Researchers at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</a> have recently reported that both public parks and private backyards play a vital role in supporting bird diversity in urban environments. 



"Greenspaces are increasingly valued for supporting biodiversity in urbanized landscapes. Previous research efforts have emphasized the importance of public land such as parks and nature preserves for biodiversity, yet private yards in residential neighborhoods also have great potential for species conservation," wrote the researchers. 



By studying two closely situated cities in Illinois with contrasting development histories and green space management, the experts discovered that these spaces are crucial for different bird species during varying seasons.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-bird-populations">Urban bird populations</h2>



The researchers monitored <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bird-populations-are-declining-worldwide/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird populations</a> across 39 public parks and 41 private yards in Urbana and Champaign - cities with distinct urban characteristics and historical development. 



Urbana, with a history dating back to 1822, boasts extensive green spaces nurtured within an ancient hardwood forest. By contrast, Champaign was developed in the mid-1800s along a railway - with a focus on human recreation in its smaller parks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seasonal-variations-in-urban-bird-diversity">Seasonal variations in urban bird diversity </h2>



The analysis revealed significant seasonal shifts in bird <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/u-s-bird-diversity-puzzling-geographical-differences-identified/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diversity</a> between the two cities. During summer, Urbana's richer vegetation and cooler green spaces attracted a broader variety of birds, including species like the belted kingfisher and scarlet tanager. 



Conversely, in winter, Urbana's parks and yards continued to support diverse communities, including the winter wren and yellow-bellied sapsucker.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impact-of-urban-management-on-bird-diversity">Impact of urban management on bird diversity</h2>



Pollock pointed out the significant effects of active management in urban green spaces. "In places where there’s been active management to try to increase plant diversity and get some native plant cover back, it has had a big impact on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/as-urban-heat-continues-to-rise-birds-are-moving-away/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird</a> communities," he explained. 



Urbana's parks, with their focus on conservation and habitat restoration, were especially beneficial for rare and specialist bird species.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-practical-actions-for-residents">Practical actions for residents</h2>



The study also suggests practical ways for residents to enhance bird diversity in their own backyards. Carena Van Riper, a collaborator on the project, encouraged simple yet effective actions. 



"Perhaps this will allow people to see that there are small but important behaviors that will influence birds and increase bird diversity," noted Van Riper. 



Among the recommendations were installing bird feeders (especially during winter), planting native vegetation, and setting up bird baths.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-greenery-a-blueprint-for-biodiversity">Urban greenery: A blueprint for biodiversity </h2>



This comprehensive study underscores the interconnectedness of urban management and biodiversity. It offers a fresh perspective on how both public and private green spaces play integral roles in supporting urban wildlife. 



As cities continue to grow, understanding and implementing strategies that facilitate coexistence with nature becomes even more crucial. 



The insights from Urbana and Champaign can serve as a guide for other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-spaces-shape-bird-characteristics-in-urban-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urban areas</a> aiming to enhance biodiversity and sustainability within their confines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What influences urban bird diversity?</h2>



Urban bird diversity is influenced by a variety of factors, each playing a role in how well birds can adapt and thrive in city environments. Key factors include:



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Green spaces</h3>



The presence and quality of green spaces such as parks, gardens, and green roofs are crucial. These areas provide essential resources like food, nesting sites, and safe havens from urban threats.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Water bodies</h3>



Rivers, lakes, and ponds in urban settings attract waterfowl and other species that rely on aquatic habitats for feeding and breeding.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Food availability</h3>



The accessibility of natural food sources, supplemented by bird feeders, significantly impacts which species are able to sustain populations in urban areas.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Building designs</h3>



The architecture of a city influences bird diversity. Features like reflective glass can cause bird collisions, whereas features like ledges and nooks might offer nesting spots.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Pollution</h3>



Air and noise pollution can deter birds from settling in urban areas. Pollution can also affect the health of the habitats birds rely on.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Human interaction</h3>



The level and nature of human activity and disturbance - ranging from benign presence to active conservation efforts - play a big role. Quieter, less disturbed areas tend to support more diverse bird populations.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Climate</h3>



Urban microclimates, influenced by the heat island effect where cities are warmer than surrounding areas, can affect which species are likely to thrive or decline in urban settings.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169204624000598?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Landscape and Urban Planning</a>.



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How urban spaces support bird diversity

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have recently reported that both public parks and private backyards play a vital role in supporting bird diversity in urban environments. "Greenspaces are increasingly valued for supporting biodiversity in urbanized landscapes. Previous research efforts have emphasized the importance of public land such as parks and nature preserves for biodiversity, yet private yards in residential neighborhoods also have great potential for species conservation," wrote the researchers. By studying two closely situated cities in Illinois with contrasting development histories and green space...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.qut.edu.au/">Queensland University of Technology</a> have developed electrodes for batteries that can be recharged at a much faster rate. The inspiration for the research is a water-carrying membrane that is found inside of bamboo - the fastest growing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-foods-linked-to-drastically-lower-risk-of-heart-disease/">plant</a> in the world.

Professor Ziqi Sun was first inspired for the study when he walked past a clump of bamboo in the Brisbane City Botanic Gardens. His work is focused on mimicking natural objects, such as seashells and fish scales, to develop sustainable energy solutions.

According to Professor Sun, the new study was focused on the multilayer membrane that runs up inside the bamboo stem. This membrane, which is about as thick as a piece of paper, is responsible for the ultrafast transport of water and nutrients. 

Thanks to this tissue, bamboo can grow up to an estimated rate of about 40 millimeters per hour.

Professor Sun said the membrane was made up of layers, with the layers packed very closely together on the side closest to the inner ring of the bamboo, and further apart on the side nearest the center of the bamboo. The layers also have a porous structure on the surface.

“Why does the bamboo have this membrane? It’s not just something for decoration, it must be for some specific function," explained Professor Sun.

Study first author Dr. Jun Mei said the unique structure and its function deserved an in-depth study.

“The membrane is the most important component in the energy storage devices, and it would be very exciting if we could find a potential material candidate for energy storages by learning from the relationship between the membrane structure and the specific function,” explained Dr. Mei.

The researchers found that this multilevel structure enables water and electrolytes to travel through the bamboo in two ways.

The inner layer enables the “superfluidic” travel of the liquid and electrolytes, which means the liquid travels very quickly through the plant. The outer layer allows the liquid to be more quickly dispersed throughout the structure.

The research expands upon previous work that demonstrates the benefits of two-dimensional nanomaterials for the ultrafast transport of ions through a battery.

“Nature has taught us how to design with these kinds of two-dimensional materials, and how a multilevel distribution of the space will be much more helpful for high-performance batteries,” said Professor Sun.

The researchers developed their own membrane using layers of nanosheets of cobalt oxides and graphene. Each individual sheet was about 100,000 times thinner than a human hair.

Ultimately, the bioinspired membranes showed a superwetting behavior towards organic electrolyte. This means there was no barrier for the contact and entry of the electrolyte from the surface into the inside membrane.

“The study offers a new principle in designing high-performance energy materials,”said Professor Sun. “Most importantly, it paves a way for future materials intervention by learning from the greatness of nature.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/16163028">Advanced Functional Materials</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

As the world's fastest growing plant, bamboo inspires new technology

Researchers at Queensland University of Technology have developed electrodes for...

Major depressive disorder is the most common mental illness worldwide. Depression has been associated with a reduction in neuroplasticity, that is a decrease in the brain’s ability to form neurons and reorganize connections between existing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rat-brains-are-wired-to-help-their-loved-ones-in-times-of-crisis/">brain</a> cells.

A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychiatry">Frontiers in Psychiatry</a> has found that physical activity not only reduces the symptoms of depression, but also improves the brain’s ability to change. 

“The results show how important seemingly simple things like physical activity are in treating and preventing illnesses such as depression,” said Professor Dr. Karin Rosenkranz.

Participants in the study were in-patients who were hospitalized for depression at the University Clinic for Psychiatry and Psychotherapy at <a href="http://www.ruhr-uni-bochum.de/en">Ruhr-Universität Bochum</a>, Germany. They were divided into two groups; one group took part in a three-week program of organized physical activity, while the other group did not. 

Physical activity involved non-competitive exercises of moderate intensity that included endurance, strength and coordination elements, along with interaction and teamwork.

The severity of participants’ depressive symptoms was assessed before the start of the exercise program, and again after its completion. Symptoms included loss of interest, lack of motivation and prevalence of negative feelings. In addition, brain plasticity was measured using transcranial magnetic stimulation.

The results showed that brain plasticity improved significantly in participants who took part in physical activity. The individuals even achieved levels of plasticity that were the same as those found in healthy people. “The ability to change is important for all of the brain’s learning and adaptation processes,” explained Dr. Rosenkranz.

Furthermore, the severity of depressive symptoms decreased. The researchers found that the stronger the improvement in brain plasticity, the more the clinical symptoms decreased. 

Previous research has shown that physical activity is associated with greater neuroplasticity in healthy people, and also that it protects people against the onset of depression. 

“It is known that physical activity does the brain good, as it, for instance, promotes the formation of neuron connections. This could certainly also play a role here,” explained Dr. Rosenkranz.

What is clear is that interventions aimed at improving brain plasticity could be crucial in the treatment of depressive disorders in future. 

---

By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exercise triggers changes in the brain that reduce depression

Major depressive disorder is the most common mental illness worldwide....

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) may have been gradually losing stability over the past one hundred years, according to a new study by Niklas Boers from the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/home">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a>.

The results of this study are as concerning as they are surprising. The AMOC, which includes the Gulf Stream, is responsible for much of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-alter-photosynthesis-and-plant-growth/">temperatures</a> in Europe and has an important influence on the overall global climate. 

Until now, the collapse of this ocean system had seemed unlikely. If it’s the new reality, there could be dire consequences. 

“The Atlantic Meridional Overturning really is one of our planet’s key circulation systems,” said Boers. “We already know from some computer simulations and from data from Earth’s past, so-called paleoclimate proxy records, that the AMOC can exhibit - in addition to the currently attained strong mode - an alternative, substantially weaker mode of operation. This bi-stability implies that abrupt transitions between the two circulation modes are in principle possible.”

The AMOC redistributes heat and it’s predicted that if it collapses, there could be major changes to weather patterns. According to Britain's <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">Met Office</a>, a collapse of the AMOC would increase cooling of the Northern Hemisphere, cause an overall drop in precipitation over Europe and North America, and lead to a shift in monsoons in South America and Africa, 

“The difference is crucial. Because the loss of dynamical stability would imply that the AMOC has approached its critical threshold beyond which an abrupt and potentially irreversible transition to the weak mode could occur,” said Boers.

Previous research has shown that the AMOC is weaker than it’s been at any point in the last thousand years. It’s been unclear whether this weakness is due to a slowing in pace or a loss of stability. Unfortunately, the research suggests that it’s the latter. According to Boers, the culprit seems to be warming.   

“Most evidence suggests that the recent AMOC weakening is caused directly by the warming of the northern Atlantic ocean. But according to our understanding, this would be unlikely to lead to an abrupt state transition." 

"Stability loss that could result in such a transition would be expected following the inflow of substantial amounts of freshwater into the North Atlantic in response to melting of the Greenland ice sheet, melting Arctic sea ice and an overall enhanced precipitation and river runoff,”

Direct observation of the AMOC for the last 100 years is non-existent. However, scientists can look at salinity patterns in the Atlantic to look at temperatures and overall climate. Unfortunately, this evidence suggests that indeed AMOC may be close to collapse. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Atlantic Ocean currents may soon change for the worse

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) may have been gradually...

Many research studies have investigated the potential health benefits behind fasting, usually exploring the effect on blood pressure, weight loss, and other health points in humans. However, a recent study from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> has explored new ground,  concluding that fasting before and after exposure to Salmonella enterica bacteria prevents mice from developing a full-blown infection. 

The conclusion is based on the discovery that the gut microbiomes of mice change after fasting. The mice were made to fast for 48 hours before and during oral infection of Salmonella, a common foodborne illness in humans. 

We have known for decades that humans and animals alike lose their appetites during an infection, but it has remained unclear whether fasting increases their susceptibility or protects a host from infection. The new study shows that fasting decreased the levels of infection in comparison to fed mice, almost eliminating all inflammation and intestinal tissue damage.

Once mice were re-fed for a day after their 48-hour fast, the presence of Salmonella greatly increased and invaded the intestinal wall. However, inflammation levels that are usually associated with infection were still significantly decreased compared to normal. 

Interestingly, the decreases in infection rates were only identified within mice that were exposed to Salmonella orally, with intravenous exposure showing no effect from fasting. 

Another interesting observation is that fasting did not fully protect mice that were bred to be germ-free, hence lacking a regular microbiome. The researchers recreated the experiment using the bacteria Campylobacter jejuni, and similar results were found. 

The study ultimately suggests that fasting promoted highly beneficial changes within the gut microbiome and that these benefits were transferrable to other bacterial infections and were not restricted to Salmonella alone. 

“These data suggest that therapeutic fasting or calorie restriction has the potential to beneficially modulate infectious and potentially non-infectious gastrointestinal diseases," concluded lead researcher Bruce Vallance.

“Our research highlights the important role that food plays in regulating interactions between the host, enteric pathogens, and the gut microbiome," wrote the study authors.

"When food is limited, the microbiome appears to sequester the nutrients that remain, preventing pathogens from acquiring the energy they need to infect the host. While more research is needed, fasting or otherwise adjusting food intake could be exploited therapeutically to modulate infectious diseases in the future.”

The research has been published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plospathogens/">PLOS Pathogens</a>.

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fasting may help ward off infections, a new study suggests

Many research studies have investigated the potential health benefits behind...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have found that a changing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emperor-penguins-may-not-survive-climate-change/">climate</a> will increase the burden of crop diseases in some regions, while lowering the impacts in others.

The risk of crop diseases is likely to decrease in tropical areas including Brazil, sub-Saharan Africa, India and Southeast Asia, as pests and pathogens move away from the equator. Meanwhile, the burden will grow at higher latitudes, particularly in Europe and China.

According to the study authors, these changes will "closely track" variations in crop productivity expected under global warming. 

Climate models predict that crop yields will be boosted at high latitudes as a result of rising temperatures. At the same time, crop productivity in the tropics is not expected to change significantly.

The researchers also report that there could be major changes in the mix of crop diseases affecting the United States, Europe and China.

"Plant pathogens already cause devastating production losses globally," said Professor Daniel Bebber of Exeter's Department of Biosciences and the Global Systems Institute.

"Our previous research has shown that crop pests and pathogens are moving away from the equator, and this new study estimates risks from pathogens in the coming decades."

"Our results show that climate-driven yield gains in temperate regions will be tempered by the increased burden of crop protection."

"Rapid global dissemination by international trade and transport means pathogens are likely to reach all areas in which conditions are suitable for them."

Temperatures and other weather conditions have a strong influence on infection rates by plant pathogens.

The study authors used existing data to analyze the minimum, optimum and maximum infection temperatures for 80 fungal and oomycete crop pathogens. They used various computer models to compare current yields and future yield projections for 12 major crops.

Study co-author Professor Sarah Gurr said the changing pathogen mix in each area could have a major impact.

"Plant-breeding and agrochemical companies focus on particular diseases," said Professor Gurr. "In the UK, for example, wheat breeders focus on resistance to Septoria tritici blotch, yellow rust and brown rust - but those threats could change.”

"Agriculture has to plan and prepare for the future - and that future is almost here,” said study co-author Thomas Chaloner. "We have only got a few decades, and crop breeding can take a long time, so we need to think about resistance to pathogens that haven't arrived yet.

"A lot of pathogens - especially those currently found in tropical areas – are seriously under-researched."

"We need to invest in understanding these diseases, which could become increasingly prevalent in the key crop-growing areas of the world."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Crop diseases will rise in some areas, fall in others

Scientists at the University of Exeter have found that a...

Poisonous animals are fascinating. In vertebrates, the toxin is generally accumulated by eating toxic insects. This means a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frogs-have-lost-their-teeth-more-than-any-vertebrate-during-evolution/">frog</a> or bird, for instance, must consume another toxic animal and somehow gain that toxicity for itself.   

Researchers have long wondered how poisonous animals, like poison dart frogs kept from falling prey to their own toxins. Many of the poisons, such as batrachotoxins, disrupt electrical impulses in the neurons, heart and muscles. This particular type of toxin is used by both the golden poison frog of Colombia and pitohui birds of New Guinea. 

The poison works by binding onto important proteins - voltage gated sodium channels. According to <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">UCSF</a> Professor Daniel L. Minor, Jr., it remains uncertain if poisonous animals have toxin adapted sodium gates, as has been hypothesized.

“However, there haven’t been any functional studies of poison frog or Pitohuisodium channels, so whether batrachotoxin-bearing animals rely on changes within their sodium channels or alternative resistance mechanisms remains unclear,” said Professor Minor. 

Previous research has shown that a mutation in sodium channels found in poison dart frogs, when expressed in rats, gives them a poison resistant sodium channel. 

When Professor Minor and colleagues introduced the mutation to golden poison frogs and pitohui birds, they found the change didn’t make the sodium channels resistant to toxin. Actually, with the mutation, the sodium channel doesn’t function well without batrachotoxin being present. Professor Minor suggests that this finding is telling.

“Taken together, our observations challenge the idea that sodium channel mutation is the batrachotoxin auto resistance strategy for poisonous birds and poison frogs such as P. terribilis.” 

Instead of autoimmunity from toxic resistant sodium channels, scientists suggest something else is at play. Bullfrogs synthesize a protein called saxiphilin that binds to the poison saxitoxin. The saxiphilin has been shown experimentally to neutralize saxitoxin when both are introduced to other frogs. 

So far, a “toxic sponge” protein like saxiphilin has yet to be discovered for batrachotoxin, yet scientists hypothesize such a protein exists, sequestering the toxins within the poisonous animals that use them.   

The research is published in the <a href="https://rupress.org/jgp">Journal of General Physiology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

The secret that protects poisonous animals from themselves

Poisonous animals are fascinating. In vertebrates, the toxin is generally...

While many recent studies have used data models to predict the future effect of CO2 on global warming, a new study has instead investigated climate changes that occurred in Earth's distant past. 

The research, led by the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>, demonstrates that a decline in the atmospheric concentration of CO2 shifted Earth’s climate from a warm greenhouse to a freezing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/young-earth-was-heated-by-extreme-levels-of-atmospheric-co2/">ice</a> age around 34 million years ago. 

The study concluded that this transition could be partly reversed in the coming centuries due to the anthropogenic rise in CO2 levels. 

The Eocene in Antarctica had previously been covered by lush forests over 40 million years ago, but around six million years later, the forests of the Oligocene were replaced by thick continental ice sheets. 

The result of this change was the freezing climate we know today as Antarctica. Little information is known about the driving force of this transition, and lead researchers Dr. Vittoria Laurentano and Dr. David Naafs set out to investigate this. 

The team used molecular fossils that had been preserved in ancient coals to reconstruct land temperature models across this transition. The models were built using a new approach based on the distribution of bacterial lipids that were preserved in ancient wetland deposits. 

Rich Pancost is a co-author of the paper and a researcher in Bristol’s School of Chemistry. 

"These compounds originally comprised the cell membranes of bacteria living in ancient wetlands, with their structures changing slightly to help the bacteria adapt to changing temperature and acidity," explained Pancost. "Those compounds can then be preserved for tens of millions of years, allowing us to reconstruct those ancient environmental conditions."

The team applied their new approach to coal deposits from the southeast Australian Gippsland Basin in order to reconstruct temperature change across the greenhouse-to-icehouse transition. These coal deposits spanned over 10 million years of Earth’s history and have been characterized extensively by collaborators Dr. Vera Korasidis and Professor Malcolm Wallace from the University of Melbourne. 

The new data demonstrates that both the historic land and ocean temperatures were cooled by a uniform magnitude of around 3°C. To explore the causes of this decline in temperature, the team conducted climate model simulations. 

The experts concluded that only simulations which accounted for a decline in atmospheric CO2 were able to reproduce cooling levels that remained consistent with the temperature data reconstructed from the coal samples. 

Ultimately, these results provide further evidence that atmospheric CO2 plays a crucial role in driving Earth’s climate, including a central role in the formation of the Antarctic ice sheet.

The project was developed and funded by the ERC’s The Greenhouse Earth Systems (TGRES).

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Decline in CO2 reversed climate warming 30 million years ago

While many recent studies have used data models to predict...

We judge bad behavior more leniently when our family and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/killer-whales-have-close-friendships/">friends</a> are the perpetrators, finds new research published by the <a href="https://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>. However, this leniency may come at a cost to our own sense of self-worth.

“How do we react when our romantic partners, friends or family members behave unethically? Past research tells us a lot about how we respond to a stranger’s unethical behavior, but very little about how we respond when the perpetrator is someone we care deeply about,” said study lead author Rachel Forbes, MA, a PhD candidate at the University of Toronto. 

“When someone close to us behaves unethically, we face a conflict between upholding our moral values and maintaining our relationship.”

More than 1,100 participants took part in the research, which involved four separate experiments. In the first, participants read a fictional scenario in which a romantic partner, close friend or stranger committed an unethical or immoral deed. 

For the second experiment, participants were asked to recall their own experience of witnessing a friend, partner or stranger behave badly. 

The third experiment required participants to keep a daily record of all moral transgressions they witnessed in a 15-day period.

In each of the experiments, the participants completed questionnaires about the transgressor, the seriousness of the bad behavior and the most appropriate punishment that should be given. They were also required to answer self-assessment questions about any negative emotions they felt, particularly towards themselves and their own sense of morality.

The results showed that participants were less angry and disgusted when immoral acts were committed by loved ones or friends. They also felt less need to criticize or punish in these instances. However, this came at a cost to themselves; participants felt more shame, guilt and embarrassment when someone close to them was the transgressor, and also reported questioning their own moral values.

In a fourth experiment, participants were physically paired with a loved one, a close friend or a stranger. The pairs were then separated and the individuals were asked to write down answers to some questions about themselves. These answers were switched and given to the experimental partners for assessment. 

In the first test, the answers to the questions were genuine. In the second test, fake answers were exchanged that revealed the other member of the pair had behaved badly by plagiarizing, lying or by being selfish. 

Once again, participants had to report their feelings about the transgressor, the seriousness of the behavior, the appropriate punishment and their own self-worth and moral judgement.

The results in this last experiment were the same as in the previous three, but they were less intense. The researchers feel that their findings are very relevant to situations in everyday life where people witness immoral behavior committed by familiar others. 

“Identifying that observers are more lenient toward close others who transgress raises deeper concerns about how moral norms are policed by individuals in these situations,” said study co-author Dr. Jennifer Stellar. “This may allow people to either overlook and/or fail to call out transgressions committed by close others, which poses a danger for maintaining the moral norms in society.”

The study was recently published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/psp">Journal of Personality and Social Psychology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

We are faster to forgive bad behavior by our loved ones

We judge bad behavior more leniently when our family and...

The results of two long-running studies in Seattle have exposed a link between fine particle pollution (PM2.5) and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dementia-cases-expected-to-triple-over-the-next-three-decades/">dementia</a>.

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> measured levels of PM2.5 at specific addresses in the Seattle area and averaged these concentrations over a decade. The study revealed that a small increase in PM2.5 was associated with a greater risk of dementia for people living at those addresses.

“We found that an increase of one microgram per cubic meter of exposure corresponded to a 16 percent greater hazard of all-cause dementia," said study lead author Rachel Shaffer. "There was a similar association for Alzheimer’s-type dementia."

The research was focused on more than 4,000 Seattle-area residents enrolled in the Adult Changes in Thought (ACT) Study, which is led by the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute.

“The ACT Study is committed to advancing dementia research by sharing its data and resources, and we’re grateful to the ACT volunteers who have devoted years of their lives to supporting our efforts, including their enthusiastic participation in this important research on air pollution,” said Dr. Eric Larson, ACT’s founding principal investigator.

The researchers identified more than 1,000 residents who had been diagnosed with dementia at some point since the ACT Study began in 1994. 

Ultimately, the researchers found that just a one microgram per cubic meter difference between residences was associated with 16 percent higher incidence of dementia. To put that difference into perspective, said Shaffer, in 2019 there was approximately one microgram per cubic meter difference in PM2.5 pollution between Pike Street Market in downtown Seattle and the residential areas around Discovery Park. 

“We know dementia develops over a long period of time. It takes years - even decades - for these pathologies to develop in the brain, and so we needed to look at exposures that covered that extended period,” said Shaffer. "We had the ability to estimate exposures for 40 years in this region. That is unprecedented in this research area and a unique aspect of our study.”

Genetics, diet, and exercise are all associated with an increased risk of developing dementia, but air pollution is now recognized as another key risk factor. The new study adds to a growing collection of evidence which suggests that air pollution has neurodegenerative effects.

“Over an entire population, a large number of people are exposed. So, even a small change in relative risk ends up being important on a population scale,” said Shaffer. 

“There are some things that individuals can do, such as mask-wearing, which is becoming more normalized now because of COVID. But it is not fair to put the burden on individuals alone. These data can support further policy action on the local and national level to control sources of particulate air pollution.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Seattle study confirms that air pollution increases dementia risk

The results of two long-running studies in Seattle have exposed...

A new study from <a href="https://www.bangor.ac.uk/">Bangor University</a> has revealed that many regions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/part-of-the-amazon-now-releases-more-carbon-than-it-stores/">Amazon</a> that have experienced the most deforestation are the same areas that currently exhibit the lowest levels of forest recovery. 

A major focus of the UN Climate Change COP26 Conference in November was the importance of forest restoration in the Amazon as a nature-based solution to climate change.

Forest recovery is a process in which trees return to land that has been previously deforested and then abandoned. The new forest growth can rapidly absorb large quantities of CO­2 from the atmosphere.

Reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the atmosphere is a central focus of global climate change policies, and a key target for achieving “net zero” emissions.

In the new study, however, an international team of researchers has found that the regions with the greatest potential for large-scale forest restoration have barely recovered, if at all. 

The highly deforested Amazon landscapes include some areas that show no sign of recovery - even 20 years after they were cleared.

Overall, the team found that less than 10 percent of carbon emissions from deforestation in the Amazon has been offset by new forest growth.

The extent of this carbon offsetting varies widely across the nine countries of Amazonia. For example, Brazil has experienced the majority of deforestation and the related CO2 emissions. At the same time, Brazil is falling behind on forest recovery, with only nine percent of its CO2 emissions from deforestation being offset.

On the other hand, in Guyana, where the recovering forests are older, nearly a quarter of deforestation emissions have been offset.

“Research in the Amazon typically focuses on Brazil because it holds most of the forest," said study lead author Charlotte Smith, a PhD researcher at Lancaster University.

"But there are eight other Amazonian countries. Understanding how forest recovery differs between countries can help us understand which countries’ policies are helping to maintain the forest carbon sink, and which ones aren’t.”

Smith noted that data from satellites is crucial for monitoring deforestation across areas as large as Amazonia and is the basis for monitoring the success of countries in achieving their targets for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. 

“The results of the study highlight three key challenges for the future of Amazon forests, the need to: (1) incentivise large-scale forest restoration in highly deforested regions, (2) protect new forests without disadvantaging the small landowners who depend on the cleared land for farming, and (3) prevent further deforestation," said study co-author Professor John Healey.

"Meeting all these challenges successfully is essential to ensure that the Amazon achieves its potential in mitigating climate change.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Forest recovery is lacking in the most deforested areas of the Amazon

A new study from Bangor University has revealed that many...

Fluctuations in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-sea-level-rose-by-18-meters-after-the-last-ice-age/">sea level</a> can cause eruptions on volcanic islands, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.brookes.ac.uk/">Oxford Brookes University</a>. The researchers found that a major drop in the sea level increases the likelihood of volcanic activity on the Greek island of Santorini. 

The team analyzed the timing of different eruptions over hundreds of thousands of years. They discovered that a 40-meter drop in sea level is a crucial point beyond which eruptions are more likely to occur. The experts say their findings have major implications for millions of people who live on volcanic islands worldwide.

The study, which was focused on the popular tourist destination of Santorini, was led by Dr. Christopher Satow. He says there are clues about past volcanic activity on Santorini in the layers of rock on the cliff face encircling the inner part of the island.

“A huge eruption 3,600 years ago caused the center of what was then a conical island to sink into the sea, revealing an extraordinarily detailed history of over 200 volcanic eruptions preserved within the remaining circle of cliffs," explained Dr. Satow.

“Comparing this eruption history to a sea level record allowed us to show for the first time that the sea level has had an important role in determining the timing of eruptions at Santorini, and probably at many other island volcanoes around the world."

“The mechanism is quite simple: falling sea levels remove mass from the Earth’s crust and the crust fractures as a result. These fractures allow magma to rise and feed eruptions at the surface.”

According to the researchers, eruptions at hundreds of other volcanic islands around the world may also have been influenced by fluctuations in sea level.

“Just as when you pull a plug out of the bath, the water level drops everywhere throughout the bath at the same time; in a similar way, sea level changes occur at the same time everywhere across the globe," explained Dr. Satow, who noted that the climate also has an influence on volcanic activity.

“What is less well known is that on long timescales, the climate can also affect volcanoes. As ice sheets retreated across volcanic landscapes after the last ice age, the removal of mass changed the stress conditions in the Earth’s crust, allowing the fractures which feed volcanic eruptions to form more easily."

“As these ice sheets melted the global sea level rose rapidly, by around 100 meters, adding a significant mass to the crust around many volcanic islands which, in theory, should alter their eruptive activity.” 

Dr Satow pointed out that 57 percent of the world’s volcanoes are islands or are coastal, and are often home to large populations. "Further vital research is needed to fully understand the effects of changing sea level on these volcanoes and the risks they pose to their populations.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Changes in sea level can trigger eruptions on volcanic islands

Fluctuations in the sea level can cause eruptions on volcanic...

A new survey from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> has concluded that rates of anxiety, burnout, unhealthy coping mechanisms, and depression are rising amongst students due to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/second-dose-of-the-covid-19-vaccine-is-far-more-powerful/">COVID-19</a> pandemic. The research, which took place between August 2020 and April 2020, matches data found at other randomly selected college students throughout the U.S.

The "return to campus" survey was focused on 1,072 students at OSU. Among the survey participants, 42.6 percent screened positive for anxiety, 28.3 percent for depression, and 71 percent screened positive for burnout. 

The data collected in April 2021 saw consistent rises compared to data collected at the beginning of the study in August 2020. This included a four percent increase in unhealthy eating, 2.5 percent in alcohol use, two percent in smoking and vaping, and a decrease in physical activity by seven percent. The number of students seeking advice from a mental health counselor increased by eight percent. 

"Mental health promotion and access to services and evidence-based programs are going to be more important than ever," stated Bernadette Melnyk, Chief Wellness Officer of the OSU College of Nursing. "Two-thirds of students who are no longer in college are not in college due to a mental health issue." 

"We would not send divers into a deep ocean without an oxygen tank. How can we send our students throughout life without giving them the resiliency, cognitive-behavioral skills and coping mechanisms that we know are protective against mental health disorders and chronic disease?"

Melnyk and colleagues at other universities are using the findings to expand and integrate resources into curricula and campus life. Melnyk is co-chairing a new “return to campus” mental health commission with the senior vice president of the Office of Student Life, a commission created by OSU President Kristina Johnson. 

Methods within the commission include the creation of a new "Five to Thrive" mental health checklist for all students, which covers healthy habits, healthy coping mechanisms, and encouragement to build and access mental health support systems.

"Students who were dealing the best in terms of their emotional outcomes were connecting with family and friends, building their resiliency, and engaged in physical activity," said Melnyk. 

"So as students are welcomed back to campus this fall, these five steps are so critically important to both fortify a foundation of mental resiliency and make self-care and mental well-being a priority. It's actually a strength to recognize when you need mental health help; it's not a weakness."

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By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rise in mental health issues as college students return to campus

A new survey from Ohio State University has concluded that...

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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

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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"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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.

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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.

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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 history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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.

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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