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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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Solar Orbiter spacecraft sees the Sun through three different lenses

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

Marijuana use during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-pregnancy-morning-sickness/">pregnancy</a> can negatively impact fetal brain development and cause problems in early childhood such as impulsive behavior and impaired memory. In a recent study, medical researchers have found that an essential micronutrient called choline can protect against these developmental issues.

Dr. Camille Hoffman is an associate professor of Maternal Fetal Medicine at the <a href="https://medschool.cuanschutz.edu/">University of Colorado School of Medicine</a>. 

"In Colorado, it's common for women to use marijuana before they know they're pregnant and some continue to use as a natural remedy for morning sickness, depression and anxiety," said Dr. Hoffman.

"In this study, we found that maternal marijuana use begins to negatively impact the fetal brain at an earlier stage in pregnancy than we expected. However, we also found that eating choline-rich foods or taking choline as a supplement may protect the child from potential harm."

Among 201 mothers examined in the study, fifteen percent reported marijuana use before and beyond 10 weeks gestation. Infants born to mothers who continued to use marijuana beyond 10 weeks had decreased cerebral nervous system inhibition by the time they were one month old. 

This early on in development, decreased brain inhibition is tied to attention and social problems, which can lead to a predisposition for substance abuse, depression, and psychosis later in life.

The researchers found that maternal choline levels correlated with improved attention, cuddliness, and bonding ability among the infants. 

"We already know that prenatal vitamins improve fetal and child development, but currently most prenatal vitamins do not include adequate amounts of the nutrient choline despite the overwhelming evidence of its benefits in protecting a baby's brain health," said Dr. Coffman. "We hope that this research is a step towards more OB-GYNs, midwives and other prenatal care providers encouraging pregnant women to include choline in their prenatal supplement regimen."

The study is the first of its kind to evaluate the central nervous system effects of marijuana in human newborns. The research also revealed that the vulnerable gestational period for the impact of marijuana on fetal brain development is as early as the end of the first trimester. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/psychological-medicine">Psychological Medicine</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Artemidovna

Choline found to prevent damaging fetal effects associated with marijuana

Marijuana use during pregnancy can negatively impact fetal brain development...

Scientists at <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a> (UCI) and the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> have constructed the most detailed map of glacier flows in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-west-antarctica-pacific/">Antarctica</a> to date. The tool will provide insights into the behavior of the continent's ice, as well as its contribution to future sea level rise. 

The new map of Antarctic ice velocity is based on data obtained by six different satellite missions from 1994 to 2019. The reconstruction, which accounts for more than 80 percent of the continent, is 10 times more accurate than previous depictions. 

“By utilizing the full potential of interferometric phase signals from satellite synthetic-aperture radars, we have achieved a quantum leap in the description of ice flow in Antarctica,” said study lead author Jeremie Mouginot. “This more detailed representation will help improve our understanding of ice behavior under climate stress over a larger part of the continent, farther south, and will enable improved projections of sea level rise through numerical models.”

[caption id="attachment_1875917" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ice-flow.png"><img class="wp-image-1875917" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ice-flow.png" alt="" width="650" height="450" /></a> Image Credit: UCI/Jeremie Mouginot[/caption]

The scientists charted the movement of ice sheets across the surface of Antarctica over 25 years. The data became much more available in the last decade, as more satellites had been positioned in space. 

The UCI team used a new approach to measure slower ice sheet movement in the vast interior regions of the continent.

"The interferometric phase of SAR data measures the ice deformation signal with a precision of up to two orders of magnitude better than speckle tracking,” said Mougino. “A drawback is that it requires a lot more data, namely multiple passes at different angles over the same point on the ground – a problem that was solved by a consortium of international space agencies pointing Earth-monitoring spacecrafts to this part of the world.”

The study revealed that, across more than 70 percent of Antarctica, ice is flowing at a rate of about 20 centimeters and is changing direction by five degrees each year.

“This product will help climate scientists achieve a number of goals, such as a better determination of the boundaries between glaciers and a thorough evaluation of regional atmospheric climate models over the entire continent,” said study co-author Eric Rignot. “It will also help in locating the most promising sites for ice core drilling to extract climate records and in examining the mass balance of Antarctica beyond its periphery.”

The map 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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Denis Burdin

New map of Antarctic ice flow is the most accurate to date

Scientists at UC Irvine (UCI) and the NASA Jet Propulsion...

The month of July will close with yet another rare lunar phenomenon following a string of full and supermoons that have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pink-moon/">made headlines</a> since the beginning of this year. 

This time though, the moon won’t be full. Instead, we’re getting a black moon, so-called because it’s the second new moon in a single month. 

Typically, we’ll see a new moon and full moon in a single month, but this isn’t always the case. 

A lunar cycle takes about 29 days to complete, but our calendar months on Earth can range from 28 to 31 days. As a result, now and then, we’ll see two lunar cycles in the same month.

If a month has two full moons, the second full moon is called a blue moon. When a month starts and ends with a new moon, the second new moon is called a black moon. 

It’s a rare event that sometimes only occurs in different time zones and can happen every 32 months. 

Technically, this month’s black moon will also be a supermoon, a new supermoon to be exact. January, February and March all had full <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-worm-moon-tonight/">supermoons this year</a>. 

Unfortunately, stargazers hoping to catch a glimpse of this rare lunar event may be out of luck. 

Despite its supermoon status, the black moon is still new and will be invisible to the naked eye, blending into the night sky. 

Many people associate a crescent moon with a new moon, but this is incorrect. The waxing crescent will be visible in a few days following the black moon. 

If you live in the Western Hemisphere, tonight’s new moon is considered a black moon. For those in the Eastern Hemisphere, the new moon won’t occur until August 1st.

If you do live in the Eastern Hemisphere, the end of August will bring another new moon and the official black moon for that part of the world.  

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/taffpixture

Black moon arrives tonight -- here’s what you need to know

The month of July will close with yet another rare...

One of the hardest pollution problems to solve also happens to a result of one of the smallest man-made pollutants. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastic-pollution-remote-glaciers/">Microplastics</a> are often so small they can’t be seen with the naked eye, but they can be found in almost every environment – especially in the ocean. 

The plastic waste that inhabits our oceans and rivers has numerous health consequences for animals and ecosystems, as well as ourselves. But a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/matter/home">Matter</a> may have found a potential solution.

Researchers in Australia have developed a new strategy for ridding water sources of the microplastics that pollute them without causing harm to any microorganisms. Their work involves tiny coil-shaped carbon-based magnets in the form of carbon nanotubes laced with nitrogen. 

“Microplastics adsorb organic and metal contaminants as they travel through water and release these hazardous substances into aquatic organisms when eaten, causing them to accumulate all the way up the food chain,” explains senior author Shaobin Wang, a professor of chemical engineering at the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a>. “Carbon nanosprings are strong and stable enough to break these microplastics down into compounds that do not pose such a threat to the marine ecosystem.”

In the process of decomposing microplastics, the researchers needed to generate short-lived chemicals known as reactive oxygen species. These chemicals cause chain reactions that cut up microplastic molecules into smaller, harmless segments that dissolve in water. Unfortunately, reactive oxygen species are usually produced using heavy metals that become harmful pollutants, and as a result are generally not suitable for environmental clean-up.

The research team’s solution to this problem was these carbon nanotubules, which removed a significant amount of microplastics in just eight hours while staying stable in the harsh oxidative conditions needed for microplastic breakdown. The coiled shape of these nanosprings increase stability and maximize reactive surface area, and were able to be made magnetic with a small amount of manganese within the springs. 

“Having magnetic nanotubes is particularly exciting because this makes it easy to collect them from real wastewater streams for repeated use in environmental remediation,” says Xiaoguang Duan, a chemical engineering research fellow at Adelaide who also co-led the project. 

Moving forward, the researchers plan on testing whether the nanosprings work on microplastics of different compositions, shapes, and origins, as well as confirm the non-toxicity of any chemical compounds occurring as intermediates or by-products during microplastics decomposition. Additionally, the researchers believe these intermediates and byproducts have the potential to be used as an energy source for the same microorganisms that microplastics are currently affecting. 

“If plastic contaminants can be repurposed as food for algae growth, it will be a triumph for using biotechnology to solve environmental problems in ways that are both green and cost efficient,” says Wang.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/MikeDotta

Researchers develop potential microplastic pollution combatant

One of the hardest pollution problems to solve also happens...

New species of Cambrian predator discovered in 506 million year old shale. Fossils discovered in the Canadian Rockies belong to a new species of predator that dates back to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-diversify-earth/">Cambrian Period</a>. 

This large predator had claws shaped like a rake, a circular shaped mouth lined with teeth, and could have grown up to a foot long. The species, named Cambroraster falcatus, was described from fossils unearthed by paleontologists at the <a href="https://www.rom.on.ca/en">Royal Ontario Museum</a> and the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a>. 

The fossils were discovered in the Burgess Shale, home to one of the most <a href="https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/cambrian/burgess.html">abundant fossil deposits on Earth</a> and the most well-preserved record of Cambrian fossils to date. 

It’s an unprecedented discovery, made all the more exciting by how many fossil specimens were found in the region. 

“The sheer abundance of this animal is extraordinary,” said Dr. Jean-Bernard Caron, the leader of the expeditions that found the fossils. “Over the past few summers we found hundreds of specimens, sometimes with dozens of individuals covering single rock slabs.”

[caption id="attachment_1875869" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/reconstruction.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875869" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/reconstruction.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="510" /></a> Reconstruction, Image Credit: Lars Fields © Royal Ontario Museum[/caption]

Thanks to a large number of fossils uncovered, the researchers were able to reconstruct the predatory species in detail. 

The species was given the name Cambroraster for its unique claws and falcatus for its large shield-like shell. 

“We think Cambroraster may have used these claws to sift through sediment, trapping buried prey in the net-like array of hooked spines,” said Jean-Bernard Caron.

Cambroraster falcatus would have been able to feed on both small and large prey. Its toothy, round mouth is common in the group Radionta, an extinct group of species that includes Cambroraster falcatus. 

“With its broad head carapace with deep notches accommodating the upward facing eyes, Cambroraster resembles modern living bottom-dwelling animals like horseshoe crabs,” said Joe Moysiuk, the leader of the study. “This represents a remarkable case of evolutionary convergence in these radiodonts.”

Radiodonta is said to be one of the earliest relatives of arthropods. 

“The radiodont fossil record is very sparse; typically, we only find scattered bits and pieces. The large number of parts and unusually complete fossils preserved at the same place are a real coup, as they help us to better understand what these animals looked like and how they lived,” said Dr. Caron. “We are really excited about this discovery. Cambroraster clearly illustrates that predation was a big deal at that time with many kinds of surprising morphological adaptations.”

The new Cambrian predator was described in a study published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Jean-Bernard Caron © Royal Ontario Museum

New species of Cambrian predator discovered in 506 million year old shale

New species of Cambrian predator discovered in 506 million year...

A study led by the <a href="https://gladstone.org/">Gladstone Institutes</a> has produced the first high-resolution genome sequence of the Komodo dragon. The research is giving experts new insight into some of the lizard's remarkable characteristics as well as how these traits evolved. 

The Komodo dragon is the largest living <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ancient-lizard-four-eyes/">lizard species</a> in the world, weighing as much as 200 pounds. These predators can detect their prey from miles away and can speed up their metabolism like warm-blooded mammals even though they are cold-blooded. As a result, Komodo dragons are capable of running in brief sprints at speeds of up to 12 miles per hour. 

In a close collaboration with scientists at UC San Francisco (UCSF) and Zoo Atlanta, the team studied the DNA of two Komodo dragons named Slasher and Rinca. 

Using computational tools, the experts compared the DNA sequences of these two lizards to other reptiles to understand what makes the Komodo dragon genome unique. In particular, the team was searching for changes in the genome that helped the Komodo dragon adapt to its environment. 

The study revealed that the evolutionary process of positive selection has modified several genes involved in the function of mitochondria, which control energy production along with heart and muscle functioning.

"Our analysis showed that in Komodo dragons, many of the genes involved in how cells make and use energy had changed rapidly in ways that increase the lizard's aerobic capacity," said study first author Abigail Lind. "These changes are likely key to the Komodo's ability to achieve near-mammalian metabolism."

Lizards usually slow down to almost a halt after exerting a lot of energy and are not known for their high aerobic capacity. 

"However, we know from working with Komodo dragons that they're capable of sustained aerobic activity, which could be swimming, running, or walking extremely long distances," explained study co-author Joseph R. Mendelson. "Our study showed us that the secret is in these mitochondrial adaptations to increase their cardiac output. This gives us an understanding of how these animals are able to do what we had been observing."

The researchers also discovered that Komodo dragons have a surprisingly large number of genes that are involved in a sophisticated sensory system which allows animals to detect hormones and pheromones.

"It will be interesting to determine whether this explains Komodo dragons' ability to detect prey over such large distances," said study senior author Benoit Bruneau. "One of the exciting things about this project is that we didn't know what to expect. This was an opportunity to look at a genome and say, 'Tell me the story of your organism.'"

"The significance of this study far exceeds Komodo dragons," said Mendelson. "It gives us a framework to compare other sequenced animals and understand the genetic basis for how all their characteristics have evolved. This project also brings to the forefront the importance of preserving biodiversity, and the important role zoos can play in broad-scale research without being injurious to the animals in our care."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Anna Kucherova

Scientists examine Komodo dragon DNA to find out what makes them unique

A study led by the Gladstone Institutes has produced the...

Innovations like electric cars and spaceships that can travel to the moon, which were once fabulous pipe dreams of the past, have become a reality. But what does the future hold for people today? 

According to a panel of experts and the British campaign <a href="https://www.smartenergygb.org/en">Smart Energy GB</a>, smart homes that combine futuristic technology with eco-conscious living will soon be all the rage. 

Imagine living in a home made with reusable and eco-friendly materials and a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/renewables-more-electricity-coal/">roof of solar panels</a>. 

Inside you’ll find shape-shifting furniture that changes color, smart appliances that store power, and a fridge that instantly cools or freezes food in seconds. Imagine wall screens and windows that can project any backdrop you want, and bedding that is temperature-controlled, so you never have to wake up in a sweat again. 

Sound too good to be true? Smart Energy GB reports that these innovations are all based on technology or solutions that are already available or being designed and could be ready for consumers by 2030. 

What’s key about Smart Energy’s smart home is the focus on eco-friendly living. Personal roof gardens, hydroponic herb gardens, toilets that convert waste into fuel, and roof wind turbines to help generate energy are all potential realities for homes of the future. 

Smart Energy GB commissioned the study and 2,000 UK adults were surveyed in the process. 

The survey showed that people in the UK are already looking to make their homes greener and seven out of ten of the participants said they would like in a more eco-friendly house. 

“Making homes greener certainly won’t mean making them low tech,” said Dr. Ian Pearson, a futurologist who was part of the panel of experts asked to speak about what the future would look like. “Our homes will use renewable energy, stored in home batteries, and will make our lives easier.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: SWNS:South West News Service

Future smart homes will combine advanced tech with eco-friendly innovation

Innovations like electric cars and spaceships that can travel to...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ohsu.edu/">Oregon Health and Science University</a> may have discovered a new path for treating drug addiction by blocking dopamine receptors in the brain. 

In the past, there have been many studies focused on finding ways to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cure-cocaine-addiction/">treat drug addiction</a> and unhealthy reward-seeking behaviors. 

Now, new research using rats has found that dopamine receptors in the amygdala could be key to treating cocaine addiction. 

The amygdala, a cluster of neurons located in the medial temporal lobe, helps process both pleasure and fear responses and as such, the amygdala contains receptors for dopamine. 

Dopamine is a chemical in the brain, and because of its role in those feel-good highs we get when we do something pleasurable, it’s often referred to as the “pleasure chemical.”

While this overly simplistic definition of dopamine can make for a catchy news headline, the reality is that dopamine has much more to do with<a href="https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(12)00941-5?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS0896627312009415%3Fshowall%3Dtrue"> motivation and seeking out a reward</a> rather than the feelings experienced after. 

For the study, researchers Mathew Lattal and Earnest Kim trained rats to push a series of levers to release a dose of cocaine as a way to model drug-seeking behavior.

The researchers then blocked the dopamine receptors in different regions of the amygdala to see how it impacted the rat’s motivation to get the drug. 

Blocking receptors in the basolateral amygdala of the rats resulted in a gradual decrease in the rats pushing levers and self-administering the drug. 

When the researchers blocked receptors in the central amygdala, this caused the rats to rapidly cease pushing the levers, but when the same rats were put in a new environment, the drug-seeking behaviors increased again.  

The results, published in the journal eNeuro, show how targeting dopamine receptors in different regions in the amygdala could help weaken the addictive effects of cocaine. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/sdecoret

Blocking dopamine receptors in the brain could treat cocaine addiction

Researchers from the Oregon Health and Science University may have...

A therapy that involves tickling the ear with a small electrical current has been found to rebalance the autonomic nervous system for adults over the age of 55. Individuals who received a short daily therapy for two weeks reported improvements in mood, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-poor-nutrition/">sleep</a>, and overall quality of life. 

Known as transcutaneous vagus nerve stimulation (tVNS), the treatment delivers a small electrical current to the ear that transmits signals to the nervous system through the vagus nerve. 

According to researchers at the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a>, the therapy may help protect people from chronic diseases that are associated with aging such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and atrial fibrillation. The team demonstrated that this type of stimulation has the potential to conserve health by recalibrating the body's internal control system.

"The ear is like a gateway through which we can tinker with the body's metabolic balance, without the need for medication or invasive procedures. We believe these results are just the tip of the iceberg," said study lead author Dr. Beatrice Bretherton.

"We are excited to investigate further into the effects and potential long-term benefits of daily ear stimulation, as we have seen a great response to the treatment so far."

Previous research from Leeds has shown that the electrical stimulation of the vagus nerve at the ear improved the balance of the autonomic nervous system in healthy 30-year-olds.

In the current study, the team set out to explore whether tVNS could benefit adults over 55, who are more likely to have unbalanced autonomic systems that could contribute to age-related health issues.

For 29 healthy participants, the therapy was effective in rebalancing and improving autonomic function. In addition, some of the individuals experienced mental health and sleeping benefits. The researchers found that these improvements were the most pronounced among those who displayed the greatest imbalance at the start of the study.

"We believe this stimulation can make a big difference to people's lives, and we're now hoping to conduct further studies to see if tVNS can benefit multiple disorders," said study senior author Dr. Susan Deuchars. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.aging-us.com/">Aging</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com/">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: University of Leeds

Electrical ear stimulation may help prevent age-related health issues

A therapy that involves tickling the ear with a small...

Innovative flood mapping in Kansas holds potential to help the nation. A new study from Jude Kastens, an associate research professor with the Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program at the <a href="https://biosurvey.ku.edu/kars">Kansas University Biological Survey</a>, finally addresses the lack of real-time, wide-area predictions for floodwater extent and depths, an information gap that has plagued officials during previous <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/historic-flooding-nebraska-iowa/">major flood events</a>.

"I worked with the Kansas Water Office in May," Kastens said. May 2019 was the wettest month ever recorded in Kansas. "The ground was saturated, and the reservoirs were getting full, and with a lot more rain in the forecast, major flooding across central and eastern Kansas was looking imminent.” 

“Some years ago we'd developed this inundation library largely in collaboration with the Water Office and the Kansas GIS Policy Board but had never had the chance to put it through its paces in real time,” he continued. “It was based on the approach that I developed for my dissertation, and we had flood libraries for the greater eastern half of Kansas, based on the gauged stream network.” 

“For instance,” he said, “if you drive south of Lawrence on Highway 59, you'll see a USGS stream gauge box by the bridge over the Wakarusa River. There are about 200 gauges in Kansas that collect real-time stream stage information, and in times of flood, the National Weather Service provides stage forecasts several days out for a lot of these. We can take these data and map estimated current or future flooding, between gauges or around one."

Kasten developed a model, dubbed FLDPLN, or "Floodplain,” which maps potential inundation as a function of stage height by using basic hydrologic principles and gridded elevation data. The model doesn’t include many inputs or much supervision, therefore has an advantage over existing mapping methods like the more complicated (though, more precise) FEMA hydrodynamic models, which map 100-year floodplains.

By working with Kansas officials, Kastens was able to narrow down three critical locations where his mapping model was most needed — a 100-mile stretch of the Neosho River south of the John Redmond Reservoir, the Neosho and Cottonwood rivers above John Redmond, and Salina, home to the Saline River and Mulberry Creek.

Kastens’ model helped the Army Corps of Engineers when they were planning a release of large volumes of water from the John Redmond Reservoir, which had almost reached capacity. He was able to inform local leaders and the public of the potential flooding extent.

He hopes to automate the mapping process in order to lessen the amount of work officials must do when rivers and streams threaten to flood. Innovative flood mapping in Kansas holds potential to help the nation

"Time is of the essence during major flood events,” Kastens said. “We need to develop software tools to help automate the mapping process and hand it off to these other agencies so they have the freedom to map whichever scenarios they want. So, when that next flood hits, emergency response personnel can just run the models as they see fit.”

Furthermore, Kastens has already worked with a private firm to commercialize his technology and provide services to emergency management officials and those with flood-prone properties outside beyond Kansas.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Civil Air Patrol - Kansas Wing

Innovative flood mapping in Kansas holds potential to help the nation

Innovative flood mapping in Kansas holds potential to help the...

In a study published by the <a href="https://www.sfn.org/">Society for Neuroscience</a>, researchers analyzed neural activity in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) which reflects the intention to drink alcohol. Using rats as a model system, the experts found that PFC brain activity was weakened in animals with a family history of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/quitting-alcohol-health-benefits/">excessive drinking</a>. 

The research has implications for the development of new targeted therapies to treat alcohol use disorders.

The prefrontal cortex (PFC) is the cerebral cortex that covers the frontal lobe. The PFC is involved in decision making, planning complex cognitive behavior, and controlling social behavior. This region of the brain becomes activated before a behavior is initiated, indicating intention. 

A team of experts led by David Linsenbardt of <a href="https://www.iupui.edu/">Purdue University Indianapolis</a> investigated neural activity in the prefrontal cortex of rats to determine whether this brain region processes the intention to consume alcohol.

Among two types of rats, the team compared activity before and during alcohol consumption. One type of rat had a family history of alcohol abuse, while the other type had no family history of excessive alcohol consumption. 

The prefrontal cortex was found to be activated in both groups of rats during the consumption of alcohol. However, prior to alcohol consumption, this region only became activated in rats without a family history of drinking.

The findings suggest that the prefrontal cortex directly encodes the intention to consume alcohol, but that this process is disrupted in animals who have a higher risk of abusing alcohol. For individuals with a predisposition to drink excessively, restoring prefrontal cortex activity could provide experts with a new approach for treating alcohol use disorders.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.eneuro.org/">eNeuro</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock, CLIPAREA l Custom media

Prefrontal cortex may provide new opportunities for treating alcoholism

In a study published by the Society for Neuroscience, researchers...

In a new study published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>, scientists have identified the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/jellyfish-kill-toxin-genes/">genes</a> that give pufferfish their spiky skin structures known as spines. The researchers discovered that the development of pufferfish spines is similar to the process by which birds get their feathers or other animals grow hair.

"Pufferfish are some of the strangest fish in the ocean, particularly because they have a reduced skeleton, beak-like dentition and they form spines instead of scales--not everywhere, but just in certain patches around the body," said study co-author Professor Gareth Fraser of the <a href="http://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a>.

When the researchers analyzed the evolution of pufferfish spines in embryos, they initially expected to find that the spines formed from scales. However, they found that the spines are developmentally unique from scales. The experts also discovered that the growth of pufferfish spines depends on the same network of genes that are commonly expressed in the feathers and hairs of other vertebrates. 

"It just blows me away that regardless of how evolutionarily-different skin structures in animals are, they still use the same collection of genes during development," said Fraser.

Using CRISPR and other editing techniques, the researchers blocked particular genes that are classic markers of skin appendage development. This reduced the number of spines that appeared on the pufferfish, and loosened the restriction on where the spines grew. According to Fraser, the spines are usually localized to specific areas on the pufferfish to enhance protection. 

"When pufferfish inflate by ingesting water or in some cases air, their skin becomes stretched, especially around the abdomen and is more susceptible to damage, such as being torn," said Fraser. "Spines reinforce the puffed-up abdomen. In extreme cases, some pufferfish have lost all other spines on their body and retain only the abdominal spines."

"What really drives these changes, in terms of loss or gain of spines, is multifactorial, but the shifts in spine coverage and morphology may allow pufferfish to take advantage of new ecological niches that are available to them. As the climate changes and environments become different, pufferfish may use these evolving traits to tolerate and adapt to change."

By sequencing the genome of the pufferfish, the team hopes to ultimately identify the differences that allow for the diversity in spine coverage and the transition from scales to spines.

"We can manipulate different things associated with pufferfish diversity, which gives us clues about the function of genes that are necessary for normal development and helps us understand the evolution and patterns of pufferfish spines," said Fraser. "Pufferfish are wildly-derived fish that are incredibly different from other groups, and ultimately, we want to see if there's something specific to the genome of the pufferfish that can provide clues to suggest mechanisms that allow them to create these weird structures."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Randi Kayu

Scientists uncover the genes that give pufferfish their protective spikes

In a new study published by Cell Press, scientists have...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[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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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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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