Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the North Island of New Zealand. The photo was captured as the International Space Station (ISS) approached the southernmost extent of its prograde 51.6 degree orbit.&nbsp;



From this vantage point - and with the perfect weather conditions - astronauts can get a clear view of the North Island of New Zealand, according&nbsp; to ESA.



"Looking towards the northwest, the astronaut photographer captured the mottled-green island that separates the Tasman Sea from the South Pacific Ocean. On the other side of Cook Strait, South Island peeks out from beneath the cloud cover," reports ESA.



"Seven bays surround the North Island and define its distinctive shape. The inland landscape includes grasslands (lighter green areas), forests (darker green areas), volcanic plateaus, and mountain ranges formed from sedimentary rocks."



Lake Taupō, located in the center of the North Island, is a crater lake inside a caldera formed by a supervolcanic eruption. The lake borders the active volcano Mount Ruapehu, which has the highest peak in New Zealand.&nbsp;



"The volcanic nature of the island arises from its location on the tectonic plate boundary between the Indo-Australian and Pacific Plates," says ESA. "This plate boundary is part of the vast Pacific Ring of Fire, and leads to significant geothermal activity and earthquakes in the region. Additional volcanoes, including Egmont Volcano (Mount Taranaki), also dot the North Island landscape."



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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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

New Zealand’s North Island

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features the North Island of New Zealand. The photo was captured as the International Space Station (ISS) approached the southernmost extent of its prograde 51.6 degree orbit.&nbsp; From this vantage point - and with the perfect weather conditions - astronauts can get a clear view of the North Island of New Zealand, according&nbsp; to ESA. "Looking towards the northwest, the astronaut photographer captured the mottled-green island that separates the Tasman Sea from the South...

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features an astronaut view of Lake Achit in western Mongolia.



"A dusting of snow covers much of this rugged and remote landscape," says NASA. "Darker forested zones appear along the floodplain of the major river in the area, the Khovd. The large dark area leading down to the frozen lake is the combined delta of two local rivers."



"The area is sparsely populated, with only a few signs of settlement such as the straight lines of unpaved roads. The only village in the scene is Khovd Bag, which is almost invisible under snow cover."



The image was captured on February 7, 2022 by an astronaut onboard the International Space Station.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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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 Achit in western Mongolia

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

Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> shows extremely low water levels in the Rhine River, which is the second largest river in Europe. The river is dying out as a result of sweltering temperatures and a lack of rainfall. The waterway is becoming impassable for many shipping vessels.&nbsp;



"Flowing from the Swiss Alps to the North Sea, the Rhine River is an important shipping route for many products from grains to chemicals to coal. When water levels drop, cargo vessels need to sail with reduced load, so they don’t run aground," explains ESA.



"Water levels at the chokepoint of Kaub, near Frankfurt, fell to 32 cm in depth on Monday, down from 42 cm last week. Ships, however, need around 1.5 m to be able to sail fully loaded making it difficult for larger ships to navigate through the waters. Freight ships continue to sail, but only with around 25% to 35% of the ship’s capacity."



According to ESA, the Rhine dried up earlier than usual this year, with the lowest water levels typically recorded in September or October. In the coming days, lower temperature and precipitation are expected to greatly improve the issue.&nbsp;



"The phenomenon facing the Rhine is common across much of Europe after an unusually hot and dry summer – causing wildfires and water shortages," says ESA.



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

Severe heat is drying up the Rhine River

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

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the Bezymianny Volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East. The volcano, which recently erupted on May 28, 2022, peaks at an elevation of 9,455 feet.&nbsp;



"The name, which translates to 'no name,' was likely bestowed because the stratovolcano had been quiet for a thousand years at the time it was named," reports NASA. "Until late 1955, when it awakened with a cataclysmic eruption, the volcano was considered extinct. Bezymianny has been erupting intermittently ever since."



According to NASA, an eruption of Bezymianny in 1955 was very similar to the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens, with a lateral flank explosion and summit collapse. During the recent eruption, observers at the Kamchatka Volcanological Station recorded a strong explosion and large ash plume.



"The ejected ash ultimately reached an altitude of 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) and traveled east-southeast for more than 1,600 kilometers (1,000 miles). As the plume drifted over the peninsula toward the Pacific Ocean, it deposited a layer of ash on the snow-covered ground," says NASA.



"The streak of ash is visible in this image, acquired on May 29, 2022, by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8. The image is overlain on topography data from the NASA Digital Elevation Model. Bezymianny is seen next to two larger neighboring volcanoes, Kamen and Klyuchevskaya."



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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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

Bezymianny volcano in Kamchatka, Russia

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the Vjosa River, which is one of the only free-flowing rivers still found in Europe. According to NASA, there are more than 1.2 million dams and other barriers on rivers across the European continent.



The Vjosa River flows for 169 miles from the Pindus Mountains through northwestern Greece and southwestern Albania.



"On September 9, 2022, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured this natural-color image of the river winding through several gorges and its wide sand- and gravel-filled channel before draining into the Adriatic Sea," says NASA.



"In Greece (just southeast of this image), the river is called the Aoös and flows through the rugged terrain and dense forests of Vikos-Aoös National Park. It joins with a large tributary (the Sarandapor) near the border with Albania and then navigates through a sequence of steep canyons."&nbsp;



"At the river’s middle reaches, it flows across wide gravel and sand bars and develops multiple interlacing braided channels. As additional tributaries (including the Drino, Bënça, and Shushicë rivers) flow into the Vjosa, the braided channels revert to being a single meandering channel in the lowlands near the Adriatic Sea."



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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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

The Vjosa River flows freely in Albania

Today's Image of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Arp 282, an interacting galaxy pair with the Seyfert galaxy NGC 169 on the bottom and the galaxy IC 1559 on the top. In the image, the two galaxies are visibly linked by streams of matter produced by tidal forces.



ESA says that both of the galaxies comprising Arp 282 have monumentally energetic cores, known as active galactic nuclei (AGN), although it is difficult to tell that from this image. The experts report that if the full emission of two AGNs was visible in this image, the detailed tidal interactions occurring between NGC 169 and IC 1559 would likely not be visible in the photograph.&nbsp;



The gravity of a space object can distort or stretch another object, which is known as tidal forces. These forces are directed away from the lower-mass object and toward the higher mass object.



ESA explains that when two galaxies interact, gas, dust and even entire solar systems will be drawn away from one galaxy towards the other by tidal forces.&nbsp;



"It is now widely accepted amongst astronomers that an important aspect of how galaxies evolve is the way they interact with one another," says ESA.



"Galaxies can merge, collide, or brush past one another - each of which has a significant impact on their shapes and structures. As common as these interactions are thought to be in the Universe, it is rare to capture an image of two galaxies interacting in such a visibly dynamic way."



The image was captured by the NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope.



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

Two galaxies interacting through tidal forces

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the Black Sea in vivid colors, when an abundance of phytoplankton transformed the water in the spring of 2022. According to NASA, these blooms can paint the water with color so brilliant that it becomes visible from space.



"The turquoise swirls indicate the presence of phytoplankton tracing the flow of water currents and eddies. One type of phytoplankton commonly found in the Black Sea is coccolithophores - microscopic plankton that are plated with white calcium carbonate," reports NASA.



"When aggregated in large numbers, these reflective plates are easily visible from space and make the water appear bright, milky blue."



The vibrant colors of coccolithophores usually emerge in satellite images in May and then peak in June. But even when the sea appears black, diatoms are present. This type of phytoplankton, which is common in the Mediterranean during the spring, usually darkens the water instead of making it brighter.



"Diatoms rapidly multiply in spring, when surface waters have abundant nitrogen and phosphorous," explains NASA. "In late spring and early summer, when warmer temperatures and fewer storms leave the seawater more stratified, less nitrogen gets mixed into the surface waters - a condition in which coccolithophores are known to dominate."&nbsp;



"Later in the summer, larger species of diatoms usually show up. These phytoplankton take advantage of nutrients supplied by the occasional mixing that occurs as winds shift direction and storms pass by."



"The seasonal shift in the dominant species of phytoplankton can have a rippling effect on the structure of the food web in the Black Sea. For example, coccolithophores provide fodder for species like Noctiluca scintillans (sea sparkle), while small diatoms feed pelagic fish and large diatoms feed jellyfish."



The image was captured on June 20, 2022 by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) on the NOAA-20 satellite and the VIIRS on the Suomi NPP satellite.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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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

Vibrant colors brighten the Black Sea

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features an astronaut view of the Tunupa Volcano, a dormant volcano in southwestern Bolivia. The volcano is located on a peninsula between two of Bolivia’s largest salt flats - Salar de Uyuni and Salar de Coipasa.



"Tunupa Volcano is located at the center of the Southern Altiplano, or the Andean Plateau, and rises as high as 5.3 kilometers (3.3 miles) in elevation," says NASA. "The volcano is a composite cone - a large, complex volcano that is often covered by lava flows, pyroclastic and mudflow deposits, and domes. Last active about 1.4 million years ago, Tunupa is now considered dormant."



"The flanks of the volcano’s cone are incised by valleys that were eroded by ancient glaciers and stream flows. Domes and lava flows appear on the eastern side of Tunupa, and the volcano is adjacent to other eroded volcanic fields and craters, including Jayu Khota and Titivilla."



According to NASA. the salt flats are typically a bright white color when viewed from orbit - but during Bolivia’s rainy season, rivers can carry sediment rich in microbes and dark-colored volcanic minerals onto the flats.&nbsp;



The image was captured on February 5, 2022 by a member of the Expedition 66 crew.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory



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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

Tunupa Volcano in southwestern Bolivia

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> features the Geiyo islands in the Seto Inland Sea, the body of water that separates the main islands of Japan.&nbsp;



"Whirlpools and other complex currents routinely roil Japan’s Seto Inland Sea. Strong tidal currents send water churning through a maze of channels and narrow straits surrounding thousands of islands in the shallow sea. The islands of the Geiyo archipelago are among them," reports NASA.



"On May 30, 2021, the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on Landsat 8 captured this natural-color image of currents swirling around several of the Geiyo islands. The complex topography creates areas of choppy and smoother waters depending on the day’s weather and water flows. In this image, some water surfaces gleam with sunglint, an optical phenomenon that occurs when sunlight reflects off the surface of water at the same angle that a satellite sensor views it."



At one time, the only way to move between the Geiyo islands was by boat. Now, the Nishiseto Expressway has 55 bridges that connect nine of the islands, including Ōshima, Ōmishima, and Innoshima.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

The Geiyo islands in the Seto Inland Sea

Today's Image of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> shows a record amount of meltwater across Svalbard. The melting was caused by unusually hot temperatures in summer 2022.&nbsp;



"The abundant meltwater, much of which flowed to the ocean, is the latest expression of a rapidly warming climate in Norway’s ice-covered archipelago," says NASA.



Xavier Fettweis, a climatologist at the University of Liège, said the cumulative melting across Svalbard throughout June and July was 1.5 times larger than the previous record in 2018. He said that since the start of summer, about 44 billion tons of meltwater have poured into the ocean.



“The melt anomaly is 3.5 times larger than the 1981 - 2010 average, and 5 times the interannual variability,” said Fettweis. “Only a changing climate can explain this."



Svalbard is located halfway between Norway’s mainland and the North Pole. It is one of the fastest warming places on Earth.&nbsp;



The image was captured on July 29, 2022 by the Operational Land Imager-2 (OLI-2) on Landsat 9.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&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

Svalbard is one of the fastest warming places on Earth

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

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a>, researchers have found that nitrogen-fixing trees experience more herbivory than other trees in tropical forests. By selectively feeding on these particular trees, insects and other animals reduce nitrogen availability, which can limit forest growth. 



"Recent observations suggest that the large carbon sink in mature and recovering forests may be strongly limited by nitrogen," wrote the study authors.&nbsp; "Nitrogen-fixing trees (fixers) in symbiosis with bacteria provide the main natural source of new nitrogen to tropical forests."



"However, abundances of fixers are tightly constrained, highlighting the fundamental unanswered question of what limits new nitrogen entering tropical ecosystems. Here we examine whether herbivory by animals is responsible for limiting symbiotic nitrogen fixation in tropical forests."



With the help of soil microbes, nitrogen-fixing trees transform nitrogen gas into a type of nitrogen that plants can use for growth. In some tropical forests, nitrogen-fixing trees are the primary provider of new nitrogen, yet these trees are rare. 



“Tree growth in many tropical forests is limited by lack of nitrogen," said study co-author Sarah Batterman. "Given the substantial benefit of nitrogen to these forests, it has long been a mystery why nitrogen-fixing trees represent just 5-15% of trees. We suspected that herbivores might be preferentially targeting fixers due to their nutritious, nitrogen-rich leaves.”&nbsp;



In a field experiment in Panama, the team analyzed leaves from 23 fixer species and 20 non-fixer species. The researchers found that overall, fixers experienced 26 percent more herbivory than non-fixers. The leaves of fixers were attacked 21 percent more than those of non-fixers.



“Our findings suggest that nitrogen-fixers bear higher herbivory costs than non-fixers, and that herbivory may be substantial enough to limit the success of nitrogen-fixing trees and their ability to alleviate nitrogen deficits in tropical soils. This has management implications for the species mixes used in reforestation efforts," said study lead author Will Barker from the University of Leeds.



“Mature and recovering tropical forests are a large and important carbon sink, yet this sink is weakening due to climate change and potential limitation by nitrogen," said Batterman. "The widespread cost of herbivory for nitrogen-fixers should be incorporated in climate change models as a constraint on symbiotic nitrogen fixation and future tropical forest growth.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05502-6">Nature</a>.



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



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Herbivores limit tropical forest growth by reducing nitrogen

In a new study led by the Cary Institute of...

The practice of yoga originated in ancient India thousands of years ago with the aim to control and still the mind. Today it is known to have benefits in terms of mental, physical and spiritual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supplements-for-heart-health-should-address-individual-needs/">health</a>, and is part of a regular exercise program for millions of people around the world. Its benefits include improvements in muscle strength, flexibility, energy levels and mood, but it has not often been thought of as helpful for cardiovascular health – people are usually advised to engage in vigorous aerobic exercise to improve this aspect of their wellbeing.



However, as yoga’s popularity has increased, the body of research into its benefits has grown and it has become more apparent that yoga may indeed benefit people in terms of their heart health. In one of the latest scientific studies, published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.cjca.2022.09.019">Canadian Journal of Cardiology</a>, researchers have conducted a three-month pilot study to determine whether patients with high blood pressure (hypertension) benefit from the inclusion of yoga exercises in their regular exercise program.



“The aim of this pilot study was to determine whether the addition of yoga to a regular exercise training regimen reduces cardiovascular risk,” explained lead investigator Dr. Paul Poirier of Laval University, Quebec, Canada.&nbsp;



“While there is some evidence that yoga interventions and exercise have equal and/or superior cardiovascular outcomes, there is considerable variability in yoga types, components, frequency, session length, duration, and intensity. We sought to apply a rigorous scientific approach to identify cardiovascular risk factors for which yoga is beneficial for at-risk patients, and ways it could be applied in a healthcare setting such as a primary prevention program."



The researchers recruited 60 participants who had been diagnosed with hypertension (high blood pressure) and metabolic syndrome, and placed them in an exercise program for three months. All participants took part in 30 minutes of aerobic exercise training five times a week. In addition, the participants were randomly assigned to a group that included 15 minutes of yoga along with the aerobic training, or to a group that did 15 minutes of stretching exercises as well as the aerobic training.&nbsp;



Various data were collected from the participants at the start, and during the period of the study. Their blood pressure, anthropometry (body proportions), and levels of high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), glucose and lipids were measured.&nbsp; In addition, the Framingham and Reynolds Risk Scores were measured as a way of estimating each participant’s risk of experiencing a heart attack within the next 10 years. At the start of the program, there was no difference between the yoga and the stretching group in terms of age, sex, smoking rates, body mass index (BMI), resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, resting heart rate and pulse pressure.



After the three-month intervention, all participants showed a decrease in resting systolic and diastolic blood pressure, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. However, while systolic blood pressure was reduced by an average of 10 mmHg in the yoga group, it was only an average of 4 mmHg lower in the group that did structured stretching exercises. Participants in the yoga group also showed reduced resting heart rates and a reduction in their 10-year cardiovascular risk, as assessed using the Reynold's Risk score.



These results add to the scientific evidence supporting the positive health benefits of yoga practice. Although previous studies have shown that hypertensive patients who do yoga experience a lowering of blood pressure, the exact mechanism underlying this positive effect is not fully understood. This pilot randomized study shows that yoga’s benefits cannot be attributed simply to the stretching component alone.



“This study provides evidence for an additional non-pharmacologic therapy option for cardiovascular risk reduction and blood pressure control in patients with high blood pressure, in the setting of a primary prevention exercise program,” noted Dr. Poirier. “As observed in several studies, we recommend that patients try to find exercise and stress relief for the management of hypertension and cardiovascular disease in whatever form they find most appealing. Our study shows that structured yoga practices can be a healthier addition to aerobic exercise than simply muscle stretching.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Yoga, together with regular exercise, improves heart health

The practice of yoga originated in ancient India thousands of...

Ankylosaurs were massive, armored <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-nasal-passages-cool/">dinosaurs</a> with huge tail clubs and spikes along their flanks. A new study published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0404">Biology Letters</a>has provided evidence that a species of ankylosaurs called Zuul crurivastator may have used their iconic tail clubs not only in fights with the fierce predator Tyrannosaur Rex, but also in battles for social and territorial dominance with members of their own species.



The scientists examined the fossils of a 76-million-year-old Zuul and discovered that a number of spikes near the hips on both side of the body were missing their tips, while the bone and horny sheath has healed into a blunter shape. The patterns of these injuries suggest that they were most likely the result of some type of ritualized combat, or jousting with their tail clubs, and probably were not caused by an attacking predator such as a T. Rex.



“I’ve been interested in how ankylosaurs used their tail clubs for years and this is a really exciting new piece of the puzzle,” said study lead author Victoria Arbour, the curator of Palaeontology at the <a href="https://royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/">Royal BC Museum</a> in Canada. “We know that ankylosaurs could use their tail clubs to deliver very strong blows to an opponent, but most people thought they were using their tail clubs to fight predators. Instead, ankylosaurs like&nbsp;Zuul&nbsp;may have been fighting each other.”



Zuul’s tail was about three meters long and had sharp spikes running along its sides, creating a formidable sledgehammer-like weapon. In fact, Zuul crurivastator means “Zuul, the destroyer of shins,” a nod to the idea that tail clubs were used to smash the legs of bipedal tyrannosaurs. Although the new findings do not refute the idea that these tails could have been employed as defense mechanisms against predators, they suggest that they could also have functioned for within-species combat for dominance, territory, or mates.



“The fact that the skin and armor are preserved in place is like a snapshot of how&nbsp;Zuul&nbsp;looked when it was alive. And the injuries&nbsp;Zuul&nbsp;sustained during its lifetime tell us about how it may have behaved and interacted with other animals in its ancient environment,” concluded senior author David Evans, the curator of Vertebrate Palaeontology at the <a href="https://www.rom.on.ca/en">Royal Ontario Museum</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

Ankylosaurs used their tail clubs to battle each other

Ankylosaurs were massive, armored dinosaurs with huge tail clubs and...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/small-amounts-of-alcohol-have-big-impacts-on-brain-health/">Alcohol</a> and tobacco use are linked to approximately 15 percent and five percent of global deaths, respectively, and are major causal factors in the development of chronic conditions such as cancer or heart disease. Although the environment and culture can significantly affect a person’s likelihood to use and become addicted to these substances, genetics is also a critical contributing factor.&nbsp;



Now, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a> has conducted a large genetic study of data from more than 3.4 million people, and identified over 2,300 genes predicting alcohol and tobacco use. According to the experts, the majority of these genes were similar among people with European, African, American, and Asian ancestries.



While previous studies identified around 400 genes associated with certain alcohol and tobacco use behaviors, the analyses were solely focused on people with European ancestries.&nbsp;



“We’ve now identified more than 1,900 additional genes that are associated with alcohol and tobacco use behaviors,” said study corresponding author Daijing Liu, a professor of Public Health at Penn State. “A fifth of the samples used in our analysis were from non-European ancestries, which increases the relevance of these findings to a diverse population.”



The scientists included genetic datasets from people of African, East Asian, and American ancestries and evaluated various smoking and alcohol-consumption traits, ranging from the initiation of drinking or smoking to the onset of regular use and the amount consumed. Then, by using machine learning techniques, they identified genes which were associated with these behaviors.&nbsp;



The analyses revealed a striking similarity in the genes related to alcohol or tobacco consumption between different ancestries, with 80 percent of the variants showing consistent effects across the studied populations.



Afterwards, the researchers used AI models to develop a genetic risk score which could identify people at risk for certain tobacco and alcohol use behaviors. However, despite the similarity of genetic effects, the computer model developed using data from individuals of European ancestry could only accurately predict such behaviors for people of European ancestry, suggesting the need to develop more sophisticated prediction methods by increasing sample sizes from non-European ancestries.



“It is promising to see that the same genes are associated with addictive behaviors across ancestries,” said Liu. “Having more robust and diverse data will help us develop predictive risk factor tools that can be applied to all populations.” According to him, within two to three years, these genetic risk scores could be refined and become part of routine care protocols for people already identified through basic screening to be at increased risk of alcohol or tobacco addiction.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05477-4">Nature</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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

More than 2,300 genes can predict alcohol use

Alcohol and tobacco use are linked to approximately 15 percent...

A team of scientists from <a href="https://www.hudsoncarbon.com/">Hudson Carbon</a> – a research center based in New York which studies carbon storage – <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pharmaceutical-companies-could-lose-billions-to-cannabis/">cannabis</a> plants could be the missing player in humanity’s fight against climate change, as hemp can absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere more than twice as effectively as trees. The experts found that, while trees can capture about six tons of CO2 per year, hemp can suck up to 16 tons. Moreover, CO2 also becomes permanently encased within hemp fibers, which can be used in a variety of products, ranging from textiles and car parts to medicine.



Although the United States only accounts for about five percent of the global population, it is responsible for 28 percent of the world’s carbon emissions. “Roughly speaking, if [the US] did 50 million acres of hemp, we would be sequestering a couple hundred million tons of carbon per year on that acreage,” said Ben Dobson, the founder and president of Hudson Carbon.



Hemp is considered a highly purifying plant, pulling toxins from the air and permanently trapping them within its fibers. Moreover, since it absorbs carbon from the air as it grows, it is a so-called “carbon-negative crop.” Other benefits of hemp include the fact that it is one of the fastest-growing plants in the world, reaching four meters in height in only 100 days, while needing significantly less amounts of water to cultivate it.



Besides purifying the air of greenhouse gases, cannabis plants can also absorb carcinogenic heavy metals such as mercury, lead, or cadmium from soils – elements which, although are suitable for crops used for food, are highly dangerous for people who consume these plants.



Thus, since carbon emissions are one of the leading causes of climate change, cultivating more hemp for the purpose of soaking up this damaging gas from the atmosphere is essential for avoiding a climate catastrophe.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Cannabis plants could help fight climate change

A team of scientists from Hudson Carbon – a research...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...