Fungi,Aspergillus,,Black,Mold,,Which,Produce,Aflatoxins,And,Cause,Pulmonary

Imagine inhaling hundreds of invisible spores every day. Most float in and out without leaving a trace. Yet some belong molds that don't respect boundaries.



Some fungus species will infect lungs, spoil crops, and disrupt ecosystems all at the same time. In short, they can wreak massive havoc and leave death in their wake.



Most molds and fungi are helpful, but some fungus and mold will jump from hospital wards to honeybee hives, and the line between helpful recycler and harmful invader grows blurrier each year.



Most of the time, healthy immune systems swat away dangerous spores and fight off infection. Trouble arises when weakened defenses, rising temperatures, and heavy fungicide use tip the scales. 



Suddenly, the same fungus that quietly decomposes the fallen leaves in your yard can trigger relentless coughs, damage corn silos, and shrug off medicines that once kept it in check.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aspergillus-fungus-easily-adapts">Aspergillus fungus easily adapts</h2>



After studying fungal threats for years, Dr. Norman van Rhijn and colleagues at <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The University of Manchester</a> mapped how three notorious Aspergillus species - A. flavus, A. fumigatus, and A. niger - might spread through the end of the century. 



They fed climate change scenarios into global models and watched the virtual spores drift. One scenario (SSP585), which assumes a fossil-fuel-dependent future, paints an unsettling picture: habitats across Europe become markedly friendlier to these pathogens.



Aspergillus fungus thrives because its genome bends easily to new pressures. It lives on soil, grains, animal feathers, even coral skeletons. Out in the wild, it recycles nutrients, but on farms and in clinics, the story shifts. 



Farmers spray <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-fungus-is-among-us-drug-resistant-fungi-is-thriving-in-every-corner-of-the-earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">azole fungicides</a> to protect wheat and peanuts; doctors use nearly identical azole drugs to save patients with lung infections. That overlap nudges Aspergillus toward drug resistance - similar to bacteria evolving against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-rivers-are-highly-saturated-with-human-antibiotics-helping-bacteria-develop-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotics</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-reshapes-global-mold-map">Climate reshapes global mold map</h2>



Temperature, humidity, and extreme weather events dictate where spores settle. 



“Changes in environmental factors, such as humidity and extreme weather events, will change habitats and drive fungal adaptation and spread,” said Dr. van Rhijn. 



“We’ve already seen the emergence of the fungus <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toxic-microbes-aerosols-can-travel-thousands-of-miles-through-the-air/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Candida auris</a> due to rising temperatures, but, until now, we had little information on how other fungi might respond to this change in the environment.” 



He added that fungi remain “relatively under-researched compared to viruses and parasites,” yet the new maps show they will likely reach “most areas of the world in the future.”



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Aspergillus_global-distributions_map_credit-MaxENT_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/Aspergillus_global-distributions_map_credit-MaxENT_1s.webp" alt="MaxENT model accurate described Aspergillus global distributions. Credit: University of Manchester" class="wp-image-1973600"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">MaxENT model accurate described Aspergillus global distributions. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Manchester</figcaption></figure>



Those maps point to striking numbers. Under the high-emissions pathway, the range of A. flavus in Europe could jump about 16 percent, potentially putting another one million people at risk of infection. 



A. fumigatus - the chief culprit behind invasive aspergillosis - could expand its European footprint by 77.5 percent, threatening up to nine million more residents. 



In Africa, paradoxically, parts of the continent may become too hot for some fungi to survive, hinting at complex regional trade-offs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forecasting-aspergillus-fungus-spread">Forecasting Aspergillus fungus spread</h2>



Forecasting pathogens decades ahead may sound speculative, but it builds on earlier warnings. Hospitals already grapple with Aspergillus fungus outbreaks after building renovations or severe dust storms. 



Meanwhile, intensive-care units report stubborn cases in patients recovering from influenza or COVID-19. 



Rising outdoor spore loads could translate to more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-deadly-molds-attack-the-immune-system-of-humans/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hospital admissions</a> and costlier treatments, especially because diagnostics for fungal infections lag far behind those for bacteria or viruses.



Mycotoxin contamination adds another layer. A single year of heavy Aspergillus growth can saddle the U.S. corn industry with losses topping $1 billion. 



Increased heat and humidity extend the window for mold growth in silos and fields, forcing farmers to discard grain or blend batches to dilute toxins - strategies that still carry economic and health risks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-current-drugs-don-t-work">Current drugs don't work</h2>



Azole resistance has climbed steadily in Europe and Asia. Patients with resistant Aspergillus fungus infections face mortality rates exceeding 50 percent, partly because alternative drugs can damage the kidneys or liver. 



Each hectare treated with agricultural azoles raises the odds that environmental spores will carry resistance genes into hospitals. 



Public-health agencies now track these genes in soil and compost piles, hoping to spot trouble before it reaches intensive care.



Fungicide demand is also changing. As some African regions exceed the thermal limits for certain molds, farmers elsewhere may spray more to protect lengthening growing seasons.



That feedback loop - more fungicide, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-plays-an-overlooked-role-in-antibiotic-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stronger resistance</a> - complicates food security and patient care alike.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-farms-food-and-rising-bills">Farms, food, and rising bills</h2>



Aspergillus isn’t the lone shapeshifter. Fusarium, which devastates wheat and oat fields, and Cryptococcus, an opportunistic pathogen in AIDS patients, also respond to warming climates. 



“Fungal pathogens pose a serious threat to human health by causing infections and disrupting food systems. Climate change will make these risks worse," explains Viv Goosens of <a href="https://wellcome.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wellcome</a>.



"To address these challenges, we must fill important research gaps. By using models and maps to track the spread of fungi, we can better direct resources and prepare for the future.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aspergillus-fungus-and-human-health">Aspergillus fungus and human health</h2>



Fungi account for an estimated 1.5 to 3.8 million species, yet fewer than 10 percent carry official descriptions, and only a sliver have sequenced genomes. 



The scarcity of basic data hinders vaccine development and slows the hunt for safer drug targets. 



Recognizing this blind spot, the <a href="https://www.who.int" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Health Organization</a> added Aspergillus fungus and Candida species to its priority list for emerging threats in 2022.



Researchers now call for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-of-food-safety-ai-can-detect-contamination-early/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coordinated monitoring</a> - combining air quality sensors, agricultural sampling, and hospital surveillance - to trace spore movement in near-real time. 



Such efforts could flag hotspots, guide fungicide regulations, and spark investment in rapid diagnostics. Without them, today’s manageable mold may evolve into tomorrow’s silent pandemic.



No single fix will erase the risk. Cutting greenhouse gas emissions limits the environmental changes that favor Aspergillus fungus. 



Smarter fungicide policies slow resistance on farms. Better ventilation in buildings reduces indoor spore counts, while new antifungal classes extend doctors’ toolkits. 



Piece by piece, these steps can keep an ancient decomposer from becoming an outsized menace in a warming world.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-6545782/v1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Research Square</a>.



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Deadly fungus that can 'eat you from the inside out' is now in the U.S. and quickly spreading around the world

Imagine inhaling hundreds of invisible spores every day. Most float in and out without leaving a trace. Yet some belong molds that don't respect boundaries. Some fungus species will infect lungs, spoil crops, and disrupt ecosystems all at the same time. In short, they can wreak massive havoc and leave death in their wake. Most molds and fungi are helpful, but some fungus and mold will jump from hospital wards to honeybee hives, and the line between helpful recycler and harmful invader grows blurrier each year. Most...

Caribbean,Sea,Covered,By,Sargasso,Algae.,Seaweed,Top,View

The Atlantic Ocean holds a secret: a patch of calm water ringed by swift currents, sitting about 590 miles east of Florida yet never touching land. Known as the Sargasso Sea, sailors have crossed it for centuries, but few notice the border when they slip into glassy indigo waters. 



Those who linger find the surface scattered with golden-brown seaweed - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-drives-the-great-atlantic-sargassum-belt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sargassum</a> - named for the Portuguese word sargaço, a type of grape-like algae. The plants bob in slow motion, rolling gently like tumbleweeds on a prairie of water.



Within minutes, the stillness feels uncanny. No surf pounds. No gulls scream from cliffs. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sargassum-seaweed-a-growing-problem-could-become-a-sustainable-solution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The seaweed</a>, however, bursts with residents: shrimp the size of rice grains, neon juvenile fish, porcelain-white crabs, and even young loggerhead turtles paddling their first miles of life. 



This floating cover grows so thick that early Spanish crews feared their wooden caravels would halt and “never again feel a breath of wind,” as Christopher Columbus wrote in 1492.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-sargasso-sea-holds-a-drifting-forest">The Sargasso Sea holds a drifting forest</h2>



Strip away the romance, and the Sargasso Sea looks like an 800-mile-wide nursery. Scientists call the drifting mats “habitat islands,” and for good reason. Hatchling turtles hide here until their shells harden.



Porbeagle sharks cruise the shade below, while Bermuda storm-petrels skim the fringe, plucking shrimp in mid-dive.



Researchers have counted more than 100 invertebrate species clinging to the weed—tiny colonists that hitch a ride for years before the mats eventually break apart.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-cycles-in-migration">Life cycles in migration</h2>



European and American eels begin their lives beneath these mats, no bigger than clear threads. They drift west or east on ocean currents, slip into rivers as far inland as Indiana, then, after decades in freshwater, swim back the entire 3,000-mile journey to spawn once and die. 



How they locate the same watery cradle baffles zoologists. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/baby-humpback-whales-are-born-in-places-we-didnt-expect/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humpback whales</a> also cross the sea each spring, and high-speed tuna streak through on their way to spawning grounds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unique-climate-engine-calls-the-shots">Unique climate engine calls the shots</h2>



Longtime observers quickly learn that calm water masks heavy lifting. In summer, the surface warms to about 82–86 °F; in winter, it cools to roughly 64–68 °F. 



Those seasonal swings drive mixing that helps push warm, salty water northward and return cooler water south - a conveyor that steadies weather patterns on both sides of the Atlantic. 



The open water also pulls carbon dioxide from the air, locking it into plankton shells that eventually snow to the seafloor.



Only after two years of sampling did chemical oceanographer Nicholas Bates and colleagues at the <a href="https://bios.asu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences</a> realize just how much heat the sea was absorbing. 



“The ocean is the warmest it’s been for ‘millions and millions of years,’” he told LiveScience, warning that the trend could reshape “where it rains or where it doesn’t.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-problems-threaten-the-sargasso-sea">Human problems threaten the Sargasso Sea</h2>



Jules Verne once called the Sargasso “a perfect lake in the open Atlantic.” Today that lake collects trash from four converging currents: the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collapse-of-main-atlantic-ocean-circulaton-current-amoc-is-already-happening/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">North Atlantic Current</a>, Canary Current, North Equatorial Current, and Antilles Current. 



Those loops act like a mile-wide drain, funneling plastic bags, bottle caps, and ghost fishing gear into a slowly rotating slick. 



One survey estimated roughly 200,000 pieces of debris per square kilometer - about 518,000 pieces per square mile - spreading for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-hotspots-currents-identified-cleanup-efforts-great-pacific-garbage-patch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">several hundred miles</a>.



Underwater microphones pick up the growl of cargo vessels cutting straight through mats. Propellers shred the weed; paint chips flake from hulls, releasing copper and zinc. 



Noise can mask the low-frequency calls of sperm whales passing beneath. Meanwhile, floating nets entangle juvenile turtles exactly where they once found refuge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-change-through-decades">Tracking change through decades</h2>



Researchers have monitored these waters near Bermuda since 1954, recording temperature, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/caribbean-salt-affects-global-climate-study-reveals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">salinity</a>, dissolved oxygen, and pH every month. 



Instruments show that winter water is slightly saltier than summer water, thanks to dry winds that whisk moisture off the surface, while rainfall each June and July freshens the mix. 



Since the 1980s, the average temperature has climbed roughly 1 °C - a small number that packs a punch. Warmer layers resist vertical mixing, starving deeper water of oxygen and hoarding nutrients that would normally rise to feed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-from-africa-sparked-a-massive-phytoplankton-bloom/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plankton blooms</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sargasso-sea_map-location_credit-Bates-Johnson_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sargasso-sea_map-location_credit-Bates-Johnson_1s.webp" alt="Location map of the island of Bermuda and two ocean time-series (Hydrostation S, 1954 to present; and the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series, BATS, 1988 to present) sites. The position of the Ocean Flux Program (OFP, 1978 to present; deep ocean sediment trap program) is also shown. Ruth Curry is thanked for the main panel figure which is modified here. Credit: Bates and Johnson" class="wp-image-1970759"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Location map of the island of Bermuda and two ocean time-series (Hydrostation S, 1954 to present; and the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series, BATS, 1988 to present) sites. The position of the Ocean Flux Program (OFP, 1978 to present; deep ocean sediment trap program) is also shown. Ruth Curry is thanked for the main panel figure which is modified here. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Bates and Johnson</figcaption></figure>



Scientists have developed new metrics, such as “salinity anomaly” maps and basin-scale alkalinity indices, to compare one year to the next. 



Paired with drifting Argo floats and satellite color scans, the 60-year record has become a gold standard for tracking ocean acidification.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-race-against-warmth">Race against warmth</h2>



<a href="https://www.sargassoseacommission.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Sargasso Sea Commission</a>, an intergovernmental body formed in 2014, calls the region a “haven of biodiversity” and urges countries to designate shipping lanes that skirt dense mats. 



Marine protected area status remains complicated; no nation owns the sea, and enforcement on the high seas is costly. 



Yet conservationists note that simple steps - rerouting tankers by 50 miles or banning longline fishing during peak turtle season - could preserve critical habitat without hampering trade.



Policy moves slowly, while climate shifts quickly. 



Between stronger hurricanes and hotter summers, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/robot-discovers-surprising-food-source-sargassum-for-deep-ocean-creatures/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sargassum</a> now grows so prolifically in the Caribbean that beach resorts hire bulldozers to clear it. Excess weed sinks, rots, and releases greenhouse gases, turning a carbon sink into a source. 



Paradoxically, the very organism that lends the sea its name may become a casualty of warming if rising acidity weakens its holdfasts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-importance-of-protecting-the-sargasso-sea">Importance of protecting the Sargasso Sea</h2>



If we lose the Sargasso Sea, rivers from Newfoundland to the Gulf of Mexico would send eels searching in vain for a birthplace erased by heat. 



Humpbacks might arrive in spring to find the larder bare. Storm tracks over Europe could drift, and the Atlantic might store even more of the planet’s excess heat, accelerating feedback loops we scarcely understand.



Governments are now weighing a treaty to curb plastic discharge at sea and expand no-take zones around key migratory corridors. 



Shipping firms experiment with quieter propeller designs and biodegradable packing bands. None of these fixes alone will restore the Sargasso, but together they could keep the floating forest alive long enough for cooler heads - and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-hidden-skin-could-protect-us-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cooler oceans</a> - to prevail.



For something that looks like an empty patch of blue on a map, the Sargasso Sea manages to knit continents together, nourish creatures halfway across the world, and offer humanity a running log of planetary change. 



The still water speaks softly, but its message rings clear: protect the calm, or brace for the storm that follows.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2023.1289931/full" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.



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Earth has one sea that touches no land, because it has no shore

The Atlantic Ocean holds a secret: a patch of calm...

In the United States, certain forest landscapes help both people and birds at the same time. A team of researchers has identified forests that store carbon, filter water, and shelter at-risk <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-the-2024-eclipse-revealed-about-bird-behavior/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird</a> species.



Dr. Rachel Neugarten of the Wildlife Conservation Society, and formerly of the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>, explained the motivation behind this study.&nbsp;



“We all know that nature provides us with many benefits - biodiversity, climate regulation, recreation, and many others - but until now, we haven't been able to demonstrate where those benefits coincide in space,” stated Dr. Neugarten.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-help-both-people-and-birds">Forests help both people and birds</h2>



One significant highlight of the work is the finding that a single region can supply benefits for both wildlife and people. Forested landscapes stood out as a prime example.



"Against a backdrop of environmental degradation, climate change, and declining natural resources, there is growing interest in identifying conservation approaches that achieve co-benefits to simultaneously advance multiple goals," wrote the researchers.



Key data showed that 75% of forest-dwelling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/all-birds-one-tree-complete-evolutionary-map-reveals-hidden-links/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">birds</a> were found in areas that supply important ecological services, such as water filtration and carbon storage. 



These regions include the Appalachian Mountains, the southeastern U.S., New England, the Ozarks, and the Sierra and Cascade ranges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-many-forest-birds-are-declining-fast">Many forest birds are declining fast</h2>



Many species have been designated as <a href="https://www.stateofthebirds.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tipping Point</a> birds, meaning they have declined by half or more in the last half-century. Some of these birds thrive in forests that also contribute to timber production and climate regulation.



Among these forest-dwelling Tipping Point species is the <a href="https://www.allaboutbirds.org/guide/Cerulean_Warbler/overview" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cerulean Warbler</a>, with 91% of its U.S. population found in areas supporting the forestry industry while locking away substantial carbon. 



By prioritizing these habitats, <a href="https://bidenwhitehouse.archives.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2021/01/27/fact-sheet-president-biden-takes-executive-actions-to-tackle-the-climate-crisis-at-home-and-abroad-create-jobs-and-restore-scientific-integrity-across-federal-government/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decision-makers</a> can help both local economies and declining bird populations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-all-habitats-have-equal-benefits">Not all habitats have equal benefits</h2>



Not every <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wings-without-borders-the-significance-of-world-migratory-bird-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird</a> group benefits from the same zones. Aridlands and wetlands frequently fell outside many of these top-priority areas for human-centric ecosystem services. This gap highlights the risk of generalizing conservation plans. 



Although some locations offer a perfect blend of benefits for people and birds, others need tailored strategies to secure habitats that are not automatically covered by human-focused conservation.



Forests that store large amounts of carbon often coincide with hotspots for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-100-bird-species-have-been-lost-for-over-a-decade/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bird</a> diversity. This overlap is especially promising for meeting climate targets set by national and international policies.



Some species normally associated with arid regions also gain partial climate benefits when their territory overlaps with carbon-rich zones. But for many desert birds, the match is far weaker than it is for forest dwellers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bird-conservation-needs-different-plans">Bird conservation needs different plans</h2>



Amanda Rodewald, faculty director of the Center for Avian Population Studies at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, is a co-author of the research.



“This study is especially timely, given recent <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aaw1313" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reports</a> of continued, if not worsening, population declines in North American birds,” said Rodewald.



“Now more than ever, we must find ways to conserve birds as part of broader efforts to protect the environment, in this case, safeguarding the ecosystem services that support human health and well-being.”



Researchers believe the next challenge is finding ways to extend these co-benefits to other habitats. Adaptable strategies might involve protecting wetlands for flood control and wildlife, or preserving grasslands that support pollination services.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strategic-planning-for-the-future">Strategic planning for the future</h2>



Teams that focus on forested landscapes can leverage positive outcomes for local communities, industries, and bird populations. However, carefully pinpointing resources for arid and coastal birds remains urgent.



Targeted measures that factor in local environmental conditions may help address the gaps. With limited budgets and rising threats from climate disruption, careful planning is more pressing than ever.



Researchers believe that partnerships among local land managers, government agencies, and conservation groups can stretch funds further. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-forest-birds-and-people">Protecting forest birds and people</h2>



By uniting around data-driven goals, different sectors can look beyond short-term agendas and make decisions that serve birds, ecosystems, and human interests.



Scientists see these findings as a stepping-stone for more informed land-use policies in the U.S. They stress the importance of identifying unique needs for each region instead of relying on one-size-fits-all strategies.



Maximizing conservation gains requires blending science, community support, and political will. Responsible steps taken now could secure crucial habitats that shield people and wildlife against ongoing environmental changes.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212041625000373?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ecosystem Services</a>.



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Many forests that benefit people also shelter endangered birds

In the United States, certain forest landscapes help both people...

Forests have long stood as symbols of hope in climate battles. Towering pines, lush rainforests, and dense boreal woodlands seemed to hold the answer to our rising emissions. Their leaves breathed in carbon dioxide. Their roots locked carbon in the soil. Their presence offered comfort in a warming world.



But this story is quickly unraveling. Climate change, once held at bay by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/international-day-of-forests-2024-new-solutions-for-a-better-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nature’s resilience</a>, is now overwhelming the very systems built to contain it. Fires rage through continents. Smoke blots out skies. And the forests we once trusted as guardians have begun releasing more carbon than they store.



A recent policy brief by the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health (<a href="https://unu.edu/inweh" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UNU‑INWEH</a>) confronts this urgent shift. 



The report delivers a stark warning. Forests, especially in fire-prone zones, are not guaranteed allies anymore.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-are-releasing-more-carbon">Forests are releasing more carbon</h2>



The brief reveals how some forests are now “super‑emitters.” This term refers to landscapes that release massive amounts of carbon due to intense, frequent wildfires. These include boreal forests in the Arctic, stretches of the Amazon, and woodlands across Australia.



Despite this shift, many global carbon policies remain stuck in the past. Voluntary carbon markets still reward <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/international-orangutan-day-2024-protecting-the-people-of-the-forest/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tree</a> planting without considering how heat, drought, and pests are reshaping forest dynamics



“Planting trees is no longer enough - warming, drought‑stressed forests can flip into vast carbon sources when they burn. Forest policy must move from static protection to dynamic risk management,” noted Dr. Ju Hyoung Lee, lead author of the report.



Tree planting, once considered a reliable fix, can now backfire. In regions suffering from water stress, planting more trees might create dense fuel loads. These become dangerous when combined with dry soil, hot temperatures, and wind.



A spark in such an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-are-still-fighting-climate-change-against-all-odds/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environment</a> can undo years of carbon reduction in a matter of days.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tree-planting-programs-ignore-wildfire-risks">Tree planting programs ignore wildfire risks</h2>



The scientists emphasized that carbon-offset programs need to evolve. It's not enough to reward the act of planting. These programs must assess forest longevity and vulnerability. Drought, heatwaves, and pest infestations make it harder for forests to thrive, and easier for them to ignite.



Right now, many policies operate on fixed assumptions. They treat forests as stable, slow-changing entities. But reality no longer matches these models. A tree that grows in 2025 might burn before 2035. Without dynamic monitoring, carbon markets risk crediting projects that increase emissions.



According to the brief, more localized assessments are crucial. Hydrological factors like rainfall levels and soil conditions should guide decisions. So should projections of future droughts and temperature <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-face-rising-damage-risks-as-their-diversity-dwindles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extremes</a>. 



Forest health isn't just about what we plant, but where and how it's maintained over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellites-help-detect-at-risk-forests">Satellites help detect at-risk forests</h2>



Technology offers a path forward. The authors call for better integration of satellite data in forest management. Earth observation tools can detect shifts in tree health, soil moisture, and canopy density. This data, collected in near real-time, provides an early warning system for fire risk.



“Forests are our powerful allies against climate change - but only if we manage them as living, dynamic systems. By coupling satellite data with proactive management, we can prevent fires from erasing decades of carbon‑reduction progress,” noted Professor Kaveh Madani, Director of UNU‑INWEH.



This isn’t just about prevention. It’s about transparency and smart policy design. If a forested area faces rising fire threats, it shouldn’t earn carbon credits the same way a more resilient area does. 



Policies must reflect changing realities. With satellite monitoring, decisions can stay rooted in evidence, not assumptions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forest-fire-risks-and-carbon-storage">Forest fire risks and carbon storage</h2>



The UNU-INWEH policy brief identifies a dangerous mismatch. On one side, global warming is accelerating wildfire risks. On the other, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/future-forests-which-tree-species-can-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon</a> markets act as if forests are immune to change.



This disconnect has serious consequences. Carbon pricing models and credit verification systems often fail to account for fire-related emissions. 



Even the Paris Agreement and voluntary carbon initiatives continue to rely on static forest data. They rarely measure how likely a forest is to survive the next decade without burning.



Tree-planting campaigns in arid regions, especially those with degraded soil, often overlook this. In such environments, forestation might offer little carbon benefit and even invite disaster. When trees dry out, they become fuel. 



Fires that sweep through them don’t just burn wood - they release all the carbon those trees once held.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adaptive-strategies-for-a-warming-climate">Adaptive strategies for a warming climate</h2>



The policy brief recommends more than just updated monitoring. It suggests rethinking which actions count as carbon mitigation. In certain regions, the best approach may involve less planting and more managing.



Controlled harvesting can reduce tree density and remove dry biomass. In some cases, carefully managed grazing helps maintain soil moisture and stops flammable shrubs from spreading. These methods may seem counterintuitive, but under certain conditions, they prevent bigger losses.



This isn't a call to abandon forests. It’s a call to respect their complexity. When managed well, they can still absorb carbon and support biodiversity. But when misunderstood or left vulnerable, they can undo climate progress in weeks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creating-a-global-monitoring-platform">Creating a global monitoring platform</h2>



To support better decision-making, UNU-INWEH urges the creation of a dedicated global platform. This system would channel near-real-time satellite data into both voluntary carbon markets and fire management programs.



Such a platform would allow stakeholders - governments, corporations, and NGOs - to adapt strategies as conditions change. It would also bring much-needed accountability. Projects could be evaluated not just at the start, but throughout their lifespan.



The report envisions a future where carbon finance aligns with ecosystem health. To reach that future, we need to move from static carbon accounting to dynamic, informed planning.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-need-smarter-carbon-policies">Forests need smarter carbon policies</h2>



The climate era has changed the rules. Forests cannot be treated as unshakable allies. They are living systems, shaped by drought, pests, and fire. 



If we continue using outdated assumptions, we risk turning climate solutions into climate threats.



As the UNU-INWEH report makes clear, real progress depends on embracing complexity. With better data, smarter policies, and an adaptive mindset, forests can still help us fight climate change. But we must protect them as much from policy failures as from flames.



Read the entire study <a href="https://collections.unu.edu/view/UNU:10167" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>.



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Some forests are now releasing more carbon than they store

Forests have long stood as symbols of hope in climate...

Kirlian,Effect,Of,Electric,Current,Passed,Through,Five,Different,Types

In recent years, Kirlian photography has drawn considerable attention for its dramatic images that seem to show the "aura" of people and plants. 



Many enthusiasts claim these vibrant outlines capture the life force or aura of plants, animals, and people.



Much of this fascination began with photos that appeared to show glowing silhouettes around organic objects. These images sparked debates about hidden energies and unseen spiritual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/largest-ever-3d-map-of-the-universe-lets-us-travel-back-11-billion-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">qualities</a>.



“No, Kirlian photographs do not show the soul of an organism,” said Christopher S. Baird, associate professor of physics at <a href="https://www.wtamu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">West Texas A&amp;M University</a>. 



Baird has scrutinized Kirlian photography's claims with a scientific lens. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kirlian-auras-and-electricity">Kirlian auras and electricity</h2>



Kirlian photography involves sending high-frequency electricity through an object, which is often placed on a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-captured-in-true-color-like-youve-never-seen-the-red-planet-before/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photographic</a> plate. The energized air around the object glows, forming the bright outlines that some have called “auras.”



This process relies on a well-known effect called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/engineering/corona-discharge" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">corona discharge</a>, where electrified air molecules emit light as they gain and lose electrons. 



Neon signs and fluorescent bulbs work in a similar way, although they typically rely on specific gases at lower pressures.



Researchers often highlight that living leaves and metal objects can produce comparable glows under similar conditions. 



That fact challenges any claim that the glow comes from an invisible soul, since even coins and nails can generate the same luminous borders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-parts-of-leaves-show-an-aura">Why parts of leaves show an aura</h2>



Some experiments drew attention to a curious event called the <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/24080008" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phantom leaf effect</a>, where part of a leaf is removed but still shows up in a Kirlian image. This was perplexing to observers back in the day.



“It is clearly a real phenomenon in need of explanation,” observed William A. Tiller of <a href="https://www.stanford.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a> in 1976. Reputable voices within academia called for investigation.&nbsp;



“A normally undetected phantom ‘structure,’ possibly evidence of the biological field, can persist in the area of an amputated leaf section,” wrote <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25603488/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John Hubacher</a> in 2015, resurfacing the topic for the scientific world.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moisture-and-ions">Moisture and ions</h2>



Some argued that residual moisture and <a href="https://www.chemicool.com/definition/ion.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ions</a> on the glass cause these partial outlines. Others point out that local humidity or temperature changes can set off new electrical pathways that trace the leaf’s original shape.



Kirlian photography <a href="https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1975-28921-001" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pioneers</a> Semyon D. Kirlian and his wife Valentina K. Kirlian found that non-electrical features of a subject can sometimes be converted into electrical signals under high-frequency currents. 



This transformation may give leaf remnants or moisture traces a chance to appear as hazy extensions in the final photograph.



Electrical experts say the discharge can get influenced by minuscule <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strong-magnetic-fields-leave-marks-on-nuclear-matter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">variations in conductivity</a>. If a leaf’s torn edge retains fluid, those molecules might continue conducting electricity in the missing region, at least for a short time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-searching-for-proof">Searching for proof</h2>



Researchers who study these images confirm that small adjustments in voltage, humidity, or temperature can alter the glow. Shapes and brightness hinge on physical factors, not on an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ants-have-a-communications-system-that-closely-resembles-mental-telepathy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unseen essence</a>.



Investigations with coins and nails that produce similar glows underline the purely electrical roots of Kirlian images. The photos do not differentiate between living and non-living materials when it comes to bright outlines.



Some have tried connecting these outlines to ideas about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/qi" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">qi or other energy fields</a>, but repeated tests show that the effects vanish if the conditions change. 



That leads scientists to emphasize that the glow is not tied to any emotional or mystical energy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-questions-still-remain">Questions still remain</h2>



Even though many see Kirlian photography auras as a sign of hidden forces, critics remain cautious. Researchers note that rigorous protocols are crucial because contamination or leftover ions can create misleading outlines.



“The phantom leaf effect seen in Kirlian photography may help researchers better understand near-death and out-of-body experience,” wrote James Pace and Debora Drumm in 1992. 



Some investigators still find the phantom leaf effect intriguing because it has been linked to questions about near-death or out-of-body <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF01074166" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">experiences</a>.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-tests-suggest-the-aura-is-physical">New tests suggest the aura is physical</h2>



Discussions continue on whether something more than raw physics might cause these faint outlines. A few researchers have speculated about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1550830721000781" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">morphogenetic field</a> concepts as proposed by <a href="https://www.sheldrake.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Rupert Sheldrake</a>, though that remains controversial.



Many modern studies lean toward purely physical explanations, such as conduction pathways formed by torn leaf sap or subtle air ionization. 



The complexity of the effect suggests that even the smallest variables, like how fast the leaf was cut or how the glass was cleaned, can influence results.



Scientists who test phantom leaves often repeat the experiment under different settings to confirm that consistent outcomes are not guaranteed. 



Some get the faint outline, while others see nothing, hinting that it might be a fleeting alignment of conditions rather than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-capture-plant-communication-on-video/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">proof of a life force</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kirlian-auras-linked-to-electricity">Kirlian auras linked to electricity</h2>



Kirlian photography creates striking visuals by using high voltage and electrified air. 



Although some believe these colorful borders reveal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-power-plants-impact-climate-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hidden energies</a>, most evidence points to well-known electrical discharges that rely on moisture, conductivity, and the environment.



In cut-leaf images, the missing segment sometimes lights up because of leftover liquids or temporary conduction bridges. Yet this effect does not happen every time, highlighting the unpredictable nature of electrical microcurrents.



Critics have repeatedly shown that coins and other non-living items produce a similar glow, which means there is no special link to an organism’s vitality. 



If a so-called aura depended on a living essence, inanimate objects would not create the same effect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kirlian-photography-nature-and-auras">Kirlian photography, nature, and auras</h2>



Researchers across physics, biology, and alternative medicine still test new hypotheses about Kirlian photography. Many focus on how voltage pulses, moisture, and gases shape these images, rather than invoking a spirit or soul.



Evidence to date favors the idea that these glowing outlines arise from physical forces. The sparks, arcs, and discharges are fascinating, but they do not confirm the presence of a spiritual aura. Kirlian photographs show us how easily human perception can mistake natural effects for supernatural ones. They remind us why careful science still matters when beauty and mystery collide.



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Scientific proof that auras exist? Examining the "phantom leaf effect"

In recent years, Kirlian photography has drawn considerable attention for...

After leafy vegetables and fruits are picked from the ground, they start to go bad pretty quickly, unless they’re kept cold. That’s a big reason why roughly 30% of our food ends up wasted and thrown in the garbage to rot. 



This equates to approximately 1.3 billion tons of food annually - enough to feed more than one billion people each year.



While refrigeration helps, it isn’t always available. Many parts of the world lack the infrastructure to keep crops fresh during transport and storage. This reality makes reducing food waste a global challenge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keeping-crops-fresh-longer">Keeping crops fresh longer</h2>



Researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (<a href="https://www.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MIT</a>) and the Singapore-MIT Alliance for Research and Technology (<a href="https://smart.mit.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SMART</a>) have come up with a unique way to address this issue.



The experts use biodegradable microneedles made from silk to deliver <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sharp-increase-in-melatonin-use-among-children-raises-concerns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">melatonin</a> - yes, the same compound that helps us sleep - into crops after harvest. These microneedles can pierce the tough outer layer of plants without triggering stress.



Benedetto Marelli is the study’s senior author and an associate professor of civil and environmental engineering at MIT. 



“This is the first time that we’ve been able to apply these microneedles to extend the shelf life of a fresh-cut crop,” he said.



The team targeted pak choy, a popular and highly perishable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/leafy-green-vegetables-improve-muscle-strength/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">leafy green</a>. Injecting melatonin at the plant base extended shelf life by four days at room temperature and ten days when refrigerated.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-melatonin-s-plant-power">Melatonin's plant power</h2>



Melatonin isn’t just for sleep - it plays a role in plant growth and aging too. The researchers tested whether introducing small doses of the hormone could slow the plant’s natural senescence, or aging process.



“The dose of melatonin we’re delivering is so low that it’s fully metabolized by the crops, so it would not significantly increase the amount of melatonin normally present in the food,” Marelli said. 



“We chose pak choy because it's a very important crop in Asia, and also because pak choy is very perishable.”



The researchers used fluorescent dye to show that substances delivered at the plant base reached all tissues. They then applied melatonin using sprays and dips but found no impact. That’s when the microneedles came in.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treated-fresh-crops-last-longer">Treated fresh crops last longer</h2>



When researchers applied the melatonin-loaded patches by hand to the shoot base of pak choy and monitored changes over time, the results were clear.



Untreated plants started yellowing within two to three days. By day four, they were no longer suitable for sale. Treated plants stayed green longer - still looking fresh on day five and even into day eight at room temperature.



“We clearly saw we could enhance the shelf life of pak choy without the cold chain,” Marelli said.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/produce_microneedles_melatonin_extends-shelf-life_credit-Yangyang-Han_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/produce_microneedles_melatonin_extends-shelf-life_credit-Yangyang-Han_1s.webp" alt="MIT and SMART researchers developed a way to extend the shelf life of vegetables by injecting them with melatonin using biodegradable microneedles. Credit: Yangyang Han" class="wp-image-1970982"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">MIT and SMART researchers developed a way to extend the shelf life of vegetables by injecting them with melatonin using biodegradable microneedles. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Yangyang Han</figcaption></figure>



Refrigeration made the results even more dramatic. The treated vegetables maintained their color and quality up to day 25 - about five days longer than untreated ones.



Monika Jangir is&nbsp;co-first author and a former postdoc&nbsp;at&nbsp;the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory.



“Spectrophotometric analysis of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-finally-learn-what-makes-plants-roots-grow-faster-and-stronger-autophagy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a> indicated the treated plants had higher antioxidant activity," she said. 



"While gene analysis showed the melatonin set off a protective chain reaction inside the plants, preserving chlorophyll and adjusting hormones to slow senescence."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-less-stress-less-waste">Less stress, less waste</h2>



By helping the plant cope with the stress of being cut, melatonin keeps it alive and fresh longer.



Yangyang Han is co-first author and a research scientist&nbsp;at the Disruptive and Sustainable Technologies for Agricultural Precision (DiSTAP) interdisciplinary research group at SMART.



“We studied melatonin’s effects and saw it improves the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-find-new-way-to-measure-stress-in-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stress response of the plant</a> after it’s been cut, so it’s basically decreasing the stress that plants experience, and that extends its shelf life,” she said.



This method could be a game-changer in regions that don’t have reliable refrigeration. It may also open new doors in food logistics and global supply chains, where every extra day of freshness counts.



Sarojam Rajani, co-senior author of the study, is a principal investigator at the Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory in Singapore.&nbsp;



“Post-harvest waste is a huge issue. This problem is extremely important in emerging markets around Africa and Southeast Asia, where many crops are produced but can't be maintained in the journey from farms to markets,” said Rajani.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-to-other-produce">Expanding to other produce</h2>



Although the current method is manual, researchers aim to use tractors, drones, or other machines for more efficient patch application in the future.



“For this to be widely adopted, we’d need to reach a performance versus cost threshold to justify its use,” Marelli explains. “This method would need to become cheap enough to be used by farmers regularly.”



The team is also planning to test other plant hormones and different fresh crops. Their goal is to not only extend shelf life, but possibly even improve texture, shape, and nutritional value.



“We’re going to continue to analyze how we can increase the impact this can have on the value and quality of crops,” said Marelli. 



“For example, could this let us modulate the nutritional values of the crop, how it’s shaped, its texture, etc.? We're also going to continue looking into scaling up the technology so this can be used in the field.”



With more research and development, these tiny silk needles could be a big step toward <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reducing-food-waste-greater-food-security-less-environmental-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reducing food waste</a> and getting more fresh produce to more people. One patch at a time.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.nanolett.5c00487" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nano Letters</a>.



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Food tech: Microneedles injections of a sleep hormone keeps fruits and veggies fresh much longer

After leafy vegetables and fruits are picked from the ground,...

For centuries, botanists have pondered the oddities of reproduction in plants. Among them, Charles Darwin expressed a clear distrust for species that relied solely on self-fertilization. “It is hardly an exaggeration to say that Nature tells us, in the most emphatic manner, that she abhors perpetual self-fertilization,” he wrote. 



Darwin’s concerns were rooted in the belief that such a strategy would lead to genetic stagnation and eventually, extinction. Yet deep in Japan's Ryukyu Islands, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/orchid-parents-nurture-seedlings-through-fungal-networks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nature</a> seems to have bent this rule.



A pair of orchid species, Gastrodia takeshimensis and Gastrodia kuroshimensis, have evolved to reproduce in complete isolation. Their flowers never open, and their genes carry the quiet imprint of an evolutionary gamble: total reproductive independence. 



This floral silence is more than just a botanical oddity. It challenges long-held ideas about survival, isolation, and how plants persist in the absence of genetic mixing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orchids-survive-without-blooming">Orchids survive without blooming</h2>



These orchids live on the islands of Kuroshima, Takeshima, and Yakushima. Botanist Suetsugu Kenji of <a href="https://www.kobe-u.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kobe University</a>, who led a ten-year investigation into their lives, found these orchid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-orchids-have-fingers-to-pollinate-themselves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flowers</a> both elusive and revolutionary.



“I’ve long been captivated by Darwin’s skepticism about plants that rely entirely on self-pollination,” he said. “When I found those non-blooming orchids, I felt this was a perfect chance to directly revisit this issue.” Suetsugu and his colleagues spent a decade observing more than a hundred individuals. None of them ever opened their flowers. 



The team’s observations, supported by partnerships with local plant lovers, confirmed what no one had confidently documented in the wild before: complete cleistogamy, or self-pollination without any floral opening.



These flowers don’t just avoid blooming. Their very structure is built to bypass it. Genetic tests, including SSR marker analysis and MIG-seq SNP profiling, revealed that these plants show extreme genetic uniformity. 



In short, they are genetically identical clones. The absence of variation confirmed that they have been self-pollinating for generations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orchid-flowers-that-self-pollinate">Orchid flowers that self-pollinate</h2>



The genomic findings added another layer to the mystery. Despite the high mutation rates of the genetic markers used, G. takeshimensis and G. kuroshimensis had near-identical genotypes across individuals. This suggested that the evolutionary shift to selfing happened recently, within the last 100 to 200 generations.



Considering that each orchid generation spans about five to ten years, this puts the origin of these lineages within the past 2,000 years. Suetsugu’s team believes that this timing is more than a coincidence. 



The analysis showed that the ancestors of these orchids, although once insect-pollinated, already had low genetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solenangis-impraedicta-new-orchid-species-sets-world-record/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">diversity</a>. This means that even when cross-pollination occurred, the genetic mixing was minimal.



Their pollinators, primarily drosophilid flies, do not travel far. The flies often move from one orchid flower to another on the same plant or to a nearby one, limiting true genetic exchange.



As a result, self-pollination, though theoretically limiting, offered little additional cost and instead delivered a reliable method of reproduction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-survival-strategy">A survival strategy</h2>



The benefits of this approach are clear in harsh or isolated environments. Reproductive assurance, the ability to reproduce without relying on pollinators, is a strong evolutionary advantage. This is particularly relevant for plants living on islands where populations are small and pollinators are often scarce or unreliable.



The research showed that even the chasmogamous relatives, G. foetida and G. fontinalis, exhibit signs of selfing. Their genomes, while more diverse than their cleistogamous cousins, still bear the marks of inbreeding. 



These include low heterozygosity and a buildup of deleterious mutations. This discovery points to a broader trend: selfing may be more common and more tolerated among island orchids than previously thought.



Interestingly, the genomic selfing syndrome, characterized by high loads of harmful mutations and low genetic variation, was not significantly different between cleistogamous and chasmogamous species. 



This suggests that the genetic load already existed before the shift to full selfing. In effect, the orchids were already halfway down the selfing path before they sealed their flowers shut.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orchid-flowers-block-hybrids">Orchid flowers block hybrids</h2>



One of the most significant outcomes of cleistogamy is its role in maintaining species identity. In the wild, these selfing orchids often grow near their relatives. 



Yet, no hybrids have ever been observed. “Darwin’s statement was motivated by the idea that a purely self-pollinating lineage would accumulate harmful mutations and eventually face an evolutionary dead end,” Suetsugu said.



In this context, cleistogamy acts as a strict genetic gatekeeper. It eliminates gene flow entirely. Even in sympatric habitats where two related <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asparagus-and-orchids-share-surprising-similarities-in-their-cell-walls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">species</a> coexist, the orchids show no signs of introgression. 



The research team confirmed this through rigorous genomic testing. Each orchid species has remained genetically distinct, suggesting that flower closure serves not just reproduction but also isolation.



This separation may help explain how such species can coexist without eroding their genetic identities. Autonomous selfing ensures that reproductive interference, such as competition for pollinators or accidental hybridization, is completely avoided.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clones-in-island-isolation">Clones in island isolation</h2>



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-migrations-to-the-ryukyu-islands-were-led-by-explorers-not-drifters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ryukyu Islands</a> offer a natural laboratory for these patterns. Many island populations show traits of founder effects: reduced diversity, small sizes, and limited gene flow.



These islands are home not just to G. takeshimensis and G. kuroshimensis, but also to other cleistogamous Gastrodia species. The repeated emergence of self-pollination across this genus hints at a broader ecological pattern.



In these remote environments, reproduction through selfing allows plants to persist even when conditions are poor. 



The capacity to establish a population from a single seed without waiting for mates or pollinators gives selfing species a crucial edge. It explains why G. takeshimensis and G. kuroshimensis are found on islands with and without their sister species.



However, this strategy comes at a cost. “The fact that these orchids truly never outcross raises intriguing questions about their long-term viability, especially under pressures like habitat fragmentation and climate change,” noted Suetsugu.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolutionary-shortcut-with-consequences">Evolutionary shortcut with consequences</h2>



Suetsugu’s findings reinforce the idea that cleistogamy might be more of a temporary fix than a long-term solution. 



With no way to introduce new genetic material, these orchids may be vulnerable to sudden environmental changes. Once a lineage becomes genetically uniform and cut off from outcrossing, it risks extinction from even minor disturbances.



Despite these risks, cleistogamy has evolved multiple times in Gastrodia. Its repeated emergence suggests that for short periods, it offers enough benefits to persist. 



The study proposes that the low mobility of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruit-flies-have-a-new-weapon-to-defend-against-parasitic-wasps/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fruit fly</a> pollinators, reduced genetic diversity from past events, and the need for reproductive assurance all combined to push some species toward complete floral closure.



While it remains unclear how long such lineages can survive, their existence helps clarify the evolutionary pressures at play. These orchids aren’t evolutionary failures. They are snapshots of strategy under constraint.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-orchid-flowers-rewrite-the-rules">Orchid flowers rewrite the rules</h2>



Though Darwin doubted the long-term success of selfing plants, he also recognized nature’s capacity for surprises. 



The Gastrodia orchids of Japan have shown that even evolutionary warnings can be skirted, if only briefly. Their quiet, unblooming lives challenge what we know about survival, isolation, and the bounds of genetic resilience.



Suetsugu Kenji and his collaborators continue to unravel these mysteries. “Each new data point, each newly described species, brings me closer to grasping the full spectrum of evolutionary possibilities,” said Suetsugu.



As the orchids remain sealed in silence, their genetics speak loudly. They remind us that in the margins of biology, life often writes its own rules.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2025.0574" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



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Some orchids can reproduce without ever opening their flowers

For centuries, botanists have pondered the oddities of reproduction in...

In terms of pollination, much of the spotlight shines on the color and scent of flowers. These features attract insects, especially bees, who help transfer pollen and ensure plant reproduction. But beneath this visual and olfactory spectacle, another sense may quietly shape this relationship: sound.



Scientists have long studied how flowers use color and scent to communicate with their pollinators. But could they also be listening?



For years, researchers overlooked the possibility that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-bacteria-makes-flowers-more-attractive-to-pollinators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flowers</a> might respond to the sounds of visiting pollinators. The low-volume acoustic signals created by insects during flight and foraging were simply too subtle, they thought.



However, a growing body of evidence suggests that these floral visitors generate more than just physical contact. They bring with them a unique sound signature. And now, thanks to a recent international collaboration, the science community is finally beginning to hear what the flowers may already know.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flowers-respond-to-pollinator-sounds">Flowers respond to pollinator sounds</h2>



Francesca Barbero, a professor of zoology at the <a href="https://en.unito.it" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Turin</a>, is leading a new wave of research into how flowers detect and respond to vibroacoustic signals. 



Her work brings together an unusual alliance: entomologists, plant physiologists, and sound engineers from Spain and Australia. Their shared mission is to understand how the faint buzzes and wing flaps of pollinators influence plant biology.



This novel approach centers on using sound recordings instead of intrusive instruments. By capturing the natural buzz of pollinators and replaying them near flowers, the team can observe how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-new-window-into-the-early-evolution-of-flowering-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants</a> react without physically disturbing them. 



The results offer a new method for monitoring pollinator activity. They also suggest that the link between plants and insects is more complex than previously imagined.



Barbero and her team will present their findings at the joint 188th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America and the 25th International Congress on Acoustics, taking place May 18 to 23.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flowers-change-nectar-and-sugar-levels">Flowers change nectar and sugar levels</h2>



To study how flowers respond to sound, the researchers focused on a specific <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-honey-bee-day-protecting-our-vital-pollinators/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flower</a>-pollinator pairing: snapdragons and Rhodanthidium sticticum, a bee species also known as the snail shell bee.



This insect is a known pollinator of snapdragons, making it an ideal subject for testing acoustic communication between these species.



The researchers recorded the buzzing of this bee and played the audio back in the vicinity of blooming snapdragons. What happened next surprised even the seasoned scientists.



The flowers responded to the buzzing by increasing the amount of sugar in their nectar. They also boosted overall nectar volume. On a molecular level, the plants even altered their gene expression, particularly the genes involved in sugar transport and nectar production.



This reaction suggests that flowers can perceive and act on sound cues, adjusting their internal processes to match the identity of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flowers-blooming-92-days-earlier-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollinator</a> they anticipate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flowers-use-sound-to-boost-pollination">Flowers use sound to boost pollination </h2>



“Plant-<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-soil-day-2024-protecting-our-planets-lifeline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollinator</a> coevolution has been studied primarily by assessing the production and perception of visual and olfactory cues, even though there is growing evidence that both insects and plants can sense and produce, or transmit, vibroacoustic signals,” Barbero explained.



This shift toward understanding acoustic signals opens a new chapter in coevolution. It proposes that plants are not just responding passively to insects but actively modifying themselves based on the specific visitor. 



If a plant recognizes a pollinator by its buzz, it may enhance its attractiveness by adjusting nectar rewards. In doing so, it may increase the time that pollinators spend within its flowers and build pollinator loyalty.



“The ability to discriminate approaching pollinators based on their distinctive vibroacoustic signals could be an adaptive strategy for plants,” Barbero added.



“By replying to their proper vibroacoustic signal, for instance, an efficient pollinator’s, plants could improve their reproductive success if their responses drive modifications in pollinator behavior.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-flowers-call-pollinators-using-sound">Can flowers call pollinators using sound?</h2>



While the evidence for plants detecting and responding to pollinator sound is growing, the reverse question now arises. Can plants themselves use sound to influence insects?



The answer is not yet clear, but the implications are compelling. “If this response from insects is confirmed, sounds could be used to treat economically relevant plants and crops, and increase their pollinators’ attraction,” Barbero noted.



In agricultural settings, this idea could revolutionize how we manage crops. If scientists can learn to replicate the right buzzing sounds, they might coax more pollinators to visit key crops without needing chemical attractants. 



It opens the possibility of acoustic farming, where soundscapes become tools for boosting yields and biodiversity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-pollinators-to-nectar-robbers">From pollinators to nectar robbers</h2>



The team’s work does not stop with one type of bee. They are now examining how snapdragons react to other visitors, including nectar robbers. These insects take nectar without providing any pollination service. 



The comparisons may reveal whether plants can distinguish helpful insects from freeloaders using sound alone.



“The multitude of ways plants can perceive both biotic factors, such as beneficial and harmful insects, [and] other neighboring plants, and abiotic cues, like temperature, drought, and wind in their surroundings, is truly astonishing,” Barbero said.



This line of inquiry reveals that plants are far more perceptive than we assumed. They do not simply react to light and water. They sense their environment in complex, dynamic ways, including listening to the sounds of insects that surround them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flowers-listen-and-adapt-to-insect-sounds">Flowers listen and adapt to insect sounds</h2>



This innovative research is part of a larger project titled “Good Vibes: How do plants recognise and respond to pollinator vibroacoustic signals,” and it is supported by the Human Frontier Science Program.



It involves multiple international partners: the&nbsp;University of Turin,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.i2sysbio.es/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">I²SysBio in Valencia</a>, and the&nbsp;Centre for Audio, Acoustics and Vibration at the <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Technology</a>, Sydney.



Their work highlights how sound can be a bridge between species. In a world filled with pesticides, habitat loss, and climate stress, understanding how flowers communicate through vibrations may offer new tools for protecting pollinators and the plants they serve.



Through these discoveries, sound is being given its rightful place in the story of pollination. Flowers, it turns out, are not just beautiful - they are also listeners. And what they hear may shape their survival.



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Flowers 'hear' bee sounds and make sweeter nectar in response

In terms of pollination, much of the spotlight shines on...

Flowers captivate us with their colors, but nature often hides its most remarkable stories in what we overlook. Among Hibiscus blossoms, the bullseye pattern is a bold circle of pigment near the petal base. 



It draws pollinators like bees, making it seem indispensable. Yet in a surprising twist, many Hibiscus species have evolved to lose this feature. Why would evolution erase something so useful?



New research by scientists at the Sainsbury Laboratory, <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cambridge</a>, explores this very question. Their findings reveal a deep genetic mystery and a powerful reminder that what benefits one part of life’s puzzle may constrain another.



Beneath the surface of every petal lies a story of choices shaped by genetics, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteraceae-is-the-worlds-most-diverse-flowering-plant-family/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environment</a>, and the tug-of-war between function and cost.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bees-love-bold-petal-spots">Bees love bold petal spots</h2>



The iconic bullseye pattern on Hibiscus petals serves more than aesthetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/a-new-window-into-the-early-evolution-of-flowering-plants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">appeal</a>. It functions as a visual cue that guides pollinators - particularly bumblebees - toward the reproductive heart of the flower. 



These dark spots are rich in anthocyanins, a group of pigments that reflect less ultraviolet light and enhance contrast for bee vision.



“We found that bumblebees clearly prefer flowers with large, dark bullseyes, which act as visual guides directing them to the flower’s centre,” said May Yeo, first author and PhD student in Dr. Edwige Moyroud’s group. 



This preference should, in theory, drive the evolution of increasingly bold patterns across generations.



Yet researchers noticed an odd trend. Despite the pollinators' clear bias, some species like Hibiscus verdcourtii have entirely lost these markings. Others, such as H. richardsonii, show only faint, diminished patterns. That contradiction sparked the team’s investigation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetics-behind-the-bullseye-pattern">Genetics behind the bullseye pattern</h2>



The researchers focused on the genetic basis for these changes and uncovered a single gene, BERRY1, that largely controls the presence or absence of bullseye markings. 



When the gene is active, the plant produces enzymes that turn on pigment synthesis in the petal base. When disrupted or deleted, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-diversity-darkspots-need-urgent-attention/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">flower</a> loses its bullseye.



In H. trionum, BERRY1 works normally, helping form large purple bullseyes. In H. richardsonii, though, the gene is still present but riddled with mutations, including premature stop codons and insertion sequences. 



These defects deactivate the gene, meaning it can no longer activate downstream pigment genes like DFR1. In some populations of H. verdcourtii, BERRY1 is entirely missing, and the flowers show no sign of the pattern.



“Floral traits like bullseyes do more than look pretty - they have real impacts on plant reproduction and survival,” said Dr. Edwige Moyroud. “By tracing the genetics behind these petal patterns, we’re beginning to understand how relatively simple mutations can lead to major evolutionary changes.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flowers-lost-bullseyes-through-mutations">Flowers lost bullseyes through mutations </h2>



What’s striking is not just that bullseyes disappear, but how often and how similarly this has occurred. Across various Hibiscus species, evolution has repeatedly altered the same gene to yield the same outcome: loss of the bullseye. 



This process, called replicated or convergent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-plant-diversity-can-help-combat-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evolution</a>, is rare at the genetic level and offers powerful insight into how biodiversity arises.



Despite different evolutionary paths, the flowers arrive at similar solutions. These independent losses of BERRY1 or its function suggest strong selective pressure for pattern reduction in some contexts. It also hints at a deeper ecological trade-off. 



The cost of keeping the bullseye must outweigh the benefit under certain conditions, or such a change would never persist.



In effect, what seems like a visual downgrade is in fact an adaptation - one that responds to forces beyond pollination alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-losing-color-may-help-protect-flowers">Losing color may help protect flowers</h2>



Why would natural selection favor this loss? The answer may lie in the biochemistry of plant pigments. 



The same molecular pathway that makes anthocyanins (for color) also makes flavonols, which shield against UV light. These two pigment classes compete for shared building blocks.



In flowers like H. richardsonii with mutated BERRY1, the block on anthocyanin production means more resources shift to flavonols. These flavonols are invisible to bees but may offer better UV protection. Field measurements from the study showed significantly higher flavonol levels in the petal bases of bullseye-less flowers.



In high-UV environments or situations with reduced pollinator reliance, selection may favor flowers that trade color for protection. The balance between attracting insects and shielding reproductive tissues becomes critical.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flower-traits-reflect-survival">Flower traits reflect survival </h2>



This floral transformation isn’t just about pigment. It reflects how environmental pressures sculpt genetic outcomes over time. For plants, the need to reproduce must align with the need to survive.



“Understanding how floral colours and patterns have evolved gives us insight into broader questions about how diversity arises in nature,” noted Yeo. “It also opens up possibilities for improving pollinator-friendly crops and supporting biodiversity in agricultural systems.”



In agriculture, where yield and pollination are crucial, this knowledge may help design better plant varieties. By modulating genes like BERRY1, scientists could encourage desirable flower traits depending on crop and climate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-witnessing-flower-evolution-firsthand">Witnessing flower evolution firsthand </h2>



This genetic drama isn’t hidden behind lab doors. It is now on full display at the 2025 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where the Moyroud team is showcasing two Hibiscus species - one with a large bullseye, and one without.



The exhibit includes live imaging with a scanning electron microscope and interactive visualizations of their results. Visitors can see firsthand how flower evolution operates on both genetic and visual levels.



The team’s contribution brings the precision of science into the public eye, transforming a garden staple into a model for evolutionary biology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bullseye-loss-shows-how-flowers-evolve">Bullseye loss shows how flowers evolve</h2>



Every petal carries a message written in molecules. In Hibiscus, that message can vanish as quickly as it appears, erased by mutation, UV rays, or changing pollinator preferences. 



The loss of a bullseye might look like a step back - but it’s often a sideways step in nature’s dance of survival.



As this research reveals, biodiversity doesn’t just emerge from change - it emerges from repetition. Nature tries the same path over and over, sometimes reaching different results, sometimes the same. 



Through it all, each bloom writes a quiet record of the forces shaping life. And sometimes, that record is written in the pattern of a flower’s fading ring.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.70168" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Phytologist</a>.



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Why some Hibiscus flowers lost their bullseye patterns

Flowers captivate us with their colors, but nature often hides...

Peering over the forest-draped ridges of southwestern China, a scar nearly half a mile wide across yawns open, so sheer that light seems to drain straight into the earth. Xiaozhai Tiankeng, also known as the "Heavenly Pit," is the world's largest sinkhole.



 Locals have spoken of Xiaozhai Tiankeng for centuries, yet it was only “discovered” by the wider world in 1994 when a team of British cavers stumbled on its hidden maw.



Measured from rim to floor, the Xiaozhai Heavenly Pit plunges about 2,172 feet - deeper than a stack of six Statues of Liberty - and encloses roughly 4.2 billion cubic feet of space. 



Those numbers secure its place as the planet’s deepest and largest known sinkhole, a title it wears with quiet, vertigo-inducing confidence.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-xiaozhai-tiankeng-a-hidden-giant">Xiaozhai Tiankeng - a hidden giant</h2>



Geologists now read the sinkhole’s striped limestone walls like pages in an epic timeline. Rainwater, slightly acidic after mingling with soil carbon dioxide, seeped through fractures in Triassic-age rock for some 128,000 years. 



Bit by bit, it hollowed out caverns below <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fengjie_County" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fengjie County</a>, until the ceiling finally collapsed and birthed the chasm seen today.



Because the limestone lies high above sea level and is free of clay impurities, water could tunnel unimpeded, carving passages that still channel underground streams. 



The Xiaozhai Tiankeng stands as the textbook example of karst topography - what happens when karst processes are given perfect working conditions - and plenty of monsoon rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-karst-topography-the-basics">Understanding karst topography - the basics</h2>



<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2589471424000202" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Karst topography</a> forms when water slowly eats away at soft, soluble rocks like limestone, dolomite, or gypsum. As rainwater seeps into the ground, it picks up carbon dioxide and turns slightly acidic. That weak acid reacts with the rock, gradually wearing it down.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sinkholes_karst-topography_diagram-illustration_annotated_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sinkholes_karst-topography_diagram-illustration_annotated_1s.webp" alt="Water shapes karst landscapes by slowly dissolving soft, soluble rocks like limestone. Over time, this natural process carves out striking features - think sinkholes, hidden caves, and winding underground rivers. You’ll often find these dramatic terrains in rainy regions rich in carbonate rock. Click image to enlarge." class="wp-image-1970449"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Water shapes karst landscapes by slowly dissolving soft, soluble rocks like limestone. Over time, this natural process carves out striking features - think sinkholes, hidden caves, and winding underground rivers. You’ll often find these dramatic terrains in rainy regions rich in carbonate rock. Click image to enlarge.</figcaption></figure>



Over time, the land above starts to sag and collapse, creating sinkholes, disappearing streams, and vast cave systems below the surface. It’s a quiet, powerful transformation that reshapes the landscape from the inside out.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-xiaozhai-tiankeng-got-its-name">How Xiaozhai Tiankeng got its name</h2>



Chinese researchers classify this colossus as a tiankeng, a term reserved for sinkholes at least 328 feet deep and wide, each harboring a river at its base. 



The word translates variously as “heavenly pit” or “sky hole,” both fitting nods to the feeling one gets while peering over the edge. Of the 75 such features documented worldwide, about 50 cluster inside China’s humid karst belts.



The Xiaozhai example dwarfs its peers: it stretches roughly 1,676 to 2,054 feet long and 984 to 1,762 feet across, dimensions that defy easy comparison yet satisfy every benchmark geologists set for these rare landforms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-layered-steep-descent">Long, layered, steep descent</h2>



Two enormous “bowls” stack inside the chasm, each dropping more than 984 feet before giving way to the next terrace. 



After heavy summer storms, a temporary waterfall pours over the rim and ribbons down the vertical walls, then vanishes into the stone. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sinkhole_worlds-largest_Xiaozai-Tiankang_bottom-view_Credit-Research-Gate_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sinkhole_worlds-largest_Xiaozai-Tiankang_bottom-view_Credit-Research-Gate_1s.webp" alt="View along the floor of the Qinlong Tiankeng, towards the natural bridge at its western end, in the Wulong Sanqiao Park. Credit: ResearchGate" class="wp-image-1970451"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">View along the floor of the Qinlong Tiankeng, towards the natural bridge at its western end, in the Wulong Sanqiao Park. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ResearchGate</figcaption></figure>



Where the stream briefly reappears, it leaps in a single 151-foot plunge that echoes through the darkness below.



Scrambling down is a workout: concrete stairways cling to corners of the cliff, but many scientists still rope in, carrying sensors and sampling kits on their harnesses. 



The sense of scale - walls so high the sky shrinks to a blue rectangle - never quite fades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-inside-xiaozhai-tiankeng">Life inside Xiaozhai Tiankeng</h2>



Sunlight weakens but never disappears, nurturing a green haze of ferns, mosses, and towering ginkgo biloba trees. 



Biologists have counted 1,285 plant and animal species in this natural greenhouse, including the elusive clouded leopard, whose total wild population is thought to number fewer than 10,000. 



Dense humidity and steady temperatures create a pocket climate unlike anything on the surrounding plateau.



Winged insects flit among orchids; amphibians breed in clear pools; vines cling to walls slick with mist. 



Each tier supports its own community, separated by the same height difference that splits mountain life into bands. To ecologists, the pit is a ready-made laboratory for studying evolution in vertical space.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-river-runs-through-it">A river runs through it</h2>



Near the foot of the second bowl, the Difeng cave yawns open, swallowing a crystal stream that has already traveled 5.3 miles underground. 



The water’s final above-ground act is that 151-foot curtain, after which it threads the darkness beneath the sinkhole and resurfaces downstream at the cliffs of the Migong River. 



Flow-rate monitors reveal seasonal surges that match regional rainfall, tying surface weather to hidden hydrology.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sinkhole_worlds-largest_Xiaozai-Tiankang_Credit-Research-Gate_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/sinkhole_worlds-largest_Xiaozai-Tiankang_Credit-Research-Gate_1s.webp" alt="Xiaozhai Tiankeng seen from the southern rim; the path down the stone steps is obscured by trees and shrubs-it curves round to the right and descends the steep debris fan inside the lower pit. Credit: ResearchGate" class="wp-image-1970447"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Xiaozhai Tiankeng seen from the southern rim; the path down the stone steps is obscured by trees and shrubs-it curves round to the right and descends the steep debris fan inside the lower pit. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ResearchGate</figcaption></figure>



Mapping that labyrinth has never been easy. Speleologists tried five times in a decade to trace the torrent from end to end; each expedition turned back amid roar and spray, equipment battered by sudden rises in water level. 



The cave remains one of China’s least charted river systems, a reminder that even in the GPS era some coordinates resist tidy lines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-karst-topography-and-xiaozhai-tiankeng">Karst topography and Xiaozhai Tiankeng</h2>



Field teams from Chongqing’s Institute of Karst Geology, often joined by overseas colleagues, now lower radar probes, deploy microclimate loggers, and sample sediments for isotopic clocks that refine the sinkhole’s birth date. 



Their findings feed global climate models and offer clues to safeguarding groundwater in limestone regions where pollution can spread in hours.



Yet the pit keeps its mystique. Nearby villagers swap tales of dragons curling inside the void or celestial doors hidden behind the waterfall. 



Trekkers on the steep trail say the silence at the bottom feels otherworldly, broken only by dripping water and the occasional flap of a bat. 



Maybe that mix of hard data and lingering legend is why the Xiaozhai Tiankeng continues to draw scientists, adventurers, and curious travelers alike - each hoping to understand, if only for a moment, how water, rock, and time conspired to open a doorway straight through the Earth’s surface.



This story was adapted from a report by the BBC, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/reel/video/p0crc7bb/china-s-huge-and-mysterious-xiaozhai-tiankeng-sinkhole" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">which you can watch here…</a>



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World’s largest sinkhole showcases the power and beauty of nature

Peering over the forest-draped ridges of southwestern China, a scar...

Wine has long been regarded as a mirror of its environment. From the high slopes of Mendoza to the gentle hills of Tuscany, each bottle reflects not just grape variety and tradition, but also the subtle influence of climate, soil, and season.



For centuries, these factors combined to shape what is known as terroir - the distinctive character of a wine shaped by its natural surroundings.



But today, the climate that supports winegrowing is no longer stable. Global warming is not just nudging temperatures upward - it is altering the rhythm of growth, the timing of harvest, and even the places where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healing-chronic-wounds-with-gold-and-red-wine/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wine</a> can be grown. 



A sweeping new study led by E.M. Wolkovich at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of British Columbia</a> provides a much-needed global lens into these transformations. The research reveals a world where climate change has reached into every winegrowing region - but in dramatically different ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wine-industry-faces-climate-extremes">Wine industry faces climate extremes</h2>



Winegrapes are one of the world’s most sensitive perennial crops. They grow year after year, rooted in specific microclimates. 



Unlike annual crops that can be replanted in new locations, vineyards represent long-term investments that depend on stable conditions. As a result, winegrapes are especially sensitive to climate extremes.



Warmer temperatures push the limits of ripening. Grapes mature faster, resulting in more sugar and alcohol, but often less acidity and complexity. This alters not only taste but also market value. 



Meanwhile, regions that once hovered at the cooler edges of climate suitability are becoming new centers of production, with parts of the UK and Tasmania emerging as rising players in the global wine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/moderate-wine-consumption-reduces-cardiovascular-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">scene</a>.



Despite a growing body of regional studies, no prior research had taken a comprehensive view. Wolkovich’s team aimed to understand how climate change has affected winegrowing across continents, across seasons, and across grape varieties.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wine-and-climate-trends-across-regions">Wine and climate trends across regions</h2>



The researchers analyzed more than 500 winegrape varieties grown across 620 regions worldwide.



They looked at ten critical climate metrics that influence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eating-grapes-every-day-can-transform-your-muscles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">grape development</a>, from temperatures during winter dormancy and budburst, to extreme heat during the growing season, and rainfall just before harvest.



Rather than rely on a single dataset, the experts drew from multiple sources, including the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature dataset and the INRAE Domaine de Vassal collection, which has maintained decades of records on grape phenology.



The team created detailed models that could estimate changes both with and without considering the diversity of grape varieties planted in each region.



The research spans every stage of the grape’s annual cycle and covers a global map of winegrowing zones. The study paints a complex picture. Climate change is not a uniform force - it is reshaping winegrowing differently in Europe, North America, Asia, Africa, and beyond.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-europe-faces-the-most-intense-heat">Europe faces the most intense heat</h2>



The most dramatic changes were observed in Europe. Here, temperatures during the growing season have soared. 



The researchers found increases of over 2°C (3.6°F) in maximum temperatures, and a surge in the number of days exceeding 35°C (95°F). These shifts represent standard deviation jumps of 4 to 6 in Eastern and Western Europe - a statistical signal of extreme change.



Such conditions challenge the very definition of classic European terroirs. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drinking-alcohol-in-moderation-does-not-prolong-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wines</a> from Bordeaux, Burgundy, and the Rhône Valley may now ripen too quickly. Sugar levels spike while acidity drops, altering the flavor balance.



“I was very surprised by the level of warming across the globe, but especially in Europe, where our results show clearly just how much the growing season has warmed with human-caused climate change,” said Dr. Wolkovich.



“As someone who has visited Europe for over 15 years, I have witnessed the increasing heat waves, but seeing the data - and how much change growers are facing - was sobering and even higher than I expected.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-regions-face-different-realities">Other regions face different realities</h2>



In contrast to Europe, North America and South America showed smaller average shifts, though still notable. 



For example, mean growing season temperatures increased by 1.3 standard deviations globally. Yet the types of stress varied. While Europe faced surging heat extremes, North American vineyards experienced more modest rises in both minimum and maximum temperatures.



Regions like Northern Africa and Western Asia, already at the warm end of the spectrum, saw smaller relative increases in high temperatures. But even small gains in such climates could have severe effects. These include greater wildfire risk, vine stress, and potential reductions in yield or quality.



The experts found that precipitation changes were minor on average. However, even slight reductions during harvest in places like Eastern/Southern Africa could impact grape development and disease pressure. The effects of these changes, though subtle, may accumulate over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-affects-wine-more-than-cold">Heat affects wine more than cold</h2>



One of the most striking findings in the study was that extreme heat - not minimum cold temperatures - has changed the most. This runs counter to many expectations.



“The fact that the biggest shifts were in heat extremes and metrics related to total heat was also surprising as we tend to expect climate change to warm minimum temperatures more - so I expected metrics like cold temperatures around the time of budburst and harvest to change the most - but it was often the metrics related to higher temperatures,” said Dr. Wolkovich.



This has major implications. Growers often prepare for spring frosts or winter chills, but now they must deal with searing summer heat and accelerated grape maturation. Such conditions could lead to berry shriveling, changes in tannin structure, or even crop loss.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-influence-of-grape-variety">The influence of grape variety </h2>



To test whether the mix of grape varieties in each region influenced climate metrics, the team modeled two scenarios. One assumed every region grew only Pinot noir, an early-ripening red grape. The other used detailed data on which varieties are actually planted in each area.



Surprisingly, the results showed only minor differences in most climate metrics between the two approaches. That’s because most regions plant a small set of popular varieties. Only Europe, with its rich mix of late-ripening cultivars, showed measurable shifts based on variety.



Still, the researchers note that this could change. As warming intensifies, regions may be forced to switch to more resilient, late-maturing varieties.



Dr. Wolkovich’s team modeled over 500 cultivars, but even this impressive effort covers less than half of all varieties grown globally. The data gap reflects how much more needs to be done.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-stages-in-wine-and-climate-cycles">Stages in wine and climate cycles</h2>



Most climate models focus on the start (budburst) and end (harvest) of the growing season. But this overlooks critical mid-season events like flowering and veraison - the moment when grapes begin to change color and soften.



These stages are especially sensitive to temperature and water stress. Yet they are often excluded from global models because of a lack of data. 



The study calls for more research into how these mid-season processes are shifting, and how different grape types respond under stress.



Understanding these details could guide smarter planting decisions and improve predictions about wine quality under future climates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-solutions-need-global-awareness">Local solutions need global awareness</h2>



One of the core messages of the study is that winegrowers cannot think in isolation. The effects of climate change are deeply local, but learning from other regions can provide key insights.



Dr. Wolkovich noted that the study was a major interdisciplinary and international undertaking, requiring expertise from climatologists, crop modelers, macroecologists, and winegrape genetics experts from France, Spain, the US and Canada. 



"It also relied on extensive data resources, and would not have been possible without the records of the <a href="https://eng-vassal.montpellier.hub.inrae.fr" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">INRAE</a> experimental unit Domaine de Vassal, which has collected data on winegrapes for decades."



Europe's experience with heat waves may inform future strategies in cooler regions. Australia’s innovations to handle wildfire smoke have already been adopted in parts of California. 



As the research notes, global comparisons can reveal both absolute extremes and relative rates of change - each of which matters for long-term adaptation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wine-s-future-in-a-changing-climate">Wine's future in a changing climate </h2>



Climate change is not only about average temperatures. It is about the shifting tempo of seasons, the rise of extreme events, and the fragility of systems once thought stable. Winegrowing, with its deep ties to place and tradition, now faces a reckoning.



This global study does more than document change - it invites a broader rethinking of how we grow, manage, and protect one of the world’s most culturally and economically significant crops. 



By blending regional expertise with a planetary perspective, it offers a path forward: one that honors tradition while preparing for transformation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/climate/article?id=10.1371/journal.pclm.0000539" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS Climate</a>.



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Wines may develop new tastes as climate patterns change

Wine has long been regarded as a mirror of its...

Somewhere, right now, a bee pollinates a flower. A bird builds a nest from twigs. A fungus helps a tree breathe. Most of us don’t notice these moments - but life depends on them. That's why the International Day for Biological Diversity was established.



Each year, May 22 reminds us of something deep and often forgotten. We are not separate from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-pressure-is-changing-biodiversity-faster-than-we-realize/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">nature</a>. We are part of it. Cities may rise, and technologies may evolve, but the soil beneath our feet and the forests in the distance sustain all life.



The International Day for Biological Diversity is more than a date. It’s a wake-up call. The campaign urges us to protect the rich web of life on Earth - before it unravels.



This year's theme, “Harmony with nature and sustainable development,” captures the need for balance. It’s about shifting from dominance to coexistence. As we race toward growth and innovation, we must also pause and ask - what are we leaving behind?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-biological-diversity-really-means">What biological diversity really means</h2>



Biodiversity means variety - not just of animals, but of plants, microorganisms, and entire ecosystems. It covers coral reefs, mountain ranges, lakes, deserts, grasslands, and even urban green spaces.



Biodiversity also includes the genetic differences between species - like the many kinds of rice we eat or the thousands of breeds of livestock around the world.



Every part of biodiversity plays a role. Forests purify air. Wetlands filter water. Bees pollinate crops. Microorganisms maintain soil fertility. These functions keep our planet alive. 



Losing biodiversity isn’t just about losing animals. It’s about weakening the entire <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-report-calls-for-global-change-to-stop-biodiversity-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">system</a> we depend on every day.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-biological-diversity-supports-life">Biological diversity supports life </h2>



We often forget how much our lives depend on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-light-sustains-biodiversity-over-millions-of-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a>. Over 80% of the human diet comes from plants. Fish provide protein for about 3 billion people. 



Plant-based medicines are still the first line of healthcare for 80% of people in rural areas of developing countries.



Biodiversity also influences weather patterns, regulates disease, and supports mental well-being. Time spent in biodiverse environments - forests, gardens, mountains - reduces stress and improves health. 



The natural world is not a luxury. It is the foundation of everything we know.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-damage-we-have-done">The damage we have done</h2>



Despite its importance, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/effective-conservation-efforts-key-to-saving-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a> is under severe threat. Human actions have changed three-quarters of land-based environments. Two-thirds of marine environments are also affected. One million animal and plant species are now at risk of extinction.



Pollution, deforestation, overfishing, habitat destruction, and climate change are driving this crisis. Many species are vanishing before we even discover them. 



We lose potential medicines, crop varieties, and ecosystem functions every time a species disappears. This is not just a nature problem. It’s a human survival problem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-biological-diversity">Protecting biological diversity</h2>



In December 2022, countries around the world agreed on a new plan - the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework. 



This plan sets 23 targets for 2030 and five overarching goals for 2050. Among them: restore 20% of degraded ecosystems and cut the spread of invasive species by 50%.



The framework connects biodiversity with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). For example, preserving forests helps fight poverty, ensures clean water, and mitigates climate change. Healthy ecosystems are essential to reaching nearly every SDG.



The message is clear: biodiversity and development must progress together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-time-is-running-out">Time is running out</h2>



The urgency is real. We have less than five years until 2030 targets become unreachable. Delaying action could push us past ecological tipping points. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changes-in-earths-biodiversity-can-be-tracked-from-space/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">damage</a> will be irreversible. Species don’t come back. Forests don’t regrow overnight. Oceans don’t heal in a year.



Education, innovation, and collaboration are vital. Governments must invest in conservation. Businesses must reduce waste and rethink supply chains. 



Communities must protect local biodiversity. Individuals must reconsider consumption habits. Every decision - big or small - carries weight in this global effort.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-domino-effect-of-biodiversity-loss">Domino effect of biodiversity loss</h2>



Biodiversity loss triggers a chain reaction. When insects vanish, pollination falters. Without pollination, crops fail. Without crops, food security crumbles. That’s how delicate the balance is. One missing piece causes others to fall.



This phenomenon affects climate systems, migration patterns, disease outbreaks, and even global economics. 



For instance, as habitats shrink, animals move closer to human settlements. This increases the risk of zoonotic diseases - like COVID-19. Maintaining biodiversity isn’t just an environmental goal. It’s a health safeguard.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-raising-awareness-about-biodiversity">Raising awareness about biodiversity</h2>



Living in harmony with nature means respecting limits. It means learning from ecosystems, not conquering them. Indigenous communities worldwide have practiced this for centuries. Their wisdom is now more relevant than ever.



Urban areas can embrace biodiversity too. Green rooftops, urban forests, and restored wetlands show how modern development can align with nature. 



Schools can teach biodiversity from early years. Films, books, and games can spread awareness.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-celebrate-with-purpose">Celebrate with purpose</h2>



The International Day for Biological Diversity is not just symbolic. It’s a chance to learn, share, and commit. The <a href="https://www.un.org/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UN</a> offers free online biodiversity courses through the Learning for Nature platform. 



The courses teach skills like green entrepreneurship, conservation storytelling, and data use in policy-making.



Across social media, artists and creators share biodiversity-themed content. Local organizations hold cleanups and workshops. Every conversation sparked today can ripple into real change tomorrow. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-what-protects-us">Protecting what protects us</h2>



We stand at a crossroads. One path leads to more loss, more imbalance, and more suffering. The other offers hope, health, and harmony. The choice is ours.



This International Day for Biological Diversity, let’s remember that the Earth doesn’t need saving from us - it needs saving with us. When we protect biodiversity, we protect ourselves. 



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International Day for Biological Diversity 2025: Bonding with nature

Somewhere, right now, a bee pollinates a flower. A bird...

Fertilizer is often viewed as a tool to enhance plant growth under ideal conditions. But new research suggests it may have an unexpected power: helping plants survive during drought.



A global study involving 26 grassland sites across 9 countries - including the work of faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York (<a href="https://www.suny.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SUNY</a>) - has found that fertilizer can reduce or even cancel out the damage drought does to plant growth. 



In a world increasingly impacted by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-the-driving-force-behind-droughts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate stress</a>, this insight could be significant for agriculture and food systems everywhere.



“Resources such as nutrients and water have been fundamentally altered by humans on a global scale, and this can disrupt how plants grow,” said Amber Churchill, assistant professor of ecosystem science at <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> and co-author of the study. 



“Extreme changes in these resources are therefore predicted to have an even larger potential impact, with implications for a range of economic sectors.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-fertilizer-help-plants-survive-drought">Can fertilizer help plants survive drought?</h2>



To explore how grasslands might cope with drought and changing resource levels, scientists set up a large-scale field experiment - something rarely done at this scope. 



The project looked at how adding nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium influenced plant resilience under severe drought conditions.



“It took what are often very site-specific methodologies, where we're interested in the impacts of nutrients or the impacts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-drought-has-caused-crisis-levels-of-food-and-water-scarcity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drought</a> and water availability, and it scaled a single site experiment up to something at a much larger spatial scale,” said Churchill.



The novelty here wasn’t just the size of the study. It was the ability to look at interactions - not just what drought or fertilizer does individually, but how they affect one another when applied together.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fertilizer-reduces-drought-damage">Fertilizer reduces drought damage</h2>



The researchers discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/distress-signals-earths-water-cycle-is-becoming-more-erratic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drought</a> alone cut plant growth by 19%. Fertilizer alone boosted it by 24%. But combining both? Surprisingly, it resulted in almost no net loss of growth. 



This means that plants - particularly grasses - managed to maintain growth levels even in dry conditions, thanks to the added nutrients.



“The really big takeaway is that adding nutrients can offset the impact of drought, and this is really true in areas that are already pretty dry,” Churchill said.



This finding goes against a long-held assumption: that in arid environments, water limits plant growth so strongly that extra nutrients wouldn't matter. But the study showed otherwise. Plants in drier locations actually responded better to added nutrients.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-data-collection-to-new-experiments">Data collection to new experiments</h2>



Churchill was hands-on at two of the global sites. At the Yarramundi site in Australia, she recorded plant presence and abundance. At Minnesota’s Cedar Creek site, she cleaned and organized massive amounts of data for the broader research network.



“In terms of drought, we get less growth; we add fertilizer, we get more growth,” Churchill explained. "Traditionally, we might hypothesize that if plants are already limited by water at, say, an arid site, plants may not be able to respond to adding nitrogen. But we actually found the opposite of that.”



Churchill is now bringing this research home. She will implement similar treatments at Binghamton University’s Nuthatch Hollow - a 75-acre open-air lab - as part of a new project called the Pasture and Lawn Enhanced Diversity Global-change Experiment (PLEDGE).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-solutions-need-biodiversity">Long-term solutions need biodiversity</h2>



While the idea of fertilizer as a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/resilient-trees-can-help-safeguard-cities-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drought</a> buffer is exciting, it’s not a silver bullet.



“In a forage production system where you need to offset the effects of drought, adding fertilizer will remove that effective drought,” Churchill said. “That's a great benefit, but that costs a lot of money. So there's a tradeoff there.”



There’s also the question of how ecosystems respond over longer timeframes. One factor that might prove just as important as nutrients is biodiversity. A more diverse plant community might be more resilient to environmental stress.



“We have a prediction that as you have more species, one of those species is more likely to withstand the drought,” Churchill said. “And so the idea is you'll have more stable biomass over the long term if you have more species present.”



The research will be published in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-025-02705-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>&nbsp;under the title:&nbsp;“Aridity modulates grassland biomass responses to combined drought and nutrient addition.”



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Fertilizer reduces plant damage caused by droughts

Fertilizer is often viewed as a tool to enhance plant...

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



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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Satellites capture the world's biggest and fastest waves

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