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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

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...

Scientists from leading research institutions across the United States are urging that experts unite to deliver a clear message to the public about how viruses like <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/many-types-of-mammals-could-be-infected-by-covid-19/">COVID-19</a> spread in the air. In an open letter published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>, the team emphasizes that the scientific community must clarify the terminology used related to aerosols and droplets.

The letter states that public health officials should make a clear distinction between droplets ejected by coughing or sneezing,  which have inspired the social distancing standard of six feet, and aerosols that can carry the virus over much greater distances. Virus-containing aerosols that are smaller than 100 microns can remain airborne in a confined space for hours at a time. These aerosols also accumulate in poorly ventilated air, leading to virus transmission.

Kimberly Prather is the director of the Center for Aerosol Impacts on Chemistry of the Environment based at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego. Prather, who led the team of experts, said that the attention must be shifted to focus on protecting the public against airborne transmission.

"Viruses in aerosols can remain suspended in air for many seconds to hours, like smoke, and be inhaled," wrote the experts. "They are highly concentrated near an infected person, so they can infect people most easily in close proximity. But aerosols containing infectious virus can also travel more than [two meters] and accumulate in poorly ventilated indoor air, leading to superspreading events."

In addition to wearing a mask, social distancing and hygiene efforts, the researchers are urging public health officials to express the importance of moving activities outdoors, using ventilation and filtration to keep indoor air as safe as possible, and improving protection for high risk workers.

"The goal of this letter is to make it clear that the SARS-Cov-2 virus travels in the air and people can become infected via inhalation," said Prather. "It is important to acknowledge this pathway so efforts can focus on cleaning the air and providing guidance on how to avoid risky indoor settings."

Co-author Linsey Marr is a professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Virginia Tech and an expert on airborne transmission of viruses.

"It is important for people to wear masks at all times in public buildings and confined spaces, not only when we can't maintain social distance," said Marr. "This isn't just an academic question, but a point that will help reduce transmission if public health officials offer clear and forceful guidance about this."

The letter is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Viruses can linger for hours in areas with poor ventilation

Scientists from leading research institutions across the United States are...

Dozens of mammals could be susceptible to COVID-19, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>. The experts identified 26 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/animals-have-a-biological-switch-that-prepares-them-for-seasonal-changes/">animals</a> that are regularly in contact with people and are also vulnerable to infection. 

The study used computer modeling to investigate how the virus may infect the ACE2 protein receptor in 215 animal species. The researchers wanted to know how these receptors are different from those in humans, and how these differences may reduce the stability of binding between the virus protein and host protein. 

The researchers found that binding could be just as strong in some animals, including sheep, chimpanzees, gorillas, orangutan, and bonobo - many of which are endangered in the wild.

"We wanted to look beyond just the animals that had been studied experimentally, to see which animals might be at risk of infection, and would warrant further investigation and possible monitoring," said study lead author Professor Christine Orengo.

"The animals we identified may be at risk of outbreaks that could threaten endangered species or harm the livelihoods of farmers. The animals might also act as reservoirs of the virus, with the potential to re-infect humans later on, as has been documented on mink farms."

To gain a better understanding of how COVID-19 risks differ across various species, the researchers conducted more detailed structural analyses for certain animals. They also compared the findings to existing research to set thresholds that predict which animals are at risk of infection and which ones are likely not. 

While the study revealed that most birds, fish, and reptiles are not at risk, it showed that the majority of the mammals examined have the potential to develop a COVID-19 infection.

"The details of host infection and severity of response are more complex than just the interactions of the spike protein with ACE2, so our research is continuing to explore interactions involving other host virus proteins," said Professor Orengo.

The findings mostly agree with experiments and known cases of infection, including those among domestic cats, dogs, mink, lions, and tigers.

"Unlike laboratory-based experiments, the computational analyses we devised can be run automatically and rapidly," said study first author Su Datt Lam. "Therefore, these methods could be applied easily to future virus outbreaks that, unfortunately, are becoming more common due to human encroachment into natural habitats."

"To protect animals, as well as to protect ourselves from the risk of one day catching COVID-19 from an infected animal, we need large-scale surveillance of animals, particularly pets and farm animals, to catch cases or clusters early on while they're still manageable," said study co-author Professor Joanne Santini.

"It may also be important to employ hygiene measures when dealing with animals, similar to the behaviors we've all been learning this year to reduce transmission, and for infected people to isolate from animals as well as from other people."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Many types of mammals could be infected by COVID-19

Dozens of mammals could be susceptible to COVID-19, according to...

A new study from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> suggests that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/acropora-corals-are-thriving-in-belize-yet-vanishing-from-nearby-reefs/">corals</a> rely on iron in their environment to survive the stress of rising temperatures. The researchers found that the combination of warmer water and low iron levels impairs the growth and function of the microalgae that live within coral cells.

Iron levels are already limited and could decline even more as ocean temperatures continue to rise, which means that the lack of iron will compound the impacts of climate change.

"Corals are the foundation for one of the most important ecosystems in the world," said study co-author Todd LaJeunesse. "They support significant amounts of biodiversity, protect our shorelines from storms, provide habitat for our fisheries, and boost our economies with their opportunities for tourism."

"Climate change affects not only the coral, but also their symbiotic microalgae and the partnership between them. In this study, we explored two aspects of climate change - warming waters and altered amounts of trace metals like iron - on the algae."

In a previous study, the Penn State team determined that the photosynthetic microalgae living within the cells of coral require high levels of iron to grow and function properly. These algae provide up to 90 percent of the coral's daily nutritional needs.

"In this study, we found that limiting the available iron lowered the heat tolerances of two species of microalgae, which potentially could have cascading effects on the coral and on the reef ecosystem," said study co-author and grad student Hannah Reich.

In the lab, the researchers investigated the simultaneous effects of high water temperatures and low iron levels on the growth of two species of microalgae, including one typically found in tropical waters and one from more temperate areas. Regardless of their native environment, both types of algae grew poorly at high temperatures with limited iron availability.

"High temperatures increase metabolic demands, which forces the microalgae to work harder to function properly," said Reich. "It also increases dependence on processes that require iron, like photosynthesis and assimilating other nutrients. We found that under high temperatures, the microalgae needed more than five times as much iron to reach typical, exponential growth rates."

Under the compounding pressures of low iron levels and hotter water, the algae became less efficient at photosynthesis, which likely contributed to a lack of growth. In addition, warmer temperatures affected the amounts of trace metals within the algae.

"These alterations could indicate differences in metal usage, likely affecting the biological functions in which they are used," said Reich. "Notably, with limited iron, the more tropical species grew better and had less compromised photosynthetic ability at high temperatures and a larger reserve of many trace metals."

"While it is important to understand how access to iron supplies can impact the ability of corals to respond to climate change stressors, there is still a dire need to reduce carbon dioxide emissions to combat the climate crisis."

The study is published in the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15298817">Journal of Phycology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Low iron levels will make it hard for corals to endure global warming

A new study from Penn State suggests that corals rely...

The virus that causes <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/covid-19-can-circulate-in-the-air-throughout-enclosed-spaces/">COVID-19</a> inhibits a pain signaling pathway in the body, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a>. The discovery was made after researchers identified a second protein receptor, neuropilin, that is used by SARS-COV-2 to gain entry into cells.

Study co-author Dr. Rajesh Khanna is a professor in the College of Medicine at Tucson's Department of Pharmacology. He said the fact that SARS-COV-2 relieves pain may explain why nearly half of people who get COVID-19 experience few or no symptoms, even though they are able to spread the disease.

"It made a lot of sense to me that perhaps the reason for the unrelenting spread of COVID-19 is that in the early stages, you're walking around all fine as if nothing is wrong because your pain has been suppressed," said Dr. Khanna. "You have the virus, but you don't feel bad because you pain is gone. If we can prove that this pain relief is what is causing COVID-19 to spread further, that's of enormous value."

On September 10, the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/">CDC</a> released updated data on COVID-19 which estimates that 50 percent of transmission occurs prior to the onset of symptoms and 40 percent of infections are asymptomatic.

"This research raises the possibility that pain, as an early symptom of COVID-19, may be reduced by the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as it silences the body's pain signaling pathways," said Dr. Michael D. Dake. "University of Arizona Health Sciences researchers at the Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center are leveraging this unique finding to explore a novel class of therapeutics for pain as we continue to seek new ways to address the opioid epidemic."

Scientists established early on in the pandemic that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein uses ACE2 receptors located on cell membranes to enter the body. In June, two studies identified a second receptor for the SARS-COV-2 spike protein called neuropilin-1, which is active in nerve cells.

"That caught our eye because for the last 15 years my lab has been studying a complex of proteins and pathways that relate to pain processing that are downstream of neuropilin," said Dr. Khanna, who is an expert in the UArizona Health Sciences Comprehensive Pain and Addiction Center. "So we stepped back and realized this could mean that maybe the spike protein is involved in some sort of pain processing."

There are different biological pathways that signal the body to feel pain, and one such pathway involves a protein called vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A). This protein plays an essential role in blood vessel growth but also has been linked to diseases such as cancer and rheumatoid arthritis.

The researchers explained that VEGF-A binds to the receptor neuropilin like a key in a lock, triggering a series of events that causes an excessive reaction in neurons and initiates pain transmission. Dr. Khanna and his team found that the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein binds to neuropilin in exactly the same location as VEGF-A.

Using mouse models, the experts conducted experients to investigate whether the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein acts on the VEGF-A/neuropilin pain pathway. The researchers used VEGF-A as a trigger to induce neuron excitability and pain transmission - then added the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.

"Spike completely reversed the VEGF-induced pain signaling," said Dr. Khanna. "It didn't matter if we used very high doses of spike or extremely low doses - it reversed the pain completely."

Dr. Khanna will continue to investigate  neuropilin's role in the spread of COVID-19 with UArizona Health Sciences immunologists and virologists. The experts are also exploring the potential for neuropilin to be used as a target for non-opioid pain relief. 

While conducting various trials, Dr. Khanna tested small molecule neuropilin inhibitors that are designed to suppress tumor growth in certain cancers. The small molecule inhibitors provided the same pain relief as the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein when binding to neuropilin receptors.

"We are moving forward with designing small molecules against neuropilin, particularly natural compounds, that could be important for pain relief," said Dr. Khanna. "We have a pandemic, and we have an opioid epidemic. They're colliding. Our findings have massive implications for both. SARS-CoV-2 is teaching us about viral spread, but COVID-19 has us also looking at neuropilin as a new non-opioid method to fight the opioid epidemic."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.lww.com/pain/pages/default.aspx">Pain</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Virus that causes COVID-19 silences pain in the body

The virus that causes COVID-19 inhibits a pain signaling pathway...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a> suggests that drinking coffee first thing in the morning on an empty stomach can interfere with the body's <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/teenage-alcohol-consumption-metabolism/">metabolism</a>. The experts have found that coffee can limit your ability to tolerate the sugar in your breakfast.

A team of researchers in the University's Centre for Nutrition, Exercise &amp; Metabolism investigated the effects of disrupted sleep and morning coffee across a range of different metabolic markers. The results suggest that while one night of poor sleep has limited impact on our metabolism, a strong coffee the next morning may interfere with the body's control over blood glucose.

Keeping our blood sugar levels within a safe range is important for reducing the risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes and heart disease. According to the experts, the findings could have "far-reaching" health implications, especially considering the global popularity of coffee.

Coffee is currently the most popular drink in the world, with around two billion cups consumed every day. 

"We know that nearly half of us will wake in the morning and, before doing anything else, drink coffee - intuitively the more tired we feel, the stronger the coffee," said Professor James Betts. "This study is important and has far-reaching health implications as up until now we have had limited knowledge about what this is doing to our bodies, in particular for our metabolic and blood sugar control."

"Put simply, our blood sugar control is impaired when the first thing our bodies come into contact with is coffee especially after a night of disrupted sleep. We might improve this by eating first and then drinking coffee later if we feel we still feel the need it. Knowing this can have important health benefits for us all."

The study was focused on 29 healthy men and women who were assigned three different overnight tasks in a random order. 

Under one condition, participants were instructed to get a normal night's sleep and were asked to consume a sugary drink upon waking in the morning. On a separate occasion, the volunteers had their sleep disrupted every hour for a few minutes at a time, followed by the same sugary drink.

Under the third condition, participants experienced the same sleep disruption followed by a strong black coffee 30 minutes before consuming a sugary drink.

For each trial, blood samples were collected from each volunteer following the glucose drink- which had about the same amount of calories as a typical breakfast. 

&nbsp;

The study revealed that one night of disrupted sleep did not worsen the participants' blood glucose responses at breakfast when compared to a normal night's sleep. However, strong black coffee consumed before breakfast substantially increased the blood glucose response to breakfast by around 50 percent.

While a growing collection of research has linked coffee to substantial health benefits, there are also previous studies which demonstrated that caffeine has the potential to cause insulin resistance. 

"These results show that one night of disrupted sleep alone did not worsen participants' blood glucose/insulin response to the sugary drink compared to a normal night of sleep which will be reassuring to many of us," said study lead author Harry Smith.

"However, starting a day after a poor night's sleep with a strong coffee did have a negative effect on glucose metabolism by around 50%.

"As such, individuals should try to balance the potential stimulating benefits of caffeinated coffee in the morning with the potential for higher blood glucose levels and it may be better to consume coffee following breakfast rather than before."

"There is a lot more we need to learn about the effects of sleep on our metabolism, such as how much sleep disruption is necessary to impair our metabolism and what some of the longer-term implications of this are, as well as how exercise, for instance, could help to counter some of this."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/british-journal-of-nutrition">British Journal of Nutrition</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coffee before breakfast has a negative impact on metabolism

A new study from the University of Bath suggests that...

Scientists report an unprecedented rise in ocean temperatures. The world's oceans are facing an increasing threat from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/arctic-fires-are-changing-and-the-climate-impacts-could-be-devastating/">climate</a> change, according to research published by the <a href="https://taylorandfrancis.com/">Taylor &amp; Francis Group</a>. The latest Ocean State Report reveals that global warming is driving an unprecedented rise in ocean temperatures.

Based on data from the European Union's (EU) Copernicus Marine Environment Monitoring Service (CMEMS), researchers have identified an overall trend of rising surface temperatures worldwide. Records from 1993 to 2018 show that the most profound effects can be found in the Arctic Ocean.

The report describes record high ocean temperatures across European waters in 2018 that led to extreme weather conditions - including a marine heat wave that lasted for several months. 

In the same year, the scientists detected a large mass of warm water in the northeast Pacific Ocean that was similar to "the Blob" in 2013, which drove up sea temperatures by as much as  in 2013. As ocean temperatures rose, toxic algae killed large numbers of marine animals including salmon, seals and millions of Pacific cod.

The study authors are calling for improved monitoring to provide better data and knowledge. They believe this will help countries progress toward the sustainable use of oceans which are an essential source of food, energy, and other resources.

"Changes to the ocean have impacted on these ecosystem services and stretched them to unsustainable limits," said Karina von Schuckmann and Pierre-Yves Le Traon, who edited the report.

"More than ever a long term, comprehensive and systematic monitoring, assessment and reporting of the ocean is required. This is to ensure a sustainable science-based management of the ocean for societal benefit."

The researchers pointed out that there are other major climate-related threats to the world's oceans, including acidification, sea level rise, loss of oxygen, and sea ice retreat.

The Ocean State Report reaffirms the same message from recent EU and global assessments on the state of oceans that "we are not doing well."

"Human society has always been dependent on the seas. Failure to reach good environmental status for our seas and oceans is not an option, wrote the study authors. 

The research is published in the <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tjoo20">Journal of Operational Oceanography</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists report an unprecedented rise in ocean temperatures

Scientists report an unprecedented rise in ocean temperatures. The world's...

Due to the impacts of climate change, 31 million people living in river deltas have a disproportionately high risk of exposure to <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/historic-rainfall-in-pakistan-has-caused-deadly-flooding/">flooding</a>, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.indiana.edu/">Indiana University</a>. The research reaffirms that some of the most disadvantaged populations are also the most vulnerable to the effects of climate change.

"To date, no one has successfully quantified the global population on river deltas and assessed the cumulative impacts from climate change," said study lead author Douglas Edmonds.

"Since river deltas have long been recognized as hotspots of population growth, and with increasing impacts from climate change, we realized we needed to properly quantify what the cumulative risks are in river deltas."

The researchers found that while river deltas occupy 0.5 percent of Earth’s land surface, they contain 4.5 percent of the global population, or 339 million people. River deltas form at the ocean at or below sea level, which makes them extremely vulnerable to the destructive storm surges that are expected to occur more frequently due to the effects of climate change.

The team used a new global dataset to determine how many people live on river deltas and how many are vulnerable to a 100-year storm surge event. The experts also investigated the ability of river deltas in cities like New Orleans and Bangkok to naturally mitigate impacts of climate change.

“River deltas present special challenges for predicting coastal floods that deserve more attention in discussions about the future impacts of climate change,” said study co-author Professor Eduardo Brondizio, who has been working with rural and urban communities in the Amazon delta for 3 decades. 

“Our estimates are likely a minimum because the storm surge and flooding models do not account for the compound interactions of the climate impacts, deficient infrastructure, and high population density.”

Beyond the threat of flooding, many of the residents in river deltas are living in low-income areas that are already exposed to pollution, poor housing infrastructure, and limited access to public services. 

According to the study, 31 million of the vulnerable residents of river deltas are living in 100-year storm surge floodplains. Furthermore, 92 percent of these at-risk individuals live in developing or underdeveloped economies. 

“These communities are already dealing with health risks, lack of sanitation and services, poverty, and exposure to flooding and other environmental risks," said Professor Brondizio. "Climate change is exacerbating all of these issues and creating more impacts."

The study showed that decades of engineering have expanded the habitable land area of river deltas, but they have also starved the regions of flood-preventing sediment. If the sediment cannot naturally renew itself, the shorelines will continue to recede and the impacts of storm surges will intensify.

“To effectively prepare for more intense future coastal flooding, we need to reframe it as a problem that disproportionately impacts people on river deltas in developing and least-developed economies,” said Edmonds. 

“We need better models for the climate impacts that are capable of stimulating compound flooding in densely populated areas so that exposure and risk can be mapped to more accurately assess risk and vulnerability.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Poor communities on river deltas will be hit hard by coastal flooding

Due to the impacts of climate change, 31 million people...

Compounding effects of extreme weather strengthen hurricanes. In a new study from <a href="https://www.tamug.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University at Galveston</a>, scientists have determined that extreme weather can intensify hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico. The researchers found that hurricanes in this region can be considerably strengthened when they are preceded by other events, such as marine <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/severe-marine-heatwaves-are-becoming-much-more-common/">heatwaves</a> and a recent storm. 

"Exposure to extreme events is a major concern in coastal regions where growing human populations and stressed natural ecosystems are at significant risk to such phenomena," wrote the study authors. "However, the complex sequence of processes that transform an event from notable to extreme can be challenging to identify and hence, limit forecast abilities."

The researchers determined that a marine heatwave in the coastal waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico was caused by the compounding effects of a tropical storm followed by an atmospheric heatwave. 

"This newly identified process of generating extreme ocean temperatures occurred prior to the landfall of Hurricane Michael during October of 2018 and, as a critical contributor to storm intensity, likely contributed to the subsequent extreme hurricane," wrote the researchers. "This pattern of compounding processes will also exacerbate other environmental problems in temperature-sensitive ecosystems (e.g., coral bleaching, hypoxia) and is expected to have expanding impacts under global warming predictions."

Hurricane Michael was the first Category 5 hurricane on record to impact the Florida Panhandle. Prior to the hurricane, tropical Storm Gordon had mixed cold bottom water with warm surface water in early September. This lowered the temperatures of surface waters, increasing their capacity to absorb more heat during the subsequent atmospheric heatwave.

After the water column absorbed an unusual amount of heat energy, the resulting marine ultimately strengthened Hurricane Michael to a Category 5 storm, which was much stronger than what was anticipated.

"During summer in the ocean, solar energy increases air temperature and surface water temperature so much that the entire water column - from surface to bottom - cannot absorb heat from the atmosphere," said study co-author Kyeong Park.

"It does appear that a storm or hurricane can get stronger if the marine conditions are right. Hurricanes Sally and Laura in the past few weeks are good examples of stronger hurricanes because of the compound effect we described in our paper." 

"This pattern could also exacerbate other environmental problems in sensitive ecosystems such as bleaching of coral reefs, hypoxia (low oxygen in the water) and other problems that are predicted as global warming continues."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Compounding effects of extreme weather strengthen hurricanes

Compounding effects of extreme weather strengthen hurricanes. In a new...

Blue whales sing at night in the summertime, but this pattern of behavior completely reverses when winter approaches. As the whales prepare to migrate to their <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/acorn-woodpeckers-duke-it-out-for-days-to-win-a-prime-breeding-territory/">breeding</a> grounds, they start singing during the day, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>.

"We found that during their feeding season, whales tended to eat during the day and sing at night, but after they had decided to begin their migration, they inverted this pattern and started to produce song primarily in the day, what we refer to as an acoustic signature of migration," said study first author William Oestreich.

In collaboration with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI), the researchers studied recordings of individual blue whales and their greater populations in the Northeast Pacific. The experts were surprised to discover patterns of whale vocalizations that indicate when the animals are migrating from their feeding grounds off the North American coast to their breeding grounds off Central America.

"We were originally interested in trying to characterize the seasonal pattern of their presence and different types of sounds that they make, but as we started to dig into the data analysis, we noticed this dramatic separation of the song production during the daytime versus the nighttime," said Oestreich.

Blue whales have distinct breeding and feeding seasons that are separated by long migrations of hundreds to thousands of miles. 

"You can imagine the amount of energy required to make that journey is pretty great," said Oestreich. "That's compounded by the fact that they're the largest animal ever to live on Earth. So it makes the timing and intensity of their feeding season critical for their survival."

Researchers have previously noticed whales singing at different times of the day, but this is the first time these differences have been tied to a broader behavioral pattern. 

"This is something that's been described before in blue whales, but in some studies, they report the day/night difference and in others, there's no differences. So there's this discrepancy in the literature about when and why it happens," said Oestreich. 

The study was focused on data from underwater microphones, or hydrophones, and tags that the researchers placed on individual whales to track their movement. The findings confirm that whale songs are not used strictly for mating calls.

"An unexpected part of this work is that whale songs are typically thought of only in a mating and reproductive context," said Oestreich. "We don't dispute that, but it's interesting that there's this kind of secondary utility of song in terms of detecting foraging or migration based on the time of day the sounds are being produced."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Blue whales sing on summer nights and winter days

Blue whales sing at night in the summertime, but this...

At the current rate of greenhouse gas <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/a-drop-in-chinas-aerosol-emissions-brings-about-a-rise-in-global-warming/">emissions</a>, the amount of ice loss from Greenland this century will be higher than any other century in more than 12,000 years. The study authors used ice sheet modeling to gain a better understanding of the past, present, and future evolution of the Greenland Ice Sheet. 

According to the researchers, the findings place the ice sheet's modern decline in historical context, highlighting just how extreme and unusual projected losses for the 21st century could be.

Study lead author Dr. Jason Briner is a professor of Geology in the <a href="http://www.buffalo.edu/">University at Buffalo</a> College of Arts and Sciences. 

"Basically, we've altered our planet so much that the rates of ice sheet melt this century are on pace to be greater than anything we've seen under natural variability of the ice sheet over the past 12,000 years. We'll blow that out of the water if we don't make severe reductions to greenhouse gas emissions," said Dr. Briner. 

"If the world goes on a massive energy diet, in line with a scenario that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change calls RCP2.6, our model predicts that the Greenland Ice Sheet's rate of mass loss this century will be only slightly higher than anything experienced in the past 12,000 years."

"But, more worrisome, is that under a high-emissions RCP8.5 scenario - the one the Greenland Ice Sheet is now following - the rate of mass loss could be about four times the highest values experienced under natural climate variability over the past 12,000 years."

The analysis incorporated new, detailed reconstructions of ancient climate into the model, which was compared to real-world measurements of the ice sheet's size for validation.

"We relied on the same ice sheet model to simulate the past, the present and the future," said study co-author Dr. Jessica Badgeley. "Thus, our comparisons of the ice sheet mass change through these time periods are internally consistent, which makes for a robust comparison between past and projected ice sheet changes."

"This study shows that future ice loss is likely to be larger than anything that the ice sheet experienced in the Holocene - unless we follow a low-carbon emission scenario in the future."

The experts emphasize that this research reiterates the need for countries around the world to take urgent action to reduce harmful emissions, slow the decline of ice sheets, and mitigate sea level rise. 

"It is no secret that the Greenland Ice Sheet is in rough shape and is losing ice at an increasing rate," said study co-author Nicolás Young. "But if someone wants to poke holes in this, they could simply ask, 'how do you know this isn't just part of the ice sheet's natural variability?'"

"Well, what our study suggests is that the rate of ice loss for this century will exceed the rate of ice loss for any single century over the last 12,000 years. I think this is the first time that the current health of the Greenland Ice Sheet has been robustly placed into a long-term context."

Despite the bleak findings, one vital takeaway is that it is still possible for people and countries around the world to make an important difference by cutting emissions, said Dr. Briner. Model simulations of lower greenhouse gas emissions produced very different results. 

"Our findings are yet another wake-up call, especially for countries like the U.S.," said Dr. Briner. "Americans use more energy per person than any other nation in the world. Our nation has produced more of the CO2 that resides in the atmosphere today than any other country." 

"Americans need to go on an energy diet. The most affluent Americans, who have the highest energy footprint, can afford to make lifestyle changes, fly less, install solar panels and drive an energy-efficient vehicle."

The research was largely funded by the National Science Foundation.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Greenland's ice is melting at the fastest pace in 12,000 years

At the current rate of greenhouse gas emissions, the amount...

Global warming is not affecting days and nights in the same way, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. The researchers found that nights are warming faster than days across much of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/potential-planet-found-orbiting-a-dead-star/">planet</a>. 

Looking at the average temperatures from 1983 to 2017, the experts determined that the nights were warming faster at night by more than 0.25°C across over half of the Earth's land surface.

Days warmed more quickly in some locations, but the total area of greater night-time warming was more than twice as large. The experts report that this "warming asymmetry" has been driven primarily by changing levels of cloud cover.

When cloud cover increases, the surface temperatures are cooler during the day and the warmth is retained at night. By contrast, decreasing cloud cover allows more warmth to reach the surface during the day, but the temperature increase is lost overnight. 

Study lead author Dr Daniel Cox is an expert in the Environment and Sustainability Institute on Exeter's Penryn Campus in Cornwall.

"Warming asymmetry has potentially significant implications for the natural world," said Dr. Cox. "We demonstrate that greater night-time warming is associated with the climate becoming wetter, and this has been shown to have important consequences for plant growth and how species, such as insects and mammals, interact."

"Conversely, we also show that greater daytime warming is associated with drier conditions, combined with greater levels of overall warming, which increases species vulnerability to heat stress and dehydration.

According to Dr. Cox, those species that are only active at night or during the day will be particularly affected.

The study was focused on hourly records of temperature, cloud cover, specific humidity and precipitation. The researchers used a computer model to account for many relevant factors, including the different rates of change of daytime maximum and night-time minimum temperatures, the average daytime and night-time cloud cover, and specific levels of humidity and precipitation.

The team analyzed changes in vegetation growth and precipitation over the same period. The study revealed that increased night-time warming led to less vegetation growth where it rained more, which was likely due to greater cloud cover blocking the sun. In areas where there were warmer days and less rainfall, vegetation growth was limited by water availability.

"The impacts of the changing climate on the biological world vary across latitudes, habitats and spatial scales. By contrast, the time of day at which these changes are occurring has received relatively little attention," wrote the researchers.

"As biologically significant organismal activities often occur at particular times of day, any asymmetry in the rate of change between the daytime and night‐time will skew the climatic pressures placed on them, and this could have profound impacts on the natural world."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global warming is affecting nights faster than days

Global warming is not affecting days and nights in the...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sign-of-life-found-in-the-clouds-surrounding-venus/">Venus</a> would not be the scorching hot,  uninhabitable place it is today if Jupiter had not interfered with its orbit around the sun. According to a new study from <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">UC Riverside</a>, Jupiter was pushed toward and pulled away from the sun during the early years of its formation, and this movement threw Venus off its original course. 

The researchers said that other planetary systems have experienced similar migrations by giant planets soon after their formation, which indicates that this is a relatively common occurrence. 

Jupiter has a mass that is two-and-a-half times that of all other planets in our solar system and the ability to disturb the orbits of those other planets. The experts theorize that when Venus was knocked off course, it may have lost some of its water and continued to do so. The influence of Jupiter could have set in motion a series of events that ultimately made the planet incapable of hosting life as we know it.

"One of the interesting things about the Venus of today is that its orbit is almost perfectly circular," said study lead author and UCR astrobiologist Stephen Kane. "With this project, I wanted to explore whether the orbit has always been circular and if not, what are the implications of that?"

To investigate, Kane created a model to simulate the solar system while accounting for the location of all the planets at any given time, as well as how they pull one another in different directions.

Scientists measure how noncircular a planet's orbit is on a scale of zero to one, with zero being completely circular. The number between zero and one is called the eccentricity of the orbit. Kane explained that an orbit with an eccentricity of one would not even complete an orbit around a star; it would simply launch into space.

The orbit of Venus is currently measured at 0.006, which is the most circular of any planet in our solar system. However, Kane's model revealed that when Jupiter was closer to the sun about a billion years ago, Venus likely had an eccentricity of 0.3. At this point, Venus was much more likely to have been habitable. 

"As Jupiter migrated, Venus would have gone through dramatic changes in climate, heating up then cooling off and increasingly losing its water into the atmosphere," said Kane.

Recently, scientists detected phosphine gas in the clouds above Venus, which may indicate the presence of microbial life. According to Kane, it is possible that the gas represents "the last surviving species on a planet that went through a dramatic change in its environment."

However, for this to be the case, Kane pointed out that the microbes would have had to sustain their presence in the sulfuric acid clouds above Venus for roughly a billion years since Venus last had surface liquid water - a difficult to imagine though not impossible scenario. "There are probably a lot of other processes that could produce the gas that haven't yet been explored."

Kane concluded that it is important to understand what happened to Venus, a planet that was once likely habitable and now has surface temperatures of up to 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

"I focus on the differences between Venus and Earth, and what went wrong for Venus, so we can gain insight into how the Earth is habitable, and what we can do to shepherd this planet as best we can," said Kane.

The study is published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/2632-3338">The Planetary Science Journal</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Venus was likely habitable before Jupiter changed its course

Venus would not be the scorching hot,  uninhabitable place it...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="vpljfR2VBX-2560867-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="MHyhtebibJ-2200368-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="761m2QQvR1-2035772-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...