Science often works like a detective story, piecing together fragments of the past. Fossils provide some of the most important clues, but they rarely tell the whole story. 



Now, two tiny fossils from Solnhofen are rewriting a mystery that puzzled paleontologists for decades. Researchers at the <a href="https://le.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leicester</a> have revealed how baby pterosaurs met their end 150 million years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fragile-baby-pterosaurs">Fragile baby pterosaurs</h2>



The findings, published in&nbsp;Current Biology, show that powerful storms not only killed these fragile creatures but also preserved them in remarkable detail. 



Storm-driven waves and rapid burial in fine mud created the perfect conditions for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pterosaurs-mastered-land-before-dominating-the-sky/">fossilization</a>. This helps explain why hundreds of small pterosaurs appear in the fossil record, while their larger relatives remain scarce.



The Mesozoic era is often remembered for its giants: massive dinosaurs, predatory marine reptiles, and wide-winged pterosaurs.



Yet most ecosystems, then and now, were filled with small <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pterosaur-footprints-discovery-leads-to-surprising-conclusion-life-on-land/">animals</a>. 



Fossilization tends to highlight the giants, leaving smaller creatures hidden. On rare occasions, conditions flip the script, capturing delicate life forms in extraordinary clarity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-famous-baby-pterosaur-fossils">Famous baby pterosaur fossils</h2>



Southern Germany’s <a href="https://www.collections.grisda.org/solnhofen-lagersatte" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Solnhofen Limestones</a> hold one of the world’s most famous fossil collections. These lagoonal deposits are celebrated for preserving everything from insects to pterosaurs in exquisite detail.



Yet one puzzle has stood out. Most pterosaur <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humid-air-gave-pterosaurs-the-boost-they-needed-to-take-flight/">fossils</a> here are small, young individuals, preserved whole. Larger adults appear rarely, and usually as fragments.



“Pterosaurs had incredibly lightweight <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-fossil-fills-crucial-gap-in-pterosaur-evolution/">skeletons</a>. Hollow, thin-walled bones are ideal for flight but terrible for fossilization. The odds of preserving one are already slim and finding a fossil that tells you how the animal died is even rarer,” noted lead author Rab Smyth from the University of Leicester.



The discovery of two baby pterosaurs provided the missing link. Nicknamed Lucky and Lucky II, these hatchlings had wingspans of under 20 centimeters (8 inches). 



Their skeletons are intact, but each shows the same clean fracture on a wing bone. Such injuries point to violent gusts rather than collisions with hard surfaces.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Pterodactylus-hatchling_fossil_fractured-wing_credit-Rudolf-Hima_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Pterodactylus-hatchling_fossil_fractured-wing_credit-Rudolf-Hima_1s.webp" alt="The hatchling Pterodactylus, nicknamed Lucky, illuminated UV light. Both part and counterpart show the delicate bones of this tiny pterosaur, capturing a fractured wing in extraordinary detail. Credit: University of Leicester" class="wp-image-1985105"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The hatchling Pterodactylus, nicknamed Lucky, illuminated UV light. Both part and counterpart show the delicate bones of this tiny pterosaur, capturing a fractured wing in extraordinary detail. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Leicester</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-struggles-of-baby-pterosaurs">Struggles of baby pterosaurs</h2>



Storm winds likely twisted their wings mid-flight. Injured and unable to fly, the hatchlings fell into lagoon waters, where storm-driven waves drowned them. 



Fine lime mud then buried them quickly, sealing their delicate forms. Their tragic end became a gift to science.



Many other small pterosaurs found at Solnhofen show no trauma but were preserved in the same way. Researchers now believe baby pterosaurs were especially vulnerable to sudden storms.



Tossed into lagoons, they drowned and settled into the mud. This explains the abundance of juveniles in the fossil record. 



Larger adults, stronger fliers, survived the storms but decomposed differently, leaving only scattered remains.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-storms-and-fossil-bias">Storms and fossil bias</h2>



The new study adds weight to this view. It suggests that storm activity played a major role in shaping the fossil record, selectively capturing the most fragile members of pterosaur populations, the babies.



These conditions favored rapid burial and articulation, explaining why juvenile fossils appear unusually complete. 



Adults, that were less likely to perish directly in storms, decomposed in open water, which reduced their preservation potential.



“For centuries, scientists believed that the Solnhofen lagoon ecosystems were dominated by <a href="https://palaeo-electronica.org/content/2023/3878-a-new-solnhofen-pterosaur" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">small pterosaurs</a>,” Smyth noted.



“But we now know this view is deeply biased. Many of these pterosaurs weren’t native to the lagoon at all. Most are inexperienced juveniles that were likely living on nearby islands and that were unfortunately caught up in powerful storms.”



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Pterodactylus-hatchling_fossil-process-illustration_ULeicester_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/Pterodactylus-hatchling_fossil-process-illustration_ULeicester_1s.webp" alt="(A) Most of the time, pterosaurs stood little chance of becoming fossils. Decaying larger individuals sometimes left behind scattered bones that reached the lagoon floor, but smaller pterosaurs were usually lost without trace. (B) Storms, however, created very different conditions. Powerful winds and waves dragged the bodies of small and young pterosaurs into deeper waters. Credit: University of Leicester" class="wp-image-1985107"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(A) Most of the time, pterosaurs stood little chance of becoming fossils. Decaying larger individuals sometimes left behind scattered bones that reached the lagoon floor, but smaller pterosaurs were usually lost without trace. (B) Storms, however, created very different conditions. Powerful winds and waves dragged the bodies of small and young pterosaurs into deeper waters. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Leicester</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-autopsy-after-150-million-years">Autopsy after 150 million years</h2>



"When Rab spotted Lucky we were very excited but realized that it was a one-off. Was it representative in any way? A year later, when Rab noticed Lucky II we knew that it was no longer a freak find but evidence of how these animals were dying," added co-author David Unwin.



"Later still, when we had a chance to light-up Lucky II with our UV torches, it literally leapt out of the rock at us - and our hearts stopped. Neither of us will ever forget that moment."



These discoveries change how scientists understand both fossilization and pterosaur life. What once seemed like a world ruled by tiny fliers was in fact a selective snapshot shaped by violent storms. 



Lucky and Lucky II reveal not only the fragility of young life but also the power of nature to record its own history.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(25)01037-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Very rare baby pterosaur fossils tell the sad story of how they died 150 million years ago

Science often works like a detective story, piecing together fragments of the past. Fossils provide some of the most important clues, but they rarely tell the whole story. Now, two tiny fossils from Solnhofen are rewriting a mystery that puzzled paleontologists for decades. Researchers at the University of Leicester have revealed how baby pterosaurs met their end 150 million years ago. Fragile baby pterosaurs The findings, published in&nbsp;Current Biology, show that powerful storms not only killed these fragile creatures but also preserved them in remarkable detail. Storm-driven...

The Western Ghats mountain range in Southern India is one of the most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-dictates-biodiversity-hotspots/">biodiverse regions </a>on Earth, and yet the area has remained largely unexplored. 

Researchers led by S.P. Vijayakumar, a postdoctoral scientist at <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/">George Washington University,</a> and Kartik Shanker, an associate professor at the <a href="https://www.iisc.ac.in/">Indian Institute of Science</a>, conducted a large scale survey of amphibians and reptiles across the Western Ghats.

The researchers set out on nocturnal expeditions to better understand the biomass and diversity of frogs and reptiles in the region. 

These expeditions led to the discovery of a small frog that has a vivid orange belly and white spots around its face.

Because the species of the frog was unknown, the researchers sequenced the frog’s DNA to help identify where it belonged in relation to other groups of amphibians. 

“We used molecular sequence data to estimate the historical relationships of this ancient lineage, along with 3-dimensional micro-CT scans of the skeleton,” said R. Alexander Pyron, a co-author of the study. “This gives us crucial information about the historical evolutionary relationships of not only Western Ghats frogs, but also of the deeper structure of the Amphibian Tree of Life.”

[caption id="attachment_1869529" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/frog.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869529" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/frog.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" /></a> Astrobatrachus kurichiyana, also known as the Starry Dwarf Frog. Image Credit: S.P.Vijayakumar[/caption]

While the DNA sequencing results showed that the frog was related to two endemic subfamilies of frogs in the area. The frog was also genetically and morphologically different enough that the researchers discovered it was a new species belonging to a new subfamily.

The researchers gave it the name Astrobatrachus kurichiyana or Starry Dwarf Frog.

“The Western Ghats is a critical region that houses many ancient lineages and spectacular radiations,” said Dr. Vijayakumar. “This new frog is a window into the deep history of the landscape. Persistence of such evolutionarily old frogs in the southern parts of this mountain range is a potential signature of a historical climatic refugium in this Gondwanan fragment.”

The researchers detailed their findings in a new study published in the journal PeerJ. 

Future surveys will help determine how abundant the Starry Dwarf Frog is in the area and if conservation measures are needed to help protect the new species.

The study illustrates the rich biodiversity of the Ghats and emphasizes the importance of surveying and studying the region.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: S.P.Vijayakumar

New frog species discovered in biodiversity hotspot in India

The Western Ghats mountain range in Southern India is one...

The fossilized teeth of a newly described but long-extinct species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-analysis-mysterious-monkey/">Old World monkey</a> found in Kenya are helping researchers fill in blanks of Old World monkey evolution and diet.  

Between the discovery of a 25 million-year-old fossil monkey tooth found in Tanzania and a 19-million-year-old fossil tooth discovered in Uganda, researchers have been unable to find a fossil that helps link the two.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> and <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis </a>decided to focus on a fossil-rich area in West Turkana that millions of years ago would have been home to thriving populations of Old Work monkeys in the hopes of filling the six-million-year void. 

“For a group as highly successful as the monkeys of Africa and Asia, it would seem that scientists would have already figured out their evolutionary history,” said John Kappelman, the corresponding author of the study. “Although the isolated tooth from Tanzania is important for documenting the earliest occurrence of monkeys, the next 6 million years of the group's existence are one big blank. This new monkey importantly reveals what happened during the group's later evolution.”

In West Turkana, the researchers found many fossils from reptiles and mammals dating from 21 million years to over 24-million-years-old. Among these fossils were primitive monkey teeth that lacked the molar crests or “lophs” that other Old World monkeys possess. 

The newly described species is called Alophia metios.

[caption id="attachment_1869526" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/fossil-jaw.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869526" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/fossil-jaw.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="530" /></a> A fossil jaw of the newly discovered ancient Old World monkey named Alophia. Image Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA[/caption]

The findings, published in the journal the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, suggest that monkeys later evolved lophs to fit a more varied diet. Today, Old World monkeys can eat plants and animal foods with ease. 

“You can think of the modern-day monkey molar as the uber food processor, able to slice, dice, mince and crush all sorts of foods,” said Mercedes Gutierrez, an anatomy professor at the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a>.

However, it is not well understood when Old World monkeys developed their highly useful and effective teeth. 

The researchers hypothesize that Old World monkeys evolved lophs when they started eating leaves, something the Alophia would have been unable to do. 

“It is usually assumed that the trait responsible for a group's success evolved when the group originated, but Alophia shows us this is not the case for Old World monkeys,” said Samuel Muteti, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.museums.or.ke/">National Museums of Kenya</a>. “Instead, the characteristic dentition of modern monkeys evolved long after the group first appeared.”

The researchers will continue hunting for fossils that will help confirm their hypothesis and shed more insight into the evolution of Old World monkeys. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA

Fossilized monkey teeth help fill six million year gap in evolution

The fossilized teeth of a newly described but long-extinct species...

Experts at the <a href="https://www.zsl.org/">Zoological Society of London</a> (ZSL) are reporting that the UK's wild newt population appears to be unaffected by the lethal flesh-eating fungus that has been plaguing privately-owned amphibian populations in Western Europe. The scientists are urging private owners to abide by strict regulations to protect <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/killer-fungus-amphibians/">amphibians</a> in the wild.

In 2010, the deadly fungus Batrachochytrium salamandrivorans (Bsal) killed 99 percent of fire salamanders in a population that was being monitored in the Netherlands. There were also drastic declines of the amphibians across Belgium and Germany, with some local populations becoming totally extinct within months of exposure. 

For the current investigation, the researchers collected skin samples from more than 2,400 wild newts in ponds across the UK, and testing showed that Bsal was not present. Study lead author Professor Andrew Cunningham is the Deputy Director of Science at ZSL.

“Identifying potential wildlife health risks before they develop is crucial to protecting species from the potentially devastating impacts of disease,” explained Professor Cunningham. “Having identified that Bsal appears to be absent from wild newts in the UK, we now need to ensure effective biosecurity policies governing the trade of amphibians into the UK are in place, including adequate quarantine and testing of imported amphibians.”

[caption id="attachment_1869501" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/uk-wild-newt.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869501" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/uk-wild-newt.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="867" /></a> Image Credit: Angelia Julian[/caption]

Dr. Becki Lawson added, “We know that infection with Bsal fungus is widespread in captive amphibians in the UK, therefore amphibian owners must take steps to avoid any direct or indirect contact between wild and pet newts, by keeping animals indoors and disinfecting equipment and tanks thoroughly. These actions will help to safeguard the health of both wild and captive amphibians.”

“ZSL's Garden Wildlife Health Project monitors the health of the wildlife found in British gardens, through collating public reports of ill or deceased animals and undertaking subsequent post-mortem examinations. Reports from the public provided crucial information for this study.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Andy Harmer

Wild newts escape a deadly flesh-eating fungus

Experts at the Zoological Society of London (ZSL) are reporting...

West African chimpanzee numbers have declined dramatically in recent years. Habitat loss due to mining is the biggest driving factor behind the chimpanzee declines, and populations have decreased by nearly 80 percent. 

But the chimpanzee isn’t the only endangered animal suffering from habitat loss and climate change-driven habitat degradation. Other great apes like bonobos, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/recycling-phones-endangered-gorillas/">gorillas</a>, and orangutans are classified as endangered or critically endangered.

Conservationists working to manage West African chimpanzee populations and find a way to protect chimpanzees and other animals at risk of habitat loss without stifling mining operations, which are a great economic boon to the people of Senegal and other West African countries. 

The problem is that there are concerns that protected areas do little to help species in these regions. For example, locals outsides of the Niokolo-Koba National Park have said that the animals in the park were all gone.

To see if this was the case, Stacy Lindshield, a biological anthropologist at <a href="https://www.purdue.edu/">Purdue University </a>conducted a study comparing Chimpanzee populations both inside and outside the park. 

The study was published in the journal Primatologica. 

“We saw the same number of chimpanzee species inside and outside the park, but more species of carnivores and ungulates in the protected area,” Lindshield said. “There were qualitative and quantitative differences between what people were telling me and what I was seeing in the park. Niokolo-Koba National Park is huge, and the area we study is nestled deeply in the interior where it's difficult for humans to access. As a consequence, we see a lot of animals there.”

Lindshield led a team of researchers and conducted field surveys around two sites, one inside the park and one outside. The researchers also set up cameras to record rarely spotted nocturnal animals. 

Even though the chimpanzee populations were the same at the two sites, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carnivores-healthy-ecosystem/">carnivore populations</a> were 14 percent higher, and hooved animal populations were 42 percent higher in the park. 

One reason for the similar chimpanzee populations is that in some other West African countries, chimpanzees are hunted and killed for meat. The researchers theorize that if parks were utilized in other countries, there might be more noticeable differences in populations in protected areas. 

However, the fact that both carnivore and ungulate (hooved animals) populations were higher in the park shows that national parks in developing regions offer protection and allow populations to grow. 

“This provides evidence that the protected area is effective, at least where we are working, counter to what I was hearing from the public,” said Lindshield. “The management of protected areas is highly complex. Myriad challenges can make management goals nearly impossible, such as funding shortfalls or lack of buy-in from local communities, but I think it's important for people to recognize that this park is not a lost cause; it's working as it's intended to at Assirik, especially for large ungulates and carnivores.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

National parks provide a safe habitat for endangered species

West African chimpanzee numbers have declined dramatically in recent years....

Warmer temps have led to a rise in stink bugs in the US and Europe. The <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/">Royal Horticultural Society</a> (RHS) in the UK recently listed the southern green shield bug as number 6 on its top 10 list of the country’s worst garden pests. 

2018’s unusually hot and dry summer was the catalyst and created the optimal climate for the pest to thrive and wreak havoc in vegetable gardens. The pest is an invasive bug from mainland Europe, and it’s a sap feeder. 

In recent years in the US, there has been a rise in invasive stink bug infestations, and other troublesome pests include aphids and the spotted lanternfly. 

Like the green shield bug, the <a href="http://npic.orst.edu/pest/stinkbug.html">brown marmorated stink bug</a> in the US is also benefiting from climate change. Increases in temperatures are bringing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/spring-arriving-earlier-animals/">earlier springs</a> in the US, giving the stink bug more time to feed on plants. 

The stink bug’s <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29069361">rapid spread worldwide</a> is a major cause for concern due to the damage the pest can inflict on crop yields. 

The Royal Horticultural Society reported that besides shield bugs, pear rust is becoming an increasing problem for gardeners due to the warmer summer seasons. 

“Our pest and disease ranking may be evidence of how climate change is impacting on what we find in our gardens,” said Matthew Cromey, the principal scientist at the RHS. “With the UK predicted to see wetter winters, warmer summers, and more extreme weather events, root diseases of trees and shrubs could become even more problematic and the array of pests is likely to change.” 

Box tree caterpillars are spreading across the UK and into northern Ireland, and the bug is ranked first on the RHS top ten list. 2018 marks the third time that box tree caterpillars topped the list in the UK.Warmer temps have led to a rise in stink bugs in the US and Europe 

As climate change continues to shift seasonal temperature norms creating dry summers, wet winters, and weather extremes become more and more common, the impacts that these weather changes pose to agricultural operations will need to be heeded to ensure that crop yields can meet rising food demand. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Warmer temps have led to a rise in stink bugs in the US and Europe

Warmer temps have led to a rise in stink bugs...

Suitable conditions for marine microorganisms will become extremely limited in the Southern Ocean by the end of the century, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a>. At the current rate of ocean acidification, the researchers found that the depth at which some shelled organisms can survive will shrink from an average of 1,000 meters to just 83 meters by the year 2100.


In localized areas, this drastic drop in viable habitat could happen suddenly over a period as short as one year. A transformation of this magnitude would cause cascading changes across ocean ecosystems, severely impacting marine food webs and disrupting global fisheries.

Study co-author Nicole Lovenduski is a professor in CU Boulder's Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences (ATOC) and Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR).


“These calcifying organisms will struggle to build and maintain their shells as acidification proceeds,” said Professor Lovenduski. “In the future, a pocket of corrosive water will sit just below the surface, making life difficult for these communities of primarily surface-dwelling organisms.”

Simone Metz is the program director for the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences, which funded the research. 

“This study shows that our current carbon dioxide emission rates are influencing not only the chemistry of the Southern Ocean but its food web structure as well,” said Metz.


[caption id="attachment_1869408" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/pteropod.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869408" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/pteropod.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="455" /></a> Southern Ocean pteropod, Image Credit: Kristen M. Krumhardt[/caption]

The colder waters of the Southern Ocean increase the solubility of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/high-co2-levels-stratus-clouds/">CO2</a>, making this region particularly vulnerable to acidification. The Southern Ocean also experiences a persistent upwelling that pulls carbon-rich water closer to the surface.

The research team used data from the Community Earth System Model (CESM) to predict ocean acidification under several CO2 emission scenarios, and analyzed water samples collected from the Southern Ocean.

“We suspect that previous studies have overlooked the emergence of the shallow horizon by averaging together data from a number of different models as opposed to looking at individual model realizations,” said study lead author Gabriela Negrete-García, formerly of INSTAAR and now a graduate student at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography.

While the exact timing of the transition is not clear, the research suggests that the change is inevitable in large regions of the Southern Ocean.

“If emissions were curbed tomorrow, this suddenly shallow horizon would still appear, even if possibly delayed,” said Professor Lovenduski. “And that inevitability, along with the lack of time for organisms to adapt, is most concerning."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/natureclimatechange">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Rising CO2 levels will limit habitats for life in the Southern Ocean

Suitable conditions for marine microorganisms will become extremely limited in...

On Friday, March 8th, the <a href="https://www.fda.gov/">U.S. Food and Drug Administration</a> (FDA) lifted a ban on AquaBounty, the company behind genetically modified salmon that grow twice as fast as normal salmon. The ban previously prohibited AquaBounty from importing its modified <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/salmon-smell-ocean-acidification/">salmon</a> eggs to an Indiana growing facility, where the fish would be grown for about 18 months before being sold for human consumption.

The FDA stated that AquaBounty salmon have undergone safety reviews and the ban has been lifted due to a new regulation that states companies must disclose when a food product is “bioengineered.”

AquaBounty, which was founded in 1991, have modified the Atlantic salmon using DNA from other fish species in order to make the salmon grow faster. The company says they are therefore helping to feed the growing population and meet the demand for animal protein, according to the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/1be7085378684f4990e240870e7c546c">Associated Press</a>.

Despite the ban being lifted, AquaBounty still has hurdles to jump before they’re able to sell their salmon in the U.S. A coalition of consumer, environmental, and fishing groups has challenged the FDA’s decision and have recently filed a lawsuit to prevent the fish, dubbed AquAdvantage, from being sold.

“We think a remedy in our case would stop sale of the fish before they’re allowed to be sold,” said George Kimbrell, legal director for the Center for Food Safety, one of the groups suing the FDA.

The concern is that the AquAdvantage salmon, although all bred to be sterile female fish, may leak into the surrounding natural environment. And if not all of the AquAdvantage fish are sterile, as tests have shown can be possible, the entire species of Atlantic salmon may be at risk for being genetically modified.

Furthermore, Kimbrell and others against the decision also fear that the term “bioengineered” is less recognizable to the consumer than “genetically modified,” and using the former term on packaging may lead unwitting consumers astray.

However, AquaBounty CEO Sylvia Wulf told the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/1be7085378684f4990e240870e7c546c">AP</a> that AquAdvantage fish have already been sold in small quantities in Canada, a country that does not require marked packaging for genetically-modified foods, without issue. Wulf doesn’t believe the lawsuit will affect the company’s progress in the U.S.

The implementation of the new regulation to simply label packaging of bioengineered foods will begin in 2020, and all companies must comply by 2022.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

FDA green lights genetically modified salmon for consumption

On Friday, March 8th, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration...

A new species of small <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-flourishing-killed-off/">dinosaurs</a> has been described based on the discovery of five fossilized upper jaws in the Gippsland region of southeastern Australia. The fossils were embedded in 125 million-year-old rocks that date back to the Cretaceous period.


The new dinosaur, Galleonosaurus dorisae, was a small-bodied herbivore within the larger family of ornithopods. Study lead author Dr. Matthew Herne of the <a href="https://www.une.edu/">University of New England</a> explained, “These small dinosaurs would have been agile runners on their powerful hind legs.”

Dr. Herne also pointed out that the “jaws of Galleonosaurus dorisae include young to mature individuals - the first time an age range has been identified from the jaws of an Australian dinosaur.”

Galleonosaurus dorisae was named after the shape of its upper jaw, which resembled the upturned hull of a sailboat called a galleon, and for the work of Dr. Doris Seegets-Villiers.

[caption id="attachment_1869413" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/fossils.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869413" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/fossils.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="576" /></a> Fossils and 3D CT model of Galleonosaurus dorisae. Image Credit: Matthew Herne[/caption]

The species represents the fifth small ornithopod genus named from Victoria. According to Dr Herne, this fact “confirms that on a global scale, the diversity of these small-bodied dinosaurs had been unusually high in the ancient rift valley that once extended between the spreading continents of Australia and Antarctica.”


Prior to the new study, the only other ornithopod from the Gippsland region was Qantassaurus intrepidus, who was discovered in 1999. Dr. Herne explained that Qantassaurus had a shorter more robust snout than that of Galleonosaurus. He added, “We consider that these two, similarly-sized dinosaurs fed on different plant types, which would have allowed them to coexist.”

The researchers determined that the ornithopods from Victoria are closely related to those from Patagonia. “We are steadily building a picture of terrestrial dinosaur interchange between the shifting Gondwanan continents of Australia, South America and Antarctica during the Cretaceous period,” said Dr. Herne. He added that these are exciting times for dinosaur research.

“Using advanced techniques, such as 3D micro-CT scanning and printing, new anatomical information is being revealed on dinosaurs such as Galleonosaurus dorisae. These techniques are helping us to delve deeper into the mysterious world of dinosaur ecology - what they ate, how they moved and how they coexisted - and their evolutionary relationships with dinosaurs from other continents.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/jpaleontol">Journal of Paleontology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main image copyright James Kuether

New small dinosaur species discovered in southeastern Australia

A new species of small dinosaurs has been described based...

Western Australia is the home ground of three newly discovered species of peacock spider – each about the size of a grain of rice.

Maratus aquilus, Maratus felinus and Maratus combustus are recognizable due to their distinctive and colorful patterns, according to Joseph Schubert, a research assistant at <a href="http://chownlab.com/">ChownLab</a>, a research group at <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a>.

“They're incredibly small but so charismatic and so colourful,” Schubert told the Australian news site <a href="https://10daily.com.au/">10 daily</a>.

The spiders were discovered by a group of photographers who work with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/projectmaratus/">Project Maratus</a> and described by Schubert. The group made their discovery while visiting Lake Jasper and Mount Romance in Western Australia. 

Each of the three new peacock spider species got its name from its abdominal markings: “aquilus” for markings resembling an eagle’s face, “felinus” for a cat-like design, and “combustus” for a “fiery explosion” pattern. 

Unlike other spiders, which are identified by their hair, fangs or other features, peacock spider species can be distinguished using their coloring and markings.

The males tend to be brightly colored while the females are more “drab,” Schubert said. Male peacock spiders, like some other jumping spiders, use their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/male-spiders-rainbow-colors/">bright coloration</a> to attract a mate.

There are 74 known species of peacock spider in the world, around 60 of them discovered in the past 10 years alone. Around half can only be found in Western Australia, most in the state’s southwestern region.

“The Southwest Australia ecoregion is known as one of the planet’s major biodiversity hotspots and a hotspot for peacock spider diversity,” Schubert wrote in his research.

Another recent discovery among peacock spiders is Maratus sagittus, named for an arrow-like marking. Schubert and fellow researcher Robert Whyte of the <a href="https://www.qm.qld.gov.au/">Queensland Museum</a> described this species, found in Queensland, in January. 

The three new species are described in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4564.1">Zootaxa</a>. The description of Maratus sagittus, published in the journal <a href="https://peckhamia.com/peckhamia.html">Peckhamia</a>, can be read at <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330580003_A_new_peacock_spider_from_the_Cape_York_Peninsula_Araneae_Salticidae_Euophryini_Maratus_Karsch_1878_Peckhamia_1771_1-6">ResearchGate</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Joseph Schubert

Expert names three new peacock spider species

Western Australia is the home ground of three newly discovered...

Humans were most likely involved in the extinction of megafauna. Using advanced technology to re-date giant ground sloth remains, scientists have found evidence suggesting that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vanishing-giants-study-reveals-shocking-decline-of-large-mammals-in-africa/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">megamammals</a> did not make it out of the Pleistocene era alive as previously thought. 

Instead, human involvement most likely caused the extinction of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/relict-megafauna/">megafauna</a> — including said megamammals — prior to the Holocene era.

The evidence, released via the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>, shows that the giant sloth found in the Argentinean Pampas region was hunted and killed by humans about 10,570 years ago (plus or minus about 170 years). 

Researcher Gustavo G. Politis and his colleagues used XAD purification chemistry, a process that isolates the amino acids in a bone's collagen, thus resulting in a more accurate radiocarbon date, to re-date the remains. 

In 2007, researchers originally dated the bones to be about 9,730 years old, placing it firmly in the Holocene period. However, Politis confirms the collagen used to date the bones in 2007 was contaminated, and therefore, researchers obtained a “younger” age. 

The newer, more accurate age of the remains proves that the giant sloth was killed in the Pleistocene era, showing that the killing and exploitation of megamammals most likely occurred and ended in the Pleistocene era due to extinction.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Humans were most likely involved in the extinction of megafauna

Humans were most likely involved in the extinction of megafauna....

A potentially new species of killer hornet was recently discovered in China along the border of Myanmar. Measuring 2.4 inches long and with a wingspan of 3.5 inches, the killer hornet is one of the largest Asian <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-largest-bee-spotted/">giant hornets ever recorded</a>. 

The hornet may not even be the largest of its kind, as the researchers say they have yet to locate the queen of the hive which would likely be larger than the specimens they found. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9Eel67aXZc">Huaxi Insect Museum</a> in Chengdu city led by Zhao Li, the curator of the Insect Museum of West China in Sichuan Province, were on an expedition to the city of Pu’er in the Yunnan province. 

After a local showed Li a picture of a giant hive on a cell phone with a man who could barely wrap his arms around the diameter of the hive, Li was instantly intrigued.

[caption id="attachment_1869344" align="aligncenter" width="628"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/hornets.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1869344" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/hornets.jpg" alt="" width="628" height="400" /></a> Image Credit: Huaxi Insect Museum - Zhao Li[/caption]

Soon, Li was able to see the hive up close when he spotted it in the market where the hive was being used to sell fresh honey. 

Zhao Li followed the seller to the location where the hive was found at the border between China and Myanmar, and the researchers were able to collect hundreds of hornet samples for future analysis. 

After examining the specimens, the researchers say that the hornet is unlike any other Asian giant hornet species prompting Li to conclude that the hornet belongs to a never before described subspecies of killer hornet. 

The killer hornet gets its name because it preys on honeybees, sometimes stealthily waiting outside hives and snatching up worker bees by their wings. 

While native to East Asia, invasive killer hornets in Europe threaten honeybee populations and apiaries.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Huaxi Insect Museum - Zhao Li

Giant killer hornet discovered in China may belong to a new species

A potentially new species of killer hornet was recently discovered...

Marine flatworms and sea slugs have more in common with kale than you might think. Both the plant and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-sea-temperatures-can-alter-dna-in-marine-invertebrates/">invertebrates</a> have “frilly” surfaces and new research into the geometry of frills could help engineers develop flexible soft-body robots that move around with ease. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> used mathematics to study inflected nonsmooth surfaces which are the folds of a frilly surface like those found on corals. 

The frills, in combination with a smooth surface like that of a flatworm, made up of the focus of the research which was presented at the 2019 <a href="https://www.aps.org/">American Physical Society</a> March Meeting in Boston.

“People have looked at these hyperbolic surfaces for 200 years, but nobody has thought about the role of smoothness in relation to how these things move, their mechanics,” said Shankar Venkataramani, who presented his team’s findings “Nobody saw a relevance to these things until now.” 

It was long thought that natural frills are the result of both bending and stretching a surface, but the researchers found frills could occur without stretching. 

The researchers also discovered that movement of frilly surfaces required very little energy. So if you think about a flatworm seamlessly gliding through the ocean as it’s wavy edges move up and down, these shifts do not expend too much costly energy. 

The researchers were able to develop a theory that helped describe the inflected nonsmooth surfaces and then created a mathematical model of a thin film that had six up and down portions or frills. 

The question was how to get the model to move in a similar non-energy expending way.

“We realized that nature already solved the problem millions of years ago. Some sea slugs and marine worms use this geometry to get around,” said Venkataramani. 

With this in mind, the researchers were able to get their model to “stroke” or swim, and the sheet was able to remain unstretched as it moved.

The researchers say that further studies into the smooth gliding movements of marine invertebrates could help with engineering energy efficient and flexible robots in the future. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Studying sea slug movement could help develop energy-efficient robots

Marine flatworms and sea slugs have more in common with...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



-----



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed 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://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

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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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.



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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" 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 Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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