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...

There are some <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/parasitic-plant-control-genes/">parasitic plants</a> that can steal genetic material from their host plants and use it to more effectively drain the host's nutrients. According to a new study led by researchers at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> and <a href="https://vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a>, the parasitic plant dodder has stolen over 100 functional genes. 

"Horizontal gene transfer, the movement of genetic material from one organism into the genome of another species, is very common in microbes and is a major way that bacteria can acquire antibiotic resistance," said study senior author Professor Claude dePamphilis. 

"We don't see many examples of horizontal gene transfer in complex organisms like plants, and when we do see it, the transferred genetic material isn't generally used. In this study, we present the most dramatic case known of functional horizontal gene transfer ever found in complex organisms."

Parasitic plants like dodder cannot produce their own energy through photosynthesis, but use structures called haustoria to break into a host plant's supply of water and nutrients. Dodder wraps itself around one or more hosts and grows into the vascular tissue of the plants. 

"Parasitic plants live very intimately in connection with their host, extracting nutrients," said Professor dePamphilis. "But they also get genetic material in the process, and sometimes they incorporate that material into their genome. Previous studies focused on single transferred genes. Here, we used genome-scale datasets about gene expression to determine whether the large amount of genetic material coming over through horizontal gene transfer is actually being used."

The research team identified 108 genes that have been added to dodder's genome by horizontal gene transfer and now seem to be functional in the parasite. These genes were found to contribute to haustoria structure, defense responses, and amino acid metabolism. One gene found in the dodder genome produces small segments of RNA that are injected back into the host plant to weaken its defenses. 

Eighteen of the stolen genes were found to be present in all dodder species, which indicates that these genes were originally obtained by dodder in its ancestral form.

"This is the first time any study has seen evidence that horizontal gene transfers occurred early in the evolution of a parasitic group," said Professor dePamphilis. "In this case, 18 of these genes were present in the common ancestor of all the living dodder species, which may have contributed to successful spread of these parasites."

"We'd love to know how extensive horizontal gene transfer really is. We looked at just one species of dodder, which is just one of over 4,000 species of parasitic plants. Does horizontal gene transfer of functional genes happen to the same extent in other species? Is it possible in non-parasitic plants? In other complex organisms? This may be the tip of the iceberg."

The research was funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the United States and Department of Agriculture.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nplants/">Nature Plants</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: Claude dePamphilis, Penn State

Parasitic plants steal genetic material from their host to use against them

There are some parasitic plants that can steal genetic material...

An estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered around the world every year. They don’t biodegrade, they’re full of chemicals, and they’re killing a massive number of plants, according to a new study from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a>.

“We found they had a detrimental effect on the germination success and shoot length of both grass and clover, and reduced the root weight of clover by over half,” said lead author Dr. Dannielle Green. "Ryegrass and white clover, the two species we tested, are important forage crops for livestock as well as being commonly found in urban green spaces. These plants support a wealth of biodiversity, even in city parks, and white clover is ecologically important for pollinators and nitrogen fixation.” 

Cigarette butts, made of bioplastics, aren’t biodegradable. That means when they’re tossed on the ground, they sit there until they’re cleaned up or eventually covered with soil.

But the presence of cigarette butts in the soil can reduce successful germination – “birth” from seed to plant – of white clover by 27%, and the length of the plant’s stem by 28%, which negatively affects survival. For ryegrass, the germination success was cut by 10% and shoot length by 13%.

The effects were the same whether the cigarette butt was from a smoked cigarette or an unused one, researchers said. That indicates the problem isn’t the chemicals in tobacco, but the butt itself. The filters are made out of bioplastics.

"Although further work is needed, we believe it is the chemical composition of the filter that is causing the damage to plants,” co-author Dr. Bas Boots said in a press release. “Most are made from cellulose acetate fibres, and added chemicals which make the plastic more flexible, called plasticisers, may also be leaching out and adversely affecting the early stages of plant development."

Cigarette butts <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-trash-gulf-mexico/">clog the Gulf of Mexico</a> and was one of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emaciated-bear-plastic-container/">most-collected trash items</a> during an <a href="https://oceanconservancy.org/">Ocean Conservancy</a> clean-up in 2017. Discarded, still-lit butts have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-complicated-nature/">sparked major wildfires</a>.

"In some parks, particularly surrounding benches and bins, we found over 100 cigarette butts per square meter,” Green said. “Dropping cigarette butts seems to be a socially acceptable form of littering, and we need to raise awareness that the filters do not disappear and instead can cause serious damage to the environment."

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.109418">Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Trillions of cigarette butts are littered each year and it's killing plants

An estimated 4.5 trillion cigarette butts are littered around the...

Newly-discovered organisms are relatives to real-life carnivorous plant. A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> have discovered two new organisms that are seemingly relatives of an ancient organism that resembled the human-eating “triffid,” the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/carnivorous-plants-fought-evolution/">carnivorous plant</a> from John Wyndham's 1951 science-fiction novel The Day of the Triffids. 

Their findings are published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

Although this ancestor was much smaller than what Wyndam described in his book, the scientists conclude that the microscopic protists, named Rhodelphis limneticus and Rhodelphis marinus, each have a non-photosynthetic chloroplast, which points to their close ties with ancient plants. However, they also each have flagella, a whip-like tail which allows them to move around and hunt for their dinner.

"Rhodelphis shows that there was a period of time when the ancestors of plants and algae probably absorbed sunlight to generate energy, while also swimming around eating things," said senior author Patrick Keeling, a biologist at the University of British Columbia.

Furthermore, Rhodelphis limneticus and Rhodelphis marinus are genetically 'sisters' to red algae, even though they seemingly share more differences than similarities. For example, red algae are similar to plants in that they are fleshy, large organisms with a simple genome that perform photosynthesis. Rhodelphis are single-cell predators with a much more complex genome.

[caption id="attachment_1875338" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/red-algae.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875338" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/red-algae.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="551" /></a> Red Algae, Image Credit: Patrick Keeling Lab[/caption]

The researchers believe that this family tie means that robust sampling must be used to get a more rounded view of life as we know it.

"Most people don't look twice at organisms like this under a microscope, and getting them into culture may be hard work but it's the only way to really see the true diversity of life," said Denis Tikhonenkov, the UBC and <a href="http://www.ras.ru/indexeng.html">Russian Academy of Science</a> microbiologist who first captured the Rhodelphis organisms.

"There are gems in nature we haven't found, and sadly the importance of 'old-fashioned' exploration is being forgotten," Keeling says. "These new lineages are a great example — making us realize we were previously seeing things backwards and now we recognize plants had ancestors we couldn't have imagined."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Denis Tikhonenkov

Newly-discovered organisms are relatives to real-life carnivorous plant

Newly-discovered organisms are relatives to real-life carnivorous plant. A team...

Plant extract could help Mars astronauts stay strong during space travel. A popular plant extract found in grapes and red wine could help <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-experiment-life-mars/">Mars</a> explorers stay strong during the nine-month journey from Earth to the Red planet, according to a new study. 

It’s only a matter of time before human-crewed Mars missions become a reality, but it is crucial to ensure that astronauts who undertake the voyage reach their destination fit and healthy.

Space travel takes a toll on the human body, and spending a prolonged amount of time suspended in microgravity reduces muscle mass and bone density. 

But now, researchers from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> have discovered a potential solution that could keep muscles strong and lessen the impacts of living on Mars. 

In a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2019.00899/full">Frontiers in Physiology</a>, the researchers found that resveratrol, a part of a plant compound found in grape skin and blueberries, keeps muscles strong in rats. 

Resveratrol is a compound widely studied for its anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidative properties. 

“Resveratrol has been shown to preserve bone and muscle mass in rats during complete unloading, analogous to microgravity during spaceflight,” said Dr. Marie Mortreux, lead author of the study. “So, we hypothesized that a moderate daily dose would help mitigate muscle deconditioning in a Mars gravity analogue, too.”

The researchers simulated a microgravity environment by suspending rats in harnesses to see how spending time in Mars-like gravity impacts strength and muscle mass. 

24 rats were split into two groups. One group was left to roam on the floor of their cages to mimic Earth gravity and the other was suspended to mimic the 40 percent gravity on Mars for 14 days. 

In each group, half of the rats were given 150 milligrams of resveratrol in water, and the other half were not given the supplement. 

Each week, the researchers measured calf circumference and grip force for both the front and rear paws. 

The rats that were “Mars conditioned” had weaker grips and smaller calf muscles, yet those who were given resveratrol had stronger grips.

Muscle mass was also protected with the rats who had been given resveratrol. It was not a complete reversal for the Mars rats, but it significantly reduced the negative impacts of being suspended in the air for 14 days. 

The study offers a potential treatment that could be taken in supplement form by astronauts to help preserve muscle mass and keep muscles healthy while conducted fieldwork on Mars. 

“Further studies are needed to explore the mechanisms involved, as well as the effects of different doses of resveratrol (up to 700 mg/kg/day) in both males and females,” said Mortreux. “In addition, it will be important to confirm the lack of any potentially harmful interactions of resveratrol with other drugs administered to astronauts during space missions.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer

Plant extract could help Mars astronauts stay strong during space travel

Plant extract could help Mars astronauts stay strong during space...

A stone quarry in Brazil unearthed a breathtaking find: a fossilized lily that grew about 115 million years ago, complete with roots and a flower.

The fossil is so well-preserved it still has individual cells. Researchers believe it grew alongside a freshwater lake near the area that is now Crato, Brazil. 

Plants first evolved around <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-first-covering-earth/">520 million years ago</a>, with angiosperms – flowering plants – first cropping up 140 million years ago. That means the fossilized lily would have been from one of the first species of flowers to evolve – dubbed Cratolirion bognerianum by researchers. 

"It is probable that flowering plants originated in the tropics, but only very few fossils have been described to date," said Dr. Clement Coiffard of the <a href="https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/en/">Museum für Naturkunde</a> in Berlin, who discovered the fossil in the museum’s research collections.

The fossilized lily is more than 15 inches long, and features narrow, parallel-veined leaves, triple flowers and fibrous roots. However, the stone that encases the fossil has iron oxides, making examining the ancient flower difficult.

Coiffard teamed up with Dr. Nikolay Kardjilov, an expert in 3-D analysis of X-ray imaging and neutrons. The pair ran numerous scans, including colorized CT scans, to analyze the fossil without disturbing it any more than necessary. 

Cratolirion bognerianum is not the first ancient plant recovered from the Crato area, though it’s among the oldest. The long-gone ancient lake was home to a diverse selection of plant life – plants that scientists don’t normally have much information about, due to poor preservation in the tropics.

“The Crato plattenkalk limestone offers a unique window into the Early Cretaceous vegetation of the tropics and has already yielded monocot fossils,” Coiffard, Kardjilov and their team wrote in a paper describing the fossilized lily. Their research has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41477-019-0468-y">Nature Plants</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: <a href="https://www.museumfuernaturkunde.berlin/en/">Museum für Naturkunde Berlin</a>

Fossilized lily grew 115 million years ago in Brazil

A stone quarry in Brazil unearthed a breathtaking find: a...

Plants that diverged 400 million of years ago share the same pathogen defense. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> have discovered that two plants which have not shared a common ancestor in 400 million years still use the same defense against Phytophthora palmivora, an aggressive <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-linked-pathogens-antarctica/">pathogen</a> that causes serious disease.

The comparative analysis was focused on the common liverwort Marchantia polymorpha and the flowering plant Nicotiana benthamiana, or wild tobacco. 

By studying how these plants respond to pathogen infections, the researchers have identified a group of microbe-responsive gene families that date back to the early evolution of terrestrial plants. The identification of these long-conserved genes will give experts a better understanding of the strategies that facilitated the movement of plants onto land.

"We have shown that molecular responses to pathogen infection typical of modern flowering plants are common to very distantly-related land plants and may therefore be more ancient than we previously thought," said study co-author Dr.  Sebastian Schornack. "Despite fluctuating environmental pressures over a broad evolutionary timescale, these conserved genes have retained their capacity to confer pathogen protection in plants, including in important agricultural crops." Plants that diverged 400 million of years ago share the same pathogen defense

Bioinformatics expert Dr. Anna Gogleva identified a subset of one-to-one corresponding genes in the liverwort and wild tobacco and analyzed their response to infection. While a number of different genes were activated in both plants, one particular set of metabolic genes was found to be highly activated.

These genes have been previously linked to stress-response in flowering plants, but this was the first time that they were functionally linked to pathogen defense in liverworts.

"Pathogen zoospores germinate on the surface of liverworts and eventually colonise the liverwort tissues, but in some areas we saw an accumulation of a purple/red pigment in the liverwort tissues where the pathogen was rarely detected," said lead author Dr. Philip Carella.

"We produced liverwort plants with mosaic pigment patterns - resembling military camouflage fatigues - that allowed us to compare pathogen resistance in pigmented and non-pigmented areas of the same plant and found the pigment provided some resistance to pathogen infection."

After millions of years of evolution, modern plants and animals have inherited a remarkable amount of diverse traits which enable them to survive in dynamic environments all over the world. 

"The conflict between organisms can be a very powerful selective pressure that guides their evolutionary trajectory," said Dr. Schornack. "Genes involved in fighting specific pathogens can evolve rapidly - both in plants and animals. But we have also now found these broadly-conserved genes responding to pathogen infection in very distantly-related plants, which suggests that land plants have retained a likely ancient pathogen deterrence strategy that is much too useful to lose.

"Fossil evidence shows that plants have engaged in close-interactions with microbial life forms throughout their evolutionary history. Our research has uncovered a common set of pathogen-responsive genes shared in early-divergent land plants and more evolutionarily young flowering plants, which are all likely to have been critical for the expansion of plants onto land. Further comparative studies focusing on other distantly related land plants and their aquatic algal predecessors should reveal even more information about the evolution and role of these vital gene families."

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 that diverged 400 million of years ago share the same pathogen defense

Plants that diverged 400 million of years ago share the...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-trends-threatening-pollinators-crops/">Pollinators</a> like bees and butterflies often get the spotlight in terms of research and media attention, and this could be because many buzzing and flitting pollinating pros go about their business during the day. After all, a colorful monarch flying around a flower garden on a sunny day is hard to miss. 

However, a new study has found that wildfires have a negative impact on key night-time pollinators: moths. 

The study was conducted by an international team of experts who investigated the impacts of a wildfire in Portugal on the relationship between moths and flowers. 

Past research has shown that bees and butterflies can benefit from the surge of wildflowers that burst from the ground after a fire. But it turns out that night-time pollinators are not as lucky in the aftermath of a fire. 

“Day-time pollinators, such as bees, have previously been shown to respond positively to the post-fire increase in resources of pollen and nectar, but it was not known whether night-flying pollinators, such as moths, benefit in the same way,” said Dr. Callum Macgregor, the lead author of the study. 

70 percent of moths caught by the researchers in Portugal were carrying pollen, and in the spring that number jumped to over 95 percent. In the area studied, moths were carrying the pollen of over 80 percent of the flowering plant species. 

After the fire, pollen carrying declined. The amount of pollen carried by moths at the burned sites was five times lower. 

There were also fewer species of moths at these sites and lower moth numbers in burned areas compared to areas that were not impacted by the fire. 

“By comparing sites within the burned area to unburned sites nearby, we found that after the fire, flowers were more abundant and represented more species, which was mainly due to increases of flowers in winter and spring,” said Macgregor. “By contrast, we found that moths were much less abundant and less species rich after the fire, across all seasons. 

Moths could be a much more important pollinator than previously realized, and without both day-time and night-time pollinators, an area may not be able to recover as efficiently after a major event like a fire.

This study, published in the journal Functional Ecology, puts a spotlight on moths and emphasizes their important role in the ecosystem. 

“Given the increasing frequency of devastating wildfires we are witnessing in places such as Portugal, the United States and even British moorlands, this is a cause for concern as ecosystems may be becoming less resilient and unable to return to a functioning state,” said Dr. Darren Evans, a co-supervisor of the study. 

--

By <a href="http://mailto:kayvandett@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Paula Banza

Wildfires negatively impact nighttime moth pollination

Pollinators like bees and butterflies often get the spotlight in...

It has been well-documented that plant roots push through the Earth to access nutrients and water, yet the genetic or molecular factors that influence which parts of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rises-wetlands-store-carbon/">soil</a> the roots will explore are much less understood. 

But now, researchers at the <a href="https://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute</a> have discovered a gene that determines how far that plant roots will grow into the soil.

The findings will help experts develop plants to combat climate change as part of Salk's Harnessing Plants Initiative. The goal of the initiative is to create plants with stronger and deeper roots that can store more CO2 underground. This revolutionary research is set to receive more than $35 million in funding through The Audacious Project.

"We are incredibly excited about this first discovery on the road to realizing the goals of the Harnessing Plants Initiative," said study senior author Professor Wolfgang Busch. "Reducing atmospheric CO2 levels is one of the great challenges of our time, and it is personally very meaningful to me to be working toward a solution."

The researchers used the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana to identify genes that regulate a hormone called auxin, which controls the structure of the root system. 

[caption id="attachment_1875056" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/roots.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875056" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/roots.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="332" /></a> Image Credit: Salk Institute[/caption]

"In order to better view the root growth, I developed and optimized a novel method for studying plant root systems in soil," said first author Takehiko Ogura. "The roots of A. thaliana are incredibly small so they are not easily visible, but by slicing the plant in half we could better observe and measure the root distributions in the soil."

The study revealed that a gene called EXOCYST70A3 directly regulates root system architecture by controlling the auxin pathway without disrupting other pathways. When the researchers altered this particular gene, they found that the orientation of the root system shifted and more roots grew deeper into the soil.

"Biological systems are incredibly complex, so it can be difficult to connect plants' molecular mechanisms to an environmental response," said Ogura. "By linking how this gene influences root behavior, we have revealed an important step in how plants adapt to changing environments through the auxin pathway."

"We hope to use this knowledge of the auxin pathway as a way to uncover more components that are related to these genes and their effect on root system architecture," added Professor Busch. "This will help us create better, more adaptable crop plants, such as soybean and corn, that farmers can grow to produce more food for a growing world population."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Newly identified gene will help scientists create plants with deeper roots

It has been well-documented that plant roots push through the...

A new study from an international team of researchers is the first global assessment of how current trends in farming practices may be affecting pollinators and the crops that depend on them. The research suggests that a lack of crop diversity is sabotaging <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-existed-long-before-flowers/">pollinators</a> and subsequently impacting agricultural productivity.

An international team of researchers has identified countries, particularly in regions of Asia and South America, where an increasing dependence on pollination and a lack of crop diversity could ultimately threaten food security and economic stability. 

Based on data from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization recorded between 1961 and 2016, the researchers found that the total area of crops which requires pollination expanded by 137 percent. In the same time frame, crop diversity increased by only 20.5 percent. 

According to the researchers, this imbalance is an issue because agriculture dominated by just one or two types of crops only provides nutrition for pollinators during a limited time when the crops are blooming. When there is a variety of crops that bloom at different times, however, pollinators have a more stable source of food and habitat.

"This work should sound an alarm for policymakers who need to think about how they are going to protect and foster pollinator populations that can support the growing need for the services they provide to crops that require pollination," said study co-author Professor David Inouye from the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>.

During the study period, the large-scale farming of soybean, canola, and palm oil crops made the largest contribution to the agricultural expansion and also to the increase in pollinator dependence. The researchers explained that the spread of these crops is concerning because they represent a rapid expansion of industrial farming, which is known for pesticide use and other practices that threaten both pollinators and the environment.

"Farmers are growing more crops that require pollination, such as fruits, nuts and oil seeds, because there's an increasing demand for them and they have a higher market value," said Professor Inouye. "This study points out that these current trends are not great for pollinators, and countries that diversify their agricultural crops are going to benefit more than those that expand with only a limited subset of crops."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/book/9780124202184/climate-change-biology">Climate Change Biology</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: Martin Husemann

Farming trends threatening pollinators and the crops that depend on them

A new study from an international team of researchers is...

The moth caterpillar (Theroa zethus) has evolved an anti-predator defense when feeding on sticky and toxic plants.

Researchers from the <a href="https://uca.edu/">University of Central Arkansas</a> discovered that the caterpillar secretes an acid from special glands which prevents plants like the poinsettia from secreting latex stored in special canals in their leaves.

This latex poisons herbivores that feed on the plant like the caterpillar. 

In a new study, published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0218994">PLOS ONE</a>, the researchers detail how the caterpillar can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wheat-plants-chemical-defenses/">disarm the plant</a>. 

The caterpillar bathes the leaf stem in an acidic secretion made up of formic and butyric acids which deform the plant’s cell walls. 

The caterpillar first scrapes at the stem with its mandibles and compresses the leaf stem while it works. 

[caption id="attachment_1875031" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/caterpillar.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875031" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/caterpillar.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" /></a> Theroa zethus spraying acid. Image Credit: Dussourd et al, 2019[/caption]

The researchers filmed these different behaviors and defenses and then simulated them in a lab setting to see if just the acid or the scraping prevented latex flow. 

Using sandpaper and binder clips, the researchers were able to replicate these behaviors and successfully prevent latex flow in the plant, which means that it’s not just the acid that helps disarm the plant. 

Out of six other moth species included in the study, only Theora zethus doused the plant leaf stem in acid. 

“To understand if a plant is vulnerable to insect feeding, one needs to consider not just the defenses of the plant, but also the capabilities of the insect,” said David Dussourd, the lead author of the study. “The combination of behavioral manipulation and acid secretion allows the caterpillar to disarm the plant often without contacting any latex exudate.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Dussourd et al, 2019

Caterpillars use an anti-predator defense when feeding on sticky plants

The moth caterpillar (Theroa zethus) has evolved an anti-predator defense...

These massive, old trees were found to have thousands of genetic mutations. A study from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> has revealed that hundred-year-old Sitka spruce trees growing on Vancouver Island contain a remarkably high amount of genetic variation. In a single tree, the team found up to 100,000 genetic differences between the base and the tip of the crown. 

The research team sequenced the DNA collected in bark and needle samples from 20 trees in Carmanah Walbran Provincial Park. Each genetic difference that was identified represents a somatic mutation, which is a modification that occurs over the natural course of growth rather than during conception.

"This is the first evidence of the tremendous genetic variation that can accumulate in some of our tallest trees," said study lead author Professor Sally Aitken. "Scientists have known for decades about somatic mutations, but very little about how frequently they occur and whether they contribute significantly to genetic variation. Now, thanks to advances in genomic sequencing, we know some of the answers."

The investigation was focused on the Sitka spruce because it is among the tallest trees growing in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pacific-northwest-forests-wildfire-birds/">Pacific Northwest</a>.

"Because these trees live so long and grow so tall, they're capable of accumulating tremendous genetic variation over time," explained study co-author Vincent Hanlon. "On average, the trees we sampled for the study were 220 to 500 years old and 76 meters tall. There's a redwood tree in California that's 116 meters tall, but these Sitka spruce were pretty big."

According to the researchers, further studies are needed to understand how the different somatic mutations will affect the evolution of the species.

"Most of the mutations are probably harmless, and some will likely be bad," said Professor Aitken. "But other mutations may result in genetic diversity and if they're passed onto offspring they'll contribute to evolution and adaptation over time."

"We often see tree populations that adapt well to local climates and develop effective responses to changing stresses such as pests and bugs. Our study provides insights on one genetic mechanism that might help make this possible."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/20563744">Evolution Letters</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: TJ Watt

These massive, old trees were found to have thousands of genetic mutations

These massive, old trees were found to have thousands of...

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Ancient megafauna helped drive plant dispersal prior to domestication. As humans shifted from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to permanent settlements, plants and livestock were domesticated. This shift saw a rise in agriculture and innovation, but a new study has found that without the help of grazing animals, plant domestication may not have been possible. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute</a> and <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> found that large grazing animals during the Pleistocene drove evolutionary changes in key grains like quinoa and buckwheat and these changes paved the way for domestication. 

The researchers focused on herds of ancient large herbivores to study how migrational patterns and habitats influenced the evolution of small-seeded grain crops. 

Herd animals feeding on plants and dispersing them near rivers would have created dense patches that early hunter-gatherers could have easily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-start-baking-bread/">harvested</a>, later cultivating their own crops from the same plants. 

This could explain why certain plants were so popular. Because the plants were abundant due to animal dispersal, they were easy for humans to domesticate. 

7,000 to 5,000 years ago, our ancestors first started cultivating plants for seeds or grain and wheat and rice were among the earliest domesticated plants. 

While researchers have extensively studied the domestication of large-seeded cereals, less is known about the evolution and domestication of small-seeded grain crops like millets or buckwheat. 

The researchers developed a model to help explain the dispersal of small-seeded grains by humans showing that animal dispersal would have created abundant patches of the plants and as humans foraged through these areas, the plants evolved to better fit human dispersal and farming. 

Many researchers debate why early humans preferred small-seeded grains and domesticated these plants first, and this study, published in the journal Nature Plants, helps shed light on the mystery.

 “Currently, we’re studying the ecology of fields where modern herd animals graze as proxies to what the ecology would have looked like during the last Ice Age, when large herds of bison, mammoths, and wooly horses dictated what kinds of plants could grow across the American Midwest and Europe,” said Robert Spengler, the first author of the study. “We hope these observations will provide even greater insight into the process of domestication all over the world.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Robert Spengler

Ancient megafauna helped drive plant dispersal prior to domestication

Ancient megafauna helped drive plant dispersal prior to domestication. As...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

The history of Mars is much more complex than we thought

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research



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



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

Cavefish are healthy despite their sedentary lifestyle

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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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