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...

Fast-moving wildfires are raging across southern California, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people. The Thomas Fire in Ventura County, which broke out on Monday and now covers at least 65,000 acres, is by far the largest. Over 150 buildings have been destroyed and 12,000 additional structures are currently threatened in Ventura alone.

In Los Angeles County, two separate fires ignited on Tuesday. North of downtown <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/watering-lawns-lost-gallons-water/">Los Angeles</a>, the Creek Fire burned 11,000 acres by Tuesday night, and the Rye Fire scorched 7,000 acres. 

A third fire, the Skirball Fire, erupted this morning near the Getty Center as a brush fire. This latest blaze has prompted evacuations from the Bel Air area and shut down portions of Interstate 405 because the fire is burning so close to the highway.

California Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in both Ventura and Los Angeles counties, and is urging residents to be ready to evacuate and to “evacuate immediately if told to do so.”

Officials are warning that the fires could threaten the region for days. Los Angeles police chief Charlie Beck referred to the fires as “a multi day event,” and suggested that more fires are likely. 

The National Weather Service warned that the combination of low humidity and strong winds could lead to “very rapid fire growth” and “extreme fire behavior.”

Chief Ralph M. Terrazas of the Los Angeles Fire Department said earlier today that wind conditions are favorable at this time but warned that could change. Santa Ana winds are projected to reach 80 miles per hour on Thursday.

Just two months ago, Northern California experienced the worst series of wildfires in the state’s history, which killed 44 people and burned 8,700 structures.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Alex Avlas

Wildfires explode across Southern California

Fast-moving wildfires are raging across southern California, forcing the evacuation...

When President Donald Trump announced that the United States would withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord, the landmark agreement between 200 countries to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, it sparked <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/group-challenges-paris-withdrawal/">outrage</a> both nationwide and across the globe. 

Environmentalists, climatologists, policy makers, U.S. residents, and international leaders all chimed in on their disapproval of the President’s decision and his unwillingness to accept the realities of climate change. 

At the moment, the United States is the only country that’s not part of the agreement, but there’s still hope for America’s future in reducing carbon emissions. 

Cities are now taking matters into their own hands to address the growing concerns of climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. 

Now, a new endeavor called the Chicago Charter is an agreement among at least 36 U.S cities to do their part to meet the same goals as the Paris Accord. 

The Chicago Charter will be signed by the participating U.S city mayors at the <a href="http://www.c40.org/events/north-american-climate-summit">North American Climate Summit</a> in Chicago. 

Not only does the charter outline plans to reduce emissions but also, similar to the Paris Accord, it requires all involved to be held accountable in sharing its progress with the public. 

<a href="http://climatemayors.org/">Climate Mayors</a>, a similar organization that was started after the President’s decisions to withdraw the US from the Paris Accord, has over 380 mayors who have promised to reduce carbon emissions in their cities, and who combined represent 68 million U.S residents. 

Both Climate Mayors and the Chicago Charter prove the dedication that many have to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and combat climate change, despite the current administration’s views. 

Some of the major cities involved include Salt Lake City, which aims to have 100 percent of its electricity supplied through renewable energy by 20332. Washington D.C looks to have renewable energy make up 50 percent of the city's power needs by 2032, and Chicago plans to undergo a major transformation in its public transit system.  

The Chicago Charter marks another exciting endeavor and important step in reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the United States. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

U.S. mayors pledge to sign their own climate agreement

When President Donald Trump announced that the United States would...

California mayoral candidate Kevin Saunders is pushing for the legalization of psychedelic mushrooms. Saunders, who is running for mayor in the town of Marina, hopes to give voters in California the option of legalizing magic mushrooms on the 2018 ballot.

Saunders believes that psychedelic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magic-mushrooms-depression-brain/">mushrooms</a> may help adults work through the stress of today's world.

“The world is really hurting and everybody is at a loss about what’s going on right now with Trump, Brexit, the refugee crisis and everything else,” said Saunders.

The former cannabis advocate stands behind the transformative power of psilocybin, saying that, “It could allow people to figure out what to do and could revolutionize the way we treat those with depression, addiction and cluster headaches.”

Psilocybin, the hallucinogenic compound found in magic mushrooms, is classified as a Schedule I drug. However, the use psilocybin has been approved for medical trials in dozens of states.

In fact, the concept of having magic mushrooms legalized may not be as far-fetched as it seems, as clinical trials are underway in both the United States and Europe to test the potential of psilocybin in treating alcoholism, tobacco addiction, severe anxiety, and treatment-resistant depression.

Saunders told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk">The Guardian</a> that magic mushrooms helped him recover from a “debilitating five-year heroin addiction” at age 32. He explained,“I got to the root of why I made a conscious decision to become a heroin addict; I’ve been clean almost 15 years.”

Researchers have also demonstrated that psilocybin is safer than other drugs, including alcohol. The 2017 <a href="https://www.globaldrugsurvey.com/">Global Drug Survey</a>, a comprehensive poll that investigates the drug use of 120,000 people in 50 countries, found that 90 percent less patients sought emergency medical treatment for psilocybin compared to alcohol.

Regardless, the U.S. Justice Department's <a href="https://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs6/6038/#risks">National Drug Intelligence Center</a> compares psilocybin to heroin and LSD. The organization reports, “The psychological consequences of psilocybin use include hallucinations and an inability to discern fantasy from reality. Panic reactions and psychosis also may occur, particularly if a user ingests a large dose.”

In August, Saunders filed paperwork with the State Attorney General's office to let voters in California decide whether psilocybin will be legalized in 2018. He needs 365,880 signatures to get his <a href="https://oag.ca.gov/system/files/initiatives/pdfs/17-0024%20%28Legalize%20Psilocybin%29_0.pdf">California Psilocybin Legalization Initiative</a> on the ballot.

Saunders told <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/">The Sacramento Bee</a> that the legalization of psilocybin is "a natural step after voters’ legalization of pot." 

The <a href="https://www.opsbuzz.com/">Oregon Psilocybin Society</a> has started its own initiative to raise awareness about the safety and benefits of controlled psilocybin, and the organization aims to get psilocybin on Oregon’s statewide ballot in 2020.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California could legalize psychedelic mushrooms next year

California mayoral candidate Kevin Saunders is pushing for the legalization...

Mount Agung sent clouds of ash into the sky in Bali as the volcano erupted multiple times this weekend. The eruptions prompted the evacuation of over 24,000 people and grounded many flights, stranding travelers.

According to <a href="https://www.bnpb.go.id/home/detail/3539/Gunung-Agung-Erupsi-Menerus,-Abu-Mengarah-ke-Timur">Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Authority</a>, the clouds of ash reached over 13,000 feet in height. 

“Bali is safe just keep away from disaster prone areas,” the agency <a href="https://twitter.com/BNPB_Indonesia/status/934687636286947330">said</a>. 

Indonesia issued a “red warning,” its highest alert to warn aviation to of the thick clouds of ash. Footage of the eruption can be seen <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTg7mUQGqfM&amp;feature=youtu.be">here</a>.

Mount Agung last erupted in February 1963, when it spewed lava over surrounding villages and killing an estimated 1,500 people.

An Instagram user captured this stunning-but-ominous shot:
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.5% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb8N86Mgt-C/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I’ve gotten up at 3am to shoot so many times, but I have never in my life seen anything quite as beautiful, formidable and scary as this. Bali has been home on and off for 2 years now and I hope that all the locals that live on or near mount Agung are ok 🙏🏽🌋 . . . . . . . . #wanderlust #exploreeverything #travelgram #bravogreatphoto #lifeofadventure #theadventureproject #peoplescreatives #theoutbound #folktravel #picoftheday #welltraveled #finditliveit #whatchthisinstagood #beautifuldestinations #bali #livefolkindonesia #livefolk #passionpassport #mytinyatlas #letsgosomewhere #wanderlust #instagood #igmasters #thewellcollective #verilymoment #mountagung #traveltagged #travelphotography</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Emilio Kuzma-Floyd (@eyes_of_a_nomad) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2017-11-26T02:00:14+00:00">Nov 25, 2017 at 6:00pm PST</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

--

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mount Agung erupts in Bali

Mount Agung sent clouds of ash into the sky in...

Update: In a rare move, President Trump tweeted Friday night that the plan to allow the import of elephants hunted in Africa would be halted, saying, "Put big game trophy decision on hold until such time as I review all conservation facts." 

Hunters may soon be allowed to bring trophies of African elephants back to the United States, and the news is sparking outrage. A <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> official confirmed to <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/">ABC News</a> that President Trump plans to reverse a ban put in place by the Obama administration in 2014. 

Chelsea Clinton tweeted, “Infuriating. Will increase poaching, make communities more vulnerable &amp; hurt conservation efforts.”

According to a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service spokesperson, lifting the restrictions will allow U.S. sport hunting in Zimbabwe and Zambia. The spokesperson defended the move by saying that it will put "much-needed revenue back into conservation."

Despite the fact that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephants-missing-poached/">elephants</a> are an endangered species, hunting can be permitted if evidence shows that hunting benefits the conservation of the animals.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service said, “Legal, well-regulated sport hunting as part of a sound management program can benefit the conservation of certain species by providing incentives to local communities to conserve the species and by putting much-needed revenue back into conservation.”

The <a href="http://www.greatelephantcensus.com/">Great Elephant Census</a> reports that African elephants are vanishing at an alarming rate and the rate is continuing to gain speed. The census estimates that the elephant population in Africa is now dropping by 8 percent a year, primarily due to poaching.

Between 2007 and 2014, elephant populations declined by 30 percent across 18 African countries. In Zimbabwe, the population dropped by 6 percent overall, yet one region in particular lost 74 percent of its elephants.

Ellen DeGeneres said, “I love elephants. And if you take the time to learn about elephants, you would love them too.”

She also remarked, “Elephants show compassion, sympathy, social intelligence, self-awareness. They’re excellent at learning abilities — all the things I have yet to see in this president.”

Degeneres posted an illustration of an elephant on her Twitter and Instagram pages. For every retweet and like received by the posts, Degeneres will make a donation to the <a href="https://www.sheldrickwildlifetrust.org/">David Sheldrick Wildlife Trust</a>, a foundation that rescues orphaned elephants in Kenya.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Outrage after Trump reverses ban on elephant trophies

Update: In a rare move, President Trump tweeted Friday night...

Shocking world leaders and sparking protests, the Trump Administration endorsed coal and other fossil fuels at the United Nations climate conference in Bonn, Germany, on Monday. 

COP23, the 23rd Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, is a meeting where world leaders come together to discuss ways to fight global warming. At this year's conference, representatives from the fossil fuel industry sat on a panel organized by the United States. 

The U.S. committee included an executive from Peabody Energy, the largest private coal company in the world, as well as other coal and natural gas executives. Coal, the top source of carbon dioxide emissions, is by far the worst of the fossil fuels.

“Without a question fossil fuels will continue to be used,” said Trump advisor George David Banks of the National Economic Council at the commencement of the panel. “We would argue that it’s in the global interest to make sure that when fossil fuels are used it as clean and efficient as possible.”

Regardless of whether discussing energy transition would be normally welcomed by world leaders, Trump’s withdrawal from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/country-paris-agreement/">Paris Agreement</a> gives his administration little integrity at the conference. Further hurting the credibility of the Trump Administration abroad is the president’s cynicism about climate change, which he has notoriously referred to as a hoax.

Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg traveled with other U.S. leaders and activists to the conference, calling themselves the “America's Pledge” group. 

Also led by California Governor Jerry Brown, the assembly claims to represent the U.S. majority opinion on carbon emissions. The alternative group attended the meeting to show that Americans are still dedicated to cooperating with the standards set by the Paris Agreement, regardless of Trump’s decision to withdraw.

“The American government may have pulled out of the Paris accord but the American people are still committed to its goals,” Bloomberg said at the UN conference. “And there is not a thing the government can do to stop us.”

The America's Pledge group was dumbfounded by the decision of the Trump Administration to send fossil fuel industry representatives to COP23. Bloomberg said in a statement, "Promoting coal at a climate summit is like promoting tobacco at a cancer summit.”

On Saturday, the group released it's America's Pledge report, which is a declaration of support for the Paris Agreement by the international community.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trump admin uses climate change conference to back fossil fuels

Shocking world leaders and sparking protests, the Trump Administration endorsed...

More than 400 people were killed and at least 7,000 were injured when a magnitude 7.3 earthquake struck Iran close to the Iraq border on Sunday. 

The hardest hit province was Kermanshah in the town of Sarpol-e Zahab, about 10 miles from the Iraq border, where over 300 people lost their lives. The town's main hospital has been severely damaged, making it difficult to treat hundreds of wounded people.

Rescuers are searching for dozens of people trapped under collapsed buildings, but over 100 aftershocks and landslides are making the recovery efforts challenging.

According to a state news agency, the earthquake killed 407 people and injured 6,603 in <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/zagros-mountains-southeastern-iran/">Iran</a> alone.

Iraq's Interior Ministry confirmed that their country had seven casualties with 535 people injured. Residents fled their homes and the flooded the streets of Baghdad.

Baghdad resident Majida Ameer told <a href="http://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a>, "I was sitting with my kids having dinner and suddenly the building was just dancing in the air. I thought at first that it was a huge bomb. But then I heard everyone around me screaming: 'Earthquake!'"

State media explained that villages where houses are made of mud bricks have sustained extremely heavy damage.

The death toll is expected to rise as rescue teams move into remote areas of Iran, while a reported 70,000 people are in need of shelter.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Reuters/Tasnim News Agency

Iran hit by 7.3 magnitude earthquake close to Iraq border

More than 400 people were killed and at least 7,000...

The United States is now officially the only country in the world who is not a part of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-decision-paris-climate-agreement/">Paris climate agreement</a>. Syrian officials announced their decision to join the accord today at the UN Climate Change Conference, COP23, in Bonn, Germany.

The decision was confirmed by M. Wadah Katmawi, Syria's Deputy Minister of Local Administration and Environment. Katmawi stated that Syria would uphold the treaty “in order to achieve the desired global goals and to reflect the principles of justice and shared responsibility, but in accordance with the capabilities of each of the signatories.”

Katmawi added that developed countries who are “the primary contributors to climate change” have a responsibility, financially and otherwise, to help developing countries in their efforts against climate change.

Syria, who was absent from the 2015 meeting due to an ongoing Civil War, reportedly voted to ratify the agreement last month.

The only other country besides the United States and Syria who did not sign the Paris agreement was Nicaragua, due to concern the legislation was “insufficient" in tackling climate change. But now, Nicaragua has also declared its intention to join the accord.

President Donald Trump publicized his decision in June to withdraw the United States from the deal, which is a pact among nearly 200 countries to address the potentially catastrophic impacts of climate change by lowering greenhouse gas emissions.

Trump said that compliance with the Paris accord could "cost America as much as 2.7 million lost jobs by 2025,” a claim that has been widely criticized. On the other hand, Trump did promise in his exit speech that withdrawing from the climate agreement did not mean that the United States would not continue to contribute to the Green Climate Fund that was set up by the accord.

No matter his good intentions, however, Trump is not yet invited to the climate change conference taking place in Paris in December. The Elysee Palace press told CNN that summit invitations are being sent out first to countries which are "very active and particularly engaged" in climate change. An invitation will then be sent to a person chosen by the United States government to represent the country at the meeting.

In 2016, the United States was the second largest emitter of carbon dioxide worldwide, second only to China. World leaders swiftly condemned Trump’s 2017 decision to leave the Paris treaty, as did many representatives of the United States like New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"President Trump can turn his back on the world, but the world cannot ignore the very real threat of climate change," de Blasio said. "This decision is an immoral assault on the public health, safety and security of everyone on this planet."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The U.S. now the only country not compliant with Paris agreement

The United States is now officially the only country in...

On Friday the Trump administration released a disturbing new scientific <a href="https://science2017.globalchange.gov/">report</a> affirming that humans are in fact driving climate change. 
"It's extremely likely that human activities, especially emissions of greenhouse gases, are the dominant cause of the observed warming since the mid-20th century," said the National Climate Assessment. 
According to the report, sea levels could rise by as much as 8 feet by the year 2100, and global temperatures have risen by 1.8 degrees since 1900.
"For the warming over the last century, there is no convincing alternative explanation supported by the extent of the observational evidence,” the report added.
According to the research, the global sea level has risen by 7 to 8 inches since 1900, and almost half of that has occurred since 1993. In addition, the rate of daily tidal flooding is increasing in more than 25 different U.S. coastal cities. Heatwaves and forest fires have also become more and more common and will continue to increase in frequency.

For the first time in 3 million years, global atmospheric carbon dioxide concentration has passed 400 parts per million. According to the report, the only solution is to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, especially carbon dioxide.

In addition, earlier spring has caused reduce snowpack, which has already begun to affect U.S. water sources.

The release of the National Climate Assessment is mandated by law and stands in severe contrast to the policies of the Trump Administration. As we reported, the administration has already repealed the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pruitt-clean-power-plan/">Clean Power Plan</a> and withdrawn from the Paris Climate Agreement. While campaigning for president, Donald Trump repeatedly claimed that climate change was a myth.

The <a href="https://science2017.globalchange.gov">Climate Science Special Report</a> is the first volume of a federally mandated climate assessment, which is constructed every four years. Hundreds of the country's top scientists analyzed data from over 1,500 scientific studies to prepare the report.

The report ends with a haunting warning: "Climate models are more likely to underestimate than to overestimate the amount of long-term future change." 

Former Vice President Al Gore reacted on Twitter, adding, "if the Administration won't listen and if the federal govt. won’t act, states, cities, businesses, investors, and citizens will."

The report, which was approved by the White House Office of Science and Technology, does not make any recommendations for policy change. It does include for the first time, however, a list of “surprise” climate-related changes that may occur such as worldwide shifts in major climate patterns and simultaneous extreme weather events that could have catastrophic effects on a global scale.

--

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a> and <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writers

Government report: Humans are driving climate change

On Friday the Trump administration released a disturbing new scientific...

After a week of chaos and devastation caused by the Northern California fires, the state’s firefighters are beginning to get the fast-burning blazes under control.

Since late in the evening of Oct. 8, more than a dozen fires have been raging through several counties in the northern part of the state, killing at least 40 people and burning whole neighborhoods in the city of Santa Rosa.

But a week later, with more than 8,000 firefighters responding to the infernos, crews are beginning to gain the upper hand, despite winds that sparked new evacuations on Saturday.

“Conditions have drastically changed from just 24 hours ago, and that is definitely a very good sign,” Daniel Berlant, spokesman for the <a href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/">Cal Fire</a>, told the news agency <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/">CNBC</a>. “And it’s probably a sign we’ve turned a corner on these fires.” 

As of 1:21 p.m. Sunday, Cal Fire reported that the Tubbs Fire was 60 percent contained, after burning more than 35,000 acres in Napa County. The Atlas Fire was 56 contained at 51,057 acres. 

Fires in the Mendocino Lake Complex, Wind Complex and in Nevada County were also losing ground to the firefighters. The Sulphur Fire in Lake County was 75 percent contained, the Cascade Fire in Yuba County was 87 percent contained, and the La Porte Fire in Butte County was 80 percent contained. Other Northern California fires were at varying levels of containment.

The progress is good news for those evacuated from the wildfire areas – more than 100,000 people have been under evacuation orders over the past week, CNBC reported. About a quarter of those people were allowed to return home on Sunday.

The Mendocino County Sheriff’s Department advised returning evacuees to wear protective clothing and expect delays. They’d have to go through safety checks and would be issued protective gear, the <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/">Sacramento Bee</a> reported.

“Residents should be prepared to evacuate again should conditions change,” the department posted on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/">Facebook</a>.

However, not all of the Northern California fires are close to being under control. The Nuns Fire – which had grown to consume four other fires in the Central LNU Complex – was only 25 percent contained. 

“Fire continued burning in the south and western portions,” Cal Fire wrote on the incident report for the fire complex.

The Redwood Valley Fire in Mendocino County, which killed at least nine people, was 35 percent contained, after burning 35,000 acres.

The Northern California fires have killed at least 40 people, mostly overnight on Oct. 8 and Oct. 9, fire officials reported. Hundreds remain missing, though officials told CNBC they hope to find most of them alive.

California’s near record rainfall over the winter after several years of drought spurred vegetation growth in the state. That, combined with record heat over the summer, left behind plenty of fuel for extreme wildfires.

The long 2017 wildfire season has been extremely expensive at both the state and federal level, the <a href="http://billingsgazette.com/">Billings Gazette</a> reports. The federal government spent more than $2.7 billion on firefighting in the last budget year, the news agency said, a record high. This year’s fires have already used more than half of the state’s emergency fund.

Firefighting costs are going up in California, Oregon, Montana and elsewhere due to a combination of hotter and drier weather and a buildup of dead and dying trees damaged by past firefighting techniques, Jennifer Jones, a spokeswoman for the <a href="https://www.nifc.gov/">National Interagency Fire Center</a>, told the Gazette.

For more information about efforts to extinguish the Northern California fires, check the <a href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents">Cal Fire incidents website</a>. 

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Capt. Will Martin, <a href="https://www.nationalguard.com/">Army National Guard</a>

Firefighters gaining ground on Northern California fires

After a week of chaos and devastation caused by the...

For the past several days, intense wildfires have burned through eight counties in Northern California's wine country, prompting Governor Jerry Brown to declare a state of emergency.

Thus far, the fires have scorched over 170,000 acres of land, and 670 people have been reported missing. California Highway Patrol has already rescued 50 people from mountain tops as the fires began to close in.

Firefighters are working to investigate the cause, but the fires were undoubtedly exacerbated by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/santa-ana-wind-event-over-california/">Santa Ana Winds</a>, or “Los Diablos” (devil winds), which create peak fire conditions by quickly moving hot, dry air across California. 

At one time over the weekend, more than 25 different fires blazed across Northern California. More than 44 people were rescued by helicopter, and according to Sonoma County Officials, and more than 100 calls have been made to report possible missing persons. 

As of Wednesday afternoon, the death toll had risen to 21 people, and the fires have destroyed over 1000 homes and business. Cal Fire has also issued new evacuation orders for residents in Calistoga and Santa Rosa.

Though winds have died down, firefighters ares still working to contain the blazes.

Federal funds were immediately allocated to help the state in its recovery efforts and those displaced by fires.

Santa Rosa’s Coffey Park neighborhood was perhaps one of the hardest hit areas as whole street blocks were engulfed.

Even though critical conditions in Northern California are dying down, there is a fear that the fires will move south. 

Thick smoke has also caused dangerously poor air quality in the area, and some residents have been hospitalized for respiratory irritation.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

21 dead as wildfires ravage Northern California’s wine country

For the past several days, intense wildfires have burned through...

<a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt announced plans to repeal the Clean Power Plan at an event in Kentucky on Monday. 

Scott Pruitt, the former Attorney General of Oklahoma, is well known for his stance against environmental protection regulations and has <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scott-pruitt-doubts-global-warming/">denied the existence of climate change</a>. Despite his new job title, Scott Pruitt is a known critic of the EPA and even pursued several legal battles against the agency during President Barack Obama’s presidency.

The Clean Power Plan was instituted by the Obama administration to help combat climate change by limiting man-made greenhouse gas emissions. The legislation aimed to significantly curb air pollution and limit pollutants that cause asthma and disease. 

Pruitt has not been shy about sharing his thoughts on the Clean Power Plan, calling it “unconstitutional” and claiming it hurts the economy. 

“When you think about what that rule meant, it was about picking winners and losers. Regulatory power should not be used by any regulatory body to pick winners and losers,” Pruitt said Monday.

Even though Pruitt claims that clean air is an important concern, he feels that new jobs and economic success, particularly with the coal industry, take precedence.

Thus far, Pruitt has not made any mention of plans to replace the Clean Power Plan or institute new regulations on emissions. His move to repeal without replacing the landmark legislation has drawn fire from environmentalists. 

“A proposal to repeal the Clean Power Plan without any timeline or even a commitment to propose a rule to reduce carbon pollution, isn't a step forward, it's a wholesale retreat from EPA's legal, scientific and moral obligation to address the threats of climate change," former EPA administrator, Gina McCarthy, told <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/10/09/politics/environmental-protection-agency-scott-pruitt-clean-power-plan/index.html">CNN</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

EPA administrator Pruitt announces repeal of Clean Power Plan

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) administrator Scott Pruitt announced plans to...

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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

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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?

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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

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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"

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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...