Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is doing far more than clearing trees: it’s directly shrinking the region’s rain supply and nudging temperatures upward during the dry season.&nbsp;



A new study led by scientists at the <a href="https://www5.usp.br/english/institutional/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of São Paulo</a> (USP) is the first to put hard numbers on how much of the recent shift is due to local forest loss versus global climate change.



The researchers found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-exposed-to-deadly-heat-from-deforestation/">deforestation</a> accounts for roughly 74.5% of the observed decline in dry-season rainfall and 16.5% of the warming in the biome.



This work arrives just ahead of COP30 in Belém, the Amazonian capital hosting November’s U.N. climate summit - timing that highlights its policy relevance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-amazon-dry-season-and-deforestation">Amazon dry season and deforestation </h2>



The team used parametric statistical models to disentangle overlapping influences - forest loss, temperature trends, precipitation shifts, and greenhouse gas concentrations - on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-disrupting-how-amazon-trees-process-sunlight/">Amazon’s climate</a>.&nbsp;



On average across the biome, dry-season rainfall has fallen by about 21 millimeters per year, with 15.8 mm of that drop traced to deforestation alone. Meanwhile, maximum temperatures have climbed about 2.0°C, and the researchers attribute 16.5% of that rise to forest clearing, with the remainder tied to global warming.



“Several scientific articles on the Amazon have already shown that the temperature is higher, that rainfall has decreased, and that the dry season has increased,” said study senior author Luiz Augusto Toledo Machado of USP.



"There was still no separation between the effect of climate change, caused mainly by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cutting-super-pollutants-could-quickly-cool-the-planet/">pollution</a> from countries in the Northern Hemisphere, and deforestation caused by Brazil itself. Through this study, we were able to separate and weigh each of these components, practically showing a kind of ‘account payable.’”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-intense-changes-from-forest-loss">Intense changes from forest loss</h2>



One practical insight leaps off the page: the biggest local climate swings happen at the earliest stages of forest loss. The models show the most intense changes in rainfall and temperature occur when 10% to 40% of the forest is removed.&nbsp;



“The effects of the changes, especially in temperature and precipitation, are much more significant in the first few percent of deforestation,” said co-author Marco Aurélio Franco from USP’s Institute of Astronomy, Geophysics, and Atmospheric Sciences.&nbsp;



“In other words, we have to preserve the forest; that’s very clear. We can’t transform it into something else, such as pastureland. If there’s any type of exploitation, it needs to be sustainable.”



That finding reframes “small” incursions: early clearing is not a harmless nibble - it’s when the local water and heat balance is most sensitive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-forest-that-makes-its-own-rain">A forest that makes its own rain</h2>



The Amazon is more than a carbon storehouse; it manufactures its own moisture. Through deep roots and vast leaf area, trees pump water skyward, feeding the “flying rivers” - atmospheric flows that deliver rainfall to the Amazon itself and to far-flung biomes such as the Cerrado.



Recent research by some of the same USP scientists illuminated the biome’s rain-making chemistry: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/household-sprays-release-dangerous-nanoparticles-that-linger-in-the-home/">aerosol nanoparticles</a>, electrical discharges, and day-night reactions act like a cloud-building “machine.” 



Strip away trees, and you weaken that system - less evapotranspiration, fewer cloud seeds, and a longer, harsher dry season primed for fire.



Those dynamics are not abstract. MapBiomas data show the Brazilian Amazon lost 14% of its native vegetation between 1985 and 2023. An area of 553,000 square kilometers, roughly the size of France, was primarily lost to pasture. 



Deforestation dropped to its second-lowest level between August 2024 and July 2025 (4,495 km²). However, degradation - especially from fire - remains stubborn and widespread.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effects-of-amazon-deforestation">Effects of Amazon deforestation </h2>



To parse the drivers, the team combined long-term reanalysis, remote sensing, and land-use classifications (including MapBiomas) with parametric surface equations that track annual cycles and forest loss. Alongside rain and temperature, they examined greenhouse gases.&nbsp;



Across the past 35 years, CO₂ rose by about 87 ppm and methane by about 167 ppb in the region - increases driven more than 99% by global emissions. That result doesn’t contradict studies showing deforestation weakens the forest’s CO₂ uptake.&nbsp;



As Machado noted, flux measurements are local, while concentrations reflect the global burden. In other words, global emissions dominate the background rise, even as local clearing erodes the forest’s ability to absorb <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dry-spells-weaken-the-amazons-ability-to-store-carbon/">carbon</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keep-the-forest-keep-the-rain">Keep the forest, keep the rain</h2>



Project the trends forward and the message is unambiguous. If clearing continues, the experts warn, dry-season rainfall will decline further and temperatures will climb higher, amplifying drought risk and fire weather.&nbsp;



Other recent work already points to deforestation-driven disruptions of the South American <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-atmosphere-has-a-memory-that-affects-the-timing-of-monsoons/">monsoon</a>, which waters central and southeastern Brazil. Weakening that summer lifeline doesn’t just stress farms and cities downstream; it also undercuts the Amazon’s own resilience - making it harder for the forest to recover from shocks like the 2023–2024 droughts.



The new attribution numbers give decision-makers a sharper tool. They quantify how much of today’s dry-season pain is homegrown versus imported via global warming. 



That “account payable” puts a premium on preserving standing forest, restoring degraded areas, and reining in fire - actions that can deliver near-term benefits for rainfall and heat, even as the world tackles emissions.



With COP30 convening in Belém, the study’s take-home is as practical as it is urgent: keep the forest intact, and you keep the rain. Every hectare left standing pays climate dividends - locally, season by season, not just in abstract global carbon ledgers.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-63156-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Deforestation is drying the Amazon more than climate change

Deforestation in the Brazilian Amazon is doing far more than clearing trees: it’s directly shrinking the region’s rain supply and nudging temperatures upward during the dry season.&nbsp; A new study led by scientists at the University of São Paulo (USP) is the first to put hard numbers on how much of the recent shift is due to local forest loss versus global climate change. The researchers found that deforestation accounts for roughly 74.5% of the observed decline in dry-season rainfall and 16.5% of the warming in the...

Scientists have discovered a new type of pollination interaction between red seaweed, a kind of algae, and Idotea balthica, a type of isopod <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tiny-crustaceans-have-what-it-takes-to-survive-climate-change/">crustacean</a>. This finding is groundbreaking because it represents a different category of pollination interaction.&nbsp;



Professor Jeff Ollerton of the Kunming Institute of Botany of the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> (CAS) believes that the new research extends the phylogenetic boundaries of animal-mediated pollination and potentially stretches its origins back to the earliest evolution of marine invertebrates.



Compared to other seaweed, red seaweed is unique because its male gametes don't have flagella. Since they are not mobile, they must depend on ocean currents or animals to bring them to a female organ.&nbsp;



However, red seaweed has been around 1.2 billion years, while isopods like Idotea balthica emerged about 300 million years ago. Therefore scientists can't say how red seaweed was pollinated before. Perhaps extinct invertebrates could have gotten the job done, but even they are no more than 600 million years old.&nbsp;



The isopods have something to gain from this relationship as well. The seaweed provides protection from predators, and the isopods can feed on the tiny algae (diatoms) that live on the seaweed's surface. And since the diatoms can damage the seaweed's leaves, the seaweed further benefits from isopod presence.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"Animal pollination, principally by insects, is the dominant strategy for angiosperms but also occurs in the extant gymnosperms, as well as some species of mosses," wrote the researchers. "Outside of these plants, no other group of organisms has been demonstrated to interact with animals in this way, until now."



Although this relationship is fascinating, it's also precarious considering the destruction of ocean ecosystems. The majority of red seaweed reproduction occurs at low tide in coastal rock pools. However, this habitat is imperiled due to pollution, human-caused physical destruction, invasive species, and climate change. Some red seaweed species, such as Gracilaria, are also being threatened by greenwashing campaigns that proclaim they are a sustainable food source.&nbsp;



Moreover, the crustaceans are jeopardized by ocean acidification which ruins their exoskeletons.&nbsp;



Sadly, scientists are not optimistic about this ancient relationship's continuance, believing it may be threatened before we fully comprehend it.



The article is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rare pollination discovered between red seaweed and crustaceans

Scientists have discovered a new type of pollination interaction between...

Perfect,Summer,View,Of,The,Lake,Oeschinensee,In,Sunny,Day.

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uva.nl/en">University of Amsterdam</a> (UvA) argues that rapid increases in the scope and effectiveness of global conservation efforts are crucial for maintaining our planet’s ecological integrity. The experts have found that, in order to safeguard <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-biodiversity-affect-species-interactions/">biodiversity</a>, 44 percent of the Earth’s land area - about 64 million square kilometers or 24.7 million square miles - requires conservation.&nbsp;



The scientists used advanced geospatial algorithms to map the optimal areas for conserving terrestrial species and ecosystems around the globe, and employed explicit land-use scenarios to assess how much of this land is at risk from anthropogenic activities by the end of this decade.



“Our study is the current best estimate of how much land we must conserve to stop the biodiversity crisis - it is essentially a conservation plan for the planet,” explained study lead author James Allan, a conservation scientist at UvA. “We must act fast, our models show that over 1.3 million km2&nbsp;of this important land – an area larger than South Africa – is likely to have its habitat cleared for human uses by 2030, which would be devastating for wildlife.”



While over a decade ago, governments set a global target to conserve at least 17 percent of terrestrial ecosystems through protected areas and other site-based approaches to safeguard biodiversity, by 2020 it was obvious that this target was too low to stop biodiversity declines and avert a massive biodiversity crisis. Yet, the new target recently set by governmental organizations (30 percent) appears to be still insufficient.



“While this is a great step in the right direction, our study suggests that more ambitious goals and policies to maintain ecological integrity beyond this 30 percent target are crucial,” said study co-author Kendall Jones, a conservation planning specialist at the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">Wildlife Conservation Society</a>. “If nations are serious about safeguarding biodiversity and ecosystem services that underpin life on Earth, then they need immediately to scale-up their conservation efforts, not only in extent and intensity but also in effectiveness.”&nbsp;



According to the scientists, all this identified land should not necessarily be designed as protected areas, but rather managed through a variety of strategies, including other effective area-based conservation measures, or sustainable land-use policies.



“Conservation actions that promote the autonomy and self-determination of people living on this land, whilst also maintaining ecological integrity are crucial,” said Dr. Allan. “We have many effective conservation tools available, from empowering Indigenous Peoples to manage their natural environment, through to policies that limit deforestation or provide sustainable livelihood options, and of course protected areas.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abl9127#con1">Science</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

World Conservation Day: Can we stop the biodiversity crisis?

A new study led by the University of Amsterdam (UvA)...

A new study led by <a href="https://home.dartmouth.edu/">Dartmouth College</a> has found that women, older gardeners, and those who live near gardens often grow rare plants, which attract rare animal species. Observations of nearly 18 community gardens in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, and Monterey counties in California revealed that more than 50% of urban gardens contain rare plants. 



Along with plants, the researchers sampled bees and birds in the area. Using this data, they devised a model that showed a correlation between gardener demographics, the rare plants grown by the gardeners, and the rarity of bird and bee species.



"There appears to be a cascading effect of people planting uncommon species on the accumulation of other uncommon bee and bird species," said study lead author <a href="https://envs.dartmouth.edu/people/theresa-ong">Theresa Ong</a>, an assistant professor of Environmental Studies at Dartmouth.



"Taro (Colocasia esculenta), was one of the rare plants found in the urban gardens but is not of conservation concern, primarily, because it's cultivated. It's a traditional crop planted in Hawaii and by a lot of Asian cultures. It requires a lot of space to grow and is cooked for its underground corm, much like the tuber of a sweet potato but it's not a common food grown in California."&nbsp;



Professor Ong believes that Taro is important for rare species because it requires creating a wetter habitat, attracting species to an area they wouldn't usually visit.



The experts discovered a special relationship between Bachelor's buttons and leafcutting bees, whose female bees cut the plants' leaves to make nests for their larva. The researchers also observed other notable species, including American kestrels.&nbsp;



"It's a small and very cute falcon that is actually the most common and widespread falcon in the continent. Recently its populations have declined, which has been a cause of concern," said Professor Ong.



"It's an important predator of garden pests like mice and voles, so it's a good sign when it is found in some urban gardens, as it signals that gardens can be managed in a way that provides habitat for a species that is rare in cities."



The researchers want the public to know that some of the rare plants discovered in the gardens were weeds. Therefore, we shouldn't be so quick to destroy all weeds since they may support diversity.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eap.2708">Ecological Applications</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rare birds and bees flock to gardens with rare plants

A new study led by Dartmouth College has found that...

Several studies have found that cocoa flavanols are as efficient in lowering <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-blood-pressure-doubles-risk-of-severe-covid/">blood pressure</a> and arterial stiffness as many blood pressure medication. However, since these studies have been performed in tightly controlled experimental settings, how effective flavanols are in everyday life has remained unknown. Moreover, some scientists voiced concerns that using cocoa as a treatment for high blood pressure could pose health risks by decreasing the pressure when it is not raised.&nbsp;



Now, for the first time, a research team from the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/">University of Surrey</a> has set out to investigate the effects of cocoa flavanols on lowering blood pressure and arterial stiffness in individuals outside clinical settings. The analysis revealed that cocoa only reduces blood pressure and arterial stiffness when elevated, thus paving the way for it to be safely used in clinical practice.



“High blood pressure and arterial stiffness increases a person’s risk of heart disease and strokes, so it is crucial that we investigate innovative ways to treat such conditions,” said study senior author Christian Heiss, a professor of Cardiovascular Medicine at the University of Surrey. “Before we even consider introducing cocoa into clinical practices, we need to test if the results previously reported in laboratory settings safely translate into real-world settings, with people going about their everyday lives.”



Professor Heiss and his team enrolled 11 healthy participants and asked them to consume, on alternating days, either six cocoa flavanol capsules or six placebo ones containing only brown sugar. The participants were provided with an upper arm blood pressure monitor and finger clip measuring pulse wave velocity (PWV), which shows the levels of arterial stiffness. These measurements were taken before the consumption of the capsules, every 30 minutes after ingestion in the first three hours, and hourly for the remaining nine hours.



The measurements revealed that blood pressure and arterial stiffness were only lowered in participants if it was high, with no effect occurring when the pressure was already low in the morning. Moreover, significant effects in people with initially high blood pressure were identified also at eight hours after taking the pills, which is probably due to how gut bacteria metabolize cocoa flavanols.



“The positive impact cocoa flavanols have on our cardiovascular system, in particular, blood vessel function and blood pressure, is undeniable. Doctors often fear that some blood pressure tablets can decrease the blood pressure too much on some days,” said Professor Heiss.



“What we have found indicates that cocoa flavanols only decrease blood pressure if it is elevated. Working with participants’ personal health technologies showed us how variable blood pressure and arterial stiffness can be from day to day and shows the role of personal health monitors in developing and implementing effective personalized care,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fnut.2022.886597">Frontiers in Nutrition</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Study confirms: cocoa reduces high blood pressure

Several studies have found that cocoa flavanols are as efficient...

Land plants evolved 470 million years ago from algae and, since then, they fundamentally reshaped our planet. During their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bee-altruism-may-be-key-to-understanding-social-evolution/">evolution</a>, ferns have undergone several changes that helped them survive and thrive on land. Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="http://en.caf.ac.cn/">Chinese Academy of Forestry</a> in Beijing and the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</a> has managed for the first time to comprehensively study the genomic arrangement of tree ferns, offering new insights into how ferns evolved.



According to the scientists, a major breakthrough in the evolution of land plants involved the “invention” of their vascular systems, which helped them conduct nutrients and water through their bodies. Such systems consist of two tissues: the xylem and the phloem. While the xylem facilitates the transport of water to the stems and leaves, the phloem helps transporting sugars created through photosynthesis to the rest of the plant. Moreover, xylem cells are lined with lignin, a supportive structural material that provides rigidity to wood and bark.



“Ferns are the earliest vascular plants, and lignified cell walls were a key innovation during the evolution of these plants,” said study senior author Ray Ming, a professor of Plant Biology at the University of Illinois. “This study has improved our understanding of how vascular tissues developed in ferns and other land plant species.”



By sequencing the genome of the flying spider-monkey tree fern Alsophila spinulosa, Professor Ming and his colleagues discovered that two vascular-related Mac-Domain genes were highly expressed in this fern’s xylem compared to other tissues, suggesting that they might be key regulators in the formation of xylem-specific cells. The scientists also measured the levels of lignin and secondary metabolites - compounds that are not required for growth and reproduction, but nevertheless offer some benefits – in ferns, and found that lignin makes up 40 percent of the stem cell wall.&nbsp;



Moreover, they identified a new secondary metabolite primarily made in xylem, which they called alsophilin. “This new compound is abundant in the xylem, likely as one of the compounds filling up the cavity of non-functional tracheid cells. We also identified the genes involved in the biosynthesis of alsophilin in the genome,” Professor Ming reported.



To understand how ferns evolved, the researchers compared the genome of A. spinulosa to other members of the same species spread across China. Surprisingly, they identified six distinct populations, with different genomic sequences. Based on these findings, the experts reconstructed the evolutionary history of ferns and discovered that these species underwent a drastic decline twice (35.6 – 34.5 million years ago and 2.5 – 0.7 million years ago).



“This analysis of genomes and lignin composition from a broader collection of ferns will help us understand the role of lignin in the early lineage of vascular plants. In our future studies, we hope to increase the number of locations and the sample sizes for the genomic analysis,” Professor Ming concluded.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41477-022-01146-6">Nature Plants</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Study sheds light on the evolution of ferns

Land plants evolved 470 million years ago from algae and,...

"Forever chemicals" are everywhere and they are here to stay. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a class of over 4,700 man-made chemicals that have been around since the 1940s. Manufacturers use PFAS to make products resistant to oil, heat, stains, or water. They are found in everything from electronics and cosmetics to outdoor gear, non-stick pans, heat- and water-resistant clothing and food wrappers. Unfortunately, we probably ingest them when our food contacts wrappings and they are also present in our drinking water and soil. Forever chemicals have been recorded as present in peoples’ blood for decades.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Known by some as the best and worst chemicals, they are very useful in many different contexts, but do not break down under normal environmental conditions. These substances have also been implicated in certain human health problems. They are believed to disrupt the function of hormones, chemical messengers that influence many of our body systems.



New research, led by researchers at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/our-community/about-us">NYU Grossman School of Medicine</a> has now found that these persistent chemicals, used in the production of many household items, may be linked to the incidence of cancer, thyroid disease, and childhood obesity. Previous research has linked PFAS exposure in mothers to low birth weight in their infants, but the current study considered a much broader range of health consequences for people of all ages.



In fact, the study of roughly 5,000 Americans identified 13 medical conditions that may be linked to PFAS exposure. These include infertility, diabetes, and endometriosis, a painful disorder of the uterus. Together, these health conditions generate significant medical bills and reduce worker productivity across a lifetime to create the costs measured by the study, say the study authors.



“Our findings add to the substantial and still-mounting body of evidence suggesting that exposure to PFAS is harming our health and undermining the economy,” said study co-author Dr. Linda Kahn.



For the investigation, the researchers used blood samples obtained in 2018 from adults and children who took part in the US National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This gave them an idea of how many people were exposed to forever chemicals and the levels of exposure. The researchers then reviewed the data and findings from dozens of studies that have explored diseases connected to PFAS exposure in the past decade.&nbsp;



Using this information and existing models from earlier investigations, the researchers then estimated the total national economic cost of the medical bills and lost worker productivity that resulted from the five medical conditions that had the strongest links to PFAS exposure. These included low birth weight, childhood obesity, kidney and testicular cancers, and hypothyroidism.



It was, in fact, childhood obesity that contributed most to the overall economic toll of exposure to forever chemicals. The estimated cost of medical bills and lost productivity associated with this condition was about $2.7 billion. Hypothyroidism in women, a condition in which the thyroid cannot release enough hormones into the bloodstream, was the next highest contributor at $1.26 billion.



When the investigators expanded the scope of their economic estimates to include eight other conditions with preliminary links to PFAS exposure, including endometriosis, obesity in adults, and pneumonia in children, the total costs reached as high as $63 billion.



“Our results strongly support the recent decision by the Environmental Protection Agency to lower the safe allowable level of these substances in water,” said study senior author Dr. Leonardo Trasande. “Based on our estimates, the cost of eradicating contamination and replacing this class of chemical with safer alternatives is ultimately justified when considering the tremendous economic and medical risks of allowing them to persist in the environment.”



According to Dr. Trasande, few studies have explored the effects of PFAS exposure over time, despite the extensive research on the health risks. With this in mind, the research team next plans to examine the long-term risks of exposure to forever chemicals. In addition, they plan to estimate the economic burden of other endocrine-disrupting contaminants, such as bisphenols, which are substances used in many plastics and can linings, fire retardants, and pesticides.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/environmental-exposure">Environmental Exposure</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exposure to "forever chemicals" costs billions in the US

"Forever chemicals" are everywhere and they are here to stay....

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a>, experts are exploring the potential for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-shed-their-flowers-quickly-for-protection-from-microbes/">plants</a> to reach new depths by modifying the angle of their roots. The researchers have discovered a gene in barley and wheat that controls the angle of root growth.



According to the international team of experts, a steeper root angle helps bury carbon deeper in soil. This means the research could ultimately lead to the development of new methods for carbon capture and storage. Furthermore, deeper roots have better access to nutrients, which could make crops more resilient to drought and stress.&nbsp;



The researchers found that a gene called Enhanced Gravitropism 1 (EGT1) controls root angle by stiffening the core of growing root tips - making it more difficult to bend downwards. The team used X-ray micro CT imaging to show that by disrupting this gene, plants can grow roots with a steeper angle.



"The angle at which barley roots grow down into the soil enables them to capture water and nutrients from different soil layers,” said study co-first author Dr. Haoyu Lou from the University of Adelaide.



“Shallow roots enable plants to capture phosphate and surface water, while deeper, straighter roots can stabilise yield by accessing deeper water and nitrate; they can also bury carbon deeper in the soil.”



“By identifying the genes that control root growth angle we can greatly aid efforts to develop crops that are better adapted to specific soil types and more resilient to fluctuating environmental conditions, helping to mitigate carbon burden and counter the effects of climate change."



“We have found that mutants lacking function of the EGT1 gene exhibit a steeper growth angle in all classes of roots. Remarkably, the roots behave as if they are overly sensitive to gravity – they are unable to grow outwards from the plant, and instead grow straight down.”



The research was co-led by Rahul Bhosale, an assistant professor in the School of Biosciences and the Future Food Beacon at the University of Nottingham.



“Root angle controls how efficiently plants can capture water and nutrients. For instance, shallow roots best capture phosphate which accumulates in the top-soil region, while steeper roots are better for foraging for water and nitrate in deeper soil layers," said Bhosale.



"Steeper roots are also important for helping bury carbon deeper into soil. Discovering genes like EGT1 and how they control root angle is critical for developing novel future crop varieties better able to capture nutrients and carbon.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the scientific journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



---



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

Deeper plant roots could boost soil carbon storage

In a new study led by the University of Nottingham,...

Urban <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-could-play-a-key-role-in-limiting-global-warming/">agriculture</a> is booming. For many of us who live in urban areas, a backyard garden can provide a mini oasis from city life. However, the hidden danger of lead can be found in city soils.&nbsp;&nbsp;



In a recent study from the <a href="https://aces.illinois.edu/news/lead-lurking-your-soil-new-chicago-project-maps-distribution">University of Illinois</a>, researchers have detected elevated lead levels in soils across Chicago, an urban agriculture hotspot.



It is not well understood how vegetables and crops take up lead in real-world settings, but the new research is shedding some light on the topic. The experts found that tomatoes, even when grown in lead-contaminated soil, are safe to eat.



“There was so little lead accumulation in the fruits, we estimate the average adult male would have to eat almost 400 pounds of tomatoes per week to reach toxic levels,” said study co-author Andrew Margenot.



While this is good news for urban agriculture, there are potential caveats for home gardeners. Specifically - exposure during tillage and planting.&nbsp;



“If you magically have no exposure to contaminated soils to get to the fruit stage, or if you mulch the heck out of the soil and wear a suit and respirator, you're golden. But, of course, we all know it doesn’t happen that way," said Margenot.



When we work in contaminated soil, plant into it, or track it into our homes, we end up inhaling it. Lead can also end up in the fine dust on the skin of tomatoes, leafy greens, and especially root vegetables that we ingest. Depending on the soil concentration, a little bit of lead exposure can have big health impacts.



The researchers planted Roma tomatoes in Chicago backyards with soil lead levels between 77 and 1,206 parts per million (ppm), exceeding the natural background lead level of 21 ppm and surpassing the Illinois EPA threshold of 400 ppm for inhalation risk.&nbsp;



The researchers measured lead concentration in fruit with no soil treatment. They compared this level of contamination to fruit grown in soil that was treated with phosphorus-based treatments, which are developed to reduce lead uptake by humans.



The EPA recommends phosphate fertilizers such as triple super phosphate (TSP) to mitigate soil lead for human ingestion, but some wanted an organic matter amendment, as well.



“We chose to test TSP as well as composted and air-dried biosolids, which are human feces processed by Chicago wastewater treatment plants. They're Class A biosolids, which means they’re tested for pathogens and heavy metals,” explained Margenot. “I know there’s an ick factor, but they’re likely safer than steer manure you can buy at a hardware store.”



The results showed that none of the amendments lowered lead in the tomatoes. Lead uptake by tomato plants was already so low, even in highly contaminated soil, that the amendments had no detectable effect.&nbsp;



Across the two years of the study, lead levels remained very low. However, variation between study years was of interest to the research team.



“In the second year, we saw an order of magnitude increase in lead in the fruit at two of the three sites. It was totally unexpected, and we couldn’t explain it. But the soil lead levels didn’t change across years and the fruit lead levels were still extremely low,” said Margenot.&nbsp;



“So to me, it’s two things. First, there’s still so much basic research to be done on plant uptake of lead – we didn’t even know to expect a seasonality effect. Second, and importantly, there’s a very poor correlation between total soil lead and lead uptake.”



So - what can you do as a backyard tomato grower? Don’t panic!&nbsp;



“If you minimize dust with a heavy mulch, you can safely grow tomatoes, so not all hope is lost. In Illinois, the EPA sets the inhalation risk at 400 ppm, but we found you can be up to three times above that in the soil and safely grow tomatoes,” said Margenot.



Overall, it is advised to till the soil with care, cover the surface, and wash the fruit to minimize lead exposure.&nbsp;



Despite the minimal change in applying phosphorus treatments, the researchers see opportunity in minimizing lead uptake.&nbsp;



“If we want to sustainably reduce lead ingestion and inhalation risk across the city, we should be looking at phosphorus and at local sources such as biosolids more closely,” said Margenot. “Biosolids are locally produced in Chicago and there are programs to get them into the hands of users. So if we’re talking about low-cost ways to deal with lead, this would be one good resource in the city.”



The researchers also recommend agricultural practices that require minimal soil disturbance, such as agroforestry and perennial fruit production.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/science-of-the-total-environment">Science of The Total Environment</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tomatoes appear to be unaffected by lead-contaminated soil

Urban agriculture is booming. For many of us who live...

A recent survey study led by the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a> has found that nearly one in three species are at risk of extinction by the end of the 21st century, due to multiple drivers of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-biodiversity-crisis-is-actually-worse-than-we-thought/">biodiversity</a> loss including climate change, human rampant production and consumption, or environmental pollution. While all living organisms will face significant threats, insects and plants are considered to be the most endangered.&nbsp;



The survey received 3,331 responses from experts in biodiversity from 187 countries, covering all the main groups of species, ecosystems, and habitats.&nbsp;



“While considering the types of species and ecosystems they know best, experts estimated that about 30 percent of species have been globally threatened or driven extinct since the year 1500,” said study lead author Forest Isbell, an associate professor of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Minnesota.&nbsp;



“Experts also acknowledged substantial uncertainty around their estimates, with perhaps as few as 16 percent or as many as 50 percent of species threatened or driven extinct over this time.”



According to Professor Isbell and his colleagues, global biodiversity loss and its impacts may be significantly greater than previously thought, due to higher estimates provided for understudied taxa and underrepresented experts.&nbsp;



“This paper includes the perspectives of a very wide range of experts and allows us to assess less known taxa as well as give a voice to underrepresented experts in the global literature,” said study co-author Patricia Balvanera, a professor of Ecosystem and Sustainability Research at the <a href="https://www.unam.mx/">National Autonomous University of Mexico</a>.



“Experts who identify as women and who are from the Global South have provided significantly higher estimates for past biodiversity loss and its impacts. Also, experts who identify as women disproportionately study the taxa that experts estimate are most threatened.”



The scientists encourage biodiversity specialists to use these findings to learn how their own perspectives may differ from those of others, and to ensure that a wide range of perspectives is included when conducting global biodiversity assessments, setting conservation goals, and implementing new policies aiming to safeguard biodiversity.



“Since biodiversity is highly regional in nature, the attempt of our study to bring together the opinions of regional experts from around the world is unprecedented,” said co-author Akira Mori, a professor of Ecology at the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/index.html">University of Tokyo</a>. “From the perspective of social and cultural diversity and inclusiveness, even if they are not necessarily complete, I believe we have presented certain suggestions for future international policy discussions.”



Urgently increasing conservation efforts and investments is crucial for removing the threat of extinction for one in three species that may otherwise disappear by the end of the century.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2536">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

One in three species could vanish this century

A recent survey study led by the University of Minnesota...

A new study published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.15288/jsad.2022.83.494">Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs</a> has found that states that legalized recreational <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marijuana-changes-mens-sperm/">marijuana</a> have witnessed a subsequent increase in traffic crashes and fatalities. The analysis of data on traffic incidents from 2009 to 2019 in five states that allow the recreational use of marijuana for adults aged 21 and older has revealed a 5.8 percent increase in the rate of traffic crash injuries and a 4.1 percent increase in fatal crash rates after the legalization and the beginning of retail sales.



“Legalization removes the stigma of marijuana use, while the onset of retail sales merely increases access,” said study lead author Charles M. Farmer, the vice president for research and statistical services at the <a href="https://www.iihs.org/">Insurance Institute for Highway Safety</a> (IIHS). “But access to marijuana isn’t difficult, even in places without retail sales. Users who previously avoided&nbsp;driving high may feel that it’s okay after legalization.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; However, the “legalization of marijuana doesn’t come without cost,” Farmer warned.



According to the researchers, previous studies involving driving simulators have shown that marijuana use affects reaction time, road tracking, lane keeping, and overall attention. In the current study, the scientists collected data on traffic crashes and fatalities in five states that legalized marijuana (Colorado, Washington, Oregon, California, and Nevada) and compared them to six states where marijuana was still illegal (Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming).&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that the initial rise in the injury crash rate occurred after legalization but before retail sales began – with an initial increase of 6.5 percent, followed by a slight decrease (by 0.7 percent) after retail sales commenced. However, fatal crash rates increased both after legalization (by 2.3 percent) and authorization of retail sales (by 1.8 percent).



The sharper relationship between marijuana legalization and traffic injuries rather than fatalities may be due to the fact that many drivers under the influence of marijuana slow down and maintain larger distances from other vehicles. In such cases, while drivers may often not be able to avoid a crash, these crashes may be less likely to be lethal, since they are driving at lower speeds.



However, it is not yet clear whether there is a direct causal link between marijuana use and risk of traffic accidents. “Studies looking for a direct causal link between marijuana use and crash risk have been inconclusive,” Dr. Farmer said. “Unlike alcohol, there is no good objective measure of just how impaired a marijuana user has become. Until we can accurately measure marijuana impairment, we won’t be able to link it to crash risk.”



Nonetheless, states considering the legalization of marijuana should consider a few important steps to mitigate its health impact. “First, convince everyone that driving under the influence of marijuana is not okay. Then, enact laws and sanctions penalizing those who ignore the message. Finally, make sure you have the resources (i.e., staffing and training) to enforce these laws and sanctions,” Dr. Farmer concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer&nbsp;&nbsp;

Legalization of marijuana linked to rise in traffic crashes

A new study published in the Journal of Studies on...

In a new study from the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a>, researchers have designed plant roots that are capable of penetrating hard <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-quality-can-help-crops-survive-rising-temperatures/">soil</a>. The study, which was focused on cereal plants, is a promising new step toward "climate-proofing" vital crops as global warming leads to less rainfall and drier soils.



"Soil compaction represents a major agronomic challenge, inhibiting root elongation and impacting crop yields," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Roots use ethylene to sense soil compaction as the restricted air space causes this gaseous signal to accumulate around root tips. Ethylene inhibits root elongation and promotes radial expansion in compacted soil, but its mechanistic basis remains unclear."&nbsp;



The researchers identified the genes, hormone signals and processes that control the ability of rice roots to penetrate hard soils.



"Here, we report that ethylene promotes abscisic acid (ABA) biosynthesis and cortical cell radial expansion. Rice mutants of ABA biosynthetic genes had attenuated cortical cell radial expansion in compacted soil, leading to better penetration."



When crops encounter hard soils, their roots tend to grow shorter and swell - which was thought to help penetrate hard soils. In the new study, however, X-ray imaging revealed that narrow roots can better penetrate hard soils.



When the experts reduced the level of the hormone that promotes root swelling, the plant roots remained narrow and maintained their ability to penetrate hard soil.



“Our research overturns decades of scientific thinking, revealing that root swelling does not help penetrate hard soils. These results can potentially safeguard or boost agricultural yields worldwide, particularly considering that climate change can exacerbate the strength of soil by less rainfall," said Dr. Bipin Pandey, the study’s lead researcher. "This new understanding of how roots grow in hard soils promises to help develop novel soil-compaction-resistant crops.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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

Study reveals how plant roots penetrate hard soil

In a new study from the University of Nottingham, researchers...

The state of California relies on its forests to help reduce carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. But this service may be in jeopardy as new research from UC Irvine reports that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heat-makes-pine-trees-more-susceptible-to-disease/">trees</a> in California are dying from wildfires and other pressures – and fewer new trees are filling the void.



“The forests are not keeping up with these large fires,” said study co-author James Randerson. Across CaliforniA, tree cover area has declined by 6.7 percent since 1985 - big changes in less than four decades.&nbsp;



This the first time that researchers have been able to measure tree population declines in California, and attribute the changes to such pressures as wildfires, drought stress and logging.



For the study, satellite data was used to study vegetation changes between 1985 and 2021. The results were alarming - one of the starkest declines in tree cover was in Southern California, where 14 percent of the tree population in local mountain ranges vanished, and possibly for good.&nbsp;



“The ability of forests to recover from fire appears to be dwindling in the south,” said Jonathan Wang, who led the study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1029/2021AV000654">AGU Advances</a>. “At the same time, the state’s coverage of shrubs and grasses is rising, which could foreshadow more permanent ecosystem shifts.”



The rate and scale of decline varies across the state. For example, tree cover in the Sierra Nevada was stable until 2010. In 2012 to 2015, a severe drought killed 8.8 percent of the Sierra forest. This mortality event was followed by some of the worst wildfires in the state’s history.



Fortunately in the north, there is recovery after fire thanks to higher rainfall levels and cooler temperatures. But even there, extreme fire seasons in 2018, 2020 and 2021 have taken a visible toll.



Study co-author Michael Goulden is a UCI professor of Earth System Science and the director of the Center for Ecosystem Climate Solutions. As a next step in the research, Professor Goulden is using the data to understand how changes in forest cover are affecting water resources, carbon storage and fire behavior across the state. This threat however, is not going to disappear, and will be exacerbated by a new age of intense fires and vulnerable forests.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

California's forests are losing their ability to recover

The state of California relies on its forests to help...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
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On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" 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 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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" 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> 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"

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

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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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" 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 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

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

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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...

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