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70% of the world's surface is the ocean - and much to the horror of humans through the millennia, scary sea monsters are actually a real thing. They prowl the vast waters of our globe and emerge with terrifying results in stories - and real life.&nbsp;



From the Atlantic to the Pacific oceans, from the North to the coast of New Zealand, there are fascinating sea creatures that strike fear into the hearts of the bravest explorers and threaten the most unsuspecting coastal tourist. At the same time, these scariest sea animals are wonderful, enchanting, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-vents-are-favorable-to-the-formation-of-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">living examples of evolution</a>, adaptive behaviors, and thrilling possibilities within nature.&nbsp;



Perhaps that's why they play such a massive role in our collective imaginations as well: the Kraken of Nordic sea lore, the loch ness monster of Scotland, the Lukwata sea monster of Uganda. The list of fables, legends, and sea shanties is as deep as the deep-sea waters where some monstrous animals swim. Science is just beginning to catch up and we can look to organizations like NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) and MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute) and others for emerging information on the truth behind the scary stories.&nbsp;



So let's dive in: today we'll look at the ecosystem of the ocean - the playground and habitat of an estimated one million animal species - and rip through some flash-points of the scariest swimming creatures among the masses. We'll also look at the ways in which the changing, warming oceans make even the most fearsome creatures vulnerable to disturbance and possible extinction. Scary stories abound!&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-an-ecosystem-of-monstrous-proportions">An Ecosystem Of Monstrous Proportions</h2>



When you think about it, the ocean itself is a bit of a monster - a living, breathing system of giant proportions.&nbsp;



For example, most life on earth is aquatic. Less than 5% of the oceans have been explored. The longest Mountain range is underwater. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://kealakai.byuh.edu/twenty-fun-facts-about-the-ocean" target="_blank">70% of the world's oxygen</a> - a fiendish amount - is produced by the ocean. The pressure on the seafloor will crush you. 90% of the Earth's volcanic activity happens in the ocean and the <a href="https://earth.google.com/web/@-18.57813014,147.57013641,-41.94434357a,0d,60y,201.23400896h,83.69613794t,0r/data=ClUaUxJNCiUweDZiZGYxNDQ2ODIyYzcxM2I6MHgxOTJhNTc0MTM2ODMzY2RhGXLEtTV9STLAITRUe8dfdmJAKhJHcmVhdCBCYXJyaWVyIFJlZWYYASABIjAKLEFGMVFpcE5ZdE5CTzd6bi01bGxXVzNEbGxTbGtxRHAxS0FTaGM4Q1JvZWR2EAU">great barrier reef</a> of Australia is so massive it can be seen from the moon.&nbsp;



The stats continue on in epic, sublime ways: the largest blue whale on record is as long as an 11-story building. The rounded sound ever recorded was of an iceberg falling into the ocean - and could be <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://kealakai.byuh.edu/twenty-fun-facts-about-the-ocean" target="_blank">heard 3,000 miles away.</a> The ocean exists as a living fossil of itself, providing important clues and records of sea animals what has occurred on planet earth. It contains limitless secrets for us to slowly piece together, like a salty sea foam puzzle.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shutterstock_1137771782.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900841"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/posteriori">posteriori</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-some-specific-scary-sea-monsters">Some Specific Scary Sea Monsters</h2>



There are plenty of secrets of the monstrous seven seas that we have yet to understand. But there are plenty of real-life sightings to send a shiver-of-a-jellyfish sting up your spine.&nbsp; The depths of the ocean are where mysticism meets horror movies - and the surface is by no means safe, either.&nbsp; Read on for a thoroughly-inconclusive list.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-box-jellyfish">Box Jellyfish&nbsp;</h3>



Box Jelly is especially scary because to encounter a box tentacle is usually a death sentence for a human being. Named for their shape, they are considered the <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/box-jellyfish.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">most venomous animal</a> in the ocean according to NOAA.&nbsp;



Their tentacles are loaded with poison darts known as nematocysts. People and animals that encounter these booby-trap-laden strings can become paralyzed, have heart failure, and die within minutes. There are 50 or so species of box jellyfish, and only a couple have the venom count to kill people. Those species are found in the Ind-Pacific region and Australia. Terrifyingly, they do not live in deep water but are a coastal species.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shutterstock_68332459.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900842"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/lienkie">Daleen Loest</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h4 id="h-is-it-actually-dangerous">Is It Actually Dangerous?</h4>



Yes - box jellyfish live up to the hype. We often do not live up to their tentacles. Avoid these sea creatures at all costs.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-frilled-shark">Frilled Shark</h3>



The frilled shark is what many scientists consider a "living fossil" with its strange lizard-like head, ruffled throat, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/ecology/deepsea-frilled_shark.htm" target="_blank">long body, and tiny fins.</a> It definitely looks a lot like how a "sea serpent" of folklore is described. While it doesn't exactly add validity to stories like the Loch Ness monster or the Midgard serpent, it does have an "enchanting beast" quality to its appearance.&nbsp;



Frilled sharks rarely swim up to surface waters. Instead, they are a species of shark that moves through various life cycles in the area of the ocean known <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="http://www.elasmo-research.org/education/ecology/deepsea-frilled_shark.htm" target="_blank">as the "twilight zone". </a>Want to take a look at another "living fossil" of the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/everything-youve-wanted-to-know-about-deep-sea-fishing/" target="_blank">deep sea</a> with an unnerving smile? Check out the <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3877998" target="_blank">Goblin Shark.</a>&nbsp;



<h4 id="h-is-it-actually-dangerous-1">Is It Actually Dangerous?</h4>



No - these sea monsters just look scary. They are active predators but pose no threat to humans.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shutterstock_134776526.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900858"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/demarfa">Natursports</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-fangtooth-fish">Fangtooth Fish</h3>



Fangtooths have a look that will haunt your dreams - and will continue to inspire the art-imitates-life-forms of various installations and horror films. It has <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/5-strangest-deep-sea-creatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">razor-sharp teeth of terrifying lengths</a> - perfect for catching prey such as fish and crustaceans.&nbsp;



They are deep-sea swimmers along with Anglerfish. Their habitat ranges in tropical and temperate seas <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/fangtooth" target="_blank">at 1,640 to 6,561 feet deep.</a>



<h4 id="h-is-it-actually-dangerous-2">Is It Actually Dangerous?</h4>



No - these fangtooths live so deep, they pose no threat to us - just the other animals that they feast and hunt for.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-viperfish">Viperfish&nbsp;</h3>



Another fish with an appearance that can absolutely give you nightmares is the viperfish. It's a broad title for any species of marine fish in the genus Chauliodus. These species are characterized by needle-like teeth and hinged jaws that will remind you of an underbite.&nbsp;



These are also deep-sea swimmers. Similar to other species living in the dark depths of the ocean, they lure in their prey with <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://academic.oup.com/sysbio/article-abstract/1/3/113/1696037" target="_blank">light-producing organs called photophores.</a>



<h4 id="h-is-it-actually-dangerous-3">Is It Actually Dangerous?</h4>



Nope - again, these fish swim so deep that they pose no risk to us.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/Giant_squid-1-1024x921.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900860"/><figcaption>Specimen of giant squid nicknamed&nbsp;Wheke&nbsp;plastinated&nbsp;from 2005 and displayed on 26&nbsp;March 2008 in the&nbsp;Grande galerie de l'Évolution&nbsp;of the&nbsp;muséum national d'histoire naturelle&nbsp;in Paris. Photo via <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Museum_of_Natural_History,_France#/media/File:Giant_squid.jpg">Wikipedia.org</a>.</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-giant-squid">Giant Squid</h3>



Indeed, the giant squid is much more than a fictionalized creature in the lake on the Hogwarts School Of Witchcraft And Wizardry grounds. The giant squid is a real-life animal and the second-largest mollusc we know of in Earth's history. It is an excellent example of deep-sea gigantism, <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://daily.jstor.org/why-deep-sea-creatures-get-weirdly-giant/" target="_blank">a phenomenon and zoology term</a> that describes species of animals that are significantly larger than their shallow-water cousins.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Why is this? <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/3838549?mag=why-deep-sea-creatures-get-weirdly-giant&amp;seq=1#metadata_info_tab_contents" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McLain et al.</a> propose that "limited resources [in deep water] select for larger body sizes that can better withstand periods of famine or ability to cover larger distances in search of scarce prey."&nbsp;



In 2019, a giant squid sighting was documented <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/21/science/giant-squid-cephalopod-video.html" target="_blank">on video near the Gulf of Mexico</a>, reigniting the public's fear and fascination. In this instance, the squid was only a juvenile but was still an estimated 10 feet long.&nbsp;



<h4 id="h-is-it-actually-dangerous-4">Is It Actually Dangerous?</h4>



<a href="https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/science/colossal-squid/difference-colossal-squid-giant-squid-octopus" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Squid and octopus</a> (giant, or otherwise) are formidable fighters. While they do not typically attack humans, they are well equipped to defend themselves if they feel threatened.



<h3 id="h-vampire-squid">Vampire Squid</h3>



A name worthy of a horror movie in and of itself, the vampire squid is indeed a real-life thing - - a sea creature that is actually quite small with an intriguing appearance. It's scientific name&nbsp; is Vampyroteuthis infernalis. It lives in tropical and temperate waters in areas identified by "extreme deep-sea conditions". It is the only known survivor of the order Vampyromorphida and is a species that produces bioluminescence.&nbsp;



The arms of this squid will <a href="http://www.thecephalopodpage.org/vsfh.php" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regenerate if bitten or ripped off.</a> Often, the discarded limbs then act as a diversion for the vampire squid to escape. It's a defense mechanism that is equal parts scary and amazing.&nbsp;



<h4 id="h-is-it-actually-dangerous-5">Is It Actually Dangerous?</h4>



According to NOAA, vampire squids are not even slightly dangerous to humans - they simply live too deep for us to encounter them.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/shutterstock_390021130.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900862"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Martin+P">Martin Prochazkacz</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-great-white-shark">Great White Shark&nbsp;</h3>



One of Finding Nemo's charming villains with a soft side, the Great white shark is no stranger to our psyches. Horror stories, films, and encounters abound.&nbsp;



These monsters are a species of large mackerel shark found in the coastal waters of all major oceans. It's only predator in the wild is, occasionally, the killer whale.&nbsp;



While scientists explain that humans are not the "<a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20090426174140/http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/01/0123_040123_tvgreatwhiteshark.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preferred prey</a>" of the great white shark - it's just that these creatures are curious, and are willing to take a taste test. Not a comforting thought for surfers and swimmers, to say the least.&nbsp;



Similar to the drama around bears, lions, and tigers on land, the idea of a shark attack ends up being much bigger, culturally, than the actual risk. For example, there were <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/yearly-worldwide-summary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">8 reported shark attacks in 2021</a>. For some context, over 40% of the world's human population lives in coastal areas. These attacks are exceedingly rare.&nbsp;



<h4 id="h-is-it-actually-dangerous-6">Is It Actually Dangerous?</h4>



Even if these attacks are more rare than we might realize, there's no doubt about it. Great white sharks are dangerous animals.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-protecting-our-sea-monsters">Protecting Our Sea Monsters&nbsp;</h2>



Of course, the scariest story of all the scariest sea monster stories are the monstrous implications of human impact on our oceans, coastlines, and fragile marine ecosystems.&nbsp;



In addition to warming water and unknown impacts on deep sea migration and global currents impacting weather, there are the immediate crises that our societies must address.&nbsp;



<a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/beach-dangers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Contaminated water</a> from oil rigs, untreated sewage, boats, pets, broken septic systems, and fertilizers accumulate in the ocean. People become outraged when their favorite swimming beach is closed due to dangerous contamination - and yet, the companies and public industry responsibility is rarely held accountable or reformed in a sustainable way.&nbsp;



The same goes for the terrifying amounts of plastic in our oceans, in the bodies of the animals that live there, and of course, <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/hazards/beach-dangers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">in our own systems.&nbsp;</a>



And of course, there is a lot of conversation about the fishing industry - much overdue - and the ways in which extractive and exploitative fishing methods ravage the populations of tasty fish, <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/coral-overfishing.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">and demolish additional species</a> habitats and behaviors in the process.&nbsp;



Scary sea creatures are impacted by all of this of course - along with the more beloved marine-dependent creatures that whole throngs of people identify with - like sea turtles, dolphins, lobsters and other crustaceans, Giant Isopods, crocodiles, and oh so many species of birds. There is an endlessly nuanced web of life that depends on healthy oceans. All of it, ourselves included, depends on our ability to shift our own species' behavior. Either we do so or we are the true monsters.



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.

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The Chicxulub disaster marks one of Earth’s greatest mass extinctions in which an asteroid hit the Gulf of Mexico, devastating the planet. Known best for being the downfall of the dinosaurs, the Chicxulub impact crater is one of the largest craters in the world. The date of impact has been memorialized by a thin band of clay surrounding layers in the Earth’s crust called the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary. Separating the Cretaceous period from the Paleogene, this crater signifies more than just a flip of a calendar. The apocalyptic events that transpired have been documented in the rock layers around the globe, just waiting for a geologist to uncover them. Here, we dive into the causes and the fallout of the disaster.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-what-caused-the-chicxulub-diasater">What Caused the Chicxulub Diasater?</h2>



As we examine the most monumental moments in Earth’s history, we can’t jump in our time machines and zoom back 65 million years. To understand the cause of the Chicxulub disaster, we turn to chemistry, geology, and paleontology. To start, let’s get out the periodic table because the entire theory behind the Chicxulub disaster has a chemical foundation.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-volcanoes-vs-meteorites-competing-theories">Volcanoes vs. Meteorites: Competing Theories</h3>



Physically, the Cretaceous-Paleogene boundary is delineated by a thin band of clay, unique to the geologic layers above and below it. The clay demarcation has an unusually high concentration of the element iridium. In fact, the K-T boundary has <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/kring/Chicxulub/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1,000</a> times more iridium than all the oceans! While rarely found in the Earth’s crust, both meteorites and the Earth’s interior are iridium-rich. The prevalence along the K-T boundary led geologists to two predominant theories. Either the band formed during a worldwide cataclysmic volcanic eruption or from an extra-terrestrial source. Luckily, thanks to scientific advances, more evidence quickly made itself apparent, and the iridium pendulum swung toward outer space.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/shutterstock_1221183757.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1899747"/><figcaption>Examples of rock cores used for geological study. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/smile+plus">smile plus</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-the-chicxulub-crater">The Chicxulub Crater</h3>



The discovery of the Chicxulub impact crater advanced the conversation around the K-T boundary. First noted off the coast of Haiti, several clues on the seafloor helped push the dialogue to support the meteor theory. Physically, the crater spans 93 miles across and 12 miles deep, the impact zone is buried underneath the Yucatan Peninsula off the coast of Mexico.&nbsp;



<h4 id="h-shocked-quartz">Shocked Quartz</h4>



If a giant depression in the Earth’s crust isn’t enough to convince you of a meteor impact event, there’s more geologic evidence that goes hand-in-hand. This time, instead of an other-worldly element, an uncommon form of a very common rock raised the red flag. Quartz is a mineral found all over the Earth. Rosey, smokey, clear, or opaque, quartz crystals have a varied but predictable diversity. Each quartz molecule is made from one silicon atom and two oxygens. Normally, these molecules arrange themselves in a regular lattice. However, when hit with absurdly high pressure and temperatures, quartz gets a bit funky. Undergoing a series of phase transitions, shocked quartz has a <a href="https://carnegiescience.edu/news/meteorite-strikes-may-create-unexpected-form-silica" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">disorderly structure</a>, with lines of molecules intersecting at irregular angles. Unsurprisingly, an expedition of geophysicists with the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) discovered shocked quartz in the rock core around the Chicxulub crater at the K-T boundary!&nbsp;



In conclusion, Given the prevalence of iridium, the large impact zone, and the correlation with a layer of shocked quartz, scientists believe that a meteorite caused the Chicxulub disaster and created the K-T boundary.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/shutterstock_1452445010-1024x596.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1899748"/><figcaption>The K-T boundary is a geological marker of the Chicxulub Disaster. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Captain+Cobi">Captainz</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-the-chicxulub-meteor">The Chicxulub Meteor</h2>



Where did the meteor come from? Looking at celestial patterns, physicists have also developed a theory about the origins of the meteor in question, and it looks like we have Jupiter to blame. The giant planet has a proportionally giant gravitational field. Every once in a while Jupiter pulls debris from the Oort cloud at the outskirts of our solar system and whips them toward the center, called a “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sungrazing-comet-may-have-caused-dinosaur-extinction-event/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sungrazer</a>.” In astronomic terms, “every once in a while” means every <a href="https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/02/new-theory-behind-asteroid-that-killed-the-dinosaurs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">250-730 million years</a>, so we don’t have to worry about a similar event any time soon. Subsequently, the tidal force of the sun breaks the meteors into smaller pieces and increases their speed.&nbsp;



As luck would have it, one of these pieces hurtled toward the Earth over 60 million years ago. An estimated six miles in diameter, the asteroid hit Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula in a <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/kring/Chicxulub/regional-effects/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">100 million megaton</a> explosion. While six miles may seem pitiful compared to the size of a planet, its impact was truly global.



<h4 id="h-immediate-effects-of-the-chicxulub-disaster">Immediate Effects of the Chicxulub Disaster</h4>



The Chicxulub disaster caused a series of events that changed the world forever. While the global situation became dire, the region around the impact site got completely demolished.&nbsp; Using <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/kring/Chicxulub/regional-effects/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence</a> from fossilized plant debris, sediment deposits, core samples, ripple marks, and other geological clues, scientists have been able to piece together the initial aftermath of the Chicxulub impactor.&nbsp;



<h5 id="h-the-impact-zone">The Impact Zone</h5>



The blast of the impact alone created devastating plasma that reached temperatures of over <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/kring/Chicxulub/regional-effects/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10,000 degrees</a>, destroying everything in the crater’s radius.&nbsp;



<h5 id="h-the-air-blast">The Air Blast</h5>



If lifeforms avoided being literally squished, the asteroid strike created shockwaves and high-velocity winds sent across the Gulf of Mexico called an air blast would be next to get them.&nbsp;



<h5 id="h-tsunamis">Tsunamis </h5>



Along with the air blast, tsunamis rolled over the Mexican coast and southeastern North America. Estimated to have been up to 300 meters tall, the waves rolled inland up to 100 kilometers before depositing mainland sediment back onto the ocean floor.&nbsp;



<h5 id="h-earthquakes-the-peak-ring">Earthquakes &amp; The Peak Ring</h5>



The asteroid impact also caused seismic activity equivalent to a magnitude 10 earthquake. The seismic pulse also created a tectonic formation unique to craters over 2 km wide. When the meteor hit, seismic waves moved in and out of the crater simultaneously. The colliding movement caused an uplift of rocks to the center of the basin which then collapsed into a circle of mountains, called a peak ring.



Overview: the initial impact of the Chicxulub asteroid caused high winds, tsunamis, earthquakes, forest fires, and general devastation&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h4 id="h-global-effects-of-the-chicxulub-disaster">Global Effects of the Chicxulub Disaster</h4>



In addition to the catastrophes that erupted at the impact site and surrounding region, the effects of the Chicxulub disaster spread worldwide. Not only was their impact global, but also the extent of the damages wasn’t brief. In many cases, the consequences of the crater lasted years, ultimately changing the makeup of the world’s ecosystems.



<h5 id="h-wildfires">Wildfires</h5>



After colliding into the Yucatan Peninsula, the meteor exploded into a cloud of scorching debris. Scattered over the earth, the flaming fall-out lit wildfires around the globe. Evidenced by a layer of ash, these fires likely released significant amounts of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.&nbsp;



<h5 id="h-acid-rain">Acid Rain</h5>



When the meteor hit the Gulf of Mexico, all the soot and debris from the impact shot back up into the atmosphere. Initially, the influx of debris shocked the atmosphere with firey temperatures. Additionally, the impact of the asteroid released sulfurous gas. The combination of heat and sulfur started a chain of chemical reactions causing acid rain.&nbsp;



<h5 id="h-global-cooling">Global Cooling</h5>



Depending on their size, the particulates stayed suspended in the atmosphere for up to a year. Consequently, they acted as a giant cloud, blocking the sunlight. As a result, average temperatures decreased around the globe.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h5 id="h-global-warming">Global Warming</h5>



After the initial global cooling event, the greenhouse gases released during the impact had the opposite effect. Based on measurements of potential CO2 release to growth rates seen in fossilized leaves, scientists estimate that temperatures likely rose between <a href="https://www.lpi.usra.edu/science/kring/Chicxulub/global-effects/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1.0 and 7.5°C</a> and lasted for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chicxulub-asteroid-strike-temperatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">100,000 years</a>.&nbsp;



Overview: After the initial wave of devastation from the Chicxulub impact, the airborne soot and debris, along with a release of greenhouse gases caused worldwide wildfires, acid rain, and global cooling and warming events that completely disrupted life on Earth.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/shutterstock_1713496240.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1899749"/><figcaption>Ammonites were some of the animals to go extinct during the Chicxulub Disaster. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Kuzmalo">Kuzmalo</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-the-5th-mass-extinction-event">The 5th Mass Extinction Event</h2>



Though scientists publish new studies each year on the events of the Chicxulub disaster, there’s one thing we know for sure. Below the K-T boundary, dinosaurs dominated the Earth. Above it, only avian dinosaurs remain. When the Chicxulub asteroid hit the Earth, it marked the end of the Cretaceous period and opened up thousands of niches to mammals, reptiles, and amphibians.



There have only been five recorded mass extinction events in Earth’s history. Of course, species go extinct all the time, but this usually coincides with the evolution of more complex organisms. The five mass extinctions, on the other hand, cause a dieoff of at least <a href="https://samnoblemuseum.ou.edu/understanding-extinction/mass-extinctions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">40%</a> of species due to extreme environmental factors.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-shifts-in-the-food-web-the-nail-in-the-dinosaur-s-coffin">Shifts in the Food Web: the Nail in the Dinosaur’s Coffin</h3>



The Chicxulub disaster notoriously caused the dinosaur extinction. But not just the dinosaurs suffered. Pterosaurs (flying reptiles) and mosasaurs (large marine reptiles) went extinct as well. While the tsunamis and acid rain surely took out a good number of critters, they couldn’t have been enough to wipe out over 75% of the living plants and animals. That accolade goes to the long-term impacts of the meteor.&nbsp;



Initially, plants couldn’t adapt to the dramatic shifts in climate combined with blocked sunlight from the particulates.  The impact on plant life had a domino effect on the global food web. While many plants have seeds and pollen that could outlast the most severe conditions in a dormant state, the animal kingdom was not so lucky. Starving and suffering, the largest animals took the hardest hit. Small mammals, avian dinosaurs, and reptiles found a way to survive the devastation. When the climate stabilized, the surviving lineages adapted, grew, and developed into diverse evolutionary trees.  The events that marked the end of the dinosaurs were the origin of life as we know it today.



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The Chicxulub Disaster

The Chicxulub disaster marks one of Earth’s greatest mass extinctions...

The,Marine,Iguana,Poses.,/,The,Marine,Iguana,Poses,On

There aren't all that many marine reptiles. Turtles, crocodiles, and sea snakes make up the bulk of the 100 species of marine reptiles. The marine iguana is the only lizard that is able to use both land and aquatic environments!



<h2 id="h-what-are-iguanas">What Are Iguanas?</h2>



Iguanas are a family of reptilian lizards (Iguanidae) native to South America, Central America, and some parts of the Caribbean islands. Iguanas are part of the Squamata order of reptiles (or reptilia in Latin), which includes all species of&nbsp;lizards, snakes, and worm lizards. All iguanas are fairly strict herbivores. They graze on various plants for sustenance. &nbsp;Iguanas, like many other reptiles, lay eggs. The incubation period for iguana eggs ranges from two to four months. A distinctive feature of iguanas is their dewlap, which is that funny flap of skin below their chin. Fun fact: cows, dogs, rabbits, and many other vertebrates have dewlaps!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_681714934.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898974"/><figcaption>The green iguana is a troublesome pest in southern areas of the U.S. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/AnaCrisMont">AnaCrisMont</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-do-iguanas-live-in-the-u-s">Do Iguanas Live in the U.S.?</h3>



Common species, such as the green iguana (scientific name&nbsp;Iguana iguana), or sometimes called American iguana, are invasive species in places like Texas, Hawaii, and Florida. Iguanas can thrive in a variety of climates, from the tropical rainforests of Puerto Rico to the deserts of the U.S.-Mexico borderlands. The desert iguana, for example, is a native to the brutal Sonoran desert of the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. The spiny-tailed iguana, in contrast, lives in the jungles of Mexico's Yucatan peninsula.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_1908998569.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898975"/><figcaption>The dragon-like cyclura iguanas face many threats. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Blue+Sky+imagery">Blue Sky imagery</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



Iguanas are a semi-common pet for herpetology enthusiasts. While some types of iguanas can be raised in captivity, the illegal pet trade endangers some populations and species of iguanas. Other genera in the iguana family, such as the Cyclura iguanas of the West Indies, are among the most endangered species in the world.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_683241898.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898976"/><figcaption>Lizards enjoying that island lifestyle. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Marco+Mancini">Discover Marco</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-marine-iguanas-only-live-on-the-galapagos">Marine Iguanas Only Live On the Galapagos</h2>



Marine iguanas, like much of the life on the Galapagos Islands, are an evolutionary anomaly. Scientists believe these lizards <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1046/j.1365-294X.1997.00209.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">floated on ocean debris</a> from mainland Ecuador to the Galapagos millions of years ago. In fact, the lizards may have arrived on the islands before any of the current islands existed! The Galapagos are a volcanic island chain. As the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/supercontinents-101-pannotia-gondwana-and-pangea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tectonic plates</a>&nbsp;move over the volcanic hotspot, new islands are formed. The islands the lizards initially landed on have eroded into the sea.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-marine-iguanas-live-like-this">Marine Iguanas Live Like This</h2>



Marine iguanas, like all other iguanas,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-do-marine-iguanas-eat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">live on an herbivorous diet</a>. Instead of eating land-based plants, these strange lizards eat underwater algae. Marine iguanas typically live to be about 12 years old, but some individuals have reached the ancient age of 60.



<h2 id="h-a-day-in-the-life-marine-iguanas-unique-adaptations">A Day in the Life: Marine Iguanas' Unique Adaptations</h2>



Because they have such an unusual lifestyle, marine iguanas have some unusual evolutionary adaptations compared to other lizards. Let's walk through a day in the life of a marine iguana and see how these adaptations help these creatures.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_693844036.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898977"/><figcaption>A marine iguana swims through the water. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Andy+Deitsch">Andy Deitsch</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-swimming-with-crocodile-like-tails">Swimming With Crocodile-Like Tails</h3>



You wake up on the rocky beach with an empty belly; you're a hungry iguana. All of your food is in the ocean, so you slink off to the waves for some breakfast.



Marine iguanas have special tails that help them swim. These tails are shaped like crocodile tails, which are long and muscular. They use these tails to swim in a snake-like pattern. Without these tails, these lizards would not be able to maneuver in the water. With the tails, however, these lizards are excellent swimmers that can access all sorts of underwater vegetation. These cold-blooded creatures' body temperature can drop by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1441131" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">more than 10C</a>&nbsp;during one foraging session in the cold Pacific Ocean. Incredibly, these lizards appear to behave normally when their body temperatures are as low as 77F and as high was 104F. That broad range of temperatures surely makes us humans look like weaklings in comparison. Hypothermia sets in when human body temperature sinks below a mere 95F and fever sets in above 100F.&nbsp;



The marine iguanas name may be slightly misleading. While these lizards are killer swimmers, they don't spend all that much time in the water. In fact, these lizards only&nbsp;<a href="http://special%20salt-excretion%20glands%20the%20white%20scales%20around%20their%20face%20might%20appear%20as%20simply%20scales%20with%20different%20color%20pigment.%20instead%2C%20these%20scales%20are%20white%20because%20of%20an%20interesting%20trait.%20marine%20iguanas%20live%20in%20very%20salty%20environs.%20they%20ingest%20substantial%20amounts%20of%20salt%20as%20they%20forage%20for%20algae%20underwater.%20in%20high%20concentrations%2C%20salts%20can%20be%20toxic%20and%20dehydrating.%20in%20response%20to%20high%20salt%20levels%2C%20these%20water-loving%20lizards%20evolved%20a%20special%20gland%20near%20their%20nose%20that%20excretes%20excess%20salts%20in%20their%20bodies.%20these%20salt%20glands%20are%20incredibly%20efficient%20at%20expelling%20salt%20from%20the%20marine%20iguana%27s%20bodies.%20the%20iguanas%20then%20spread%20these%20salts%20around%20their%20nose%20through%20daily%20activities.%20instead%20of%20white%20pigmentation%2C%20the%20white%20is%20simply%20salt%20deposits%21%20%20a%20marine%20iguana%20swims%20through%20the%20water./" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">spend about 5% of their time</a>, or one hour a day, actually submerged and swimming in the water. &nbsp;



In order to avoid dropping their body temperature too much, these lizards also forage on algae in the&nbsp;<a href="http://the%20marine%20iguanas%20name%20may%20be%20slightly%20misleading.%20while%20these%20lizards%20are%20killer%20swimmers%2C%20they%20don%27t%20spend%20all%20that%20much%20time%20in%20the%20water.%20in%20fact%2C%20these%20iguanas%20only%20spend%20about%205%25%20of%20their%20time%2C%20or%20one%20hour%20a%20day%2C%20actually%20submerged%20and%20swimming%20in%20the%20water./" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">inter-tidal zone.</a>&nbsp;When the tide goes out, it exposes algae on rocks that were previously underwater. Inter-tidal feeding doesn't suck as much heat out of the lizards' bodies.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_797312221.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898978"/><figcaption>The talons on this iguana help it grip onto rocks as it feeds on algae. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Bryan+Chu">Bryan Chu</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-talons">Talons</h3>



Once you find a nice pasture of algae, you use your talons to secure yourself to the rock as you graze. You spend a while using your mouth to pick algae off of rocks. This tasty algae is your main source of food.&nbsp;



These special lizards also evolved long, sharp, strong talons to help them grip on to rocks while they forage. Without these claws, waves could easily sweep the lizards away from their tasty algae patches while they feed. With these claws, the lizards can cling on to rocks through turbulent conditions.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_1901979757.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898979"/><figcaption>Young iguanas sun themselves to warm up from the cold ocean. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Andreas+Stahre">Andreas Stahre</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-iguanas-enjoy-beach-bummin">Iguanas Enjoy Beach Bummin'&nbsp;</h3>



You've just spent an hour foraging in the frigid Pacific ocean. With a belly fully of algae, it is time to warm up!&nbsp;



All lizards are cold-blooded animals, which mean they need external heat to regulate their body temperatures. Marine iguanas are very dark colored because that color helps them absorb the most amount of heat from the sunshine. By basking in the sunlight, these lizards raise their body temperatures after being in the cold water.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_2010115664.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898980"/><figcaption>A marine iguana sneezes salts out of its salt glands. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/martinmark">Maridav</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-special-salt-excretion-glands">Special Salt-Excretion Glands</h3>



While eating all that algae in the ocean, you also consumed a lot of ocean water. After your body efficiently concentrates the salt in your body, you spend a while sneezing that salt out of the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/1447726" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">special salt glands</a>&nbsp;in your nose. After sneezing out your salt and warming up, you realize it is low tide so you forage on in the inter-tidal zone. Then, more basking! That's more or less the life of a marine iguana.&nbsp;



The white scales around a marine iguana's face might appear as simply scales with different color pigment. Instead, these scales are white because of an interesting trait. Marine iguanas live in very salty environs. They ingest substantial amounts of salt as they forage for algae underwater. In high concentrations, salts can be toxic and dehydrating. In response to high salt levels, these water-loving lizards evolved a special gland near their nose that excretes excess salts in their bodies. These salt glands are incredibly efficient at expelling salt from these lizards' bodies. The lizard then spread these salts around their nose through daily activities. Instead of white pigmentation, the white is simply salt deposits!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_204443467.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898981"/><figcaption>It's time to sleep after a hard day's work! <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/estivillml">Marisa Estivill</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-marine-iguanas-on-different-galapagos-islands-are-distinct">Marine Iguanas on Different Galapagos Islands Are Distinct</h2>



While these is only one species of marine iguana, there is almost a unique subspecies on every Galapagos Island. Much like the evolution of Darwin's Finches, these lizards have evolved to exploit their hyper-specific environments.&nbsp;



Interestingly, this lizard appears in many sizes. In an area with a high quality algae pasture, these adult&nbsp;male iguanas can grow to be&nbsp;<a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1890/0012-9658(1997)078[2204:ELTBSI]2.0.CO;2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ten times the weight</a>&nbsp;of adult&nbsp;male iguanas in areas with low quality pasture! Additionally, these heavier lizards can be two times longer than their less-nourished brethren.&nbsp;



Its not always good to be bigger, however. During the weather pattern of El Niño, the warmer ocean waters decrease the lizards's algae pastures. As these algae pastures become less rich, the&nbsp;<a href="https://socobilldurham.sites.stanford.edu/sites/g/files/sbiybj10241/f/soco_08_-_dame_boyle_allison.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">larger lizards tend to suffer first and hardest</a>&nbsp;while the smaller lizards tend to do okay. A larger marine iguana needs to eat more algae to keep its body functioning. When there is less algae overall that is much harder to do!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_520808293.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898982"/><figcaption>Isn't that a nice smile? <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Donya+Nedomam">Don Mammoser</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-threats-to-marine-iguanas">Threats to Marine Iguanas</h3>



Even though they are in a protected island chain in the middle of the ocean, these marine lizards face various threats. As ocean temperatures warm with climate change, the algae pastures will likely decrease in quality. This means that every year could be akin to a El Niño famine year for these special marine lizards. Non-native animals on the Galapagos are also a threat to these lizards. These lizards did not evolve with land predators, so they don't know how to react to non-native animals like&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0018506X07001961" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cats and dogs</a>. Cats and dogs can easily kill the unsuspecting lizards. protect their eggs from non-native animals like rats. Tourism is another threat to these lizards. Iguanas show&nbsp;<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0018506X10002114" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">measurable amounts of stress</a>&nbsp;when tourists approach them. The indirect impacts from&nbsp;<a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-02769-2_12" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fishing tourism and pollution</a>&nbsp;also make life harder for these lizards. For these reasons, the marine iguana is listed as a threatened species.&nbsp;



If you are ever lucky enough to visit the Galapagos Islands, remember to keep your distance from these unique creatures while you appreciate their unusual lifestyle.  



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A wisdom of wombats makes a thousand cubed poops in a day. &nbsp;Believe it or not, that is a factually and grammatically correct sentence. Yes, a group of wombats is called a wisdom. And yes, they do indeed each poop about 100 distinct cubes each per day. How cube-ish are the cubes? Take a look for yourself!



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_1256653177.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898942"/><figcaption>A cubed piece of wombat poop lies on the ground. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/mandycreighton">Mandy Creighton</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



They are pretty good cubes, right? It would take a significant amount of effort to sculpt cubes that are cube-like out of clay. But wombats are natural sculptors and make the cubes automatically. In fact, wombats are the only animals&nbsp;in the world&nbsp;that poop cubes. Until just a few years ago, scientists had no idea how they made this square scat.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-what-are-wombats">What Are Wombats?</h2>



Wombats are the world's largest burrowing mammal. Wombats can weigh up to 80 pounds and are about 3 feet long when fully grown. In the wild, these fuzzy creatures can live to be almost 30 years of age! Wombats are herbivores. They eat a relatively mundane diet of grasses and other grass-like plants. Wombats incisors, a type of tooth, never stop growing. This constant growth means they need to chew on plenty of tough stuff every day to shave off their teeth as they grow.&nbsp;



These burrowing cuties are a type of marsupial, which means they give birth to undeveloped young wombats who grow inside the mother's&nbsp;pouch. Unlike most marsupials, the wombat's pouch faces towards its hind legs. This unique evolutionary adaptation prevents the pouch from filling up with dirt while the wombat digs in the soil with its front paws.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_1700659525.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898943"/><figcaption>A baby wombat peeks out of its mother's pouch, looking out through the mother's hind legs. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Jonas_Boernicke">Jonas Boernicke</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



Wombats are productive diggers. A hard-working wombat can excavate three feet of tunnel in a single evening. As you can imagine, these networks of burrows can become extensive. Underground temperatures remain much more stable than air temperatures, so wombats hide in their burrows during the day to escape the searing Australian sun. &nbsp;



Wombats are mostly nocturnal creatures, making them hard to see in real life.



<h3 id="h-where-do-wombats-live">Where do Wombats Live?</h3>



All marsupials, which also include&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-ponder-how-to-curb-kangaroo-flatulence/" target="_blank">kangaroos</a>, Tasmanian devils, and&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.earth.com/news/deadly-koala-virus-passed-from-mothers-to-their-joeys/" target="_blank">koalas</a>, are endemic to Australia and the Americas. Wombats can inhabit a wide variety of habitats within Australia, from arid grasslands to cool alpine zones, to&nbsp;eucalypt woodlands. Wombats need a healthy ecosystem of native Australian grasses nearby to thrive.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-the-three-different-kinds-of-wombats">The Three Different Kinds of Wombats</h3>



There are three species of wombats alive today. Differentiating the three depends on how hairy their nose is and where they live. The most common wombat is the bare-nosed wombat (Vombatus ursinus). The bare-nosed wombat lives near the coast in southeastern Australia in the provinces of New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, and southern Queensland. This also happens to be where nearly all the people in Australia live.&nbsp;



The southern hairy-nosed wombat(Lasiorhinus latifrons) wombat lives in the province of South Australia in south-central Australia.&nbsp;



Northern hairy-nosed wombat (Lasiorhinus krefftii) only lives in one small area in Queensland, called Epping Forest National Park.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-unfortunately-these-cute-marsupials-are-in-trouble">Unfortunately, These Cute Marsupials Are in Trouble</h3>



Wombats were, and in some cases still are, considered agricultural pests across Australia. Being the world's largest burrowing mammal comes with consequences. These critters stir up substantial amounts of dirt and eat plenty of food, causing farmers and ranchers much frustration. Wombats can also destroy fences, letting invasive rabbits into areas people try to keep them out of. As a result, wombats were routinely killed as vermin across Australia throughout the 1900's. Still today the common wombat is not protected in the province of Victoria.&nbsp;



The&nbsp;<a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/species/11343/21959050" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN</a>&nbsp;lists the northern hairy-nosed wombat is among the most endangered mammals on Earth. At one point in the early 2000's the population of breeding adults was just over 100. Predation by dingoes (wild dogs), competition for grass forage by non-native rabbits, and overgrazing by cattle and sheep drove this wombat population way down. Drought induced by climate change makes life additionally difficult for not only wombats,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/severe-drought-australia-wildlife/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">but all sorts of wildlife across Australia</a>.&nbsp;



In 2000 the Australian government installed a dingo-proof fence around the entirety of the northern-hairy-nosed wombat habitat. Their numbers have been slowly improving since then, and are now thought to be over 300 individuals. Still, this wombat remains a critically endangered species at risk of extinction due to wildfire or diseases like mange.&nbsp;



The southern hairy-nosed wombat isn't quite as imperiled as its northern neighbor, but is still listed as near-threatened. The common wombat is classified as "least concern.," but scientists are concerned by that species's population's downward trend.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_580673665.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1898945"/><figcaption>A small collection of cubic wombat scat. <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Pixelheld">Pixelheld</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-why-is-wombats-poop-cubic">Why is Wombats' Poop Cubic?</h2>



As with so much in nature, we don’t know for certain why wombats poop cubes. However, we have a better idea now than we did just a few years ago.



One (debunked) folksy theory is that cubed poop is a superior shape to help wombats mark their territories. Why? Because cubes stack and don’t roll off of rocks. Can’t you imagine it? A pudgy wombat meticulously builds a menacing pyramid of cubed poops to alert other wombats to “stay away”. Or a wombat purposefully poops on slick rocks gleefully knowing their poop doesn’t roll right off. These theories aren’t wrong,&nbsp;per se, but there are probably more likely reasons for the evolution of cubed poop. There are so many animals that use their poop to mark their territories, but wombats are to only animals in the world with square poop.



<h3 id="h-the-new-theory-of-wombat-poop">The New Theory of Wombat Poop&nbsp;</h3>



Researchers Patricia Yang and David Hu <a href="http://hu.gatech.edu/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Hu21-wombat.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">published a paper</a> that opened the world's eyes to the inner workings of the wombat. They found that the wombat's unique intestine was responsible for the cubic wombat poop. Instead of being extruded, like clay from a mold or pasta from a pasta-maker, the poop gets shaped by wombats' long intestines over the course of days. 



Wombat intestines are about 10 times the length of their bodies. These long intestines help the critters extract an impressive amount of water from the food they eat. Wombats can live in incredibly arid environments. In fact, they barely need to consume water because their super intestines can squeeze all the water a wombat needs out of the plants it eats. Other desert mammals, such as the adorable <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/kangaroo-rat-spotted/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">kangaroo rat</a>, have similar adaptations. Some scientists think that the process of forming cubes helps the wombat extract more water from its food.



 Yang and Hu took the long intestines of a roadkill wombat and filled the intestines with a long balloon. They then inflated the balloon inside the intestine. By comparing how the balloon stretched the wombat intestines to how balloons stretched other animals' intestines, the researchers unlocked a crucial aspect of the cubic poop mystery. 



Instead of being uniformly tight as other animals' intestines, wombat intestines have four 'strips' that run the length of the organ. Two of these strips contract more vigorously and two of the strips don't contract less vigorously. These strips alternate, so that a cross-section of the wombat intestine would show vigorous-regular-vigorous-regular strips of the intestine. For some complicated, fluid-dynamics and physics reasons, these contractions turn the cylindrical poop into cubic poop, all within a cylindrical intestine. Apparently, the poop only becomes cubic in <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2021/sm/d0sm01230k?&amp;_ga=2.96994969.788068061.1636953912-1075994723.1634916763#!divAbstract" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the last 20%</a> of the wombat intestine. 



<h3 id="h-the-surprising-implications-of-wombat-poop-research">The Surprising Implications of Wombat Poop Research</h3>



The researchers note that understanding wombat poop can help us in manufacturing and cancer diagnosis. Figuring out new ways of extruding plastics can help manufacturers mold different shapes. Colon cancer has been known to change the interior of intestinal walls. Now that we understand how changes in intestinal walls can change the shape of poops, researchers think they may be able to detect colon cancer earlier by observing human fecal samples. It's always difficult to see how some research will be used for wildly different purposes!



Wombat poop is a strange wonder of the natural world. If you ever have the opportunity to wander around wombat habitat, keep an eye out for this charming, cubic feces!



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A wisdom of wombats makes a thousand cubed poops in...

Deep,Sea,Fishing,Reel,On,A,Boat,During,Sunrise

Deep-sea fishing sure sounds like an intense adventure to endure. And for those people who were not raised within a tradition of coastal subsistence, the learning curve around deep water can be a steep dive into the unknown. But with these deeper waters comes big fish. Plus there are buckets of fun and funds in the form of a booming tourist industry for ocean communities and beach visitors alike.&nbsp;



If you're just getting into the waters of sportfishing and charter boat day trips, there's a lot you'll want to know about the origins, techniques, and impacts around this form of fishing. And while we may not have time to cover everything you want to know about deep-sea fishing today, we'll definitely troll our way to a snapping good start.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-origins-of-deep-sea-fishing">Origins Of Deep Sea Fishing&nbsp;</h2>



Thanks to the clues remaining in the fossil record, archeologists estimate that humans have been fishing for subsistence for at least <a href="https://www.npr.org/2010/07/05/127937070/the-human-edge-finding-our-inner-fish" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">500,000 years.</a> The first evidence we have found (so far) of deep-sea fishing is a bit more recent, however, dating back to 42,000 years ago in the <a href="https://www.science.org/content/article/when-humans-first-plied-deep-blue-sea" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">area of East Timor.</a>



For many various areas of the globe, fishing practices were (and are) integral communal practices that shaped culture and tradition through generations, shifting with technology of course, but still part of an expansive lineage of hungry and enterprising humans.&nbsp;



What started with hands and rudimentary tools evolved into various techniques. Today we have whole multi-million dollar industries around lures and rods. Plus, there are government agencies that regulate most individuals with fishing licenses. There are strict guidelines on what, when, and where we are permitted to fish. We've come a long way from where we started. You'll want to do plenty of research on the laws and practices of whatever location you plan to fish, as areas will differ.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-dangers-of-deep-sea-fishing">Dangers Of Deep Sea Fishing</h2>



You might love deep sea fishing so much, you wish it could be your full-time job. But before you hand in the resignation papers to your desk job, it's important to note: even in our more modern era, these practices of offshore fishing are a far seagull-cry away from a relaxing sail in the bay. This is especially true when it comes to making a livelihood in these industries. Ever heard of the reality TV show "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CRO6H8puHF8&amp;ab_channel=Discovery" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Deadliest Catch</a>"?



According to a study published by BMJ Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, data from the 19th century indicates high mortality rates of fishermen of the deep sea - at <a href="https://oem.bmj.com/content/28/1/27.short" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">least double that of coal miners</a> and 20 times the rate of workers in industrial manufacturing around the same time. These strikingly high numbers are still a reality due to the dangerous conditions of the sea, compounded by weak or failing vessels, negligent navigation, and excessive fatigue. Often, these fishermen worked incredibly long hours - a detriment to their boats and their lives in many cases.



<h2 id="h-a-booming-tourist-industry">A Booming Tourist Industry&nbsp;</h2>



However, making a living as an industrial deep-sea fisher is pretty different than deep-sea fishing for fun on a private charter or party boat fishing thanks to a gift certificate from a supportive family member.&nbsp;



Deep-sea fishing is a booming aspect of some coastal tourist industries. Sportfishing for a full day or half-day is a common vacation for passionate fishers from any area. Charter boats accommodate day fishing trips for groups or individuals. With the right amount of research, resources, and know-how, people can time their trips to be able to fish year-round.&nbsp;



Deep-sea fishing charters might <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-actually-is-deep-sea-fishing/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=14016588382&amp;utm_content=130809272808&amp;utm_term=&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwoP6LBhBlEiwAvCcthEHAgKSID-XJR9J_O2FnZU5XAz4tqRevAVjStDzVqk86uOHQ63Is-hoCLpEQAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">troll with live bait</a>, chum, pop, or jig. There are all sorts of terms and techniques. Various charters and fishing boats will utilize depending on the area and the intended fish to catch.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_577915762.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1897951"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Go2dim">Go2dim</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-deep-sea-fish-of-interest">Deep-Sea Fish Of Interest&nbsp;</h2>



So, where to go to deep sea fish?&nbsp;



That all depends on what you hope to catch, the season you're in, and the money you have to get there.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-actually-is-deep-sea-fishing/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=14016588382&amp;utm_content=130809272808&amp;utm_term=&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwoP6LBhBlEiwAvCcthEHAgKSID-XJR9J_O2FnZU5XAz4tqRevAVjStDzVqk86uOHQ63Is-hoCLpEQAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The west coast of North America</a> is known for yellowtail, sturgeon, albacore tuna, rockfish, sea bass, and barracuda. On the other side of the continent, popular finned catches include bluefin and yellowfin tuna, cod, striped bass, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-eruption-fishing-industry/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mackerel</a>. The Gulf of Mexico pulls tons of tourists to the deep waters each year - where parties troll for dorado, shark, king mackerel,&nbsp; red snapper, and more. Hawaii is another popular destination for avid fisherpeople. There, lures sink in the water in hopes of snagging sea creatures such as yellowfin ahi tuna, giant blue marlin, dorado, sailfish, swordfish, <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/what-actually-is-deep-sea-fishing/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=14016588382&amp;utm_content=130809272808&amp;utm_term=&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwoP6LBhBlEiwAvCcthEHAgKSID-XJR9J_O2FnZU5XAz4tqRevAVjStDzVqk86uOHQ63Is-hoCLpEQAvD_BwE" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">and wahoo</a>.



<h2 id="h-deep-sea-fishing-in-a-changing-climate">Deep-Sea Fishing In a Changing Climate&nbsp;</h2>



It's not all fun and games, however. And our climate arrogance is catching up to us the same way we hope to catch a delicious meal.&nbsp;



The deep-sea is one of our planet's last great wildernesses. It covers <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534702024928" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">62% of the planet</a> and drops to over 1000 meters deep in some locations. These areas are still largely unexplored. New technology reveals unknown habitats and species almost as fast as we can search. However, with this technology, comes industry and economic interest. With some much still unknown, these conflicting human impulses of curiosity and extraction are laid bare - with some <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169534702024928" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">devastating consequences</a>.&nbsp;



For example, when deep-sea fishing commenced in the Northeast Atlantic in the 1970s, there has been a <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982215009380">marked decline of commercial fish species</a>. This includes species such as <a href="https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/new-england-mid-atlantic/endangered-species-conservation/endangered-and-threatened-species-new" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bluefin tuna, sturgeon, and salmon. </a>Many fisheries in the deep sea have a pathetic track record in regard to sustainable practices. Even as individuals organize for change and governing bodies pass protective legislation, there are issues. We struggle to maintain the enforcement of fishing regulations and willing compliance by those working within the industry. Limits to trolling depths as well as greater incentives for sustainable practices within the industry are a good starting point.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/11/shutterstock_251648188.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1897952"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/photonatura">Leonardo Gonzalez</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-conclusion">Conclusion&nbsp;</h2>



The deep-sea is our largest ecosystem. It's impossible to know everything about fishing there. We're learning new things about the depths of these saltwater bodies every day. We do know that many species that live in the open waters and deep seas exhibit characteristics and life patterns that are <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982215009380" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vulnerable to disruption and exploitation</a>.&nbsp;



As you continue to learn and explore the world of deep-sea fishing, it is critical to keep the longevity of these ecosystems in mind. We have to remember that our actions impact these amazing places. Unless we hold ourselves to a more sustainable standard, there won't be fun deep sea fishing trips - or a livable planet - in future years to come.



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.

Everything You've Wanted to Know About Deep-Sea Fishing

Deep-sea fishing sure sounds like an intense adventure to endure....

Angler,Fish,,Edridolychnus,Schmidti.,The,Larger,Female,Has,Two,Smaller

Secrets of the Ocean's Mysterious Mesopelagic Zone

Our oceans shape our world. They drive the weather patterns...

A,North,American,Beaver,Works,On,Its,Dam,In,Grand

Known for their paddle-like tails and gnawing down trees, beavers are nature’s architects. If you know anything about these funky rodents, it’s probably that they build dams. But why exactly do they fill waterways with sticks and mud? Beavers build dams to create a safe zone, protected from predators. But, contrary to popular belief, beavers don’t live in the dams. In fact, beaver dams are a means to an end. By creating the dam and slowing water flow, beavers create a new ecosystem with deep water and plenty of hidey-holes where they can go about their beaver business in peace. In this article, we’ve got all the beaver basics covered. Read on to learn about beaver ecology, their fascinating building behaviors, and their larger-than-life impact.



<h2 id="h-about-beaver">About Beaver</h2>



Beavers are the largest rodent in North America, and the second-largest in the world (the capybara of South America is heavier). A taxonomic group characterized by their continuously growing front teeth, all rodents need to chew. Rodents evolved to have extremely sharp and hard teeth, allowing them to develop diets and behaviors unavailable to other species. Orange teeth



Beavers slip seamlessly between water and land. In fact, their bodies have evolved for both environments. With dextrous front feet and webbed toes on their hind feet, they can grasp twigs, scurry on land, and swim quite nimbly. If that’s not enough beaver foot facts for you, here’s a bonus: beavers have a special double toenail on their hind feet adapted for preening. Beavers love to keep their soft fur meticulously clean, but it’s not all for vanity. All that combing with their preening toe keeps their fur waterproof and warm.



Perhaps their most identifiable characteristic is their tail. Wide, flat, and covered in tiny black scales, beavers use their tails as a rudder in the water and for balance on land. They will even slap their tails on the surface of the water to scare off predators.&nbsp;



Fun Fact: The shape and size of a beaver’s tail are hereditary traits. That means each family of beavers will have a distinctly different tail.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/shutterstock_412086265.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1897230"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/enskanto">Zadiraka Evgenii</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-types-of-beavers">Types of Beavers</h3>



There are two types of beavers in the world: the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) and the Eurasian beaver (Castor fiber). As their names suggest, the North American beaver can be found across Canada and the United States while the Eurasian beaver ranges from France to Mongolia.



Fun Fact: During the Pleistocene, a species of giant beavers perused North America. Thought to be between <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/35/2017/03/FLMNHBulletinvol53no2_archived.pdf">60-100kg</a>, these animals were about the size of black bears!&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-diet">Diet</h3>



Beavers are herbivorous, and they forage for vegetation both in and out of the water. They eat leaves, woody stems, and aquatic plants. Creatures of convenience, they like to eat the same plants that they use to build. They prefer the soft bendy branches of willow and aspen, but will make do with anything (including evergreens) in a pinch. As they add branches to their lodge and dam, they also squirrel some away in the mud below their lodge. These stores, called a larder, provide food throughout the winter when the beaver families are hunkered down.



<h3 id="h-reproduction-life-cycle">Reproduction &amp; Life Cycle</h3>



Many members of the rodent order are pretty cute, but beaver babies might take the cake. Called kits, these fluffy little guys have so much warm fur when they are born that they can’t dive underwater. Their fur serves as a cuddly lifejacket, keeping them afloat. Born in the springtime in litters of <a href="http://placentation.ucsd.edu/beav.html">3-4</a>, the kits will ride around on their mother’s tail as she walks on land or cling to her back while she swims.&nbsp;



Once a mother beaver gives birth to a group of kits, she’s in no hurry to kick them from the nest. Most beaver kits stay with their families for <a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/beaver">two years</a>. That means a beaver lodge usually houses a pretty big family with two litters of kits at any given time. While the newborn beavers learn to swim and nibble trees, the yearlings are more likely to help with beaver lodge chores - keeping the dam in tact and the larder full! In the wild, beavers live between <a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/beaver">10-12 years</a>, but their legacy can last much longer. After a couple years in the home lodge, the young beavers will disperse to start their own home, changing the aqauscape throughout a watershed.



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/shutterstock_649626118.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1897233"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/gkuchera">Geoffrey Kuchera</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-what-do-beavers-build">What Do Beavers Build?</h2>



Beavers, like humans, modify their habitat to be more comfortable and secure. Since they are semi-aquatic mammals, beavers escape predators by swimming under water. Naturally, deep water provides a much safer refuge than shallow streams. When a beaver moves into a riparian environment, they set to work.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-the-beaver-dam">The Beaver Dam</h3>



They harvest their building materials including twigs, reeds, trunks of trees, branches, and mud. Through a process of careful weaving and caulking, they create a watertight dam. By creating a beaver dam, they slow down the flow of water and create a section of deeper water known as a beaver pond. Once the beavers ponds start filling up, the industrious rodents turn their attention to their lodge and larder, but the work is never done. Year after year, beavers will continue to add to their dam, making it longer and repairing any breaches.&nbsp;



Fun fact: Found in Alberta, Canada, the largest known beaver dam in the world measure almost 3,000 feet long.



<h3 id="h-the-beaver-lodge">The Beaver Lodge&nbsp;</h3>



While the beaver dam creates a suitable neighborhood, the beaver lodge is the beavers’ home-sweet-home. Similar to the dam, beavers make the lodge from sticks and twigs. But instead of clogging up the stream, the lodge serves as a cozy island home. Often built in the middle of the pond away from shore, lodges can measure over <a href="https://www.esf.edu/aec/adks/mammals/beaver.htm">six feet high and over 30 feet in diameter</a>. Inside the lodge, a small chamber serves as the living quarters. The beavers enter the lodge through underwater tunnels. That way,&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-astounding-impact-of-beaver-dams">Astounding Impact of Beaver Dams</h2>



Ecosystem engineers &amp; Keystone Species



It’s no question that beavers change their environments drastically. In making these new environments, their ecosystems rely on&nbsp; them. Not only are beavers ecosystem architects, but they are also keystone species. Just like the keystone piece at the top of an archway holds the whole structure together, an ecosystem will collapse without the keystone species. Time and time again, studies repeatedly show how important beavers and their dams are to ecosystem health. They control water quality, create habitats for endangered species, and increase biodiverstiy.



Beaver dams have been shown to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beaver-dams-cold-water-fish/">lower stream temperatures</a>, playing a critical piece in the puzzle to restore fish populations that need cold water for their life cycles, like salmon and trout. In another <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-examines-the-efficacy-of-beaver-dams/">study in Oregon’s Bridge Creek watershed</a>, an increase in beaver activity restored the natural flood plain and improved the survival and productivity of steelhead trout populations.



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.

Why Do Beavers Build Dams?

Known for their paddle-like tails and gnawing down trees, beavers...

Common,Lionfish,{pterois,Volitans},Is,An,Invasive,Species,In,The

Invasive Species Introduction (Plants & Animals)

Asian carp in the Mississippi River. Kudzu vine in Fiji....

Chicken,Taking,Dust,Bath,In,Garden

Is it possible? A dust bath could be cleaner?&nbsp;



This is a fairly radical idea, especially since the pre-fab, sparkling clean convenience of the 20th century continues to shape our societies. But within that, or perhaps in response to that, exciting movements around farm-to-table activism and conscious food production emerge to redefine how people eat and what they expect of farmers and growers in their area. Even in bustling big cities, many families are spending the extra money to purchase free-range meat and dairy, exploring options like permaculture, and investing in community programs such as CSAs (community-supported agriculture). Some families and individuals are even taking it a few steps further in urban and suburban settings: they're keeping backyard chickens.&nbsp;



Today we're going to dust up on the nitty gritties of dust baths. This will be old news to farmhands and a strange discovery for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chicken-psychology-birds-smart-complex/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first-time chicken keepers</a> - and as it turns out, it's a behavior taking place all over the animal kingdom.



So - what is a dirt bath? Why do chickens do it? What other animals engage in this behavior? And how does this information pertain to your new family egg-layers or burgeoning homestead operation? Should we be taking dust baths too?&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-dust-bath-definition">Dust Bath Definition&nbsp;</h2>



Dust bathing, which is also sometimes referred to as sand bathing, is an animal behavior. It looks just like how it sounds - an animal will roll around in the dirt, dust, and sand.&nbsp;



Technically, animal biologists categorize this as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-change-makes-animals-alter-their-behavior/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a "maintenance behavior"</a>. A wide range of avian and mammalian species take dust baths. Examples include sparrows, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephants-have-personality-traits-that-help-them-solve-problems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">elephants</a>, turkeys, ostriches, and quail. There are chinchilla dust baths, pig mud baths, and horses rolling around in the dry dirt.&nbsp;



Now that you know of it, you can probably recall a time or two where you witnessed a mammal or bird taking a dust bath. If not, the time has come to get outside and pay attention! There is also plenty of satisfying examples proliferating on the internet of just this sort of behavior. It's hard not to assign a certain amount of joyfulness and relief to the animals engaging with flying dirt particles. <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NYIdmpp69MY&amp;ab_channel=ChinTubeHD" target="_blank">This fluffy chinchilla knows just what to do</a>. And animals in captivity and <a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9E6hKzsNwkI&amp;ab_channel=FriendsoftheHeberWildHorses" target="_blank">in the wild</a> take part in the ritual.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/shutterstock_1582998499.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900275"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/Dennis+Diehl">Dennis Diehl</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h2 id="h-perks-of-dust-baths">Perks Of Dust Baths</h2>



Most humans have a weird thing with dirt and it can be hard for us to understand the impulse. Much of our commercial, medical, and societal conformities have to do with not being dirty. It can come as a shock that a dirt bath would actually be a very effective way for various animals to stay clean.&nbsp;



But unsurprisingly, our "enlightened" homo sapien assumptions can miss important details. Farming communities have long known this to be an aspect of certain animals' lives and zoological and agricultural scientists are now conducting studies into what's going on.&nbsp;



The consensus: dirt baths do work. Dirt baths can help keep external parasites away such as mites and fleas. A dirt bath can help an animal dry off from moisture in the environment or sweat from exertion from a hard day's work. A chicken can clean her feathers for preening, and a racehorse is able to cool off in a sandy stable. Animals can clean off the build-up of excess oil, all the better to fluff up their exteriors and combat parasites for healthier lives.&nbsp;



Some scientists suggest that dust baths have an important communicator function for some animals as well. In the case of squirrels, for example, a strong odor is left in the dirt after a dirt bath. This may be a way individuals are able to signal one another - leading to other various behaviors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-how-to-promote-health-dust-baths-for-your-chickens">How To Promote Health Dust Baths For Your Chickens&nbsp;&nbsp;</h2>



If you have a pet chinchilla or llama or a racehorse, you are going to want to investigate how best to support your animal companion's dust bathing regiment. Most people with dust bath quandaries on the internet and in communities around the globe are probably inquiring on behalf of their chicken, however, and so we're going to focus in on that. Here are some things to consider for DIY chicken keepers, crafting the ideal chicken coop, chicken run, and dirt bathing environment for the pecking members of their household.&nbsp;



<figure class="wp-block-image size-large"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/shutterstock_1011523030.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-1900276"/><figcaption><a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/g/mariecristabernjoyce">marie martin</a>/Shutterstock.com</figcaption></figure>



<h3 id="h-in-the-dust-bath-area">In The Dust Bath Area</h3>



First of all, the chickens will want regular dust baths in the proper season - and this is a necessary behavior for laying hens, so if you want eggs, you're going to want to facilitate dirt baths.&nbsp;



The chickens are going to do it whether you create the ideal environment for it or not. And while it can seem like more dirt = more clean from our discussion so far, it actually depends greatly on what dirt the chickens are using for this to truly be the case. Without your help, your chickens may end up dirt bathing in areas that are unclean and <a href="https://groworganicforlife.com/blogs/news/build-a-dust-bath-for-chickens-in-just-5-minutes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potentially full of manure or dead and decaying material</a>. All of this can harbor deadly bacteria for your birds, which can lead to wasted effort on your part, unnecessary animal suffering, and no home-layed scrambled eggs in the morning. These are some truly sad endings that can be avoided.&nbsp;



Luckily, <a href="https://groworganicforlife.com/blogs/news/build-a-dust-bath-for-chickens-in-just-5-minutes" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">building a dust bath</a> for your roost of feathered ladies is a quick and easy task. And this way, you can guarantee that your birds are showering in the dusty matter that is beneficial instead of harmful, empowering them to preen away and live their best chicken lives.&nbsp;



You can build a sandbox, use a kitty pool, or even a plastic bin for a dust bath. Plastic containers will be easy to clean of any wayward droppings that are sure to happen. Sprinkle in food-grade diatomaceous earth and maybe even some products like <a href="https://groworganicforlife.com/products/mitesbgone?variant=12444657778722" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MitesBGone</a>. You could also go the herbal route and incorporate lavender, oregano, and wormwood into your sandy dirt - all of which have antibacterial, antimicrobial properties in their essential oils. There's really no need to mix things up much in your container - your chickens, in their dirt bathing splendor, will do that work for you.&nbsp;



<h3 id="h-requirements-vary">Requirements Vary&nbsp;</h3>



The European Union has had <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119386365?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strict legal requirements around dustbathing</a> material since 2012 - and the same may be true where you live. It can be important (and instructive) to look into city and country ordinances in your area regarding this subject to make sure you are meeting these requirements.



Generally, "adequate substrates" include food particles, some brands of cat litter (just not the litter that's already been used by feline friends in the litter box!), feathers, straw, wood shavings, and wood ash (which contains a healthy dose of vitamin K and magnesium for your chickens). Scientific studies suggest that chickens prefer sandier combinations - though that substrate can be <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0032579119386365?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">difficult to supply</a> depending on your area and the functionality of the supply chain system. The dryer and sandier, the better.&nbsp;



<h2 id="h-conclusion">Conclusion</h2>



There's a lot to learn from the animal world - and perhaps the time has come to rethink our own human ideas about dirt, dust, soil, clay, and other messy elements of our geographical landscapes.&nbsp;



We may still be debating exactly why the chicken crossed the road - but the perks of cleanliness of a dust bath are easy enough to understand. Indeed, while you may not want to forgo the use of your house shower, it can apply to us as well.&nbsp;



Examples include cleaning dishes on a camping trip, beating out the living room rug in the snow, or bobbing around a spa in Iceland and spreading earthen clay all over your face. Sometimes, dirt can be cleaner for us too.&nbsp;



The fact of the matter is, our lives depend upon dirt and the animals remind us that it's in our best interest to collaborate and embrace the dirt for health, and also for the dirt-bathing fun of it.



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.

More Dirt = More Clean? What Is a Dust Bath?

Is it possible? A dust bath could be cleaner?&nbsp; This...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&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> Staff Writer 



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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://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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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"

[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



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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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes a new map of Mars that is providing insight into the planet’s watery past. The map also reveals where future missions could safely land on Mars.&nbsp;



The map has been created over the last decade using observations of water-rich rocks and mineral deposits. The images were captured by ESA’s Mars Express and NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter.



"A big surprise is the prevalence of these minerals, with the map revealing hundreds of thousands of water-affected locations in the oldest parts of the planet," says ESA. "The new data will help answer exciting questions about Mars’ climate history, whether water was globally persistent or confined to short, intense episodes, and whether the conditions were ever suitable for life."



"Specifically, the map shows the locations and abundances of aqueous minerals. These are from rocks that have been chemically altered by the action of water in the past, and have typically been transformed into clays and salts."



According to John Carter of the Institut d’Astrophysique Spatiale (IAS), our collective understanding of Mars has been oversimplified. He explained that planetary scientists have tended to think that only a few types of clay minerals on Mars were created during its wet period, then as the water gradually dried up, salts were produced across the planet.



The new map shows that the composition of Mars is much more complicated than what we thought. For example, while many salts formed after Martian clays, there are some salts that are presumed to be older than some of the clays.&nbsp;



“The evolution from lots of water to no water is not as clear cut as we thought, the water didn’t just stop overnight. We see a huge diversity of geological contexts, so that no one process or simple timeline can explain the evolution of the mineralogy of Mars. That’s the first result of our study. The second is that if you exclude life processes on Earth, Mars exhibits a diversity of mineralogy in geological settings just as Earth does,” said Carter.



Video 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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The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes how cavefish adapted to a sedentary lifestyle over tens of thousands of years. 



The experts found that the muscle metabolism of cavefish has been genetically reprogrammed over time. As a result, the animals have experienced major changes in their morphology and behavior. Despite these changes, however, the cavefish remain healthy and fit.



The research may provide new clues about the evolutionary consequences of prolonged physical inactivity in humans.&nbsp;



“It’s no surprise that people are moving less and less as technology has advanced,” said Rohner. “With cavefish, we have a unique system where we can study what might happen if people remained couch potatoes over very, very long periods of time.”



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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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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Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> some of the most incredible waves in the world, as seen by Landsat satellites.



"With more than 370,000 miles of coastline on Earth, there are plenty of places where epic waves build up, curl over, and hurtle toward the shore.- much to the thrill of surfers," says NASA. "There are some places where these waves are so magnificent that they can be seen from space."



"With the broad perspective of satellites, we can see how these iconic waves develop into the world’s tallest, longest, fastest, and heaviest."



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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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Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" 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> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...