Life expectancy in the United States reveals a deeply fractured landscape. Yale School of Public Health researchers examined records of 179 million deaths between 1969 and 2020, and traced how generational health patterns diverged across regions.



The team chose an unconventional approach - analyzing life expectancy by birth cohort instead of by year - to uncover hidden <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unhealthy-habits-can-make-your-heart-age-faster/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">disparities</a> missed by standard mortality reports.



The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, tell a compelling story of a nation where regional policies, economic conditions, and public health initiatives shape life trajectories in dramatically different ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-expectancy-gains-in-some-states">Life expectancy gains in some states </h2>



California and New York surged ahead in terms of extending lifespans significantly. In contrast, many Southern states struggled to keep pace. This result indicates that the U.S. is a country where the place of birth remains a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/girls-diets-strongly-influence-when-they-begin-puberty/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">potent predictor</a> of lifespan.



“For females born in some Southern states, life expectancy increased by less than three years from 1900 to 2000,” said Theodore R. Holford, lead author and professor emeritus at <a href="https://www.yale.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yale</a>.



“That’s a staggering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/medical-oddity-human-skin-heals-three-times-slower-than-our-primate-relatives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">contrast</a> when you consider that in states like New York and California, life expectancy rose by more than 20 years over the same period.”



Washington, D.C., a region once synonymous with low life expectancy, now exemplifies transformative progress. Between 1900 and 2000, the life expectancy of women in the capital increased by almost 30 years, while the life expectancy of men leapt by 38 years. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-fueled-such-a-stark-contrast">What fueled such a stark contrast?</h2>



Public health policies, economic revitalization, and aggressive tobacco control campaigns reshaped the region. 



California, banned workplace smoking in 1995, slashed smoking rates among workers and teens, and lowered smoking-related deaths. Kentucky, by contrast, chose a different path by resisting tobacco control efforts and continuing to grapple with high <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rats-are-spreading-a-deadly-disease-across-cities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mortality</a> rates from smoking.



“These trends in mortality and life expectancy reflect not only each state’s policy environment but also their underlying demographics as well,” said Jamie Tam, assistant professor at Yale. 



“It’s not surprising that states with fewer improvements to life expectancy also have higher rates of poverty, for example.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-expectancy-trends-by-generation">Life expectancy trends by generation</h2>



The study’s approach of using an age-period-cohort model allowed the researchers to isolate the impact of generational experiences. 



Instead of year-by-year comparisons, the team followed birth cohorts from 1900 to 2000, revealing how early-life conditions like disease exposure, sanitation, and vaccine access shaped lifespans.



“Looking at mortality trends by cohort gives us a more accurate reflection of the lived experiences of populations,” noted Holford.



“It shows the long-term impact of policies and social conditions affecting the life course of populations, that might otherwise be invisible in year-by-year comparisons of mortality rates from different generations.”



A child born in Mississippi in 1900 faced vastly different health risks than one born in California in 1950. The study’s cohort analysis illuminated how those risks compounded over time, creating distinct health outcomes across states.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aging-rapidly-or-aging-well">Aging rapidly or aging well</h2>



States varied not only in life expectancy gains but also in how quickly health declined after age 35. Oklahoma and Iowa showed rapid rises in mortality risk, with mortality doubling in less than eight years. 



New York and Florida, in contrast, experienced slower rates of increase, suggesting healthier <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/20-year-study-of-1000-adults-reveals-how-marijuana-alters-dna/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aging</a> populations.



Among women, the slowest mortality increase occurred in New York, where it took 9.39 years for mortality risk to double. 



For men, Florida recorded the longest doubling time at 11.47 years. Oklahoma’s women faced the fastest decline, with mortality risk doubling in just 7.96 years - a rate that suggests rapid health deterioration.



“The disparities we see today are the result of decades of cumulative effects on smoking rates, health care access, environmental exposures, and public health investments,” Holford emphasized. “Without conscious policy changes, these gaps will likely persist or even widen.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reinvention-in-washington-d-c">Reinvention in Washington, D.C.</h2>



Washington, D.C., a region once plagued by poor health outcomes, now serves as a case study in urban transformation. 



At the dawn of the 20th century, women in the capital could expect to live just 63.9 years. By 2000, life expectancy had soared to 93 years - the highest gain recorded nationwide. Male life expectancy jumped from 48.7 years to 86.5 years over the same period.



What drove this metamorphosis? Improved healthcare infrastructure, urban policy changes, and robust public health initiatives fueled the gains. 



Yet, for rural Southern states, the story remained grim. In Kentucky and Alabama, policymakers resisted public health reforms, leaving residents trapped in cycles of poverty and poor health outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-poverty-s-impact-on-life-expectancy">Poverty's impact on life expectancy</h2>



While Washington, D.C., and California leveraged economic growth to implement effective health policies, states like Mississippi and Kentucky remained mired in economic hardship. 



Poverty compounded existing health risks, leaving residents more vulnerable to chronic diseases and less likely to access preventive care.



California’s tobacco control measures slashed smoking rates, particularly among younger cohorts. In Kentucky, however, the absence of similar policies allowed smoking rates to persist, resulting in higher smoking-related death rates. 



The data illustrate a stark divide: states with strong economies and progressive health policies saw life expectancy gains, while poorer states stagnated.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-interventions-to-bridge-the-gap">Interventions to bridge the gap</h2>



Targeted public health interventions offer a path forward. Researchers recommend that states with lower cohort life expectancy consider comprehensive tobacco regulations, expanded healthcare access, and environmental health initiatives.



“This research highlights the importance of viewing health through a generational lens,” Tam said. “The benefits of health interventions ripple across lifetimes.”



For Southern states, reversing the stagnation will require targeted investments in public health infrastructure, disease prevention, and health education. 



Without such efforts, the study warns, the gap between states with high and low life expectancy will only widen, locking future generations into predetermined health outcomes.



“Where you are born shouldn’t determine how long you live,” Holford concluded. “But in America, it still does.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2833159" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">JAMA Network Open</a>.



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Life expectancy in America depends on where you are born  

Life expectancy in the United States reveals a deeply fractured landscape. Yale School of Public Health researchers examined records of 179 million deaths between 1969 and 2020, and traced how generational health patterns diverged across regions. The team chose an unconventional approach - analyzing life expectancy by birth cohort instead of by year - to uncover hidden disparities missed by standard mortality reports. The findings, published in JAMA Network Open, tell a compelling story of a nation where regional policies, economic conditions, and public health initiatives shape...

Smart glass could forever change the way we use windows, potentially eliminating the need for curtains or blinds by allowing us to regulate the amount of sunlight allowed to enter.

This new glass technology has been developed by Keith Goossen, an associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at the <a href="http://www.udel.edu/">University of Delaware</a>, along with colleague Daniel Wolfe.

The new glass created by Goossen can switch between letting light in and blocking it out. The research team’s smart windows would also be an eco-friendly and a cost-effective way to cool and heat buildings. 

Similar efforts have been made with other smart glass, but Goossen’s model is much cheaper to manufacture, and it is more reflective and absorbent of light than other versions out there. In fact, this new type of smart glass is actually one-tenth the price of other smart glass technology. 

The smart glass is made with two sheets of plastic with a small space between. Goosen’s first designs had tiny cube-shaped structures contained within the plastic and these were used to reflect light back to its source. 

The space between the sheets of plastic was then filled with methyl salicylate which is an extract from wintergreen that has optical properties. The methyl salicylate enhanced the reflective capabilities of the plastic sheets. 

Recently, Goossen and Wolfe unveiled a new and improved model at the <a href="http://spie.org/conferences-and-exhibitions/smart-structures/nde?SSO=1">Smart Materials and Nondestructive Evaluation Conference</a> in Denver. The new design used one-dimensional shapes layered perpendicular within the sheets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-deep-sea-fish/">plastic</a> rather than cubes.

The smart glass can switch back and forth from transparent to blocking out light thousands of times without losing any of its reflective strength. 

There is now a good deal of interest and potential with Goossens new technology, and commercialization of the product may happen soon. Meanwhile, Goossen will work to continue to perfect and study the materials used in the glass. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New smart glass technology is cheaper and more reflective

Smart glass could forever change the way we use windows,...

According to research from the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a>, climate change could drive fishery yields down by 20 percent across the world ocean and by 60 percent in the North Atlantic before the year 2300.

The decline is primarily linked to a lack of ocean mixing. When the surface layer of ocean water is warm, it prevents the nutrients that have built up in the deep waters from rising to the surface. 

The study authors explained that significant changes in ocean mixing would ultimately drive a decline in fish populations near the surface.

Many studies have confirmed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-oceans-fisheries-fish/">fisheries</a> will be significantly less productive by the end of this century, but little research has investigated the fate of fisheries beyond 2100.

A team led by J. Keith Moore used modeling to predict the effects of climate change on fisheries under the condition that the rate of carbon emissions remains the same as it is today.

Currently, the Southern Ocean has such a successful amount of mixing that nutrients abundantly flow into other oceans. 

But now, model simulations produced by the current study indicate that changing wind patterns and warmer ocean surface layers will cause an increased portion of nutrients to sink into the deeper layer of the ocean and become trapped there. The model showed that phosphate, for example, will become 41 percent less abundant.

The steep decline of mixing in the Southern Ocean will also be facilitated by a polar shift of nutrient upwelling into the Antarctic. 

The study authors also established that ocean mixing will be particularly reduced in the North Atlantic. They explained that the long-term impact of these changes in ocean mixing will reduce fishery yields for at least a thousand years.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://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

Climate changes will significantly reduce fishery yields

According to research from the University of California, Irvine, climate...

Since <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/addiction-smartphones-imbalances-brain/">smartphones</a> have reshaped our lives over the past decade, there have been concerns that the gadget’s addictive nature is replacing real social interaction. 

Recently, students from Stanford University even <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/stanford-computer-science-students-protest-apple-addictive-devices-2018-3">protested</a> at an Apple Store in Silicon Valley, demanding that the company make changes to the iPhone to make it less addictive. 

The Stanford students aren’t the only ones who have raised issues with smartphone addiction or the idea that the device makes people anti-social. 

However, researchers from <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> in Montreal have offered some perspective on the debate surrounding smartphone addiction. 

The findings, published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology, show that people with smartphone addictions are actually “hyper-social,” and smartphones have provided an easy outlet to connect with people constantly. 

“There is a lot of panic surrounding this topic,” said Samuel Veissière, the study’s lead author. “We're trying to offer some good news and show that it is our desire for human interaction that is addictive -- and there are fairly simple solutions to deal with this.”

According to the study, humans are extremely social and have evolved to be uniquely so compared to other species. People are constantly looking to others for guidance, approval, and input from others. This is an essential part of our day to day lives and helps shape our sense of identity. 

For the study, Veissière and colleague Moriah Stendel reviewed current studies and literature regarding smartphone addiction and the dysfunctional use of smart technology through an evolutionary lens. 

The researchers found that smartphone addiction is likely rooted in the need to be “hyper-social,” and that just like any other urge, cravings can quickly turn into unhealthy addictions. 

“In post-industrial environments where foods are abundant and readily available, our cravings for fat and sugar sculpted by distant evolutionary pressures can easily go into insatiable overdrive and lead to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease,” the researchers said. “The pro-social needs and rewards [of smartphone use as a means to connect] can similarly be hijacked to produce a manic theatre of hyper-social monitoring.” 

The team suggests that instead of regulating tech companies or phone use, curbing smartphone addiction starts with the consumers and creating a dialogue about the best ways to use smartphones. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Smartphone addiction rooted in addiction to social connection

Since smartphones have reshaped our lives over the past decade,...

When talking to babies and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pets-harmful-indoor-chemicals/">dogs</a>, we often use a sort of  high pitched rhythmic talking known commonly as “baby talk.”

Scientifically, this is called infant-directed speech and research has shown that using baby talk is actually important for bonding with an infant. 

A new study set out to investigate if infant-directed speech aimed at dogs served the same useful purpose as it does for children. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a> conducted the study and found that “dog-speak,” like baby talk, does improve concentration and bonding with pet dogs. 

“This high-pitched rhythmic speech is common in human interactions with dogs in western cultures, but there isn't a great deal known about whether it benefits a dog in the same way that it does a baby,” said Katie Slocombe, a co-author of the study. "We wanted to look at this question and see whether social bonding between animals and humans was influenced by the type and content of the communication."

Previous research that studied dog-speak found that it was useful for puppies but not adult dogs. However, those experiments involved playing recordings for dogs and not having the dogs interact with a human talking to them. 

For this study, the researchers asked participants to talk to dogs who were in the same room with them.

This way the researchers could determine if dog-speak was a key motivator in who the dog gravitated towards.

Several tests were conducted with an adult dog where the dog listened to two different people. One used dog-related phrases such as “shall we go for a walk?” with dog speak, and the other use adult-directed speech and didn’t use any dog related phases. 

After this, the phrases were mixed and spoken to the dogs in different tones to determine if it was the tone or content of the words that was more appealing. 

The researchers observed the dog’s focus during these experiments and who the dog preferred to interact with after the participants finished talking. 

The dogs preferred those who had spoken to them with dog speak and dog-related phrases. According to the researchers, the results indicate that both tone and content are important for adult dogs. 

“We found that adult dogs were more likely to want to interact and spend time with the speaker that used dog-directed speech with dog-related content, than they did those that used adult-directed speech with no dog-related content,” said Alex Benjamin, the study’s lead author. 

The dogs preferred those who had spoken to them in dog speak and used dog-related phrases. According to the researchers, the results indicate that both tone and content are important for adult dogs. 

--

By <a href="mailto:mailtoLkayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Using baby talk with your dog actually found to enhance bonding

When talking to babies and dogs, we often use a...

It’s no secret that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/temperature-sleep-circadian-clocks/">sleep</a> plays an integral role in our health and wellbeing. A good night’s sleep can be the difference between a groggy, stressful day and an energetic, successful day. While sleep can certainly impact your mood, it is also important for the formation and retention of new memories. 

Retaining new memories – known as memory consolidation – is associated with sudden bursts of oscillatory brain activity, called sleep spindles. New research published in <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a> has found that sleep spindles also play an important role in strengthening new memories when newly learned information is played back to a person as they sleep.

“While it has been shown previously that targeted memory reactivation can boost memory consolidation during sleep, we now show that sleep spindles might represent the key underlying mechanism,” says Bernhard Staresina of the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a> in the UK. “Thus, direct induction of sleep spindles – for example, via transcranial electrical stimulation – perhaps combined with targeted memory reactivation, may enable us to further improve memory performance while we sleep.”

Sleep spindles are bursts of brain activity that last between a half second and two seconds, and measure in the 10-16 Hertz range on an EEG. They occur during non-rapid eye movement in sleep stages two and three. Past studies have found that the number of spindles a person experiences during the night could predict the individual’s memory the next day. In animals, studies have shown that sleep spindles are linked to the process through which the brain makes new connections. 

Researchers from the United Kingdom postulated that experimental reactivation of memories might be linked to an increase of sleep spindles in the brain of a sleeping person. To test this theory, they ran an experiment in which participants learned to associate particular adjectives with specific objects and scenes. Some participants then took a 90-minute nap following their study session, while other participants remained awake. While the napping participants slept, the researchers cued those associative memories and unfamiliar adjectives. 

The results showed that memory cues led to an increase in sleep spindles. By using the EEG while participants slept, the researchers were able to see that the EEG patterns during spindles related to the types of memories, either objects or scenes, that were being processed. Overall, these findings are evidence of the important information-processing role of sleep spindles in memory consolidation.

“Our data suggest that spindles facilitate processing of relevant memory features during sleep and that this process boosts memory consolidation,” says Staresina.

The implications of this study are far-ranging. We may now be able to further explore the processes that hold people back with learning disabilities, while also improving the processing of important information and memory for the general public.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sleep helps the brain retain newly learned information

It’s no secret that sleep plays an integral role in...

A team led by researcher Soroush Vosoughi at the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> is reporting that false information is traveling faster and reaching far more people on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/twitter-unreliable-representation/">Twitter</a> compared to information that is true. 

While news is known to spread like wildfire on social media, little is known about how these platforms facilitate the spread of false information.

The research team investigated the distribution of verified true and false news stories on Twitter between 2006 and 2017. The experts analyzed around 126,000 tweets by 3 million people that were shared more than 4.5 million times.

The study revealed that false information spread substantially farther, faster, and more broadly than the truth across all categories of information. False stories were found to be 70 percent more likely to be retweeted than true stories.

The top one percent of false news was promoted by up to 100,000 people, while the truth was rarely shared among more than 1,000 people. Political news spread the most aggressively - at three times the rate of other false stories.

The researchers also established that, when false news is considered to be novel information, it is much more likely to be retweeted and shared.

The experts analyzed the emotional content of the tweets and their replies as well. They discovered that false stories often inspire fear, disgust, and surprise, while true stories mainly inspire anticipation, joy, sadness, and trust. 

A previous study demonstrated that Americans were exposed to between one and three stories from known publish­ers of fake news during the month before the 2016 presidential election in the United States. 

Political Science Professor David Lazer and his colleagues have also addressed the issue of false news, and have recommended two key types of interventions: one that is focused on empowering individuals to evaluate and recognize fake stories, and a second that is focused on structural changes that may prevent the spread of false news. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://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

False news stories reach more people on Twitter than true stories

A team led by researcher Soroush Vosoughi at the Massachusetts...

In the last few years, the development and implementation of widespread <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fracking-sites-health-newborns/">fracking</a> in the U.S. has produced billions of barrels of oil and trillions of cubic feet of natural gas. This has led to a transformation in the global energy sector, and undercut fossil fuel markets in Saudi Arabia and Russia. Now, according to a leading global energy agency, U.S. natural gas is primed to unleash a “major second wave” of fracking, as reported in <a href="http://time.com/">TIME</a>.

In a new energy forecast this week, the <a href="https://www.iea.org/">International Energy Agency</a> (IEA) announced that growth in U.S. oil production would cover 80% of new global demand for oil over the next three years. Overall, U.S. oil production is anticipated to rise almost 30% by 2023, with much of the growth coming from oil produced as a result of fracking in West Texas.

“Non-OPEC supply growth is very, very strong, which will change a lot of parameters of the oil market in the next years to come,” says Fatih Birol, the head of the IEA. “We are going to see a major second wave of U.S. shale production coming.”

Although Republican politicians and policymakers are seeking to take credit for this development, analysts say that the growth in U.S. production is more a result of market factors than Republican policy. According to the IEA, higher oil prices and increased demand from China and India will trigger increased U.S. output in order to make up the gap. Along with overall demand for oil, the IEA also predicts that demand for petrochemicals used in plastic will increase as well. 

The implications that come as a result of this second rise in U.S. oil production are far ranging, and touch on more than just fossil fuel supply and demand. In terms of geopolitics, the U.S. supply of oil and natural gas has contributed to political upheaval in the Middle East and in Russia, creating new competition for oil exports and natural gas supply. “In a shale revolution world, no country is an island,” warns Birol. “Everyone will be affected.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

U.S. to unleash “major second wave” of fracking on the world

In the last few years, the development and implementation of...

The connection between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-risk-death/">air pollution</a> and cardiovascular and respiratory disease is well known. Exposure to pollutants can irritate the nose, eyes, throat, and lungs, worsening asthma symptoms and increasing the chance of disease. 

However, a new study published in the journal Nature Communications has found that air pollution changes the expression of our genes, and that the influence of pollutants is stronger than the genes we inherit from our parents. 

While previously it was thought that your genetic heritage had the most say over your genes, a research team from the <a href="https://oicr.on.ca/">Ontario Institute for Cancer Research </a>has found that in fact, geography and exposure to air pollution plays a major role.

For example, sulfur dioxide can affect 270 genes associated with asthma and cardiovascular disease. 

The researchers collected blood samples, genetic data, and personal information on 1,007 participants from three different areas in Quebec Province, Montréal, Quebec City, and Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean. 

Both Quebec City and Montreal are major cities which showed the researchers how pollution in large urban areas differed from the smalle, less populated Saguenay-Lac Saint-Jean. 

The researchers also gathered data on air different air pollutants in the three areas, comparing volume and exposure to pollutants to the genetic makeup and gene expression of the participants. 

No matter the ancestral history, the researchers found pollutants in specific geographic areas had the biggest influence on gene expression. 

“Both genetic variation and gene expression followed something of a geographic cline,” Philip Awadalla, the study’s lead author, told <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5464857/Fossil-fuels-air-pollution-control-expression-genes.html">Daily Mail</a>. “Leading us to initially think that gene expression was driven by your genotype. In fact, that was largely not the case. Most gene expression variation is associated with where you live rather than your genetic ancestry.”

Awadalla said the researchers considered hundreds of variables that may affect gene expression, but the results consistently pointed to air quality and exposure to pollutants as having the strongest impact. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution affects genes more even more than inherited DNA

The connection between air pollution and cardiovascular and respiratory disease...

Residents in Cape Town, South Africa, are still counting down to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cape-town-water/">Day Zero</a>, which is now expected to strike in the middle of July. At that time, the city will shut off residential taps and four million people will be forced to stand in lines to collect a daily ration of 6.6 gallons of water.

Day Zero was originally expected to arrive in April, but water conservation measures and a large donation of water to a Cape Town dam have helped to push it back. The dreaded day will officially hit when Cape Town dams are drained down to 13.5 percent.

With the rainy winter season approaching in a couple of months, there is some hope that dam levels will remain high enough to avoid Day Zero altogether. But officials are not likely to lift current water restrictions even if the city does get to keep its water supply running.

Ian Neilson, the city’s executive deputy mayor, said in a statement last month:

“Today I urge the residents of Cape Town not to ease up on their water-saving efforts. We cannot afford to slow down when the estimated Day Zero date moves out, simply because we cannot accurately predict the volume of rainfall still to come or when it will come.”

There is also no guarantee the rainfall will come at all, considering the record drought of the last three years. This drought, which experts believe has been worsened by climate change, combined with population growth and overdevelopment is what disrupted the balance of water supply and demand.

Many residents reportedly ignored voluntary water restrictions for months. In January, officials ordered residents to use no more than 50 liters, or 13.2 gallons, of water a day. 

Cape Town resident Michelle Koton explained to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/">NBC News</a> how her family has cut back on daily activities like flushing and washing clothes, and they now use plastic dishes so there are none to wash. 

“The water-saving measures were fine in the beginning, but month after month the novelty of saving water has worn off and it’s become revolting,” Koton told NBC. “I have learned so much from this experience as to how much we took water for granted and how we wasted so much.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cape Town “day zero” pushed to July, but water crisis persists

Residents in Cape Town, South Africa, are still counting down...

The sea level rise that will occur around the world as a result of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oil-companies-climate-change/">climate change</a> has been predicted to submerge many coastal regions around the San Francisco Bay by 2100. However, a recent study published in the online journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a> has found that – due to sinking land – the flooding will be even worse than previously thought.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a> and <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> used precise mapping and measurements of subsidence around the Bay Area from 2007 to 2011 in order to map out the waterfront areas that will be impacted by various estimates of sea level rise in the next 100 years. The results showed that, depending on how fast sea level rises, the regions at risk for flooding may be as much as twice what had been previously estimated just from sea level rise alone.

Past studies of this area did not take subsidence into account, and estimated that between 20 and 160 square miles of San Francisco Bay shoreline are at risk of flooding by the next century. When the effects of sinking ground along the shoreline were added, the researchers found that the area at risk of inundation rose to between 48 and 166 square miles.

“We are only looking at a scenario where we raise the bathtub water a little bit higher and look where the water level would stand,” says Roland Bürgmann, a <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">UC Berkeley</a> professor of earth and planetary science and senior author of the study. “But what if we have a 100-year storm, or king tides or other scenarios of peak water-level change? We are providing an average; the actual area that would be flooded by peak rainfall and runoff and storm surges is much larger.”

Low-end estimates of flooding are based on conservative predictions of sea level rise by 2100, which stand at about one and a half feet. However, these estimates are now being questioned, as ice sheets in Greenland and West Antarctica are melting faster than expected. Some extreme estimates are now as high as five and a half feet. With this in mind, the subsidence that geologists found makes less of a difference in extreme cases. Most of the Bay Area is subsiding at less than 2 millimeters per year, but subsidence was found to be as high as 10 millimeters per year in some areas.

“Flooding from sea level rise is clearly an issue in many coastal urban areas,” says Bürgmann. “This kind of analysis is probably going to be relevant around the world, and could be expanded to a much, much larger scale.”

Additionally, flooding is not the only problem that comes with rising seas and sinking land. When previously dry land becomes flooded, it causes saltwater contamination of surface and underground water, which increases coastal erosion and wetland losses. The consequences of these findings have wide-ranging effects.

“Accurately measuring vertical land motion is an essential component for developing robust projections of flooding exposure for coastal communities worldwide,” explains Patrick Barnard, a research geologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park. “This work is an important step forward in providing coastal managers with increasingly more detailed information on the impacts of climate change, and therefore directly supports informed decision-making that can mitigate future impacts.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sea level rise to cause considerable flooding in the Bay Area

The sea level rise that will occur around the world...

A new study is describing why people experience seasonal skin changes, such as eczema or dry skin in the winter. The research team discovered patterned changes in the breakdown levels of a protein called filaggrin, which helps to protect the barrier region of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/color-human-skin-complicated/">skin</a>.  

“This study shows clearly that the skin barrier is affected by climatic and seasonal changes. Both children and adults suffer from red cheeks in the winter in northern latitudes and some may even develop more permanent skin conditions such as atopic eczema and rosacea," said senior author Dr. Jacob Thyssen. 

“By the use of high magnification we show that the skin cells suffer from shrinkage and therefore change their surface. The clinical message to individuals are that they should protect their skin with emollients in the winter and sunscreen in the summer.”

The study revealed that the texture of cells known as corneocytes, which are found in the outermost part of the skin, changed across seasons as well.

Nina Goad is the Head of Communications at the <a href="http://www.bad.org.uk/">British Association of Dermatologists</a>.

“We already know that humidity can affect the texture of the skin and impact on skin disorders like eczema, and humidity fluctuates according to season,” said Goad.

“In the winter, rapidly changing temperatures, from heated indoors to cold outdoors environments, can affect the capillaries, and prolonged exposure to wet weather can strip the skin's barrier function.” 

Goad pointed out that this research provides a new explanation for seasonal fluctuations in the skin that occur on a cellular level.

“Given that skin problems are the most common reason for people to visit their doctor, any research that improves our understanding of skin disorders and how best to manage them is always a positive step,” said Goad.

The study is published in the <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2133">British Journal of Dermatology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why your skin can get so dry during the winter

A new study is describing why people experience seasonal skin...

Agriculture giant <a href="https://monsanto.com/">Monsanto</a> has faced years of controversy and lawsuits because of the corporation's research and development of chemicals, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gmo-crops-real-problem/">genetically modified</a> seeds and crops, and other innovations aimed at farmers around the world. 

Now, Federal Judge Vince Chhabria will be ruling over a case examining the herbicide Roundup, developed by Monsanto containing the chemical glyphosate, which faces claims that it causes non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 

Glyphosate was developed by Monsanto in the 1970s and Roundup has remained one of the most popular and widely available herbicides in the world. Both farmers and homeowners use Roundup to keep weeds away. Monsanto even sells genetically modified seeds that are glyphosate resistant. 

However, in 2015 the <a href="http://www.iarc.fr/">International Agency for Research on Cancer</a>, which is part of the <a href="http://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a>, labeled glyphosate as a “probable human carcinogen.” 

Lawsuit after lawsuit quickly followed with many claiming that Monsanto willingly deceived consumers. 

Even though the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">EPA </a>determined that the chemical is safe, a slew of international agencies have reviewed and evaluated the herbicide based on its harmful side-effects. 

Monsanto denies any wrongdoing, stating that hundreds of studies found the chemical safe and that there is no basis to claims that its a carcinogen.

“There are more than 800 published studies — scientific, medical and peer-reviewed — which demonstrate that glyphosate is safe and there is no association whatsoever with any form of cancer,” Scott Partridge, vice president of strategy at Monsanto told the Associated Press. 

Chhabria isn’t determining whether or not glyphosate causes cancer. Instead, the judge is conducting his own review to determine if the studies that have been conducted on the chemical do in fact prove that it's safe to consumers. 

The federal judge has to determine if there is a significant body of evidence to back claims that the chemical causes cancer. 

Part of this decision is dependant on whether or not Chhabria will allow testimony from the doctors and epidemiologists of those accusing Monsanto of hiding evidence that the chemical was a carcinogen. 

Without testimony from personal doctors, it will be difficult to convince a jury.

Chhabria's review is still underway, and the results could mean a huge payout by Monsanto and major steps to properly label glyphosate in herbicides as a known carcinogen, depending on the final ruling. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Federal judge to review claims that Roundup causes cancer

Agriculture giant Monsanto has faced years of controversy and lawsuits...

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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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

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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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