The Red Planet has always been a subject of intrigue and fascination. Recent research led by Curtin University has added more fuel to this age-old curiosity. The scientists discovered what could possibly be the oldest evidence of hot water activity on Mars.



This discovery opens up possibilities that at some point in its mysterious past, Mars may have been a place where life could exist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hot-water-on-mars">Hot water on Mars</h2>



The study focused on a zircon grain from the renowned <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-water-found-on-mars-would-cover-the-planet-over-one-mile-deep/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Martian</a> meteorite NWA7034, fondly known as Black Beauty. This tiny grain, although no larger than a grain of sand, holds secrets dating back billions of years.



The analysis of the 4.45 billion-year-old zircon grain revealed geochemical fingerprints of ancient water-rich fluids. These traces of the past suggest that hot water was once present on Mars.



Dr. Aaron Cavosie from Curtin's <a href="https://www.curtin.edu.au/about/learning-teaching/science-engineering/school-of-earth-and-planetary-sciences/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Earth and Planetary Sciences</a> noted that this discovery opens new paths for understanding early Martian hydrothermal systems and the planet's past habitability.



"We used nano-scale geochemistry to detect elemental evidence of hot water on Mars 4.45 billion years ago," said Dr. Cavosie.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-conditions-on-mars">Early conditions on Mars</h2>



Hydrothermal systems are vital for the development of life. They were crucial for life to flourish on Earth. Dr. Cavosie noted that the same essential ingredients for habitable environments were present on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/meteorite-that-struck-mars-reveals-when-the-planet-had-liquid-water/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mars</a> during its early crust formation period. 



The team utilized nano-scale imaging and spectroscopy to identify essential elements on the zircon grain, including iron, aluminum, yttrium, and sodium.



The presence and pattern of these elements, added during the zircon's formation billions of years ago, suggest that water was present during early Martian magmatic activity. 



This intriguing discovery indicates that during the initial stages of the Red Planet's existence, conditions were conducive to the existence of water.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-resilience-of-mars-crust">Resilience of Mars' crust</h2>



The study also highlighted the resilience of Mars' crust. Despite enduring massive meteorite impacts, causing upheaval of its surface, Mars still had <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-lost-most-of-its-water-but-where-did-it-go/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water</a> during the early Pre-Noachian period, which was before about 4.1 billion years ago.



In 2022, Curtin researchers studied the same zircon grain. They found that it had been "shocked" by a meteorite impact, marking it as the first and only known shocked zircon from Mars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-life-on-mars">Implications for life on Mars</h2>



The discovery of ancient hydrothermal activity on Mars significantly changes our understanding of the planet's potential for life. Hydrothermal systems could have created environments rich in chemical energy and nutrients vital for life.



The presence of warm, mineral-laden waters in Mars' crust could have served as a cradle for microbial communities, much like the hydrothermal vents on Earth harbor diverse ecosystems despite the absence of sunlight. 



This implies that if life ever existed on early Mars, hydrothermal systems may have been havens, providing conditions to support some form of life.



The research offers valuable insights into planetary habitability within our solar system and beyond.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



The revelations from the zircon grain continue to ignite curiosity and lay the groundwork for future Mars exploration missions. 



Planetary scientists are eager to explore other ancient Martian rocks and meteorites that might hold additional clues about Mars' hydrothermal systems and geological history. 



Missions equipped with advanced technology could further investigate the surface and subsurface of Mars, searching for more evidence of past water activity and potential biological markers.



These future efforts could significantly enhance our understanding of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-vanishing-water-mystery-new-insights-curiosity-rover/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Red Planet</a> and refine our search for life beyond Earth, spurring innovative technologies and methodologies in planetary science research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-mars-and-its-water-activity">Early Mars and its water activity</h2>



This recent study builds on previous research, taking us a step closer to understanding what early Mars was like. 



According to Dr. Cavosie, identifying the signs of water-rich fluids from the zircon's formation period provides geochemical markers of water in the oldest known Martian crust.



The research was conducted by scientists from Curtin’s Space Science and Technology Centre, the John de Laeter Centre, and the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Adelaide</a>. 



Dr. Jack Gillespie is the lead author of the paper detailing study, which is set to be published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adq3694" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances.</a>



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Discovery: Ancient Mars had hot water that could have supported life

The Red Planet has always been a subject of intrigue and fascination. Recent research led by Curtin University has added more fuel to this age-old curiosity. The scientists discovered what could possibly be the oldest evidence of hot water activity on Mars. This discovery opens up possibilities that at some point in its mysterious past, Mars may have been a place where life could exist. Hot water on Mars The study focused on a zircon grain from the renowned Martian meteorite NWA7034, fondly known as Black Beauty....

A new study led by experts at <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a> highlights the risks of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-could-help-asian-carp-invade-lake-michigan/">global warming</a> for individuals with cardiovascular issues. According to the research, rising temperatures over the last two decades have led to a substantial increase in heat-related cardiovascular hospitalizations.

Heart conditions such as coronary artery disease and arrhythmias are exacerbated by extreme temperatures, both hot and cold, increasing the risk of a fatal stroke and heart attack. Climate change is increasing the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme temperatures.

Previous studies have found a decrease in the link between extreme heat and cardiovascular deaths, suggesting that people may have adapted to the warming climate. The current research, however, indicates that the correlation between heat and fatal heart events has actually strengthened over time.

"Most studies have only focused on hot temperature and mortality," explained the researchers. "We aim to investigate the temporal variations in the association between ambient temperature and hospitalizations for cardiovascular diseases."

The study was focused on data involving 1,855,717 cardiovascular hospitalizations in Queensland between 1995 and 2016. During these years, the daily average temperature in Queensland increased from 20.9 degrees Celsius to 21.7 degrees Celsius, and the annual number of cardiovascular hospitalizations increased from 46,730 to 123,477. 

The relative risk of cardiovascular hospitalization associated with high temperatures was found to increase over time, regardless of the patients' age, sex, or climate zone. On the other hand, the impact of cold temperatures was found to decrease over time. 

The adverse effects of heat were stronger in male patients. The impacts of heat were also stronger among people less than 70 years old compared to those over 70.

"The findings highlight that Queensland people have adapted to the impacts of cold temperatures, but not high temperatures," wrote the study authors.

"Given the increased associations between hot temperatures and cardiovascular hospitalization and the acceleration of global warming, we highlight a worrying trend that the burden of cardiovascular healthcare facilities is to increase over time on high temperature days."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/">PLOS Medicine</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Heat-related cardiovascular hospitalizations are on the rise 

A new study led by experts at Monash University highlights...

The potential health benefits of cinnamon have been widely studied. Previous research has found that the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in cinnamon lower the risk of conditions such as heart disease.

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.endocrine.org/">Endocrine Society</a> suggests that cinnamon improves blood sugar control in people with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/federal-nutrition-research-is-urgently-needed-in-america/">prediabetes</a> and could slow the progression to type 2 diabetes (T2D).

An estimated 90 million people have prediabetes in the United States, which is characterized by high blood sugar levels and often leads to type 2 diabetes. It is possible to prevent the progression of prediabetes to T2D, but identifying effective prevention strategies has been challenging. 

Study lead author Dr. Giulio R. Romeo is an endocrinologist at the Joslin Diabetes Center in Boston.

"Our 12-week study showed beneficial effects of adding cinnamon to the diet on keeping blood sugar levels stable in participants with prediabetes," said Dr. Romeo. "These findings provide the rationale for longer and larger studies to address if cinnamon can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes over time."

The researchers used a randomized clinical trial (RCT) to examine the effects of cinnamon supplementation in 51 participants with prediabetes. For 12 weeks, Participants were given a 500 mg cinnamon capsule or a placebo three times a day. 

The study revealed that individuals who received the supplements had lower fasting glucose levels and an improved response to eating a meal with carbohydrates. In addition, cinnamon was not associated with negative side effects.

"In conclusion, treatment with cinnamon for 12 weeks, compared to placebo, resulted in favorable changes on measures of glucose homeostasis in a representative population of participants with prediabetes," wrote the study authors. 

"These findings should set the foundation for a longer and larger RCT that directly addresses the impact of cinnamon on incident T2D and/or remission of prediabetes."

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jes">Journal of the Endocrine Society</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Cinnamon helps control blood sugar in prediabetics

The potential health benefits of cinnamon have been widely studied....

Doctors are stressed at work and at home during pandemic. A recent study led by researchers at <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">UC San Francisco</a> is the first of its kind to evaluate the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/inflammatory-response-to-stress-linked-to-brown-fat-cells/">stress</a> levels of doctors in the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study shows that emergency medical physicians are experiencing high levels of emotional exhaustion and anxiety, regardless of the intensity of the COVID-19 outbreak in their local area. 

In seven cities across California, Louisiana, and New Jersey, doctors reported having anxiety at both work and home.

One of the most common sources of stress among physicians is the concern of exposing relatives and friends to the virus. The majority of the 426 emergency physicians surveyed reported changes in their behavior toward family and friends, particularly decreased signs of affection.

"Occupational exposure has changed the vast majority of physicians' behavior at both work and home," said study lead author Dr. Robert M. Rodriguez. "At home, doctors are worried about exposing family members or roommates, possibly needing to self-quarantine, and the effects of excess social isolation because of their work on the front line."

There were slight differences found between men and women, with women reporting higher stress levels. 

The average male physician expressed that the effect of the pandemic on stress ranked at a 5 out of 7, with 4 being somewhat stressful and 7 being extremely stressful. On average, female physicians ranked their stress response at a level of 6.

Both men and women reported higher levels of emotional exhaustion or burnout. The highest level of concern was tied to a lack of personal protective equipment (PPE), which was often cited as the source of the greatest potential relief.

The doctors also expressed having anxiety over inadequate rapid diagnostic testing, the risk of community spread by discharged patients, and the well-being of coworkers diagnosed with COVID-19.

According to the researchers, the survey also revealed clear-cut strategies for mitigating anxiety among physicians, including better access to PPE and rapid turnaround testing. 

At the time of the survey, the majority of study sites were in California, which at the time of the survey had not yet experienced the large surges of patients seen in other areas of the country. 

However, the researchers found that the levels of anxiety in the California sites were similar to those in the New Orleans and Camden sites, which were experiencing surges at the time.

"This suggests that the impact of COVID-19 on anxiety levels is pervasive and that measures to mitigate stress should be enacted universally," said Dr. Rodriguez. "Some of our findings may be intuitive, but this research provides a critical early template for the design and implementation of interventions that will address the mental health needs of emergency physicians in the COVID-19 pandemic era."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15532712">Academic Emergency Medicine</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Doctors are stressed at work and at home during pandemic

Doctors are stressed at work and at home during pandemic....

A national poll from <a href="https://www.uofmhealth.org/">Michigan Medicine</a> suggests that many parents fail to use the best practices for protecting <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/electronic-media-use-linked-to-poor-sleep-in-children/">children</a> from the sun. The researchers said that while the majority of parents recognize the importance of sunscreen, many are not using the proper SPF or reapplying often enough.

The study shows that only three percent of parents do not use sunscreen for their child. One in ten parents that are using it, however, do not choose a specific minimum SPF.

When children are playing in the sun outside of the water, half of parents do not reapply sunscreen, according to the survey. In addition, 33 percent do not reapply on a cloudy day, even though clouds do not completely block harmful UV rays.

Dr. Gary Freed is a pediatrician and the co-director of the <a href="https://mottpoll.org/">C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll</a> on Children's Health at Michigan Medicine.

"Children are spending more time in the sun and possibly at beaches and pools as families enjoy outdoor summer activities. But too much sun exposure can be dangerous and damage the skin," said Dr. Freed.

"Parents should be aware that UV rays from the sun can reach their children on cloudy and hazy days, not just on bright and sunny days. Children need protection regardless of the amount of sunshine."

The research is based on survey responses from 1,120 parents with children between the ages of 5 and 12. Most of the participants agree that sunscreen is very important for preventing sunburns and skin cancer, while half believe sunscreen is vital in preventing premature aging and wrinkles.

The parents were found to take several factors into consideration when deciding whether to use sun protection, such how long their child will be outside, what the child is wearing, whether the child will be around water, and how hot it is. Nearly half of parents say they take into account whether it is cloudy outside.

Different factors also influence the decision to reapply sunscreen. In the survey, 81 percent of parents reported reapplying within two hours when children are playing in the water. However, frequent reapplication dropped to 50 percent for children playing outside of the water, 25 percent on a cloudy day, and to 20 percent when children are playing in a shady area.

Dr. Freed pointed out that no sunscreen is actually waterproof, and in order to be effective sunscreen needs to be reapplied every couple of hours - or even more often if children are in the water.

Sunscreens labeled "water resistant" are required to disclose whether the protection remains effective for 40 minutes or 80 minutes when swimming.

Dr. Freed recommends for parents  to choose broad spectrum sunscreens with a minimum SPF of 15 to 30. In addition, he says that sun exposure should be limited during the peak intensity hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

"Parents may believe their children are adequately protected from the sun but if the SPF is too low or they're not reapplying often enough, kids are still at risk of sunburns," said Dr. Freed. "Sunscreen is a key preventive tool against burns and skin cancer, but it must be used properly to be effective."

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Many parents are not using sunscreen properly  

A national poll from Michigan Medicine suggests that many parents...

A huge rock core from the Petrified Forest in Arizona is providing new insight into how our planet was impacted by natural disasters during the Triassic Period. Analysis of the quarter-mile rock core will help scientists understand how Earth's ecosystems evolved and what led to the end-Triassic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dead-land-species-changed-ocean-chemistry-during-extinction-event/">extinction</a> around 201 million years ago.

The Triassic is characterized by a number of catastrophic events, including at least three impacts by enormous asteroids, widespread volcanic eruptions, and tectonic movement that tore apart the supercontinent Pangea.

During this chaotic time period, a large number of plants and animals vanished, including some of the long-snouted and armored reptiles that ruled Pangea. The exact cause of the extinction event has remained a mystery.

The geological record in the rock core contains a continuous stretch of Earth's history from 225 million to 209 million years ago. The timeline provides an opportunity for scientists to investigate abrupt environmental changes during the peak of the Late Triassic.

Cornelia Rasmussen is a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="https://www.ig.utexas.edu/">University of Texas Institute for Geophysics</a> (UTIG), who led the core dating analysis.

"The core lets us wind the clock back 225 million years when Petrified Forest National Park was a tropical hothouse populated by crocodile-like reptiles and turkey-size early dinosaurs," said Rasmussen.

"We can now begin to interpret changes in the fossil record, such as whether changes in the plant and animal world at the time were caused by an asteroid impact or rather by slow geographic changes of the supercontinent drifting apart."

Dr. Adam Marsh is a paleontologist at Petrified Forest National Park. He explained that despite a rich collection of fossils from the period in North America, until now there was little information on the Late Triassic's timeline because most of what scientists knew came from studying outcrops of exposed rock pushed to the surface by tectonic movements.

"Outcrops are like broken pieces of a puzzle," said Dr. Marsh."It is incredibly difficult to piece together a continuous timeline from their exposed and weathered faces."

The new core contains every rock layer in the order it was deposited, which means the layers can be matched with the fossil and climate record.

According to Rasmussen, the analysis of the core produced two slightly different stories. The first scenario suggests that changes across Triassic species were not connected to any single catastrophic event, but were  simply due to the natural course of evolution. The second scenario shows a correlation between changes in the fossil record and a powerful asteroid impact, which left behind a crater in Canada over 62 miles wide.

Dr. Marsh said the findings are just part of the process to reach the truth. "The two age models are not problematic and will help guide future studies."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/gsabulletin">GSA Bulletin</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Arizona rock will help solve mysteries of the Triassic 

A huge rock core from the Petrified Forest in Arizona...

Darkling beetle larvae have the potential to help tackle the issue of <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/new-recycling-method-maintains-the-quality-of-plastics/">plastic</a> pollution, according to a new study led by experts in the Department of Chemical Engineering at <a href="http://www.postech.ac.kr/">POSTECH</a>. 

The researchers have discovered for the first time that the larvae of the darkling beetle P. davidis can consume polystyrene and reduce both its mass and molecular weight. 

"We have discovered a new insect species that lives in East Asia - including Korea - that can biodegrade plastic through the gut flora of its larvae," said study co-author Professor Hyung Joon Cha.

By 2017, 8.3 billion tons of plastic waste had been produced across the globe, but only nine percent of this waste was recycled. The issue of plastic waste is made much worse by the fact that plastics can take as long as hundreds of years to decompose. 

For example, a floating island of waste called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch has accumulated an estimated 80,000 tons of plastic particles in the North Pacific Ocean and continues to grow.

In collaboration with Professor Intek Song of Andong National University, the POSTECH team has determined that a species of darkling beetle larvae can decompose polystyrene, a material that is difficult to break down due to its unique molecular structure.

The researchers isolated the bacteria Serratia in the intestinal tract of the beetle larvae. When polystyrene was fed to the larvae for two weeks, six times the amount of Serratia appeared in the gut flora. 

Unlike that of other known polystyrene-degrading insects, the gut flora of beetle larvae was found to consist of a very simple group of six species. This combination of bacterial strains could ultimately be used in the development of a polystyrene-decomposing flora.

The research also suggests that polystyrene could be broken down by other insects besides darkling beetles that also feed on rotten wood. 

"If we use the plastic-degrading bacterial strain isolated in this study and replicate the simple gut floral composition of P. davidis, there is the chance that we could completely biodegrade polystyrene, which has been difficult to completely decompose, to ultimately contribute to solving the plastic waste problem that we face," said Professor Cha.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aem.asm.org/">Applied and Environmental Microbiology</a>.

 ---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Darkling beetle larvae can degrade plastic in their gut

Darkling beetle larvae have the potential to help tackle the...

The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is an important focus of research into the evolution of the Earth's <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/earths-magnetic-field-shifts-ten-times-faster-than-expected/">magnetic field</a>. In this region between Africa and South America, the strength of the magnetic field is significantly weakened compared with areas at similar latitudes.

Some studies have suggested that the SAA is indicative of upcoming changes, such as a reversal of the magnetic field. But now, a new study shows that magnetic anomalies in the South Atlantic region are nothing new. 

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a> have found evidence that  anomalies appeared in the South Atlantic as far back as eight to 11 million years ago. According to the study authors, it is unlikely that the recurring activity signals an impending reversal of the Earth's magnetic field.

The geomagnetic field protects the planet from harmful radiation by deflecting solar wind that would otherwise destroy the ozone layer. However, the field is not entirely stable and has the potential to reverse itself, as it has done many times in the past.

The most obvious impacts of the SAA are technical malfunctions on satellites and spacecraft as they are exposed to strong radiation in the region.

The Liverpool researchers focused their analysis on igneous rocks from Saint Helena, an island located within the South Atlantic Anomaly. The rocks preserve historical evidence of the behavior of Earth's magnetic field.

The rocks were found to contain geological records of 34 different volcanic eruptions which occurred between eight and 11 million years ago. The analysis showed that at the time of these eruptions, the direction of the magnetic field for St. Helena often pointed far from the North pole - as it still does today.

"Our study provides the first long term analysis of the magnetic field in this region dating back millions of years. It reveals that the anomaly in the magnetic field in the South Atlantic is not a one-off, similar anomalies existed eight to 11 million years ago," said study lead author PhD student Yael Engbers.

"This is the first time that the irregular behavior of the geomagnetic field in the South Atlantic region has been shown on such a long timescale. It suggests that the South Atlantic Anomaly is a recurring feature and probably not a sign of an impending reversal."

"It also supports earlier studies that hint towards a link between the South Atlantic Anomaly and anomalous seismic features in the lowermost mantle and the outer core. This brings us closer to linking behavior of the geomagnetic field directly to features of the Earth's interior."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

South Atlantic anomalies have appeared for millions of years

The South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) is an important focus of...

Scientists have discovered the strongest evidence to date that Venus is still a geologically active planet. An international team of researchers has identified 37 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/historic-volcanic-eruption-christianity/">volcanic</a> structures on Venus that were recently active. 

Study co-author Laurent Montési is a professor of Geology at the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>.

"This is the first time we are able to point to specific structures and say 'Look, this is not an ancient volcano but one that is active today, dormant perhaps, but not dead,'" said Professor Montési.

"This study significantly changes the view of Venus from a mostly inactive planet to one whose interior is still churning and can feed many active volcanoes."

While Mars and Mercury have cold interiors, they also have older surfaces than Venus. Scientists have previously suspected that Venus may have a warm, active interior due the presence of coronae. These ring-like volcanic features form when plumes of hot material rise from deep within the planet through the mantle layer and crust. 

However, it has been widely accepted that the coronae on Venus are probably signs of ancient activity, and that the planet eventually cooled enough to bring this activity to a halt.

For the current investigation, the researchers modeled activity beneath the surface of Venus to create high-resolution, 3D simulations of coronae formation. The simulations have captured the process of coronae formation in unprecedented detail. As a result, Professor Montési and his team were able to identify features that are present only in recently active coronae, and identified these specific features on the surface of Venus.

The study reveals that some of the variation observed in coronae across the planet represents different stages of geological development. The research provides the first clear evidence that coronae on Venus are still evolving, which means the planet's interior is still churning.

"The improved degree of realism in these models over previous studies makes it possible to identify several stages in corona evolution and define diagnostic geological features present only at currently active coronae," said Professor Montési. "We are able to tell that at least 37 coronae have been very recently active."

The active coronae on Venus were found to be clustered together in several locations. This shows where the planet is most active, providing important clues about active processes deep in the planet's interior. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo">Nature Geoscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Study reveals that Venus is still an active planet

Scientists have discovered the strongest evidence to date that Venus...

A new study from <a href="https://www.umu.se/en/">Umea University</a> highlights the uncertainty involved in projecting CO2 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-methane-emissions-hit-highest-levels-ever-recorded/">emissions</a> from thawing permafrost in the Arctic. 

The research reveals that CO2 emissions from permafrost have been underestimated by billions of tons due to the role of plant roots in microbial decomposition and carbon release.

As permafrost thaws across the Arctic, carbon in the organic matter is oxidized to CO2 through microbial activity. Some of this carbon has been stored in the frozen soils for thousands of years.

In the current study, the researchers have investigated a process called the priming effect, which occurs when plant roots in the soil accelerate microbial activity and carbon release. The experts discovered that this process alone will cause 40 billion tons of CO2 emissions by the end of this century.

The amount of carbon stored in permafrost is so massive that it is comparable to all of the carbon that is currently stored on Earth and in the atmosphere combined. 

The surface of the permafrost thaws in summer, which boosts productivity in plants and soil. The thawing microorganisms begin to emit greenhouse gases. 

Scientists have previously estimated that global warming will drive the release of 50 to 100 billion tons permafrost carbon by 2100. The priming effect will independently increase these emissions. During priming, plant roots feed sugar to microorganisms in the soil, which the microbes can use to break down more soil organic matter.

Study co-lead author Frida Keuper is a research scientist at Umea University and the French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment.

"We have known about the priming effect since the 1950's, but we did not know whether or not this small-scale ecological interaction had a significant impact on the global carbon cycle," explained Keuper.

For the investigation, the researchers analyzed maps of plant activity and data on soil carbon content from the Northern Circumpolar Soil Carbon Database. By combining this data with extensive literature on priming and plant root properties, the team was able to estimate the extent of the priming effect in permafrost ecosystems and its influence on greenhouse gas emissions.

The analysis shows that the priming effect increases soil microbial respiration by 12 percent, which will ultimately result in the release of an additional 40 billion tons of carbon by 2100 compared to the latest predictions.

The amount of CO2 emissions tied to the priming effect is equivalent to almost a quarter of the remaining "carbon budget" for human activities to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius.

Study co-lead author Birgit Wild is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Science and Analytical Chemistry at Stockholm University.

"These new findings demonstrate how important it is to consider small-scale ecological interactions, such as the priming effect, in global greenhouse gas emission modeling," concluded Professor Wild.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo">Nature Geoscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Plant roots will increase Arctic CO2 emissions by 40 billion tons

A new study from Umea University highlights the uncertainty involved...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> have discovered a new way to supercharge shellfish with nutrients in an effort to address the widespread issue of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-d-childhood-obesity/">vitamin</a> deficiency in humans.

The researchers are currently working with major seafood manufacturers to test their new method of fortification.

Worldwide, more than two billion people suffer from vitamin deficiency, which can lead to a number of serious health issues. 

Dr. David Aldridge and PhD student David Willer have produced the world's first microcapsule that is specially designed to deliver nutrients to bivalves, including mussels, clams, and oysters, which are important sustainable sources of proteins. The "vitamin bullets" are being manufactured under patent by Dr. Aldridge's company, BioBullets.

Bivalve shellfish serve as ideal candidates for fortification. This is because they are consumed in their entirely, including the nutrients available in their guts.

The scientists found that oysters enhanced with micronutrients delivered around 100 times more Vitamin A and over 150 times more Vitamin D than natural oysters. 

The fortified oysters outperformed salmon, one of the best natural sources of these vitamins. The supercharged oysters delivered more than 26 times the Vitamin A and more than 4 times the Vitamin D provided by salmon. 

The study revealed that just two supercharged shellfish provided enough Vitamin A and D to meet human Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDAs).

Vitamin A and D deficiencies are both responsible for major public health crises. In Ghana, more than 76 percent of children are Vitamin A deficient, putting them at a higher risk of blindness and death. In India, 85 percent of the population is lacking in Vitamin D, which causes cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis, and rickets. 

"We have demonstrated a cheap and effective way to get micronutrients into a sustainable and delicious source of protein," said Willer. "Targeted use of this technology in regions worst affected by nutrient deficiencies, using carefully selected bivalve species and micronutrients, could help improve the health of millions, while also reducing the harm that meat production is doing to the environment."

Bivalves have higher protein content than beef and serve as a great source of omega-3 fatty acids and other key nutrients. Shellfish are also highly sustainable to farm, with a much lower environmental impact compared to farming other fish and animals. 

Bivalves are highly affordable, and the researchers calculated that fortification adds just $0.0056 to the cost of producing a single oyster.

"We are very excited about BioBullets' potential," said Dr. Aldridge. "We are now establishing links with some of the world's biggest seafood manufacturers to drive a step change in the sustainability and nutritional value of the seafood that we consume."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition">Frontiers in Nutrition</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;

Scientists supercharge shellfish to fight vitamin deficiency

Experts at the University of Cambridge have discovered a new...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html">University of Basel</a> has revealed that the drought of 2018 led to long-term consequences across central European <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/gold-mining-limits-the-recovery-of-amazon-forests/">forests</a>. The researchers found that even species that are considered to be resistant to drought, such as beech, pine, and silver fir, sustained major damage. 

As the hottest year in recorded history, 2018 shattered the previous record set in 2003 by 1.2 degrees Celsius. Compared to the average temperature from 1961 to 1990, the summer of 2018 was hotter by 3.3 degrees.

For the current investigation, the team extensively analyzed tree canopies at a research site in Basel called the Swiss Canopy Crane II.

The goal of the study was to gain a better understanding of how and when trees are affected by water deprivation. This insight will ultimately help in developing targeted management measures to offset the impacts of climate change.

Trees lose a lot of water through their surfaces that is impossible to replace through the roots when the soil becomes dry. This water shortage is visible in negative suction tension in the wood's vascular tissue. 

While trees are capable of reducing their water intake during droughts, a lack of water in the soil ultimately causes cell dehydration and death.

Physiological measurements of trees at the Basel site showed that water shortages and negative suction tension had occurred earlier than usual. 

The water shortages were the worst ever measured throughout Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, according to the researchers. Over the course of the summer, severe stress symptoms such as aging and premature shedding appeared in many tree species important to forestry. 

In 2019, the consequences of the summer heatwave became even more clear when many trees failed to form new shoots. The trees that had managed to survive were increasingly vulnerable to bark beetle infestation or fungus. 

Trees with partially dead canopies were found to be much less capable of recovering from damage.

"Spruce was most heavily affected. But it was a surprise for us that beech, silver fir and pine were also damaged to this extent," said study lead author Professor Ansgar Kahmen. 

Beech was once widely regarded as 'the tree of the future." However, the resilience of beech trees became a subject of debate after the 2003 heatwave.

The latest climate projections show that precipitation in Europe will decline by up to a fifth later this century, while drought and heat become more frequent. This means that it is essential to redesign forests to build up their tolerance to extreme conditions. 

"Mixed woodland is often propagated, and it certainly has many ecological and economic advantages. But whether mixed woodland is also more drought-resistant has not yet been clearly proven," said Professor Kahmen. "We still need to study which tree species are good in which combinations, including from a forestry perspective. That will take a long time."

"The damage is obvious. More difficult is precisely quantifying it and drawing the right conclusions for the future."

Conventional methods must be replaced with more advanced approaches to speed up the process, such as using Earth-observing satellite data. "A system like this already exists in some regions in the US, but central Europe still lacks one."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/basic-and-applied-ecology">Basic and Applied Ecology</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;

European forests struggle to recover from 2018 drought

A new study from the University of Basel has revealed...

In a groundbreaking new study, experts have found a natural compound that can be used to fight "superbugs." The scientists discovered a substances in the leaves of a common shrub, the American beautyberry, that can restore an antibiotic's power against resistant staph <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experts-find-a-gut-bacteria-that-reduces-the-risk-of-heart-disease/">bacteria</a>. 

Lab experiments showed that in combination with oxacillin, the beautyberry compound was able to knock out resistance to the drug of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

The research was led by scientists at Emory University and the University of Notre Dame, and is published in the American Chemical Society's Infectious Diseases.

The American beautyberry, Callicarpa americana, is native to the southern United States. The shrub grows large clusters of bright purple berries that are eaten, and then dispersed, by birds and deer. 

Study co-senior author Cassandra Quave is an assistant professor in <a href="http://whsc.emory.edu/">Emory Health Sciences</a> and a member of the Emory Antibiotic Resistance Center. Professor Quave is an expert in the field of medical ethnobotany, researching how indigenous people incorporate plants in healing practices to uncover promising candidates for new drugs.

"We decided to investigate the chemical properties of the American beautyberry because it was an important medicinal plant for Native Americans," explained Professor Quave.

The Alabama, Choctaw, Creek, Koasati, Seminole and other Native American tribes relied on the American beautyberry for a variety of medicinal purposes. The leaves were boiled to treat malarial fevers and rheumatism, the roots were boiled to treat dizziness and stomach aches, and the bark was used in formulas to relieve itchy skin. 

In previous work, Professor Quave found that extracts from the leaves inhibit the growth of a bacterium that causes acne. The current study was focused on the potential for leaf extracts to fight MRSA.

"Even a single plant tissue can contain hundreds of unique molecules," said Professor Quave. "It's a painstaking process to chemically separate them out, then test and retest until you find one that's effective."

The researchers identified a compound that inhibited the growth of MRSA, but only slightly, so the team tested the substance combined with beta-lactam antibiotics. 

"Beta-lactam antibiotics are some of the safest and least toxic that are currently available in the antibiotic arsenal," said Professor Quave. "Unfortunately, MRSA has developed resistance to them."

In the lab, the researchers found that the beautyberry leaf compound synergizes with the beta-lactam antibiotic oxacillin to eliminate MRSA's resistance to the drug. The next is to see if this concoction is effective using animal models.

"We need to keep filling the drug-discovery pipeline with innovative solutions, including potential combination therapies, to address the ongoing and growing problem of antibiotic resistance," said Professor Quave.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2.8 million people get an antibiotic-resistant infection every year in the U.S., and more than 35,000 people die.

"Even in the midst of the COVID-19, we can't forget about the issue of antibiotic resistance," said Professor Quave. She noted that many COVID-19 patients are receiving antibiotics to deal with secondary infections brought on by their weakened conditions, raising concerns about a later surge in antibiotic-resistant infections.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/aidcbc">ACS Infectious Diseases</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;

Beautyberry compound can fight antibiotic resistance

In a groundbreaking new study, experts have found a natural...

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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



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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

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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