Hope isn’t just a nice feeling - it is a lifeline. While happiness and gratitude often get the spotlight in discussions around well-being, new research shows that hope might be even more important. 



A recent study from researchers at the <a href="https://missouri.edu/">University of Missouri</a> challenges long-held assumptions about hope. It’s not about wishful thinking - hope gives life depth, purpose, and direction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-powerful-emotional-force">A powerful emotional force </h2>



For years, hope has been primarily linked to motivation and setting goals. But this latest research suggests that there’s something deeper going on. 



Hope is not just about achieving things. It’s a powerful emotional force that helps us feel like our lives matter.



Study lead author Megan Edwards earned a doctorate at Mizzou and is now a postdoctoral scholar at Duke University.



"Our research shifts the perspective on hope from merely a cognitive process related to goal attainment to recognizing it as a vital emotional experience that enriches life's meaning," said Edwards. "This insight opens new avenues for enhancing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/houseplants-boosted-psychological-well-being-during-covid-19-lockdown/">psychological well-being</a>.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hope-isn-t-a-luxury-it-s-essential">Hope isn’t a luxury - it’s essential</h2>



The study, conducted in the Department of Psychological Sciences, included six experiments and more than 2,300 participants from different backgrounds. 



The team looked at a wide range of positive emotions - amusement, excitement, contentment, happiness. But again and again, one emotion stood out.



Only hope consistently predicted a stronger sense of meaning in life. This isn’t just an abstract idea. Feeling like your life has meaning has real-world effects. It’s tied to better relationships, improved physical health, higher income, and greater emotional well-being.



“<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/we-often-undervalue-the-most-meaningful-experiences-in-life/">Experiencing life as meaningful</a> is crucial for just about every good thing you can imagine in a person's life,” said study co-author Professor Laura King.



“This cornerstone of psychological functioning is not a rare experience - it is available to people in their everyday lives and hope is one of the things that make life feel meaningful.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-sets-hope-apart">What sets hope apart</h2>



So what sets hope apart from other positive emotions? It isn’t just about feeling good in the moment - it’s about feeling like tomorrow might be better than today.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/where-does-happiness-come-from-it-depends-on-who-you-are/">Happiness</a>, for example, is often tied to what’s happening right now. A fun event, a compliment, a good day. 



Gratitude reflects on what has already happened - what you’ve received or survived. But hope is forward-looking. It lives in possibility, and that’s what gives it power.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-getting-through-the-tough-times">Getting through the tough times</h2>



Hope helps people move through hard times, not by pretending things are perfect, but by allowing them to imagine that things could improve. 



It’s that sense of potential - even when things are rough - that keeps people going. Hope is what helps someone apply for a job after a rejection, try again after a setback, or get out of bed when life feels heavy.



And unlike fleeting moments of happiness, hope can stick around. It can grow quietly, even in tough conditions, shaping how we see our lives and what we believe is possible.



This emotional staying power might explain why hope plays such a strong role in shaping how meaningful life feels. It’s not just a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/houseplants-improve-mood-and-productivity/">mood</a> - it’s a mindset. One that’s deeply connected to resilience, purpose, and mental health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-simple-ways-to-build-hope-daily">Simple ways to build hope daily</h2>



You don’t need a big life overhaul to build hope. The researchers suggest simple, practical habits that can make a real difference. 



Start by noticing the good moments - even something as small as a peaceful morning or a kind gesture. These small wins remind us that things can go right.



In chaotic times, look for small chances to move forward. Even tiny steps can help you feel more in control. 



Recognize and celebrate progress - in yourself and others. Whether it’s healing, learning something new, or simply getting through a tough week, every step forward can fuel hope.



Taking care of something - a plant, a pet, or another person - reinforces the idea that the future matters.



And above all, remember that nothing stays the same forever. Hard times don’t last. Change is always possible, and hope begins with believing that.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-the-research-is-going">Where the research is going</h2>



This study opens up a lot of questions, and the researchers are already looking ahead. They plan to dig deeper into how hope works in the middle of serious challenges. 



Can it help people find meaning even when they’re going through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cats-mourn-the-loss-of-other-pets-similar-to-human-grief/">grief</a>, illness, or major setbacks? That’s what they want to find out next.



One thing is clear: hope isn’t just a feel-good emotion. It’s something we need to live well. And it’s something we can practice every day. 



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2Femo0001513">Emotion</a>.



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Experts identify the simple emotion that gives life meaning - and it's not happiness

Hope isn’t just a nice feeling - it is a lifeline. While happiness and gratitude often get the spotlight in discussions around well-being, new research shows that hope might be even more important. A recent study from researchers at the University of Missouri challenges long-held assumptions about hope. It’s not about wishful thinking - hope gives life depth, purpose, and direction. A powerful emotional force For years, hope has been primarily linked to motivation and setting goals. But this latest research suggests that there’s something deeper going...

A new report released by the <a href="https://www.smmt.co.uk/reports/co2-report/">UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders</a> (SMMT) shows that CO2 emissions from new cars have risen for the first time since 2000. 

The cause, according to the SMMT, is the country’s aim to do away with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diesel-vehicles-deaths-europe/">diesel</a>. 

The UK allows taxes to be implemented on new diesel car owners, but rather than buying zero emission and electric cars, consumers are simply purchasing traditional gas-fueled models.

Diesel models are said to have better mileage, which may be another reason why the efforts to ban diesel appear to have slightly backfired. 

Greg Archer, a director of the <a href="https://www.transportenvironment.org/about-us">Transport &amp; Environment Organization,</a> an association whose mission is cleaner transportation and sustainable development in the EU, told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/business/2018/feb/27/co2-emissions-from-average-uk-new-car-rise-for-first-time-since-2000">the Guardian</a> that blaming diesel is just a convenient way to avoid the real issues. 

“The principal reason CO2 emissions are rising is that carmakers are selling more gas-guzzling SUVs,” said Archer. “Blaming the slump in diesel sales is a smokescreen that hides their failure to fit fuel efficiency technologies to the new cars they are selling.”

The new report states that in 2017, CO2 emissions rose by 8 percent. This is the first recorded rise in emissions in two decades, and there are concerns that now the UK will not be able to meet the goals set by the Paris Accord. 

Even though the SMMT points to declines in diesel sales as one of the main drivers behind the rise in emissions, the report also notes that consumers opting away from zero emission electric, or hybrid models is another important factor. 

Electric models and hybrids are just too expensive for consumers at this point, and there are no tax incentives to make zero-emission cars more affordable in the United Kingdom. 

The chief executive of the SMMT, Mike Hawes, commented on the report saying that in order to keep emissions down and keep up with Paris Climate Agreement, electric and hybrid car sales would have to increase. 

“The industry shares government’s vision of a low carbon future and is investing to get us there – but we can’t do it overnight; nor can we do it alone,” Hawes said. 

“The anti-diesel agenda has set back progress on climate change, while electric vehicle demand remains disappointingly low amid consumer concerns around charging infrastructure availability and affordability.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

CO2 emissions from cars on the rise again in the UK

A new report released by the UK’s Society of Motor Manufacturers...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.gwu.edu/">George Washington University</a> have found that recent changes in America's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/immigration-detention-centers-prisons/">immigration</a> policy have caused psychological distress among many Latino parents - even those who are legal citizens. 

Dr. Kathleen Roche is an associate professor of Prevention and Community Health and the lead author of study.

“A substantial proportion of Latino parents reported that they are avoiding authorities, warning their children to change their routines and worrying about the future due to recent U.S. immigration policies and news,” said Dr. Roche. 

“Parents experiencing these kinds of immigration-related consequences also appear to be at a very high risk of anxiety, depression, and other forms of distress.”

The investigation is one of the first to assess the impact of recent immigration policies on Latino parents and teenagers in the United States. The research was focused on 213 Latino parents with adolescent children.

While some of the parents participating in the study did not have documentation, over two-thirds were in the United States legally. They were asked questions regarding how immigration policies had affected them in recent months.


The study revealed that 64 percent of Latino parents reported being worried about family members getting separated either very often or all the time.

In addition, 40 percent of the study participants said that they typically avoid seeking medical care, help from police, or support from social services due to immigration news and actions.

Nearly half of the parents surveyed said that recent immigration laws have led them to tell teenagers to change their behaviors and steer clear of authorities.

The researchers also conducted a survey to assess various symptoms of depression and anxiety among the Latino parents.

According to Dr. Roche, parents who frequently worried about immigration news and policies had at least a 300 percent higher risk of serious psychological distress, including symptoms of anxiety and depression.

“Such high levels of distress among parents raise concerns about immigration impacts on the entire family, including among teenagers,” said Dr. Roche. 

“Studies show that adolescents whose parents are anxious or depressed are at elevated risk of doing poorly in school, adopting risky behaviors, and developing lifelong health and mental health problems.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.jahonline.org/">Journal of Adolescent Health</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New immigration policies cause high stress for Latino parents

Researchers at George Washington University have found that recent changes...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.acc.org/">American College of Cardiology</a> have found a link between fluctuating temperatures and cardiovascular health. Major temperature changes are associated with an increased number of heart attacks, according to the study.

Lead author Hedvig Andersson is a cardiology researcher at the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a>.

“Global warming is expected to cause extreme weather events, which may, in turn, result in large day-to-day fluctuations in temperature,” said Andersson. 

“Our study suggests that such fluctuations in outdoor temperature could potentially lead to an increased number of heart attacks and affect global cardiac health in the future.”


Previous studies on the health effects of extreme temperature changes have shown that outdoor temperature has a significant influence on the rate of heart attacks, with cold weather imposing the highest risk.

“While the body has effective systems for responding to changes in temperature, it might be that more rapid and extreme fluctuations create more stress on those systems, which could contribute to health problems,” said Andersson.

The investigation was focused on over 30,000 patients who had received coronary intervention treatments at 45 Michigan hospitals between 2010 and 2016. The researchers examined the daily temperature fluctuations that correlated with these heart attacks.


The study revealed that, for every nine-degree rise in temperature, the risk of a heart attack increased by around 5 percent. 

In the summer, nearly twice as many heart attacks were predicted with a 63-degree shift between the highest and lowest daily temperature.

“Generally, we think of heart attack risk factors as those that apply to individual patients and we have, consequently, identified lifestyle changes or medications to modify them. Population-level risk factors need a similar approach,” said senior author Hitinder Gurm.

“Temperature fluctuations are common and [often] predictable. More research is needed to better understand the underlying mechanisms for how temperature fluctuations increase the risk of heart attacks, which would allow us to perhaps devise a successful prevention approach.”

The experts pointed out that sudden temperature changes are not necessarily the cause of more heart attacks, and that other factors may have contributed to the results of the study. 

Dr. Gurm emphasized that it is still important to focus on cardiovascular risk factors that can be modified, such as smoking and high blood pressure.

The study is being presented at the American College of Cardiology's 67th Annual Scientific Session.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Can abrupt temperature changes trigger heart attacks?

Researchers at the American College of Cardiology have found a...

One of the inevitable consequences of aging is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cannabis-slow-memory-loss/">memory loss</a> and inability to think as quickly and clearly. For some people, this problem occurs faster and more drastically than others. Now, scientists believe they have a new way to determine who is more likely to develop thinking and memory problems as they age.

A recent study in the journal <a href="http://www.neurology.org/">Neurology</a> has found that people whose eyes show signs of small changes in blood vessels at age 60 may be more likely to develop thinking and memory problems by the time they are 80 than people with healthy eyes.

The researchers had 12,317 participants take memory tests and assess their thinking skills at the beginning of the study. They then did follow-up tests six years later and a third time 20 years later. Using a special retinal camera, they also took photos of the back of the participants’ eyes about three years after the study began. At this point in time, the participants were an average age of 60.  Of the participants studied, 11,692 had no signs of retinopathy – damage to the blood vessels in the retina – while 365 people had mild retinopathy and 256 people had moderate to severe damage. 

“Problems with the small blood vessels in the brain are likely as important a factor in cognitive decline as problems with larger arteries, but we don’t have the ability to take pictures of these small vessels with brain imaging,” says Jennifer A. Deal, of <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> and one of the study’s authors. 
“Because the blood vessels in the eye and the brain are so similar anatomically, we hypothesized that looking at the blood vessels in the eye would help us understand what was happening in the brain.”

The results showed that people who had moderate to severe retinopathy were more likely to have larger declines in their scores on the memory and thinking tests over time than those who had healthy eyes. “If our study results can be confirmed, differences in retinal integrity could provide reasonable estimates of how much small blood vessel damage in the brain is contributing to cognitive decline,” says Deal. Further study could increase our understanding of the factors behind cognitive decline, and possibly help us combat the condition in the future.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Future memory loss can be detected in our eyes today

One of the inevitable consequences of aging is memory loss...

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.acc.org/">American College of Cardiology</a> are reporting that football players develop structural changes in the heart which cause an increased risk of heart rhythm disorders later in life. 

One study revealed that former NFL players are more than five times as likely to have a heart rhythm disorder, such as atrial fibrillation (AFib).

In a separate study, college <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/youth-football-alter-brain/">football</a> players showed notable changes to the structure of the heart after just one season of play. 

Dr. Dermot Phelan is the director of the sports cardiology center at <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/">Cleveland Clinic</a> and the lead author of the study focused on former NFL players.

“We know that sporting activity increases longevity and has multiple benefits for the cardiovascular system, but our findings seem to suggest that perhaps when you get to the extreme ends that we see in these elite athletes, there may be a negative impact on the heart,” said Dr. Phelan.

“Players should not assume that leading a healthy lifestyle in terms of regular exercise means that they're immune from developing cardiac problems and, in fact, they may be at higher risk for things like atrial fibrillation.”

Dr. Phelan’s team conducted a cardiovascular screening of 460 former NFL players that included an electrocardiogram, blood tests, and a survey on cardiovascular history. The experts compared the results to a sample of 925 people from the general public with similarities to the athletes such as age and race.

The risk of AFib and other abnormal electrical impulses in the heart among NFL players was found to be 5.5-times higher compared with non-athletes. The football players also tended to have a lower resting heart rate.

“Because they had a low resting heart rate, most of them did not get the rapid heart rate that typically warns people that they have atrial fibrillation,” said Dr. Phelan. 

“Most were unaware of it until our screening study. The message is that they need to get regular checkups to be sure they are maintaining a proper heart rhythm.”

In the analysis of college football players, which was conducted by researchers at <a href="http://www.emory.edu/home/index.html">Emory University</a>, the football players showed significant enlargement of the aortic root. 

Furthermore, the athletes tended to develop higher systolic blood pressure and increases in vascular stiffening and thickening of the left ventricle. These changes were particularly noted in the larger lineman position players and appeared to be beyond the effects of normal exercise training.

“We often think of football players, like all athletes, as the picture of health, but we're gaining this body of knowledge that signals some maladaptive cardiovascular changes and potentially even early cardiac risk in some of these players," said lead author Dr. Jonathan Kim.

“It suggests we need to pay close attention to the heart health of young football players. Also, future studies will need to focus on understanding the clinical significance of our findings.”

The research will be presented at the 67th Annual Scientific Session of the <a href="http://www.acc.org/">American College of Cardiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Football players face increased risk of cardiovascular problems

Researchers at the American College of Cardiology are reporting that...

A recent investigation into individual happiness and well-being has revealed that women are both happier and more satisfied than men, but women also admit to being more anxious. The results of the study indicate that there is a gender gap when it comes to life satisfaction.

The <a href="https://www.ons.gov.uk/">Office for National Statistics</a> (ONS) has been gauging the happiness of British residents for the last six years, ever since former Prime Minister David Cameron said that data was needed on the emotional state of the nation.

The study was focused on the responses of over 300,000 individuals to the ONS Annual Population Survey. Participants were asked to report on four aspects of well-being including whether they were satisfied with their lives, whether they were happy, whether they felt their lives were worthwhile, and how anxious they felt on the previous day.

The results of the ONS survey suggest that women are benefiting more from the recovery of the economy. However, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/teens-women-drivers/">women</a> are also experiencing more anxiety than men.

The report from ONS said: “Over time, women have consistently reported higher levels of life satisfaction and worthwhile every year, but have also reported higher levels of anxiety since we first began collecting data in 2011.”

The statisticians have found that, over the course of six years, British citizens have become generally happier. The statistics show an overall increase in happiness by more than 3 percent.

The researchers attribute this rise in happiness to an improving economy, but do not provide an explanation for why women seem to be happier than men. The experts also do not give a reason for why overall well-being improved in Britain, but there were no significant changes found in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Women found to be happier than men, but also more anxious

A recent investigation into individual happiness and well-being has revealed...

Researchers at the <a href="http://medicine.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter Medical School</a> have conducted the first large-scale analysis to determine whether swimming in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/previously-hidden-sources-of-ocean-pollution-discovered/">ocean</a> is associated with an increased risk of certain ailments. The study revealed that people who swim or bathe in the sea are significantly more prone to stomach bugs, earaches, and other illnesses.

“We don't want to deter people from going into the sea, which has many health benefits such as improving physical fitness, well-being and connecting with nature,” said lead author Dr. Will Gaze. 

“However, it is important that people are aware of the risks so they can make informed decisions. Although most people will recover from infections with no medical treatment, they can prove more serious for vulnerable people, such as the very old or very young, or those with pre-existing health conditions.”

The researchers found that exposure to ocean water doubled the risk of general ear ailments. In particular, the odds of an earache increased by 77 percent. In addition, the risk of gastrointestinal illnesses was found to increase by 29 percent for those who swim in ocean water.

“In high-income countries like the UK, there is a perception that there is little risk to health of spending time in the sea,” said study co-author Dr. Anne Leonard.

“However, our paper shows that spending time in the sea does increase the probability of developing illnesses, such as ear ailments and problems involving the digestive system, such as stomach ache and diarrhoea. We think that this indicates that pollution is still an issue affecting swimmers in some of the world's richest countries.”

Despite significant improvements in the quality of ocean water in recent years, there is still pollution present from industrial waste, sewage, and other sources.

The team based its analysis on 19 previous studies that involved thousands of participants. The research provided the experts with information on links between sea bathing and the incidence of illness in high-income countries including the United States, the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, and Norway.

“We have come a long way in terms of cleaning up our waters, but our evidence shows there is still work to be done,” said Dr. Gaze. “We hope this research will contribute to further efforts to clean up our coastal waters.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ije">International Journal of Epidemiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Swimming in the ocean linked to certain illnesses

Researchers at the University of Exeter Medical School have conducted...

Age really may be nothin’ but a number, as a new study found that our perception of different ages changes as we get older.

Researchers from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> discovered that understandings of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/positive-attitude-dementia-risk/">age</a> are largely skewed among younger generations. 

Their new study was published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology and is the largest of its kind. 

The researchers collected responses from 502,548 survey participants online, with ages ranging from 10 to 89. 

Some of the major takeaways from the study were that 30,000 people thought middle age started at 30 and that perception of age changes more the older we get. The researchers found that the older a person was, the younger they actually felt. 

The responses also revealed that younger people largely had a negative opinion of aging. 

“I find it interesting that there's a ton of people who have skewed perceptions about aging - mostly young adults,” said William Chopik, a lead researcher of the study. “I think the most interesting finding of this study is that our perceptions of aging aren't static - they change as we change ourselves," Chopik said. "What you consider to be old changes as you become old yourself.” 

Chopik went on to explain that the reason younger people may have a hard time with the realities of aging is that adulthood is often looked on negatively, but the older a person gets, the more positive their experience is in dealing with aging. 

Study participants were also asked about optimal life expectancy and how long they wanted to live. Not surprisingly, the answer varied based on current age. 

Younger and older age groups wanted to live longer, into their early 90s, but those participants in their 30s and 40s said they would prefer to live to see their late 80s. 

The researchers say their study highlights some important factors about perceptions of aging, and the results coincide with theories about how people psychologically distance themselves from old age and older people.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Our perception of age changes over time, study finds

Age really may be nothin’ but a number, as a...

The North Pole nearly reached its melting point over the weekend after a massive storm generated a heat surge in the Greenland Sea. During what should be the coldest part of the year, experts have estimated that the temperature reached over 50 degrees warmer than usual in some regions of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctics-mammal-global-warming/">Arctic</a>.

According to the U.S. Global Forecast System model, the temperature spiked as high as 35 degrees Fahrenheit at the North Pole. Zack Labe, a climate scientist and PhD student at the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California at Irvine</a>, said that the warm air intrusion penetrated right through the heart of the Central Arctic.

Warm air intrusions, which occur when relatively mild air is carried north by mid-latitude storms, were once a rare event in the Arctic. An <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318328090_Increasing_frequency_and_duration_of_Arctic_winter_warming_events">investigation</a> led by Robert Graham at the <a href="http://www.npolar.no/en/">Norwegian Polar Institute</a> found that Arctic warming has become much more frequent and intense in the last few decades.

Graham pointed out that extreme warming events have now occurred four out of the last five winters in the Arctic. He explained that this heightened frequency is directly related to thinning sea ice.

“As the sea ice is melting and thinning, it is becoming more vulnerable to these winter storms,” said Graham. “The thinner ice drifts more quickly and can break up into smaller pieces. The strong winds from the south can push the ice further north into the Central Arctic, exposing the open water and releasing heat to the atmosphere from the ocean.”

Scientists were recently shocked to find an area of open water north of Greenland where the some of the oldest and thickest Arctic sea ice used to be.

In the Arctic, temperatures are rising twice as fast as the global average. The entire area of the globe north of 80 degrees latitude reached an average of 36 degrees hotter than usual this month - the highest mean temperature ever recorded in the Arctic region.

In an interview, Zack Labe referenced a dataset from the Danish Meteorological Institute that dates back to 1958. “No other warm intrusions were very close to this,” he said. “I was taken by surprise how expansive this warm intrusion was.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

North Pole temps rise above freezing in the middle of winter

The North Pole nearly reached its melting point over the...

For residents of Southern California’s Orange County, finding a clean beach is more important than a scenic view or a sandy beachfront, according to a new study. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> weighed the economic benefits of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-reduce-plastic-pollution/">beach cleanup</a> and found that a concerted effort to remove debris and plastics from coastlines could equate to a 46 million dollar boost to the economy of Orange County alone. 

Besides aiding the economy, beach cleanup would also help preserve important coastal landmarks and conserve marine habitats. 

Tim Haab, a co-author of the study, notes that the research is the first of its kind to put a dollar value on beach cleanup and how ocean and beach pollution impact visitors.

The findings were published in the journal Marine Resource Economics. 

For the study, Haab and his colleagues, in collaboration, with the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) marine debris program, conducted a two-part study that included survey responses of beachgoers and analyzing beach data from California. 

Data was collected on ocean debris from 31 California beaches and the debris ranged from plastics, trash from rivers, to litter from visitors. 

The researchers also surveyed 4,000 randomly selected Orange County residents by mail and received 1,436 completed responses back. 

The surveys included questions about which beaches residents preferred to visit and what they considered a good beach spot. 

The survey responses ranked clean beaches and water quality much higher than scenic beauty, parking, or sandiness.

These responses were then used to calculate the cost of traveling long distances to a nicer, more desirable beach rather than visiting a closer, dirty beach. 

"A lot of work has been done to quantify the physical costs of ocean debris, but until now we haven't been able to quantify the economic benefit of cleaning up the beaches and preventing the problem in the first place," Haab said.

The results showed that beach cleanup efforts would be cost effective and save residents the money they would spend on extra travel time. 

If beach debris were reduced by 25 percent, the calculated savings would be $29.5 million, or almost $13 per Orange County resident. If 75 percent of debris were removed from beaches, the savings would be $46.5 million, or $42.30 per resident in a three month period. 

The results show the economic value of cleaner beaches, which according to the researchers is an important factor for policymakers. 

 “We put a dollar value on beach cleanup efforts. This is important because it helps government agencies quantify the benefits of efforts to keep marine debris out of our waterways and off of our beaches,” said Christopher Leggett, the study’s co-author. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Cleaning up beaches can boost local economies

For residents of Southern California’s Orange County, finding a clean...

The relationship between maternal health and fetal development is a crucial one for both the mother and her expected baby.

Now, a new study has found that the stronger a woman’s immune system is, the more beneficial it is to brain connectivity in her child, and that the state of a mother’s immune system can impact a child's susceptibility to psychiatric disorders like schizophrenia or ADHD.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.chla.org/">Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles</a> conducted the study with new teenage mothers and published their findings in the journal JNeurosci. 

Adolescents ages 14 to 19 and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-exposure-birth-problems/">pregnant</a> with their first child were asked to participate in the study during their third trimester. 

The researchers specifically focused on the two proteins released by the maternal immune system and their influence on infant brain development. 

The proteins were linked to a neural network associated with several psychiatric disorders. 

The results showed that higher levels of the proteins in the mother correlated with stronger connectivity in the infant's brain and impacted cognitive ability. The team found that a stronger immune system decreased the susceptibility to psychiatric disorders later in life. 

The researchers note that their work showcases the importance of maternal health during the finals week of pregnancy and that the third trimester is a critical time for fetal brain development. 

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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

A mother’s immune system impacts a baby’s brain development

The relationship between maternal health and fetal development is a...

A new study has revealed that wind and solar power could supply 80 percent of the electricity demand in the United States.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/renewable-energy-creating-jobs/">Wind and solar</a> job opportunities are projected to skyrocket in the coming years as the world works to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and mitigate the effects of climate change. 

The question then for researchers is how to sustainably meet power demand with green, renewable, and clean energy sources without risk of power outages due to the inconsistent nature of solar, wind, and hydro power. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a> found that solar and wind power could meet demand for 80 percent of the country’s electricity, and that 100 percent of the demand could be met but using viable storage solutions. 

The study, published in the journal Energy and Environmental Science, notes that solar and wind power are not completely dependable and several weeks worth of electricity would have to be stored up to reliably meet 100 percent of demand. 

“The sun sets, and the wind doesn't always blow,” said Steven Davis, a co-author of the study. “If we want a reliable power system based on these resources, how do we deal with their daily and seasonal changes?”

In order to assess the reliability of solar and wind power as a possible alternative to carbon-based fuels, the researchers collected and analyzed weather data spanning from 1980 to 2015. 

“We looked at the variability of solar and wind energy over both time and space and compared that to U.S. electricity demand,” said Davis. “What we found is that we could reliably get around 80 percent of our electricity from these sources by building either a continental-scale transmission network or facilities that could store 12 hours' worth of the nation's electricity demand.” 

In order to meet 100 percent of the country’s power needs, researchers say that some forms of low carbon power sources would be required to store and transmit enough energy to keep up with demand. 

The cost of building the kind of framework could amount to hundreds of billions of dollars. According to the researchers, it would take a substantial sum to meet the country’s power needs with solar and wind, but it's not impossible. 

The results are promising because it shows that renewable energy sources like solar and wind can sustainably meet power demand above and beyond what was previously believed to be possible. 

“The fact that we could get 80 percent of our power from wind and solar alone is really encouraging,” said Davis. “Five years ago, many people doubted that these resources could account for more than 20 or 30 percent.”

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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

Wind and solar power could supply 80 percent of US electricity

A new study has revealed that wind and solar power...

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?

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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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" 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> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" 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> 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

[sendtonews key="qas3EhyI0Y-2220951-12187" 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.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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