Assateague Island National Seashore, Maryland

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features smoke hovering over the Butler Fire in Six Rivers National Forest. The fire was sparked by lightning on July 1 before quickly spreading to the east of Orleans, California.&nbsp;



By July 16, the Butler Fire had burned more than 9,000 acres and was zero percent contained.&nbsp;



Fueled by triple-digit temperatures and low humidity, the fire produced massive smoke plumes that drifted westward, impacting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-are-changing-the-quality-of-our-air/">air quality</a> across the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-california-fires-ignited-by-lightning">California fires ignited by lightning</h2>



About 75 miles southeast of the Butler Fire, the Green Fire has been burning for weeks near the Pit River arm of Shasta Lake. The fire was also ignited by lightning.&nbsp;



By mid-July, the Green Fire had scorched over 15,000 acres and was only 13 percent contained.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154554/wildfire-smoke-billows-over-northern-california">NASA</a>, the fire’s rapid spread was driven by similarly extreme conditions - temperatures above 100°F and humidity levels below 20 percent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-california-s-intense-2025-fire-season">California’s intense 2025 fire season</h2>



California’s 2025 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">wildfire season</a> started early - and with alarming intensity. In January, Southern California endured destructive fires that were fueled by strong Santa Ana winds.&nbsp;



Most notably, the Palisades and Eaton Fires burned over 57,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes, and resulted in around 30 fatalities.&nbsp;



Through mid-July, more than 4,195 wildfires had scorched over 201,000 acres statewide. This is nearly triple the area burned in the same period in 2024 and well above the five-year average.&nbsp;



Among these fires, the massive Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County alone had burned more than 80,000 acres by early July, making it the largest wildfire of the season.



California is entering the peak of its fire season amid worsening climate-driven hot and dry weather, with fire agencies forecasting above-normal fire potential through August and September.&nbsp;



Firefighters and communities are facing increasingly complex and dangerous conditions, including extreme heat, dry vegetation, and low humidity. These factors are making wildfires harder to predict and control.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-intense-fire-seasons-ahead">More intense fire seasons ahead</h2>



Looking ahead, California’s wildfire seasons are expected to grow longer and more intense as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">climate change</a> continues to reshape the landscape. 



Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and shrinking snowpacks are drying out forests and grasslands earlier in the year, creating dangerous conditions months before the traditional fire season.&nbsp;



Scientists warn that even in wetter years, vegetation growth can provide abundant fuel that dries out quickly under warming trends. This increases the risk of fast-moving, high-intensity fires.&nbsp;



The state is also seeing more fire activity in regions once considered low risk, including coastal areas and higher elevations.



In addition to fueling larger and more frequent fires, climate change is complicating response and recovery efforts. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">Smoke</a> from massive wildfires can impact extensive regions, posing serious health risks and straining public health systems.&nbsp;



Ultimately, experts agree that without significant action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the pace of global warming, wildfires will remain one of the most visible and destructive symptoms of a <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/wildfires-and-climate-change/">changing climate</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-living-with-fire">Living with fire</h2>



As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/">wildfires</a> become a more permanent fixture of life in California, residents are adapting to new realities. From packing emergency “go bags” in spring to installing air purifiers and fire-resistant landscaping, preparedness is becoming part of everyday life.&nbsp;



Schools and workplaces now routinely factor wildfire smoke into closure plans, and emergency drills are no longer seasonal but year-round.



For people on the front lines - firefighters, emergency responders, and healthcare workers - demands will only get worse and more support is needed. Many are calling for improved pay and benefits, as well as mental health services to cope with repeated trauma.



Living with fire in California means balancing resilience with action. Communities must prepare for fire, recover from fire, and push for climate policies that may prevent a future defined by ever-worsening wildfire seasons.



The image was captured on July 13, 2025 by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the <a href="https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/satellites/landsat-8/">Landsat 8 satellite</a>.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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California's extreme fire season rages on

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features Abell S1063, a massive galaxy cluster located about 4.5 billion light-years from Earth. The galaxy cluster was captured by the Webb telescope in stunning detail.



According to <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/05/Webb_glimpses_the_distant_past" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>, the image is what’s known as a deep field - a long exposure of a single area of the sky, collecting as much light as possible to draw out the most faint and distant galaxies that don’t appear in ordinary images.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxies-of-the-early-universe">Galaxies of the early universe </h2>



Composed of nine separate snapshots taken at different near-infrared wavelengths over roughly 120 hours, this image represents Webb’s most detailed and deepest view of a single target so far.&nbsp;



Thanks to the gravitational lensing effect of Abell S1063, astronomers can peer deeper into the past than ever before - possibly viewing some of the universe’s very <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-galaxies-formed-from-the-earliest-elements-in-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first galaxies</a>.



“The eye is first drawn, in this new NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month, to the central mega-monster that is galaxy cluster Abell S1063. This behemoth collection of galaxies, lying 4.5 billion light-years from Earth in the constellation Grus (the Crane), dominates the scene,” noted ESA.



“Looking more closely, this dense collection of heavy galaxies is surrounded by glowing streaks of light, and these warped arcs are the true object of scientists’ interest: faint galaxies from the universe’s distant past.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-galaxy-cluster">What is a galaxy cluster?</h2>



Galaxy clusters are the largest known gravitationally bound systems and include not just galaxies, but also vast amounts of hot, X-ray-emitting gas and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-true-nature-of-dark-matter-may-be-revealed-in-a-supernova/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter</a>.&nbsp;



The galaxies within a cluster move through this hot intracluster medium, and their interactions can lead to phenomena like galaxy mergers or the stripping of gas from galaxies.&nbsp;



Galaxy clusters are important for studying the large-scale structure of the universe, the behavior of dark matter, and the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hundreds-of-galaxies-bound-together-nbsp">Hundreds of galaxies bound together&nbsp;</h2>



As one of the most densely populated clusters known, Abell S1063 contains hundreds of galaxies bound together by gravity.&nbsp;



Its immense mass makes it an excellent example of a gravitational lens - a cosmic phenomenon where the cluster’s gravity bends and magnifies the light from galaxies far behind it.&nbsp;



This effect allows astronomers to observe incredibly faint and distant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-like-galaxies-were-present-in-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> that would otherwise be beyond our detection limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-galaxy-evolution">Studying galaxy evolution</h2>



The cluster has been the focus of several major observational campaigns. It was prominently featured in the Hubble Space Telescope’s Frontier Fields program, which used its gravitational lensing power to study the early universe.&nbsp;



“The new imagery from Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) takes this quest even further back in time,” said ESA.



“This image showcases an incredible forest of lensing arcs around Abell S1063, which reveal distorted background galaxies at a range of cosmic distances, along with a multitude of faint galaxies and previously unseen features.”



These observations are helping scientists probe the Cosmic Dawn era - the period shortly after the Big Bang.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-the-cosmic-dawn-nbsp">Exploring the Cosmic Dawn&nbsp;</h2>



The Cosmic Dawn refers to a time in the history of the universe when the first stars and galaxies began to form and shine. This pivotal era occurred roughly between 100 million and 1 billion years after the Big Bang.&nbsp;



During the Dark Ages, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fastest-feeding-black-hole-found-in-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> had cooled enough for neutral hydrogen to form, but no luminous objects yet existed to light it up.&nbsp;



The birth of the first stars - often massive and short-lived - marked the beginning of the Cosmic Dawn. These stars emitted intense ultraviolet radiation, which gradually ionized the surrounding hydrogen gas in a process known as reionization.&nbsp;



This transformed the universe from a cold, opaque environment into one that was transparent to light, enabling the large-scale structure of the cosmos to take shape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-constellation-grus">The constellation Grus</h2>



Grus is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-jupiter-discovered-in-the-great-bear-constellation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">constellation</a> in the southern sky, its name derived from the Latin word for "crane," a type of large, graceful bird.&nbsp;



It was introduced in the late 16th century by the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, during an era of celestial charting tied to European exploration of the southern hemisphere.&nbsp;



Grus is part of a group of constellations known as the "Southern Birds," which also includes Phoenix, Tucana, and Pavo.



This constellation lies near the celestial south pole and is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere during the months of August through October.&nbsp;



Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA, H. Atek, M. Zamani



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Hundreds of galaxies illuminate the early universe 

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the spiral galaxy UGC 11397 in the constellation Lyra (The Lyre).



The light captured in this striking image traveled for 250 million years before reaching the NASA/ESA <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/35-years-of-hubble-the-telescope-that-changed-our-view-of-the-universe/">Hubble Space Telescope</a>.



“At first glance, UGC 11397 appears to be an average spiral galaxy: it sports two graceful spiral arms that are illuminated by stars and defined by dark, clumpy clouds of dust,” noted ESA.



“What sets UGC 11397 apart from a typical spiral lies at its center, where a supermassive black hole containing 174 million times the mass of the Sun is growing.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-hidden-powerhouse">A hidden powerhouse</h2>



As the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/largest-oldest-black-hole-jet-ever-seen-is-size-of-three-milky-ways-j1601-3102/">black hole</a> consumes gas, dust, and even entire stars from its surroundings, the infalling material heats up dramatically, producing a dazzling display of energy.&nbsp;



These emissions span the electromagnetic spectrum - from gamma rays to radio waves - and can flare or fade unpredictably.&nbsp;



“But in some galaxies, including UGC 11397, thick clouds of dust hide much of this energetic activity from view in optical light,” explained ESA.



“Despite this, UGC 11397's actively growing black hole was revealed through its bright X-ray emission - high-energy light that can pierce the surrounding dust.”&nbsp;



Its distinctive signature has earned UGC 11397 the classification of a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy. This category describes active galaxies whose central regions are obscured in visible light by a doughnut-shaped cloud of dust and gas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-and-black-hole-growth">Galaxy and black hole growth</h2>



“Using Hubble, researchers will study hundreds of galaxies that, like UGC 11397, harbor a supermassive black hole that is gaining mass,” noted ESA.&nbsp;



“The Hubble observations will help researchers weigh nearby supermassive black holes, understand how black holes grew early in the universe’s history, and even study how stars form in the extreme environment found at the very center of a galaxy.”



Studying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-galaxies-discovery-would-upend-current-understanding-of-universe/">galaxies</a> like UGC 11397 also offers insight into the mysterious relationship between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.&nbsp;



Despite residing at the heart of galaxies, these black holes influence their surroundings on a much larger scale, often regulating the formation of stars and even shaping the structure of the galaxy itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-black-hole-origins">Tracing black hole origins</h2>



One of the key questions astronomers hope to answer is how these black holes grow so massive in the first place.&nbsp;



While some appear to have formed gradually over billions of years, others - especially those in the early universe - seem to have reached enormous sizes much more quickly. 



Observations of galaxies such as UGC 11397 provide crucial data to test different growth scenarios.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-clearer-picture-of-cosmic-evolution">A clearer picture of cosmic evolution</h2>



By combining Hubble’s observations with data from other telescopes, including those that detect X-rays and radio waves, researchers can build a more complete picture of how matter behaves around black holes.&nbsp;



This multi-wavelength approach is essential for studying objects obscured by dust, like Type 2 Seyfert galaxies, where optical views alone can be misleading.



Hubble’s sharp vision also allows astronomers to examine the surrounding galactic disk and spiral arms in high detail. 



These structures hold clues about recent star formation, galactic dynamics, and how gas flows toward the center - fueling both star birth and black hole growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-black-hole-energy-in-active-galaxies">Black hole energy in active galaxies</h2>



In many active <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-galaxies-revealed-in-a-single-webb-image/">galaxies</a>, the energy released by the central black hole can blast out powerful winds or jets that affect star formation. These feedback processes can either shut down or stimulate the creation of new stars, depending on the conditions.&nbsp;



Understanding when and how this feedback occurs is another major goal of Hubble’s ongoing studies.



UGC 11397 is just one of many galaxies being surveyed as part of broader efforts to trace the cosmic history of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-holes-turn-into-white-holes-and-blast-out-matter-and-time-runs-backwards/">black hole</a> activity.&nbsp;



Projects such as these are helping scientists map how common active galactic nuclei are, how their properties evolve over time, and how they relate to galaxy mergers and other large-scale events.



The wealth of information gathered from galaxies like UGC 11397 is not only deepening our understanding of black holes but also refining models of galaxy formation and evolution.&nbsp;



With each new observation, astronomers are piecing together the vast and complex puzzle of how galaxies and their central engines co-evolve across cosmic time.



Image Credit: ESA/Hubble &amp; NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth



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Bright spiral galaxy hides a dark secret

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16, which is located about 7,000 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.



The Eagle Nebula is one of the most iconic star-forming regions in our galaxy.&nbsp;It’s a vast cloud of gas and dust stretching roughly 70 light-years across.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pillars-of-creation-nbsp">Pillars of Creation&nbsp;</h2>



What makes it especially famous is a portion of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/">nebula</a> captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 - an area called the "Pillars of Creation."&nbsp;



Some of these towering columns of gas are several light-years tall. The towers resemble sculpted fingers reaching out into space. Inside these pillars, new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/serpens-nebula-image-reveals-how-stars-are-born/">stars</a> are being born as gravity pulls material together into dense cores that eventually ignite nuclear fusion.



The Pillars of Creation are often cited as a poetic example of the cosmic cycle of birth and destruction - where new stars are born even as the surrounding material is slowly destroyed by radiation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hubble-image-of-the-eagle-nebula-nbsp">Hubble image of the Eagle Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



“This towering structure of billowing gas and dark, obscuring dust might only be a small portion of the Eagle Nebula, but it is no less majestic in appearance for it,” said <a href="https://esahubble.org/images/heic2507a/">ESA</a>.



“The new Hubble image is part of ESA/Hubble’s 35th anniversary celebrations. The cosmic cloud shown here is made of cold hydrogen gas, like the rest of the Eagle Nebula. In such regions of space new stars are born among the collapsing clouds.”&nbsp;



The hot, energetic stars emit intense ultraviolet light and powerful stellar winds that erode and sculpt the surrounding gas. The result is the creation of fantastical structures - like the narrow pillar with a blossoming head featured in the Hubble image.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-light-and-shadow-in-the-eagle-nebula">Light and shadow in the Eagle Nebula</h2>



The thick material in the pillar blocks most light, appearing dark and heavy against the backdrop. However, its edges glow where light from the more distant nebula shines through.&nbsp;



The striking colors reflect the chemistry and physics at play: blues signal ionized oxygen, reds indicate glowing hydrogen, and orange shows where starlight has managed to pierce the dust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-structure-under-siege">A structure under siege</h2>



Just out of frame lie the very stars responsible for shaping this dramatic pillar. Their radiation and winds continue to batter the cloud, compressing the gas and potentially triggering the birth of even more stars within.



For now, the pillar holds firm, but this stability is temporary. Over time, the relentless energy from newly formed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/">stars</a> will eventually erode the entire structure.



“While the starry pillar has withstood these forces well so far, cutting an impressive shape against the background, eventually it will be totally eroded by the multitude of new stars that form in the Eagle Nebula,” explained ESA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-cycle-of-the-milky-way">Life cycle of the Milky Way</h2>



The nebula’s location in the Sagittarius Arm - one of the Milky Way’s major spiral arms - places it in a zone bustling with similar star-forming regions. This highlights the role of the Eagle Nebula in shaping the structure and the future of our galaxy.



Studies of the Eagle Nebula have revealed that the region is rich in young, hot stars - some of which are only a few million years old. These stars are in various stages of development, providing a natural laboratory for astronomers to study stellar life cycles.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-the-eagle-nebula-nbsp">Evolution of the Eagle Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



Within the Eagle Nebula, there is a variety of stellar processes occurring in close proximity. Some stars are still forming within dense clouds of gas, while others have already matured and begun to emit powerful ultraviolet radiation.&nbsp;



The ongoing interaction between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/star-formation-reignited-in-the-galaxy-leo-p-after-billions-of-years/">young stars</a> and their environment drives the evolution of the nebula itself.&nbsp;



As newly formed stars heat and disperse the gas and dust around them, they trigger further waves of star formation - or in some cases, halt it altogether.&nbsp;



This feedback loop not only influences the pace of star birth in the Eagle Nebula but also contributes to the broader life cycle of matter within the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-collision-may-change-everything-we-know-about-our-galaxy/">Milky Way</a>, enriching the galaxy with heavier elements forged in stellar cores.



Image Credit: ESA/Hubble &amp; NASA, K. Noll



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Eagle Nebula: Carving light from darkness

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a satellite view of smoke from fires burning in Manitoba, Canada on July 9, 2025.&nbsp;



Manitoba is facing its most severe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">wildfire season</a> on record - driven by extreme heat, drought, and strong winds.



By mid‑May, five fires in Manitoba were already classified as out of control, including one north of Whiteshell Provincial Park that rapidly consumed more than 100,000 hectares.



A record‑breaking heat wave around May 13, which was the hottest day Winnipeg has seen in 125 years, further accelerated the spread of the fires.



“Large fires have burned in Canada’s Manitoba province since May 2025, but the intensity of activity escalated in July,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154531/manitoba-burning">NASA</a>. 



“The province’s wildfire service reported 98 active fires burning on July 8, including 16 that were listed as out of control across the northern, western, and eastern parts of the province.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoke-plumes-are-shifting-directions-nbsp">Smoke plumes are shifting directions&nbsp;</h2>



The fires have blown across vast swaths of northern Manitoba, at times closing in on urban centers like Flin Flon and The Pas. 



Dense smoke rendered aerial firefighting efforts dangerous or impossible, forcing firefighting crews to focus on protecting lives and infrastructure from the ground. 



Smoke plumes drifted south into the U.S. Upper Midwest, degrading <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-are-changing-the-quality-of-our-air/">air quality</a> in states like Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, where conditions reached unhealthy levels and outdoor activities were limited.



“At the time the image was acquired, dense smoke plumes from several of the largest fires streamed north; however, satellites have often observed plumes from Manitoba’s fires blowing east in recent weeks and months,” noted NASA.



Persistent smoke has caused air alert levels to spike across North America. A growing collection of research links <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">wildfire smoke exposure</a> to long‑term health risks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-escalating-fire-crisis-in-manitoba-nbsp">Escalating fire crisis in Manitoba&nbsp;</h2>



“As of July 9, fires in 2025 had charred 4.8 million hectares across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. That’s an area about twice the size of New Jersey and nearly four times the 25-year average,” said NASA.



“Manitoba accounted for about 1 million hectares of burned area, about 20 times more than at the same point in 2024 and 13 times more than the 25-year average.”



Despite brief relief from cooler weather and scattered rain, officials caution that full containment of the fires remains a long way off. The threat of flare-ups grows as temperatures continue to rise.



Authorities in Manitoba have emphasized the importance of fire‑smart behavior and compliance with restrictions in what continues to unfold as a historic wildfire emergency.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-remote-communities-face-greater-risks">Remote communities face greater risks</h2>



First Nations communities have been hit especially hard by Manitoba’s wildfire crisis. Many of these communities are located in remote areas with limited road access, which complicates evacuation efforts and delays emergency response.&nbsp;



Critical firefighting infrastructure - such as water tanks, hoses, and trained personnel - is often lacking. In some cases, airstrips are too small to accommodate large aircraft needed for evacuations or supply drops.



These challenges stem from long-standing systemic inequities. Chronic underfunding of infrastructure, healthcare, housing, and emergency services has left many Indigenous communities more vulnerable to climate-related disasters.&nbsp;



When <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/">wildfires</a> strike, the impacts on these remote communities are often more severe and long-lasting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-rise-of-extreme-fire-seasons">The rise of extreme fire seasons</h2>



Climate change is intensifying wildfire activity across Canada and beyond. Rising global temperatures have led to longer and more severe fire seasons, as warmer air draws more moisture from vegetation and soil, leaving forests drier and more flammable.&nbsp;



In Manitoba, an early onset of heat and persistent drought created ideal conditions for ignition and rapid spread - conditions that are becoming increasingly common in a warming world.



In addition to fueling drier landscapes, climate change has altered atmospheric patterns that influence fire behavior. Shifts in jet streams and the frequency of high-pressure systems can trap <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-is-pushing-parts-of-earth-beyond-human-survival/">heat</a> over regions for prolonged periods.&nbsp;



These effects compound the risks, turning what might once have been manageable fire seasons into widespread and persistent emergencies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-future-with-more-megafires">A future with more megafires </h2>



While wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems, the scale and intensity now being observed point to a system pushed beyond historical norms.&nbsp;



Experts warn that without major cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, Canada will face more frequent megafires - especially in fire-prone provinces like Manitoba. 



These escalating fires are expected to bring greater health risks from smoke and increasing strain on emergency response systems.



The image was captured on July 9, 2025 by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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From drought to disaster: Manitoba’s fire crisis escalates

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features a stunning reflection nebula known as GN 04.32.8 in the constellation Taurus.



Reflection nebulae are cosmic clouds of fine dust that become visible not by producing their own light, but by reflecting the light of nearby stars.&nbsp;



Unlike emission <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/">nebulae</a>, which glow due to ionized gases radiating light, reflection nebulae shine more subtly.&nbsp;



The light from nearby stars strikes the dust particles within the cloud and scatters in many directions - especially shorter, bluer wavelengths. This scattering effect, similar to the way Earth’s sky appears blue, often gives reflection nebulae their characteristic bluish hue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-taurus-molecular-cloud">The Taurus Molecular Cloud</h2>



“GN 04.32.8 is a small part of the stellar nursery known as the Taurus Molecular Cloud. At only roughly 480 light-years from Earth in the constellation Taurus, it's one of the best locations for studying newly forming stars,” noted <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images">ESA</a>.



The Taurus Molecular Cloud is one of the closest and most extensively studied regions for low-mass star formation.&nbsp;



Unlike larger star-forming regions like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orion-nebula-destroys-an-oceans-worth-of-water-every-month/">Orion</a> that produce many high-mass stars, the Taurus Molecular Cloud is dominated by the formation of Sun-like and smaller stars, making it a prime analog for understanding the conditions that led to the birth of our own solar system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-energetic-stars-in-the-constellation-taurus-nbsp">Energetic stars in the constellation Taurus&nbsp;</h2>



“This reflection nebula is illuminated by the system of three bright stars in the center of this image, mainly the variable star V1025 Tauri in the very center," ESA noted. 



“One of those stars overlaps with part of the nebula: this is another variable star that is named HP Tauri, but is classified as a T Tauri star, for its similarity to yet another variable star elsewhere in the Taurus Molecular Complex.”&nbsp;



T Tauri stars are young, energetic stars in the earliest stages of stellar evolution, just beginning their journey toward becoming stable main sequence stars like our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-sun-like-stars-with-secret-companions/">Sun</a>.&nbsp;



These stars are highly variable, often exhibiting strong stellar winds and flares as they settle into equilibrium. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-dynamic-star-system">A dynamic star system</h2>



In this case, the trio of T Tauri stars - named HP Tau, HP Tau G2, and HP Tau G3 - are believed to be gravitationally bound, forming a dynamic triple star system.



“Eagle-eyed viewers might notice the small, squashed, orange spot, just left of center below the clouds of the nebula, that’s crossed by a dark line. This is a newly-formed protostar, hidden in a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planet-forming-disks-surrounding-stars-often-last-much-longer-than-expected/">protoplanetary disc</a> that obstructs some of its light,” explained ESA.



“Because the disc is edge-on to us, it’s an ideal candidate for study. Astronomers are using Hubble here to examine it closely, seeking to learn about the kinds of exoplanets that might be formed in discs like it.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-light-of-hot-young-stars">The light of hot, young stars</h2>



Reflection nebulae are usually found in regions where new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/10-billion-white-dwarf-stars-in-milky-way-galaxy-might-have-habitable-planets/">stars</a> are forming, often near or within dense molecular clouds.&nbsp;



Some reflection nebulae can span light-years across and serve as markers of stellar nurseries - places where future generations of stars are taking shape.



Reflection nebulae offer astronomers a valuable glimpse into the structure and composition of the interstellar medium and help trace the life cycles of stars from birth to maturity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-examples-of-reflection-nebulae-nbsp">Examples of reflection nebulae&nbsp;</h2>



One well-known example is the reflection nebula surrounding the Pleiades star cluster, also called the Seven Sisters.&nbsp;



The Iris Nebula, located in the constellation Cepheus about 1,300 light-years from Earth, is a striking reflection nebula illuminated by the young star SAO 19158.



This nebula is a popular target for astrophotographers due to its vivid colors and intricate structure.



Found about 1,600 light-years away, M78 is the brightest reflection nebula in the Orion constellation and one of the easiest to observe with amateur telescopes. It’s illuminated by two young stars, HD 38563A and HD 38563B.&nbsp;



M78 is part of a larger complex of gas and dust that includes many other star-forming regions within the Orion Molecular Cloud.



Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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Young stars illuminate the constellation Taurus 

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a large phytoplankton bloom in the Gulf of Maine.



The image was captured on June 21, 2025, by the Ocean Color Instrument (OCI) on NASA’s PACE satellite.&nbsp;



“In summer 2025, waters in the Gulf of Maine popped with vivid swirls of blue and green. The cause was a massive bloom of phytoplankton - microscopic plant-like organisms that often float near the ocean surface,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154472/a-booming-bloom-returns-to-the-gulf-of-maine">NASA</a>.



“Scientists say it was one of the largest blooms of its kind to show up in the Gulf’s waters in recent years.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bloom-in-the-gulf-of-maine">Bloom in the Gulf of Maine </h2>



Catherine Mitchell is a satellite oceanographer at Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences. She noted that the Gulf of Maine bloom contained coccolithophores, a type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-phytoplankton-that-feed-ocean-life-are-rapidly-disappearing/">phytoplankton</a> that makes the water appear milky blue.



“The tiny organisms, along with other types of phytoplankton, including diatoms that bloom here in spring, lie at the base of the marine food web,” explained NASA.



“Their presence - or absence - in Gulf of Maine waters can affect the entire ecosystem, from finfish to shellfish, and the region’s fisheries that depend on them.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shifting-conditions-and-plankton-communities-nbsp">Shifting conditions and plankton communities&nbsp;</h2>



Mitchell said that coccolithophore blooms like this one became less common in the Gulf’s waters starting around 2010. But in recent years, they’ve started to come back.&nbsp;



Scientists have also seen more dinoflagellates (a type of phytoplankton that move with tiny tails) and an overall drop in phytoplankton productivity over the past few decades.



These changes in plankton are linked to shifting ocean conditions. For instance, heavy rainfall from 2006 to 2009 made the Gulf’s waters fresher. Then, starting in 2008, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invisible-forest-of-phytoplankton-thrives-in-a-warming-climate/">warm water</a> from deep in the North Atlantic began heating the Gulf from the bottom up.&nbsp;



However, by spring 2025, bottom-water temperatures were cooler than they’ve been in 20 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ongoing-research-efforts">Ongoing research efforts</h2>



“The relationship between these changing water conditions and phytoplankton communities in the gulf remains unclear, but ongoing research could begin to provide some answers,” noted NASA.



“In fact, Mitchell and colleagues scrutinized this PACE image just days before heading out on a research expedition to study the bloom and other ocean properties up close. The cruise, the third so far this year, offers scientists the chance to validate ocean color data collected by PACE with real-world ocean samples.”



Mitchell pointed out that a major benefit of the PACE satellite is its ability to “see the rainbow,” which makes it easier for scientists to distinguish between groups of phytoplankton.



“With our continuing field measurements, we will validate ocean color observations from PACE, enabling satellite observations in the Gulf of Maine and supporting the region’s fisheries and aquaculture industries.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vital-signs-of-ocean-health">Vital signs of ocean health</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-from-africa-sparked-a-massive-phytoplankton-bloom/">Phytoplankton blooms</a> like the one captured in the Gulf of Maine are vital signs of ocean health. These microscopic organisms form the foundation of marine food webs, feeding everything from tiny zooplankton to large fish, whales, and seabirds.&nbsp;



When conditions are right - such as warm temperatures, abundant sunlight, and available nutrients - phytoplankton populations can grow rapidly, creating colorful blooms that are visible from space.



The Gulf of Maine is particularly sensitive to environmental change. Located at the intersection of cold northern currents and warmer waters from the south, it’s a dynamic ecosystem where small shifts in temperature or salinity can have outsized effects.&nbsp;



This region is also one of the fastest-warming ocean areas on the planet, with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/">temperatures</a> rising more than three times the global ocean average in some years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forecasting-changes-with-ocean-monitoring-nbsp">Forecasting changes with ocean monitoring&nbsp;</h2>



Changes in water temperature and salinity have ripple effects across the food chain. Warmer waters can favor certain types of phytoplankton over others, shifting the balance of species in ways that affect what fish and shellfish are available to predators - and to the region’s fisheries.&nbsp;



For example, coccolithophores may thrive in clearer, warmer waters, while traditional spring-blooming diatoms do better in colder, more nutrient-rich conditions.



Long-term monitoring is essential to understand and predict these shifts. Satellites like PACE provide a global view of ocean color, which reflects the presence and composition of phytoplankton.&nbsp;



By combining these observations with ship-based sampling, scientists can get a more complete picture of how plankton communities are evolving and how that affects everything from carbon cycling to fisheries sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-in-the-gulf-of-maine-nbsp">Warming in the Gulf of Maine&nbsp;</h2>



The Gulf’s warming trend has already caused noticeable ecological changes. Some species of fish have moved farther north or into deeper waters in search of cooler temperatures.&nbsp;



Lobsters, a key commercial species, have shifted their range as well. Meanwhile, harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-algae-in-lake-erie-may-be-hiding-toxic-deadly-compounds/">algal blooms</a> - caused by certain types of phytoplankton - have become more frequent in some parts of the Gulf, threatening shellfish harvests and public health.



Scientists are working to better predict how blooms will respond to future climate conditions.&nbsp;



Understanding which species are likely to dominate under warmer, fresher, or more acidic conditions can help predict changes in fish stocks, shellfish safety, and ecosystem stability.&nbsp;



This kind of forecasting is especially important in the Gulf of Maine, where marine resources are closely tied to local economies.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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Giant bloom in the Gulf of Maine signals change

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the Cat's Paw Nebula - a massive, active star-forming region in the constellation Scorpius. Also known as NGC 6334, the nebula is located about 4,000 light-years away from Earth.



The nebula’s name comes from its appearance. When viewed in visible or infrared light, it resembles a cat’s paw with bright lobes that look like giant toe beans.



“To celebrate the NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope’s third year of highly productive science, astronomers used the telescope to scratch beyond the surface of the Cat’s Paw Nebula (NGC 6334), a massive, local star-forming region,” said <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images">ESA</a>.



“This area is of great interest to scientists, having been subject to previous study by NASA/ESA’s Hubble and retired NASA Spitzer Space telescopes, as they seek to understand the multiple steps required for a turbulent molecular cloud to transition to stars.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-activity-in-the-cat-s-paw-nebula-nbsp">Activity in the Cat’s Paw Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



The Cat’s Paw Nebula is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/80-million-pixels-reveal-the-brilliance-of-a-star-cluster/">stellar nursery</a>, teeming with young, hot stars that are still forming from clouds of gas and dust. It spans roughly 50 light-years across and glows red, primarily due to the presence of ionized hydrogen gas illuminated by ultraviolet radiation from the newborn stars.&nbsp;



Much of the star formation remains hidden in visible light because of dense dust clouds, but observations in infrared and radio wavelengths have revealed an incredible amount of ongoing activity beneath the surface.



NGC 6334 is particularly rich in massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planet-forming-disks-surrounding-stars-often-last-much-longer-than-expected/">stars</a>, including some that are over ten times the mass of the Sun.&nbsp;



Because of this, it's often used by astronomers to study the early stages of high-mass star formation, which are less understood than the processes that form lower-mass stars.&nbsp;



The region is also home to a number of protostars and clusters still wrapped in dusty cocoons, making it a dynamic and evolving part of our galaxy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-details-in-the-cat-s-paw-nebula-nbsp">New details in the Cat’s Paw Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



“With its near-infrared capabilities and sharp resolution, the telescope 'clawed' back a portion of a singular 'toe bean,' revealing a subset of mini toe bean-reminiscent structures composed of gas, dust, and young stars,” noted ESA.



“Webb’s view reveals a chaotic scene still in development: massive young stars are carving away at nearby gas and dust, while their bright starlight is producing a bright nebulous glow represented in blue.”&nbsp;



Although only recently recognized in modern astronomy, the Cat’s Paw Nebula has become iconic - not just for its curious shape, but also for the insight it offers into how massive stars form in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-ways-thin-disk-is-billions-of-years-older-than-we-thought/">Milky Way</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-constellation-scorpius-nbsp">The constellation Scorpius&nbsp;</h2>



Scorpius is one of the most striking constellations in the night sky, especially visible during the summer months in the Southern Hemisphere and lower latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.&nbsp;



Its shape is unusually recognizable, forming a long, curving line that resembles a scorpion with a curled tail and extended claws.&nbsp;



In mythology, Scorpius is often associated with the story of Orion, the great hunter. According to one version of the myth, Orion boasted that he could kill all the animals on Earth, which angered the goddess Artemis. To punish him, she sent a giant scorpion to defeat him.&nbsp;



After a fierce battle, both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/our-solar-system-once-drifted-through-orions-star-forming-region/">Orion</a> and the scorpion were placed among the stars on opposite sides of the sky. To this day, Orion sets as Scorpius rises, as if the hunter is still fleeing from the celestial scorpion.



Antares, the brightest star in the constellation Scorpius, is a red supergiant whose name means "rival of Mars" due to its reddish hue and brightness. Antares serves as the scorpion's heart and is one of the most prominent stars in the night sky.&nbsp;



Because Scorpius lies along the plane of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cosmic-map-reveals-that-the-milky-ways-dust-has-very-unusual-properties/">Milky Way</a>, it is filled with dense star fields and deep-sky objects. This part of the sky is exceptionally rich in detail, offering a glimpse into the crowded heart of our galaxy.



Image Credit: ESA



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Webb reveals the Cat's Paw Nebula in stunning detail

The MODIS instrument, short for Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, is a key instrument aboard the Terra and Aqua satellites. MODIS is playing a vital role in the development of Earth ecosystem models, able to predict global changes, which then assist policy makers in making informed decisions about the protection of the global environment.

Heavy snow and cloud cover in the Alps are seen in this Image of the day&nbsp;from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at heavy snow and low clouds in the Alps. Wildlife such as ibex live in the higher peaks to elevations of 3,400 m (11,155 ft), and plants such as Edelweiss grow in rocky areas in lower elevations as well as in higher elevations.

Heavy snow and cloud cover in the Alps

Monitoring Earth Changes with MODIS

Aqua is a NASA scientific research satellite that studies precipitation, evaporation, and water cycles. Terra and Aura make up the Earth Observing System. It's the second component of the system.

A frozen Lake Erie in February Today’s Image of the Day comes from the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at a frozen <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/icy-lake-erie/">Lake Erie</a>, which is currently 93.3 percent iced over. A frozen Lake Erie in February
This false-color image was created using data from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Aqua satellite to differentiate between snow, ice, and clouds.
Lake Erie /ˈɪəri/ (French: Lac Érié) is the fourth-largest lake (by surface area) of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the eleventh-largest globally if measured in terms of surface area.It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. At its deepest point Lake Erie is 210 feet (64 metres) deep. 
Situated on the International Boundary between Canada and the United States, Lake Erie&#8217;s northern shore is the Canadian province of Ontario, specifically the Ontario Peninsula, with the U.S. states of Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York on its western, southern, and eastern shores. These jurisdictions divide the surface area of the lake with water boundaries. 
The lake was named by the Erie people, a Native American people who lived along its southern shore. The tribal name &#8220;erie&#8221; is a shortened form of the Iroquoian word erielhonan, meaning long tail
&#8212;
By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

A frozen Lake Erie in February

Aqua Earth Observing Satellite

This beautiful photo gallery contains 50 incredible images of Earth from Space. These images were taken by astronauts onboard the International Space Station, as well as by a multitude of NASA satellites orbiting the earth.

Today’s Image of the Day comes thanks to the <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=90654&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_readmore">NASA Earth Observatory</a> and features a look at Super Typhoon Noru in the Pacific Ocean just south of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-blue-chrysanthemums-created/">Japan</a>.
This image was captured by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Aqua satellite on July 31, 2017. 
At the time the photo was taken, Typhoon Noru was located just 250 kilometers south of Iwo Jima. Maximum sustained winds hit 150 miles per hour.
The storm briefly became a category 5 on July 30, before being downgraded to a category 4 one day later.
&#8211;
By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Source: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/IOTD/view.php?id=90654&amp;eocn=home&amp;eoci=iotd_readmore">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

Super Typhoon Noru in the Pacific Ocean

Incredible Images of Earth from Space

Photos from the International Space Station are found in this awesome Earth.com image gallery. Flat-earthers won't agree, but these incredible photos of the Earth were taken by astronauts onboard the International Space Station. The International Space Station is a modular space station in low Earth orbit.

Northern Italy from the space station is seen here in this Image of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> (ESA). The view includes the top half of the Italian Peninsula, along with <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/wildfires-burn-northern-corsica/">Corsica</a> and Sardinia off the coast. This image was captured by ESA astronaut Paolo Nespoli on his third and final mission to the Space Station.

Northern Italy from the Space Station

Photos from the International Space Station

The ocean is vast, wild, and constantly in motion. For animals that rely on it to survive, every trip is a test. Some animals fly, others swim, but all must find their way through a landscape that changes every hour. 



For Magellanic penguins, the challenge is especially tough. These flightless <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/penguins-are-threatened-by-mercury-contamination/">birds</a> must leave the safety of their nests, dive into unpredictable waters, and forage far from land - all while ensuring they return in time to feed their chicks.



Without visual landmarks or a clear view of the coast, the journey becomes more than a physical effort. It becomes a navigation puzzle. A new study reveals how these penguins do it.



Led by Richard Michael Gunner from <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour</a>, the study shows that Magellanic penguins are not just strong swimmers. They are clever navigators, capable of adjusting their movement in response to ocean currents to travel efficiently and even hunt along the way.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-penguins-adjust-to-ocean-currents">Penguins adjust to ocean currents</h2>



The study tracked 27 adult penguins during a single foraging trip in Argentina’s San Matías Gulf. Scientists fitted each <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emperor-penguins-may-disappear-in-our-lifetime/">bird</a> with GPS and motion sensors. 



These loggers captured heading, speed, dive depth, and prey-catching attempts. The goal was to see how penguins deal with drifting forces without visible land cues.



The researchers discovered that penguins switch strategies based on current strength. When waters were calm, penguins swam in straight lines home. 



In stronger flows, they followed the currents, even if it meant drifting sideways. This made their path longer but saved energy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-penguins-drift-to-save-energy">Penguins drift to save energy</h2>



Penguins didn’t always choose the shortest route. Instead, they allowed the currents to carry them sideways and then corrected course as currents shifted. This created S-shaped return paths. 



These movements were not random. They reduced energy costs by taking advantage of tidal reversals in the 12-hour cycle.



“Our results indicate that penguins notice discrepancies between their intended path and actual displacement over ground, then adjust accordingly,” noted the researchers.



“While penguins still aim broadly toward the colony under strong currents, they exhibit a more dispersed heading distribution, potentially reflecting repeated or fine-scale corrections to compensate for the drift. Such behavior is consistent with effective navigation even when out of sight of land.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-penguins-forage-on-the-way-home">Penguins forage on the way home</h2>



Rather than swimming straight home, penguins adjusted their path to conserve energy and hunt. Many dove over 10 meters deep during their return. 



The penguins caught prey up to 80% of the way back. As they got closer to land, dive depths reduced, and travel paths became more direct.



“Magellanic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/penguin-poop-helps-form-clouds-that-could-slow-antarctic-warming/">penguins</a> finding their way back to their nests from the open ocean subtly adjust their headings to exploit tidal currents, following paths that reduce energy costs while maintaining remarkable accuracy," wrote the authors of the study.



"Rather than swimming directly home, they drift laterally with the tides, balancing travel efficiency with opportunistic foraging along the way."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-penguins-stay-on-course">Penguins stay on course</h2>



The study used advanced modeling to compare real and simulated paths. If penguins followed a fixed heading, they would often miss the colony by several kilometers. 



Real penguins did better. Their deviations were shaped by current strength, prey activity, and dive behavior. The researchers found that current-aligned swimming boosted speed without adding energy cost.



These findings suggest penguins might not detect currents directly. Instead, they may sense how far they have been displaced from their compass-based heading and make adjustments. This could involve mechanosensing or even smell, though the exact cues remain unclear.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-incredible-accuracy-over-long-distances">Incredible accuracy over long distances</h2>



Despite navigating rough waters, 85% of Magellanic penguins returned within 984 feet of their departure point. That translates to 99.4% accuracy over a 31-mile journey.



Even those returning at night reached their nests with similar precision, proving that visual cues are not required for successful navigation. 



Scientists believe these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emperor-penguins-are-struggling-to-survive-as-sea-ice-vanishes/">penguins</a> may rely on a mix of non-visual tools. Possible mechanisms include detecting magnetic fields, using their sense of smell, or sensing low-frequency sounds like infrasound.



This remarkable ability highlights the penguins’ capacity to orient themselves in the open ocean, even when completely out of sight of their colony.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-penguins-handle-ocean-currents">How penguins handle ocean currents</h2>



The study shows how animals can respond to unpredictable environments with smart, energy-saving strategies.



By combining direction sensing with dynamic drift usage, Magellanic penguins show a flexible approach that supports both travel and foraging. These insights may apply to other marine species, especially those navigating far from land.



Future research may uncover how these penguins detect and respond to water movement. Until then, their ocean journeys remain a stunning example of natural precision and adaptability.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3002981" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS Biology</a>.



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How do penguins navigate the ocean? Secret strategy revealed

The ocean is vast, wild, and constantly in motion. For...

Laughing,Woman,With,Friend,Making,Ok,Symbol,With,Thumb,And

Managing stress may not just calm nerves in the moment, it also appears to nudge a person's personality toward the sunnier side and strengthen long‑term health. That insight comes from a long‑running study that tracked 2,022 Americans from middle age into their late sixties.



Participants who learned to keep daily hassles from rattling them grew steadily more extroverted, agreeable, and open to new experiences.



On the flip side, peers whose reactions worsened became quieter, less friendly, and wary of novelty, explains <a href="https://psychology.msu.edu/directory/chopik-bill.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">William Chopik</a>, associate professor of psychology at <a href="https://msu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michigan State University</a>, over the years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-calming-small-stress-helps-personality">Calming small stress helps personality</h2>



Researchers call the immediate surge of frustration, worry, or anger that follows a hassle <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7983854/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress reactivity</a>. 



High reactivity heightens blood pressure, floods the brain with cortisol, and sets the stage for wear and tear known as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20707675/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">allostatic load</a>.



Most people face at least one minor stressor, a traffic jam or sharp email, on more than 40 percent of days. How they interpret and dampen those moments predicts nightly mood, sleep quality, and, over years, physical health.



Daily stress also acts like an invisible drill sergeant, rehearsing the nervous system to react the same way the next time unless conscious countermeasures interrupt the script. Coping skills, therefore, become habits just as rigid as any physical routine.



The new study tests whether changing that habit loop can send ripples upward, influencing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-does-happiness-come-from-it-depends-on-who-you-are/">stable dispositions</a> rather than simply reflecting them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-stress-and-personality-change">Tracking stress and personality change</h2>



The team mined the <a href="https://sites.psu.edu/nsde/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Study of Daily Experiences</a>, a project that collects eight‑day diary bursts roughly every decade. 



Volunteers noted whether they argued, raced deadlines, or juggled interruptions, and rated negative feelings each evening.



By averaging those daily scores, the researchers built a personal stress‑reactivity profile for each wave, then examined how those scores rose or fell across nearly two decades.



Crucially, the diaries sat alongside annual inventories of the <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6168084/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Big Five personality traits</a>, giving the analysts a rare chance to watch coping shifts and character shifts march forward together.



Sophisticated multilevel structural equation models controlled for age, gender, and baseline personality, reducing the odds that preexisting differences, rather than changing stress skills, explained later trait trajectories.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stress-reactions-changed-personality-traits">Stress reactions changed personality traits</h2>



Across the cohort, reactivity dropped with age, but the pace varied. Adults who cut their emotional spikes the most showed a 4 percent boost in extroversion and a 3 percent rise in agreeableness, compared with peers whose coping stagnated.



“These improvements trickled up to affect how your personality changed over time,” said Chopik. 



Extroversion and agreeableness both predict higher life satisfaction, a pattern confirmed in dozens of studies, including <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2001-01642-014" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> that links sociable moments to larger daily happiness gains.



Openness to experience, the third trait boosted by calmer coping, correlates with lifelong learning and cognitive flexibility, qualities that often buffer aging‑related decline, according to personality <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2743415/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">researchers</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-stress-reshapes-the-brain">How stress reshapes the brain</h2>



Stress hormones interact with brain circuits that govern emotion, planning, and reward. When surges repeat, synapses remodel, gradually making threat detection louder and flexible thinking quieter.



Animal and human studies led by neuroendocrinologist Bruce McEwen show that reducing cortisol spikes can restore hippocampal volume and improve executive function, reinforcing healthier coping <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20707675/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">loops</a>.



Functional‑MRI work also finds that people with lower reactivity maintain stronger connectivity between the prefrontal cortex and amygdala, an architecture linked to smoother social interactions.



Over years, that neural rewiring could ease engagement and curiosity, aligning with the trait shifts spotted in the Michigan State dataset.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-ways-to-build-stress-resilience-every-day">Simple ways to build stress resilience every day</h2>



<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1813588116" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mindfulness</a>, even in brief smartphone‑based courses, cuts perceived stress and boosts daily social contact, according to a two‑week randomized trial in young adults.



Other tactics, such as labeling feelings, reframing hassles as challenges, or taking ten‑minute walks, tap the same regulatory circuits without the need for formal training.



Cognitive‑behavioral therapy teaches people to challenge stress-driven catastrophic thoughts, while biofeedback provides real‑time heart‑rate clues that guide slower breathing, both methods shown to shrink daily spikes and support personality development.



“If people can find ways to regulate their emotions, that might accumulate and translate to changing their personalities,” added Chopik.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-personality-change-matters">Why personality change matters</h2>



Shifts toward extroversion and agreeableness are not just socially pleasant; they predict lower loneliness, better teamwork, and even reduced cardiovascular risk.



<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC2577457/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Meta‑analyses</a> link openness to experience with healthier aging behaviors, from physical activity to medication adherence, giving the trait medical relevance.



Public‑health economists estimate that boosting average agreeableness by a single point on standard scales could save billions in conflict‑related workplace costs each year, though precise figures remain contested.



Recognizing personality as malleable counters fatalism and supports policies that fund stress management in schools, prisons, and elder‑care centers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-questions-for-future-research">Questions for future research</h2>



The diary method captures only eight days per decade, leaving gaps where major life events could shape both stress and character. 



Broader samples that include younger adults and non‑US cultures would clarify just how universal the effects are.



Scientists also want to test whether interventions that directly target reactivity, biofeedback, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mindfulness-meditation-can-rewire-your-brain-for-sharper-focus/">mindfulness</a>, or structured exercise, speed up the desirable personality tilt.



Genetic analyses could reveal whether certain variants make coping skills easier to learn, helping personalize resilience training.



Longer follow‑ups could show whether stress-related gains plateau or cascade, echoing earlier work by Roberts and colleagues indicating that personality traits keep shifting well past retirement age.



The study is published in <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2026-32285-001?doi=1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Psychology and Aging</a>.



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Study links stress management ability with positive personality traits

Managing stress may not just calm nerves in the moment,...

A plain‑white mineral found in western Serbia has a name straight out of the comics and a chemical profile that battery makers crave. Called jadarite, also known as sodium‑lithium‑boron silicate hydroxide, was first pulled from drill <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-microscopic-mineral-ehrigite-discovered-could-revolutionize-geological-exploration/">cores</a> in 2004 and officially recognized as a new mineral two years later.



Geologists soon noticed that the formula on the sample label matched the faux “kryptonite” shown in a <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0348150/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2006 Superman film</a>, minus the fluorine and the green glow. 



That pop‑culture twist helped the discovery grab headlines, yet the real excitement lies in what the mineral could do for electric vehicles and renewable power storage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jadarite-discovered-in-serbia">Jadarite discovered in Serbia</h2>



Jadarite occurs as dull, chalky nodules tucked inside fine‑grained shale in the Jadar Valley. The host rocks formed in an ancient lake basin rich in volcanic ash, allowing lithium and boron to build up in the pore waters until the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-and-ice-may-reveal-where-rare-earth-elements-are-hiding/">mineral</a> crystallized. 



Those conditions have been found only in Serbia so far, making the deposit both unique and strategically valuable.



<a href="https://ausimm.eventsair.com/AUSIMMEventInfoPortal/14414-critical-minerals-conference-2024/cmprogram/Portal/AgendaItemDetail?id=5d8b67e0-34f2-fcc2-1dc0-3a12cf0470fc" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Michael Page</a>, a process chemist at Australia’s Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (<a href="https://www.ansto.gov.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ANSTO</a>), points out that the valley “is considered one of the largest lithium deposits in the world, making it a potential game‑changer for the global green energy transition.”&nbsp;



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Natural History Museum in London</a>, including mineralogist <a href="https://lithiumfuture.org/nhm.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Robin Armstrong</a>, later traced the steps nature followed. 



They showed that <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0012825224001120" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">alkaline terminal lakes</a>, <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/segweb/economicgeology/article-abstract/117/1/91/606255/Evaluating-the-Potential-of-Rhyolitic-Glass-as-a?redirectedFrom=fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lithium‑rich volcanic glass</a>, and the gradual reworking of clay minerals all had to line up in a narrow window of temperature and pH.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-jadarite-could-replace-gasoline">Jadarite could replace gasoline</h2>



Each ton of jadarite contains roughly seven percent <a href="https://mineralseducationcoalition.org/minerals-database/lithium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lithium</a>, the light metal that lets rechargeable batteries pack a lot of energy without much weight. 



The rock also carries high levels of <a href="https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Boron-HealthProfessional/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">boron</a>, used in fiberglass, smartphone glass, and wind‑turbine blades, turning what would be waste in other ores into a marketable by‑product.



If the planned underground mine goes ahead, <a href="https://www.riotinto.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rio Tinto</a> estimates annual output of about 58,000 tons of battery‑grade lithium carbonate, 160,000 tons of boric acid, and 255,000 tons of sodium sulfate. That scale would be enough to supply cathode material for several million electric cars a year.



Demand is rising fast. The International Energy Agency (<a href="https://www.iea.org/reports/global-critical-minerals-outlook-2025/overview-of-outlook-for-key-minerals">IEA</a>) projects global lithium use to grow fivefold by 2040 in its “Stated Policies Scenario” as nations switch from combustion engines to batteries. 



Europe alone could see up to 90 percent of its current lithium needs covered by the Serbian <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-may-have-always-held-the-key-ingredients-for-life/">deposit</a>, according to market assessments.



“As the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-white-gold-a-lithium-deposit-valued-at-1-5-trillion-has-been-discovered-in-the-u-s/">demand for lithium</a> continues in the race toward renewable energy, if mined, jadarite can offer huge potential, said Dr. Armstrong, highlighting the stakes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rare-conditions-needed">Rare conditions needed</h2>



“[The formation sequence is…] “similar to baking a cake, everything needs to be measured and exact … if the conditions are too acidic or too cold, jadarite will not form,” said lead author <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=r4shUpUAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Francesco Putzolu</a>. 



The team’s lab experiments failed whenever they tweaked the water chemistry even slightly, hinting that only a few basins on Earth ever hit the sweet spot.



That rarity boosts the ore’s strategic appeal but complicates the search for new supplies. 



Geologists are now combing satellite images for dried‑up lake beds fringed with volcanic tuffs, hoping to locate a second occurrence. So far, none has surfaced.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-method-can-extract-lithium-and-boron">New method can extract lithium and boron</h2>



Extracting lithium from jadarite is trickier than from brines or spodumene because the sodium and boron tie up the metal in a tight molecular cage. 



ANSTO engineers have responded by testing a two‑step leach and purification circuit that recovers high‑purity <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/huge-lithium-deposit-from-volanic-ash-found-in-pennsylvania/">lithium carbonate</a> while capturing boric acid as a co‑product.



Page says the challenge of a “new type of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-hunt-for-rare-earth-elements-is-underway/">mineral</a> resource” energizes the pilot team, which has already produced battery‑grade chemicals from bulk samples sent to Australia. 



Commercial plants would likely use a similar hydrometallurgical flow sheet, avoiding the energy‑intensive roasting needed for spodumene and cutting overall carbon emissions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mining-brings-promise-but-sparks-protests">Mining brings promise but sparks protests</h2>



Serbian communities are not unanimous in welcoming the mine. Environmental groups warn that alkali‑rich tailings could leak into the Jadar River and harm local agriculture. 



Independent studies have found elevated boron and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/geologists-discover-a-19-million-ton-lithium-deposit-in-the-us/">lithium</a> downstream of exploratory boreholes, fueling weekly protests in Belgrade.



Supporters counter that rigorous water‑management plans and sealed tailings cells can limit impacts, and that the economic gains, including thousands of skilled jobs, are hard to ignore. 



European automakers also see the project as a chance to shorten supply chains now dominated by South American brines and Chinese refiners.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-search-beyond-serbia">The search beyond Serbia</h2>



Whether or not the Jadar project reaches full production, the mineral has already altered the critical‑minerals map. 



Its existence proves that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lithium-brine-discovery-has-vast-implications-for-future-mining-operations/">lithium</a> can concentrate outside traditional pegmatites and brines, broadening the hunt to basins once dismissed as uneconomic clay.



Researchers are now experimenting with synthetic pathways, seeding gels of silica, borate, and lithium under lake‑like conditions to see if jadarite can be grown on demand. 



Success could pave the way for engineered deposits that bypass mining altogether. For now, though, nature’s one known batch in western Serbia remains the focus of intense scientific, industrial, and public scrutiny.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01705-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Geoscience</a>.



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Jadarite, described as 'Earth's kryptonite twin,' has potential to replace fossil fuels

A plain‑white mineral found in western Serbia has a name...

Woman,Using,Phone,While,Sitting,Cozy,On,A,Porch,At

Researchers in Texas report that people living in neighborhoods surrounded by nature and greenspaces have dramatically lower rates of bipolar disorder, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teenagers-with-anxiety-or-depression-spend-more-time-on-social-media-according-to-experts/">depression</a>, and other mental health maladies, according to an analysis of 61 million outpatient visits across 1,169 urban ZIP codes.



The work suggests that crossing a NatureScore threshold of 40 marks a turning point, with the probability of needing treatment for bipolar disorder dropping by roughly two‑thirds and depression by half.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-cities-and-human-health">Nature, cities, and human health</h2>



“Our study was the first to use NatureScore, which provides more complex data, to study the correlation between urban nature exposure and mental health,” explained <a href="https://public-health.tamu.edu/directory/maddock.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jay Maddock</a> of <a href="https://public-health.tamu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Texas A&amp;M University</a>.



Maddock’s team partnered with <a href="https://www.houstonmethodistcareers.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Houston Methodist</a> and <a href="https://texanbynature.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Texan by Nature</a> to match hospital records with satellite imagery, tree‑canopy maps, and pollution readings.



More than one in five American adults lives with a mental health disorder, yet many cities keep losing trees to development.



Researchers worldwide have been searching for neighborhood‑level indicators that planners can act on, and composite measures like NatureScore are starting to fill that gap.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-numbers-reveal">What the numbers reveal</h2>



The Texas data painted a steady downward slope: mental health visits fell as NatureScore climbed from the “Deficient” band below 40 to the “Utopia” band above 80.



Neighborhoods rated 60 or higher logged only half as many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-to-maximize-the-mental-health-benefits-of-exercise/">mental‑health</a> outpatient encounters as those below 60, even after adjusting for income, education, insurance, and race.



Women made up 63 percent of the sample, yet the protective effect of vegetation held for men and women alike.



Zip codes with more trees also tended to have older residents and higher employment, but the statistical models removed those factors and still found the green advantage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-nature-boost-brain-health-by-60">How nature boost brain health by 60%</h2>



Brains appear to settle down when the eyes land on leaves instead of concrete, lowering cortisol and quieting neural circuits that loop negative thoughts.



A controlled <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259512509_The_influence_of_urban_green_environments_on_stress_relief_measures_A_field_experiment" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trial</a> in Finland reported that a 15‑minute walk through an urban forest lifted mood scores more than a similar walk along a busy street.



Trees also buffer noise and filter fine particles, so cleaner, quieter streets may reduce the chronic stress that can trigger mood swings.



Green streets invite more walking, and routine physical activity is known to cut depression risk by about a quarter.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-counts-as-enough-green">What counts as enough green</h2>



<a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=9kFH1fYAAAAJ&amp;hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Omar M. Makram</a>, the study’s lead author, pointed out that “a NatureScore above 40, considered Nature Adequate, seems to be the threshold for good mental health.”



In practice, that threshold equates to roughly one mature street tree every 50 feet, a patch of park within a quarter‑mile, and low nighttime glare, according to the <a href="https://www.naturequant.com/naturescore/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NatureQuant</a> methodology.



For planners, the 40‑point line offers a clear performance target that can be checked for any address in the United States.



Public health agencies could layer NatureScore onto routine surveillance maps and flag hot spots where the score falls short and psychiatric visits pile up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planning-cities-with-health-in-mind">Planning cities with health in mind</h2>



Austin’s tree‑planting master plan already aims to shade 50 percent of the city by 2050, citing heat and mental health benefits.



Chicago and <a href="https://louisvilleky.gov/government/sustainability/services/green-infrastructure-incentives" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Louisville</a> are experimenting with “green alleys,” retrofitting paved lanes with bioswales and saplings to raise neighborhood scores without buying new parkland.



These micro‑projects are cheaper than psychiatric hospital stays, which can exceed $8,000 for a single visit, and they generate co‑benefits like storm‑water capture and bird habitat.



Maddock’s group argues that hospitals and insurers should help fund urban greening because lower utilization eases pressure on crowded clinics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-and-next-steps">Limitations and next steps</h2>



The study relied on ZIP‑code averages, so exposure may have been misclassified for people living on the edge of a park or a freeway.



Records stopped in mid‑2019, leaving out the COVID‑19 era, when many clinics switched to telehealth and park use spiked.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/do-humans-and-ai-work-better-together/">Future work</a> will track individual addresses and smartphone GPS trails to test whether time spent in nature matters more than leafy views from a kitchen window.



The team is also exploring whether childhood exposure to green streets guards against first‑episode bipolar disorder later in life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-growing-policy-consensus">A growing policy consensus</h2>



“Increasing green space in cities could promote well‑being and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preserving-your-cultural-traditions-drastically-improves-mental-health/">mental health</a>,” noted Omar M. Makram, who now consults for several municipal planning departments.



His statement sums up a growing consensus: planting trees is a mental‑health intervention that can fit on a sidewalk.



As urban populations climb, quantifying how much greenery keeps minds stable could shape zoning codes as powerfully as traffic engineering ever did.



The study is published in the <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/21/2/168" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health</a>.



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Living near nature and greenspaces shown to reduce mental health issues by 60%

Researchers in Texas report that people living in neighborhoods surrounded...

Sugar-free treats have taken over the shelves. You’ve probably seen erythritol listed on sodas, protein bars, and even toothpaste. It’s everywhere. Almost zero calories, no sugar spikes, and perfect for keto diets. Sounds like a win, but maybe not.



A new study from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Colorado Boulder</a> has cracked open a side of erythritol that few expected. It’s not about weight gain or tooth decay. It’s about what this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-sweeteners-erythritol-directly-linked-to-heart-attacks-and-strokes/">sweetener</a> does to your brain’s blood vessels that may elevate the risk of a stroke.



“Our study adds to the evidence suggesting that non-nutritive sweeteners that have generally been purported to be safe, may not come without negative health consequences,” said Professor Christopher DeSouza, who led the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-artificial-sweeteners">Understanding artificial sweeteners</h2>



Artificial sweeteners like erythritol have become go-to sugar substitutes for people looking to cut calories or manage blood sugar. 



<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/erythritol" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Erythritol</a>, in particular, is a sugar alcohol found naturally in some fruits but is typically produced in bulk from corn or wheat starch. 



It tastes sweet like sugar but has almost zero calories and doesn’t spike blood glucose, making it popular among those with diabetes or on keto diets. 



Unlike some other sugar alcohols, erythritol usually causes fewer digestive issues because your body absorbs most of it before it reaches the colon.



That said, it’s not without controversy. Some recent studies, including this one, have raised concerns about potential links between high erythritol levels and cardiovascular issues like heart attack and stroke.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweetener-changes-brain-cells">Sweetener changes brain cells</h2>



The researchers did not yet test this in people. They went straight to the cells that line your brain’s blood vessels. These cells regulate blood flow, keep inflammation in check, and help prevent clots.



The cells were exposed to erythritol for just three hours. The amount used was equal to what you would get from one sugar-free drink. That was all it took to cause noticeable changes.



The cells got stressed. They flooded with free radicals, also called reactive oxygen species or ROS. These unstable molecules damage proteins, DNA, and cell membranes. In response, antioxidant defenses went up, but not enough. 



It was like the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-sweetener-erythritol-sugar-substitute-linked-to-blood-clots-heart-disease/">cells</a> knew they were under attack and tried, unsuccessfully, to defend themselves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blood-vessels-started-misbehaving">Blood vessels started misbehaving</h2>



That same short exposure changed how the cells produced nitric oxide, a molecule that helps blood vessels relax. Less nitric oxide means tighter vessels. That’s bad news when your brain needs steady blood flow.



The total amount of the enzyme that makes nitric oxide didn’t change much, but its function tanked. It stopped doing its job well. 



Erythritol messed with the enzyme's activation at two specific sites. One turned down, one cranked up. The result was about 20 percent less nitric oxide production. This sets the stage for constricted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nutritionists-reveal-the-surprising-health-benefits-of-maple-syrup-including-less-belly-fat/">vessels</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweetener-makes-brain-vessels-tighten">Sweetener makes brain vessels tighten</h2>



The same cells started pumping out more <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/23139-endothelin" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">endothelin-1</a>, a protein that tells blood vessels to tighten up. Compared to normal cells, the erythritol-exposed ones had a 30 percent increase in ET-1. They also had more of its precursor, Big ET-1.



That’s a double whammy. First, blood vessels lose their ability to widen. Then, they get signals to squeeze even more.



“Big picture, if your vessels are more constricted and your ability to break down blood clots is lowered, your risk of stroke goes up,” said first author Auburn Berry. “Our research demonstrates not only that, but how erythritol has the potential to increase stroke risk.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clots-don-t-stand-a-chance">Clots don’t stand a chance</h2>



Blood clots are tricky. You want your body to stop bleeding when you get a cut. But you also want it to break down unnecessary clots inside vessels. One of the body’s tools for that is tissue-type plasminogen activator, or t-PA.



In this study, the researchers added thrombin, which mimics a clotting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-sweetener-can-destroy-some-of-the-most-dangerous-bacteria/">signal</a>. Normally, that should have made the cells release more t-PA. In untreated cells, that’s exactly what happened. A nice 25 percent boost.



In erythritol-treated cells? Nothing. The response was completely muted. Clots form and cells don’t react. That’s the formula for a stroke.



One study tracked over 4,000 people in the U.S. and Europe. The research team found that those with high blood levels of erythritol had more strokes and heart attacks within three years. This happened across both sexes and regardless of other health issues.



The Colorado team didn’t just observe changes. They showed exactly how the sweetener weakens brain vessel cells in ways that match the stroke patterns found in people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sweeteners-may-harm-blood-vessels">Sweeteners may harm blood vessels</h2>



DeSouza and his team exposed real human brain vessel cells to a typical drink-size dose of erythritol. Many people consume several such servings a day. And unlike some substances, erythritol crosses into the brain.



The study wasn’t designed to track long-term effects, but it does raise a concern. What happens when those cells face erythritol not just for three hours, but every day?



“Given the epidemiological study that inspired our work, and now our cellular findings, we believe it would be prudent for people to monitor their consumption of non-nutrient-sweeteners such as this one,” said DeSouza.



The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/japplphysiol.00276.2025" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Applied Physiology</a>. 



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Common sweetener found to significantly and immediately boost heart attack and stroke risk

Sugar-free treats have taken over the shelves. You’ve probably seen...

A recent study shows that reading chemical marks on just two stretches of human DNA can estimate a person’s chronological age to within about 1.36 years - if the person is younger than 50.



The work comes from the <a href="https://en.huji.ac.il/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hebrew University</a> of Jerusalem, where Professor Tommy Kaplan and his colleagues trained a deep learning model called <a href="https://github.com/MagNet-DL/magnet" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAgeNet</a> to read single‑molecule methylation patterns.



“It turns out that the passage of time leaves measurable marks on our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/">DNA</a>,” said Kaplan, enthused about this finding he credits to the team’s focus on high‑resolution data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dna-tags-like-a-clock">DNA tags like a clock</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-genes-may-predict-infertility-and-disease-by-flipping-like-a-light-switch/">DNA methylation</a> is a steady change that happens over time, where a small chemical tag gets added to specific spots in the DNA.



Because methylation builds up or fades in predictable ways as people age, scientists have treated it as a molecular clock for more than a decade.



Earlier age prediction models looked at hundreds of scattered DNA sites, but MAgeNet focuses on just two specific regions. 



It studies thousands of individual DNA fragments from those regions and runs them through a layered AI system to figure out a person’s age.



The network learns whether each fragment is fully methylated, partly marked, or untouched, then weighs more than 130,000 possible patterns to calculate a final age prediction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-dna-regions-determine-age">Two DNA regions determine age</h2>



Horvath’s 2013 epigenetic clock needed 353 CpGs and still missed the mark by almost four years on individual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-exoplanets-are-much-larger-than-we-thought/">blood</a> samples.



Non‑linear “<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10545910/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GP‑age</a>” modeling cut that error to about two years using 30 <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/neuroscience/cpg-site" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CpG</a>s, but it still relied on array data that blurs single‑molecule details. Pyrosequencing <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26026729/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> later trimmed the list to five CpGs yet could not beat a 3.9‑year median error.



Kaplan’s team showed that focusing on pattern combinations rather than single averages lets a neural network squeeze out nearly twice the accuracy of any earlier clock.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-age-test-informs-care">Age test informs care</h2>



MAgeNet’s predictions did not change when researchers stratified volunteers by body‑mass index, smoking history, or sex, suggesting that the two‑locus signatures are insulated from lifestyle noise.



Such stability could help physicians decide whether a patient’s treatment plan matches cellular age rather than calendar age, a crucial distinction in emerging “<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-39786-7" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gerotherapeutic</a>” trials that target biological aging.



The study also tracked 52 Jerusalem residents a decade apart and found that early deviations between predicted and calendar age remained almost unchanged ten years later.



This fact implies that the methyl tags lay down a durable timestamp rather than fluctuating with short‑term health shifts.



Because the assay works on as few as 50 DNA molecules, even a pediatric finger prick or archived neonatal blood spot could, in principle, reveal whether growth‑related <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/">therapies</a> are accelerating or slowing a child’s cellular timeline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forensics-and-dna-age-testing">Forensics and DNA age testing</h2>



Forensic scientists have long sought a tool that can reveal a suspect’s age from a trace <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/everyday-dna-damage-requires-constant-repair-by-cells-to-prevent-disease/">DNA profile</a>, something standard methylation arrays could not deliver without milligrams of tissue.



The Hebrew University team showed that down‑sampling their libraries to the equivalent of 20 genomic copies still kept the median error below four years, a tolerance well within the age ranges investigators typically publish in bulletins.



Urine samples predicted age within 2.5 years, while saliva lagged at 6.4 years, indicating that re‑training the model on cell type-specific data could broaden its courtroom utility.



Because most criminal suspects are under 40, the sub‑one‑year error seen in that age band may finally let agencies add an accurate number, not just a broad bracket, to DNA‑based composite sketches.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clock-slows-after-60">Clock slows after 60</h2>



What drives some CpG clusters to tick in lockstep while others drift stochastically remains unclear. The authors speculate that nucleosome positioning and local enzyme kinetics may set the pace.



They also note that the clock’s error grows past age 60, hinting that accumulated epigenetic noise or selective survival of certain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blood-stem-cells-grown-in-the-lab-for-first-time-ever-leukemia-treatment/">blood cell</a> types begins to obscure the signal after mid‑life.



Future work aims to attach unique molecular identifiers during PCR to remove duplicate reads, a simple change that could shave away the remaining variance in the model.



A broader donor pool will test whether ethnicity, chronic disease, or extreme environments push the two‑locus DNA age clock off course, or whether, as the early data suggest, every cell on the planet keeps DNA time with the same molecular second hand.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(25)00729-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell Reports</a>.



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New DNA test can tell your exact age from just a tiny blood sample

A recent study shows that reading chemical marks on just...

Exercise might be one of the most effective ways to tackle insomnia. Millions of people find themselves tossing and turning at night, waking up too early, or lying awake for hours. 



While medication and therapy can help, they’re not always available - or ideal - for everyone. A new analysis highlights just how powerful exercise can be.



Researchers analyzed 22 clinical trials to understand which types of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fitness-focused-medicine-physical-activity-reduces-chronic-disease-risk/">physical activity</a> work best for people with insomnia. The trials included over 1,300 participants and compared 13 different treatments. 



Seven of them were exercise-based, including yoga, Tai Chi, walking or jogging, and combinations of strength and aerobic training. 



The rest included cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), sleep hygiene education, massage or acupuncture, Ayurveda, or usual care. The findings could influence how doctors treat <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/poor-sleep-habits-may-age-the-brain-faster/">poor sleep</a> moving forward.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-enters-insomnia-research">Exercise enters insomnia research</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strength-training-may-be-the-best-exercise-for-insomnia/">Insomnia</a> affects between four percent and 22 percent of people, depending on the population studied. It’s not just a nuisance - it’s linked to serious issues like depression, heart disease, and even dementia.



 Traditional treatments like medication come with side effects. CBT works, but trained therapists are in short supply. That’s where exercise comes in.



The researchers used a method called network meta-analysis to compare all the treatments at once. They looked at both subjective and objective sleep outcomes, including total sleep time, how long it took people to fall asleep, how often they woke up, and overall sleep quality.



CBT showed the strongest results overall. It helped people sleep longer, fall asleep faster, and stay asleep more consistently.



But certain exercises weren’t far behind - and in some cases, they even outperformed existing treatments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-improves-sleep">Exercise improves sleep</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yoga-together-with-regular-exercise-improves-heart-health/">Yoga</a> showed some of the most promising results. Compared to standard treatment, this exercise helped people sleep almost two hours longer. It improved sleep efficiency by nearly 15 percent, reduced time awake during the night by almost an hour, and helped people fall asleep 30 minutes faster.



Tai Chi also made a strong showing. It improved overall sleep quality, increased total sleep time by nearly an hour, reduced nighttime wakeups by over 30 minutes, and helped people fall asleep about 25 minutes faster.



Even more impressive, Tai Chi continued to deliver results for up to two years, both in how people felt and in measurable sleep data.



Exercises like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/walking-each-day-at-any-speed-lowers-the-risk-of-cancer/">walking</a> or jogging turned out to be particularly good at reducing insomnia symptoms. Participants in those programs saw their insomnia severity scores drop by nearly 10 points. 



“Walking or jogging may result in a large reduction in insomnia severity of nearly 10 points,” noted the study authors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exercise-calms-the-brain">Exercise calms the brain</h2>



Each of these exercises may improve sleep in different ways. For yoga, it’s about body awareness and breath control. These elements may calm the brain and reduce anxiety - two key roadblocks to sleep.



Tai Chi combines slow movement with mindfulness and relaxation. It may lower nervous system arousal and ease “mental chatter,” helping people wind down more effectively at night. 



The researchers also suggest it could reduce the body’s production of inflammatory chemicals over time.



Walking or jogging boosts energy use and helps regulate emotions. It may also lower stress hormones like cortisol and increase melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy. Plus, it could deepen the most restorative stages of sleep.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-promising-but-not-perfect">Promising, but not perfect</h2>



Despite the promise of these findings, there are limitations. Most of the studies had small sample sizes and inconsistencies in how exercise routines were structured. The researchers pointed out that 68 percent of the trials had at least one design flaw.



Even so, they believe the overall message is clear: The findings of this study further underscore the therapeutic potential of exercise interventions in the treatment of insomnia, suggesting that their role may extend beyond adjunctive support to serve as viable primary treatment options.



Although current clinical guidelines make only limited mention of exercise, this study provides relatively comprehensive comparative evidence that may inform the development of more specific and actionable clinical recommendations.



Given the advantages of exercise modalities such as yoga, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tai-chi-reduces-inflammatory-risks-in-cancer-survivors/">Tai Chi</a>, and walking or jogging - including low cost, minimal side effects, and high accessibility - these interventions are well-suited for integration into primary care and community health programs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-customize-your-sleep-routine">Customize your sleep routine</h2>



There’s no one-size-fits-all solution, and what works best for one person might not work for another. 



But if you’re looking for a drug-free way to sleep better, adding an exercise routine like walking, a yoga class, or some Tai Chi might be a good place to start.



And as the researchers point out, science is still working out which exercises work best for which sleep problems.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://ebm.bmj.com/content/early/2025/07/09/bmjebm-2024-113512">BMJ Evidence-Based Medicine</a>.



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Move more, sleep better: Exercise helps fight insomnia

Exercise might be one of the most effective ways to...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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