Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? 



Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-children-s-books-animal-characters">Children's books animal characters</h2>



The research has shed light on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toddlers-learn-faster-after-witnessing-impossible-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potential influence</a> of non-human characters in children's books.



The researchers aimed to gauge how these animal characters affected children's theory of mind skills - crucial abilities which include deciphering social changes in the environment based on voice tone, word choice, or facial expressions.



They worked with over 100 children aged five to 10, each of whom were tested on their theory of mind skills after hearing stories featuring animal characters, as well as those highlighting human characters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-vs-animal-characters-in-books">Human vs. animal characters in books</h2>



The study unveiled an interesting pattern. When exposed to stories centered around human characters, an age-related progression was observed. 



Older children were consistently outperforming their younger counterparts, with 3rd grade children surpassing the researchers' expectations in tests featuring human characters.



But the revelations didn't stop there. The tests that involved animal characters threw up another surprise. 



The younger participants were able to match the scores achieved by pupils in 3rd grade, who were two years their senior. That's quite a feat for our young champions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-insight-into-children-s-development">New insight into children's development</h2>



These findings, published in the Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, highlight the importance of both human and non-human characters in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/outdoor-classes-improve-childrens-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">children's developmental stages</a>.



The research was led by Dr. Gray Atherton and Dr. Liam Cross from the University of Plymouth’s <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/schools/psychology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">School of Psychology</a>.



"Animals play a huge part of children’s stories, whether that is in books and comics or through TV and film. We wanted to test if that is down to more than simply liking the characters, and whether there are actual benefits of children learning through by watching or reading about animals and if this changes over time," said Dr. Atherton.



"Our findings showed that both human and non-human characters are important in helping children interpret the world around them, and that they play differing roles at different stages in their development. Adapting activities and lessons in nurseries and the early school years to take that into account could be hugely effective in helping to support their development."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-educators-and-parents">Implications for educators and parents</h2>



The insights gained from this study have substantial implications for educators and parents aiming to support children's cognitive and social development.



By incorporating both human and animal characters into books, educators can craft a more balanced learning environment that caters to the diverse needs of children across age groups. 



Parents, too, can enrich their children's home learning experiences by selecting a variety of stories that include both human and animal protagonists. 



This approach not only makes reading sessions more engaging but also aids in developing empathy and understanding of complex social scenarios.



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



While this study provides valuable insights, it also opens avenues for further exploration. 



Future research could go deeper into the types of animal characteristics that are most effective in nurturing children's theory of mind. For instance, exploring whether anthropomorphized animals or more realistic portrayals have differing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/parents-who-use-humor-have-better-relationships-with-their-children/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">impacts</a>. 



Similarly, cross-cultural studies could investigate whether the affinity towards animal characters holds true in diverse cultural contexts. These inquiries could refine understanding and application in educational strategies, enhancing the efficacy of storytelling as a developmental tool.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-animal-characters-and-autism-treatment">Animal characters and autism treatment</h2>



In previous studies, Dr. Atherton and Dr. Cross examined the factors influencing the educational and social development of individuals with autism and learning difficulties.



The experts launched initiatives proving how board and online games can bolster confidence among people with autism. 



Borrowing insights from this research, the scholars now plan to dig deeper to explore if their findings could provide specific benefits to children with such conditions.



Dr. Cross envisions a significant impact of this study on individuals with autism or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kids-with-behavioral-issues-have-high-cortisol-levels-in-their-hair/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">other conditions</a> affecting their learning. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-way-of-looking-at-animal-characters">A new way of looking at animal characters</h2>



The researchers have observed how tasks involving animal characters can result in autistic individuals performing on par with non-autistic children. 



The plan is to replicate this study with autistic children in an effort to unveil more effective ways to support them at a critical stage in their development.



In a nutshell, this study has unraveled an entirely new dimension of how we view animals in children's books. 



Those delightful animal characters do more than simply entertain; they help shape our children's minds and understanding of the world around them in their formative years.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S002209652400256X?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Experimental Child Psychology</a>. 



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Animal characters boost social and emotional skills in children

Do you recall those childhood days when you eagerly anticipated bedtime stories about Peter Rabbit, Toad or Ratty from The Wind in the Willows? Or the excitement that washed over you every time you opened a children's book teeming with playful, animated animals? Well, a new study is giving us a fresh perspective on the role of these furry, iconic characters. Children's books animal characters The research has shed light on the potential influence of non-human characters in children's books. The researchers aimed to gauge how these...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/logging-intensified-the-risk-and-severity-of-australian-wildfires/">Australia</a> is often perceived as being an idle continent, but a new study suggests that the region is much more geologically active than expected. 

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a> have found evidence that Australian mountains are much younger than previously thought, and they are still growing. 

The experts determined that the Eastern Highlands of Victoria, including skiing destinations like Mt. Baw and Mt. Buller, only date back about 5 million years. Prior to this study, these mountains were estimated to be 90 million years old. 

John Engel is one of four experts in the School of Earth Sciences who analyzed stalagmites, stalactites, and speleothems in the nearby Buchan Caves. The analysis revealed new clues about the age and activity of the mountains.

"At least 250 meters of additional height in the East Victorian Highlands appears to have been gained in the last few million years," said Engel.

With the guidance of Parks Victoria Rangers, the scientists visited 10 caves. They collected small fragments of speleothem "rubble," which were later analyzed in the lab using radiometric U-Pb dating.

"Our research shows a clear trend between the oldest speleothem and height in the landscape," said Engel. 

"The data suggests that the Buchan region has been steadily uplifting at a rate of 76 meters every million years, beginning at least 3.5 million years ago and continuing today. This means that some speleothems have been sitting in dark caves undisturbed for 3.5 million years."

The cause of the recent uplift is not yet clear, but the researchers believe it may be explained by tectonic activity. 

"The Australian and Pacific plates share a common boundary and many of the forces involved at this boundary may be propagated into the Australian plate as tectonic stress. Some of this tectonically-induced stress is then released as uplift of the mountains in South East Australia."

"This is why East Gippsland may still feel effects related to these tectonic forces. This subtle modification of classical plate tectonic theory can help explain the frequent, small earthquakes observed along South East Australia," explained Engel.

He said that while mountains like the Himalaya and the Swiss Alps are admired for their aesthetic appeal, uncovering the secret stories surrounding when and how mountains form provides a layer of appreciation as well as an active field of research for geologists.

"Our research showcases a new - and rather unique - method for measuring the uplift of mountains," said Engel. 

"This technique of using speleothem is likely to also work in other caves across the world for regions with 'recent' tectonic activity, offering geologists great opportunities to share more stories about these impressive and unchanging features of our landscape."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geology">Geology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Secrets of Australian mountains found deep in caves

Australia is often perceived as being an idle continent, but...

Researchers at the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> have revealed that spring rainfall stirs up microscopic particles of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sunflower-pollen-protects-bees/">pollen</a> that linger in the air for hours after rainfall subsides. 

This is an unexpected discovery, and disappointing news for allergy sufferers, because spring rains are expected to offer some relief from high pollen counts.

The experts found that tree pollen fragments remain airborne for up to 11 hours after heavy rains. The microscopic granules can enter deep into the lungs, potentially triggering an allergic reaction or respiratory effects. 

The findings are based on direct measurements of pollen fragment concentrations during and after spring rains in 2019.

"Our results show that while pollen grains decrease substantially during rain, peak concentrations of submicron pollen fragments occur during rain events and then persist for several hours," said study co-author Professor Elizabeth Stone.

"People who are sensitive to pollen in season should avoid going outdoors during rain events, especially thunderstorms, and for several hours afterward."

Pollen grains tend to rupture when exposed to humidity. The grains are pulled up to the cloud base in the storm's updraft, and then propelled back to the ground in the downdraft and falling rain.

Pollen fragments, however, are much smaller than pollen grains and do not settle as easily. While pollen grains are 20 to 100 microns in size, tiny pollen particles are less than 2.5 microns.

During the peak tree pollen season in April and May of 2019, the researchers set out to obtain direct measurements during and after various rainfall events in Iowa City, Iowa. 

The team documented pollen concentrations for a variety of weather conditions, ranging from light rains to a severe thunderstorm that produced a tornado. 

"Our study shows clearly that rain decreases intact pollen concentrations. But it can also increase pollen fragments," said Professor Stone. "The interesting thing about the pollen fragments is the really high concentrations only last for a short period of time, primarily when it's raining and during the peak of the storm."

The researchers determined that pollen fragment concentrations remained suspended in the air for anywhere from 2.5 to 11 hours after spring rainfall. The heavier the rains, they found, the longer the particles will linger. 

"People who are susceptible or have allergies to pollen in season should consider rain events and especially thunderstorms to be a potential source of allergenic particles that could have negative respiratory impacts on them," said Professor Stone. "My advice would be to stay indoors during and in the hours following rains and thunderstorms in the pollen season that they're allergic to."

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/estlcu">Environmental Science &amp; Technology Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Spring rainfall is an unexpected source of pollen

Researchers at the University of Iowa have revealed that spring...

Exercise boosts blood flow to two key regions of the brain associated with memory. Experts at <a href="https://www.utsouthwestern.edu/">UT Southwestern</a> discovered this critically important process while mapping changes that occurred in the brains of older adults after one year of aerobic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/children-exercise-more-when-parents-consider-their-interests/">exercise</a>. 

Remarkably, the study showed the exercise-induced blood flow improved cognition among older adults with memory issues. These findings have major implications for future Alzheimer's disease research.

A growing collection of studies has established a link between exercise and higher cognitive functioning, including research that suggests exercise can improve memory. 

The experts set out to understand what happens during exercise that could produce these brain health benefits. 

The team documented changes in long-term memory and cerebral blood flow in 30 participants who were at least 60 years of age and had memory problems. Half of the study participants engaged in 12 months of aerobic exercise training, while the other half were only trained in stretching.

After one year, the memory scores of the exercise group improved by 47 percent compared with minimal change in the control group.

At the beginning and end of the study, brains scans were performed on individuals in the exercise group while they were at rest.

The brain imaging revealed increased blood flow into the anterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampus, which play important roles in memory function.

Dr. Binu Thomas is a senior research scientist in Neuroimaging at UT Southwestern.

"Perhaps we can one day develop a drug or procedure that safely targets blood flow into these brain regions," said Dr. Thomas. "But we're just getting started with exploring the right combination of strategies to help prevent or delay symptoms of Alzheimer's disease. There's much more to understand about the brain and aging."

In a previous study on adults without memory issues, Dr. Thomas showed that aging athletes have better blood flow into the cortex than older adults who are sedentary. 

The new research is significant because it maps the long-term cognitive improvement in adults at a high risk of developing Alzheimer's disease.

More than 5 million Americans have Alzheimer's disease, and that number is expected to triple by 2050.

"We've shown that even when your memory starts to fade, you can still do something about it by adding aerobic exercise to your lifestyle," said Dr. Thomas.

"Cerebral blood flow is a part of the puzzle, and we need to continue piecing it together. But we've seen enough data to know that starting a fitness program can have lifelong benefits for our brains as well as our hearts."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.j-alz.com/">Journal of Alzheimer's Disease</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Exercise boosts blood flow to the brain and improves memory

Exercise boosts blood flow to two key regions of the...

The coastal regions of Antarctica are set to turn green as a result of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/experts-reconstruct-the-evolution-of-rice/">climate change</a>, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>. 

For the investigation, the researchers created a large-scale map of microscopic algae that blooms in the surface of the snow along the Antarctic Peninsula. 

The experts determined that the "green snow" will become more widespread as temperatures rise. 

Study author Dr. Matt Davey is an expert in Cambridge's Department of Plant Science.

"This is a significant advance in our understanding of land-based life on Antarctica, and how it might change in the coming years as the climate warms," said Dr. Dewey. "Snow algae are a key component of the continent's ability to capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis."

The researchers measured the green snow algae using satellite data and field observations over two summers.

The individual alga are just microscopic in size, but the blooms are so large they are visible from space. 

The green snow, which is particularly prevalent along the west coast of the Antarctic Peninsula, emerges in areas where average temperatures are just above zero degrees Celsius during the summer months of November to February. 

The study revealed that the excrement of marine birds and mammals serves as a natural fertilizer that fuels the growth of the algae. More than half of the blooms were located within five kilometers of a penguin colony. 

"We identified 1,679 separate blooms of green algae on the snow surface, which together covered an area of 1.9 km2, equating to a carbon sink of around 479 tons per year," said Dr. Davey. 

"As Antarctica warms, we predict the overall mass of snow algae will increase, as the spread to higher ground will significantly outweigh the loss of small island patches of algae," said study lead author Dr. Andrew Gray.

The researchers said that the total amount of carbon stored in Antarctic snow algae is likely to be much larger, considering that red and orange algae also absorb CO2 that was not measured in this study. 

The research highlights the important role that microscopic algae play in Antarctica's carbon cycle.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Climate change is turning the coast of Antarctica green

The coastal regions of Antarctica are set to turn green...

A giant armored <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rockfish-leave-chesapeake-bay-at-a-specific-length/">fish</a> that lived 380 million years ago used a feeding strategy similar to that of modern-day basking sharks, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>.

During the late Devonian period, Titanichthys was one of the largest predators in the sea. While its exact size is not clear, scientists have estimated that the fish exceeded five meters in length. Just like the basking shark today, Titanichthys had a massive jaw that was over a meter in length. 

Titanichthys lived alongside another large placoderm fish, Dunkleosteus, which had a lower jaw full of fangs and crushing plates. By contrast, the lower jaw of Titanichthys was narrow and lacked sharp edges for cutting. 

Titanichthys has been presumed to have been a suspension-feeder, which is a fish that simply opens its mouth and swims slowly to capture lots of prey. However, there is no fossilized evidence to confirm this theory.

The Bristol team set out to investigate by comparing the lower jaw of Titanichthys with those of other species. 

"We have found that Titanichthys was very likely to have been a suspension-feeder, showing that its lower jaw was considerably less mechanically robust than those of other placoderm species that fed on large or hard-shelled prey," explained study lead author Sam Coatham. "Consequently, those feeding strategies would probably have not been available for Titanichthys."

The study was focused on Titanichthys fossils found in the Moroccan part of the Sahara Desert by study co-author Christian Klug, a researcher at the University of Zurich. 

The team tested the resilience of the jaws by using a technique called Finite Element Analysis (FEA) to evaluate how likely each jaw was to break when force was applied virtually.

The researchers found that the lower jaw of Titanichthys was much less stress-resistant and much more likely to break compared to the lower jaws of other placoderm species, such as Dunkleosteus. This means that Titanichthys would have not been able to feed on larger prey.

Further analysis revealed that Titanichthys exhibited stress patterns along its jaw that are similar to those found in the suspension-feeding basking shark.

"Our methods could be extended to identify other such species in the fossil record and investigate whether there were common factors driving the evolution and extinction of these species," said Coatham.

"We suggest a link between oceanic productivity and the evolution of Titanichthys, but this should be investigated in detail in the future. An established link could have implications for our understanding of the conservation of modern suspension-feeders."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/journal/rsos">Royal Society Open Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Ancient armored fish had a modern feeding strategy

A giant armored fish that lived 380 million years ago...

A new study from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> has linked frequent <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/scientists-are-using-light-to-speed-up-the-internet/">internet</a> use to social isolation. The researchers found that older adults who use the internet on a daily basis are more reclusive than those who do not go online as often.

The study was focused on data from 4,492 adults in England with an average age of 64. Overall, 33 percent of the individuals were classified as being socially isolated and 19 percent reported high levels of loneliness. Interestingly, the researchers did not find a link between internet use and loneliness. 

According to the analysis, older adults who went online once a week or once a month were less likely to be socially isolated than daily internet users. The study also showed that the most frequent internet users reported levels of social isolation similar to adults who never went online.

Social isolation is a measure of interactions between an individual and society, including the size and diversity of the person's social network and the frequency of contact. 

"Our findings suggest that older adults who reported using the internet weekly or monthly may have a better balance between their real world and online contacts, and it's possible that many in this category are simply too busy to go online every day," said study lead author Stephanie Stockwell.

"We were surprised that daily internet users recorded similar levels of social isolation as those who never use the internet. It might be that many of these people go online to combat their social isolation," said Stockwell. 

"Alternatively, going online more frequently might actually cause greater social isolation among some older adults as they reduce their physical contacts."

The research took place before social distancing measures were introduced as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Older adults with access to the internet are likely to be using it much more often at the moment due to COVID-19 social distancing restrictions, but our findings indicate this is unlikely to improve levels of social isolation," said Stockwell. 

Nearly 70 percent of the adults examined for the research reported using the internet every day. The most common online activities were searching for information, sending emails, and shopping.

"One of the positive findings from our study is the suggestion that internet advertising and targeted emails could be used as an effective, low-cost way of delivering behavior change interventions, such as physical activity or dietary advice, to otherwise socially isolated individuals," noted senior author Dr. Lee Smith. "Indeed, this is a strategy that could be utilized during the current COVID-19 related social distancing."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/ageing-and-society">Ageing &amp; Society</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Daily internet use may lead to social isolation 

A new study from Anglia Ruskin University has linked frequent...

A new study has revealed that it was not one, not two, but three climate-related forces that triggered a devastating coral <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/brutal-coral-bleaching-event-strikes-the-great-barrier-reef/">bleaching</a> event across the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) in 2016. 

Study author Kristopher Karnauskas is an expert at the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES) and an associate professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">UC Boulder</a>.

"When the Great Barrier Reef bleached severely back in 2016, it earned global attention," said Professor Karnauskas. "Some speculated it was global warming, others thought it was El Niño, but the actual role of those two forces have not really been disentangled. As a physical climate scientist with a bias for the ocean, I thought I should dig in."

Professor Karnauskas combined satellite observations with a mathematics-based method to estimate the timing and extent of warming that could be linked to each weather event.

The study revealed that the first culprit was an El Niño system that instigated a marine heatwave by shifting sun-blocking clouds away from the region. 

This was followed by a terrestrial heatwave that moved over the coast of Australia just as the marine heatwave was subsiding.

Meanwhile, the heatwaves were exacerbated by long-term global warming.

"It turns out that El Niño did play a role, and the eventual warmth was certainly higher because of the long-term trend, but the reason it lasted so long was actually this terrestrial heatwave lurking over eastern Australia until the marine warming event was just finally waning, and then: bang, the heatwave leaked out over the coastline," said Professor Karnauskas. 

"That warm air over the ocean changed the way heat is exchanged between the ocean and atmosphere, keeping the ocean warm and bleaching for an extra month or so."

According to Professor Karnauskas, the 2016 marine heatwave persisted well into the winter, dramatically changing the species composition of the reefs.

"This new finding reveals that climate variability and change can lead to marine impacts in surprising, compounding ways, including heatwaves both on land and in the ocean."

"From heatwaves to hurricanes, we need to double down on efforts to understand the complexities of how anthropogenic climate change will influence extreme events in the future."

The accumulated heat stress of back-to-back mass bleaching events in 2016 and 2017 impacted two-thirds of the Great Barrier Reef. 

Even the fastest-growing corals need at least a decade to recover from bleaching. Nearly half of all the GBR's corals perished by the end of 2017, and increasingly frequent bleaching events are giving the reefs little time to recuperate. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Mulitiple forces caused 2016 coral bleaching event

A new study has revealed that it was not one,...

Six feet is not far enough for safe social distancing. Current social distancing guidelines of staying six feet apart are not sufficient to prevent <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hydroxychloroquine-is-not-an-effective-covid-19-treatment/">COVID-19</a> exposure, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.aip.org/">American Institute of Physics</a>. 

The researchers demonstrated that in windy conditions - even with the slightest breeze - saliva can travel 18 feet in five seconds.

The airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses is not entirely understood. The experts set out to gain a better understanding of how particles travel through the air when a person coughs.

"The droplet cloud will affect both adults and children of different heights," said study co-author Dimitris Drikakis. "Shorter adults and children could be at higher risk if they are located within the trajectory of the traveling saliva droplets."

Saliva droplets travel in a bulk of surrounding air released by a cough, but they do not always travel through the air in the same way. The movement of airborne particles is influenced by many factors such as humidity and air temperature.

For their investigation, the researchers created a computational fluid dynamics simulation that examines the state of every saliva droplet moving through the air in front of a coughing person. 

The model accounted for the effects of humidity, dispersion force, the interactions of saliva molecules and air, and the evaporation process.

Overall, about 3.7 million equations were analyzed with the computer model. The simulation contained a grid that represents the space in front of a coughing person.

"Each cell holds information about variables like pressure, fluid velocity, temperature, droplet mass, droplet position, etc.," said study co-author Talib Dbouk. 

"The purpose of the mathematical modeling and simulation is to take into account all the real coupling or interaction mechanisms that may take place between the main bulk fluid flow and the saliva droplets, and between the saliva droplets themselves."

The study revealed that a mild cough occurring in wind speeds as low as 4 kilometers per hour, or 2.5 miles per hour, can propel saliva droplets 18 feet.

According to the experts, further research is needed to determine the effect of ground surface temperature on the behavior of saliva in the air. 

Additional studies are also needed to examine indoor environments, where air conditioning has a significant impact on particle movement.

"This work is vital, because it concerns health and safety distance guidelines, advances the understanding of spreading and transmission of airborne diseases, and helps form precautionary measures based on scientific results," said Drikakis.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/phf">Physics of Fluids</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Six feet is not far enough for safe social distancing

Six feet is not far enough for safe social distancing....

The increasing frequency and severity of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/drought-in-western-u-s-may-become-the-worst-in-history/">drought</a> in California poses a major threat to salmon populations, but a new study led by <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">UC San Diego</a> describes how conservation efforts could make a big difference. 

According to the researchers, pools that serve as drought refuges would drastically reduce the risk for California's endangered salmon. 

The experts monitored nearly 20,000 fish in streams across Sonoma County from 2011 to 2017. The Russian River watershed is home to an endangered group of coho salmon that nearly vanished less than two decades ago, but conservation efforts have helped the population recover. 

"We were able to measure survival during this historic drought, which will help us understand how future droughts will impact this population of salmon," said study co-author Professor Ross Vander Vorste.

Droughts are becoming more frequent and intense in California as a result of climate change. The small streams that salmon depend on often dry up in drought conditions, which can leave the fish stranded. 

The experts set out to investigate how future habitat fragmentation associated with more severe drought will threaten salmon survival. The team also wanted to estimate how much water is needed to support salmon populations throughout the dry summer months. 

The research is providing insight into what habitats can serve as refuges during extreme conditions, and what physical and environmental conditions may influence the survival of juvenile salmon.

The team found evidence to suggest that even during the most extreme droughts, many stream pools act as refuges. In other areas, however, a lack of flowing water traps salmon in drying pools where they experience high mortality rates.

"For the most part, as long as water persisted in pools throughout the summer, salmon were able to survive," said Professor Vander Vorste. "So even though we saw decreased survival in many pools, there were some places that emerged as refuges."

"With the trend towards increasing drought, it's going to be harder and harder for these salmon to hang on," said study co-author Mariska Obedzinski. "So it's really important that some of these pools did maintain conditions that supported survival. That gives us hope that there is at least some habitat out there that can support these fish during drought."

The findings could help resource managers determine the best strategies to protect salmon during drought conditions.

"There are limited resources to address streamflow issues, so this study helps focus our attention in certain areas," said Obedzinski. "There are different strategies for different conditions." 

The areas that are likely to serve as refuges could become a priority for management, while the areas that become impaired during a drought could be targeted for streamflow enhancement.

The research has implications for understanding the threats of habitat fragmentation for other endangered species as well.

"Drought is not only going to affect the Russian River, but will also affect streams and rivers up and down the West Coast and around the world. Identifying environmental factors that are limiting salmon survival during those periods is an important finding that could have broader implications," said Professor Vander Vorste.

The study is published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Conservation efforts are needed to save California salmon

The increasing frequency and severity of drought in California poses...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> are describing why cats are twice as likely to survive a venomous snake bite compared to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dogs-struggle-with-adolescence-just-as-much-as-teenagers/">dogs</a>. The researchers discovered that after a snake bite, blood clotting begins much faster in dogs.

"Snakebite is a common occurrence for pet cats and dogs across the globe and can be fatal," said study co-author Dr. Brian Fry. "This is primarily due to a condition called 'venom-induced consumptive coagulopathy' - where an animal loses its ability to clot blood and sadly bleeds to death."

According to Dr. Fry, the eastern brown snake is responsible for an estimated 76 percent of reported domestic pet snakebites each year in Australia.

"And while only 31 percent of dogs survive being bitten by an eastern brown snake without antivenom, cats are twice as likely to survive - at 66 percent."

Cats also have a significantly higher survival rate if they receive antivenom treatment. Prior to this study, the phenomenon remained a mystery.

The researchers set out to compare the effects of snake venoms on the blood clotting agents in dogs and cats. They used a coagulation analyzer to test the effects of eastern brown snake venom and 10 additional venoms on dog and cat plasma in the lab.

"All venoms acted faster on dog plasma than cat or human," said study co-author Christina Zdenek.

"This indicates that dogs would likely enter a state where blood clotting fails sooner and are therefore more vulnerable to these snake venoms."

Zdenek explained that the spontaneous clotting time of the blood was dramatically faster in dogs than in cats, even without venom.

"This suggests that the naturally faster clotting blood of dogs makes them more vulnerable to these types of snake venoms," said Zdenek. "And this is consistent with clinical records showing more rapid onset of symptoms and lethal effects in dogs than cats."

The researchers pointed out behavioral differences among dogs and cats that likely increase the chances that a venomous snake bite will prove fatal for dogs.

"Dogs typically investigate with their nose and mouth, which are highly vascularised areas, whereas cats often swat with their paws," said Dr. Fry. "And dogs are usually more active than cats, which is not great after a bite has taken place because the best practice is to remain as still as possible to slow the spread of venom through the body."

The researchers hope their findings will lead to a higher awareness of the critically short window available to rescue dogs after venomous snake bites.

"As dog lovers ourselves, this study strikes close to home but it also has global implications," said Dr. Fry. "I've had two friends lose big dogs to snakebites, dying in less than ten minutes even though the eastern brown snakes responsible were not particularly large specimens."

"This underscores how devastatingly fast and fatal snake venom can be to dogs."

&nbsp;

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/comparative-biochemistry-and-physiology-part-c-toxicology-and-pharmacology">Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C: Toxicology &amp; Pharmacology</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

Snake bites kill dogs much faster than cats

Experts at the University of Queensland are describing why cats...

The analysis of four decades of satellite imagery has revealed that hurricanes are getting stronger. Led by the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a>, a team of researchers found that the maximum sustained winds associated with hurricanes are intensifying, and global <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/warming-seawater-will-push-antarctic-krill-farther-south/">warming</a> is to blame. 

"Through modeling and our understanding of atmospheric physics, the study agrees with what we would expect to see in a warming climate like ours," said study lead author and NOAA scientist James Kossin.

In a 2013 study, Kossin and his colleagues identified trends in hurricane strengthening based on data from 28 years. According to Kossin, the findings were less conclusive and required further research.

For the current study, the researchers focused on global hurricane data from 1979 to 2017. The team was able to create a more uniform dataset to clearly identify trends.

"The main hurdle we have for finding trends is that the data are collected using the best technology at the time," said Kossin. 

"Every year the data are a bit different than last year, each new satellite has new tools and captures data in different ways, so in the end we have a patchwork quilt of all the satellite data that have been woven together."

Kossin has previously documented additional variations in hurricane behavior that have emerged over the decades, such as the location and speed of the storms. 

In 2014, he identified poleward migrations of hurricanes, where tropical cyclones are traveling farther north and south, placing new coastal populations at a higher risk of impact.

In 2018, Kossin demonstrated that hurricanes are moving more slowly across land due to changes in the climate. This leads to greater flooding dangers as the storms hover over populated areas for extended periods of time.

"Our results show that these storms have become stronger on global and regional levels, which is consistent with expectations of how hurricanes respond to a warming world," said Kossin. 

"It's a good step forward and increases our confidence that global warming has made hurricanes stronger, but our results don't tell us precisely how much of the trends are caused by human activities and how much may be just natural variability."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">PNAS</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;

Hurricanes are getting stronger as Earth gets warmer

The analysis of four decades of satellite imagery has revealed...

Researchers at <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a> have identified a small area of the brain that "profoundly" shuts down pain. According to the study, a single switch dampens the response of at least 16 brain regions that process pain. 

The experts were surprised to find that the brain center has the ability to shut pain off, but not on. Another surprise was the location of the switch, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/amygdala-experience-fear/">amygdala</a>, which is widely perceived as the brain's center for negative emotions like general anxiety.

"People do believe there is a central place to relieve pain, that's why placebos work," said study senior author Professor Fan Wang. "The question is where in the brain is the center that can turn off pain."

"Most of the previous studies have focused on which regions are turned ON by pain. But there are so many regions processing pain, you'd have to turn them all off to stop pain. Whereas this one center can turn off the pain by itself."

In previous work, Professor Wang's team investigated neurons that are activated by general anesthetics. The experts found that anesthesia promotes slow-wave sleep by activating the supraoptic nucleus of the brain. 

In addition, the researchers found that general anesthesia activates a specific set of neurons in the central amygdala, which they refer to as CeAga neurons.

Using a mouse model, Professor Wang and her colleagues found that the CeAga neural network is connected to many different areas of the brain. Although mice have a relatively larger central amygdala than humans, Professor Wang said she has no reason to think we have a different system for controlling pain.

The researchers gave mice a mild pain stimulus and mapped all of the pain-activated brain regions. The study revealed that at least 16 brain centers known to process the sensory or emotional aspects of pain received inhibitory input from the CeAga.

"Pain is a complicated brain response," said Professor Wang. "It involves sensory discrimination, emotion, and autonomic responses. Treating pain by dampening all of these brain processes in many areas is very difficult to achieve. But activating a key node that naturally sends inhibitory signals to these pain-processing regions would be more robust."

The team experimented with optogenetics, a technology that uses light to activate neural cells. By stimulating the CeAga neurons, the researchers managed to switch off behaviors exhibited by mice when they feel uncomfortable.

The moment the light was turned on to activate the pain-inhibiting neurons, behaviors such as paw-licking or face-wiping were "completely abolished." 

"It's so drastic," said Professor Wang. "They just instantaneously stop licking and rubbing."

Next, the researchers will search for drugs that can safely activate the CeAga cells in an effort to develop improved painkillers. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/neuro/">Nature Neuroscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Experts identify brain cells that can shut down pain

Researchers at Duke University have identified a small area 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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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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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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" 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.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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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[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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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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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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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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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"

[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...