifestyle decisions. This ability enables individuals to give greater weight to the investment component of their lifestyle, which might not always be pleasant, rather than merely the affective component, where desires are gratified immediately.&nbsp;



For example, many people engage in strenuous physical exercise as a long-term goal of increasing their wellbeing, instead of munching tasty fast foods on their couches to achieve instant gratification.&nbsp;



"Behavioral nudges that help the planning self to reinforce long-term objectives are likely to be especially helpful in maintaining a healthy lifestyle,” explained lead study author Dr. Adelina Gschwandtner, a senior lecturer at the University of Kent’s <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/economics">School of Economics</a>. “If a better lifestyle not only makes us healthier but also happier, then it is a clear win-win situation.”



Humans’ unique ability to invest in long-term goals of maintaining good health and well-being by consuming fruits and vegetables and engaging in sports activities is now proven to be also a source of mental well-being and thus overall life satisfaction.&nbsp;



Although men are generally shown to be more willing to exercise and women more prone towards healthy eating, both genders appear to be particularly good long-term planners, able to delay instant gratification in order to achieve later and more prolonged states of well-being and life satisfaction.



---



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

Fruit, vegetables, and exercise can increase life satisfaction

A new study published in The Journal of Happiness Studies...

On the 14th of July, an amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rainfall-will-become-harder-to-predict-with-climate-change/">rain</a> that usually would’ve fallen over several months came pouring down in the Eifel region of Germany, causing massive flooding. The extreme precipitation event was far more destructive than scientific models predicted, leading climate scientists at the <a href="https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/home/">Helmholtz Centre Potsdam</a> to ask new questions.



"As climate change continues, we may encounter precipitation events like the one on 14 July 2021 quite frequently," explained Dr. Michael Dietze, lead researcher on a paper published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>.



"Therefore, research must now begin to understand precipitation-induced floods not only as a phenomenon of too much fast-flowing water. We also have to include the associated self-reinforcing effects, some of which are also favored by climate change."



As climate change continues to intensify, extreme precipitation events are going to become more common, making it all the more important to understand them. In advance of the flood, scientists set up seismic measuring devices, in order to measure ground movement during rain and potentially flooding. Unfortunately, these seismic stations themselves were flooded and lost in short order.&nbsp;



The soil quickly filled up with water. Since the soil had lost its capacity to absorb more water, the flooding moved over the land hundreds of times faster than usual. This, in turn, led to flash flooding across the valleys.&nbsp;



The water tore across the land, unleashing erosive powers - digging channels, carrying debris to catch on bridges. A dam quickly eroded, threatening a breach that never quite happened.&nbsp;



The Steinbach Dam holds back 1.2 million cubic meters of water. By evening on July 14, the dam was flooded knee-deep over a width of 150 meters, according to the study authors. If the dam would have breached, this would have caused massive destruction of the communities downstream.&nbsp;



In an effort to understand what happened more clearly after the flood, the scientists created a 3D model. This model is useful in understanding how the landscape changed in response to the flood and will hopefully help people to more effectively prepare for extreme precipitation events in the future&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



---



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

Flood disaster in Germany raises questions about extreme precipitation

On the 14th of July, an amount of rain that...

New research led by <a href="https://english.pku.edu.cn/">Peking University</a> has found that the highly unusual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-will-cause-extreme-cooling-elsewhere/">Arctic</a> ozone hole that developed in the spring of 2020 was likely caused by record-high sea surface temperatures (SST) in the North Pacific Ocean.&nbsp;



Unlike the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/this-years-ozone-hole-is-larger-than-antarctica/">Antarctic ozone hole</a> which develops each year between September and November (the austral spring), ozone levels in the Arctic do not get sufficiently depleted to endanger the ozone layer. Since the Arctic stratospheric vortex is significantly warmer than its Antarctic counterpart, polar stratospheric clouds, which play a key role in ozone depletion processes, do not generally form.



However, polar meteorologists reported an unusually large Arctic ozone hole during spring 2020. Scientists from the <a href="https://www.atmos.pku.edu.cn/en/">Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences</a> at Peking University, led by Professor Yongyun Hu, have struggled to discover what caused this unusual event. Using a long-range climate model and performing multiple experiments and simulations, Dr. Hu and his colleagues managed to explain the strange phenomenon.&nbsp;



In a study recently published in the journal <a href="http://doi.org/10.1007/s00376-021-0359-9">Advances of Atmospheric Sciences</a>, they argued that a weakened “<a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/rossby-wave.html">wavenumber 1-wave</a>” (a type of oceanic and atmospheric wave occurring largely due to the Earth’s rotation) was responsible for the anomalously cold Arctic stratosphere vortex that depleted the ozone layer. In its turn, this weakening of planetary wave was apparently caused by the record-high sea surface temperature registered during late winter and early boreal spring.



“The record-high North Pacific sea surface temperatures during February and March 2020 led to a large reduction of wavenumber-1 wave activity by modifying the Aleutian low,” explained Professor Hu. “The reduction of planetary wave activity caused the extremely cold and persistent stratospheric polar vortex between February and April 2020 which provided the necessary conditions for severe ozone loss.”



According to Professor Hu, these results suggest that, as long as high enough sea surface temperatures will continue to occur, severe ozone loss is unavoidable. Only by urgently and significantly mitigating climate change we will be able to save our already precarious ozone layer.&nbsp;



---



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

Heat in the North Pacific linked to unusual Arctic ozone hole

New research led by Peking University has found that the...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> reveals how aspen forests maintain the diversity they need to adapt to fluctuating environmental conditions. The experts found that aspen trees change their genetic structure over time as they balance the need to compete for sunlight and defend themselves from pests.&nbsp;



Since Aspen is the most broadly distributed tree species in North America, it serves as a "bellwether species," or a good indicator of how forests will adapt to anthropogenic climate change and other environmental challenges.



Trees are often faced with competition from other trees for sunlight, and they respond by making growth a priority. But with all of that energy committed to height growth, the trees become more vulnerable to pests.



The new research, which is funded by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> (NSF), demonstrates that evolutionary forces can quickly shape entire forests. The study also shows that exposure to a range of environmental changes promotes the diversity that trees need to overcome various stressors.&nbsp;



"This long-term project provides new insights into the role of forest structure on genetic diversity in aspen groves, and how that affects leaf traits that influence the abundance and distribution of herbivores," said Colin Orians, a program director in NSF's Division of Environmental Biology. &nbsp;



According to a report from NSF, the findings are valuable for conservation biologists who want to protect diverse forest ecosystems from the threats of global warming, invasive species, and other environmental changes.



"What this work has done is show how key traits - like growth and defense - can be coupled together and how genetic diversity will allow populations to adapt to new stresses," said Rick Lindroth, an ecologist at University of Wisconsin–Madison.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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

Aspen trees change their genetic structure to adapt

A new study from the University of Wisconsin-Madison reveals how...

A recent study has found that the mass extinction from 252 million years ago which killed nine of out ten species on Earth was caused by a “toxic soup” of accelerated greenhouse emissions, increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanoes-stabilize-temperatures-at-earths-surface/">temperatures</a>, and abundant nutrients leading to a huge spike in toxic algae blooms in rivers and lakes. Scientists warn that, although this extinction at the end of the Permian period was caused by prolonged volcanic eruptions, today’s anthropogenic climate change might lead to similar outcomes.&nbsp;



By studying fossils, sediment, and chemical records of rocks near Sydney, Australia, researchers from the <a href="https://www.nrm.se/en/16.html">Swedish Museum of Natural History</a> and the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska</a> discovered that a massive volcanic eruption that ran for almost a million years and released enormous amounts of chemicals into the atmosphere caused the Earth’s largest mass extinction 252 million years ago. By stripping the Earth of its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/this-years-ozone-hole-is-larger-than-antarctica/">ozone layer</a> and poisoning the waters and the atmosphere, this catastrophic event wiped out almost 90 percent of life from Earth.



When comparing the fossil records of other warming-related mass extinctions, scientists found highly similar patterns, increasing worries that our current situation might lead to the same catastrophic outcomes.&nbsp;



“We're seeing more and more toxic algae blooms in lakes and in shallow marine environments that's related to increases in temperature and changes in plant communities which are leading to increases in nutrient contributions to freshwater environments,” reported co-author Tracy Frank, an adjunct professor in the <a href="https://eas.unl.edu/">Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences</a> at the University of Nebraska.



“The volcanism was a source of CO2 in the past but we know that the rate of CO2 input that was seen back then was similar to the rate of CO2 increases we're seeing today because of anthropogenic effects.”



According to study co-author Christopher Fielding, a professor emeritus at the University of Nebraska, another important parallel is that the increase in temperature at the end of the Permian coincided with massive increases in forest fires.&nbsp;



“One of the things that destroyed whole ecosystems was fire, and we're seeing that right now in places like California. One wonders what the longer-term consequences of events like that as they are becoming more and more widespread.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25711-3?utm_medium=affiliate&amp;utm_source=commission_junction&amp;utm_campaign=3_nsn6445_deeplink_PID100032693&amp;utm_content=deeplink">Nature Communications</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

Climate change is following a pattern similar to Earth’s largest mass extinction

A recent study has found that the mass extinction from...

Due to climate change effects such as ocean warming and acidification, the biodiversity of coral reef cryptobiota will most likely shuffle rather than decline, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2103275118">Proceedings of the National Academy of Science</a>.



Coral reefs - some of the most complex, diverse, and productive ecosystems on Earth - consist of a multitude of microorganisms known as cryptobiota. These organisms play a fundamental role in reef processes such as cementation, nutrient cycling, and food web dynamics. Many scientists have worried that climate change will lead to a dramatic loss of this coral reef biodiversity.



However, a research team led by the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawai‘i (UH) at Mānoa</a> has found that while the species that dominate the coral reef communities might shift, the total biodiversity will not collapse under future climate conditions.



“Rather than the predicted collapse of biodiversity under ocean warming and acidification, we found significant changes in the relative abundance, but not the occurrence of species, resulting in a shuffling of coral reef community structure,” said lead study author Molly Timmers, a doctoral student at the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.himb.hawaii.edu/">Hawai‘i Institute of Marine Biology</a>&nbsp;(HIMB).



In order to assess cryptobiota’s response to future ocean conditions, Timmers and her colleagues conducted an experiment in which tiered settlement plates were placed in experimental flow-through tanks. These recipients were filled with untreated seawater from a nearby coral reef and were then exposed to end-of-21st-century predicted ocean warming and acidification conditions.&nbsp;



The team found that after two years of exposure, the total number of species did not change, but the composition of the coral reef community differed significantly from the initial one. The scientists believe that the outcome of this shuffling will depend upon the ecological roles that the winners and losers among these microorganisms will play.&nbsp;



As Timmers explained, however, “we lack sufficient information on the ecological functions, life histories, and distributions (let alone names) for most members of the coral reef cryptobenthic community to be able to adequately predict responses or ecosystem outcomes of changes in this community.”



Nonetheless, this study highlights the importance of including these understudied microorganisms in research related to the future effects of climate change on marine ecosystems.&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

Coral reef biodiversity expected to shuffle but not decline

Due to climate change effects such as ocean warming and...

Hoverflies migrate south based on a combination of the sun and their body clock, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. The experts report that the insects keep the sun on their left in the morning, then gradually adjust to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-magnetic-field-navigate/">navigate</a> in the right direction. 



Pied and yellow-clubbed hoverflies are important pollinators that spend their summers in places like the UK and Scandinavia, and then fly to the Mediterranean and North Africa in the fall.



While it was known that the hoverflies migrate on sunny days, the new study is the first to show that the hoverflies use a "time-compensated sun compass."



"Simply flying towards the sun would lead them south, but this would create a winding, inefficient route," said study lead author Richard Massy of the Centre for Ecology and Conservation on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.



"Our study shows that hoverflies account for the sun's movement using their circadian rhythm. Other animals, including certain birds and butterflies, are known to have this ability. Our work suggests that it has independently evolved across multiple insects."



For the investigation, the researchers captured migrating hoverflies at a mountain pass in the Pyrenees. The insects were placed in a type of flight simulator that confined them to one place but allowed them to freely move their bodies.



The hoverflies were positioned so that they could see the sun but not the ground, which prevented them from using landmarks for navigation. The study revealed that the flies adjust their migration route based on the position of the sun.



"Understanding how these insects navigate can help us predict their movements," said Dr. Karl Wotton. "This could be useful for conservation measures, such as limiting the use of pesticides at key migration times."



"Hoverflies are also important predators of crop pests such as aphids, so understanding their migrations could help us use them as natural pest controllers."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rspb">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</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

Hoverflies navigate by aligning their bodies with the sun

Hoverflies migrate south based on a combination of the sun...

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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

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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