Nanoparticles - microscopic specks released by cars, factories, forest fires, and volcanoes - float through every ecosystem on Earth.



Scientists are also designing these particles to precisely deliver <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fertilizer-reduces-plant-damage-caused-by-droughts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fertilizers</a> to crop roots, target pests with pesticides, or serve as tiny sensors that detect plant stress. 



But new research, led by the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Riverside,</a> shows that once those particles enter a plant cell, they can change in unexpected ways and interfere with the plant’s ability to photosynthesize.



The researchers uncovered a chain reaction: inside the cell, nanoparticles pick up a greasy coating and then cling to RuBisCO, the enzyme that jump-starts <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-foundation-of-life-is-at-risk-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photosynthesis</a>. The result is a dramatic slowdown in the plant’s carbon-dioxide intake.



The discovery does not condemn the promise of agricultural nanotechnology, but it does force scientists to rethink how particles are designed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unintended-consequences-of-nanoparticles">Unintended consequences of nanoparticles</h2>



While many agricultural scientists see nanotechnology as a key to feeding a growing global population, even its strongest proponents admit that today’s fertilizers and pesticides are wildly inefficient.



Juan Pablo Giraldo is the senior author and an associate professor of plant biology at UC Riverside.



“Half of all fertilizer applied on farms is lost in the environment and pollutes groundwater," he said. "With the most commonly used <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticides-attack-bees-in-multiple-ways-throughout-the-body/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pesticides</a>, it’s even worse -&nbsp;only five percent may reach their intended targets. There’s a lot of room for improvement.” 



Nanoparticles can, in theory, deliver cargo directly to a leaf’s interior and then break down safely. Scientists suspected the traits helping particles enter plants might also cause harmful collisions with sensitive proteins.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nanoparticles-enter-plant-cells">Nanoparticles enter plant cells</h2>



To test that idea, the researchers exposed Arabidopsis plants - widely used as a model species - to positively charged nanoparticles. 



Using super-resolution imaging and spectroscopy, they watched the particles move through cell walls and membranes. Eventually, the particles reached the chloroplasts, where photosynthesis occurs.



“Nanoparticles, both natural and anthropogenic, are prevalent in many of Earth’s ecosystems, but scientists are only recently starting to understand how they interact with different parts of the environment,” said Lin He of the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Science Foundation</a>. 



Inside the plant’s watery interior, the particles experienced a lower pH and quickly attracted lipids from nearby membranes. This new greasy shell altered their surface chemistry and made them stick tightly to RuBisCO.



“The lipid coatings of positively charged nanoparticles enhance their binding to RuBisCO, and don’t allow it to do its job very well,” Giraldo explained.



RuBisCO is responsible for capturing carbon dioxide and turning it into sugar. Blocking even a fraction of its activity can leave a plant starved for energy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cost-to-photosynthesis">The cost to photosynthesis</h2>



To quantify that effect, the team measured <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-absorb-31-more-co2-than-previously-estimated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> uptake in living leaves. Outside the cell, nanoparticles had little impact on RuBisCO activity. Inside the cell - after the particles had acquired lipid coats - RuBisCO’s efficiency fell to roughly one-third of normal.



“This is the first time we’ve been able to compare the effect of a nanoparticle on a protein both outside and inside a living <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-plants-build-their-cell-walls-is-seen-by-scientists-for-the-first-time-ever/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant cell</a>” Giraldo said.



At first, the scientists assumed the particle’s electrical charge might be responsible. Deeper analysis showed otherwise.



“Now we know that it’s not the charge necessarily, but the transformation they undergo as they enter plants, and potentially, other organisms as well,” Giraldo added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-greasy-molecular-puzzle">A greasy molecular puzzle</h2>



The team collaborated with chemists at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Johns Hopkins University</a> to run molecular simulations of the interaction.



“We each bring in complementary techniques that enable deeper insights into a complex system such as a plant cell,” said co-author Rigoberto Hernandez, a scientist at Johns Hopkins.



His lab’s models showed lipid molecules flocking to the nanoparticle surface and forming a sticky layer that fits RuBisCO almost like Velcro.



“Using computer simulations providing a view of the structure and motion at microscopic scales, we resolved how lipids are acquired by nanoparticles in the presence of RuBisCO,” Hernandez said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nanoparticles-for-a-greener-future">Nanoparticles for a greener future</h2>



The researchers emphasize that nanoparticles still hold enormous promise, especially if they can be redesigned to avoid hijacking RuBisCO.



Through the NSF Center for Sustainable Nanotechnology, researchers from various fields of chemistry and environmental science have collaborated closely. Together, they uncovered how nanoparticles transform and interact with a protein involved in plant photosynthesis.



“In so doing, they have laid the groundwork for the safer and more effective use of nanoparticles for agricultural and biotechnology applications," said Lin He.



Catherine Murphy, a chemistry professor at the <a href="https://illinois.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Illinois</a> and study co-author, put the challenge bluntly: “This landmark study tells us that we have a long way to go to make nanoparticles that are truly beneficial in the environment,” she said.



“But now that we know the mechanism of action, we can retune our methods to solve these problems.”



Next steps include designing coatings that stay inert in cells or steering particles away from RuBisCO-binding areas. With that knowledge, future nanoparticles could nourish crops, fight <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pests-are-moving-to-cooler-regions-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pests</a>, and measure plant health - without dimming the green engine that feeds the planet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41565-025-01944-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Nanotechnology</a>.



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Nanoparticles are threatening the stability of plant cells

Nanoparticles - microscopic specks released by cars, factories, forest fires, and volcanoes - float through every ecosystem on Earth. Scientists are also designing these particles to precisely deliver fertilizers to crop roots, target pests with pesticides, or serve as tiny sensors that detect plant stress. But new research, led by the University of California, Riverside, shows that once those particles enter a plant cell, they can change in unexpected ways and interfere with the plant’s ability to photosynthesize. The researchers uncovered a chain reaction: inside the cell,...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpls.2021.712622/full">Frontiers in Plant Science</a> has found that vineyards can use half of the irrigation water normally used by grape crops without compromising crop yields or quality (measured in terms of flavor, color, and sugar content).



The research, led by Professor Kaan Kurtural of the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>, sheds light on how the effects of drought on California’s vineyards can be mitigated in a time of severe water shortages caused by climate change.&nbsp;



“It is a significant finding,” said Professor Kurtural. “We don’t necessarily have to increase the amount of water supplied to grape vines.”&nbsp;



Professor Kurtural and his colleagues studied the correlation between irrigation levels and cabernet sauvignon grape quality at a research vineyard in Napa Valley during two growing seasons, a rainy season in 2019 and a very arid season in 2020.&nbsp;



The research team focused on <a href="http://www.fao.org/3/x0490e/x0490e04.htm">crop evapotranspiration</a>, which is the amount of evaporated water from the vineyard system based on canopy size. They used irrigation to replace 25, 50, and 100 percent of what has been lost by crops through evapotranspiration.&nbsp;



The scientists discovered that replacing only 50 percent of the water through irrigation was the most beneficial in maintaining the grapes’ yield and flavor. In addition, this level of irrigation did not compromise the amount of symbiotic arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, which are crucial for helping grapevines overcome stresses such as water deficits.&nbsp;



Moreover, the lower irrigation level proved to be more environmentally friendly, since the water used to dilute nitrogen application was significantly reduced.



“In the end, drought is not coming for wine,” concluded Professor Kurtural. “There doesn’t need to be a tremendous amount of water for grapes. If you over irrigate in times like these, you’re just going to ruin quality for little gain.”



According to Professor Kurtural, although the research was focused on cabernet sauvignon, the findings can easily be extended to account for most types of red grapes.



---



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

Vineyards can still thrive in times of water shortages

A new study published in the journal Frontiers in Plant...

Research funded by the University of Florida’s <a href="https://www.epi.ufl.edu/">Emerging Pathogens Institute</a> has revealed that several Florida palm tree diseases are caused by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/city-lights-keep-insects-from-hibernation/">insects</a> traveling from Jamaica. Scientists found that the American palm cixiid, an insect species from the Caribbean basin, can transmit yellowing disease and bronzing disease, which are both lethal to many types of palm trees, especially coconut and date palms.&nbsp;



It was previously assumed that the phytoplasmas (the bacteria causing these diseases) migrated to Florida through infected plants. However, Professor Brian Badher from the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> suspected that the culprit was in fact the palm cixiid.&nbsp;



To test this hypothesis, Professor Badher and his team analyzed DNA from the insects in Florida and discovered four distinct groups. For comparison, the researchers looked at samples of insect populations from Columbia, Costa Rica, and Jamaica. While the Colombian and Costa Rican insects had different DNA, the insects from Jamaica were very similar to one of the groups in Florida.



“This told us that either the bugs in Jamaica got there from Florida or the bugs from Jamaica got introduced to Florida,” said Professor Bahder. “We followed up by looking at historical data from shipping records and reference insect collections and determined that the insects from Jamaica likely got introduced into Florida and brought the pathogen that causes lethal yellowing in coconut with it.”



Besides being the first study to investigate the epidemiology of palm phytoplasmas in the context of the transmitting insect species, the research also generated important new molecular data that can be used by other scientists to compare the DNA of insect species found in different areas.



“I hope our approach stimulates more integrated studies between entomology and plant pathology and combines historical record-keeping, molecular work, and fieldwork to better understand the epidemiology of certain diseases,” concluded Professor Bahder.&nbsp;



The research is published in the open-access journal <a href="https://apsjournals.apsnet.org/doi/10.1094/PHYTOFR-12-20-0048-R">PhytoFrontiers</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

Insects from Jamaica transmit diseases to Florida palm trees

Research funded by the University of Florida’s Emerging Pathogens Institute...

The Earth faces an ongoing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-harlequin-toads-are-threatened-with-extinction/">extinction</a> crisis. Understanding the threats to biodiversity over the globe can be complicated. Scientists just published a new model revealing the location and threats to biodiversity over the planet in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.&nbsp;



The scientists created six maps elucidating the main threats to amphibians, birds and mammals - logging, agriculture, hunting &amp; trapping, pollution, invasive species and climate change.&nbsp;



Agriculture and logging are common threats in the tropics, while hunting &amp; trapping are the most widespread threat to mammals and birds. 50% of land birds are threatened by hunting &amp; trapping and 73% of land mammals are. Agriculture is the most dangerous threat to amphibians, with amphibians on 44% of global land area being threatened.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Beyond identifying which threats are most prevalent, the research also identified the most vulnerable regions. The study revealed that wildlife in Southeast Asia is particularly threatened, especially in Sumatra and Borneo. Madagascar is another island with vulnerable animals.&nbsp;



The scientists hope this data could provide necessary knowledge for conservation planning now and in the future.&nbsp;



“We are facing a global nature crisis, and the next ten years is a crucial window for taking decisive action to tackle biodiversity loss. Our results reveal the location and intensity of human-caused threats to nature," explained Dr. Mike Harfoot, one of the lead co-authors of the paper, <a href="https://www.unep-wcmc.org/">UN Environment Programme World Conservation Monitoring Centre</a> (UNEP-WCMC).



"This information can support decision-makers at a range of levels in identifying where action to reduce these threats could yield the best results for people and planet. With further work, we will improve this information in terms of accuracy and the breadth of nature considered.”



With the Conference of the Parties to the UN Convention on Biological Diversity in Kunming, China coming up next year, this research will have a chance to play an important role in global planning and ideally help save some species.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists pinpoint the location of biodiversity threats

The Earth faces an ongoing extinction crisis. Understanding the threats...

The insides of plants can shelter a large variety of microorganisms, similar to the well-known microbes residing in the human gut. A research team from the <a href="https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/">Tokyo University of Science</a> is the first to isolate the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-of-infant-boys-can-enhance-cognitive-skills/">bacteria</a> contained in the seeds of the passion fruit (Passiflora edulis).&nbsp;



The endophytic microorganisms residing inside plants’ fruits, leaves, stems, roots, or seeds are not necessarily harmful to plants. Instead, they often develop a synergistic relationship with their host, and are beneficial for processes of germination, growth, and even defense. 



However, most of the plants contain many “secondary metabolites” – natural bioactive compounds with strong antimicrobial properties. This makes such environments typically hostile to endophytic microorganisms.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Passion fruit seeds are generally full of secondary metabolites, such as resveratrol and, particularly, piceatannol. This is precisely the reason why scientists were curious to investigate whether passion fruit seeds contain any endophytic microorganisms too.&nbsp;



“The extraordinarily high concentration of piceatannol protects P. edulis seeds from microorganisms. We thought it would be interesting to know if any endophytic microorganism could survive this extreme environment, and if yes, how,” explained study co-author Toshiki Furuya, an associate professor in the <a href="https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/fac/riko/app_bio.html">Department of Applied Biological Science</a> at Tokyo University of Science.



Remarkably, the researchers discovered 19 bacterial strains in the passion fruit seeds, including three that were previously unknown. Their hypothesis is that the piceatannol from the seeds had bacteriostatic (“bacterial growth-stalling”) rather than bactericidal (“bacteria-killing”) effects on the endophytic bacteria residing in the seeds. 



“Due to the presence of a high concentration of piceatannol, the growth of the bacteria was stagnated inside the seed, but when transmitted to the next-generation seedlings during germination, the bacteria were relieved from the effect of piceatannol and able to grow again,” said study co-author Aoi Ishida.



The scientists also made another surprising discovery. One of the isolated bacteria, Brevibacterium sp. PE28-2, possessed the ability to convert piceatannol and resveratrol to their respective derivatives. This is the first endophytic bacteria shown to exhibit such abilities.



Earlier research demonstrated that endophytic bacteria which are capable to survive in environments rich in secondary metabolites compounds possess biocatalytic activities related to the metabolism of these compounds. This biocatalytic potential can be exploited for therapeutic purposes. 



Further research on the mechanisms of endophytic resistance inside of plants is needed to open new paths in medicine and beyond.   



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/mbo3.1226">MicrobiologyOpen</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; &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

Bacteria can survive the hostile interior of passion fruit seeds

The insides of plants can shelter a large variety of...

Flowers are the most complex structures to be found on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-and-animals-rely-on-the-same-chemicals-for-growth/">plants</a>. They are formed at the tips of stems and involve a transition of the normal apical meristem (growing tissue) into a flower meristem that develops the reproductive organs. Scientists have long wondered about the mechanisms that allow this transition to take place correctly, and how flower formation occurs so rapidly.



A team of researchers led by the <a href="http://www.naist.jp/en/">Nara Institute of Science and Technology</a> has now identified a small protein that plays a key role in correctly timing the developmental changes that lead to flower formation in the cress plant, Arabidopsis thaliana.&nbsp;&nbsp;



In the growing tips of stems, a gene known as WUSCHEL (WUS) promotes the formation and maintenance of stem cells. During the early stages of flower formation, stem cells act as a source of tissue to form what will be the flower’s reproductive organs.&nbsp;



Clearly, the activity of WUS needs to be restricted at this stage so that the stem cells stop proliferating and, instead, differentiate successfully into the correct number of sepals, petals, stamens and carpels. There is a balance between the formation of stem cells (WUS) and the differentiation of stem cells into reproductive organs, which is under the influence of the gene CLAVATA3 (CLV3), via a feedback loop.



The protein identified by the researchers, known as KNUCKLES (KNU), represses the activity of both the WUS and CLV3 genes and disrupts the feedback loop. This means that the floral meristem is no longer maintained and the development of the flower’s reproductive organs can progress toward completion.&nbsp;



“A small protein called KNUCKLES (KNU) represses WUS directly, which leads to the completion of floral stem cell activity at the right time,” explained study lead author Erlei Shang. “What isn’t fully understood is how the robust floral stem cell activity finishes within a limited time period to ensure carpel development.”



“The team’s research revealed that in Arabidopsis thaliana, KNU can completely deactivate the robust floral meristems at a particular floral stage, thanks to the multiple functions that KNU carries out via its position-specific roles,” said senior author Toshiro Ito.



The findings will help scientists to understand flower formation in important food crops such as rice, tomatoes and maize. The researchers hope that their discovery of the molecular genetic mechanism whereby floral meristem is terminated will benefit crop yields for food production globally.



“Our results reveal a regulatory pathway where KNU plays a key role in supporting the completion of floral meristem development within a short time window, and ensures that flower reproductive organs are properly formed,” said study co-author Bo Sun.



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

Small protein plays a big role in flower formation

Flowers are the most complex structures to be found on...

New research from the <a href="https://www.heart.org/">American Heart Association</a> has found that a daily intake of half a cup of walnuts for a period of two years lowers levels of <a href="https://www.heart.org/en/health-topics/cholesterol/hdl-good-ldl-bad-cholesterol-and-triglycerides">low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol</a> (known as “bad cholesterol”), and thus reduces the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-air-pollutants-contribute-to-cardiovascular-disease/">cardiovascular</a> disease.&nbsp;



Similarly with fish, walnuts are rich in omega-3 fatty acids (alpha-linoleic acid), which are known to be highly beneficial for cardiovascular health.&nbsp;



“Prior studies have shown that nuts in general, and walnuts in particular, are associated with lower rates of heart disease and&nbsp;stroke. One of the reasons is that they lower LDL-cholesterol levels, and now we have another reason: they improve the quality of LDL particles,” explained study co-author Emilio Ros, director of the Lipid Clinic at the Endocrinology and Nutrition Service of the <a href="https://www.clinicbarcelona.org/en">Hospital Clínic of Barcelona</a>.



&nbsp;“LDL particles come in various sizes. Research has shown that small, dense LDL particles are more often associated with&nbsp;atherosclerosis, the plaque or fatty deposits that build up in the arteries. Our study goes beyond LDL cholesterol levels to get a complete picture of all of the lipoproteins and the impact of eating walnuts daily on their potential to improve cardiovascular risk.”



Dr. Ros’s study was conducted from 2012 to 2016 and involved over 700 participants with ages between 63 and 69. They were divided into two groups; participants in one group were asked to eat half a cup of walnuts per day, and those in the other group were asked to abstain from eating walnuts.&nbsp;



Scientists found that, after two years, participants eating walnuts had lower LDL cholesterol levels (by an average of 4.3 mg/dL) and lower levels of total cholesterol (by an average of 8.5 mg/dL). In addition, both total and small LDL particles were reduced (by 4.3, respectively 6.1 percent). The Intermediate Density Lipoprotein (IDL), a precursor to LDL recognized to be a cardiovascular risk factor too, also decreased over two years. Surprisingly, changes in LDL cholesterol differed by gender. Among men, LDL cholesterol decreased by 7.9 percent, yet fell only by 2.6 percent among women.&nbsp;



“Eating a handful of walnuts every day is a simple way to promote cardiovascular health,” Dr. Ros concluded. “Many people are worried about unwanted weight gain when they include nuts in their diet. Our study found that the healthy fats in walnuts did not cause participants to gain weight.”&nbsp;



The research was published in the journal <a href="https://www.ahajournals.org/journal/circ">Circulation</a>.



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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

Eat a handful of walnuts every day for better heart health

New research from the American Heart Association has found that...

A recent study led by scientists at <a href="https://www.mcmaster.ca/">McMaster University</a> investigated the effects of 34 different pesticides and herbicides on the activity of brown fat cells in mice. The researchers found that chlorpyrifos, an organophosphate insecticide widely used on fruits and vegetables, reduced the burning of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-identify-the-top-sources-of-empty-calories-for-children-and-teens/">calories</a> in the brown fat cells and promoted obesity.



In mammals, maintenance of weight is usually accomplished through balancing caloric intake with absorption and expenditure. One of the ways in which energy is expended is by generating heat to keep warm. The process is known as thermogenesis and it involves the activation of brown adipose (fat) cells.



The study showed that chlorpyrifos suppresses thermogenesis and the activation of brown fat cells, which implies that fewer calories are used up in the generation of heat. This promotes obesity in these mice as the excess calories are stored in the body in the form of white fat.



Study senior author Gregory Steinberg is a professor of Medicine and co-director of the Centre for Metabolism, Obesity, and Diabetes Research at McMaster.



“Brown fat is the metabolic furnace in our body, burning calories, unlike normal fat that is used to store them. This generates heat and prevents calories from being deposited on our bodies as normal white fat. We know brown fat is activated during cold and when we eat,” said Professor Steinberg.



For the investigation, the researchers exposed mice to 2.0 mg/kg body weight of chlorpyrifos daily, a dose that is aligned with the real-world exposure of humans. Steinberg said that, while chlorpyrifos has been linked to rising obesity rates in both humans and animals, most of these studies have attributed weight gain to associated increases in food intake and not to the suppression of metabolism in the brown fat cells.&nbsp;



“Lifestyle changes around diet and exercise rarely lead to sustained weight loss. We think part of the problem may be this intrinsic dialling back of the metabolic furnace by chlorpyrifos,” explained Professor Steinberg.



The daily burning of calories in brown fat tissue would only have to be inhibited by a small amount in adult humans (around 40 calories a day) to result in a weight gain of five pounds over a year. This could lead to a significant gain or even to obesity over time.&nbsp;



Mice that developed obesity due to chlorpyrifos-induced suppression of brown fat cell activity also showed increased incidence of insulin resistance and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.



Professor Steinberg states that, although the findings have yet to be confirmed in humans, it is important that consumers wash fresh produce thoroughly before eating it.&nbsp;



The results of this study are published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</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

Is the obesity crisis linked to a common pesticide?

A recent study led by scientists at McMaster University investigated...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a> has revealed that tropical mountain forests in Africa store a much larger amount of carbon than previously thought. With about 150 tons of carbon per hectare, the African mountain forests surpass <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-recovery-is-lacking-in-the-most-deforested-areas-of-the-amazon/">Amazon</a> rainforests, and thus play a crucial role in global climate regulation.

“Previous carbon estimates for tropical mountain forests in Africa were much lower than the values we report in our study,” said study co-author Dr. Martin Sullivan from <a href="https://www.mmu.ac.uk/natural-sciences/">the Department of Natural Sciences</a> at Manchester Metropolitan University. 

Scientists also found that, unexpectedly, mountain forests store as much carbon as lowland forests. “The results are surprising because the climate in mountains would be expected to lead to low carbon forests,” explained lead author Aida Cuni-Sanchez, a postdoctoral fellow from the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/environment/">Department of Environment and Geography</a> at the University of York.

“But unlike other continents, in Africa we found the same carbon store per unit area in lowland and mountain forests. Contrary to what we expected, large trees remain abundant in mountain forests, and these large trees (defined as having diameters over 70 cm) store a lot of carbon.”

Unfortunately, many of the African mountain forests had been cleared in the past 20 years. Researchers found that over 0.8 million hectares of forest from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Ethiopia have been lost during this period. If these deforestation rates continue, a further 0.5 million hectares would disappear by 2030. 

 “About five percent of Africa’s tropical mountain forests have been cleared since 2000, and in some countries the rate exceeds 20 percent,” said study co-author Dr. Phil Platts. “Besides their importance for climate regulation, these forests are habitats for many rare and endangered species, and they provide very important water services to millions of people downstream.”

Luckily, following the <a href="https://www.bonnchallenge.org/">Bonn Challenge</a>, a global initiative aiming to bring 350 million hectares of degraded and deforested landscapes into restoration by 2030, most African nations eagerly engaged in forest restoration. As scientists argue, however, avoiding deforestation is a greater priority than restoration in the quest of mitigating climate change.

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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

African mountain forests store huge amounts of carbon

A new study published in the journal Nature has revealed...

Many herbivorous insects are pests that can destroy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-genes-identified-to-protect-crops-from-drought/">crops</a> and make the home gardener’s life a misery. Although pesticides may keep these pests at bay for a while, they soon become resistant and continue to wreak havoc. Researchers at Pennsylvania State University have created a new strategy to deter garden pests by using the odor emitted by a predatory insect. This encourages the pests to leave the area without ever coming into direct contact with the predator.

Dr. Sara Hermann and Dr. Jessica Kansman, both scientists in the Department of Entomology, will present the results of their research at a meeting of the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a>, ACS Fall 2021. The researchers will explain how they plan to bottle the odor of predatory ladybird beetles (commonly known as ladybugs) and release this "smell of fear" to change the behavior of common garden pests such as aphids.

“It is not uncommon to use our senses to avoid risky situations. If a building was on fire, we as humans could use our senses of sight or smell to detect the threat,” said Dr. Hermann, the project’s principal investigator. “There is evidence for such behavioral responses to risk across taxa that suggests prey organisms can detect predation threats, but the mechanisms for detection aren’t very well understood, especially with insects.”

“Insects rely on olfactory cues to find food, mates and places to live, so this is a great opportunity to investigate how to use these smells to manipulate their behavior,” said Dr. Kansman. 

The researchers chose to work on ladybugs because they are already recognized as useful predators for controlling many different types of crop and garden pests. Ladybugs prey on aphids, that are destructive to a variety of crops because of their large numbers and their tendency to transfer pathogens between their plant hosts. 

Research by Dr. Hermann has already shown that odors from ladybugs can make aphid reproduction rate decrease and can also increase the rate of wing growth in aphids, which helps them to move away and avoid the threat of being eaten. 

The experts extracted the volatile odor from live ladybugs in the laboratory and profiled it using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Once they had identified the individual components of the odor, they introduced these, one by one, to live aphids. The team connected the antennae of each aphid to an electroantennogram (EAG) machine to record the specific chemical compounds that the aphid detected.

The study revealed that aphids showed the strongest responses to a group of organic compounds called methoxypyrazines. These included isopropyl methoxypyrazine, isobutyl methoxypyrazine and sec-butyl methoxypyrazine. 

The researchers then made a blend of the most potent odor components to use in an essential oil diffuser to waft the predator’s scent across a field or garden.

Future work will involve the experimental use of the scent diffusers in the field to see whether aphids respond in the same way as they do in the laboratory. In addition, they wish to try the technique with different crop and garden pests and their natural predators, and to market their diffusers for use by farmers and gardeners.

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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

Using the "smell of fear" to control garden pests

Many herbivorous insects are pests that can destroy crops and...

A plant-based diet can lead to enormous benefits, including weight loss, improved <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-foods-linked-to-drastically-lower-risk-of-heart-disease/">heart</a> health, and even a longer life. Now, scientists with the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> have identified the plant-based burgers that smell the most like real beef.

“During the last several years, increasing awareness of the impact of meat production on climate change, as well as meat shortages during the pandemic, have made people more accepting of plant-based alternatives,” said Dr. LiLi Zyzak, the project’s principal investigator. 

“There are a lot of products out there, and food companies are doing interesting research, but nobody ever publishes anything because it’s a trade secret.”

Even though plant-based meat products have been available for over two decades, many of the early alternatives were noticeably different from traditional meat. Today, companies have found ways to make plant proteins taste more like beef. 

One of the biggest challenges has been to pinpoint the best mix of vegetable oils to mimic the fatty meat smell.

"The problem with plant-based burgers is that the plant protein itself contributes a strong odor,” said Dr. Zyzak. “For example, pea protein smells like green, cut grass, so companies have to find a way to mask that aroma. Some use heavy seasonings.” 

“We wanted to give consumers an idea of what’s out there so that they can make informed decisions at the grocery store."

The researchers set out to compare the aroma compounds produced by cooking real hamburgers and eight popular brands of plant-based burgers. Among these alternatives, the Beyond Burger from Beyond Meat most closely resembled the odor profile of beef.

The plant-based brand that had the closest appearance to real raw hamburger was found to have a yeast- or bread-like odor, according to the experts. They noted that a number of the other brands had heavy seasonings that released strong garlic or barbecue aromas.

Dr. Zyzak would ultimately like to use what she has learned to produce a mixture of odor compounds that closely mimic hamburger aroma. 

The research will be presented at a meeting of the American Chemical Society, <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/meetings/acs-meetings.html">ACS Fall 2021</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

Which plant-based burgers smell the most like real beef?

A plant-based diet can lead to enormous benefits, including weight...

According to new research from the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a>, eating a hot dog might take 36 minutes of healthy life away from you. The researchers found that by exchanging only 10 percent of daily calories from beef or processed meat for those from sustainable foods like fruits, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nuts-lowers-risk-obesity/">nuts</a> and veggies, a significant impact could be made. 

With this 10 percent switch, a dietary carbon footprint can be reduced by one third, and a person may gain 48 minutes of healthy life per day. 

The researchers examined 5,800 foods, which were evaluated on both their health impact and their environmental impact. Katerina Stylianou, who conducted the study as part of her doctoral candidacy, explained what sets her research apart from others.

"Generally, dietary recommendations lack specific and actionable direction to motivate people to change their behavior, and rarely do dietary recommendations address environmental impacts."

The healthy minutes calculation for each food was made by adapting previous research that looked at 15 dietary risk factors and estimates of disease burden and nutrition profiles of commonly consumed foods in the U.S.. 

To evaluate the environmental impact of foods, the experts looked at the life cycle of food from production to disposal, taking into account factors such as water usage and human health impacts from production-related air pollution. The researchers developed scores for 18 environmental indicators.

The study ultimately classified foods into three categories - green, yellow and red. The green foods are sustainable foods that have a positive impact on both health and the environment. Green foods include fruits, nuts and other plants, as well as a few select seafoods. 

On the other end of the spectrum, red foods have a high negative impact on health or the environment. The red foods include mainly beef, pork, lamb and processed meats.

The research suggests that legumes, nuts and outside grown vegetables should be increased in one’s diet, while beef, shrimp, pork, lamb and greenhouse grown vegetables should be limited. Small changes can have a positive impact. At the same time, however, the scientists emphasize that the best foods for the environment are not always the best for ones health and visa versa.    

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natfood/">Nature Food</a>.

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Eat sustainable foods, gain more healthy minutes of life

According to new research from the University of Michigan, eating...

A new study by ecologists at the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts Amherst</a> has revealed that 1,330 garden centers and online retailers are still selling invasive species as garden plants. Out of the hundreds of invasive plants that the team found available for sale, 20 species are illegal to grow or sell nationwide.

“Once we’ve recognized that an ornamental plant can be invasive, we would hope that commercial sales of that species would stop,” said study lead author Evelyn M. Beaury.

“But our findings show that our current framework for removing invasive plants from plant trade isn’t working. States are generally doing a good job limiting sales of their own regulated plants, but we found major inconsistencies in what’s being regulated across state borders. Nearly all states had at least one of their regulated plants sold in a neighboring state.”

The researchers found that 61 percent of 1,285 plant species identified as invasive in the U.S. remain available through the plant trade. This includes 50 percent of state-regulated species and 20 percent of federal noxious weeds.  

According to the study authors, the most concerning case of federally designated noxious weed sales is the availability of cogongrass (Imperata cylindrica), which they found to be offered by 33 vendors in 17 states. This aggressive species, which is native to Southeast Asia, has spread rapidly across the South in the last few decades and is classified as one of the world’s most invasive plants.

“This is a tricky case, because plant breeders are marketing a sterile cultivar. But research shows these plants are not completely sterile and can still become invasive," explained Beaury.

Some of the vendors are large online marketplaces like eBay and Amazon,  where invasive plants can be shipped across state borders.

“While patchy state regulations definitely contribute to the widespread availability of invasive plants in the U.S., it’s clear we as a public also lack awareness about which plants are invasive and how they spread to new areas," said Beaury.

"We’ve already heard from state regulators that have used our results to follow up with growers selling invasive species. This is great news, and if we want to continue to protect native ecosystems, regulators and managers need more resources to do so.”

The researchers suggest that regional regulation, as well as outreach to growers and consumers, is needed to reduce the ongoing propagation of garden plants that are known to be invasive in the United States. 

"We’ve known for decades that many gardening and landscaping plants are invasive, but we’ve done little to stop propagating them. We can do better," said study senior author Professor Bethany Bradley. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.esa.org/frontiers-in-ecology-and-the-environment/">Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</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

Hundreds of invasive species are for sale as garden plants in the U.S.

A new study by ecologists at the University of Massachusetts...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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