A long-standing enigma surrounding the Crab Pulsar, a neutron star at the center of the Crab Nebula, may have been unraveled by a theoretical astrophysicist from the University of Kansas.&nbsp;



The study, led by Professor Mikhail Medvedev and recently published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.133.205201" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Physical Review Letters</a>, explains the origins of the pulsar’s unique “zebra” pattern, a peculiar banding in high-frequency radio waves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-powerful-emission-from-the-crab-nebula">Powerful emission from the Crab Nebula</h2>



At the heart of the Crab Nebula, 6,000 light years from Earth, lies the Crab Pulsar, a 12-mile-wide neutron star emitting powerful electromagnetic radiation.



“The emission, which resembles a lighthouse beam, repeatedly sweeps past Earth as the star rotates,” said Medvedev, professor of physics and astronomy at the <a href="https://www.ku.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Kansas</a>.&nbsp;



“We observe this as a pulsed emission, usually with one or two pulses per rotation. The specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pulsars-are-helping-astronomers-pinpoint-dark-matter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pulsar</a> I'm discussing is known as the Crab Pulsar.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-zebra-pattern-in-the-crab-nebula">Zebra pattern in the Crab Nebula</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unraveling-the-mysterious-origins-of-the-crab-nebula/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nebula</a> itself is the remnant of a supernova documented in 1054, with historical records from China describing an unusually bright star in the sky.&nbsp;



However, unlike other pulsars, the Crab Pulsar exhibits a zebra pattern in its high-frequency emissions, making it a singular case in the study of neutron stars.



“This is the only object we know of that produces the zebra pattern, and it only appears in a single emission component from the Crab Pulsar,” Medvedev noted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-puzzle-decades-in-the-making">A puzzle decades in the making</h2>



Since its discovery in 2007, the zebra pattern has stymied researchers. The band spacing in its electromagnetic spectrum, along with its high polarization and stability, defied explanation.&nbsp;



“Researchers proposed various emission mechanisms, but none have convincingly explained the observed patterns,” said Medvedev.



The zebra pattern occurs within the pulsar’s high-frequency interpulse, a range between 5 and 30 gigahertz - frequencies akin to those of a microwave oven. Using innovative techniques, Medvedev’s research links the phenomenon to the plasma surrounding the pulsar.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decoding-the-crab-nebula-s-zebra-pattern">Decoding the Crab Nebula's zebra pattern </h2>



Medvedev’s breakthrough came from studying the Crab Pulsar’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-jupiters-magnetosphere-will-help-us-predict-space-weather/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnetosphere</a>, a region filled with plasma composed of charged particles like electrons and positrons.&nbsp;



By applying wave optics, Medvedev connected the zebra pattern in the Crab Nebula to diffraction effects caused by the pulsar’s plasma.



“If you have a screen and an electromagnetic wave passes by, the wave doesn’t propagate straight through,” Medvedev explained.&nbsp;



“Wave optics introduces a different behavior - waves bend around obstacles and interfere with each other, creating a sequence of bright and dim fringes due to constructive and destructive interference.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plasma-diffraction-patterns-in-the-crab-pulsar">Plasma diffraction patterns in the Crab Pulsar </h2>



In the Crab Pulsar, these diffraction patterns vary based on the plasma’s density and the radio wave’s frequency.



“A typical diffraction pattern would produce evenly spaced fringes if we just had a neutron star as a shield,” Medvedev said. “But here, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/neutron-stars-may-hold-the-key-to-understanding-dark-matter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">neutron star</a>’s magnetic field generates charged particles constituting a dense plasma, which varies with distance from the star.”&nbsp;



“Low frequencies reflect at large radii, casting a bigger shadow, while high frequencies create smaller shadows, resulting in different fringe spacing.”



This plasma diffraction creates the zebra pattern, with the fringe spacing reflecting variations in the density of the plasma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-pulsar-s-magnetosphere">Mapping the pulsar’s magnetosphere</h2>



“This model is the first one capable of measuring those parameters,” Medvedev said. “By analyzing the fringes, we can deduce the density and distribution of plasma in the magnetosphere.”&nbsp;



“It’s incredible because these observations allow us to convert fringe measurements into a density distribution of the plasma, essentially creating an image or performing tomography of the neutron star’s magnetosphere.”



Medvedev’s findings not only clarify the zebra pattern but also open the door to understanding the intricate structure of the Crab Pulsar’s plasma environment.



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



The study provides a framework for further investigation of the Crab Pulsar and other neutron stars. With additional data collection and refinements to account for gravitational and polarization effects, the method could yield insights into other young and energetic pulsars.



“The Crab Pulsar is somewhat unique - it’s relatively young by astronomical standards, only about a thousand years old, and highly energetic,” Medvedev said. “But it’s not alone; we know of hundreds of pulsars, with over a dozen that are also young.”



The method may even be applied to binary pulsars, which were instrumental in confirming Einstein’s theory of general relativity. “Known binary pulsars can also be explored with the proposed method,” Medvedev added.&nbsp;



“This research can indeed broaden our understanding and observation techniques for pulsars, particularly young, energetic ones.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-leap-forward-in-astrophysics">A leap forward in astrophysics</h2>



By identifying the role of plasma diffraction in the Crab Pulsar’s zebra pattern, Medvedev’s work bridges a critical gap in astrophysics.&nbsp;



The study not only explains a unique phenomenon but also establishes a technique for probing the magnetospheres of pulsars, advancing our understanding of these extraordinary objects.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, J. Hester and A. Loll (Arizona State University)



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Mysterious signals from Crab Nebula form a zebra pattern

A long-standing enigma surrounding the Crab Pulsar, a neutron star at the center of the Crab Nebula, may have been unraveled by a theoretical astrophysicist from the University of Kansas.&nbsp; The study, led by Professor Mikhail Medvedev and recently published in the journal Physical Review Letters, explains the origins of the pulsar’s unique “zebra” pattern, a peculiar banding in high-frequency radio waves. Powerful emission from the Crab Nebula At the heart of the Crab Nebula, 6,000 light years from Earth, lies the Crab Pulsar, a 12-mile-wide neutron...

A new study from <a href="https://www.cnrs.fr/">CNRS</a> is describing how cyclones are to blame for the deaths of thousands of seabirds each year in the North Atlantic. According to the researchers, high-intensity cyclone activity in the North Atlantic causes the seabirds to starve. Seabirds are often exposed to the cyclones, which can last several days, when they migrate south from their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-will-cause-extreme-cooling-elsewhere/">Arctic</a> nesting sites.&nbsp;



"Each winter, the North Atlantic Ocean is the stage for numerous cyclones, the most severe ones leading to seabird mass-mortality events called 'winter wrecks.' During these, thousands of emaciated seabird carcasses are washed ashore along European and North American coasts," explained the study authors.



"Winter cyclones can therefore shape seabird population dynamics by affecting survival rates as well as the body condition of surviving individuals and thus their future reproduction. However, most often the geographic origins of impacted seabirds and the causes of their deaths remain unclear."



To investigate, the researchers used trackers to monitor 1,500 birds of five main species including Atlantic puffins, little auks, black-legged kittiwakes, and two species of guillemots.



The winter tracking data made it possible for the scientists to compare seabird movements with the trajectories of cyclones and determine the degree of exposure.



Surprisingly, the experts found that seabirds were not dying from increased energy expenditure. Instead, the birds were struggling due to their inability to feed during a cyclone.&nbsp;



The seabird species that were monitored for the study are particularly unsuited to fly in high winds and some cannot dive into a stormy sea, which prevents them from feeding. The birds starve when the unfavorable conditions persist for a few days beyond the food that the birds have stored in their body.&nbsp;



"We demonstrated that cyclones of high intensity impacted birds from all studied species and breeding colonies during winter but especially those aggregating in the Labrador Sea, the Davis Strait, the surroundings of Iceland, and the Barents Sea," wrote the study authors.



"Our broad-scale analyses suggested that cyclonic conditions do not increase seabird energy requirements, implying that they die because of the unavailability of their prey and/or their inability to feed during cyclones."



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



---



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

Cyclones kill thousands of seabirds each year

A new study from CNRS is describing how cyclones are...

Farming cows has its disadvantages, particularly when it comes to disposing of the waste they produce. If cows range freely in the fields, their waste soon accumulates and contaminates soil and nearby waterways. If cows are kept in a barn instead, then the combination of their urine and feces produces ammonia, which is an undesirable gas.



Ammonia from cow waste is not a greenhouse gas, nor does it contribute directly to climate change. But when it leaches into the soil it is converted into nitrous oxide by microbes that reside in the soil. Nitrous oxide is the third most important greenhouse gas. Livestock farming is a major source of ammonia and, by implication, an indirect source of nitrous oxide.&nbsp;



In an article published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>, a team of scientists attempted to teach calves to control their natural urination and defecation impulses and make use of a latrine. They reasoned that if excreta could be collected in a specific place (the latrine) then this would facilitate easy handling, treatment and disposal, which would lead to cleaner barns, reduction in ammonia emissions and the creation of more open, animal-friendly farms.&nbsp;



“It’s usually assumed that cattle are not capable of controlling defecation or urination,” said co-author Jan Langbein, an animal psychologist at the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN) in Germany. “Cattle, like many other animals or farm animals are quite clever and they can learn a lot. Why shouldn’t they be able to learn how to use a toilet?”



The research team, consisting of scientists from FBN, FLI (Germany) and the University of Auckland (New Zealand) used both positive and negative reinforcement when attempting to potty-train16 calves. They termed the process MooLoo training.



Initially, the calves were kept in the latrine area and rewarded each time they urinated. When the calves had learned to associate urination in the latrine with a reward, the researchers allowed the calves to enter the latrine of their own volition whenever they needed to urinate. Once again, calves that behaved appropriately were rewarded. In addition, those individuals urinating outside the latrine were exposed to an unpleasant and discouraging experience.



“As a punishment we first used in-ear headphones and we played a very nasty sound whenever they urinated outside,” said Langbein. “We thought this would punish the animals - not too aversively - but they didn’t care. Ultimately, a splash of water worked well as a gentle deterrent.”



After a few weeks, 11 of the 16 calves had successfully learned to use a latrine. This is a complex process for calves and involves self-control, an awareness of a full bladder, the ability to override natural excretory reflexes, the selection of a latrine and, lastly, the conscious relaxation of the sphincter muscles to allow urination. The researchers were impressed that the calves showed a level of learning comparable to that of children during potty-training



Now that they have had success in training calves to use a latrine, the researchers want to test their training system on real cattle farms, both those that use indoor housing and those where cows are kept outside. Langbein says he hopes that in a few years, all cows will go to a toilet.



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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

Toilet training cows may reduce ammonia emissions

Farming cows has its disadvantages, particularly when it comes to...

The,Starry,Night,,,Art,Painting,Oil,Color,Moon,Mountain

A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-25477-8">Nature Communications</a> has proposed a new theory to explain innovation in arts and sciences. By using artificial intelligence to mine big data, researchers from the <a href="https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/">Kellogg School of Management</a> at Northwestern University discovered a pattern of creative exploration followed by exploitation that generally led to artists’ and scientists’ most successful breakthroughs.



Jackson Pollock, for instance, spent years drawing, printmaking, and painting surrealist pictures of humans, nature, and animals, before developing his unique “drip technique,” which brought him world fame. Similarly, Vincent Van Gogh painted a series of somber, realistic pictures before experiencing his artistic breakthrough from 1888-1890, during which he painted his most innovative works.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“If you look at his production before 1888, it was all over the place,” said lead author Dashun Wang, director of the <a href="https://www.kellogg.northwestern.edu/research/science-of-science.aspx">Center of Science &amp; Innovation</a> at Northwestern University. “It was full of still-life paintings, pencil drawings and portraits that are much different in character from the work he created during his hot streak.”



As Professor Wang and colleagues explained in a previous <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-018-0315-8">study</a>, hot streaks highlight specific periods during which an individual’s performance is substantially better than his or her typical performance. In their new study, by analyzing data from 2,128 visual artists, 4,337 film directors, and 20,040 scientists, Wang and his team discovered that hot streaks emerge from years of exploration (painstaking study of diverse topics and styles), followed by a period of exploitation (focus on a narrow area to develop deep expertise).



“Neither exploration nor exploitation alone in isolation is associated with a hot streak. It’s the sequence of them together,” explained Wang.&nbsp;



“Although exploration is considered a risk because it might not lead anywhere, it increases the likelihood of stumbling upon a great idea. By contrast, exploitation is typically viewed as a conservative strategy."&nbsp;



"If you exploit the same type of work over and over for a long period of time, it might stifle creativity. But, interestingly, exploration followed by exploitation appears to show consistent associations with the onset of hot streaks.”&nbsp;



According to co-author Jillian Chown, an assistant professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School of Management, identifying this universal pattern across creative domains “can help individuals and organizations understand the different types of activities to engage in - such as exploring new domains or exploiting existing knowledge and competencies - and the optimal sequence to use in order to achieve the most significant impact.”



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

Experts discover a pattern that drives artistic breakthroughs

A recent study published in the journal Nature Communications has...

The traditional energy-balance model teaches us that the maintenance of body weight is achieved by balancing the calories we consume with the energy we expend. This philosophy underlies the USDA’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 which state that losing weight requires adults to reduce the number of calories they get from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reducing-sugar-in-packaged-foods-can-prevent-disease-in-millions/">foods</a> and beverages and increase the amount expended through physical activity.



According to this approach, losing weight should be a simple matter of reducing the amount we eat and increasing the extent of physical activity. Despite decades of public health warnings, however, levels of obesity continue to rise.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that more than 40 percent of adult Americans are currently affected by obesity, despite the apparently simple solution proposed by the energy-balance model.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The authors of a recent study from the <a href="https://nutrition.org/">American Society for Nutrition</a> propose that a different model, the carbohydrate-insulin model, better explains the metabolic origins of weight gain and obesity. This model is not new - ir was developed in the early 1900s - but the recent study summarizes the current scientific evidence that supports it. The research is authored by 17 internationally recognized scientists, public health experts and clinical researchers. 



According to lead author Dr. David Ludwig, an endocrinologist at Boston Children’s Hospital and professor at Harvard Medical School, the energy-balance model doesn’t help us understand the&nbsp;biological&nbsp;causes of weight gain. “During a growth spurt, for instance, adolescents may increase food intake by 1,000 calories a day. But does their overeating cause the growth spurt or does the growth spurt cause the adolescent to get hungry and overeat?”



In contrast to the "calorie in, calorie out" approach of the energy-balance model, the carbohydrate-insulin model proposes that obesity is not caused by overeating but rather by the quality of the food we eat. In particular, our modern diets that contain a high glycemic load are to blame for the obesity pandemic. Glycemic load is a measure of the amount that a food will raise the blood sugar level after it is eaten. Foods that have a high glycemic load include those with high levels of easily digestible refined starch and sugar.&nbsp;



According to the carbohydrate-insulin model, the consumption of foods with a high glycemic load leads to an increase in the secretion of insulin, a hormone that normally helps remove sugar from the blood and store it in liver and muscle cells. In the case of high levels of insulin, however, the fat cells are stimulated to increase their storage of calories, leading to enhanced deposition of body fat. This also leaves lower levels of sugar in the blood and leads to feelings of hunger. Ironically, the body may feel it is starved of energy and respond by slowing down the metabolic rate.&nbsp;



Acceptance of the carbohydrate-insulin model necessitates a whole new way of approaching the management of weight and the treatment of obesity. Instead of limiting calorie intake or increasing energy expenditure, strategies that have not been particularly successful in the past, we should focus on what we eat and on how specific foods affect our hormone levels and metabolism.&nbsp;



"Reducing consumption of the rapidly digestible carbohydrates that flooded the food supply during the low-fat diet era lessens the underlying drive to store body fat," said Dr. Ludwig. "As a result, people may lose weight with less hunger and struggle.”&nbsp;



Foods with high glycemic loads should be replaced with non-starchy vegetables, legumes, whole fruits and intact whole grains, all of which tend to have a moderate or low glycemic load.



The study is published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn">The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>.



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By Alison Bosman, Earth.com Staff Writer

It’s not overeating, but what we eat, that causes weight gain

The traditional energy-balance model teaches us that the maintenance of...

Looking at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/95-percent-of-ocean-could-become-inhospitable-this-century/">ocean</a> and other "blue spaces" can instantly improve your body image, according to a recent study led by Professor Viren Swami of <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/international/english-language-support">Anglia Ruskin University</a>. The researchers found that after looking at pictures of seascapes, study participants felt significantly better about their appearance.



Images of green landscapes were also linked to healthier body image, but the effect was found to be much stronger when individuals were presented photographs of blue spaces including the sky or the ocean.&nbsp;



In a previous study published in the journal Body Image, Professor Swami explained that there are several reasons why exposure to nature could help people feel happier about their bodies.



"It might be that it distances people, physically and mentally, from appearance-focused situations that are one of the causes of negative body image," said Professor Swami. "It is also possible that exposure to environments with depth and complexity restricts negative appearance-related thoughts."&nbsp;



"More specifically, natural environments effortlessly hold your attention - a process known as 'soft fascination.' This is often accompanied by feelings of pleasure, such as when you are drawn to the sight of a setting sun."



"An environment that does not require undivided attention may provide people with cognitive quiet, which in turn may foster self-compassion such as respecting your body and appreciating it is part of a wider ecosystem requiring protection and care."



"Access to nature may also mean that individuals spend more time outdoors engaging in activities that focus attention on the body's functionality rather than aesthetics."



The current study was focused on 168 volunteers who were assigned to one of three groups. The first group was presented with high-resolution images of green spaces, the second group was shown blue spaces, and the third group viewed pictures of buildings.



Before and after viewing the photographs, the participants completed a questionnaire to measure their body appreciation. The volunteers agreed or disagreed with statements such as “Right now, I respect my body."



Professor Swami said that given the fact that not everyone has access to nature, it is important to find ways of bringing nature to everyone.



“Our study shows it may be possible to develop low-cost intervention programs by using images of the natural world. These programs could promote healthier body image across diverse populations, including those with limited access to real nature perhaps due to health reasons or where they live.”



The results of the study were presented at the British Science Festival in Chelmsford.&nbsp;



---



By Chrissy Sexton, Earth.com Staff Writer

Looking at blue spaces can instantly improve body image

Looking at the ocean and other "blue spaces" can instantly...

Climate change presents some detrimental obstacles to fragile coral reefs such as heat-related <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/corals-put-up-a-colorful-shield-after-bleaching/">bleaching</a>, but new research shows that some coral communities are evolving to become more heat tolerant as ocean temperatures rise.&nbsp;



A new study investigated the impact of heat stress on the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA), and discovered that despite 75 percent of the coral reef being damaged by a heatwave in 2003, a later heatwave in 2010 was far less damaging.&nbsp;



A 2015-2016 heatwave that was twice as strong as the 2003 example was almost half as damaging, with just 40 percent of coral cover loss.&nbsp;



“We’re seeing areas that were devoid of corals after 2002-2003 that are now flourishing with most of the original species,” said study lead author Michael Fox, a coral reef ecologist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).



“It’s easy to lose faith in coral reefs. But in PIPA, which is protected from local stressors, and where reefs have enough time to recover between heatwaves, the coral populations are doing better than expected.”



The researchers believe that this is the result of heat-tolerant offspring from surviving corals that are repopulating the reefs. By studying the surviving corals, the researchers hope that they can improve coral reef conservation efforts.



The investigation took place across four islands within PIPA, using satellite data and temperature loggers to study coral communities across 400,000 square kilometers.&nbsp;



“The protected area gives us a rare opportunity to study pristine and isolated coral reef ecosystems, a privilege for which we thank the people of Kiribati,” explained study co-author Anne Cohen.&nbsp;



Dr. Lizzie Mcleod, who was not involved in the study, leads global reef work at the Nature Conservancy. She said the findings are important for giving us hope for the future of coral reefs, and also for helping to maintain support for protecting reefs, including efforts to reduce local threats like pollution that undermine the reefs’ ability to adapt.



Dr. Mcleod recommends that conservationists prioritize saving these heat-tolerant reefs, as they could help repopulate other sites damaged by future heatwaves. However, the study authors are being careful to not being too optimistic, explaining that even these evolving corals have their limits.&nbsp;



“We’re in a race against time, so anything that increases the chances that corals are going to make it is really good news,” said marine biologist Nancy Knowlton of the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. “The corals are doing their part. We have to do ours.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some coral communities are doing better than expected

Climate change presents some detrimental obstacles to fragile coral reefs...

The summer of 2021 is the hottest on record in the United States, according to the latest climate report from <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">NOAA</a>. The average temperature this summer in the contiguous U.S. was 74.0 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 2.6 degrees above average in the last 126 years of record keeping.



According to NOAA, this technically exceeds the record heat of the 1936 Dust Bowl Summer, but the difference is extremely small - less than 0.01 of a degree.



"A record 18.4 percent of the contiguous U.S. experienced record-warm temperatures. California, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon and Utah each reported their warmest summer on record, as 16 other states had a top-five warmest summer on record," states NOAA.



The news comes shortly after July 2021 was established as being the world's hottest month ever. Many states throughout the country experienced both record heat and rainfall.&nbsp;



Summer of 2021 will be remembered as a season of deadly extremes, including severe weather, flash flooding, record wildfires, and tropical cyclones.&nbsp;



"Devastating flash flooding and fatalities resulted from multiple events during August including Tropical Storm Fred in western North Carolina, convective flooding from a complex of storms across middle Tennessee, Hurricane Ida across Louisiana and portions of the Northeast in early September and from Tropical Storm Henri, also across parts of the Northeast. With 35 fatalities accounted for during August, it was the deadliest month for flooding across the U.S. since Hurricane Harvey in 2017," the report states.&nbsp;



"Wildfires continued to spread across the western U.S. during August as the Dixie Fire in north-central California became the second-largest fire in the state’s history. The Caldor Fire also in California grew rapidly during August, threatening South Lake Tahoe communities. Air quality remained a concern across the U.S. as ash and fine particulates from the many wildfires obscured the skies."



In June, NOAA and NASA released a study which found that Earth's atmosphere is trapping an "unprecedented" amount of heat - with the planet's energy imbalance approximately doubling from 2005 to 2019.



"Continued increases in concentrations of well-mixed greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere and the long time-scales time required for the ocean, cryosphere, and land to come to thermal equilibrium with those increases result in a net gain of energy, hence warming, on Earth," explained the study authors.



"Most of this excess energy (about 90 percent) warms the ocean, with the remainder heating the land, melting snow and ice, and warming the atmosphere."



The rapid changes are partially due to natural variability, but are primarily driven by human-caused global warming that is associated with greenhouse gas emissions. From the record heat wave that struck the Pacific Northwest in late June to the rapid intensification of Hurricane Ida, scientists warn that these trends will continue alongside human-caused global warming.



---



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

Summer 2021 was the hottest ever in the contiguous U.S.

The summer of 2021 is the hottest on record in...

The chief editors of 17 health journals based around the world have simultaneously published an editorial in 233 international journals to address the climate crisis.&nbsp;The report makes an urgent appeal to world leaders to limit rising temperatures, halt the destruction of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/investing-in-nature-is-needed-to-avoid-the-next-pandemic/">nature</a>, and to restore biodiversity and protect health.



At a time when the world has been focused on dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, the authors of the editorial warn that the health impacts of climate change combined with the consequences of extreme weather events and the widespread degradation of ecosystems could be far more severe than the current pandemic.&nbsp;



According to Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization, the risks posed by climate change could dwarf those of any single disease.&nbsp;



"The COVID-19 pandemic will end, but there is no vaccine for the climate crisis. The IPCC report shows that every fraction of a degree hotter endangers our health and future. Similarly, every action taken to limit emissions and warming brings us closer to a healthier and safer future," said Dr. Ghebreyesus.



This warning comes just prior to the UN General Assembly meeting which is one of the last international meetings to be held before the (COP26) climate conference in Glasgow, UK, in November. It is thus an appropriate time to urge the leaders of all countries to develop workable strategies to honor the goals of the Paris Agreement.&nbsp;



The editorial authors state that the greatest threat to global public health in the future is the continued failure of world leaders to take adequate action to keep the global temperature rise below 1.5°C.



While there have been some recent commitments to reduce emissions and protect biodiversity, these fall far short of what is needed. The editorial urges governments worldwide to develop credible short- and long-term plans to limit global warming and to invest in the transformation of societies and economies. For example, there needs to be significant redesign of transport systems, cities, production and distribution of food, markets for financial investments, and health systems. These changes would bring much needed jobs, cleaner air, better health for citizens, improved housing and better-quality food.



According to the authors of the editorial, the global action needed would only be realized if high-income countries were to reduce their own consumption and support the initiatives in less developed countries. Developed countries have an outstanding commitment to provide $100 billion a year which, if fulfilled, would increase climate funding for less-developed countries that often bear the brunt of climate change catastrophes.&nbsp;



The impacts of climate change are disproportionately felt by the most vulnerable of populations in less-developed countries, including children, the elderly, ethnic minorities, poverty-stricken communities and those with underlying health conditions. With this in mind, the editorial suggests that money should be provided to low-income countries in the form of grants, and that the debts of these countries should be relieved so that climate change organizations on the ground can operate without constraints.&nbsp;



Global warming affects all people on earth and the recent IPCC report shows that, until the world has reached net-zero greenhouse gases, the planet will continue to warm. It is the responsibility of governments to seize this opportunity to propose and plan ambitious climate goals in order to limit temperature rise and reduce the impact of a warming planet.



“As health professionals, we must do all we can to aid the transition to a sustainable, fairer, resilient, and healthier world,” wrote the experts. “We, as editors of health journals, call for governments and other leaders to act, marking 2021 as the year that the world finally changes course.”



Professor Lukoye Atwoli, Editor-in-Chief of the East Africa Medical Journal, and one of the co-authors of the editorial, noted that while low- and middle-income countries have historically contributed less to climate change, they bear an inordinate burden of the adverse effects, including on health. "We therefore call for equitable contributions whereby the world’s wealthier countries do more to offset the impact of their actions on the climate, beginning now, and continuing into the future.”



“Health professionals have been on the frontline of the COVID-19 crisis and they are united in warning that going above 1.5C and allowing the continued destruction of nature will bring the next, far deadlier crisis," said Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor-in-Chief of&nbsp;The BMJ. "Wealthier nations must act faster and do more to support those countries already suffering under higher temperatures. 2021 has to be the year the world changes course - our health depends on it.”



Seye Abimbola,&nbsp;Editor-in-Chief of&nbsp;BMJ Global Health, said:&nbsp;“What we must do to tackle pandemics, health inequities, and climate change is the same - global solidarity and action that recognize that, within and across nations, our destinies are inextricably linked, just as human health is inextricably linked to the health of the planet.”



HE Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh and Chair of the Climate Vulnerable Forum, emphasized that every country must pursue an ambitious target to curb greenhouse gas emissions to keep the global temperature-rise below 1.5ºC. "Developed nations should facilitate the green recovery of the CVF-V20 countries. Dedicated support is required for reducing the cost of capital and encouraging private sector participation. Strict implementation of the Paris Agreement is the only way to check global emissions and thereby global warming. The time to take action to save the planet is not tomorrow, but today."



The editorial has been published in medical, nursing and public health journals around the world. These include The BMJ,<a href="https://www.thelancet.com/">&nbsp;The Lancet</a>,&nbsp;the&nbsp;New England Journal of Medicine, the&nbsp;East African Medical Journal, the&nbsp;Chinese Science Bulletin, the&nbsp;National Medical Journal of India, the&nbsp;Medical Journal of Australia, and 50 BMJ specialist journals including&nbsp;BMJ Global Health&nbsp;and&nbsp;Thorax. Never before have so many journals joined forces to publish the same message.



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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

Climate editorial calls for urgent action by world leaders

The chief editors of 17 health journals based around the...

Anxiety disorders are estimated to affect around 10&nbsp; percent of the worldwide population and have been found to be twice as prevalent in women compared to men. While it is known that physical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exercise-can-improve-heart-health-at-any-age/">exercise</a> can dramatically reduce the likelihood of developing anxiety disorders, not much is known about the specific level of fitness or the frequency of exercise that is needed to produce these benefits.&nbsp;



Researchers at Lund University in Sweden analyzed data from almost 400,000 people across both sexes, comparing those who took part in the world’s largest long-distance cross-country ski race (Vasaloppet) with those who did not.&nbsp;



The results showed that those who took part in the race between 1989 and 2010 demonstrated a “significantly lower risk” of developing anxiety disorders compared to those who did not participate during the same time period.&nbsp;



“We found that the group with a more physically active lifestyle had an almost 60 percent lower risk of developing anxiety disorders over a follow-up period of up to 21 years,” said study lead author Martine Svensson and principal investigator Tomas Deierborg. “This association between a physically active lifestyle and a lower risk of anxiety was seen in both men and women."



However, a noticeable difference was identified between male and female skiers when it came to exercise performance levels and the risk of developing an anxiety disorder.



The physical performance of male skiers did not appear to affect the risk of developing anxiety, yet the highest performing female skiers still had almost double the risk than males who had the lowest performance levels. However, the researchers concluded that the total risk of getting anxiety among high-performing women was still lower compared to the more physically inactive women in the general population.



Surprisingly, the study has ultimately concluded that there is a correlation between physical exercise performance and the risk for anxiety disorders in women. “Our results suggest that the relation between symptoms of anxiety and exercise behavior may not be linear,” said Svensson.



Whilst this research initially appears to suggest that skiing, in particular, can play an important role in preventing anxiety disorders, Svensson and Deierborg explain that it is not that simple. “We think this cohort of cross-country skiers is a good proxy for an active lifestyle, there could also be a component of being more outdoors among skiers,” they said.



“Studies focusing on specific sports may find slightly different results and magnitudes of the associations, but this is most likely due to other important factors that affect mental health and which you cannot easily control in research analysis.”



The research has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry">Frontiers in Psychiatry</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Regular exercise is a powerful weapon against anxiety

Anxiety disorders are estimated to affect around 10&nbsp; percent of...

Bodies of water are home to some of the most bizarre creatures that humans have studied, and many more are still yet to be discovered. A prime example of this is the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-impact-of-fire-on-amazon-biodiversity/">Amazon</a> River basin, which provides a habitat for around 15 percent of all freshwater fish species currently known, with an estimated 40 percent of additional species yet to be named. One of the strangest of these lesser-studied fishes includes the appropriately named "vampire fish," a member of the catfish subfamily Vandellinae and known locally as "candiru."



These catfish earned their name for the way they attach themselves to other fish and suck their blood. However, researchers have now discovered that one vampire fish sub-species of the genus Paracanthopoma attaches itself to fish in a very unique way.



The research team conducted a sampling study of freshwater fauna in the Demeni River Basin, located on a left-bank tributary of the Negro River. The study identified candirus that were attached to the bodies of Doras phlyzakion, a species of Amazonian thorny catfish. Across each of the nine catfish that were studied, one or two candirus were found attached close to the lateral bone plates, as opposed to their normal preference of the gills.&nbsp;



Normally, vampire fish use their strong teeth and robust snouts to attach to the epidermis of their host and suck their blood, a process that causes significant damage to the prey. However, macroscopic analysis of the stomach contents of the studied sub-species showed that no blood, flesh, skin, or mucus was present.&nbsp;



“We believe the association between candiru and host, in this case, might be commensalistic, rather than parasitic, because the hosts were not badly harmed, and the candiru apparently derived no food benefit,” explained study lead author Chiara Lubich of the Federal University of Amazonas.



Ultimately, this means that this particular type of vampire fish is much less benign than its relations, which raises the question – why do they attach themselves to the thorny catfish? While the answer to this question is unknown, it could be possible that the attachment presents an opportunity to hide from predators due to their tiny size and transparent appearance.&nbsp;



However, it is also possible that as opposed to hiding from predators, the candirus are instead using the larger catfish as a transportation method to locate new food sources.



The research has been published in the journal <a href="https://aiep.pensoft.net/">Acta Ichthyologica et Piscatoria</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The vampire fish that doesn’t suck blood

Bodies of water are home to some of the most...

Among fossil vertebrates, the most charismatic are undoubtedly the giant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-are-birds-the-only-dinosaurs-that-survived-on-earth/">dinosaurs</a>. Headlines about “the biggest” dinosaurs or those that are closely related to the famous T. rex continually attract the most attention. However, rather than being built on the shoulders of giants, the science of paleontology depends on the careful study of smaller and less famous fossil specimens. Recently, a new study from a region that produced one of the world’s biggest dinosaurs illuminates the animals that scampered around the feet of these titans.&nbsp;



In 2014, researchers described Dreadnoughtus schrani, an enormous long-necked dinosaur that ranked alongside some of the largest known sauropods. The rock unit that this dinosaur was discovered in, the Cerro Fortaleza formation in Argentina, seemed depleted in terms of other vertebrate fossils. It’s very unlikely that one giant dinosaur was all that lived in that particular place at that particular time.&nbsp;



In fact, just having one specimen, no matter how large or spectacular, tells paleontologists remarkably little about the history of life on Earth. In order to understand the diversity of organisms and how that diversity fits into the larger evolutionary story, scientists had to go back to the area and dig a little deeper - both literally and figuratively.&nbsp;



Paleontologists returned to the area in 2016 and uncovered 22 new fossil specimens - all small, isolated bones and teeth. Though hardly as aesthetically pleasing as a complete, eighty-foot long skeleton, these smaller fossils have illuminated our picture of the ecosystem of the Cerro Fortaleza formation.&nbsp;



The 13 teeth and 9 osteoderms (bony plates embedded in the skin of organisms like armored dinosaurs and crocodiles) show that several distinct families occupied this area. Snub-nosed meat-eating dinosaurs, armored plant-eaters, and blunt-toothed crocodilians all frequented the area. In particular, the armored dinosaur and blunt-toothed croc fossils fill in a geographic gap for these groups. In South America, these ankylosaurian dinosaurs were previously only known from South America. Other specimens have been found in Antarctica, but researchers did not yet have concrete evidence that they stayed in the region between the two continents. Now, they most certainly do.&nbsp;



"Thus, the diversity of dinosaurs and crocodiles for this area is revealed by tiny fossils, such as teeth and dermal ossicles," wrote the study authors. "These findings reveal a faunal association that has not been previously found.” By paying attention to all of the tiny details the fossil record provides us with, through careful study, we can paint very detailed pictures of the past.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLoS ONE</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tiny bones and teeth reveal remarkable diversity at Argentina fossil site

Among fossil vertebrates, the most charismatic are undoubtedly the giant...

A new study has revealed that dogs become attached to the voice of their owners. The researchers found that the sound of an owner's voice generates brain activity in dogs similar to the neural responses of newborn <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/babies-have-reduced-pain-response-with-skin-to-skin-contact/">babies</a> while listening to their mother.



Among human infants, the reward center of the brain is activated by their mother’s voice. This response is associated with feelings of love, and is also linked to the reassurance that infants receive from their mothers in unfamiliar situations. The researchers set out to investigate whether dogs have the same kind of attachment to their owners.



“To study the brain mechanisms behind dog-owner attachment is particularly exciting, because it can help to understand how similar this unique bond between individuals of different species can be to other well-known relationships between conspecifics (e.g. infant-mother attachment),” explained study lead author Anna Gábor of <a href="https://www.elte.hu/en/">Eötvös Loránd University</a>.



“Some years ago we discovered that dog brains are sensitive to verbal praises, but it remained unexplored how the relationship with the speaker affects this sensitivity."



The study was focused on the “Strange Situation Test, which has been used in the past to analyze how children respond to the absence of their caregivers. The experts also used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to observe the brain activity of dogs as they listened to praise or neutral speaking by their owner. The dogs also listened to a person who was familiar to them.



The analysis showed that the reward centers of the dogs' brains were more sensitive to the owner’s voice compared to that of a familiar person. The experts also determined that dogs who were more attached to their owners showed a greater neural response to their owner's voice, even when the dog was not being praised.&nbsp;



“The basic function of attachment is to keep the dependent individual (infant, dog) in the proximity of the caregiver,” said study co-author Márta Gácsi. “Our results point out that in dogs, just like in infants, not only positive interactions with the caregiver, but even listening to their neutral voice is rewarding.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/neuroimage">NeuroImage</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

Dogs become attached to their owner's voice

A new study has revealed that dogs become attached to...

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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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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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...