The ESA-led Solar Orbiter mission is currently observing and studying the Sun with six different imaging instruments, allowing the spacecraft to peel away the Sun's many layers and reveal its diverse faces.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-resolution-views-of-the-sun">High-resolution views of the Sun</h2>



Recently, the mission released the highest-resolution full views to date of the Sun's visible surface, known as the photosphere.&nbsp;



The images were assembled from data captured by the spacecraft's Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI).&nbsp;



This instrument not only photographs the Sun in visible light but also measures the direction of the <a href="https://search.app?link=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.earth.com%2Fnews%2Forigin-of-the-suns-magnetic-field-discovered-after-400-years%2F&amp;utm_campaign=aga&amp;utm_source=agsadl2%2Csh%2Fx%2Fgs%2Fm2%2F4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnetic field</a> and maps the speed and direction in which different parts of the surface are moving.



PHI's measurements of the photosphere can be directly compared to a new image of the Sun's outer atmosphere, the corona.&nbsp;



This image is essentially a mosaic assembled from high-resolution images taken by the Extreme Ultraviolet Imager (EUI) instrument on the same day in March 2023. The EUI captures images of the Sun in ultraviolet light.



<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="wWscNjX6hZ-4055472-12187" type="single"]</div>



Daniel Müller, Solar Orbiter's Project Scientist, noted that the Sun's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-dynamo-sun-magnetic-field-origin-generated-near-surface/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnetic field</a> is key to understanding the dynamic nature of our home star from the smallest to the largest scales.&nbsp;



“These new high-resolution maps from Solar Orbiter's PHI instrument show the beauty of the Sun's surface magnetic field and flows in great detail,” said Miller.



“At the same time, they are crucial for inferring the magnetic field in the Sun's hot corona, which our EUI instrument is imaging.”&nbsp;



The image release builds upon one from two years ago when the mission shared full images of the Sun taken by the spacecraft's EUI and Spectral Imaging of the Coronal Environment (SPICE) instruments on March 7, 2022.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sunspots-and-a-chaotic-magnetic-field">Sunspots and a chaotic magnetic field</h2>



Zooming into PHI's detailed visible light images reveals the Sun's “surface” for what it truly is: a constantly moving layer of glowing, hot plasma (charged gas). 



This layer emits almost all the Sun's radiation and has a temperature between 4,500 and 6,000°C. 



Beneath it lies the convection zone, where hot, dense plasma churns similarly to magma in Earth's mantle. This turbulent movement gives the Sun's surface its grainy appearance.



The most striking features in the images are the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sun-solar-cycle-25-highest-number-sunspots-activity-seen-since-2001/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sunspots</a>. In the visible light images, these appear as dark spots or holes on the otherwise smooth surface. Sunspots are cooler than their surroundings, emitting less light as a result.



PHI's magnetic map, or “magnetogram," shows that the Sun's magnetic field is concentrated in the sunspot regions, pointing either outward (red) or inward (blue) where the sunspots lie.&nbsp;



The strong magnetic field explains why plasma inside sunspots is cooler. Normally, convection moves heat from inside the Sun to its surface, but this process is disrupted as charged particles are forced to follow the dense magnetic field lines in and around the sunspots.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-movement-on-the-surface">Mapping movement on the surface</h2>



The speed and direction of material movement on the Sun's surface are displayed in PHI's velocity map, also known as a “tachogram.”&nbsp;



In this map, blue indicates movement toward the spacecraft, while red signifies movement away. The map reveals that while the plasma on the Sun's surface generally rotates with the Sun's overall spin around its axis, it is pushed outward around the sunspots.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Solar-Orbiter_3-views-of-Sun_lenses_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Solar-Orbiter_3-views-of-Sun_lenses_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The three views of the Sun's surface shown here are based on measurements taken on March 22, 2023 by the ESA-led Solar Orbiter mission. From left to right, you see the Sun in visible light, a magnetic map of the Sun, and a map of the line-of-sight speed and direction of movement of material at the Sun's visible surface. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1951400"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The three views of the Sun's surface shown here are based on measurements taken on March 22, 2023 by the ESA-led Solar Orbiter mission. From left to right, you see the Sun in visible light, a magnetic map of the Sun, and a map of the line-of-sight speed and direction of movement of material at the Sun's visible surface. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



Finally, EUI's image of the Sun's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-is-the-suns-corona-hotter-than-its-surface/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">corona</a> shows what happens above the photosphere. Above the active sunspot regions, glowing plasma protrudes outward. 



This million-degree plasma follows magnetic field lines extending from the Sun, often connecting neighboring sunspots.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-piecing-together-the-sun-s-mosaic">Piecing together the Sun's mosaic</h2>



The images were captured when the Solar Orbiter was less than 74 million kilometers from the Sun.&nbsp;



Being so close meant that each high-resolution image taken by PHI and EUI covered only a small portion of the Sun. To image the entire face, the spacecraft had to be tilted and rotated after each individual image was taken.



To create the full-disc images presented, all individual images were stitched together like a mosaic. Both the PHI and EUI mosaics consist of 25 images each, captured over more than four hours.&nbsp;



The resulting mosaics have a diameter of nearly 8,000 pixels, revealing an astonishing amount of detail.



The image processing required to produce the PHI mosaics was new and challenging. 



Now that it has been accomplished once, future data processing and mosaic assembly will be faster. The PHI team expects to provide such high-resolution mosaics twice a year.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-advancing-our-understanding-of-the-sun">Advancing our understanding of the Sun</h2>



The new images not only showcase the beauty of our star but also enhance our understanding of its complex magnetic fields and dynamic processes.&nbsp;



By comparing data from different instruments, scientists can gain deeper insights into how the Sun's magnetic field influences phenomena from the smallest to the largest scales.



With continued efforts from missions like Solar Orbiter, we are peeling back the layers of the Sun to better comprehend its impact on our Solar System.



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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Solar Orbiter spacecraft sees the Sun through three different lenses

The ESA-led Solar Orbiter mission is currently observing and studying the Sun with six different imaging instruments, allowing the spacecraft to peel away the Sun's many layers and reveal its diverse faces. High-resolution views of the Sun Recently, the mission released the highest-resolution full views to date of the Sun's visible surface, known as the photosphere.&nbsp; The images were assembled from data captured by the spacecraft's Polarimetric and Helioseismic Imager (PHI).&nbsp; This instrument not only photographs the Sun in visible light but also measures the direction of...

Ancient <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/parasitic-plants-depend-on-the-hormone-ethylene-to-launch-an-attack/">plants</a> that grow on the slopes of China's Hengduan mountains are trying to make themselves less visible to humans. Scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have discovered that Fritillaria delavayi plants have evolved to match their surroundings in places where they are most frequently harvested. 

The bulbs of Fritillaria delavayi and other fritillary species have been used in traditional Chinese medicine for more than 2,000 years. Fritillaria is primarily used to control coughing and to treat various lung conditions, such as asthma, bronchitis, and tuberculosis.

The leaves of Fritillaria delavayi have various colors that range from grey to brown to green at a young age. After the fifth year, the plant produces a single flower annually. The demand for fritillary bulbs and roots often exceeds the supply, and the plants have been increasingly harvested in recent years.

The new study suggests that harvesting by humans has driven the plants to try and hide from sight. It appears that humans are actually driving the evolution of Fritillaria delavayi, in particular. The experts report that new colors are emerging in these plants that offer better concealment and a greater chance of survival. 

"It's remarkable to see how humans can have such a direct and dramatic impact on the coloration of wild organisms, not just on their survival but on their evolution itself," said study co-author Professor Martin Stevens.

"Many plants seem to use camouflage to hide from herbivores that may eat them - but here we see camouflage evolving in response to human collectors."

"It's possible that humans have driven evolution of defensive strategies in other plant species, but surprisingly little research has examined this."

For the investigation, the researchers measured how closely plants from different populations matched their mountainous surroundings and how easy they were to collect. The experts also spoke to local residents to estimate how much harvesting typically takes place in each location.

The study revealed that the level of camouflage in the plants was clearly linked to the extent of harvesting . A computer experiment confirmed that the plants with more camouflage were more difficult for participants to detect. 

"Like other camouflaged plants we have studied, we thought the evolution of camouflage of this fritillary had been driven by herbivores, but we didn't find such animals. Then we realized humans could be the reason," said Dr. Yang Niu. 

"Commercial harvesting is a much stronger selection pressure than many pressures in nature," added Professor Hang Sun. "The current biodiversity status on the Earth is shaped by both nature and by ourselves."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

Image Credit: Linn Yao

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Chinese Fritillaria plants have found a way to hide from humans

Ancient plants that grow on the slopes of China's Hengduan...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/massive-concentrations-of-microplastics-found-on-the-seafloor-2/">Microplastics</a> have been found at the highest recorded altitude of more than 8,400 meters, just below the summit of Mount Everest. In a study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, scientists describe what they discovered in snow and stream samples from the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest Expedition.

While tiny plastic particles are known to be prevalent in the ocean, they have not been as well-documented on land, especially on remote mountaintops. Study first author Imogen Napper is a National Geographic Explorer based at the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a> who is described by her colleagues as a "plastic detective." 

"Mount Everest has been described as 'the world's highest junkyard,'" said Napper. "Microplastics haven't been studied on the mountain before, but they're generally just as persistent and typically more difficult to remove than larger items of debris."

"I didn't know what to expect in terms of results, but it really surprised me to find microplastics in every single snow sample I analyzed. Mount Everest is somewhere I have always considered remote and pristine. To know we are polluting near the top of the tallest mountain is a real eye-opener."

Some members of the research team joined the 2019 expedition and climbed Mount Everest to collect samples, and others were involved in the analysis of the samples. 

"The closest I got to Mount Everest was in my lab at University of Plymouth in the UK," said Napper. She set out to investigate whether there was plastic on the mountain and, if so,  what type of plastic was there. 

"The samples showed significant quantities of polyester, acrylic, nylon, and polypropylene fibers," said Napper. "Those materials are increasingly being used to make the high-performance outdoor clothing climbers use as well as tents and climbing ropes, so we highly suspect that these types of items are the major source of pollution rather than things like food and drink containers."

Although the study has confirmed the presence of microplastics on Mount Everest, the best way to address the problem and clean up the pollution has not yet been determined. 

"Currently, environmental efforts tend to focus on reducing, reusing, and recycling larger items of waste. This is important, but we also need to start focusing on deeper technological solutions that focus on microplastics, like changing fabric design and incorporating natural fibers instead of plastic when possible."

The researchers hope their work will help clarify the extent to which plastic pollution jeopardizes all environments, not just the ocean.

"These are the highest microplastics discovered so far," said Napper. "While it sounds exciting, it means that microplastics have been discovered from the depths of the ocean all the way to the highest mountain on Earth. With microplastics so ubiquitous in our environment, it's time to focus on informing appropriate environmental solutions. We need to protect and care for our planet."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/home">One Earth</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Microplastics found at their highest altitude on Mount Everest

Microplastics have been found at the highest recorded altitude of...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>, researchers have found that eating just the right amount of Ataulfo mangoes can substantially reduce wrinkles in older women with fair <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/babies-have-reduced-pain-response-with-skin-to-skin-contact/">skin</a>.

Just like other orange fruits and vegetables, mangoes are rich in beta carotene - a carotenoid and antioxidant that may help to delay the cell damage associated with aging.

The research was focused on postmenopausal women who added a specific portion of Ataulfo mangoes, also known as honey mangoes, to their weekly diet. 

The study revealed that women who ate a half cup of mangoes four times a week saw a 23 percent decrease in deep wrinkles after two months. 

"That's a significant improvement in wrinkles," said study lead author Vivien Fam, who is a doctoral student in the UC Davis Department of Nutrition. The experts also discovered that the amount of mangoes consumed was critical to achieving the desired result.

"Women who ate a cup and a half of mangoes for the same periods of time saw an increase in wrinkles. This shows that while some mango may be good for skin health, too much of it may not be," explained Fam.

According to the researchers, it is unclear why consuming more mango would increase the severity of wrinkles. They speculate that the negative effects may be tied to the increased amount of sugar in the larger portion of mangoes.

The randomized pilot study involved 28 postmenopausal women with fair skin types that burn more easily than they tan. The women were divided into two groups to consume either a half cup or a cup and a half of mangoes four times a week for four months. The team used a high-resolution camera system to evaluate wrinkles.

"The system we used to analyze wrinkles allowed us to not just visualize wrinkles, but to quantify and measure wrinkles," said study co-author  Professor Robert Hackman. "This is extremely accurate and allowed us to capture more than just the appearance of wrinkles or what the eye might see."

The experts assessed the severity, length and width of fine, deep, and emerging wrinkles. The group that consumed a half cup of mangoes saw improvements in all of these categories.

Fann noted that further research is needed to understand the mechanisms underlying the reduction in wrinkles. She explained that it may be due to the beneficial effects of carotenoids and other phytonutrients that could help build collagen.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/nutrients">Nutrients</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mangoes may help to erase wrinkles

In a new study from UC Davis, researchers have found...

As the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/animals-in-cold-climates-are-facing-a-higher-risk-of-disease-outbreaks/">climate</a> becomes warmer and drier, a "thirsty atmosphere" will increase extreme wildfire danger and prolonged drought in Nevada and California, according to a study led by the <a href="https://www.dri.edu/">Desert Research Institute</a> (DRI). 

The researchers analyzed projections of evaporative demand, or how dry these states will become, through the end of the century. Next, the team examined how changes in evaporative demand will influence the frequency of extreme wildfire danger and multi-year droughts.

The analysis was based on metrics from the Evaporative Demand Drought Index (EDDI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI).

The experts found that there will be consistent future increases in evaporative demand over California and Nevada. The projections indicate that greater "atmospheric thirst" will be primarily driven by warmer temperatures, and could lead to significant environmental impacts on the ground.

"Higher evaporative demand during summer and autumn - peak fire season in the region - means faster drying of soil moisture and vegetation, and available fuels becoming more flammable, leading to fires that can burn faster and hotter," explained study lead author Dr. Dan McEvoy.

"Increased evaporative demand with warming enables fuels to be drier for longer periods," added Dr. John Abatzoglou at UC Merced. "This is a recipe for more active fire seasons."

The study revealed that days with extreme fire danger in summer and autumn are expected to increase four to 10 times by the end of the century. Multi-year droughts, similar to the drought that impacted California and Nevada from 2012 to 2016, are projected to become three to 15 times more frequent.

"One major takeaway was that we can expect to see a lot more days in the summer and autumn with extreme fire danger related to increased temperature and evaporative demand," said Dr. McEvoy. "Another takeaway was that even in locations where precipitation may not change that much in future, droughts are going to become more severe due to higher evaporative demand."

According to the researchers, the cumulative effects of increases in evaporative demand will stress native ecosystems, increase wildfire danger, negatively impact agriculture where water demands cannot be met, and exacerbate impacts to society during periods of prolonged dryness. 

Study co-author Dr. Julie Kalansky is the program manager for the California-Nevada Climate Applications Program (CNAP).

"These results provide information to support science-based, long-term planning for fire management agencies, forest management agencies, and water resource managers," said Dr. Kalansky. "We plan to work with partners to help integrate the findings from this paper to support building climate resilience."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/23284277">Earth's Future</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wildfire danger will continue to increase in California and Nevada

As the climate becomes warmer and drier, a "thirsty atmosphere"...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/young-monarch-butterflies-are-stressed-by-human-handling/">Monarch</a> butterfly caterpillars can flip the switch from harmonious to hostile when their favorite food may become unavailable. In a new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, scientists observed caterpillars with limited access to milkweed lashing out and lunging at others, attempting to headbutt them out of the way. The caterpillars were found to the most aggressive during the final stages before metamorphosis.

Study lead author Alex Keene is a professor of Biological Sciences at Florida Atlantic University.

"I saw that there were basically no published papers on aggression in this or any other caterpillar species, but there's a lot of exciting work that's been done on fruit flies where they've found single-pheromone receptors or single genes that trigger aggression," said Professor Keene. "Now we might be able to take that powerful neurobiology and genetics and study it in a more ecologically relevant organism."

Professor Keene normally explores the neurobiology of fruit flies, but he turned his attention to monarchs after observing their aggressive behavior in his garden. Monarchs are a good indicator of the pollinators present in any given ecosystem - if they are declining, other pollinator numbers are likely dwindling as well. 

At their largest body size, a single monarch caterpillar can eat an entire milkweed leaf in under 5 minutes. "If you compare that to a fruit fly where there are a lot of larvae on one piece of rotting fruit, there is less competition there," said Professor Keene. "But each of these caterpillars will at some point in their developmental cycle encounter resource limitation."

To investigate, the researchers built an open milkweed garden behind their lab in Boca Raton and waited for the caterpillars to arrive on their own. In the lab, the team grouped caterpillars together with different amounts of milkweed. The results were consistent. When there was less food available, the caterpillars were likely to headbutt each other out of the way to get more milkweed. 

Professor Kenne explained that the experiment itself turned out to be a bit complicated. "We definitely had a lot of challenges. We had a hard time breeding the monarchs in the lab, and we found that almost every nursery sells their milkweed with pesticides. So, we ended up having to grow our own. But I like to say that resilience is one of the main characteristics scientists have to have because most of what we do doesn't work."

Going forward, the researchers want to learn more about what drives the aggressive response to limited food in the brains of the caterpillars. This will provide insight into how these responses work in nature.

"One of the fundamental problems with work like this is that we're testing animals in a very derived setting. And that's not what brains evolved to do," explained Professor Keene. "So now that we have this invertebrate model in a relatively controlled setting, but doing an ecologically relevant behavior, that becomes important in terms of looking at the mechanism and function of this behavior in more complex organisms."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Monarch caterpillars resort to headbutting when food is limited

Monarch butterfly caterpillars can flip the switch from harmonious to...

Fifty years after they were hunted to near extinction, blue whales have returned to the sub-Antarctic island of South Georgia. Scientists at the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a> made the discovery while following up on a recent study which revealed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humpback-whales-sing/">humpback</a> whales are also returning to South Georgia.

The international research team analyzed 30 years worth of sightings, photographs, and underwater sound recordings to investigate how Antarctic blue whales are recovering after commercial whaling was banned in the 1960s.

Blue whales were once abundant off South Georgia before commercial whaling killed more than 42,000 individuals between 1904 and 1971. The giant fish vanished from this region, with only a single blue whale sighting between 1998 and 2018. By 2020, however, a survey in February recorded 58 blue whale sightings and numerous acoustic detections.

"The continued absence of blue whales at South Georgia has been seen as an iconic example of a population that was locally exploited beyond the point where it could recover," said study lead author Susannah Calderan of the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS).

"But over the past few years we've been working at South Georgia, we have become quite optimistic about the numbers of blue whales seen and heard around the island, which hadn't been happening until very recently. This year was particularly exciting, with more blue whale sightings than we ever could have hoped for."

The researchers used devices that can detect the loud, low frequency calls of whales over long distances. The team also collected records of whale sightings reported to the South Georgia Museum.

Overall, 41 individuals have been identified in photographs from South Georgia over the last ten years, yet none of these match the 517 whales in the current Antarctic blue whale photographic catalog.

"We don't quite know why it has taken the blue whales so long to come back," said Calderan. "It may be that so many of them were killed at South Georgia that there was a loss of cultural memory in the population that the area was a foraging ground, and that it is only now being rediscovered."

The remote location, harsh weather, and lack of access to South Georgia greatly limit the opportunities for whale surveys, yet careful examination of the region is critical for future management.

"This is an exciting discovery and a really positive step forward for conservation of the Antarctic blue whale," said study co-author Dr. Jennifer Jackson, who led the 2020 whale expedition.

"With South Georgia waters designated as a Marine Protected Area by the Government of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands, we hope that these increased numbers of blue whales are a sign of things to come and that our research can continue to contribute to effective management of the area."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.int-res.com/journals/esr/esr-home/">Endangered Species Research</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Blue whales are making a comeback in South Georgia

Fifty years after they were hunted to near extinction, blue...

Microscopic marine algae known as phytoplankton play a more important role in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/arctic-rivers-heat-up-the-ocean-and-shrink-sea-ice/">Arctic</a> ecosystem than what was previously realized. In a study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>, scientists have discovered new clues about the magnitude of phytoplankton blooms under Arctic sea ice.

Phytoplankton form the foundation of the marine food chain and help absorb CO2 from the atmosphere. Just like plants on land, these tiny organisms use photosynthesis to exploit solar energy and convert CO2 into glucose.

Until recently, scientists generally accepted that phytoplankton remained inactive in the winter and spring beneath Arctic sea ice. But now, a growing collection of research confirms the occurrence of under-ice blooms (UIBs) of phytoplankton.

"There was a long-standing assumption that what was happening under the sea ice in the water column was almost 'on pause' during the polar night and before seasonal sea ice retreat, which is apparently not the case," said study lead author Dr. Mathieu Ardyna of Stanford University.

When scientists model the global carbon cycle, they must account for how much atmospheric carbon is being absorbed by phytoplankton. The discovery of UIBs is very significant because it indicates that phytoplankton are much more productive in the Arctic Ocean than what has been accounted for in carbon cycle modeling.

Over the past 30 years, the Arctic has warmed roughly twice as fast as the rest of the world. The impacts of climate change are most apparent in the decline of Arctic sea ice - this year's ice cover dwindled down to the second lowest extent on record.

The thinning layer of sea ice allows more light to reach the phytoplankton, allowing them to become more productive. However, in a surprising twist, Dr. Ardyna's team has discovered that the phenomenon of under-ice blooms occurred well before climate change affected Arctic sea ice.

"Digging up research that occurred from the '50s and prior demonstrates that blooms, albeit not very large, were occurring under thick ice in the central Arctic," explained Dr. Ardyna. "I think this fact surprised many of us, as models had suggested this was not the case."

The study describes the variability in the frequency, magnitude, and the organisms involved in under-ice blooms across the Arctic Ocean. Some of those findings are based on expeditions that used autonomous floats, robotic gliders, and remotely operated submersible vehicles that were specifically focused on examining UIBs.

According to Dr. Ardyna, further observations to feed new computer models will be key to making more accurate predictions of how the Arctic carbon cycle will change in the future.

"So many questions remain unanswered about this critical period of spring, for many Arctic species, for their food or their life cycle. Given the remoteness of the Arctic, one way will definitely be to develop more and better autonomous platforms to give us valuable information."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Phytoplankton remain surprisingly active underneath Arctic sea ice

Microscopic marine algae known as phytoplankton play a more important...

In a recent review, Dr. Marcelo H. Cassini analyzed studies on sexual aggression among non-human mammals. The research was focused on "sexual disturbance," or aggressive male behavior toward a female around <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cross-mating-finches-exchanged-genes-and-beak-shape/">mating</a> time that could result in physical harm or cause mother-offspring separation.

"In non‐human mammals, sexual conflict should be particularly intense because males rarely provide parental care," explained Dr. Cassini. "An expected consequence of sexual conflict is male aggression towards mates."

"Considering how complex measurements and interpretations of behaviors such as sexual aggression and sexual coercion are, I preferred to define operationally, as sexual disturbance - any male behavior towards females during the pericopulatory period that can be costly for females."

Dr. Cassini set out to estimate how widespread sexual disturbance is among mammals, and to analyze the various types of female responses to sexual disturbance. He also wanted to characterize the consequences of such male aggression for the females.

"I conducted a systematic review by searching the literature in the Web of Knowledge database using the search tools available for 19 main journals, and I conducted a qualitative review via a taxon‐by‐taxon analysis."

The study, which was published by <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us">Wiley</a>, revealed that sexual disturbance is common in 4 of the 32 mammalian orders examined: Primates, Artiodactyla, Carnivora, and Cetacea. All of these groups include species that practice polygyny, which is when males mate with multiple females. 

"The most common expression of sexual conflict around copulation is seen in behaviors associated with female retention attempts that cause minor harm," said Dr. Cassini. "Research suggests that the most common response of females to sexual disturbance comprises female grouping around a dominant male."

According to Dr. Cassini, his review suggests that sexual aggression is a rare behavior when you consider that there are thousands of species of mammals. Further studies are needed to see whether sexual disturbance affects the reproductive success of males and females.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652907">Mammal Review</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Polygynous male mammals may have more sexual aggression

In a recent review, Dr. Marcelo H. Cassini analyzed studies...

A study published by <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us">Wiley</a> suggests that having green space near your home can help protect you from some of the mental health impacts of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-antidepressant-fluvoxamine-may-prevent-severe-covid-19-infection/">COVID-19</a> pandemic.

"During this extraordinary time, nature around the home may play a key role in mitigating against adverse mental health outcomes due to the pandemic and the measures taken to address it," wrote the researchers.

To investigate, the team surveyed 3,000 adults in Tokyo to examine the link between five mental health outcomes - depression, life satisfaction, subjective happiness, self‐esteem, and loneliness - and the frequency of green space use or views of nature from windows in the home.

"Accounting for sociodemographic and lifestyle variables, we found that the frequency of greenspace use and the existence of green window views from within the home was associated with increased levels of self‐esteem, life satisfaction, and subjective happiness and decreased levels of depression, anxiety, and loneliness," wrote the researchers.

"Our results suggest that nearby nature can serve as a buffer in decreasing the adverse impacts of a very stressful event on humans," said study lead author Dr. Masashi Soga of the University of Tokyo. "Protecting natural environments in urban areas is important not only for the conservation of biodiversity, but also for the protection of human health."

The experts noted that their findings suggest that a regular dose of nature can contribute to the improvement of a wide range of mental health outcomes. 

"With the recent escalation in the prevalence of mental health disorders, and the possible negative impacts of the COVID‐19 pandemic on public mental health, our findings have major implications for policy, suggesting that urban nature has great potential to be used as a 'nature‐based solution' for improved public health."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19395582">Ecological Applications</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

&nbsp;

Nature helps reduce mental health impacts of the COVID-19

A study published by Wiley suggests that having green space...

In a new study published by <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">AAAS</a>, experts assembled a 10,000-year record of alpine <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/meltwater-lakes-cause-glaciers-to-retreat-much-more-rapidly/">glacier</a> fluctuations in Wyoming's Teton Range. The analysis of this timeline revealed that some glacial ice in the western United States was able to withstand global warming during the early Holocene. 

The researchers found evidence that glacial ice persisted in a dormant state, sealed off underneath debris. The findings contradict the common assumption that all Rocky Mountain glaciers completely disappeared during the warm, dry conditions of the Holocene.

The study suggests that glacial ice shrunk before was covered by dirt, rocks, or other debris, which would have insulated the dwindling ice from the heat and saved it from disappearing. 

This remarkable new insight may help scientists better understand how glaciers in the region will respond to future warming. 

"The long-term survival of glacial ice through warm conditions highlights the potential role of debris-covered glaciers and/or rock glaciers to continue providing ecosystem services into the future, despite unfavorable climatic conditions," explained study lead author Darren Larsen. 

Due to an incomplete glacial record, little is known about how glacial ice in the western U.S. responded to environmental changes thousands of years ago. 

To construct a continuous record, the team sampled sediment cores from two lake basins in the Tetons. Delta Lake provided a record of glacier activity, while other non-glacial lakes including Surprise Lake provided a record of climate variability. 

Using accelerator mass spectrometry radiocarbon dating, the researchers developed composite rock layer sequences that revealed changes in the glaciers as they experienced climate shifts over 10,000 years. 

Sediment fluctuations and meltwater flow from the Teton Glacier appeared to decrease during a warm period between about 10,000 and 6,300 years ago. At the same time, Delta Lake sediments maintained distinct glacial characteristics which indicate that glacial ice persisted.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</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

Glacial ice persisted in the Teton Range during past warming

In a new study published by AAAS, experts assembled a...

Experts may soon be able to stock your gut with beneficial bacteria After discovering how a common virus infects and controls bacteria in the gut, experts are closer to finding ways to manipulate the composition of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/how-the-gut-protects-the-brain-from-infection/">gut</a> microbiome - which has a major influence on human health. The research, led by <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>, may ultimately lead to the creation of beneficial bacteria that produce medicines and clean up pollutants.

Study co-author Konstantin Severinov is a principal investigator at the Waksman Institute of Microbiology and a professor of Molecular Biology and Biochemistry in the School of Arts and Sciences at Rutgers University-New Brunswick. 

"CrAssphages are the most abundant viruses infecting bacteria in the human gut. As such, they likely control our intestinal community of microbes (the microbiome)," said Professor Severinov.

"Understanding how these tiny viruses infect bacteria may allow scientists to control and manipulate the makeup of the microbiome, either by increasing the proportion of beneficial bacteria in our intestines or decreasing the number of harmful bacteria, thus promoting health and fighting disease."

The scientists determined that crAssphages use their own enzyme - an RNA polymerase - to make RNA copies of their genes. All cells, from bacterial to human, use such enzymes for the same purpose. According to Professor Severinov, the enzymes are very similar in all living matter, implying that they are ancient and related by common ancestry.

The experts analyzed the atomic structure of a crAssphage enzyme. They found that it was distinct from other RNA polymerases yet closely resembled an enzyme in humans that is involved in RNA interference. This interference is known to silence the function of some genes and may lead to certain diseases.

"This is a startling result. It suggests that enzymes of RNA interference, a process that was thought to occur only in cells of higher organisms, were 'borrowed' from an ancestral bacterial virus early in evolution," explained Professor Severinov. "The result provides a glimpse of how cells of higher organisms evolved by mixing and matching components of simpler cells and even their viruses."

"In addition to deep evolutionary insights, phage (viral) enzymes such as crAssphage RNA polymerase may be used in synthetic biology to generate genetic circuits that do not exist in nature."

"We are now trying to match the thousands of different crAssphage viruses in our gut with the bacterial hosts they infect. By using just the 'right' bacterial virus, we will be able to get rid of bacteria it infects, which will allow us to alter the composition of the gut microbiome in a targeted way."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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

Experts may soon be able to stock your gut with beneficial bacteria

Experts may soon be able to stock your gut with...

People who are starved or stuffed share a lack of nutrition. Part of the world is starving, another part overindulges and throws <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/otters-can-count-on-their-friends-to-gain-access-to-food/">food</a> away every day, and both suffer from a lack of nutrition. According to the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/home">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a> (PIK), the gap between people who are starved and people who are stuffed is expected to widen, and the environmental impacts will worsen.

The researchers say that based on the current nutrition transition, more than four billion people will be overweight and 500 million people will continue to be underweight by mid-century.

"If the observed nutrition transition continues, we will not achieve the United Nations goal of eradicating hunger worldwide," said study lead author Benjamin Bodirsky. "At the same time, our future will be characterized by overweight and obesity of mind-blowing magnitude." 

The experts predict that by 2050, 45 percent of the world's population could be overweight compared to about 29 percent in 2010. The underlying issues include an insufficient global distribution of food and a shift from plant-based diets toward unbalanced diets that are based on animal protein, sugar, and fat.

"The increasing waste of food and the rising consumption of animal protein mean that the environmental impact of our agricultural system will spiral out of control," said Bodirsky. "Whether greenhouse gases, nitrogen pollution or deforestation: we are pushing the limits of our planet - and exceed them."

Food production dominates about one-third of the global land area and is responsible for up to a third of all greenhouse gas emissions. The researchers found that on the current trajectory, global food demand will increase by about 50 percent between 2010 and 2050 and the demand for animal products will approximately double. These increasing demands will require more and more land.

"Using the same area of land, we could produce much more plant-based food for humans than animal-based food," said study co-author Alexander Popp. "To put it in a very simplistic way: If more people eat more meat, there's less plant-based food for the others - plus we need more land for food production which can lead to forests being cut down. And greenhouse gas emissions rise as a consequence of keeping more animals."

The study is the first to provide a long-term overview of a continued global nutrition transition from 1965 to 2100. The team used a computer model to account for various factors that influence food demand such as population growth, aging, increasing height, growing body mass index, and increasing food waste. 

"There is enough food in the world - the problem is that the poorest people on our planet have simply not the income to purchase it. And in rich countries, people don't feel the economic and environmental consequences of wasting food," said study co-author Prajal Pradhan.

Redistribution would not be sufficient on its own, however, because there is a lack of knowledge among both rich and poor people about a healthy way of life and nutrition.

"Unhealthy diets are the world's largest health risks," said study co-author Sabine Gabrysch. "While many countries in Asia and Africa currently still struggle with undernutrition and associated health problems, they are increasingly also faced with overweight, and as a consequence, with a rising burden of diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancer." 

"We urgently need political measures to create an environment that promotes healthy eating habits. This could include binding regulations that limit the marketing of unhealthy snacks and promote sustainable and healthy meals in schools, hospitals and canteens. A stronger focus on nutrition education is also key, from early education in kindergarten to counseling by medical doctors and nurses. What we eat is of vital importance - both for our own health and that of our planet."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

People who are starved or stuffed share a lack of nutrition

People who are starved or stuffed share a lack of...

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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

[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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" 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.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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...