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...

Three giant asteroids will pass by the Earth on Saturday, according to astronomers at <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>. The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/asteroids-formed-ancient-planets/">asteroids</a> will zip past the planet within hours of each other, with the nearest extraterrestrial visitor approaching at a distance that is closer than the moon. 

At around 9:03 a.m. EST on Saturday, the first asteroid known as 2018 VS1 will fly by at a distance of 861,700 miles from the Earth. VS1 measures between 42 and 92 feet, and will be traveling at a speed of around 23,700 miles per hour, which is faster than most rockets. 

The largest of the space bodies, known as 2018 VR1, will appear around 15 minutes later. VR1 is estimated to be up to 98 feet in width, which is comparable to the length of a blue whale. This asteroid will emerge at a much greater distance from the Earth, around 3,128,892 miles away. 

The final asteroid, 2018 VX1, will make the closest approach to the planet at 1:26 p.m. The object is predicted to pass by about 1,800 miles closer than the moon at a distance of 237,037 miles. VX1 is the smallest of the space rocks, measuring between 26 and 59 feet. It is also traveling at the slowest pace of around 13,556 miles per hour. 

The asteroids will be too small and too far away to be observed using normal equipment and will only be visible by satellite. Nasa has reported that a total of 10 Near-Earth Objects (NEOs) will make a “close approach” to our planet during the month of November.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Three large asteroids will pass by close to Earth on Saturday

Three giant asteroids will pass by the Earth on Saturday,...

As the clock ticked to 2 a.m. on Sunday, Tropical Storm Florence had claimed at least <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/15/us/storm-florence-carolinas/">a dozen lives across the Carolinas</a>, including a mother and her young child. Major flooding had swamped some areas of the two states, leading to hundreds of rescues in the North Carolina city of New Bern. The massive storm looked ready to linger and dump rain for days, according to reports.

Nearly 800,000 people were without power on Saturday, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/hurricane-florence-numbers-latest-power-outages-rain-totals/story?id=57819104">ABC News</a>. That didn't stop rumors from swamping social media. A viral post on Facebook claimed that the storm's first death was a <a href="https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/myrtle-beach-shooting-gun-hurricane-florence/">man who'd shot a gun at the hurricane</a>. It was, of course, false.

First responders also turned to social media to convince holdouts that it was time to evacuate. Cumberland County, North Carolina's <a href="https://twitter.com/Sheriff_EWright/status/1041138166307217408">Sheriff Ennis Wright tweeted</a>:
<blockquote>"The Town of Linden is taking on a tremendous amount of water. This was taken on Loop Road a few minutes ago. The Evacuation is MANDATORY!"</blockquote>
The <a href="https://www.weather.gov/">National Weather Service</a>'s Raleigh office issued a <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSRaleigh/status/1041159783791951879">tornado watch</a> on Saturday night, lasting until at least 7 a.m. EDT. Other areas of North Carolina were under a <a href="https://twitter.com/NWSRaleigh/status/1041203407095259136">flash flood warning</a>.

Close to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/live-news/tropical-storm-florence-path-power-outage-flooding-latest-weather-hurricane-rain-2018-09-15/">1,000 flights in and out of the United States</a> were canceled on Saturday and Sunday due to Tropical Storm Florence, CBS reported.

As rescue teams from across North Carolina and the <a href="https://www.fema.gov/">Federal Emergency Management Agency</a> continued to respond to the storm, everyday Americans began to wonder how they could help.

Basketball star Michael Jordan, who now owns the Charlotte Hornets, has <a href="http://cares.nba.com/charlotte-hurricane-relief-efforts/">launched a website with the NBA</a> to direct people to legitimate organizations in need of donations.

“The recovery effort will be massive, and it will take a long time to repair the damage and for families to get back on their feet. Together with the NBA, we have launched a platform to aid those most impacted," he said in a statement. "Please join me, the Hornets organization and the NBA and donate to one of the local organizations assisting in the relief and recovery efforts."

The state of North Carolina is accepting direct donations at <a href="https://governor.nc.gov/donate-florence-recovery">Gov. Roy Cooper's website</a>, while the <a href="https://www.yourfoundation.org/community-impact/one-sc-fund-sc-flood-relief/">One SC Fund</a> is also taking donations for Tropical Storm Florence relief.

Both states are asking volunteers to stay away from disaster zones for now. Those who "self-deploy" may mean well, but could simply give trained responders more people to rescue from Tropical Storm Florence.

The New York Times published a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/15/reader-center/how-to-help-hurricane-florence-victims.html">more extensive list</a> of how people could help, and how to avoid being taken in by fraudsters.

Tropical Storm Florence isn't the only wild storm causing problems this weekend. <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/15/asia/typhoon-mangkhut-hurricane-philippines-death---intl/">Typhoon Ompong</a>, also known as Typhoon Mangkhut, slammed into the Philippines on Saturday morning, killing at least two. It tore roofs off of buildings, <a href="https://twitter.com/blogruivismo/status/1041150352681316352">flung trees and debris onto roads</a>, and caused widescale flooding before moving on toward China, CNN reported.

—

Image credit: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/image-feature/hurricane-florence-as-it-was-making-landfall-0">NASA</a>

Death toll rises as Tropical Storm Florence hovers over Carolinas

As the clock ticked to 2 a.m. on Sunday, Tropical...

Early this morning, Hurricane Florence began to make landfall along the coast of North Carolina and is now making slow and steady progress inland towards the central parts of the Carolinas. 

Already images and video footage posted to social media show flooded streets and fast-moving currents of water and debris. 

High winds, dangerous storm surges, and catastrophic flooding have all been reported with Hurricane Florence, and residents have been cautioned to leave as soon as possible if they live in evacuation zones. 

Yesterday, over 200,000 people in North Carolina had no power due to the high winds and flooding as Hurricane Florence began to make landfall, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/160000-power-hurricane-florence-lashes-north-carolina-coast/story?id=57791726">ABC News</a>.

The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-nation/wp/2018/09/14/hurricane-florence-sweeps-across-carolinas-bringing-life-threatening-rainfall/?noredirect=on&amp;utm_term=.8d81de0e115a">Washington Post</a> reported that the number of power outages on Friday had skyrocketed to 500,000. 

Even though the hurricane was downgraded to a Category 1, weather reports have said that the downgrade doesn’t mean Florence will be any less intense.

Instead, residents in the area have been told to prepare for days of rain and potentially 40 inches of rainfall in some areas of North and South Carolina. 

Like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricane-harvey-slams-texas/">Hurricane Harvey</a> last year, what makes Florence so potentially dangerous is the amount of rainfall the storm could produce if it just sits over the Carolinas. 

“It's getting worse,” North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/14/us/hurricane-florence-south-east-coast-wxc/index.html">CNN</a>. “The storm is going to continue its violent grind across our state for days.”

CNN also reported that more than 200 people had been rescued from the rising waters and storm surges reached as high as ten feet. The hurricane produced some of the highest wind gusts that the state has experienced since Hurricane Helene in 1958. 

Another huge cause for concern with Hurricane Florence is the potential environmental hazards that could arise with flooding and storm damage. As per protocol, a nuclear power plant in Brunswick, North Carolina has been shut down but there are five other nuclear plants in the hurricane’s path, according to CNN. 

There are also risks of toxic pollution from agricultural operations, coal ash pits, and livestock. 

“This one is pretty scary,” Jamie Kruse, director of the Center for Natural Hazards Research at East Carolina University told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/12/hurricane-florence-north-carolina-nuclear-plants-prepare">The Guardian</a>. “The environmental impacts will be from concentrated animal feeding operations and coal ash pits. Until the system gets flushed out, there’s going to be a lot of junk in the water.”

Thousands have evacuated their homes to emergency shelters in North and South Carolina and by all accounts, this is only the beginning of the worst of it. 

---

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: ESA/NASA–A. Gerst

Hurricane Florence slams Carolinas, remains dangerous

Early this morning, Hurricane Florence began to make landfall along...

This year's wildfire season has been catastrophic in the Western United States, and it is not showing any signs of slowing down. Currently, there are 110 large fires burning and 1.9 million acres of land are on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/summer-weather-wildfires-flooding/">fire</a>. Over the weekend, eight large fires were contained, including the Ferguson Fire near Yosemite National Park, and six new fires were reported in Idaho, Nevada, and Oregon.

There is concern over persistently hot temperatures, which will continue along with daily wind cycles. Thunderstorms are in the forecast in parts of Wyoming and Montana, where lightning could spark more blazes with the increasingly dry conditions. Across the western half of Montana, a strong easterly breeze is expected that may help spread fires.

National Preparedness Level is at the highest level of 5, which means that national resources are fully committed. The “potential for emerging significant wildland fires is high and expected to remain high” in multiple regions.


The west to east jet stream has carried smoke from the fires across the country as far as the East Coast. The smoke has traveled south as far as Texas and east as far as Quebec. A local radio station near Washington DC, WTOP, reported that smoke from the California fires had reached the DC Metro area this past week. 

Wildfire smoke is a mixture of particles and chemicals produced by incomplete burning of carbon-containing materials, and can be dangerous to human health. All smoke contains carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and particulate matter. The particles and chemicals contained in smoke vary according to what is burning, and may include aldehydes, acid gases, sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxides, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), benzene, toluene, styrene, metals, or dioxins. 

High levels of smoke should be completely avoided whenever possible. Infants, young children, the elderly, and people with respiratory conditions such as asthma are more vulnerable to the negative effects of smoke exposure. If exposure cannot be avoided, it is advised to limit physical exertion.

A map that shows where the smoke is currently and where it is predicted to move can be found here: <a href="https://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/hrrr/HRRRsmoke/">https://rapidrefresh.noaa.gov/hrrr/HRRRsmoke/</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA image courtesy NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center Earth Science Data and Information System (ESDIS) project.

Wildfires are burning across nearly two million acres in the US

This year's wildfire season has been catastrophic in the Western...

The Trump administration will soon announce plans to increase emissions from coal plants and reduce the individual freedoms of states in making policies to reduce or limit those emissions. 

Trump has long been a friend of the coal industry, from his famous declaration that he was chosen to represent “<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/06/01/politics/paris-pittsburgh-trump-nationalist-decision/index.html">Pittsburgh not Paris</a>” and would withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement, to Trump’s support of “clean coal.” 

The administration has also worked hard to undo any climate change mitigation policies put in place by President Obama, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-freeze-fuel-efficiency-standards/">freezing fuel efficiency standards</a>. 

This latest proposal to put control back into the hands of coal is slated to be announced by Trump at a rally on Tuesday, according to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/17/climate/trump-clean-power-rollback.html">New York Times.</a>

Several people who read the proposal spoke to the Times about the details of Trump's plan, and many environmental and renewable energy advocates are concerned about the ramifications of imposing a plan that so entirely erases any progress made in climate change regulation. 

Instead of finding a way to advance with the growing trend of renewables and allowing states more freedom to curb emissions on their terms, the new plan could cause emissions to spike and leave states powerless to do anything about it. 

With the new proposal, control over coal power plant emissions would be left to the coal plants themselves and any measures put in place would have to be done on site. 

The Trump administration seems determined to act in the face of mounting evidence that climate change is causing more weather extremes, impacting agriculture, and degrading vital habitats. 

“The science is just getting clearer and clearer every day,” Janet McCabe, the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> air chief under the Obama administration told the New York Times.  “I don’t know how many times people need to hear that we’re having the warmest summer on record or how many storms people need to see. This is no fooling.”

According to the New York Times, the new proposal may also be savvy political move to help gain more of a foothold in the midterm elections. 

The move certainly won’t assuage fears that Trump’s administration policies will cause an increase in emissions, create health and safety hazards with increases in pollution, and exacerbate climate extremes like heat waves, droughts, sea level rise, and increasingly severe hurricanes seasons. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Trump to announce plan to give states control of coal emissions

The Trump administration will soon announce plans to increase emissions...

In California, more than a dozen wildfires are burning through thousands of acres across the state, putting a strain on resources and the firefighters working to contain the blazes. 

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-rage-yosemite-park/">Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County</a> caused park closures and evacuations in Yosemite National Park, and two fires in Mendocino County have burned more than 30,00 acres between them. 

Currently, the most devastating fire in California is the Carr Fire, which has destroyed more than 103,000 acres. The fire is so hot and massive that according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/30/us/carr-fire-california/index.html">CNN</a>, it’s creating its own weather system. 

The Carr fire is responsible for the deaths of six people and 19 people are still missing in Shasta County, California where the fire is located. 

It’s now the 7th most destructive fires in the history of California, according to <a href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/">Cal Fire</a>. To make matters worse, dangerous triple-digit heat wave with high winds will create hazardous conditions for the firefighters going forward. 

California is no stranger to wildfires but in recent years the fires have been getting worse, spreading further, destroying more property and burning at quicker rates. 

“We are seeing more destructive, larger fires burning at rates that we have historically never seen,” Jonathan Cox, <a href="http://www.fire.ca.gov/">California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection</a> battalion chief told CNN. 

The Carr Fire is especially volatile because it is creating plumes of pyrocumulus clouds that, according to CNN, can act like thunderstorms and generate lightning and even rain. 

Although no rain is the forecast in Shasta County, the growing pyrocumulus clouds could create lighting strikes that start more fires and create high-speed winds. 

Unfortunately, the Carr fire is setting the stage for a bleak future in California. According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jul/30/california-wildfires-climate-change-new-normal">The Guardian</a>, future fires will burn hotter and spread further, and continue to act unpredictably. 

2018’s devastating fire season may be the new “normal” for California and the western states due, largely, to increasing summer temperatures and long heat waves linked to climate change. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

Carr Fire becomes 7th most destructive in California history

In California, more than a dozen wildfires are burning through...

On Thursday, <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) chief Scott Pruitt submitted his resignation after an unprecedented number ethical scandals plagued his tenure.

Pruitt, the former attorney general of Oklahoma, came under fire for excessive spending of taxpayer dollars for personal first-class travel, a condo rental from a Washington D.C. lobbyist, and the purchase of $43,000 soundproof phone booth for his own office.

In addition, Pruitt was said to have ordered his staff to attend to his personal tasks, including finding a six-figure job for his wife, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>.

But beyond his appalling use of funds, Pruitt was more widely criticized for prioritizing oil companies and profit over the health of the planet and future generations.

Just last week, a <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/07/03/politics/scott-pruitt-mom-restaurant-confrontation/index.html">video</a> went viral online of a young mother confronting Pruitt at a restaurant holding her young child and urging the EPA head to resign.

"We deserve to have somebody at the EPA who actually does protect our environment, somebody who believes in climate change and takes it seriously for the benefit of all of us, including our children,” Kristin Mink told Pruitt to his face.

As we reported, the initial appointment of Scott Pruitt to run the EPA infuriated environmentalists, as Pruitt time and time again <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scott-pruitt-doubts-global-warming/">denied</a> the existence of climate change and questioned basic scientific facts about global warming. President Donald Trump’s decision to appoint Pruitt to run the EPA was widely viewed as a move to dismantle the organization and empower oil companies and fossil fuel suppliers.

During his time at the EPA, Pruitt ordered that climate change information be <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-defense-fund-emails/">scrubbed</a> from the official website of the government agency. He also <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pruitt-clean-power-plan/">oversaw</a> the repeal of Obama’s Clean Power Plan, which aimed to limit greenhouse gas emissions.

In one interview, Pruitt even <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pruitt-global-warming-good/">suggested</a> that global warming might even be a good thing for the planet.

Shortly after the resignation was announced, Donald Trump tweeted, “I have accepted the resignation of Scott Pruitt as the Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency. Within the Agency Scott has done an outstanding job, and I will always be thankful to him for this.”

Meanwhile, environmental advocacy group <a href="https://environmentamerica.org/home">Environment America</a> released their own response.

“It took an endless stream of ethical lapses for Scott Pruitt to lose his job, but he never should have had that position in the first place, nor kept it as long as he did, given his actions to undermine core environmental protections such as clean air and clean water,” said Christy Leavitt, the senior director of <a href="https://www.environmentamericas.org/">Environment America’s</a> Campaign to Defend Our Environment.

“Presidents don’t always get a ‘do-over’ so soon after appointing cabinet secretaries who fail to properly serve the American people. We call on the president to remember that conservation is part of being conservative. And we implore him to honor the bipartisan history of environmentalism from Republicans Theodore Roosevelt and Richard Nixon through modern administrations by nominating a true protector of the environment – so that his children and grandchildren, as well as ours, can inherit an Earth worth inheriting.”

--

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

EPA head Scott Pruitt resigns after endless ethical scandals

On Thursday, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) chief Scott Pruitt submitted...

Koko the gorilla, famous for her sign language skills, died at age 46 in her sleep, according to the <a href="https://www.koko.org/">Gorilla Foundation</a>. 

From her love for her pet cats to her ability to sign over 1,000 words and understand 2,000 words in the English language, Koko captivated the hearts of many. 

“Her impact has been profound and what she has taught us about the emotional capacity of gorillas and their cognitive abilities will continue to shape the world,” the <a href="https://www.koko.org/gorilla-foundation-sad-announce-passing-our-beloved-koko">Gorilla Foundation </a>said in a release detailing the events of her death. 

Koko was born in 1971 at the San Francisco Zoo on July 4th, a date that inspired her name Hanabi-Ko which is Japanese for Fireworks Child. 

Francine “Penny” Patterson started working with Koko while she was a graduate student in 1972. Patterson, an animal psychologist began teaching Koko sign language and soon the western lowland gorilla was a national sensation. 

Koko’s abilities were unmatched and she proved that primate’s had far superior cognitive capabilities than was thought possible. 

In 2012, Koko amazed yet again when she played the recorder, which according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2018/06/21/622160278/koko-the-gorilla-dies-redrew-the-lines-of-animal-human-communication">NPR</a>, was something that researchers thought was impossible because it was assumed primates couldn’t control their breathing. 

In 1974, Patterson along with Ronald Cohn, a fellow researcher who worked closely with Koko established The Gorilla Foundation, and Koko has since been an ambassador for gorillas, raising awareness about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-gorillas-comeback/">critically endangered group of species</a>. 

Koko was featured in <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic</a> twice and a mirror selfie that Koko took herself was featured on the cover. 

One of the things Koko was most well known for, besides her sign language and kind nature, was her affinity and love for kittens. Koko was given a cat for her birthday which she named All Ball. 

“The cat was a Manx and looked like a ball,” <a href="http://www.newsweek.com/koko-gorilla-sign-language-death-988302?spJobID=1050861497">Cohn told Newsweek</a>. “Koko likes to rhyme words in sign language.”

Koko cared for the kitten, nurturing her and playing with the cat whenever she could. When All Ball died, Koko was reportedly distraught but was soon given more cats to care for through the years. 

Those critical of Patterson’s work have suggested that Koko did not actually understand the words she was singing, but instead was just copying the behavior of her caretakers.

Whether or not Koko was an excellent mimic or truly had a grasp for language, her interaction with humans and other species shows a profound ability for communication. 

Koko has left a lasting impression and she will be greatly missed by those who have followed the gorilla’s journey and milestones. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 
Image Credit: Photographer: Ron Cohn, Courtesy of <a href="https://www.koko.org/">The Gorilla Foundation</a>

Koko, beloved sign language gorilla, dies at 46

Koko the gorilla, famous for her sign language skills, died...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/losing-status-votes-trump/">Trump administration</a> is moving to lift restrictions on sport hunting and trapping in national reserves. The proposed changes would make it legal to hunt black bears with dogs, shoot swimming caribou from boats, and kill wolves and pups in their dens.

Furthermore, hunters on some public lands in Alaska would be permitted to lure brown bears with food and use spotlights to shoot hibernating black bears and their cubs.

In 2015, these and other hunting methods were outlawed under President Obama. If passed, the new legislation will remove the hunting restrictions on 20 million acres of federally preserved land.

On Monday, the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/">National Park Service</a> (NPS) announced its intentions to move forward with the proposal in an effort to establish better consistency with state regulations.

Maria Gladziszewski is Alaska's deputy director of the Division of Wildlife Conservation. She told the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a> that the Alaska Department of Fish and Game was “pleased to see the National Park Service working to better align federal regulations with State of Alaska hunting and trapping regulations.”

Gladziszewski said that the proposal is “progress in that direction, and we appreciate those efforts. Alaskans benefit when state and federal regulations are consistent.” She explained that the state can currently only conduct predator control in national reserves with federal authorization.

Collette Adkins is a biologist at the <a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/">Center for Biological Diversity</a>. “Cruel and harmful hunting methods like killing bear cubs and their mothers near dens have no place on our national preserves,” said Adkins.

The <a href="https://www.npca.org/">National Parks Conservation Association</a> (NPCA) is also opposed to the amendment, arguing that national preserves should be managed according to national park regulations.

Jim Adams is the regional director of NPCA Alaska.

“Hunting is allowed on national preserves. It's appropriate on national preserves,” Adams told <a href="http://www.ktuu.com/">KTUU-TV</a>. “But turning them into glorified game farms by reducing bear and wolf populations is not appropriate and it's not right.”

The public has 60 days to comment on the proposal, which can be done by using this <a href="https://www.regulations.gov/docket?D=NPS-2018-0005.">link</a> to regulations.gov.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trump admin to lift restrictions on hunting bears and wolves

The Trump administration is moving to lift restrictions on sport...

After nearly 3 weeks of unpredictable behavior, Hawaii's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-fissures-kilauea-evacuations/">Kilauea volcano</a> erupted again on Monday evening. Geologists warn that the volcano is entering into a more violent phase, which will generate larger volumes of lava that can travel farther.

Toxic sulfur dioxide gas has reportedly tripled in the last few days. A river of lava that traveled through four miles of forest and farmland is now pouring into the Pacific Ocean. 

When scorching hot lava makes contact with cooler ocean waters, there is a chemical reaction that propels plumes of lava haze, or “laze,” into the sky. The steam cloud is hovering over the coastline filled with hydrochloric acid and fine particles of glass, which could be shifted by wind.

New fears have also emerged as lava advances deeper onto the property of the Puna Geothermal Venture Plant, now moving within just 300 yards of one of the plant's underground wells. If the lava reaches the wells, it could create hydrogen sulfide, a poisonous gas that has the distinctive smell of rotten eggs.

Thomas Travis is an administrator of the <a href="http://dod.hawaii.gov/hiema/">Hawaii Emergency Management Agency</a>. He warns that the scorching lava could breach the steel that has been used to secure the wells.

“That’s why having lava flow across the well causes some uncertainties that have to be dealt with,” Travis told <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/">USA Today</a>. “To our knowledge, no one has faced this before.”

The geothermal power plant, which supplies power to about 25 percent of the Big Island, has been shut down and around 50,000 gallons of flammable gas has been removed from the property.

Uncertainty persists among hundreds of evacuees who have no relief in sight, while further evacuations could be issued at any time if lava invades new regions of highways or if air quality worsens.

“Residents in the affected area should be prepared to leave the area with little notice due to gas or lava inundation,” stated the Civil Defense agency. “Take action necessary to prepare ahead of time.”

The Kilauea volcano is one of the most active volcanoes in the world. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the volcano has been continuously erupting since 1983, but has not been explosive until now. The last time Kilauea saw a period of explosive activity was 94 years ago this month, in 1924.

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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

Image Credit: Volcano Helicopters, <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/k-lauea-volcano-aerial-fissure-22">USGS</a>

New threats to air quality as Kilauea volcano continues to erupt

After nearly 3 weeks of unpredictable behavior, Hawaii's Kilauea volcano...

The Earth will have a rarely close encounter with an asteroid today, as 2010 WC9 shoots by the planet at a speed of 28,655 miles per hour. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-deflect-asteroids/">asteroid</a> is expected to come within 126,000 miles of our planet, which is just over half the distance to the Moon, at around 6:05 E.T.

According to <a href="http://earthsky.org/">EarthSky.org</a>, 2010 WC9 has been estimated to measure up to 427 feet in diameter, which is more than the length of a football field. Scientists explain that, while this asteroid is not considered large as far as space rocks go, it is massive compared to the asteroids that usually approach the planet this closely. 

According to <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL), 2010 WC9 will spin by the Earth closer than it has in 300 years. 

Dr. Paul Chodas is the director of the Center for Near-Earth Object Studies at JPL. He told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/">NBC News</a> that when 2010 WC9 was first discovered by NASA astronomers eight years ago, it was quickly determined that the asteroid did not pose a threat to Earth. “We knew enough not to be worried,” said Dr. Chodas.

The event will not be visible to the naked eye, but experts say there is a chance to get a glimpse of 2010 WC9 through a telescope.

Last night, astronomers at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/NBObservatories/">Northolt Branch Observatories</a> in London streamed live images of the asteroid on Facebook. The team is currently analyzing the data that was captured during their broadcast. 

“A preliminary analysis of the remaining data show that 2010 WC9's brightness varied significantly due to lightcurve variations. This suggests that it rotates rapidly (with a period less than 20 minutes), and that it has a rather elongated shape (we see an amplitude of about 1 magnitude).”

While the asteroid is no longer visible from the observatory in London, last night's video stream can be viewed at: <a href="https://goo.gl/yUBeW5">https://goo.gl/yUBeW5</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

Large asteroid will blast by today between the Earth and the moon

The Earth will have a rarely close encounter with an...

More residents of Hawaii’s Big Island were urged to evacuate after two more fissures opened up over the weekend, bumping up the total number of fissures from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kilauea-volcano-could-explode/">Kilauea volcano</a> to 18.

Lava from the new fissures spewed high into the air along with toxic gas, and the area continues to be impacted by earthquakes, including a 3.5 magnitude quake that struck the island on Saturday.

“Over the past 24 hours, the earthquakes have started rumbling again. ... When I go out and check on some of the fissures, you can start to see where some of the sulphur deposits are building up, and where the lava rocks are starting to turn yellow,” Big Island resident Scott Wiggers told <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2018/05/13/610798189/scientists-warn-of-more-eruptions-from-hawaiis-big-island-volcano">NPR</a>.  

<a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">The United States Geological Survey</a> (USGS) has been keeping a close eye on the fissure system and volcano, issuing warnings to residents in the area. 

“Activity was dominated by lava fountaining, explosion of spatter bombs hundreds of feet into the air, and several advancing lava flow lobes moving generally northeast from fissure 17,” the<a href="https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/status.html"> USGS</a> said in their latest report.

Before fissure number 17, the 16th fissure had spilled lava into a field inching towards homes. The fissure was also close to the Puna Geothermal Venture plant where last week, plant workers removed gallons of flammable liquid after the plant was shut down. 

According to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2018/05/13/us/hawaii-kilauea-volcano/index.html">CNN</a>, 2,000 people have been evacuated so far, and community centers are being made available to serve shelters for families and their pets. 

On Friday May 11th, President Trump declared a major disaster in Hawaii, opening up federal assistance to help with evacuation and recovery efforts.

With all the activity on near the volcano, concerns are still growing that Kilauea could soon explode, sending ash, steam, and giant boulders high into the air. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: <a href="https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/volcanoes/kilauea/kilauea_multimedia_15.html">US Geological Survey</a>

Giant new fissures open up on Kilauea prompting more evacuations

More residents of Hawaii’s Big Island were urged to evacuate...

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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?

[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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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

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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

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