Young aspen trees in Yellowstone are doing something they have not done in almost 100 years. Rather than sprouting and being eaten back to nubs by elk and bison, they're actually growing into tall, adult forest trees rising up towards the canopy.



This matters more than it might seem, because it shows what happens when a missing piece of an ecosystem returns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-yellowstone-aspens-and-elk">Yellowstone, aspens, and elk</h2>



In the 1920s, people <a href="https://www.yellowstone.org/wolf-project/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eliminated wolves in Yellowstone</a>. At the time, with limited scientific knowledge, managers believed it was the right thing to do.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/from-wolves-to-dogs-did-domestication-begin-without-human-help/">Without wolves</a>, elk herds grew very large. Elk love to eat aspen shoots - the tender young growth is highly palatable to them.



For roughly 70 years, elk browsed aspen sprouts down to stub height, and the trees couldn't grow. 



If you had walked through Yellowstone in the 1980s, you would have seen many tiny aspen shoots covering the ground, but almost no young trees gaining height. 



The forest's regeneration was stalled. Old trees died, and no new ones replaced them.



In 1995 and 1996, park managers reintroduced wolves into the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-supervolcano-eruption-study-sparks-new-debate-on-where-and-when-it-will-erupt/">Yellowstone Park ecosystem</a>. Scientists hoped and wondered whether this would change anything for the trees.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-aspen-matter-to-yellowstone">Why aspen matter to Yellowstone</h2>



Aspen groves provide habitat for many species. Birds nest in them. Beavers eat the bark and use the wood for dams. Butterflies and moths lay eggs on the leaves. 



Their canopy admits enough light for wildflowers and shrubs to grow beneath. When it rains, aspen groves hold water in the soil better than some other forest types.



In short, when aspen return, dozens of other species benefit. More trees support more insects, which in turn support more birds, enriching the ecosystem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-checking-the-trees-three-decades-later">Checking the trees three decades later</h2>



<a href="https://fwcs.oregonstate.edu/users/luke-painter" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Luke Painter</a>, an ecologist at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oregon State University</a>, sought clear answers. His team returned to 87 aspen stands across Yellowstone that scientists had previously surveyed. 



They measured thousands of young trees, looked for bite marks, and counted how many stems were tall enough that elk could no longer reach the tips.



About a third of these stands now have many tall young aspens pushing toward the canopy. 



"About 26 of the 87 aspen stands we examined had large numbers of tall saplings throughout, a remarkable change from the 1990s when surveys found none at all," Painter said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-wolves-matter-to-yellowstone-aspens">Why wolves matter to Yellowstone aspens</h2>



Breaking it all down, the conclusions of this study are pretty simple. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wolves-move-pups-across-mountains-to-adapt-to-climate-pressure/">Wolves hunt elk</a>. When wolves came back, two things happened. First, elk numbers declined from unusually high levels. Second, elk changed their behavior. They spent less time in the same areas feeding.



With fewer elk and shorter feeding bouts, more aspen shoots survived long enough to exceed the browsing zone - about six to seven feet high. 



Once a sapling reaches that height, elk cannot easily reach the growing tip. The tree continues to grow.



"The reintroduction of large carnivores has initiated a recovery process that had been shut down for decades," Painter explained.



Scientists call this a <a href="https://www.nature.com/scitable/knowledge/library/trophic-cascades-across-diverse-plant-ecosystems-80060347/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trophic cascade</a> - when adding or removing one species causes changes that ripple through the whole system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-places-recover-others-don-t">Some places recover, others don't</h2>



Unfortunately, not every aspen stand has recovered yet. Some valleys still have many short, heavily browsed shoots, because it's not only elk eating them anymore. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstones-iconic-bison-have-merged-into-a-single-herd/">Bison herds have grown</a>, and bison browse on aspen as well. They are strong enough to break young trees. 



"Increasing numbers of bison may be emerging as a new constraint to aspen in some areas," Painter confirmed.



Additionally, winter snow depth varies; droughts stress trees; bears and mountain lions also hunt elk; and hunting outside the park influences elk distribution. 



All of these factors interact, which is why some sites show strong recovery, others show moderate recovery, and a few have changed very little.



The key pattern is that places with many tall saplings experience little browsing, and aspen groves that remain popular eating grounds today stay short. 



This fact is the strongest indication that tree recovery is linked directly to wolf presence, not solely to weather or soil conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proof-in-the-measurements">Proof in the measurements</h2>



Painter's team did not rely on casual observation. They used the same methods as earlier researchers, measuring the same plots. 



They counted recruitment - when young trees surpass browsing height and begin progressing toward maturity. This measure is crucial. Sprouts are insufficient if they never grow; without recruitment, the forest cannot replace itself.



The results are robust. After being stalled for most of a century, Yellowstone's aspens are increasing in height. In recovering stands today, you will see saplings - six, eight, or ten feet tall - that were not present in the 1990s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-yellowstone-s-aspens">The future of Yellowstone's aspens</h2>



"This is a remarkable case of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-viruses-found-in-yellowstones-hot-springs-may-be-near-the-root-of-all-life-on-earth/">ecological restoration</a>," Painter concluded. "Wolf reintroduction is yielding long-term ecological changes contributing to increased biodiversity and habitat diversity."



Trees grow slowly, so even with wolves restored, it will take decades for these young aspens to form a full-grown forest. 



Some areas might never fully recover if bison numbers continue to rise or if the climate becomes too hot and dry.



Thanks to the work of Painter and his team, scientists are now certain that restoring the Yellowstone predator has restarted aspen forest regeneration. Not everywhere and not perfectly, but enough to be measured, creating hope for the future.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378112725004499?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forest Ecology and Management</a>.



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Yellowstone's aspen trees are growing again thanks to the reintroduction of wolves

Young aspen trees in Yellowstone are doing something they have not done in almost 100 years. Rather than sprouting and being eaten back to nubs by elk and bison, they're actually growing into tall, adult forest trees rising up towards the canopy. This matters more than it might seem, because it shows what happens when a missing piece of an ecosystem returns. Yellowstone, aspens, and elk In the 1920s, people eliminated wolves in Yellowstone. At the time, with limited scientific knowledge, managers believed it was the right...

When the Webb Telescope began sending back its first deep‑field images, astronomers expected a gentle trickle of faint, infant galaxies. Instead, they found massive, bright "red monster" galaxies shining barely 500 million to one billion years after the Big Bang.



That early cosmic boom of redshifted galaxies surprised even seasoned researchers who thought they had a solid grip on how galaxies grow.



Those jumbo galaxies - some as hefty as today’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astronomers-found-something-strange-at-core-of-milky-way-galaxy-webb-meerkat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Milky Way</a> - seemed to upend the standard <a href="https://lambda.gsfc.nasa.gov/education/graphic_history/univ_evol.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lambda Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) framework</a>. After all, if giants showed up so soon, maybe the textbook timeline for star formation needed a fresh look. 



To pin down what Webb had really seen, an international team dug into the telescope’s FRESCO survey, which pairs crisp imaging with spectroscopic measurements that reveal a galaxy’s exact distance and age.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sky-full-of-red-galaxies">Sky full of 'red' galaxies</h2>



Using <a href="https://academic.oup.com/mnras/article/525/2/2864/7243412" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">FRESCO</a>, the team sifted through 36 dust‑shrouded galaxies. Precise redshifts confirmed that most of them fit neatly within ΛCDM expectations. 



Three objects, however, refused to play by the usual rules. Each one boasts a stellar mass greater than 10¹¹ times that of the Sun - impressive for any epoch, but absolutely astounding for the universe’s first billion years. 



Together the galaxies may have fueled about 17 percent of all star formation between redshifts 5 and 6, when the cosmos was just under a billion years old.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peering-back-13-billion-years">Peering back 13 billion years</h2>



“Our findings are reshaping our understanding of galaxy formation in the early universe,” says Dr. Mengyuan Xiao, lead author of the study from the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Geneva</a>. 



The trio’s extreme efficiency stands out: they appear to have turned roughly half of the normal matter available inside their dark‑matter halos into stars, two to three times the rate seen in later epochs. 



Typical galaxies manage no more than 20 percent. Yet the emission from these early behemoths is spread across each system, hinting that a ravenous central black hole is not the main driver.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-red-monster-galaxies-emerge">"Red monster" galaxies emerge</h2>



High dust content reddens these galaxies in the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb Telescope</a>’s near‑infrared view, earning them the nickname "red monsters." 



"The massive properties of these ‘red monsters’ had hardly been determined before JWST because they are optically invisible owing to dust attenuation,” explained Dr. David Elbaz of <a href="https://www.cea.fr/english/Pages/Welcome.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CEA Paris‑Saclay</a>. 



That veil once hid their true size from earlier telescopes that relied on ultraviolet light, which dust readily absorbs.



<a href="https://jwst-docs.stsci.edu/jwst-near-infrared-camera/nircam-instrumentation/nircam-grisms#gsc.tab=0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb’s NIRCam/grism</a> setup changes the game, catching the faint glow of star‑forming regions even when soot‑like grains block shorter wavelengths. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/red-monsters_very-early-galaxies_JWST-discovery_NASA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/red-monsters_very-early-galaxies_JWST-discovery_NASA_1s.webp" alt="Image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. The three red monsters represent the core findings of this work — extremely massive and dusty galaxies in the first billion years after the Big Bang, indicating that the Universe is forming stars more efficiently than we expected. Credits: NASA/CSA/ESA" class="wp-image-1968072"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Image taken by the James Webb Space Telescope. The three red monsters represent the core findings of this work — extremely massive and dusty galaxies in the first billion years after the Big Bang, indicating that the Universe is forming stars more efficiently than we expected. Click image to enlarge. Credits: NASA/CSA/ESA</figcaption></figure>



“Our findings highlight the remarkable power of NIRCam/grism spectroscopy,” explains Pascal Oesch, principal investigator of the program. 



“The instrument on board the space telescope allows us to identify and study the growth of galaxies over time and to obtain a clearer picture of how stellar mass accumulates over the course of cosmic history.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-rules-for-the-early-universe">New rules for the early universe</h2>



The ΛCDM model says dark‑matter halos act as cosmic scaffolding, snagging gas that later cools and condenses into stars. Over billions of years, most galaxies never convert more than a fifth of that gas. 



The red monsters push that limit hard. Forming stars nearly twice as efficiently as smaller systems of the same era, they hint that early conditions - higher gas densities, faster cooling, or more frequent mergers - offered shortcuts to rapid growth.



“These results indicate that galaxies in the early universe could form stars with unexpected efficiency,” Dr. Xiao concludes. 



“As we study these galaxies in more depth, they will offer new insights into the conditions that shaped the universe's earliest epochs. The red monsters are just the beginning of a new era in our exploration of the early universe.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-do-red-monster-galaxies-matter">Why do red monster galaxies matter?</h2>



Because light takes time to travel, Webb’s mirrors act like a time machine. Looking 13 billion light‑years away means seeing the cosmos as it was <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/newly-discovered-stars-milky-way-are-old-as-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">13 billion years ago</a>. 



Catching massive galaxies so soon after the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/if-the-big-bang-theory-is-correct-what-exactly-happened/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Big Bang</a> forces theorists to revisit the ingredients in their simulations. 



Did early gas clouds cool faster? Did primordial stars explode in ways that seeded galaxies with heavy elements sooner than thought? Or do current models underestimate how quickly halos pull matter together at high redshift?



While the latest measurements leave ΛCDM standing, they shrink its wiggle room. Galaxy‑formation codes must now reproduce both the typical dust‑rich galaxies and these overachievers without breaking other well‑tested predictions, such as the distribution of the cosmic microwave background.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



Future Webb programs will broaden the census of early massive systems, while the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array (<a href="https://public.nrao.edu/telescopes/alma/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ALMA</a>) maps cold gas and dust in finer detail. 



Together they can show whether the red monsters are rare oddities or signposts of a busier‑than‑expected era. 



If more turn up, theorists may need to refine how feedback from newborn stars and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/evidence-of-massive-early-universe-black-hole-stuns-astronomers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nascent black holes</a> regulates star formation when the universe is young, dense, and eager to shine.



For now, the trio of red monsters stands as a reminder that the cosmos still holds plenty of secrets. Webb’s sharp eyes and spectroscopic tools have opened a fresh window on those first luminous giants. 



As astronomers peel back more layers, they’re likely to find that the universe’s childhood was livelier - and more efficient - than anyone guessed.



-----



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08094-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



Featured Image Credit: NASA / CSA / ESA / M. Xiao &amp; P. A. Oesch / G. Brammer / Dawn JWST Archive



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Three 'Red Monsters' discovered, scientists declare "beginning of a new era"

When the Webb Telescope began sending back its first deep‑field...

Children’s first encounters with math usually happen at the breakfast table or on the playground, not in a classroom. Developmental scientists have long known that these everyday experiences - like counting blocks or footsteps to the front door - nurture an intuitive sense of quantity.



According to a comprehensive report, a strong “number sense” builds arithmetic fluency, which later supports success in algebra, geometry, and adult earnings. 



Yet the route from cereal-box counting to fluent calculation has been hotly debated: Should teachers focus on memorizing multiplication tables, or on fostering deeper conceptual reasoning? The new review concludes that the debate sets up a false choice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-framework-for-learning-math">New framework for learning math</h2>



Drawing on behavioral experiments, longitudinal research, neuroimaging data, and classroom design studies, the researchers propose a three-stage cycle in which facts and concepts reinforce one another.



They believe fluency starts with understanding, improves with timed practice, and deepens through reflection and discussion.



“We want to be clear: Educators don’t have to choose between timed practice and rich classroom discussions," said study lead author Nicole McNeil of the <a href="https://www.nd.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Notre Dame</a>.



"A carefully structured approach - pairing brief, timed sessions that strengthen facts in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-our-brain-form-long-term-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">memory</a> with purposeful reasoning and discussion activities that weave those facts into an integrated knowledge network - gives students the fluency they need to succeed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-shifts-with-practice">Brain shifts with practice</h2>



The researchers frame math learning as a dynamic movement between two knowledge states. Young children start with implicit insights: they can combine two sets of crackers and anticipate a larger pile without articulating why.



Over time, guided instruction turns these hunches into explicit strategies, such as “counting on from the bigger number” or recognizing that addition is commutative. 



With continued, targeted practice - ideally in short, carefully timed bursts - these explicit strategies become automatic, freeing up mental resources for higher-level problem solving.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-imaging-method-will-unravel-mysteries-of-neural-processes/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neuroimaging</a> studies cited in the report reveal that as this process unfolds, brain activation patterns begin to shift. Brain activity shifts from effortful reasoning to rapid recall, reflecting the child’s move from counting slowly to instant retrieval.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-more-math-wars">No more math wars</h2>



Because fluency develops through intertwined conceptual and procedural growth, the authors argue, classroom instruction should regularly cycle between the two. 



Early progress monitoring is recommended to spot gaps in mental number representations. Explicit teaching of thinking strategies, such as making tens, can help address those gaps. 



The research team also suggests using retrieval exercises designed to be brief enough to encourage speed only after accuracy has been achieved.



Each timed practice session should end with group discussion where students explain methods and link facts to broader ideas. This “explain–practice–explain” rhythm avoids the pitfalls of rote memorization while ensuring that knowledge can be deployed automatically when needed, noted the researchers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-math-skills-shape-futures">Math skills shape futures</h2>



The paper’s authors and an <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epub/10.1177/15291006251326581" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">accompanying commentary</a> by Melissa E. Libertus of the <a href="https://www.pitt.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Pittsburgh</a> highlight the practical stakes. 



Students who leave elementary school fluent in arithmetic adapt more readily to algebraic symbolism, grasp fraction magnitudes more accurately, and solve multi-step word problems more efficiently.



Longitudinal data link early math skills to later academic attainment and even adult income. The experts argue that arithmetic fluency is essential in today’s data-driven world - just as important as reading.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-training-teachers-with-research">Training teachers with research</h2>



Despite the strong evidence base, many teacher-preparation programs devote limited time to the cognitive science of math <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-learning-how-our-brains-neurons-make-and-retrieve-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">learning</a>. The researchers call for more explicit coursework that helps future educators evaluate instructional materials through the lens of learning research.



Digital tutoring systems and adaptive practice apps can help - but only when educators integrate them into conceptual discussions and reflective reasoning. 



Future research should explore how parents’ math anxiety affects children and how digital tools can personalize practice while preserving depth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-classroom-model">A new classroom model</h2>



The report arrives at a moment when timed tests and “math wars” rhetoric still spark controversy. Speed and understanding aren’t opposing goals - they build on each other in a well-designed learning process.



By letting children’s initial intuitions surface, honing them through targeted practice, and weaving them back into rich conceptual networks, educators can cultivate the kind of fluency that supports future math learning. This fluency also aids in real-world problem solving.



The science of learning, the authors argue, shows that arithmetic proficiency is built not on memorization alone and not on exploration alone, but on a deliberate interplay of the two. This is proof that, in mathematics as in many areas of education, balance and evidence go hand in hand.



Nancy Jordan of the <a href="https://www.udel.edu/">University of Delaware</a>, Alexandria Viegut of the <a href="https://www.uwec.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Wisconsin–Eau Claire</a>, and Daniel Ansari of <a href="https://www.uwo.ca/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Western University</a> are co-authors of the study.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/15291006241287726">Psychological Science in the Public Interest</a>.



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Scientists discover a better way for kids to learn math

Children’s first encounters with math usually happen at the breakfast...

A flash of intense radiation seen in space has upended long-held ideas about how some of our heaviest metals emerge. Scientists have found that such a flare can pump out vast amounts of heavy, rare atoms in mere seconds, revealing a surprising origin for valuables like gold and platinum.



Brian Metzger from the Flatiron Institute’s <a href="https://www.simonsfoundation.org/flatiron/center-for-computational-astrophysics/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Computational Astrophysics</a> in New York City is one of the researchers behind this magnetar flare discovery.



Metzger and his colleagues worked to show how these unusually powerful neutron star <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-magnetar-has-unknown-origins/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outbursts</a> can forge precious metals, called called <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2021RvMP...93a5002C/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">r-process elements</a>, at unimaginable scales.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-magnetars-the-basics">Understanding magnetars - the basics</h2>



Magnetars are the universe’s most intense magnets, and they’re not just strong - they’re wildly extreme. Born from the explosive death of massive stars, these neutron stars pack more mass than our sun into a ball just a dozen miles wide. 



Their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/huge-outbursts-from-quiet-magnetars-have-a-surprising-source/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnetic fields</a> are a thousand times stronger than typical neutron stars, and trillions of times beyond anything found on Earth. 



If you stood anywhere near one (which, thankfully, you can’t), it could scramble your atoms just by existing. That’s how intense these cosmic beasts are.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-magnetar-flares-and-heavy-metals">Magnetar flares and heavy metals</h2>



What makes magnetars even more bizarre is their behavior. They occasionally unleash powerful bursts of X-rays and gamma rays - <a href="https://www.aanda.org/articles/aa/full_html/2025/02/aa52268-24/aa52268-24.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">giant flares</a> so energetic they can mess with satellites on Earth, even from thousands of light-years away. 



One recent flare analysis suggests that as much as two million billion billion kilograms of heavy atoms formed in a single event.



Astronomers think these bursts come from “starquakes” that crack the surface of the magnetar when its magnetic field twists and snaps.



Researchers have now determined that flares of this sort could explain up to 10 percent of our galaxy’s gold, platinum, and similar metals. 



Each flare is like an elemental factory, hot enough and dense enough for neutrons to ram into lighter elements and create heavier, neutron-rich <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unusual-activity-detected-from-earths-closest-magnetar/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">materials</a> in a matter of minutes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-magnetar-flares-make-gold-and-uranium">Magnetar flares make gold and uranium</h2>



“This is really just the second time we've ever directly seen proof of where these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fastest-spinning-magnetar-reveals-secrets-of-neutron-stars/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">elements</a> form. It’s a substantial leap in our understanding of heavy elements production,” said Metzger.



That confirmation, along with the latest finding, helps clarify how the universe stocks its cupboards with metals far heavier than iron.



Beyond gold and platinum, other materials like uranium can also appear through this r-process. It takes extraordinary places to host so many free neutrons. 



Flares from magnetars happen to create just the right conditions, letting nuclei snatch up these stray particles and jump up the elemental ladder.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-novel-insight-on-stardust">Novel insight on stardust</h2>



Historically, scientists believed most heavy elements took shape in supernova explosions or during neutron star mergers. 



While those events remain important, magnetar flares add another piece of the cosmic puzzle. Their high-energy jets can toss newly formed metals out into surrounding space, seeding future star systems and even rocky planets.



Observations of a magnetar flare in <a href="https://heasarc.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/xte/Greatest_Hits/sgr_bell.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">December 2004</a> first hinted at this possibility. By piecing together data from space telescopes, researchers noticed an unexplained pulse of gamma-ray light roughly minutes after the initial blast. 



That signal, experts argue, was the radioactive glow of freshly minted heavy nuclei cooling off.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eruptions-eject-vast-amounts-of-matter">Eruptions eject vast amounts of matter</h2>



Magnetars have long fascinated astronomers because of their intense fields and sudden outbursts. 



Each flare involves an extreme rearrangement of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-magnetic-field-has-a-dent-and-nasa-is-watching-closely/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">magnetic</a> lines, generating shock waves that knock matter from the star’s surface. 



The ejected material experiences a runaway chain of nuclear reactions, which can lead to entire mountains of precious metals.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Magnetar_Gold_platinum_infographic_credit-Simons-Foundation_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Magnetar_Gold_platinum_infographic_credit-Simons-Foundation_1s.webp" alt="Credit: Lucy Reading-Ikkanda/Simons Foundation" class="wp-image-1968252"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Click image to enlarge. Credit: Lucy Reading-Ikkanda/Simons Foundation</figcaption></figure>



Such flares are rare, which complicates efforts to catch them at the exact moment they happen. Even so, astronomers remain hopeful that future telescopes will detect more evidence. 



Missions like <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.12362" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA’s Compton Spectrometer and Imager</a>, expected to launch in 2027, may be able to track these fleeting signals in greater detail.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-magnetar-flares-and-early-metals">Magnetar flares and early metals</h2>



Astronomers say these discoveries reshape how we understand metal formation in young galaxies. 



Because magnetars can flare at earlier epochs than some other events, their blasts might add heavy elements earlier in a galaxy’s life cycle. This could explain why certain <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1086/529487" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">metal signatures</a> appear sooner than expected in distant stars.



On Earth, these metals underlie countless technologies. It’s remarkable to think a phone’s circuit board may hold atoms brewed inside a magnetar’s angry outburst. 



The new findings also put magnetars on par with neutron star collisions, highlighting them as a real contender in fueling the cosmic supply of r-process elements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-waiting-for-the-next-magnetar-eruption">Waiting for the next magnetar eruption</h2>



Looking ahead, the team anticipates more data from modern observatories as soon as another magnetar decides to erupt. 



Detecting its high-energy afterglow would offer an unmatched peek at nuclear reactions in real time. That fleeting flash of gamma rays encodes signatures of newly formed isotopes, letting scientists chart how matter evolves.



Once a flare is caught in action, researchers plan to spin telescopes around fast enough to observe the after-effects. That could confirm whether the same pattern holds for multiple flares or if the 2004 event was a standout case. 



Either way, the odds of future catches rise as instruments become more sensitive across multiple wavelengths.



The study is published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/adc9b0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Astrophysical Journal Letters</a>.



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New source of gold, platinum, and uranium discovered in space

A flash of intense radiation seen in space has upended...

As the newest Biomass satellite begins its journey in orbit following its launch on April 29, it brings fresh momentum to efforts aimed at understanding how forests shape our climate. 



A newly released dataset - built from nearly two decades of satellite data - offers the clearest, most detailed view to date of how much carbon is stored in the woody parts of trees across the planet, and how that’s changed over time.



Developed as part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Climate Change Initiative, the updated forest carbon maps mark a major step forward, with scientists from <a href="https://www.aber.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aberystwyth University</a> playing a key role in their scientific development and validation.



The long-term record, which will soon include data from the Biomass satellite itself, combines measurements from multiple missions such as Envisat, Copernicus Sentinel-1, Japan’s ALOS PALSAR, and NASA’s ICESat and GEDI lidar sensors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-carbon-ledger">A global carbon ledger</h2>



The new data focuses on the carbon-dense parts of trees - mainly trunks and branches - around the globe. It covers various years between 2007 and 2022 and offers resolutions from 100 meters to 50 kilometers.



The maps are designed to support climate modeling, help countries manage <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/boreal-and-temperate-forests-have-emerged-as-the-main-carbon-sinks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forests</a> more effectively, and guide greenhouse gas reporting under the Paris Agreement.



“The new release, version 6, is a pivotal moment for climate science as it provides an unprecedented level of consistency and timeliness in the provision of above-ground biomass estimates globally," said Frank Martin Seifert.



“This empowers researchers and policymakers alike to track carbon dynamics with the temporal precision necessary for meaningful climate action."



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



Forests are a key player in the global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-carbon-cycle-trends-of-the-past-50-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon cycle</a>. As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as biomass in their trunks, branches, and leaves.



When forests are cleared or burned, that stored carbon gets released back into the atmosphere. Tracking the amount of biomass stored in forests helps scientists understand how much carbon is being absorbed - how stable that storage is - and how much might be released.



The revised dataset corrects long-standing underestimates in dense, carbon-rich areas, thanks in part to international collaboration with partners like the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. 



Updates to the algorithm used to retrieve biomass data have made the results more reliable, especially in capturing trends across the globe’s major forest regions.



“The new dataset provides a much more accurate representation of global forest biomass, particularly in regions where earlier versions underestimated high-density forests,” explained Richard Lucas, who leads ESA’s Biomass Project.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-still-remain">Challenges still remain</h2>



Despite the improvements, measuring extremely dense forests remains tricky. 



“Detecting biomass densities above 400 tonnes per hectare is considerably more difficult because the relatively short wavelengths of current radar sensors don’t fully penetrate or interact with the larger woody components of dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-forests-are-losing-their-carbon-storage-capacity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tropical forests</a>,” Lucas added.



Maurizio Santoro, from Gamma Remote Sensing in Switzerland, emphasized that accuracy has improved with this version. “When assessed against independent reference data from all over the world, the new maps are of higher quality,” he said.



Still, Santoro acknowledged that there’s more work to be done. “Better characterization of the states and dynamics of carbon stored in vegetation is still necessary, which will be facilitated by ingesting additional satellite data from past missions, and from future satellites.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-the-biomass-satellite">Significance of the Biomass satellite </h2>



This is where the ESA’s new Biomass satellite steps in. It carries a P-band radar - the first of its kind in space - with a wavelength of about 70 centimeters. This allows it to penetrate dense tree canopies, especially in regions like the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia, where carbon estimates have traditionally been more uncertain.



Lucas expressed optimism about what lies ahead. “We hope and anticipate that data from the Biomass mission, once available, will be able to extend the record of biomass stored in the world’s forests, with this reducing uncertainties in the global carbon cycle and its contribution to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-we-mitigate-climate-change-with-deep-ocean-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>."



With each new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-space-age-satellites-can-track-canopies-and-carbon-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">satellite</a> and dataset, scientists edge closer to understanding the true scale of the carbon stored in our forests - and what that means for our future.



Image Credit: ESA



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Satellite view of forest biomass reveals hidden carbon trends

As the newest Biomass satellite begins its journey in orbit...

Very,Large,Termite,Mound,Australia

On the scrub‑covered plains of northeastern Brazil, millions of brown cones rise just high enough to catch the late‑day sun. They look like random piles left by passing farmers and, until recently, they fooled researchers too. 



Satellite images finally revealed their true extent: an earthen metropolis spread over roughly 88,000 square miles - about the size of Great Britain - and built grain by grain by termites no longer than a fingernail.



Most ecosystems show traces of the animals that shape them, yet few match this scale. The Syntermes dirus termites have pushed more than 2.4 cubic miles of soil to the surface, assembling around 200 million mounds without a single blueprint. 



Only when scientists from the <a href="https://www.salford.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Salford</a> and the Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana (<a href="https://www.uefs.br/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UEFS</a>) began pairing drone flights with ground surveys did the pattern emerge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tiny-silent-architects-of-the-caatinga">Tiny, silent architects of the caatinga</h2>



The caatinga - a seasonally dry forest shot through with thorny shrubs - offers slim pickings. 



Rain arrives in bursts, leaves fall fast, and food appears in scattered pockets. That scarcity has pushed S. dirus to become subterranean engineers. 



While foraging, they carve tunnels just beneath the surface, shoving spoil upward through temporary shafts. Each shaft becomes a cone about 8.2 feet high and 29.5 feet wide; over time those cones harden into permanent landmarks.



Unlike the tower‑like nests seen in Africa or Australia, these Brazilian mounds hold no royal chamber or nursery. 



They are solid waste dumps - the visible residue of an underground traffic system optimized for hauling leaf litter home. 



The termites stay hidden by day, sealing narrow access tubes until darkness brings cooler air and fewer predators.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-very-very-old-termite-mounds">Very, very old termite mounds</h2>



To work out when the first heaps appeared, researchers drilled cores from mound centers and dated mineral grains with optically stimulated luminescence. 



Some cones formed 3,820 years ago; others are as ‘young’ as 690 years old. That makes them among the oldest termite structures on Earth, older than many stone monuments humans celebrate.



Every termite mound cone holds roughly 65 cubic yards of packed clay. Multiply that by 200 million, and the displaced soil rivals about 4,000 Great Pyramids of Giza - a statistic the team highlighted to put insect power in perspective.



Field crews could visit only a fraction of the cones, so the study turned to a modeling tool called <a href="https://biodiversityinformatics.amnh.org/open_source/maxent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MAXENT</a>. By feeding confirmed mound locations into the algorithm, the scientists projected where similar terrain likely hosts more cones. 



Follow‑up hikes backed the prediction: the grid stretches for hundreds of miles, yet human activity barely nicks it because the acidic clay is poor farmland.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-decoding-the-perfect-spacing">Decoding the perfect spacing</h2>



Stand atop one termite mound, and another sits about 65 feet away in any direction - a pattern called ‘over‑dispersed’. 



To discover whether rival colonies enforced such order, the team introduced termites from neighboring heaps to one another. 



No hostility surfaced unless the insects came from sites roughly 31 miles apart, implying that spacing is not a product of territorial squabbles.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/termites_Syntermes-dirus_waste-mounds_visible-space_Brazil_credit-_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/termites_Syntermes-dirus_waste-mounds_visible-space_Brazil_credit-_1s.webp" alt="Figure 1. The distribution of Syntermes dirus termite waste mounds across Northeast Brazil and associate tunnel networks. (A) Core area (orange) of S. dirus mounds confirmed by ground visits. The MAXENT model predicted suitable area, and new mound sites confirmed by visits (orange triangle) or using satellite images (black triangles). Dated mounds indicated by red squares. Great Britain outline illustrates the extent of the mound fields. (B) Satellite image with the position of each mound indicated by a black dot, indicating an over-dispersed spatial distribution. (C) Sketch showing the mound structure and network of major tunnels (solid lines) and smaller vertical foraging tunnels (dashed lines). The images illustrate the various aspects of the sketch. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Current Biology" class="wp-image-1968242"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Figure 1. The distribution of Syntermes dirus termite waste mounds across Northeast Brazil and associate tunnel networks. (A) Core area (orange) of S. dirus mounds confirmed by ground visits. The MAXENT model predicted suitable area, and new mound sites confirmed by visits (orange triangle) or using satellite images (black triangles). Dated mounds indicated by red squares. Great Britain outline illustrates the extent of the mound fields. (B) Satellite image with the position of each mound indicated by a black dot, indicating an over-dispersed spatial distribution. (C) Sketch showing the mound structure and network of major tunnels (solid lines) and smaller vertical foraging tunnels (dashed lines). The images illustrate the various aspects of the sketch. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Current Biology</figcaption></figure>



Instead, self‑organization explains the grid. Removing soil is costly, so pushing spoil to a single point and never digging there again saves energy. 



Over centuries, the termites created a lattice with an average density of 4,660 mounds per square mile. Chemical signals probably keep the lattice intact; pheromone trails guide workers through labyrinthine tunnels to food, to waste cones, and back again without traffic jams.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-underground-in-a-termite-mound">Life underground in a termite mound</h2>



Beneath each cone lies a central artery that branches like a tree root. The network lets colonies reach new leaf drops without surfacing midday in brutal heat. 



By night, workers nibble dry leaves, ferry them below, and seal the entrance behind them. The cones themselves do nothing more than hold discarded clay, yet they mark the tunnel map for generations.



Parallels pop up across harsh landscapes. Naked mole‑rats in East Africa build similar subterranean webs to chase tubers. 



North American gophers leave spoil piles comparable in form, though smaller in scale. In every case, sparse resources push small creatures to redesign the very ground they inhabit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-termites-the-basics">Understanding termites - the basics</h2>



Termites might be tiny, but they play a massive role in shaping ecosystems. These insects live in highly organized colonies, sometimes numbering in the millions, and they divide their tasks among workers, soldiers, and queens. 



You’ll often find them in warm, humid environments where they chew through wood, dead plants, and even dung. 



While we tend to associate termites with destruction - especially when they invade homes - they actually help recycle nutrients back into the soil, keeping forests and grasslands healthy.



What’s fascinating is how they build and communicate. Termites use chemical signals to coordinate everything, from feeding to defending their nest. 



Some species even construct towering mounds that regulate temperature and humidity through intricate tunnel systems - essentially natural air-conditioning. 



So yes, while they might give homeowners nightmares, termites are more than just pests. They're nature’s quiet architects, shaping the world one bite at a time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-from-a-living-city">Lessons from a living city</h2>



The Brazilian grid shows that big construction does not require big bodies or even central planning. 



Simple rules - dig, dump, move on - run through countless termite lifetimes and shape an entire biome. When food is scattered and rain unreliable, efficiency wins. 



The cones stand as silent mile‑markers of that principle, reminding visitors that the world’s grandest civil engineers sometimes weigh less than a paperclip.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0960982218312879#cebib0010" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a>.



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Enormous desert structure built by insects is 4,000 years old and can be seen from space

On the scrub‑covered plains of northeastern Brazil, millions of brown...

An enormous iceberg, roughly the size of Chicago, has separated from Antarctica. The event has revealed an underwater environment that was concealed for about a century.



Images from satellites confirm that a massive block of floating ice detached on January 19, 2025, creating a rare chance to observe newly exposed habitats. 



Within days, scientists directed a remotely operated vehicle beneath the chilly surface to document the region’s hidden life.



A few days after the detachment, expedition co-chief scientist <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/person/patricia-esquete-2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Patricia Esquete</a> was on site with her colleagues to investigate the sudden loss of the ice shelf cover. 



She is affiliated with the Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (<a href="https://www.cesam-la.pt/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CESAM</a>) and the Department of Biology (DBio) at the <a href="https://www.ua.pt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Aveiro</a>, Portugal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-uncovering-a-hidden-environment">Uncovering a hidden environment</h2>



Beneath layers of floating glacier ice, life had adapted to darkness and cold. The newly revealed site shows a maze of sponges, anemones, and other marine life occupying the seafloor 755 feet (236 meters) below the surface.



Researchers guided the remotely operated vehicle, <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/technology/robotic-platforms/4500-m-remotely-operated-vehicle-rov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SuBastian</a>, with acoustic systems, since GPS signals cannot penetrate thick ice. Despite those challenges, the craft documented thriving clusters of invertebrates and coral that have likely existed for many years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-in-antarctic-waters">Life in antarctic waters</h2>



This part of the Bellingshausen Sea has drawn attention since researchers discovered species such as icefish, giant sea spiders, and octopuses near exposed seabeds. 



Each organism plays a key role in an ecosystem that operates with minimal light and scarce food.



<a href="https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/deep-sea-brittle-star" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brittle stars</a> have been seen climbing sponge surfaces at depths of around 705 feet (215 meters) in places where ice retreated years ago. This suggests that once the ice barrier is gone, new species quickly move into the space.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sudden-openings-and-new-research">Sudden openings and new research</h2>



When a large iceberg detaches, as it did from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/153968/new-antarctic-iceberg-speeds-off" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antarctica's George VI Ice Shelf</a>, previously covered areas become accessible to currents carrying organic particles. 



These drifting nutrients can boost the growth of marine organisms that were once isolated under thick ice.



Scientists used sediment cores and sampling equipment to collect evidence of how these communities develop. Cores can reveal the past influx of organic matter, helping experts map out ecological shifts over the years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-voices-from-the-expedition">Voices from the expedition</h2>



“We seized upon the moment, changed our expedition plan, and went for it so we could look at what was happening in the depths below. We didn't expect to find such a beautiful, thriving ecosystem,” said Esquete.&nbsp;



“Based on the size of the animals, the communities we observed have been there for decades, maybe even hundreds of years.” 



Experts suggest the biodiversity they encountered requires further analysis to determine how organisms adapt to shifts in ice coverage.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-in-sub-ice-exploration">Challenges in sub-ice exploration</h2>



Operating ROVs under 495 feet (150 meters) of ice poses many risks, including potential entrapment. Navigation relies on acoustic signals and constant monitoring of environmental changes that could affect safety.



Teams must adapt their techniques to handle unpredictable ice shifts and extreme temperatures. Specialized sampling devices allow them to gather fragile organisms without harming local habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-for-discovery">Next steps for discovery</h2>



Co-leader of the expedition, <a href="https://profiles.ucl.ac.uk/96683-aleksandr-montelli/publications" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aleksandr Montelli</a> from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College London</a>, emphasized that comprehensive studies in these settings are still rare. 



Researchers are eager to publish detailed findings that describe how marine life persists without normal light sources or stable nutrient supplies.



“Being right there when this iceberg calved from the ice shelf presented a rare scientific opportunity. Serendipitous moments are part of the excitement of research at sea - they offer the chance to be the first to witness the untouched beauty of our world,” stated <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/person/dr-jyotika-virmani/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Jyotika Virmani</a>, executive director at <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Schmidt Ocean Institute</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reflections-on-hidden-communities">Reflections on hidden communities</h2>



Ice-free sections of Antarctica continue to appear in certain areas, revealing complex webs of life that evolve under the most intense conditions. These hidden communities offer new perspectives on biodiversity and adaptation strategies that may hold lessons for scientists worldwide.



As the ice continues to shift, other previously inaccessible seafloor regions might open up for study. Each chance to explore a freshly exposed habitat can reveal species that would otherwise remain unknown.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead">Looking ahead</h2>



Future expeditions may focus on octopus populations and their breeding habits in frigid conditions. These cephalopods often display surprising adaptability in low temperatures and limited food supplies.



Antarctic investigations also provide clues about changes in ocean chemistry that affect marine life globally. Understanding how organisms thrive under shifting ice may reveal insights about climate impacts on ecosystems elsewhere.



Experts caution that accelerated ice losses could limit the window of time to study these emerging communities. Researchers hope to collaborate across nations to investigate newly opened habitats before conditions change once more.



Each new survey adds a piece to the puzzle of life beneath Antarctic ice shelves. There is much more to learn about these hidden frontiers and the organisms that flourish in them.



Details of this research are available in a <a href="https://schmidtocean.org/thriving-antarctic-ecosystems-found-in-wake-of-recently-detached-iceberg/">press release</a> from the Schmidt Ocean Institute.



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Giant iceberg reveals life from a century ago hidden beneath a block the size of Chicago

An enormous iceberg, roughly the size of Chicago, has separated...

The Haenyeo of South Korea’s southern coast continue a centuries-old tradition that sets them apart. These remarkable women - free divers of Jeju Island - plunge into the sea without oxygen tanks to collect abalone, seaweed, and other marine life.



Often in their 60s or 70s, they dive year-round, even in winter, sometimes to depths of 60 feet. Their way of life is disappearing, but new research suggests their legacy may stretch far beyond tradition - it might help unlock new insights into human health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unique-genes-in-extreme-divers">Unique genes in extreme divers</h2>



Scientists from the <a href="https://healthcare.utah.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Utah Health</a> and UCLA have studied the Haenyeo to understand how they handle the extreme physical stress of deep diving.



The findings reveal unique genetic features that could help <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-gold-the-vitamin-packed-fruit-that-regulates-blood-sugar-and-blood-pressure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">regulate blood pressure</a> and improve pain tolerance.



These traits may not only explain how the Haenyeo endure their harsh environment but also offer promising leads for treating blood pressure-related disorders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-haenyeo-advantage">The Haenyeo advantage</h2>



The study began with a simple question: Do the Haenyeo have a biological edge that helps them survive repeated dives into cold, deep waters? 



Researchers looked at their heart rate and blood pressure during simulated dives, then sequenced their DNA. What they found were two genetic variants potentially tied to diving-related stress.



“They’re absolutely extraordinary women,” said Melissa Ilardo, an assistant professor of biomedical informatics at the University of Utah Health. 



“Every day, they head out and get in the water, and that’s where they work all day. I saw women over 80 diving off a boat before it even stopped moving.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-divers-with-protective-genes">Divers with protective genes</h2>



One of the most significant findings was a genetic change linked to lower blood pressure during dives. This change was more than four times as common in the Haenyeo compared to mainland Koreans. 



Lowering blood pressure while diving may help protect them - and their unborn children - during pregnancy. While the dangers of breath-holding are well-known in other situations, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-apnea-may-lead-to-worse-brain-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sleep apnea</a>, the researchers believe diving poses a unique challenge.



“This is not something that every human or every woman is able to do,” said Diana Aguilar-Gómez, a postdoctoral researcher in evolutionary biology at UCLA. “It’s kind of like they have a superpower.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tolerance-for-the-cold">Tolerance for the cold</h2>



The second genetic difference relates to pain sensitivity, particularly to cold. Jeju Island winters can bring air temperatures close to freezing, yet the Haenyeo dive regardless of the chill.



“I asked them once if they would stop diving if it got cold enough. They said that as long as the wind alarm doesn’t go off, they’ll still get in the water," noted Ilardo. “The wind alarm is to keep them from blowing out to sea.”



Although the researchers didn’t measure the women’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cold-plunges-may-keep-you-feeling-alive-and-healthy-longer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cold tolerance</a> directly, the team suspects this gene may play a role in how the Haenyeo manage to dive year-round. 



Future studies will look deeper into this genetic marker and what it might mean for pain management in colder climates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-experience-still-matters">Experience still matters</h2>



Genes alone don’t tell the whole story. Diving changes the body over time, and the Haenyeo show this through their powerful reflexes. 



When anyone submerges underwater, the body slows the heart to conserve oxygen. In untrained individuals, the heart rate drops by about 20 beats per minute during a simulated dive. For the Haenyeo, this drop is nearly double.



This physiological adaptation likely comes from decades of diving, a skill that’s as much about muscle memory and discipline as it is about biology. 



The team found that even people from Jeju Island who weren’t Haenyeo had a weaker version of this reflex, suggesting the full benefit comes only with practice.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-the-island">Looking beyond the island</h2>



One of the most exciting possibilities is that these findings might help others. The genetic trait linked to lower blood pressure could aid in managing conditions like hypertension and stroke. 



Jeju Island already has one of the lowest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dramatic-temperature-changes-linked-to-half-a-million-stroke-deaths/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stroke mortality rates</a> in South Korea. The researchers wonder if the same genes found in the Haenyeo divers might be partly responsible.



“If there’s something about it that actually reduces the risk of stroke mortality, then we could help people everywhere by understanding what’s special about these women," said Ilardo.



While the Haenyeo’s way of life may be fading, their legacy might shape how we think about heart health for generations to come.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/cell-reports/fulltext/S2211-1247(25)00348-1?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS2211124725003481%3Fshowall%3Dtrue" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cell Reports</a>.



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Legendary divers in Korea have inherited 'superhuman' genes

The Haenyeo of South Korea’s southern coast continue a centuries-old...

Axolotls are critically endangered amphibians with an otherworldly appearance. Researchers have found they can survive in both restored and artificial wetlands in Mexico.



Those findings come from work led by Alejandra G. Ramos of the Instituto de Biología at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (<a href="https://www.unam.mx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNAM</a>). 



The group studied the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/axolotls-regeneration-powers-critically-endangered/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">survival</a> and movement of captive-bred axolotls after introducing them to two very different aquatic habitats in southern Mexico City.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-axolotls-are-unique-and-worth-saving">Why axolotls are unique and worth saving</h2>



Axolotls belong to a group of amphibians that face serious threats. According to the <a href="https://www.iucnredlist.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IUCN</a>, 41% of all amphibian species are at risk of extinction.



These salamanders retain their juvenile traits into adulthood, which is highly unusual among vertebrates. They are also found only in one part of the world, near the historic canals of Lake Xochimilco in Mexico City.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-wetlands-now-threaten-axolotls">Some wetlands now threaten axolotls</h2>



Urban growth and pollution have reshaped much of <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Xochimilco" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lake Xochimilco</a>. Severe water contamination endangers delicate amphibian species that need clean, consistent water to thrive.



Local farmers are restoring small plots of land called chinampas, which traditionally harnessed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wetlands-are-a-hidden-source-of-rising-methane-emissions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wetland</a> agriculture. The researchers placed some axolotls in a chinampa-refuge to see whether these watery pockets could still offer a safe haven.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-man-made-wetlands-help-axolotls-survive">Man-made wetlands help axolotls survive</h2>



The team also explored a pond in <a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2017ChJOL..35.1387G/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">La Cantera Oriente</a>, an artificial wetland that formed around 30 years ago. This area emerged when underground springs filled a mining site, creating new pools and waterways.



Long-term <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/axolotls-have-exploded-in-popularity-but-they-are-fighting-for-survival/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">monitoring</a> revealed that axolotls managed to find food in these man-made waters. They gained weight and moved around enough to suggest they were settling into their new environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predators-quickly-kill-captive-axolotls">Predators quickly kill captive axolotls</h2>



After the fieldwork ended at the chinampa, two axolotls fell prey to <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Great_Egret/id" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">great egrets</a>. These birds stalk shallow waters, and they will snatch unsuspecting amphibians.



<a href="https://conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1523-1739.2000.99326.x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Captive-bred animals</a> often lack experience dealing with real-world threats. When they enter the wild, natural predators can make quick work of them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-teaching-axolotls-to-avoid-predators">Teaching axolotls to avoid predators</h2>



Studies on other reintroduced species show that teaching animals to recognize danger can increase their survival. <a href="https://academic.oup.com/condor/article/107/2/424/5563504" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Researchers</a> have trained Puerto Rican parrots to fear hawks, which helped reduce losses in the wild.



Experts suggest giving axolotls controlled encounters with predator cues - visual or chemical - so they learn to hide or stay still when threatened. This kind of preparation might reduce future losses once they leave captivity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-temperatures-and-axolotl-habitats">Rising temperatures and axolotl habitats</h2>



Amphibians rely on external conditions to regulate key body processes. Axolotls in this investigation stayed most active in water that was around the mid-60s.



Scientists worry that rising temperatures in shallow canals will push these creatures beyond their comfortable range. 



If Lake Xochimilco heats up, artificial ponds with cooler <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wetlands-day-the-hidden-potential-of-tidal-landscapes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conditions</a> might become lifelines for these unique salamanders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-restored-wetlands-may-shelter-axolotls">Restored wetlands may shelter axolotls</h2>



Historic chinampa systems once flourished under the Aztec Empire. They created a balance of agriculture and thriving wetlands that supported many species, including axolotls.



Modern chinampas that avoid harmful chemicals can provide safe spaces for amphibian reintroductions. Collaboration with local farmers is essential to keep these projects going and maintain healthy water channels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-value-of-artificial-ponds">Value of artificial ponds</h2>



Some conservationists focus only on restoring original habitats. Others see potential in well-managed artificial wetlands.



La Cantera Oriente hints that man-made sites can sometimes replicate the stability that axolotls need. A network of such ponds could serve as alternate refuges against threats in Xochimilco.



Restored chinampas are smaller but still allow these amphibians to forage and reproduce. Larger ponds might offer more room to roam but bring added risks if predators also find ideal hunting grounds.



Every location has trade-offs. Each place may offer food, shelter, or temperature conditions that shape how axolotls behave and survive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reducing-loss-in-the-wild">Reducing loss in the wild</h2>



Captive breeding alone won’t save a species. Released animals must adapt quickly if they hope to establish permanent populations.



Programs often fail when threats like pollution or predation are not controlled. Scientists stress ongoing water quality checks, removal of invasive fish, and predator-preparedness to boost success rates.



Future plans might include placing axolotls in multiple restored wetlands. Coordinated predator training and habitat monitoring would help refine what works best.



Conservationists also aim to track temperature more carefully. Climate changes could push local waters outside the range that these amphibians can tolerate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hope-for-saving-axolotls">Hope for saving axolotls</h2>



Though axolotls are in serious trouble, each survival story in a new habitat offers encouragement. Locals in Xochimilco want to save the species that has long been part of their cultural identity.



Scientists see these small-scale victories as opportunities to test better conservation methods. They also note that lessons learned with axolotls can help other threatened amphibians around the globe.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0314257" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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This alien-like, critically endangered species is starting to make a comeback

Axolotls are critically endangered amphibians with an otherworldly appearance. Researchers...

Our minds can process massive amounts of information, yet what makes us consciously aware of any given moment remains puzzling. Two leading ideas have dominated recent discussions, but a fresh study explores how much each theory explains consciousness in real brains.



The research, led by Dr. Christof Koch at the <a href="https://alleninstitute.org/division/brain-science/?gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwoNzABhDbARIsALfY8VPwAwC-BelJGEiunvPg2jLhJM82bZETYo52wJNBz_wjtfkx_MvYM9gaAtR6EALw_wcB" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Allen Institute</a>, offers a new perspective on consciousness. The team set out to investigate whether the front or the back of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-identify-the-brain-region-responsible-for-consciousness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain</a> holds the details of our visual experience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consciousness-in-the-brain">Consciousness in the brain</h2>



The experts tested Integrated Information Theory (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nrn.2016.44" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIT</a>) against Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (<a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8770991/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GNWT</a>) in a large-scale experiment that included hundreds of volunteers and an array of measurement tools.



IIT proposes that consciousness emerges when different <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/consciousness-may-stem-from-unseen-dimensions-beyond-our-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain</a> areas share and integrate information in a unified way. GNWT suggests that a group of regions, including the prefrontal cortex, highlights key pieces of information and broadcasts them widely in the brain so we experience them consciously.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-details-versus-categories">Details versus categories</h2>



High-tech recordings showed that people notice not only the general category of an image but also orientation and specific identity. 



The researchers used magnetic sensors, electrical recordings, and blood flow imaging to watch the brain in action. Each tool offered a unique vantage point.



Data suggested that the back of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/panpsychism-what-if-all-things-humans-plants-atoms-have-universal-consciousness/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain</a> handles fine-grained information, such as whether a face looks left or right. Findings showed the front section could reflect general labels, like category, but it might not keep track of every detail for the entire time someone sees it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-brain-links-during-consciousness">Brain links during consciousness</h2>



Both theories consider how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/when-the-brain-goes-silent-the-complex-reality-of-mind-blanking/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">brain</a> regions link up during conscious vision. IIT expects sustained interaction in posterior areas. 



GNWT expects a quick burst in the front when new content appears or disappears. The researchers noted a brief wave of activity in certain circuits, yet the pattern was not strictly tied to either side’s full expectations.



The team used invasive recordings in individuals with epilepsy to get direct measurements from the cortex. They also used noninvasive imaging in volunteers to gather broad coverage of the entire brain. 



The experiment was large enough to spot fleeting signals that past studies might have missed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-unresponsive-patients">Implications for unresponsive patients</h2>



Some individuals with severe brain injuries appear unresponsive but may still harbor consciousness. Identifying <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1812757" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coma versus covert awareness</a> remains a challenge. 



Approximately one-quarter of unresponsive patients show brain activity patterns suggesting silent awareness. Locating the signals that truly reflect being aware might help doctors detect subtle signs of improvement.



Pinpointing consciousness in the back of the brain, rather than exclusively in the front, might open new angles for diagnosing hidden awareness. 



Tools that measure sensory-based signals could assist in catching moments of responsiveness that were missed before. That possibility inspires hope for more accurate clinical tests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-joint-test-of-consciousness-theories">Joint test of consciousness theories</h2>



“Adversarial collaboration fits within the Allen Institute’s mission of team science, open science and big science,” said Koch. 



Working groups who favor each theory collaborated under strict guidelines. They hoped this method would reduce bias, since both camps agreed on the study’s design in advance.



A design involving high-contrast pictures in different orientations allowed the team to study perception without confusion about faint or blurry displays. 



Tracking how signals changed during and after the images appeared allowed comparisons of each theory’s predictions. Such a setup tried to neutralize arguments that earlier results might have been swayed by subtle detection tasks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-we-stand-now">Where do we stand now?</h2>



Although neither viewpoint came out as the sole winner, both learned from where data supported or challenged their assertions. 



The researchers concluded that consciousness might rely more on sensory regions for detailed aspects than previously believed, but higher-order areas remain essential for certain functions.



Both approaches may evolve or merge into a more refined explanation. New frameworks might incorporate strong elements from each side, especially in understanding how we hold visual details in mind. More adversarial collaborations could encourage sharper debates and lead to fresh insights in neuroscience.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-clinical-and-research-possibilities">New clinical and research possibilities</h2>



Practical uses of this work extend beyond explaining how we see faces or letters. It also opens the door to better medical interventions. 



Testing for signals linked to ongoing awareness can bring relief to families facing unclear prognoses and can steer therapies that aim to reactivate or measure awareness in damaged brains.



Scientists continue to wrestle with big questions about what it means to be aware. This study highlights the importance of refining theories with data that give glimpses into the hidden network of conscious experience. 



Future research might look at language, emotional states, or how the brain combines multiple senses into a single experience.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08888-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Where does our consciousness live? Scientists think they finally found out

Our minds can process massive amounts of information, yet what...

As the global population grows, pressure on farm systems and biodiversity intensifies. How we grow food shapes the planet’s health. From wheat fields in the Midwest to rice paddies in Southeast Asia, farmland is expanding and changing rapidly. But at what cost?



For decades, environmentalists and policymakers have debated two main strategies to boost food production. One is expansion - clearing more land for farms. The other is intensification - increasing the yield on existing farmland through high-input practices like pesticides, fertilizers, and irrigation.



The common belief is that intensification is less damaging to biodiversity. But a new study by researchers at University College London (<a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCL</a>) reveals that this assumption may not always hold.



The findings challenge long-held views and call for a more informed, flexible strategy in agricultural policy and conservation. The study invites us to question how food security and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-wildlife-day-2025-a-global-call-to-protect-nature/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental protection</a> can truly coexist.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farm-expansion-and-intensification">Farm expansion and intensification </h2>



At first glance, farmland intensification seems ideal. It promises more food from the same land, sparing natural ecosystems from conversion. Yet the study led by Dr. Silvia Ceaușu at the UCL Center for Biodiversity &amp; Environment Research suggests a deeper problem.



“Feeding the global human population comes at an increasing cost for our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-are-the-biggest-drivers-of-biodiversity-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet</a>'s biodiversity. Our new research highlights that it's actually more complicated than that,” noted Dr. Ceaușu.



Using a large global dataset, the researchers analyzed biodiversity patterns around farms producing maize, wheat, rice, and soybean - crops that make up over half of the world’s calorie intake.



The experts focused on areas where some natural vegetation remained, excluding untouched wildlands. They then assessed biodiversity in terms of species richness, total abundance, and how widespread species were.



The results revealed that both expansion and intensification damage biodiversity, but the extent varies by region, crop type, and existing vegetation. In some areas, intensification harmed local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-biodiversity-scientists-discover-hidden-pattern-guiding-species-distributions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a> more than converting new land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-boosting-farm-yields-can-harm-biodiversity">Boosting farm yields can harm biodiversity</h2>



Much of modern agricultural planning encourages “closing yield gaps,” meaning increasing production in areas where crop yields lag behind their potential. The logic is to reduce the need for land expansion. But this new study shows that doing so may come with serious ecological consequences.



“We show that farmland expansion is indeed drastically changing local biodiversity. However, once agriculture is established, intensifying agricultural practices can further degrade local biodiversity, sometimes more so than by further removing natural vegetation from the area,” noted Dr. Silvia Ceaușu.



This challenges the narrative of intensification as a safe compromise. It also suggests that even well-meaning conservation policies might backfire if they overly favor intensification without context.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-pressure-is-changing-biodiversity-faster-than-we-realize/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">implications</a> stretch far. International trade agreements often restrict imports from newly converted farmland but welcome goods from intensified farms. That distinction might be too simplistic, especially when intensified farms are located in biodiversity hotspots.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complexity-over-simplicity-in-agricultural-policy">Complexity over simplicity in agricultural policy</h2>



One of the most striking conclusions of the study is that there is no universal rule. Every landscape is different. What works in temperate monocultures may fail in tropical mosaics. This variation makes broad policies difficult to apply effectively.



“Simple suggestions like favoring farmland intensification over expansion are not always effective - there’s no one-size-fits all solution for sustainable agriculture,” noted Professor Tim Newbold at UCL.



Instead of relying on single-solution strategies, policymakers must consider specific ecological, social, and agricultural data. This includes understanding which species are at risk, how ecosystems function locally, and what kind of vegetation remains around farms.



It’s not just about where and how we farm - but also about what lives nearby, and what might disappear as farming intensifies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farm-practices-reshape-biodiversity-over-time">Farm practices reshape biodiversity over time</h2>



Beyond ecological damage, the study touches on evolutionary consequences. As intensified agriculture becomes more common, it reshapes entire ecosystems. 



Only species that can adapt to altered environments survive. Over time, this selects for generalist traits - those that thrive in simplified, human-managed landscapes.



This process, described in the study as a shift in "evolutionary filters," could gradually lead to less diverse and more homogenized wildlife communities. 



Specialists, who depend on complex, intact ecosystems, are the first to vanish. This affects not only biodiversity statistics but also ecosystem function and resilience.



In intensified landscapes, nature becomes simpler. And while simple might seem efficient for farming, it rarely is for ecology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-farmland-use">Rethinking farmland use </h2>



While the researchers don’t endorse farmland expansion into untouched habitats, they do caution against assuming that intensification is always benign. In certain contexts, expansion into already degraded or marginal lands could do less harm than squeezing more output from heavily farmed areas



“There is likely a balance that can be struck between intensification and expansion… informed by local and crop-specific data,” noted co-author David Leclère of the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (<a href="https://iiasa.ac.at" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIASA</a>), Austria.



The goal isn’t to choose one path but to design farming systems that work for both people and the planet.



“We would not suggest expanding farmland into intact natural areas as it is vital for the planet that such unmodified landscapes are preserved,” said Dr. Newbold.



In other words, any new expansion must avoid primary forests, wetlands, and biodiversity-rich habitats. The challenge lies in identifying and managing lower-risk landscapes while avoiding additional intensification that might push ecosystems past recovery.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-consumers">The role of consumers </h2>



For consumers, the picture remains complex. It’s difficult to track how sustainable any specific food product is, especially when impacts vary so widely across regions and crops. However, individuals still hold some power.



The researchers recommend reducing food waste and cutting back on meat consumption. Both actions lower agricultural demand and reduce pressure on biodiversity. 



These changes, while small at the individual level, can aggregate into meaningful shifts when adopted widely.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-farming-and-biodiversity">Balancing farming and biodiversity </h2>



As the climate crisis unfolds and food insecurity grows, the global community must confront difficult questions. How do we produce enough food without sacrificing biodiversity? Can we make space for nature and still nourish billions?



This new study makes one thing clear: the answers will not come from easy slogans or blanket policies. They will come from detailed data, local context, and a willingness to embrace complexity.



Feeding the world is not just a technical challenge - it is a deeply ecological one. And how we respond will determine the kind of world future generations inherit.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02691-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.



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Feeding the world without harming nature: The complex balance of farming

As the global population grows, pressure on farm systems and...

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for many body functions. These nutrients help keep our eyes, brains, and hearts in good shape. However, experts warn that omega-3 deficiency is on the rise in many places.



“This has serious and widespread health <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/defying-time-three-ways-to-slow-biological-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">implications</a>,” said Timothy Ciesielski, a research scientist in the Department of Population and Quantitative Health Sciences at <a href="https://case.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Case Western Reserve University</a>’s School of Medicine. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-omega-3-matters">Why omega-3 matters</h2>



Many medical studies suggest that getting enough omega-3 can support cardiovascular health and reduce certain chronic issues. Research also points to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/omega-3-and-omega-6-fatty-acids-may-reduce-cancer-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potential benefits</a> for mood and cognitive functions in adults.



These fatty acids help cells perform their tasks, especially in the brain. Without them, key processes can suffer, which could affect memory, vision, and other important functions.



A balanced diet once gave humans enough of these nutrients. Modern eating patterns are often packed with foods that push aside healthy fats and upset the body’s balance of <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7990530/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">omega-6</a> and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29350557/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">omega-3</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-omega-3-deficiency-affects-most-people">Omega-3 deficiency affects most people</h2>



“Our current food systems are not providing enough uncontaminated omega-3,” said Ciesielski. 



A recent <a href="https://www.ajpmfocus.org/article/S2773-0654(25)00029-X/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a> led by Ciesielski found that 85% of populations studied lack <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-power-of-fish-oil-in-combating-high-cholesterol/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adequate</a> omega-3, partly because of rising ocean temperatures, pollution, and heavy fishing. 



Higher ocean temperatures alter certain marine organisms, leading to fewer beneficial fats in fish. Growing concerns about overharvesting seal the deal for many coastal communities that once relied on healthy catches.



Pollutants in rivers and seas also pose a threat. When fish carry toxins, people miss out on a clean source of omega-3, and producers often scale back fishing to address safety worries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-climate-change-makes-it-worse">How climate change makes it worse</h2>



Rising ocean temperatures are already lowering the amount of omega-3 that marine life produces. As algae adapt to warmer waters, they reduce the fats in their cells, which means fewer omega-3s move up the food chain into fish.



This process, called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/homeoviscous-adaptation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">homeoviscous adaptation</a>, is driven purely by temperature. Add ocean acidification and overfishing to the mix, and we’re facing a future with even less omega-3 in our diets unless major changes are made.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fighting-omega-3-deficiency">Fighting omega-3 deficiency</h2>



Some regions still manage to maintain better levels of these fatty acids by focusing on ocean-based diets. They also protect their waters and wildlife, which can help preserve fish stocks in the long run.



Experts suggest that balancing omega-6 and omega-3 in the diet is crucial for minimizing health risks. That means dialing down on foods with higher omega-6 and boosting intake of fish, plants, or supplements rich in omega-3.



Scientists also encourage strong pollution controls to help keep marine foods safer. Such measures may improve trust in fish-based diets and give people the confidence to eat these sources of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-are-suffering-from-declining-plant-quality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">healthy fats</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-ways-to-move-forward">New ways to move forward</h2>



“Everyone should have the right to uncontaminated omega-3s in their diet,” said Ciesielski. Public health officials believe that ocean protection and mindful fishing can help.&nbsp;



Alternate sources like <a href="https://hort.extension.wisc.edu/articles/common-purslane-portulaca-oleracea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">purslane</a> can offer plant-based long-chain omega-3 for communities without enough fish. This type of solution could also remove the problem of mercury or other contaminants that come from polluted waters.



Some experts see a need for global cooperation to ensure fair distribution of fish and other marine resources. Strengthening agreements on fishing quotas might help keep supply levels stable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-supplements-aren-t-enough">Why supplements aren’t enough</h2>



While omega-3 supplements are widely available in pharmacies and grocery stores, they aren't a full solution. Most people in low- and middle-income countries can’t access or afford high-quality supplements regularly.



Even when supplements are available, many contain <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10307983/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxidized fats</a> or trace contaminants that reduce their effectiveness.⁶ This makes food-based solutions not only more practical but also safer for long-term health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reducing-omega-3-deficiency">Reducing omega-3 deficiency</h2>



Smarter farming practices and innovative aquaculture approaches might also bridge the gap. Researchers say that if we reduce omega-6 in processed foods, people will have more room for omega-3 from local and international sources.



Consumers can push for better product labeling, so they know exactly what they’re getting. Educating the public about safe fish consumption and sustainable fishing methods may also help preserve the supply.



Some nutrition experts argue that if more people realize how crucial these nutrients are, governments might adjust policies in favor of cleaner seas. The bigger goal is to make sure no one is left behind.



Omega-3 deficiency goes beyond a single nation. It touches food systems, environmental health, and social fairness all at once.



Many experts hope that practical changes and renewed focus will lead to better omega-3 access for everyone.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.ajpmfocus.org/article/S2773-0654(25)00029-X/fulltext" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AJPM Focus</a>.



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Why omega-3 deficiency is rising worldwide

Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids are essential for many body functions....

Every summer, Lake Erie transforms. Warm, still waters near the surface invite the growth of tiny, plant-like organisms. 



To the naked eye, these blooms of cyanobacteria - commonly known as blue-green algae - seem like nothing more than a green scum. But beneath the surface lies a silent, potent threat. Some of these blooms release toxins that pose risks to fish, birds, and even humans.



In recent years, harmful algal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algae-that-thrives-on-ice-plays-an-unexpected-role-in-glacier-melting/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">blooms</a>, or HABs, have become more common in Lake Erie. The toxins they release can contaminate drinking water, disrupt ecosystems, and impact public health.



One such bloom in 2014 forced officials to shut down Toledo’s water supply due to contamination by a toxin called microcystin. But another toxin - saxitoxin - has remained a mystery for years. Scientists detected it in 2007 but could not confirm which organism was producing it.



Now, researchers at the <a href="https://umich.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Michigan</a> have finally solved that puzzle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identifying-the-toxin-s-source">Identifying the toxin's source</h2>



The research focused on answering a long-standing question: Which toxic cyanobacteria are responsible for saxitoxin in Lake Erie? The answer, they discovered, is Dolichospermum, a genus of cyanobacteria that can survive and thrive in nutrient-rich freshwater systems.



Harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algae-revived-after-7000-years-beneath-the-baltic-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">algal</a> blooms, or HABs, form from various cyanobacteria, each capable of making different toxins. Identifying which type makes which toxin helps scientists monitor and respond to these dangerous blooms more effectively.



Saxitoxins are among the most dangerous natural toxins known. Even at very low levels, they can damage the nervous system. Understanding their biological origin is crucial for managing risks associated with drinking water and wildlife exposure.



Gregory Dick, professor of earth and environmental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-algae-soak-up-loads-of-carbon-to-help-save-the-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sciences</a> and of environment and sustainability, highlighted the value of this discovery. 



"The main advantage of knowing which organism produces the toxin is that it helps us understand the conditions that cause toxin production - that is, what conditions make those organisms successful. Such information can help guide policy and management, though we're still a long way from that in this case," said Dick.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toxic-water-samples-from-lake-erie">Toxic water samples from Lake Erie</h2>



To trace the source, the researchers collected toxic water samples from Lake Erie during bloom events. These samples held a complex mix of DNA from many organisms.



Lead author Paul Den Uyl applied a method called shotgun sequencing. Instead of isolating individual species, this method captures all the DNA in a sample and reassembles it into complete genomic sequences.



Using this data, Den Uyl was able to reconstruct full genomes from the bloom samples. Within one of these genomes, he identified the genetic signature of saxitoxin. It confirmed that some strains of Dolichospermum carry the genes necessary to produce the toxin.



This discovery came with a twist. Not all Dolichospermum strains produce saxitoxin. Some have the gene, and others do not. What influences this genetic variation remains unclear, but researchers turned their attention to the lake's environmental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-emerged-zygnema-star-algae-conquer-earths-landmass/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conditions</a> to find answers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-role-of-temperature-and-nutrients">Role of temperature and nutrients</h2>



The team studied samples from across Lake Erie, covering different seasons and locations. They measured how much of the saxitoxin gene was present in each sample and looked for patterns linked to environmental factors.



The team found a consistent trend: warmer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-algae-play-an-unexpected-role-in-cooling-the-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water</a> tended to contain higher amounts of the gene. This raises urgent questions in the context of climate change.



"That is interesting because we do know that the lakes are changing with climate change," said Den Uyl, a scientist at U-M's Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, or <a href="https://ciglr.seas.umich.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CIGLR</a>. 



"With the warming of the lakes, one of the big questions is, how is that going to change the biological communities, including harmful cyanobacterial blooms?"



But temperature wasn’t the only factor. The researchers also looked at nutrient concentrations in the toxic lake water, particularly ammonium. They found that the gene appeared less frequently in areas with high ammonium levels.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-unique-nitrogen-advantage">A unique nitrogen advantage</h2>



This pattern may be linked to a special feature of Dolichospermum. While most organisms cannot access the nitrogen found in the atmosphere, Dolichospermum appears to have that ability. 



The team found a gene in its genome that allows it to use nitrogen in the form of dinitrogen gas - a rare trait in aquatic ecosystems.



"One of the neat things about having the whole genome is you can see everything the organism can do, at least theoretically," said Dick, who is also director of CIGLR. 



"You have the whole blueprint for what the organism can do, and we do see the capability of obtaining fixed nitrogen from the water. It's just that getting it in the form of dinitrogen gas is kind of a superpower. Not a lot of organisms can do that, and it makes them more competitive under those conditions."



This ability gives Dolichospermum a clear advantage, especially in low-nitrogen environments. It may also explain why this organism is capable of thriving in parts of the lake where other algae struggle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-toxic-blooms-in-lake-erie">Future toxic blooms in Lake Erie</h2>



Although the team has been tracking saxitoxin in Lake Erie for nine years, that’s not enough time to predict long-term changes. Climate conditions, nutrient runoff, and microbial competition all influence the lake’s ecology. Still, the discovery provides a better foundation for future monitoring and research.



"But now that we know who's producing it, I think we can keep a better watch on these organisms and we can also directly assess the gene abundance over time," Dick said. 



"We plan to continue monitoring the abundance of this organism, but it's too early to tell if it's becoming more abundant. It's just a correlation, but that correlation with temperature is concerning."



As lake temperatures continue to rise, harmful algal blooms may become more frequent or more toxic. Understanding the organisms involved, their genetic capabilities, and the environmental triggers for toxin production is now more important than ever.



The findings from this study were published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.4c10888" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>. They offer a critical piece of the puzzle in managing one of North America’s most valuable freshwater resources.



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Green algae in Lake Erie may be hiding toxic, deadly compounds

Every summer, Lake Erie transforms. Warm, still waters near the...

<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=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-astrobiology">Implications for astrobiology</h2>



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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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

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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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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