As the newest Biomass satellite begins its journey in orbit following its launch on April 29, it brings fresh momentum to efforts aimed at understanding how forests shape our climate. 



A newly released dataset - built from nearly two decades of satellite data - offers the clearest, most detailed view to date of how much carbon is stored in the woody parts of trees across the planet, and how that’s changed over time.



Developed as part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Climate Change Initiative, the updated forest carbon maps mark a major step forward, with scientists from <a href="https://www.aber.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Aberystwyth University</a> playing a key role in their scientific development and validation.



The long-term record, which will soon include data from the Biomass satellite itself, combines measurements from multiple missions such as Envisat, Copernicus Sentinel-1, Japan’s ALOS PALSAR, and NASA’s ICESat and GEDI lidar sensors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-carbon-ledger">A global carbon ledger</h2>



The new data focuses on the carbon-dense parts of trees - mainly trunks and branches - around the globe. It covers various years between 2007 and 2022 and offers resolutions from 100 meters to 50 kilometers.



The maps are designed to support climate modeling, help countries manage <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/boreal-and-temperate-forests-have-emerged-as-the-main-carbon-sinks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forests</a> more effectively, and guide greenhouse gas reporting under the Paris Agreement.



“The new release, version 6, is a pivotal moment for climate science as it provides an unprecedented level of consistency and timeliness in the provision of above-ground biomass estimates globally," said Frank Martin Seifert.



“This empowers researchers and policymakers alike to track carbon dynamics with the temporal precision necessary for meaningful climate action."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-forest-biomass-matters">Why forest biomass matters</h2>



Forests are a key player in the global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-reveals-carbon-cycle-trends-of-the-past-50-million-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon cycle</a>. As trees grow, they absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it as biomass in their trunks, branches, and leaves.



When forests are cleared or burned, that stored carbon gets released back into the atmosphere. Tracking the amount of biomass stored in forests helps scientists understand how much carbon is being absorbed - how stable that storage is - and how much might be released.



The revised dataset corrects long-standing underestimates in dense, carbon-rich areas, thanks in part to international collaboration with partners like the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency. 



Updates to the algorithm used to retrieve biomass data have made the results more reliable, especially in capturing trends across the globe’s major forest regions.



“The new dataset provides a much more accurate representation of global forest biomass, particularly in regions where earlier versions underestimated high-density forests,” explained Richard Lucas, who leads ESA’s Biomass Project.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-still-remain">Challenges still remain</h2>



Despite the improvements, measuring extremely dense forests remains tricky. 



“Detecting biomass densities above 400 tonnes per hectare is considerably more difficult because the relatively short wavelengths of current radar sensors don’t fully penetrate or interact with the larger woody components of dense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-forests-are-losing-their-carbon-storage-capacity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tropical forests</a>,” Lucas added.



Maurizio Santoro, from Gamma Remote Sensing in Switzerland, emphasized that accuracy has improved with this version. “When assessed against independent reference data from all over the world, the new maps are of higher quality,” he said.



Still, Santoro acknowledged that there’s more work to be done. “Better characterization of the states and dynamics of carbon stored in vegetation is still necessary, which will be facilitated by ingesting additional satellite data from past missions, and from future satellites.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-the-biomass-satellite">Significance of the Biomass satellite </h2>



This is where the ESA’s new Biomass satellite steps in. It carries a P-band radar - the first of its kind in space - with a wavelength of about 70 centimeters. This allows it to penetrate dense tree canopies, especially in regions like the Amazon, Central Africa, and Southeast Asia, where carbon estimates have traditionally been more uncertain.



Lucas expressed optimism about what lies ahead. “We hope and anticipate that data from the Biomass mission, once available, will be able to extend the record of biomass stored in the world’s forests, with this reducing uncertainties in the global carbon cycle and its contribution to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-we-mitigate-climate-change-with-deep-ocean-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>."



With each new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-space-age-satellites-can-track-canopies-and-carbon-storage/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">satellite</a> and dataset, scientists edge closer to understanding the true scale of the carbon stored in our forests - and what that means for our future.



Image Credit: ESA



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Satellite view of forest biomass reveals hidden carbon trends

As the newest Biomass satellite begins its journey in orbit following its launch on April 29, it brings fresh momentum to efforts aimed at understanding how forests shape our climate. A newly released dataset - built from nearly two decades of satellite data - offers the clearest, most detailed view to date of how much carbon is stored in the woody parts of trees across the planet, and how that’s changed over time. Developed as part of the European Space Agency’s (ESA) Climate Change Initiative, the updated...

Many conifer species are on the road to extinction from climate change. A new study led by <a href="https://www.brown.edu/">Brown University</a> has revealed that many conifer species will be threatened with extinction by 2070 as a result of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/infrastructure-climate-change-extremes/">climate change</a>. The research was focused on 55 conifer groups, including fir and pine trees. 

Based on global warming predictions from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), up to a quarter of the tree species examined for the study will face extinction in a matter of decades. The groups that are the most at risk are native to small islands.

"Our work shows that species native to relatively small islands are in a lot of danger from climate change, and relatively soon," said study co-author Professor Dov Sax. "But the work also helps us to identify which species are most at risk and which are least at risk, which helps to prioritize conservation."

While traditional risk assessments have assumed that trees can only withstand the climate extremes of their native habitats, the current investigation took a new approach by pursuing a more realistic estimate of the climate conditions that a certain tree species can handle.

"If you just look at conditions in native ranges and you model risk off of that, you'd conclude that everything on small islands is doomed," said Profeessor Sax. "But we know that many of these species have survived past instances of climate change, so what we wanted to do here was think about what conditions species could potentially thrive in if they needed to."

The researchers used data on where members of a given species are known to survive beyond their native ranges and categorized the groups into three categories of climate niches. Next, the researchers used IPCC estimates of future warming to see which were in danger. Under the IPCC's most extreme climate scenario, 23.6 percent of the species will be pushed outside of their fundamental niches.

"At first, we were encouraged to discover that most species show a lot of wiggle room in their climatic niches," said study co-author Kyle Rosenblad. "But alarmingly, all this wiggle room still isn't enough to buffer some of them from predicted changes in climate."

On one end of the spectrum, the Canary Island Pine is expected to stay within its fundamental niche and will not be threatened with extinction. To the opposite extreme is the Bermuda Cedar, which is expected to be pushed out of its fundamental niche and even out of its tolerance niche. In other words, there will be no place on its native island where the Bermuda Cedar will be able to survive. 

"We found a whole range of range of species that will look like they're fine," said Professor Sax. "They'll be alive and you may even see some seedlings. But since they can't reproduce sufficiently to maintain their population on their own, they'll actually be on the road to extinction."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Many conifer species are on the road to extinction from climate change

Many conifer species are on the road to extinction from...

Trees play an important role in keeping the air clean by filtering out particulates and absorbing greenhouse gases, including about 25 percent of all human-caused carbon dioxide emissions. However, scientists have long speculated that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-tree-growth/">trees</a> and plants will eventually reach a breaking point where they can no longer remove CO2 from the air.

An international research team led by <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> has determined that trees will likely continue to absorb carbon dioxide at beneficial rates through the end of the century. Beyond that point, the ability of trees to store pollutant gases is not yet clear.

Study lead author César Terrer is a postdoctoral scholar in Earth System Science at Stanford's School of Earth, Energy &amp; Environmental Sciences. 

"Keeping fossil fuels in the ground is the best way to limit further warming," said Terrer. "But stopping deforestation and preserving forests so they can grow more is our next-best solution."

Along with nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus, carbon dioxide provides the nourishment that trees need to grow. But as the atmospheric levels of CO2 continue to rise, trees will need more nitrogen and phosphorus to balance their diet. The uncertainty of how much additional CO2 trees will be able to take up - despite the limitations of these other nutrients - makes it difficult to accurately predict future global warming patterns.

"Planting or restoring trees is like putting money in the bank," said study co-author Professor Rob Jackson. "Extra growth from carbon dioxide is the interest we gain on our balance. We need to know how high the interest rate will be on our carbon investment."

Based on statistical methods, machine-learning, and satellite data, the experts quantified how much soil nutrients and climate factors limit the ability of plants and trees to absorb extra carbon dioxide. They found that the CO2 levels expected by the end of the century should increase plant biomass by 12 percent, enabling plants and trees to store more carbon dioxide. 

The researchers identified important partnerships that develop between trees and soil microbes to help them take up the additional nitrogen and phosphorus they need to balance their diets. 

The study emphasizes the critical role of tropical forests, such as those in the Amazon, which have the greatest potential to store additional carbon.

"We have already witnessed indiscriminate logging in pristine tropical forests, which are the largest reservoirs of biomass in the planet," said Terrer. "We stand to lose a tremendously important tool to limit global warming."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How much longer will trees continue to absorb carbon dioxide?

Trees play an important role in keeping the air clean...

According to the authors of a new study in the journal New Phytologist, the evolution of herbicide-resistant weeds is a "striking example" of the consequences associated with human activities. The researchers say this phenomenon could have major implications for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/food-production-environmental-impact/">food production</a>. 

Resistant individuals appear gradually within a weed population as a result of repeated exposure to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/increased-levels-herbicides-adults/">herbicides</a>. Most studies of herbicide resistance are conducted after this transformation has already occurred.

"If the evolution of resistance can be anticipated, however, proactive management to slow or prevent resistance traits evolving can be advocated," explained the study authors. 

Alopecurus myosuroides is a weed species which has been particularly damaging to crops across the UK, where it is known as black-grass. The species has developed resistance to a number of herbicides used to control it. The researchers set out to analyze how the world's most widely used herbicide, glyphosate, may be affecting this superweed.

The team used population monitoring, glyphosate sensitivity testing, quantitative genetics, and epidemiological analyses to identify the underlying conditions which are required for black-grass to begin to vary genetically and tolerate glyphosate. 

Based on data collected from more than 100 fields, the team found "pronounced, heritable variability in glyphosate sensitivity" among A. myosuroides populations across the UK.

A report in <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a> warns that the superweeds will cause massive crop losses, drive up food prices, speed up climate change, and harm wildlife. “It is not a matter of if but when we are going to be losing chemical control of these weeds,” said Adam Davis of the University of Illinois.

According to the <a href="http://www.weedscience.org/">International Survey of Herbicide Resistant Weeds</a>, there are 256 species of herbicide resistant weeds worldwide, affecting 93 crops in 70 countries.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14698137">New Phytologist</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Superweeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

According to the authors of a new study in the...

A study from the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">University of California Riverside</a> has confirmed that Joshua trees are unable to adapt to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-droughts-hotter/">climate change</a>. Unless dramatic reductions in greenhouse gas emissions are achieved, the iconic trees are not likely to survive beyond this century. 

The researchers set out to investigate the findings of previous studies which suggested that global warming will have a deadly impact on the trees. The team also wanted to determine whether the trees have already been affected by climate change. 

Millions of tourists visit the Joshua Tree National Park in southeastern California every year. As a species, Joshua trees date back to the Pleistocene era around 2.5 million years ago, and individual trees live up to 300 years. 

The adult trees can store large amounts of water for surviving droughts, but younger trees and seedlings are not capable of building up reserves. A recent drought in California that lasted 376 weeks made some regions too dry to support new plants, and climate change will increase the frequency and intensity of such dry spells. 

The UC Riverside team concluded that, even in the best-case scenario of climate mitigation, just 19 percent of Joshua tree habitat will exist after the year 2070. With no reduction in carbon emissions, the park will retain only 0.02 percent of the suitable habitat for Joshua trees.

The researchers gathered and analyzed data from more than 4,000 specimens. They discovered that Joshua trees have been migrating to higher elevations where there is cooler weather and more moisture in the ground. The adult trees are not reproducing as much in the dry season, and the young plants are not surviving.

The study also revealed that fewer than 10 percent of Joshua trees survive wildfires. Based on this research, the U.S. Park Service will remove invasive plants to reduce the fire risk for Joshua trees.

"Fires are just as much a threat to the trees as climate change, and removing grasses is a way park rangers are helping to protect the area today," said study lead author Lynn Sweet. "By protecting the trees, they're protecting a host of other native insects and animals that depend on them as well."

Sweet hopes that the study will inspire people to take protective environmental action. "The fate of these unusual, amazing trees is in all of our hands. Their numbers will decline, but how much depends on us."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://eco-sphere.com/">Ecosphere</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Joshua trees may not exist by the end of the century

A study from the University of California Riverside has confirmed...

A lack of moisture in the air will intensify the effects of climate change. According to a new study from <a href="http://english.pku.edu.cn/">Peking University</a>, land vegetation has become much less productive over the past two decades due to a lack of water in the atmosphere. The analysis of satellite imagery revealed that the progress of vegetation growth has stalled and even reversed across some regions. 

To investigate, the researchers focused their study on vapor pressure deficit (VPD), which is the difference between how much moisture is in the air compared to the total amount of moisture the air can hold. Increasing air temperatures often correspond with rising VPD.

"Two years ago, we noticed global vegetation growth decreases starting from the late 1990s," study lead author Wenping Yuan told <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/">Newsweek</a>. "We tried to search for the causes (by looking at) temperature, precipitation and radiation. However, we failed to find strong evidence then." 

"One year ago, we were inspired by the linkage between global warming and atmospheric water vapor, and the assumption that VPD will increase due to rising temperatures. Saturation vapor pressure indicates the maximum water vapor that the atmosphere can potentially contain."

The researchers explained that changes in VPD can have substantial impacts on ecosystems. For example, higher VPD can disrupt photosynthesis and suppress plant growth, which leads to higher mortality rates of vegetation and forests.

"Basically, if the water potential is larger in the atmosphere - i.e. VPD is larger - water will dissipate faster from the soil and plants," Yuan said to Newsweek. "It's like there's a pump in the air, and the pump extracts the water from the soil and plants via the vascular tissue. When the VPD increases, then the pump extracts the water faster and stronger."

"This will make the soil and plants dry, and negatively impact vegetation growth. In addition, when the VPD increases, the plants will close their stomata in order to reduce water losses. Stomata are like gates between the atmosphere and the plant, through which carbon dioxide enters into the leaves. Carbon dioxide is a raw material for plant photosynthesis. However, stomatal closure with increasing VPD will substantially decrease the rate of CO2 entering into the leaves, and decrease photosynthesis as well as plant growth."

The study showed that, in the late 1990s, atmospheric VPD had significantly increased on a global scale over land covered in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/green-vegetation-heart-disease/">vegetation</a>. This reversed the vegetation growth that occurred between 1982 and 1998.

"We were excited to find substantial increases of VPD over the global scale - which means huge changes of atmospheric water vapor conditions - that has not been found before. Definitely, these changes will impact vegetation growth," said Yuan. 

"We also used process-based ecosystem models and machine learning methods to quantify and separate the impacts from atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations and environmental variables on vegetation growth. The results show that increasing VPD since the late 1990s is a dominate cause for decreased vegetation growth."

According to the researchers, the findings indicate that spikes in VPD over the last few decades may have significantly contributed to the forest mortality associated with droughts.

This is the first study of its kind to examine how VPD will impact the planet on a global level. Yuan pointed out that rises in VPD which coincide with climate change could have severe consequences.

"Increasing VPD negatively impacts plant growth. Decreased rates of vegetation growth will substantially reduce the ability of plants to absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide," Yuan told Newsweek. "The CO2 concentration in the atmosphere will increase if other conditions do not change, which will result in a stronger greenhouse gas effect."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A lack of moisture in the air will intensify the effects of climate change

A lack of moisture in the air will intensify the...

New plant probe can help track pesticides that may be harmful to bees “Bee populations are declining at an alarming rate,” is a phrase that has become such a part of our 21st century vernacular that it has taken on a meme-like status usually reserved for pop culture references. But unlike most pop culture oddities, there is a heavy truth behind these words. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/weed-killer-declining-bee-populations/">Bee populations</a> around the world are in decline, and a continued decline has some serious implications.

One of the reasons for this population decrease may be neonicotinoid pesticides, which are currently being investigated – and in some cases are banned – for their suspected role in harming bee populations. However, a true connection between these pesticides and the decline of bee populations has yet to be established. 

In a new study published in the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a> journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>, researchers describe a novel approach to sampling neonicotinoids and other pesticides in plants – potentially explaining how bees are exposed to these chemicals.

While many studies have correlated the presence of neonicotinoid residues in plant samples with bee declines, only a few have measured total neonicotinoids in plants – mainly using time-intensive methods. In this new study, researchers developed a new type of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) probe, which is a device that can track concentration changes over time in biological systems. 

SPME probes use a coated fiber to quickly extract analytes from a sample. By developing an SPME probe that they could insert into plants through a needle, the research team could perform repeated sampling of seven neonicotinoids in plant sap.

When this sampling was done in lettuce and soybean plants, each sample process only took 20 minutes. The analytes could then be recovered from the probe and assessed, allowing researchers to quantify neonicotinoids in plants and study their movement and distribution throughout these plants over time. 

The researchers believe that this method could be used to track movement of pesticides into flowers, nectar, and pollen, allowing them to pinpoint when and where the maximum pesticide exposure occurs for bees and other pollinators.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New plant probe can help track pesticides that may be harmful to bees

New plant probe can help track pesticides that may be...

An international team of researchers has found that rising <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/co2-levels-highest-ever/">CO2 levels</a> could substantially reduce the availability of nutrients such as protein, iron, and zinc. The impacts of climate change are expected to reduce the global supply of these critically important nutrients by as much as 20 percent over the next three decades.

Study co-author Timothy Sulser is the senior scientist at the <a href="http://www.ifpri.org/">International Food Policy Research Institute</a> (IFPRI).

"We've made a lot of progress reducing undernutrition around the world recently but global population growth over the next 30 years will require increasing the production of foods that provide sufficient nutrients," explained Sulser. "These findings suggest that climate change could slow progress on improvements in global nutrition by simply making key nutrients less available than they would be without it."

In an unprecedented study, the experts combined data from the IMPACT global agriculture sector model, the Global Expanded Nutrient Supply (GENuS) model, and two data sets which projected the effects of CO2 on nutrient content in crops. The goal was to estimate the per capita availability of protein, iron, and zinc through the year 2050.

The research showed that wheat, rice, maize, barley, potatoes, soybeans, and vegetables will all suffer average nutrient losses of about three percent over the next 30 years as a result of elevated CO2 concentrations. These effects, however, will not be evenly distributed. Many countries that already suffer from nutrient deficiency will be among those that are hit the hardest in the future as well. 

The most severe nutrient reductions are expected in South Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the former Soviet Union.

"In general, people in low- and middle-income countries receive a larger portion of their nutrients from plant-based sources, which tend to have lower bioavailability than animal-based sources," said study lead author Robert Beach.

These regions are also expected to experience the largest population growth, which means they will need the most nutrient availability. 

Nutrient losses in wheat are particularly concerning. "Wheat accounts for a large proportion of diets in many parts of the world, so any changes in its nutrient concentrations can have substantial impact on the micronutrients many people receive," said Beach.

The researchers emphasized the need for further research to build upon their findings, including additional study of climate impacts on animal sources, as well as technologies that could mitigate reductions in nutrient availability.

"Diets and human health are incredibly complex and difficult to predict, and by reducing the availability of critical nutrients, climate change will further complicate efforts to eliminate undernutrition worldwide," said Sulser.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/planetary-health">Lancet Planetary Health</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The world’s most critical nutrients will be limited by rising CO2 levels

An international team of researchers has found that rising CO2...

SONY DSC

30 years of climate warming is visible in the history of wine grapes. In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.egu.eu/">European Geosciences Union</a> (EGU), researchers tracked the dates that grapes were harvested over the past 664 years. This documentation has produced evidence which confirms how unusually warm the climate has been in the last three decades. 

The record shows that, since 1988, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/winemakers-switch-grapes-climate/">wine grapes</a> in Burgundy have been picked 13 days earlier on average compared to the previous six centuries. The early harvest is a result of hotter and drier conditions across the region. 

"We did not anticipate that the accelerated warming trend since the mid-1980s would stand out so clearly in the series," said study co-author Professor Christian Pfister.

Because wine grapes are very sensitive to rainfall and temperature, the harvest dates can be used as a proxy to study the climate. A hot and dry growing season speeds up the ripening process compared to colder years.

Using a large number of archived sources, study lead author Thomas Labbé reconstructed grape harvest dates in Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, all the way back to 1354. He analyzed Beaune city council records, newspaper reports, and information on wage payments made to grape pickers. The continuous record of grape harvest dates, which runs through 2018, is the longest of its kind.

Labbé explained that the record is clearly divided into two parts. Until 1987, wine grapes were typically picked beginning on September 28. Since 1988, the harvests have begun an average of 13 days earlier. When the researchers analyzed the record, they found that the hot and dry conditions of the last 30 years were once uncommon but are now occurring regularly. 

To validate the grape harvest record, the team used 360 years of detailed temperature records from Paris. This allowed them to estimate the spring and summer temperatures in the Beaune region for the entire 664 years of the record.

"The transition to a rapid global warming period after 1988 stands out very clearly. The exceptional character of the last 30 years becomes apparent to everybody," said Professor Pfister. "We hope people start to realistically consider the climate situation in which the planet is at present."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.climate-of-the-past.net/">Climate of the Past</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Olivier Duquesne/Flickr

30 years of climate warming is visible in the history of wine grapes

30 years of climate warming is visible in the history...

An international team of researchers led by <a href="http://www.sun.ac.za/english">Stellenbosch University</a> is reporting that plants are vanishing at a shocking rate across three biodiversity hotspots in South Africa. The study revealed that 79 plants have been confirmed extinct in the last 300 years in the Cape Floristic Region, the Succulent Karoo, and in Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany.

According to the researchers, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-loss-human-rights-issue/">biodiversity loss</a> estimated for these three hotspots represents almost half of the known plant extinctions in 10 of the regions that are recognized as having the most diverse wildlife on the planet. 

Led by Professor Jaco Le Roux and Dr. Heidi Hirsch, the researchers analyzed 291 plant extinctions that have taken place in ten biodiversity hotspots and six coldspots since the year 1700. Overall, the study area covered about 15 percent of the Earth's land surface.

Agriculture was found to be the primary driver of extinctions in South Africa, followed by urbanization and invasive species. 

The study also revealed that plant extinctions over the past three centuries have leveled off to about 1.26 extinctions per year since the 1990s. However, when this number hit its peak, it was at least 350 times the historical rate that was established prior to human disturbances. 

The scientists predict that, within the study area, an additional 21 plant species will vanish by 2030 and 110 plant species will be lost by the end of the century. These results are strikingly different from the findings of some previous studies which suggest that half of all the Earth's 390,000 plant species may disappear by 2100.

"This would translate into more than 49,000 extinctions in the regions we studied over the next 80 years, which seems unlikely, bar a cataclysmic event such as an asteroid strike!" explained the researchers.

Regardless, the study authors emphasised that biodiversity loss and climate change are the biggest threats faced by humanity. 

"Along with habitat destruction, the effects of climate change are expected to be particularly severe on those plants not capable of dispersing their seeds over long distances."

Professor Le Roux pointed out that regional datasets provide valuable data to make general inferences around plant extinctions and the drivers underlying these extinctions. However, data is still very much lacking for many hotspots, such as those in Madagascar and Hawaii, which is why these regions were not included in the study. 

"A lack of up-to-date lists prevents us from gaining a more complete and precise picture of what we are losing, and at exactly what rate," said Dr. Hirsch. 

The experts believe that the only way to truly understand the magnitude of the plant extinction crisis is by urgently initiating regional or national biodiversity assessments.

"While our study suggests that modern plant extinctions are relatively low, it is important to keep in mind that plants are exceptionally good at 'hanging in there.' Some of them are among the longest living organisms on earth today and many can persist in low densities, even under prolonged periods of unfavorable environmental conditions," said Professor Le Roux. "A recent report, for example, indicated that 431 plant species, previously thought to be extinct, have been rediscovered." 

In other words, plant species may not be completely doomed even when they are down to just a few remaining individuals. This makes it particularly challenging to accurately quantify plant extinction rates. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plants are vanishing from biodiversity hotspots at a shocking rate

An international team of researchers led by Stellenbosch University is...

Detection dogs have been trained to sniff out explosives, drugs, and even cancer in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-accurately-detect-cancer/">human blood samples</a>. Now, a new crew of detection dogs are helping weed out invasive Scotch broom plants in New York state parks. 

Conservationists have been using detection dogs since the mid 1990s, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/b57bc5e73f0648be9c0f822c9c220cdd">Associated Press</a>, and dogs have tracked endangered species through their scat and helped find illegally trafficked ivory. 

The non-profit organization <a href="https://wd4c.org/">Working Dogs for Conservation</a> specializes in training dogs to detect invasive species. 

Working Dogs for Conservation has aided in finding invasive plants and animals worldwide including Yellow star thistle in Colorado, invasive zebra mussels on boats in several Western states, and brown tree snakes in Guam.  

“Our field in the last 15 years has just exploded,” Pete Coppolillo, executive director of Working Dogs for Conservation, told the Associated Press. “We’ve trained over 200 dog and handler teams to help in global wildlife trafficking, and now we’re doing a lot of invasive species work. 

In New York’s Bear Mountain and Harriman state parks, a labrador called Dia has been hard at work helping to uproot invasive Scotch broom. 

Dia can spot the elusive weeds through scent alone, which gives her an advantage over park staff and volunteers who use the plant’s yellow flowers to find it. 

Scotch broom is widespread throughout the Pacific Northwest but has only begun to spread across New York state. 

“If we had to find all these plants ourselves, combing the grass for every tiny plant, it would take so much longer — and we’d still miss a lot,” Joshua Beese, Dia’s Handler, told the Associated Press. 

Dia was able to find hundreds of plants that were missed by volunteers before, proving how useful a conservation detection dog can be. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Detection dogs help sniff out and identify invasive plants

Detection dogs have been trained to sniff out explosives, drugs,...

Plants have a defense system that can weaken the gut lining of their insect predators, a new study has found. 

Plants possess many fascinating strategies for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caterpillars-defense-sticky-plants/">protecting themselves</a> against insects that would make a meal of their leaves and stalks. If scientists can harness these defenses, it could help lead to innovative pest-control methods that don’t depend on harmful pesticides. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State </a>discovered another “prong” in the defense strategies of plants and found that corn plants can induce leaky-gut syndrome in armyworms. 

“We found that a combination of physical and chemical defenses in corn plants can disrupt the protective gut barriers of fall armyworms, creating opportunities for gut microbes to invade their body cavities,” said Charles Mason, an author of the study. “This can cause septicemia, which can kill the insect, or simply trigger an immune response, which can weaken the insect.”

For the study, the researchers inoculated lab-raised fall armyworms with three types of naturally occurring gut bacteria. The worms were then fed one of three different types of maize plants with different systems of defense. 

One type of maize has many fine hairs on its leaves that help defend against herbivores. One type expresses enzymes that weaken and puncture the gut lining of a predator when eaten, and the third type has just a few short hairs or trichomes. 

The researchers examined the gut lining of the armyworms that had eaten the maize with electron microscopy and found that the injected gut bacteria were no match for the maize enzymes. 

The armyworms still suffered punctures and weakened gut linings. 

“Our results reveal a mechanism by which some plants use insects’ gut microbiota against them in collaboration with their own defenses,” said Mason. “It may be advantageous to ‘stack’ plant defenses that target the insect gut in order to create a ‘leaky gut’ that exposes the insect to microbial assaults on their immune system,” said Mason.

The researchers published their findings in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Nick Sloff, Penn State

Plants have a defense that weakens the gut of the insects that eat them

Plants have a defense system that can weaken the gut...

A study from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> (MSU) is shedding new light on how plants first started growing on land. While scientists have long theorized that the first plants descended from green algae, details of the early transition from the water to land has remained a mystery. 

The MSU research provides evidence that, over 500 million years ago, algae may have hitched a ride out of the water with fungi to colonize the land.

“Fungi are found all over the planet," said study co-author Zhi-Yan Du. "They create symbiotic relationships with most land plants. That is one reason we think they were essential for the evolution of life on land. But until now, we have not seen evidence of fungi internalizing living algae."

The investigation was focused on a strain of soil fungus, Mortierella elongata, and the marine alga Nannochloropsis oceanica. These organisms, which are both from old lineages, form a strong relationship when they are grown side-by-side.

"Microscopy images show the algal cells aggregating around and attaching to fungal cells,” said Du. “The algal wall is slightly broken down, and its fibrous extensions appear to grab the surface of the fungus.”

Remarkably, after the algae and fungi were grown together for about a month, some of the algal cells actually entered the fungal cells. According to a report from MSU, this is the first time experts have seen fungi internalize a eukaryotic, photosynthetic organism.

“This is a win-win situation. Both organisms get additional benefits from being together,” explained Du. “They exchange nutrients, with a likely net flow of carbon from alga to fungus, and a net flow of nitrogen in the other direction. Interestingly, the fungus needs physical contact with living algal cells to get nutrients. Algal cells don’t need physical contact or living fungus to benefit from the interaction. Fungal cells, dead or alive, release nutrients in their surroundings.”

“Even better, when nutrients are scarce, algal and fungal cells grown together fend off starvation by feeding each other. They do better than when they are grown separately."

This increased resilience may explain how algae survived the move onto land.

“In nature, similar symbiotic events might be going on, more than we realize,” said Du. “We now have a system to study how a photosynthetic organism can live inside a non-photosynthetic one and how this symbiosis evolves and functions.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://elifesciences.org/">eLife</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Algae may have teamed up with fungi to give rise to the first terrestrial plants

A study from Michigan State University (MSU) is shedding new...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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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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