A walk in the forest often brings peace, calm, and a deep sense of renewal. From ancient times to modern therapy practices, forests have stood as symbols of balance and healing. But not all forests heal equally. 



As cities grow and public health concerns rise, scientists are uncovering how the design and structure of forests matter. The health benefits we get from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cities-in-the-global-south-have-far-less-green-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">green spaces</a>, especially forests, depend not just on their presence, but on what they are made of.



A new study from the University of Surrey and the <a href="https://www.ugent.be/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Ghent</a> sheds light on this. Working with partners across Europe, the research team explored how specific features of forests influence human health. 



The findings mark a major step in understanding the complex links between ecological structure and wellbeing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forest-traits-and-human-health-benefits">Forest traits and human health benefits </h2>



The study, which is part of the larger Dr. Forest research project, included 164 forests across five European countries. The researchers focused on seven ecological characteristics and their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-green-spaces-are-urgently-needed-across-the-global-south/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">influence</a> on various health outcomes.



The forests were not selected at random. They varied in structure, species mix, and density, allowing researchers to draw comparisons. This wide range of forest types provided a rare opportunity to explore how real-world differences affect human experiences and health.



The goal was not to judge forests as good or bad, but to understand how their differences shaped people’s health responses. What emerged was a nuanced view. Forests benefit health, but their structure can amplify or limit those effects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-tree-diversity">The power of tree diversity</h2>



One of the key traits studied was tree species diversity. The findings showed that more diverse forests offered modest but positive health <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-tree-layout-influences-human-health-and-mortality-rates/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">outcomes</a>. These effects were not dramatic, but they were consistent enough to support the idea that diversity is beneficial.



Tree diversity does not just matter for human health. It also supports broader biodiversity, helping insects, birds, and mammals thrive. This makes it a safe, low-risk strategy for forest managers aiming to enhance public health while improving ecosystem resilience.



More tree species create different textures, shapes, and colors, making forests more visually stimulating and ecologically stable. These aspects can subtly influence how people feel and behave when they visit such areas. 



While the direct health impacts may be limited, the indirect ones, through enhanced engagement and ecosystem strength, are valuable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-canopy-structure-a-major-influence">Canopy structure: A major influence</h2>



Among the ecological features studied, canopy structure had the strongest impact. Dense canopies reduce heat by offering shade and help regulate the forest's internal climate. They also provide larger leaf surfaces, which trap fine particulate matter and improve air quality.



These benefits are especially important in urban settings, where heatwaves and pollution are on the rise. In such contexts, a well-structured canopy becomes more than a luxury. It is a necessity. The cooling effect alone can reduce heat stress and the risk of heat-related illnesses.



Yet, there are trade-offs. Denser canopies create more humid conditions. While that is good for moisture-loving plants, it also creates ideal habitats for ticks, which carry Lyme disease. 



In addition, less sunlight reaches the forest floor. This limits the growth of medicinal plants, reducing some of the forest's potential healing properties.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mental-health-gains-beyond-structure">Mental health gains beyond structure</h2>



Perhaps the most consistent finding across the study was the benefit of simply being in a forest. Regardless of structure or biodiversity, spending time in a forest improved mental wellbeing. People reported lower anxiety and stress, along with more positive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprising-mental-health-benefits-of-living-near-green-spaces/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emotions</a>.



What enhanced these effects was how natural and biodiverse the forest felt to the visitor. Forests that looked wild, vibrant, and untamed tended to offer more psychological relief. This suggests that human perception plays a key role in shaping forest-based experiences.



“Our study shows that forests generally provide a mental health benefit, reducing anxiety and stress, regardless of their biodiversity or structure. As one in six people in England experience anxiety and depression each week, this research suggests that simply being in a forest can improve mental health,” noted Dr. Melissa Marselle, a lecturer in environmental psychology at the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Surrey</a>.



“For the UK, this means preserving urban forests so people can easily access forests where they live, work and play for their mental wellbeing. Contact with forests could be prescribed by the NHS, as research shows that NHS nature prescriptions are effective at improving mental health.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-healthier-cities-with-forests">Designing healthier cities with forests </h2>



The study points to a pressing need in urban planning. It is not enough to plant trees and call it a forest. The structure, layout, and biodiversity of these spaces must be considered. Urban forests should reduce heat, absorb pollution, and offer mental rest.



This involves difficult trade-offs. Canopy density must balance between cooling the environment and letting in enough light. Species choices should consider both ecological function and visual appeal. Forests must feel natural to the human eye while also being safe and accessible.



Planners and health professionals can now use this evidence to shape better public spaces. Health services could integrate forest access into mental health treatments. Parks could be designed not just for recreation but also for healing. In a time when stress-related disorders are rising, these changes could make a meaningful difference.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-are-essential-tools-for-public-health">Forests are essential tools for public health</h2>



This research redefines the role of forests. No longer just natural assets or scenic spots, they emerge as powerful contributors to public health. But their power lies in their details. Forests must be built, preserved, and managed with intention.



Tree diversity adds depth and life. Canopy structure shapes the microclimate and air. Visitor perceptions tie it all together. Forests that feel alive and balanced bring calm and strength to those who enter them.



Nature has always played a quiet role in healing. Now, with evidence in hand, we have the chance to shape that role more deliberately. Managed well, forests can support both ecosystems and the people who rely on them for peace and mental clarity.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-025-01547-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Sustainability</a>.



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Forests provide different health benefits based on their structure

A walk in the forest often brings peace, calm, and a deep sense of renewal. From ancient times to modern therapy practices, forests have stood as symbols of balance and healing. But not all forests heal equally. As cities grow and public health concerns rise, scientists are uncovering how the design and structure of forests matter. The health benefits we get from green spaces, especially forests, depend not just on their presence, but on what they are made of. A new study from the University of Surrey...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uni-leipzig.de/en/">University of Leipzig</a> have discovered that immune cells are activated when the bacteria found in fermented foods is detected. According to the study, both humans and great apes have cell receptors that recognize metabolites from these types of bacteria and signal the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sleep-helps-kill-infection/">immune system</a>. 

Lactic acid bacteria are those that turn milk into yogurt and cabbage into sauerkraut. The consumption of these bacteria can offer many health gains, yet these benefits are not entirely understood on a molecular level. Scientists have also not been able to pinpoint how ingesting lactic acid bacteria may affect the immune system.

For the current study, researchers were analyzing proteins on the surface of cells called hydroxycarboxylic acid (HCA) receptors. While most animals have two types of this receptor, humans and great apes have three types. 

The team discovered that a metabolite produced by lactic acid bacteria, known as D-phenyllactic acid, binds strongly to the third HCA receptor and alerts the immune system. The experts believe that the third HCA receptor appeared in a common ancestor of humans and great apes, which enabled them to consume foods that are starting to rot, such as fruits picked up off the ground.

[caption id="attachment_1873033" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/fermented.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1873033" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/fermented.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="316" /></a> D-phenyllactic acid is absorbed from lactic acid bacteria fermented food and triggers HCA3-dependent migration in human monocytes. Image Credit: Claudia Stäubert[/caption]

The findings provide new insight into the evolutionary history of microbes and their human hosts. The research may ultimately lead to a better understanding of the positive health benefits associated with fermented foods. 

"We are convinced that this receptor very likely mediates some beneficial and anti-inflammatory effects of lactic acid bacteria in humans," said study lead author Claudia Stäubert. "That is why we believe it could serve as a potential drug target to treat inflammatory diseases."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/">PLOS Genetics</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

Fermented foods offer health perks by activating the immune system

Researchers at the University of Leipzig have discovered that immune...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/gut-microbiome-promotes-healthier-aging/">Aging</a> is a part of life and beauty won’t hang on forever. It’s an unfortunate fact that as we get older, our skin will start to sag and wrinkle, turning our once fresh face of youth into a lined map of age and experience. But is there a difference between the aging characteristics of men and women?

Researcher from the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> have recently published a study in which they used computers to measure and map the changes in almost 600 parts of the face in men and women ages 26 to 90. The results showed that there were similar rates of change for the two sexes between the ages of 40 and 50, but after 50, age-related changes began to speed up in women. Not coincidentally, 50 happens to be the average age at which menopause starts.

Once women hit menopause, they rapidly experienced noticeable changes such as their nose and ears lengthening, eyes appearing smaller, and faces becoming flatter due to loss of fat and thinning of the skin. This accelerated process continued until age 60, after which the changes over time were less drastic.

The researchers believe that this acceleration is due to the loss of the sex hormone estrogen after menopause. Estrogen has significant effects on the protein collagen, which is what gives skin its elasticity, and causes bone to be re-absorbed, which has an effect on the chin and cheekbones.

In their study, the research team found that features of aging were generally similar between men and women. This included a flatter face, sagging skin, deeper lines between the nose and corner of the mouth, smaller visible areas of the eyes, thinner lips, and a longer nose and ears. However, even before age 50, women’s faces aged twice as fast as men. And between the ages of 50 and 60, the “aging trajectory” was up to three times faster.

“Men and women age similarly up to the age of 50,” says Sonja Windhager, who led the research. “It’s a linear progression. But at the age of 50, for women, it goes really fast. It doesn’t speed up at 50 for men.”

Windhager is quick to point to menopause as the main culprit behind this acceleration. 

“After the age of 50, the best predictor of how old you look is your age from menopause,” she says. “The onset of menopause varies in women quite a lot. On average, it is around the age of 50, with a variation of around ten years, with on average some women starting at 40 and some as late as 60. This seems to determine facial shape more than actual age.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Evgeny Atamanenko

Why women age faster than men after 50

Aging is a part of life and beauty won’t hang...

Although we live in a world of artificial light and Netflix binges that can keep you up well past sundown, our bodies still respond to an internal <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/circadian-rhythm-tumor-growth/">circadian clock</a>. Through reacting to cues like light and hormones, the human body can anticipate the recurring rhythms of sleep, metabolism, and other physiological processes. 

Now, new research has found that time of day can affect the severity of health issues ranging from allergies to heart attacks.

A review published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/trends/immunology/home">Trends in Immunology</a> brought together studies investigating the connection between circadian rhythms and immune responses. Most of these studies involved mice, and some showed that there was an adaptive immune response under circadian control that allowed highly specialized, pathogen-fighting cells to develop.

Results of some studies showed that – in both mice and humans – the numbers of white blood cells change in a circadian manner. One study found that heart attacks, which tend to be more severe in the morning than at night, may be influenced by decreased cardiac protection due to monocytes being elevated in infarcted heart tissue at night. This could result in decreased cardiac protection at that time of day relative to morning.

Another study found that parasite infections are dependent on the time of day. Mice that were infected with Trichuris muris, a gastrointestinal parasite, in the morning were able to kill worms significantly faster than mice infected in the evening. 

Not only could parasite infections be time-of-day dependent, but an additional study found that allergies may be as well. The study showed that allergic symptoms were generally worse between midnight and early morning, which may indicate that the molecular clock can physiologically influence immune cell recruitment and outcomes of asthma in humans.

“Investigating circadian rhythms in innate and adaptive immunity is a great tool to generally understand the physiological interplay and time-dependent succession of events in generating immune responses,” says senior author Christoph Scheiermann, an immunologist at the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/university/presentation/">University of Geneva</a>. “The challenge lies in how to channel our growing mechanistic understanding of circadian immunology into time-tailored therapies for human patients.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The time of day can impact your body’s ability to fight off illness

Although we live in a world of artificial light and...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.nist.gov/">National Institute of Standards and Technology</a> (NIST) have compared the environmental impact and energy demand of gas versus electric heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. For an energy-efficient residential home, the study suggests that gas is the most eco-friendly option.

"Fuel type is an important factor because heating and cooling accounts for a significant amount of home energy consumption," said study co-author and NIST civil engineer David Webb. "However, little research has been conducted looking at the impact of which fuel source is used, gas or electric, on achieving low-energy and low-impact goals."

"We used a unique NIST tool set of databases and software known as BIRDS (Building Industry Reporting and Design for Sustainability) to assess and measure that impact scientifically, and then provide a research method for others to do the same for any climate region in the United States."

The study was focused on data available in the latest version of BIRDS. These measurements were obtained from ongoing research at the Net-Zero Energy Residential Test Facility (NZERTF), which is located on the NIST campus in Gaithersburg, Maryland.

The NZERTF is actually a lab where NIST researchers and industry partners are designing net-zero homes. The researchers used a computer model to create one home based on this net-zero concept that used an electric HVAC system and a twin home that used <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/renewable-energy-rise-coal-lags/">natural gas</a>.

"This allowed us to make a true apples-to-apples comparison of gas versus electric for their respective energy, environmental and economic impacts," said study co-author Joshua Kneifel.

The models simulated 960,000 building design combinations and eight different economic scenarios to estimate performance over a 30-year period. The analysis revealed that a natural gas HVAC system is currently more economical for a code-compliant residential home in Maryland. 

"The overall economic benefit of natural gas was expected because, at this time, it is the cheaper fuel source in Maryland, costs less in dollars and energy expended to produce and transport, and carries a lower construction price for installation of an HVAC system which uses it," said Webb.

According to Kneifel, however, electric may become the better bargain and the more environmentally responsible option in the near future. 

"For example, as more power companies move to cleaner forms of electric generation, such as natural gas instead of coal, the environmental impact will lessen. Also, technology changes, such as cheaper and more efficient solar energy and HVAC systems, should help make the use of electricity more cost-effective."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-building-engineering">Journal of Building Engineering</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

Image Credit: Beamie Young/NIST

Gas or electric? Which is the more eco-friendly home fuel option?

Researchers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST)...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State University</a>, researchers conclude that teens who exercise more during the day often go to sleep earlier at night and stay asleep longer. More specifically, the team found that an extra hour of exercise per day causes <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/limiting-screen-time-sleep/">teens</a> to fall asleep 18 minutes earlier and stay asleep for 10 minutes longer. 

Their findings are published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

"Adolescence is a critical period to obtain adequate sleep, as sleep can affect cognitive and classroom performance, stress, and eating behaviors," said Lindsay Master, a Penn State data scientist. "Our research suggests that encouraging adolescents to spend more time exercising during the day may help their sleep health later that night."

Furthermore, the researchers found that increased sedentary behavior led to teens falling asleep later and waking up later, but sleeping for an overall shorter period of time.

"You can think of these relationships between physical activity and sleep almost like a teeter totter," said Orfeu Buxton, professor of biobehavioral health at Penn State. "When you're getting more steps, essentially, your sleep begins earlier, expands in duration, and is more efficient. Whereas if you're spending more time sedentary, it's like sitting on your sleep health: sleep length and quality goes down."

To come to their conclusion, researchers analyzed data from 417 teens who participated in the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing study, a national cohort from 20 United States cities. When each participant was 15 years old, they wore accelerometers on their hips and wrists to measure physical activity and sleep for one week.

"One of the strengths of this study was using the devices to get precise measurements about sleep and activity instead of asking participants about their own behavior, which can sometimes be skewed," Master said. "The hip device measured activity during the day, and the wrist device measured what time the participants fell asleep and woke up, and also how efficiently they slept, which means how often they were sleeping versus tossing and turning."

This data also led the researchers to conclude that more sleep and waking up later led to teens being more sedentary the next day. Master said that this could be because there is less time in the day to become active when a teen sleeps in.

Their findings also found that 73% of teens are not getting the minimum 8 to 10 hours of sleep that experts recommend.

"Becoming our best selves means being more like our best selves more often," Buxton said. "We were able to show that the beneficial effects of exercise and sleep go together, and that health risk behaviors like sedentary time affect sleep that same night. So if we can encourage people to engage in more physical activity and better sleep health behaviors on a more regular basis, it could improve their health over time."

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

More physical activity during the day can help teens sleep more efficiently

In a new study from Penn State University, researchers conclude...

In a piece written for <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>, award-winning British journalist Linda Geddes reports that the combination of exposure to less light during the day and to more artificial light at night is extremely disruptive to the body's natural <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/circadian-rhythm-tumor-growth/">circadian rhythms</a>. 

While a lack of daylight can have serious consequences for physical and mental health, Geddes points to new research which has found that even a small dose of bright light can relieve some of the symptoms. 

"The good news is researchers are finding that even small increases in your exposure to bright light during the day have a wide range of benefits, from improving sleep and mood to speeding recovery from serious illness," writes Geddes.

The lining in the back of the eye contains intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs), which are especially sensitive to blue light such as bright daylight or the light from screens. When they get fired up, these cells communicate with regions of the brain that control alertness. 

"One study found that exposure to an hour of low-intensity blue light increased people’s reaction speeds more than if they had drunk two cups of coffee," notes Geddes. "The cells also send signals to a tiny patch of brain tissue called the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN). This functions as the body’s master clock, tweaking the timing of the circadian clocks ticking in every cell of our bodies to keep them synchronized with each other and with the external time of day."

A recent study from at <a href="https://www.umu.se/en/">Umeå University</a> found in animals that ipRGCs not only signal the body's master clock, but are also directly linked to the thalamus. This region acts as an important sensory relay center that helps to regulate our mood and emotional state.

According to Geddes, darkness is just as critical as light for maintaining our body's natural, healthy rhythms. Exposure to light at night shifts our body clock and causes us to become more alert. It also suppresses the release of melatonin, which signals the body that it is time for sleep. 

Geddes says that while there is still a lot to learn about how we are affected by light and darkness, we should do our best to make our days brighter and our nights darker. 

"We evolved on a planet with a 24-hour cycle of darkness and light," she added. "It is time to reconnect with those extremes."

The full <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg24232320-100-how-getting-more-daylight-can-improve-your-mental-and-physical-health/??utm_medium=NLC&amp;utm_source=NSNS&amp;utm_campaign=2019-0530-GLOBAL-NSDAY&amp;utm_content=NSDAY">article</a> by Geddes, "How getting more daylight can improve your mental and physical health," was published on May 29 in New Scientist. 

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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: Shutterstock/Rido

A small dose of daylight can improve sleep and mood

In a piece written for New Scientist, award-winning British journalist...

Protected bike lanes help prevent fatal crashes for everyone on the road. In an unprecedented study of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/walking-biking-work-extend-life/">bicycle</a> and road safety, researchers led by the <a href="http://www.ucdenver.edu/pages/ucdwelcomepage.aspx">University of Colorado Denver</a> have found that the infrastructure developed for cyclists is playing a more important role in reducing accidents than the cyclists themselves. 

"Bicycling seems inherently dangerous on its own," said study co-author Dr. Wesley Marshall. "So it would seem that a city with a lot of bicycling is more dangerous, but the opposite is true. Building safe facilities for cyclists turned out to be one of the biggest factors in road safety for everyone."

The study revealed that bike facilities serve as calming mechanisms on traffic, promoting slower driving that results in fewer fatalities.

The investigation was based on 13 years of data from 12 large cities with high volumes of bike traffic, including Dallas and Denver. Over the study period, there was a 51-percent increase in the number of individuals who cycled to work. In addition,  the number of protected bike lanes doubled each year beginning in 2009.

The researchers analyzed over 17,000 fatalities and 77,000 severe injuries. Initially, the team expected to find that there was "safety in numbers," and that more cyclists on the road would cause drivers to slow down with a heightened awareness of their surroundings.

However, the study showed that the safer cities were not associated with an increased presence of cyclists, but with an increase in separated and protected bike lanes. Bicycling infrastructure was found to be clearly tied to better road-safety outcomes.

Between 1990 and 2010, for example,  Portland's bicycle mode share increased from 1.2 percent to 6 percent. At the same time, fatal crash rates fell by 75 percent.

"The U.S. is killing 40,000 people a year on roads, and we treat it as the cost of doing business," said Dr. Marshall. "A lot of the existing research focuses on bicycle safety; with this study, we're interested in everyone's safety."

"When we believed it was the old safety-in-numbers concept, that meant we had to figure out how to get more people on bicycles to make a city safer," said study co-author Dr. Nicholas Ferenchak. "That's not easy. But this research has boiled it down for city planners: create cycling facilities, and you'll see the impact."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/journal-of-transport-and-health">Journal of Transport &amp; Health</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

Image Credit: CU Denver

Protected bike lanes help prevent fatal crashes for everyone on the road

Protected bike lanes help prevent fatal crashes for everyone on...

Wildfire smoke is more harmful to children’s health than controlled burns. Controlled burns are an important part of wildfire management as they can clear brush and dead trees that would otherwise help wildfires spread. In California, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-western-united-states/">fire suppression</a> tactics used throughout the early 20th century is thought to be one of the reasons that California’s history of wildfires is so volatile. 

Even though scientists now understand that fires are an essential and healthy part of the forest ecosystem that allow for new growth and returning vital nutrients to the soil, there are reservations about whether prescribed burns should be used to help reduce wildfire risk. 

For residents who live near high-risk areas, a prescribed burn could increase smoke pollution and expose communities dangerous air quality levels. 

But in a new study, researchers from the <a href="http://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford University School of Medicine</a> found that prescribed burns emit less smoke and harmful pollution compared to similar sized wildfires.

The results, published in the European Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, show that children are exposed to higher air pollution levels during a wildfire compared to a controlled burn. 

“We know that there’s some public opposition to doing prescribed burning,” said Mary Prunicki, the lead author of the study. “It’s our feeling that prescribed burning, because it’s so controlled, may expose people to fewer health effects than wildfires.” 

The study was conducted in Fresno, California, which has high levels of air pollution, and the researchers collected and compared blood samples from three groups of children. 

One group of children had been exposed to smoke from a controlled burn, the second group was exposed to smoke a wildfire, and a control group of children from Seattle had not been exposed to either a controlled fire or wildfire. Wildfire smoke is more harmful to children’s health than controlled burns 

The blood samples were collected within three months of the fires. 

Air pollution levels in Fresno were also recorded from four monitoring stations, and the researchers estimated how much pollution each child in the study had been exposed to based on how far they were from the monitoring stations. 

The wildfire group was exposed to higher levels of pollutants, and blood samples showed lower levels of immune cells. 

“This study suggests that exposure to wildfire smoke is detrimental above and beyond poor air quality,” said Prunicki.” 

One reason wildfires may be more dangerous is that they can burn homes, cars, and business, releasing chemicals and pollutants not found in the forests. 

“Particulate matter from wildfires is different from region to region and depends on what is burning,” said Prunicki. “When a wildfire is going through a town, there are a lot of concerns about what happens to the chemicals in people’s homes and cars when they go up in flames.” 

The study calls for more comprehensive and detailed research to investigate the health impacts of air pollution from wildfires versus controlled burns. 

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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>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Aarti Kalyani

Wildfire smoke is more harmful to children’s health than controlled burns

Wildfire smoke is more harmful to children’s health than controlled...

The <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) has added gaming disorder to the <a href="https://icd.who.int/en/">International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11)</a>, which officially recognizes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/video-games-harm-brain/">gaming addiction</a> as a mental health disorder.

The decision comes after years of concerns and complaints raised by the public that video game addiction is a real problem. The WHO first announced its intentions to add gaming disorder to the ICD last summer and this past weekend, the organization followed through.

According to the ICD-11, gaming disorder is characterized by persistent or recurrent gaming, which interferes with and takes precedence over other activities and daily life. 

Symptoms of gaming disorder include constant gaming, the inability to stop a game, and continuing unhealthy gaming habits despite negative consequences.

In order for an individual to be diagnosed with gaming disorder, the behaviors, whether episodic or recurrent, should be evident for a year or more. 

The language used to define gaming disorder is similar to the ICD-11’s gambling disorder, which can be another healthy addiction that takes over a person’s life. 

Gaming addiction, like a gambling addiction, only applies to those individuals who have little control over their gaming, sometimes even forgoing food or sleep to keep playing a video or computer game. 

“People need to understand this doesn’t mean every child who spends hours in their room playing games is an addict, otherwise medics are going to be flooded with requests for help,” Dr. Joan Harvey, a spokeswoman for the British Psychological Society, told the <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/ct-compulsive-video-game-mental-health-problem-20180618-story.html">Chicago Tribune</a>. 

While many are in favor of the decision, the gaming industry has concerns that the decision is not based on scientific research. 

Several of the world’s top gaming organizations are asking that the decision be reversed and a statement was recently released demanding more evidence that gaming disorder is a real addiction. 

“The WHO is an esteemed organization and its guidance needs to be based on regular, inclusive, and transparent reviews backed by independent experts. ‘Gaming disorder’ is not based on sufficiently robust evidence to justify its inclusion in one of the WHO’s most important norm-setting tools.” the organizations said in a press release.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock

Gaming addiction has been officially recognized as a mental health disorder

The World Health Organization (WHO) has added gaming disorder to...

Briefly visiting a city with heavy air pollution can cause breathing issues. A new study led by researchers at the <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">NYU School of Medicine</a> has revealed that even a brief visit to a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/children-develop-asthma-air-pollution/">polluted city</a> can cause breathing issues that take a week or more to recover from. The research is the first to investigate respiratory complications experienced by young international travelers upon returning home.

"We had several reports that tourists were feeling sick when visiting polluted cities, so it became important for us to understand what was really happening to their health," said study senior author Dr. Terry Gordon.

The investigation was focused on six measurements of lung and heart health in 34 men and women traveling abroad from the metropolitan New York City area. Most of the young adults were visiting family in consistently polluted regions of India, Pakistan, and China.

The study showed that being in a polluted city reduced measures of lung function by an average of 6 percent and by as much as 20 percent. Participants who visited the highly polluted cities reported as many as five respiratory symptoms, while those who visited cities with lower pollution levels had fewer symptoms or none. Two individuals had symptoms that were bad enough to seek medical attention.

"What travelers should know is that the potential effects of air pollution on their health are real and that they should take any necessary precautions they can," said study lead author Dr. M.J. Ruzmyn Vilcassim.

Dr. Gordon recommends that those visiting highly polluted cities should consider wearing masks or consulting a doctor prior to travel if they have preexisting respiratory or cardiac health difficulties, and to consider avoiding travel during certain months. 

Next, the researchers plan to study international travelers who are more susceptible to the effects of air pollution, such as older adults and people with asthma or heart conditions.

According to the World Tourism Organization, the number of tourists traveling internationally is expected to grow to 1.8 billion by 2030.

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jtm">Journal of Travel Medicine</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

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Hung Chung Chih / Shutterstock

Briefly visiting a city with heavy air pollution can cause breathing issues

Briefly visiting a city with heavy air pollution can cause...

New research has revealed that climate change could soon create optimal conditions for diseases like malaria to spread beyond warm, tropical areas. 

Malaria is considered a tropical disease because of the prevalence of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genetically-modified-mosquitoes-malaria/">malaria</a> in tropical and subtropical regions. Malaria parasites develop quickly enough in these climates within the mosquito that it can transmit the disease. 

But researchers from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> and the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have found that malaria parasites develop faster in mosquitoes in colder temperatures than previously realized. 

The findings of the study were published in the journal Biology Letters.

Even a slight increase in global temperatures could put millions more people at risk of being infected.  

It was previously thought that malaria parasites develop too slow in cold climates for the disease to be transmitted. 

“The rate of malaria transmission to humans is strongly determined by the time it takes for the parasites to develop in the mosquito,” said Matthew Thomas, a member of the research team. “The quicker the parasites develop, the greater the chance that the mosquito will survive long enough for the parasites to complete their development and be transmitted to humans.”

Malaria parasite development in relation to temperature hasn’t been examined since the 1930s, and the researchers wanted to see how climate change might impact parasite development in regions where malaria risk is low. 

The researchers focused on two species of mosquitoes, Anopheles stephensi and Anopheles gambiae, and monitored  malaria-infected specimens from both species in a lab setting. 

The mosquitos were subjected to a variety of temperatures ranging from 60 to 68 degrees Fahrenheit. 

A control group of mosquitoes was exposed to a steady temperature of 80 degrees Fahrenheit, the optimal temperature for malaria to spread. 

Past models have found that it takes 56 days for a malaria parasite to develop in cooler temperatures, but the researchers found that at 64 degrees Fahrenheit, a parasite can develop in as little as 31 days. 

Given that the average lifespan of a mosquito is anywhere between 42 and 56 days, this means that an infected mosquito could spread the disease to a host. 

When temperatures varied, the researchers saw parasites developing in 27 days at 64 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Our work shows that even small increases in temperature could dramatically increase malaria infections in humans because the parasites develop much faster at these lower temperatures than has been previously estimated,” said Jessica Waite, a researcher for the study. “Parasite development rate further increases when temperatures fluctuate naturally, from cooler at night to warmer in the day.”

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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>

Image Credit: Penn State

Climate change could increase the risk of malaria in colder areas

New research has revealed that climate change could soon create...

Overeating can cause neurological changes that can lead to obesity. A new study released by the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> shows that overeating effectively “cuts the breaks” on the brain’s ability to reduce food intake, and can therefore cause neurological changes that lead to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/chemicals-everyday-products-obesity/">obesity</a>, a disease that affects more than 500 million adults worldwide.

The study, completed on mice, shows how diet-induced obesity can actually alter the function of a critical neurological feeding suppression system. 

Prior research on how the brain and obesity are linked show that the lateral hypothalamic area (LHA), which mediates physiological functions connected to survival, is a crucial component necessary for controlling eating behavior.

Researcher Mark Rossi and his colleagues used a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing and two-photon calcium imaging to identify and analyze obesity-linked alterations in certain cells within the LHA. 

They found a distinct class of cells called glutamatergic neurons that suppress food intake beyond satiation.

But, in mice who ate high-fat, obesogenic diets, Rossi and his team found that the glutamatergic neurons are altered and therefore cannot effectively suppress natural feeding.

These findings, published in <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6447/1233">Science</a>, could potentially help identify therapeutic methods for eating disorders and help quell the obesity epidemic in humans.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Syda Productions

Overeating can cause neurological changes that can lead to obesity

Overeating can cause neurological changes that can lead to obesity....

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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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

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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

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"] Astronomers at Johns Hopkins University have created...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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