Arbor Day originated in the United States during the early 1870s. The idea was conceived by J. Sterling Morton, a journalist and politician who moved from Detroit to the Nebraska Territory.&nbsp;



Morton was an agricultural enthusiast who recognized the environmental and economic value of trees. In the largely treeless plains of Nebraska, trees were needed for building materials, shade from the hot sun, and windbreaks to keep soil in place.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-origins-of-arbor-day">Origins of Arbor Day</h2>



Morton first proposed a tree-planting holiday called "Arbor Day" at a meeting of the Nebraska State Board of Agriculture on January 4, 1872. The proposal was well received, and the first Arbor Day was celebrated in Nebraska on April 10, 1872. It was a huge success, with an estimated one million trees planted on that day.



The idea of an annual day specifically for planting trees quickly spread beyond Nebraska. Today, Arbor Day is observed in many countries around the world, each adapting the celebration to its own climate.&nbsp;



In the United States, it is typically celebrated on the last Friday in April, but many states observe the holiday on different dates that coincide with their local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planting-forests-with-diverse-tree-species-increases-likelihood-of-success/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tree planting</a> season. For example, Hawaii celebrates on the first Friday of November.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-are-trees-so-important">Why are trees so important?</h2>



Trees are not just essential components of our natural landscape but vital guardians of our environment. These perennial plants do more than beautify our surroundings; they are fundamental to life on Earth.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ecological-benefits-of-trees">Ecological benefits of trees</h3>



The ecological significance of trees cannot be overstated. Primarily, they play a crucial role in mitigating climate change through carbon sequestration. Trees absorb <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-rings-reveal-the-carbon-storage-capacity-of-a-forest/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon dioxide</a>, a predominant greenhouse gas, converting it into biomass through the process of photosynthesis. 



This not only reduces the amount of harmful gases in the atmosphere but also provides us with oxygen, essential for life. A mature leafy tree produces as much oxygen in a season as 10 people inhale in a year.



Furthermore, trees contribute to increased biodiversity. They serve as habitats for countless species. Birds, insects, fungi, and moss are just a few examples of the life forms that depend on trees for survival.&nbsp;



The variety of life supported by trees enhances genetic diversity, which is vital for adaptation and resilience in the face of environmental changes.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-economic-benefits-of-trees">Economic benefits of trees</h3>



Economically, trees offer significant advantages. In urban areas, they improve home values by up to 15% or more due to their aesthetic appeal and their role in creating a pleasant microclimate.&nbsp;



Beyond aesthetics, trees provide raw materials for industries such as furniture, paper, and construction. Fruit and nut trees contribute to food resources, providing both nourishment and economic gains through agriculture.



Trees also have a profound impact on energy consumption. By providing shade and releasing moisture into the air through their leaves, trees can reduce the need for air conditioning in nearby buildings by 30%. This not only cuts down energy costs but also reduces the strain on power grids during peak summer months, thereby decreasing the likelihood of power outages.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-health-benefits">Health benefits</h3>



The health benefits of trees extend beyond their environmental and economic contributions. They play a significant role in improving air quality by filtering pollutants such as dust, microplastics, and gases through their leaves and bark. Urban vegetation can reduce pollutants in the air by up to 25%, contributing to healthier <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/non-native-trees-have-enormous-value-in-urban-areas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">urban environments</a>.



Moreover, trees have been shown to have a positive impact on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-forest-bathing-fresh-breath-for-teen-mental-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mental health</a>. The presence of green spaces in urban areas can lower rates of psychological stress and illness. People living near trees often have lower levels of stress, and children diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) show fewer symptoms when they have access to nature.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-challenges">Environmental challenges</h3>



Despite their immense benefits, trees face numerous threats, including deforestation, land development, and climate change. These challenges underscore the need for concerted conservation efforts.&nbsp;



Planting trees is a simple yet powerful act that can lead to significant environmental improvements. Arbor Day and similar celebrations can serve as vital reminders of our responsibilities toward forest conservation and management.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-arbor-day">Significance of Arbor Day</h2>



Arbor Day is significant for several reasons, primarily centered around environmental awareness and conservation.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-education-and-awareness">Education and awareness</h3>



Arbor Day serves as an opportunity to educate the public about the benefits that trees and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-play-an-overlooked-role-in-the-climate-system/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forests</a> provide to communities and the global environment. It encourages people to learn about tree care and forest management.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-community-involvement">Community involvement</h3>



The day promotes community spirit as people come together to beautify their neighborhoods and public spaces. It is a chance for community engagement through collective action, which can strengthen community bonds and foster civic pride.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-legacy-and-sustainability">Legacy and sustainability</h3>



Planting trees on Arbor Day is also about investing in the future. Trees planted today will grow to provide benefits for many years, making it a gesture of hope and sustainability for future generations.



Arbor Day serves as an important reminder that trees are more than just part of our natural landscape; they are essential for sustaining ecological balance, supporting economic development, and promoting health. By understanding and promoting the importance of trees, we can all contribute to a healthier, more sustainable world.&nbsp;



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Arbor Day: Honoring the guardians of our environment

Arbor Day originated in the United States during the early 1870s. The idea was conceived by J. Sterling Morton, a journalist and politician who moved from Detroit to the Nebraska Territory.&nbsp; Morton was an agricultural enthusiast who recognized the environmental and economic value of trees. In the largely treeless plains of Nebraska, trees were needed for building materials, shade from the hot sun, and windbreaks to keep soil in place. Origins of Arbor Day Morton first proposed a tree-planting holiday called "Arbor Day" at a meeting of...

If a tunnel tree falls in the forest…

The “Pioneer Cabin Tree,” of <a href="http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=551">Calaveras Big Trees State Park</a> in Northern California, has been toppled by a powerful winter storm. The ancient sequoia had been carved into a living tunnel over a hundred and thirty years ago, allowing horses, and eventually cars to pass through. In recent years, passage through the base of the towering tree had been restricted to hikers.

The <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/fronts/HOME?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME">Associated Press</a> reports that last weekend’s storm may have been the largest to hit California and Nevada in over ten years, leading to flooding and mudslides in some regions. At over 150 feet tall and with a base of approximately 33 feet in diameter, the iconic tunnel tree was not able to withstand the storm.

A post on the Calaveras Big Tree Association’s Facebook page stated, “The storm was just too much for it.”

It was reported on Sunday by state park volunteer Jim Allday that Pioneer Cabin had fallen. <a href="http://www.sfgate.com/">SFGate</a> spoke with Allday to confirm that local flooding was likely the cause of the tree’s demise.

“When I went out there [Sunday afternoon], the trail was literally a river, the trail is washed out,” Allday said. “I could see the tree on the ground, it looked like it was laying in a pond or lake with a river running through it.”

Jim’s wife. Joan Allday, added that the tree had been weakening for several years.

“It was barely alive, there was one branch alive at the top,’ she said. ‘But it was very brittle and starting to lift.” 

While sequoias can live for more than 3,000 years, it’s unclear exactly how old the iconic tree was. According to<a href="http://www.latimes.com/local/california/la-me-live-winter-weather-california-iconic-sequoia-tree-in-california-state-1483942759-htmlstory.html"> the Los Angeles Times</a>, trees in Calaveras Big Trees State Park are estimated to be more than 1,000 years old. 

In the 1800s, tunnel trees were created to promote tourism. Cutting through a living sequoia can do damage to the tree and most of the tunneled-through sequoias in California are dead. Wawona Tree in Yosemite National Park, the most renowned at an estimated 2,100 years old, was felled by a winter storm in 1969. Many of the remaining sequoia tunnels are fallen trees – logs on their sides carved through for passage. 

“Tunnel trees had their time and place in the early history of our national parks,” the<a href="https://www.nps.gov/seki/faqtunnel.htm"> National Park Service</a> has written. “But today sequoias which are standing healthy and whole are worth far more.”

--

Image: Tom Purcell-flickr

Famous sequoia tunnel tree takes final bow

If a tunnel tree falls in the forest… The “Pioneer...

What’s going on in the world today? Plenty. In your daily dose of Earth news for January 9, 2017, you'll find a new nature miniseries, tips on algae growth, potential uses for earwax, and more.
<h2>Earth news for January 9, 2017:</h2>
<h4>BBC launches ‘Spy in the Wild’</h4>
With “Planet Earth II” over, nature fans are looking for their next fix. “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lfdrQL5Ff-A">Spy in the Wild</a>” aims to provide it. The new <a href="http://bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> documentary conceals cameras in lifelike robots, and sends them to watch animals in their natural habitats.

Maybe they're a little too lifelike. In the first episode, a robot disguised as a langur monkey successfully infiltrates a group in India. When the robot was dropped from a height, the monkeys began mourning, producers said.

The miniseries airs in the UK beginning Thursday. In the U.S., the first episode will run February 1 on <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/nature/">PBS Nature</a>.
<h4>Could earwax be the next big tech innovation?</h4>
Scientists at the <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> have taken on a new – and sort of disgusting – project: figuring out a technological use for earwax.

The project was inspired after her boyfriend had water trapped in his ear by an earwax plug, doctoral student Alexis Noel said. She wondered how the earwax was able to allow the water in, then trap it so effectively, and mentioned it to Dr. David Hu. They decided to take on the problem.

Using earwax from pigs, sheep, rabbits, and dogs, they began testing its properties and trying out different uses. They’ve found that earwax is made up pretty consistently across species.

They also found that it has excellent filtering properties. As earwax collects dust, it traps it. When too much dust is trapped, the earwax crumbles and falls away, and new wax is formed.

While they’re still studying exactly how earwax is formed, the researchers already see potential uses in tech. One idea would be to create a biomimetic adhesive surface for ventilation systems in robotics and other machinery.
<h4>Colorful new flatworm species discovered in Brazil</h4>
Scientists have found three new land-based species of flatworm in the Araucaria forest of Brazil. Flatworms are invertebrates, and also predators that hunt other invertebrate species.

The Araucaria is part of Brazil’s Atlantic Rainforest and is considered to be a hotspot of flatworm diversity, the scientists wrote in their article in <a href="http://zookeys.pensoft.net/articles.php?id=11093">ZooKeys</a>, an open access journal. The three new species belong to the genus Cratera.
<h4>In forests, Missouri bees prefer darker flowers</h4>
Bees prefer darker colors in cool climates, at least when it comes to flowers. That’s what scientists at <a href="https://www.slu.edu/">St. Louis University</a> discovered while observing how native bee species interact with birds foot violets.

In most cases, the bees prefered the concolor morph, in which all five petals of the flower are light in color. In sunny locations, the concolor morph far outnumbers the bicolor morph, which has two dark purple petals and three light ones.

But in shady, wooded areas, the bicolor morph makes up about half of the flower population. Bees in these areas always land on the darker petals to feed, the researchers found. Testing revealed darker petals were warmer.
<h4>Scientists at UC Irvine find a new method for recycling greenhouse gases</h4>
A team of researchers from <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a> has discovered a new method for dealing with carbon dioxide: using it to help produce biofuel.

The bacterium Azotobacter vinelandii can be used to convert carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide. Though toxic in enclosed spaces, carbon monoxide can be used to produce biofuels and chemical products. Their findings were published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nchembio/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nchembio.2245.html">Nature Chemical Biology</a>.
<h4>Biodiversity of algae is important in biofuel production</h4>
<a href="https://www.umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> researchers studying algae-derived biocrude have found that when raising algae, biodiversity is important. They found that growing a wide variety of algae reduced crop failure and gave a better return on investment. While their research was conducted indoors in tanks, that will be true in outdoor tanks or ponds, too, the researchers said.

The research is being funded by a $2 million, four-year grant from the <a href="http://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>.
<h4>Scientists explore link between rainfall in West, Rocky Mountain air quality</h4>
When the western U.S. suffers from a drought, Rocky Mountain air quality suffers, too, scientists at the <a href="http://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> found.

That’s because drought sparks more wildfires, which creates haze in the Rockies, the scientists said. Haze can be evaluated with instruments that measure aerosol optical depth – the amount of aerosols between the sensor and the sun.

Aerosols in the Rockies went up when the west was in a drought, according to the study published in the journal <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/aa510a/meta;jsessionid=5E21027595D39B0B34BD2C5716CCDC9D.c4.iopscience.cld.iop.org">Environmental Research Letters</a>.
— January 9, 2017

Earth news daily: January 9, 2017

What’s going on in the world today? Plenty. In your daily...

The story of the city mouse and the country mouse may be truer than we thought. A new study has found that plants and animals that live in urban areas are being changed by city life.

The <a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/early/2017/01/01/1606034114.full">analysis</a>, led by Dr. Marina Alberti of the <a href="http://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>, looked at 1,600 cases around the world. They found that animals and plants living in cities showed changes in body size along with changes in behavior and reproduction habits compared to their country cousins.

“Humans challenge the phenotypic, genetic, and cultural makeup of species by affecting the fitness landscapes on which they evolve,” Alberti and her co-authors wrote in the analysis. “Recent studies show that cities might play a major role in contemporary evolution by accelerating phenotypic changes in wildlife, including animals, plants, fungi, and other organisms.”

For example, one 2008 study found that wildlife and plant populations exposed to human activity – especially activity in which humans alter the natural world, such as overharvesting or pollution – show faster rates of evolutionary change.

The researchers looked at another study that recorded changes in the behavior of crows and ravens in response to human behavior. That 2005 study found that social species with the ability to create and evolve their own “culture,” such as crows, can adapt and change that culture to take advantage of city life.

Alberti and her fellows used their “meta-analysis” to try to piece together the role that urbanization as a whole, rather than just individual human behaviors, plays in plant and animal evolution. That included widespread habitat modification like paved roads, street lights, and tall buildings; social interactions among species and between animals and humans; and disturbances of the natural ecosystem like flooding (though flood prevention or damming rivers) or pollution.

“By explicitly linking urban development to traits that affect ecosystem function, we can map potential eco-evolutionary implications of emerging patterns of urban agglomerations and uncover insights for maintaining key ecosystem functions upon which the sustainability of human well-being depends,” they wrote.

The analysis was published in <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

City life may influence plant and animal evolution

The story of the city mouse and the country mouse...

A new, open source plant database could help farmers choose top-producing bioenergy crops. To show the database's value, the scientists who developed it used it to show that Miscanthus yields more than twice as much biolfuel as switchgrass in the U.S.

Shared databases like this one are becoming more popular for plant science, climate change, and ecology research. But databases for biomass crops are lacking, Dr. Stephen Long said. The <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> professor was the study's lead author.

"To understand yield trends and variation across the country for our major food crops, extensive databases are available – notably those provided by the <a href="https://www.nass.usda.gov/">USDA Statistical Service</a>," he said. "But there was nowhere to go if you wanted to know about biomass crops, particularly those that have no food value such as Miscanthus, switchgrass, willow trees, etc."

To collect a useful mass of data for these crops, researchers at the Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology's <a href="http://www.energybiosciencesinstitute.org/">Energy Biosciences Institute</a> came up with <a href="https://www.betydb.org/">BETYdb</a>. The open-source repository for physiological and yield data will aid in future bioenergy research, the researchers said.

The plant database also supports automated data collection as well as big data analysis. The latter is important, because BETYdb already contains more than 40,000 open-access records.

“By making all of this data open access, we hope that researchers can identify new plants and best practices for biomass production," first author Dr. David LeBauer said. "We've been using these data not only to summarize what has been observed in field trials, but also to identify new crops and predict productivity in new environments."

To show the database’s value, scientists used the plant database to definitively establish that Miscanthus has a yield 2.4 times higher than switchgrass. The difference held up under a wide range of management and environmental conditions, such as fertilization rates, stand ages, and planting densities.

Miscanthus was originally grown only in Europe. There, it was twice as productive as switchgrass, a North American native, regardless of temperature, water, or nitrogen.

"This was based on limited data and did not take into account the breeding improvements in switchgrass that were occurring," Long said. "Now that Miscanthus is grown in North America along with many improved cultivars of switchgrass we wondered: does the remarkable two-fold difference in yield still hold? And it does."

The research was published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2486">Global Change Biology</a>. The <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> and the Energy Biosciences Institute funded the study.

New plant database could set the pace for biofuel production

A new, open source plant database could help farmers choose...

New research has been published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a> outlining the discovery of a 52-million-year-old fossilized fruit in South America. This plant family’s history is largely unknown because so few samples have been found in the fossil record. The family of plants, nightshades, includes foods such as potatoes, tomatoes, and peppers – however, given this fruit’s age, it’s probably best left uneaten.

This ancient fruit was found in a fossilized rainforest in Patagonia, where, as N. Ruben Cuneo of the Museum of Paleontology Egidio Feruglio reports, these discoveries “are probably destined to revolutionize some traditional views on the origin and evolution of the plant kingdom.” Many researchers believe this area will yield many more discoveries of fossil plants.

Peter Wilf, a professor of geosciences at <a href="http://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a>, led the team that discovered the fossilized plant. He told BBC News, “Here we have this discovery of these incredibly rare, delicate fossils – here you have a berry surrounded by this papery calyx – it’s almost unheard of that such a thing could be fossilized.”

The fossilized fruit is of the genus Physalis, belonging to the family Solanaceae, or nightshade, which includes flowering plants such as tobacco and petunias. The berry is also closely related to tomatillos and ground cherries.

It was previously believed tomatillos and ground cherries evolved more recently – around the time the Andes appeared. Scientists say this discovery shows the origin of the genus goes back tens of millions of years, much further than previously thought.

In the much warmer world of 50 million years ago, South America was closer to Antarctica and Australia than it is today.

Wilf further emphasized the importance of this discovery, explaining, “It’s the only fossil fruit ever found in this whole group of plants, that now has over 2,000 species. A lot of the evolutionary history of life, especially plants, which are rare as fossils, is largely unknown.”

The story of the 52 million year-old fossilized fruit

New research has been published in the journal Science outlining...

The majestic beauty of Caribbean coral reefs is largely dependent on the balance between the coral and algal growth. Otherwise, algae will smother the coral, having a devastating effect on both the health and beauty of the reef. 

That’s exactly what took place in the Caribbean beginning in the early 1980s. At that time, Caribbean coral reefs depended on long-spined black sea urchins to consume the algae and keep levels balanced. But a mysterious disease began killing off these long-spined urchins, a phenomenon first discovered by <a href="https://www.stri.si.edu/">Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute</a> (STRI) scientist Harilaos Lessios in 1983 at the Atlantic entrance to the Panama canal. As the urchins died off, the reef’s only other hope for algal maintenance were parrotfish. But large parrotfish populations were simultaneously being ravaged by rampant overfishing. 

The result was chronic algal overgrowth that smothered reefs across the Caribbean and continued for years. But according to a new report from STRI marine biologists Catie Kuempel and Andrew Altieri, Caribbean coral reefs may have found new heroes: smaller urchins and finger-sized parrotfish.

Kuempel and Altieri set out to examine the scene on the seafloor in Bocas del Toro, Panama. While they found that many reefs had already died, they were surprised to see much lower levels of algae. The team determined that the most commonly seen algae-eating seafloor grazers were much smaller sea urchins, Echinometra viridis, and tiny parrotfish, Scarus iseri. For the most part, this species of parrotfish managed to avoid the perils of overfishing due to their size. What both the urchins and parrotfish lacked in physical size compared to their predecessors, they compensated for in larger numbers.

Kuempel and Altieri propose that working as a team, these tiny urchins and parrotfish could be capable of restoring the algal balance in degraded Caribbean coral reefs.

"These dollhouse-sized species came the rescue of reefs in Panama, and may be important elsewhere as well," said Altieri.

The STRI team published their findings in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep39670">Nature</a>.

Tiny grazers could be the new heroes of Caribbean coral reefs

The majestic beauty of Caribbean coral reefs is largely dependent...

Could the same process that turned plant matter into fossil fuels have caused an oxygen spike and explosion of new animal life 500 million years ago?

That’s what researchers from the <a href="http://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> think.

“Why is there oxygen in the atmosphere? The high school explanation is ‘photosynthesis.’ But we’ve known for a long time … that building up oxygen requires the formation of rocks like black shale,” study co-author Dr. Shanan Peters said in a <a href="http://news.wisc.edu/fossil-fuel-formation-key-to-atmospheres-oxygen/">press release</a>.

Photosynthesis alone probably didn't cause the Earth’s oxygen spike, the researchers said. The process had already been around for at least 2.5 billion years, after all.

Instead, rapid sedimentation that buried organic matter may have allowed photosynthesis to shine as never before.

As organic matter decomposes, it produces carbon, which binds to oxygen molecules and forms carbon dioxide. Quick burial traps the carbon, and that oxygen stays carbon-free and breathable.

The process that buried plant matter under soil, eventually turning it into shale and fossil fuels, also blocked that carbon from entering the atmosphere, Peters said. That caused the Cambrian oxygen spike, which in turn sparked an explosion of life.

To prove the theory, Peters and postdoctoral fellow Jon Husson used the data tool <a href="https://macrostrat.org/">Macrostrat</a>. The tool is a collection of geological data from throughout North America.

They generated parallel graphs showing oxygen levels in Earth’s atmosphere alongside sedimentation rates through Earth’s history. Both graphs show a massive spike 500 million years ago. They also share smaller spikes.

The two scientists admit that so far, they have mainly shown correlation, not causation. But they also point to current atmospheric conditions, where the burning of carbon-rich fossil fuels seems to correlate with lower oxygen levels and higher carbon dioxide.

If the pair are right, their theory also suggests a potential fix to rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.

“The secret to having oxygen in the atmosphere is to remove a tiny portion of the present biomass and sequester it in sedimentary deposits. That’s what happened when fossil fuels were deposited,” Husson said.

The study was published online and will appear in the February issue of the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/earth-and-planetary-science-letters/">Earth and Planetary Science Letters</a>.

Scientists seek to solve mystery of Cambrian oxygen spike

Could the same process that turned plant matter into fossil fuels...

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.calacademy.org/">California Academy of Sciences</a> identified 133 new species this year. The findings include ants, beetles, fish, plants, and even a new shark.

The team explored five continents and three oceans. More than 12 Academy scientists teamed up with several dozen international collaborators to describe their discovery.

The Academy’s Chief of Science Dr. Shannon Bennett says, “"Biodiversity scientists estimate that we have discovered less than 10% of the species on our planet.”

By exploring uncharted territory, researchers aim not only to discover new species but also to uncover the impact these species may have on modern science and technology.

“Species live together in rich networks that thrive on complexity whether we can see it or not. Even the tiniest organism can be beautiful and important," says Bennett.

The Academy expedition found a new species of groppo 487 feet under water. This distinctive fish species is pink and yellow. The significance of unearthing the brilliantly-colored fish is that it is the deepest discovery ever made by human hands.

"This groppo is the most beautiful fish I've ever seen," says Rocha, a co-leader of the Academy's mission. "But beyond its looks, it's a reminder that we know very little about the mysterious half-lit reefs we call the twilight zone. We need to understand the life inside these largely-unexplored deeper reefs because they may help us understand how the oceans respond to great change."

Other discoveries made by the Academy scientists include “Dracula ants,” armored lizards, and gray-haired bee flies. A new bird virus was also identified this year that solved the decade-long mystery of wild birds with deformed beaks.

---

Credit: Earth.com author Connor Ertz

Researchers discover 133 new species of plants and animals

Researchers from the California Academy of Sciences identified 133 new...

A team of researchers from around the world, led by ecologist Dr. Marcell Peters, conducted a four-year long study on Mount Kilimanjaro to answer one of science’s most debated questions…why is there greater species diversity in the tropics than in Arctic regions?

For years, the contrast in species diversity between Earth’s Artic regions and tropical latitudes has been widely discussed. Tropical regions tend to have a great variety of plant and animal species, while the artic regions have moderate to low diversity. Professor Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter from the <a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/ueber/university/">University of Würzburg</a> says that the cause of this uneven distribution “has intrigued ecologists for quite some time… Already about ten years ago, the publishers of Science declared that to be one of the 25 most important questions of science to be answered yet.”

This question has been subject to controversy. One common hypothesis was that the primary productivity of a habitat is the key variable in the number of species living there. Primary productivity refers to the rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic or chemosynthetic autotrophs into organic substances. Another hypothesis is that the rate of evolution and speciation is dependent upon temperature; the warmer the climate is, the more species diversity is present.

All of these hypotheses had only been examined through focusing on selected groups of species. The variety of results was never conclusive enough to point to one hypothesis. That is until Dr. Peters and his research unit “FOR1246” published their results in the journal Nature Communications.

Their unique study tackled the terrain of Mount Kilimanjaro, which has one of the Earth’s largest climatic gradients. This allowed the researchers to examine many plant and animals groups in parallel, which had yet to be done. Overall, the 38 scientists examined eight groups of plants and 17 groups of animals, covering an area that stretched from the savannahs at the base of the mountain to the habitats at an altitude above 4,500 meters, where plants could barely survive.

The data across all groups were collected over the same areas along the same period of time. This allowed the scientists to analyze the biodiversity of not only each individual group, but entire communities as well.

At its conclusion, the study revealed that species diversity within communities is mainly determined by temperature. The researchers found that the warmer the temperature, the greater the diversity of plants and animals. Dr. Peters said, “The more groups of animals and plants you investigate in parallel, the greater the significance of temperature for explaining biodiversity, whereas the importance of all other variables decreases accordingly.”

The researchers believe this study reveals significant evidence supporting the hypothesis that temperature is the most important factor for distribution patterns of species. It’s possible that their four years of work may have just answered one of sciences most intriguing questions.

---

Credit: Earth.com author Connor Ertz

Why is species diversity greater in the tropics at the poles?

A team of researchers from around the world, led by...

Preparing food and cooking plants with heat or fire is an activity unique to humans. There is evidence that homo erectus began using fire over 400,000 years ago.

The invention of cooking has long been recognized as a critical step in human development. Ancient cooking would have initially involved the use of fires or pits and the invention of ceramic cooking vessels led to an expansion of food preparation techniques.

Cooking plants would have allowed the consumption of previously unpalatable or even toxic foodstuffs and would also have increased the availability of new energy sources.

Until now, evidence of cooking plants in early prehistoric cooking vessels has been lacking.

Researchers at the Organic Geochemistry Unit in the University of Bristol's School of Chemistry, working with colleagues at Sapienza, University of Rome and the Universities of Modena and Milan, studied unglazed pottery dating from more than 10,000 years ago, from two sites in the Libyan Sahara.

The researchers detected lipid residues of foodstuffs preserved within the fabric of unglazed cooking pots.

Significantly, over half of the vessels studied were found to have been used for processing plants based on the identification of diagnostic plant oil and wax compounds.

Detailed investigations of the molecular and stable isotope compositions showed a broad range of plants were processed, including grains, the leafy parts of terrestrial plants, and most unusually, aquatic plants.

The interpretations of the chemical signatures obtained from the pottery are supported by abundant plant remains preserved in remarkable condition due to the arid desert environment at the sites.

The plant chemical signatures from the pottery show that the processing of plants was practiced for over 4,000 years, indicating the importance of plants to the ancient people of the prehistoric Sahara.

Dr Julie Dunne, a post-doctoral research associate Bristol’s School of Chemistry and lead author of the paper, said: "Until now, the importance of plants in prehistoric diets has been under-recognized but this work clearly demonstrates the importance of plants as a reliable dietary resource.

"These findings also emphasize the sophistication of these early hunter-gatherers in their utilization of a broad range of plant types, and the ability to boil them for long periods of time in newly invented ceramic vessels would have significantly increased the range of plants prehistoric people could eat."

Co-author Professor Richard Evershed, also from Bristol's School of Chemistry, added: "The finding of extensive plant wax and oil residues in early prehistoric pottery provides us with an entirely different picture of the way early pottery was used in the Sahara compared to other regions in the ancient world.

"Our new evidence fits beautifully with the theories proposing very different patterns of plant and animal domestication in Africa and Europe/Eurasia."

The research was funded by the UK’s Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and is published today in Nature Plants.

---

Credit: Earth.com Staff/<a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>

Humans started cooking plants for food over 10,000 years ago

Preparing food and cooking plants with heat or fire is...

As carbon dioxide increases in Earth’s atmosphere, more and more of the greenhouse gas is absorbed by the ocean, slowing rising surface temperatures. That’s great for us – but bad news for one tiny phytoplankton.

Emiliana huxleyi is a single-celled, photosynthetic plankton covered in small calcite disks called coccoliths. 

Photosynthetic phytoplankton lie on or near the surface of the ocean, and convert light into energy. Along with other types of plankton, they form a valuable food source for larger ocean creatures. 

For example, tiny phytoplankton like E. huxleyi are eaten by zooplankton, which become food for jellyfish, which are eaten by sea turtles, which become prey for sharks. Phytoplankton are at the center of nearly every marine food web.
<ol>
 	<li> huxleyi is facing a new threat from the ocean, though. Ocean acidification has made it a lot more difficult for the tiny phytoplankton to form its calcite disks, according to scientists from <a href="http://www.geomar.de/en/">GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel</a>.</li>
</ol>
Calcium carbonate is the building block for E. huxleyi’s coccoliths. The added carbon dioxide in the ocean causes a series of chemical reactions that deplete calcium carbonate in the oceans. This affects E. huxleyi and other ocean creatures with shells.

The GEOMAR scientists conducted a series of lab experiments to see just how E. huxleyi is affected by ocean acidification. In laboratory conditions, the tiny phytoplankton’s growth and calcification rates of its coccolith were reduced. The short-lived organism was unable to fully adapt to more acidic waters even after 2,000 generations, the scientists said.

The lab tests didn’t tell them whether E. huxleyi would still be able to compete in its native waters in acidic conditions, though, so the scientists took to the seas.

There, the amount of energy the phytoplankton spent forming their calcite shells left them unable to form a bloom, the scientists said. They used the experimental KOSMOS (Kiel Off-Shore Mesocosms for Ocean Simulations) platform to study the phytoplankton populations off Norway’s west coast.

By analyzing the E. huxleyi populations in that region, they discovered it was in decline before the typical bloom period, instead of growing. When it came time to bloom, there weren’t enough of the phytoplankton to do so.

While E. huxleyi is just one of several types of phytoplankton, its struggles in more acidic waters could signal larger problems, the GEOMAR team said. 

When the little organisms die, their calcite shells help pull them down to the bottom of the ocean quickly, the researchers said. If their remains stay close to the surface, they decompose there, attracting bacteria and slowing the ocean’s ability to absorb more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, they said.

E. huxleyi is also believed to release dimethylsulfide into the atmosphere, a cooling gas. Concentrations of the gas were high over the organism’s blooms, the scientists said, but very reduced in areas where blooms failed to form.

Ocean acidification causes huge problems for tiny phytoplankton

As carbon dioxide increases in Earth’s atmosphere, more and more...

For farmers, lost topsoil due to erosion can mean a dormant field and missing income for years.

Little is as important in agriculture as fertile topsoil. It nurtures crops, growing stronger, healthier plants that provide a better harvest. However, farming can lead to degradation of the topsoil. Irrigation often leads to erosion, the cause of most topsoil loss.

Agricultural scientists from the <a href="http://missouri.edu/">University of Missouri</a> think they’ve weeded out a solution for lost topsoil: switchgrass.

Switchgrass can help farmers keep a healthy layer of soil in their fields, according to the new study. The hardy plant can grow even in poor soil conditions such as degraded fields, it improves topsoil, and it can be harvested and sold as a biofuel, the researchers said.

They tested the plant on eroded fields in the Midwest, where topsoil usually sits over a layer of clay. As fields in Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, and other states, the topsoil thins, leaving the clay underneath. 

Clay is not a very permeable soil, making it hard for plant roots to receive the air and water they need. This creates a very poor growing medium for most crops – but the switchgrass does just fine, despite the lost topsoil.

"Switchgrass can be grown efficiently on eroded claypan soils; farmers who have lost their topsoil may want to consider growing this hardy plant,” said Dr. Stephan Anderson, one of the study’s authors. “Switchgrass can be harvested and sold as a biomass crop for ethanol production or as fuel for power plants.”

Anderson and Syaharudin Zaibon, the study’s lead author and a doctoral student at MU, studied farming plots with different amounts of topsoil, and even no topsoil over the clay. They grew corn, soybeans, and switchgrass on the plots.

After five years, they got their hands dirty and examined the plots to determine the effect of each crop on topsoil, and on permeability of the claypan underneath. 

The switchgrass made the claypan more able to accept the water necessary to grow healthy plants. It also improved the topsoil, the researchers said. 

The water permeability of clay soil where switchgrass was grown was 11 percent better than plots that grew corn or soybeans, according to the study. 

<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/only-60-years-of-farming-left-if-soil-degradation-continues/">Topsoil degradation</a> has become a major concern for scientists because as fields become more degraded, it is harder to grow edible crops. Some agricultural scientists have raised alarm that the current rate of topsoil loss could bring food shortages in the near future. 

While it may take years or even decades, switchgrass can speed the recovery of degraded fields so they can be used for farming again, while providing a sellable crop, the MU scientists said.

The study was published in <a href="https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/sssaj">Soil Science Society of America Journal</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Switchgrass may help farmers recover lost topsoil

For farmers, lost topsoil due to erosion can mean a...

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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

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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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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes why satellite images and measurements of our planet have become "essential to our survival, offering a new outlook of our world."&nbsp;



Rising sea levels pose one of the biggest societal threats associated with climate change. According to ESA, satellite altimeter missions such as Copernicus Sentinel-6 are essential in monitoring global and regional changes in sea level.



"Unbeknown to many, the island of Crete, Greece, plays an important role in the Copernicus satellite altimetry constellation and on an international stage," reports ESA.



"Satellite altimetry data have to be continuously monitored at the ESA’s Permanent Facility for Altimetry Calibration where different techniques have pioneered the use of transponders to provide the best measurements to validate satellite altimeters in space soon after launch."



Dr. Craig Donlon explains that, by understanding planet Earth through satellite measurements, we are able to find evidence of change.&nbsp;



Video Credit: European Space Agency&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

Satellites have become essential to our survival

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