The growing number of rocket launches may pose a threat to Earth’s ozone layer. While the expanding space industry holds great promise, researchers warn that its environmental impacts are being overlooked.



With thousands of satellites now cluttering low Earth orbit, emissions from launches and back-end debris are making alarm bells ring over atmospheric well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-space-boom-comes-with-a-cost">Space boom comes with a cost</h2>



A team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.canterbury.ac.nz/">University of Canterbury</a> and ETH Zurich investigated how pollution from rocket launches and falling space junk could slow the ozone layer’s recovery. 



The researchers used a chemistry-climate model developed at ETH Zurich and the Physical Meteorological Observatory in Davos (PMOD/WRC) to forecast rocket emission impacts through 2030.



Back in 2019, there were only 97 orbital launches. By 2024, that number had nearly tripled to 258 - and it's expected to rise to over 2,000 per year by the end of the decade. 



This increase is concerning because emissions in the upper atmosphere linger much longer than those released at ground level. 



Without natural washout processes like rain or clouds, these pollutants can circle the globe and remain in the air for years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-ozone-layer-s-fragile-recovery">The ozone layer’s fragile recovery</h2>



The model predicts that, if current growth trends continue, the global ozone layer could thin by nearly 0.3 percent by 2030. Over Antarctica, seasonal losses could reach up to four percent.



These might seem like small numbers, but context matters. The ozone layer is still recovering from the damage caused by chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), banned in 1989 by the Montreal Protocol. 



Global ozone levels are still about two percent below pre-industrial levels and aren’t expected to fully recover until 2066. 



According to the researchers, unregulated rocket emissions could delay this timeline by several years - or even decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-ozone-layer-still-matters">Why the ozone layer still matters</h2>



The ozone layer may seem like a distant part of the atmosphere, but it plays a vital role in shielding life on Earth. It absorbs most of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which can cause skin cancer, cataracts, and immune system damage in humans.



 It also affects ecosystems, particularly marine life, by influencing the health of phytoplankton - tiny organisms that form the base of the ocean’s food chain.



Even modest declines in ozone can boost the amount of UV radiation that reaches the Earth’s surface. That is to say, any quantifiable decrease is more than a number - it’s an alarm. 



Ongoing harm could bring about additional UV-related health threats, upset delicate ecosystems, and undermine the gains achieved since CFCs were banned. 



Simply put, every percentage point of recovery counts, and every delay threatens human and environmental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fuel-type-matters-more-than-you-think">Fuel type matters more than you think</h2>



The problem lies mainly with emissions of chlorine gas and soot. Chlorine breaks apart ozone molecules, and soot particles heat the middle atmosphere, speeding up ozone-damaging reactions. 



Solid rocket motors are the main source of chlorine emissions, while most rocket types release soot.



Only rockets using cryogenic fuels - like liquid oxygen and hydrogen - are nearly ozone-neutral. But these fuels are tricky to handle, and only about 6 percent of current launches use them. 



That means the vast majority of launches still contribute to ozone depletion.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-re-entry-the-hidden-threat">Re-entry: the hidden threat</h2>



The study focused on emissions during rocket ascent, but what about the return journey? Most satellites burn up when they re-enter the atmosphere, releasing nitrogen oxides and metal particles. 



Nitrogen oxides are already known to harm the ozone, while metals could form clouds or act as chemical surfaces that accelerate ozone loss.



Scientists still poorly understand these effects and often leave them out of climate models. But with satellite constellations growing rapidly, more and more debris will re-enter the atmosphere, making this an urgent area for further research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clean-fuels-offer-a-path">Clean fuels offer a path</h2>



“There is a risk that the rapid rise in global rocket launches could slow the recovery of the vital ozone layer,” said Sandro Vattioni. “The problem is being underestimated - yet it could be mitigated by forward-looking, coordinated action.”



The researchers believe there’s still time to act. Better monitoring of emissions, using cleaner fuels, and encouraging the switch to cryogenic systems could help protect the ozone layer. 



Setting international regulations would allow the space industry to grow sustainably.



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Rocket launches threaten Earth's ozone recovery

The growing number of rocket launches may pose a threat to Earth’s ozone layer. While the expanding space industry holds great promise, researchers warn that its environmental impacts are being overlooked. With thousands of satellites now cluttering low Earth orbit, emissions from launches and back-end debris are making alarm bells ring over atmospheric well-being. Space boom comes with a cost A team of scientists from the University of Canterbury and ETH Zurich investigated how pollution from rocket launches and falling space junk could slow the ozone layer’s...

A new study from <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> has linked the excessive use of entertainment-related technology to lower educational aspirations among young <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-use-linked-to-binge-eating-among-preteens/">teens</a>. The researchers found that middle-school aged children who use social media or video games for more than an hour each day during the school week have significantly lower grades and test scores.

According to the experts, the findings provide parents with a threshold for the moderate use of entertainment-related technology. The study indicates that this limit would be no more than one hour on school days and four hours a day on weekends.

"Interactive technology is widely used to promote children's educational access and achievement," said lead author Professor Vivien Anthony. 

"During the COVID-19 pandemic, technology has been essential to facilitating remote learning. At the same time, there is a growing concern that excessive technology use, particularly for entertainment, may adversely affect children's educational development by facilitating undesirable study habits and detracting from time spent on learning activities."

The researchers analyzed the China Education Panel Survey data, a national study that followed 10,000 first-year middle school students with an average age of 13.5 years.

The results of the analysis showed that children who used entertainment-related technology four or more hours daily were four times more likely to skip school than those who did not. Compared to girls, boys used this technology significantly more, showed lower engagement levels, and performed worse in school overall.

"Such findings are critical, particularly in light of the recent movement toward online learning in countries throughout the world," said Professor Anthony. 

"In a learning environment that integrates the internet, it is easy for children to move across educational and entertainment platforms during learning without alerting teachers or adults to alternate activities."

Professor Anthony noted that children in the study who used technology in moderation experienced less boredom at school - potentially due to the positive effects of participation in social media, video games and video streaming such as peer bonding and relationship building. A moderate amount of entertainment-related technology was found to advance children's cognitive development.

The findings suggest that placing time limits on children's interactive technology use could have major benefits. The study also indicates that parents and teachers should help children develop effective time management skills to reduce their reliance on technology.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/computers-in-human-behavior">Computers in Human Behavior</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Teens should use entertainment-related technology in moderation

A new study from Rutgers University has linked the excessive...

A new study from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a> has uncovered the mating secrets of honeybee drones. The researchers used radar technology to reveal that male honeybees, also known as drones, swarm together in specific aerial locations to mate with queens.

The lifetime goal of a male honeybees is to mate with a queen bee in mid-air. These drones are believed to gather in massive groups of up to 10,000 individuals in mating congregation areas.

The tracking data showed that drones alternated between periods of straight and convoluted looping flight patterns within a single flight. Upon further investigation,  the researchers discovered that phases of looping flight were associated with four distinct aerial locations where drones congregated. Remarkably, the specific congregational sites were consistent over a two year period.

It remains a mystery how the drones find these congregation areas. Considering that their average lifespan is only around 20 days, new generations of bees could not find these areas by simply following older drones. 

"Our findings suggest drones locate congregation areas as early as their second ever flight, without apparent extensive search. This implies that they must be able to get the information required to guide them to a congregation from observing the landscape close to their hive. In the future, we will look at how they accomplish this feat," explained study co-author Professor Lars Chittka.

The researchers propose that drone congregation areas could function like 'leks,' mating systems in which large numbers of males gather solely in an attempt to mate. Lek systems are most well known in vertebrates like deer, and males typically stick with a location.

"By using harmonic radar technology to track the bees, we found that individual flight paths show a clear change of behavior from straight flight to looping flight," said study lead author Dr. Joe Woodgate. "Periods of looping flight were clustered in particular locations and repeatable over two years, confirming that stable drone congregation areas, similar to 'leks' in other species, do exist."

"We show that drones frequently visited more than one congregation area on a single flight. This is the first evidence for males of any species routinely moving between lek-like congregations and may represent a new form of lek-like mating system in honeybees."

Within these congregation areas, the experts noted some similarities between the behavior of drones and swarms of mosquitoes. 

The researchers observed that when drones are making looping flight in one congregational area - the farther they go from the center, the harder they accelerate back toward it. This creates an apparent force, drawing bees toward the center and leading to a stable, coherent swarm.

"We believe that bee-inspired robotics will play a role in improving robotics and artificial intelligence in the future," said Dr. Woodgate. "Understanding how bees select and find distant goals based on their explorations of their surroundings will be important for this."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Honeybee drones have congregational sites for mating

A new study from Queen Mary University of London has...

Around five percent of flowering plants use a "deceptive pollination strategy" that involves advertising a false reward to attract pollinators. In a new study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>, experts have discovered a flower that emits the smell of decomposing insects to imprison coffin flies.

The plant Aristolochia microstoma uses its unique trick to deceive flies from the genus Megaselia, who search for insect corpses to mate over and lay their eggs in. The coffin flies are tricked into entering a flower, imprisoned for a time, and then released unharmed.

Study co-author Professor Stefan Dötterl is the head of the plant ecology group and the Botanical Gardens at the Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg, Austria. 

"Here we show that the flowers of A. microstoma emit an unusual mix of volatiles that includes alkylpyrazines, which are otherwise rarely produced by flowering plants," said Professor Dötterl.

"Our results suggest that this is the first known case of a flower that tricks pollinators by smelling like dead and rotting insects rather than vertebrate carrion."

Deceptive pollination strategies work because pollinators are poor at distinguishing between the reward and the mimic, noted the researchers. These strategies are quite common in orchids, but have also evolved in other plants.

"Aristolochia contains over 550 species around the world, especially in the tropics and subtropics. They are mostly woody vines and herbaceous perennials with striking, complex flowers that temporarily imprison their visitors to get pollinated," said study co-author Professor Christoph Neinhuis.

Upon entering an Aristolochia flower, the coffin flies are guided by hairs to a small chamber which holds the sex organs. While trapped inside, they deposit any pollen they carry on the female organs. Next, the stamens ripen and release more pollen. 

"Many Aristolochia species are known to attract flies with floral scents, for example mimicking the smell of carrion or feces of mammals, decaying plants, or fungi," said study first author Thomas Rupp. 

"But our curiosity was piqued by A. microstoma, a species known only from Greece: unlike other Aristolochia with their showy flowers, A. microstoma has inconspicuous brownish flowers that lie horizontally, partly buried or close to the ground among leaf litter or rocks. The flowers release an unpleasant, carrion-like smell, noticeable to people at a short distance."

The researchers analyzed A. microstoma plants from three sites in Greece. They identified 16 scent compounds including oligosulfides, which are produced by many plant species who rely on carrion flies for pollination.

Another compound is one that is known in nature to occur in decomposing beetles and in the urine of rodents. This indicates that A. microstoma mimics an unusual fake reward to attract specific pollinators.

"Earlier studies had suggested that A. microstoma might be pollinated by leaf litter-dwelling insects such as ants, because of the orientation and position of the flowers. But here we show that this isn't correct: instead, the main pollinators are Megaselia 'coffin flies,'" said Professor Dötterl.

"As their name suggests, these flies feed on carrion, on which they lay their eggs and which serves as food for the larvae, which is why they are often used as evidence in forensic medicine."

"We show A. microstoma flowers emit a simple but highly unusual mix of scents that includes 2,5-dimethylpyrazine, a molecule that occurs neither in vertebrate carcasses nor in feces, but does occur in dead beetles," said study co-author Professor Stefan Wanke. 

"We conclude that A. microstoma likely uses a strategy that has never been reported before: its flowers mimic the smell of invertebrate carrion to attract and imprison pollinators."

"The peculiar orientation of the flowers close to the ground may also help, as pollinating coffin flies search for breeding sites or food close to the ground, in leaf litter or between rocks."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Flower smells like dead insects to attract coffin flies

Around five percent of flowering plants use a "deceptive pollination...

A new study from <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">UC Santa Cruz</a> has revealed that 33 percent of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaurs-did-not-hold-modern-mammals-back-from-evolving/">mammal</a> species respond negatively to human presence and struggle to live alongside people. By contrast, 58 percent of mammals were found to live successfully in places with higher levels of human disturbance.

The researchers analyzed data from 3,212 camera traps to show how human activities may be shifting the makeup of mammal communities across North America.

The team was particularly interested in understanding how mammals respond to different types of human disturbance, and whether these responses are linked to traits such as body size, diet, and reproductive success. 

In previous work, the researchers observed how wildlife in the Santa Cruz Mountains respond to human disturbance. They found that species like pumas and bobcats are less likely to be active in areas where humans are present, while deer and wood rats become bolder and more active. 

The experts set out to investigate which mammals are best equipped to live alongside humans on a larger scale. They combined their local camera trap data with that of researchers throughout the United States, Canada, and Mexico. 

Overall, the team tracked 24 species across 61 regionally diverse camera trap projects to look for trends on a continental scale.

"We've been very interested for a long time in how human disturbance influences wildlife, and we thought it would be interesting to see how wildlife in general are responding to similar anthropogenic pressures across North America," said study senior author Professor Chris Wilmers.

The findings showed that grizzly bears, lynx, wolves, and wolverines were less likely to be found in more developed areas, and were less active at these sites. Moose and martens were also less active in areas with a higher development footprint.

On the other hand, raccoons and white-tailed deer were more likely to spend time in developed areas, and were also more active in these spaces. 

Overall, mammals that were smaller, faster-reproducing, and had generalist diets were the most positively associated with human disturbance. Black bears, bighorn sheep, and wolverines were more likely to be found in areas frequented by humans, while deer, bobcats, grey foxes, pumas, and wolves were more active in these sites. 

The study results indicate that most mammals are willing to tolerate some level of human recreation in order to remain in high quality habitats. 

However, the research also shows that there is a limit to how much human disturbance animals can withstand. For example, red foxes were the only animals in the study that seemed to continue to be more active or present at medium to high levels of human disturbance.

In order to maintain suitable habitats that support diversity in mammal populations for the future, it will be important to understand the cutoff at which the costs of having humans nearby outweigh the benefits, explained the researchers.

"From a management perspective, I think the thresholds that we've started to identify are going to be really relevant," said Suraci. "This can help us get a sense of how much available habitat is actually out there for recolonizing or reintroduced species and hopefully allow us to more effectively coexist with wildlife in human-dominated landscapes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some mammals actually benefit from human disturbance

A new study from UC Santa Cruz has revealed that...

A study published by <a href="https://www.wiley.com/en-us">Wiley</a> has found extremely high levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tap-water-contaminants-2/">contaminants</a> in killer whales. The researchers identified new types of flame retardants that accumulate in the tissues of killer whales near Norway and are also passed on to nursing offspring.

"The study is shedding new light on how predators in the top of the food chain are affected by environmental contaminants, which has remained largely unknown," wrote the study authors.

"Little is known of the movement or presence of unregulated, emerging contaminants in top predators. The aim of the present study was to conduct the first screening of legacy and emerging contaminants in multiple tissues of killer whales from Norway and investigate tissue partitioning and maternal transfer." 

"Blubber was collected from 8 killer whales in 2015 to 2017, in addition to muscle from 5 of the individuals, and kidney, liver, heart, and spleen from a neonate."

In addition to flame retardants, the experts detected man-made chemicals called perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in the tissues of adult killer whales. This chemical has been linked to reproductive and endocrine effects in wildlife. 

The researchers also found polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the blubber of 7 of the 8 killer whales in the study. PCBS were detected at levels that exceeded the proposed threshold for toxicological effects in marine mammals. The manufacturing of PCBs was banned in 1979.

"Top predators such as the killer whale (Orcinus orca) are considered sentinel species for marine ecosystem health, and many killer whale populations have been evaluated as being at risk from the harmful effects of legacy POPs, such as PCBs," wrote the study authors. 

"Levels of pollutants in top predators give not only an indication of ecosystem health, but of the persistence of chemicals, passive mobility in the environment, and active biotransport with migrating animals."

"Our results are relevant for the continued environmental monitoring of contaminants in the Arctic."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://setac.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/15528618">Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Killer whales are accumulating high levels of contaminants

A study published by Wiley has found extremely high levels...

In a new commentary from <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a>, experts say that plant disease surveillance and improved detection systems are needed to mitigate future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vegetarians-have-healthier-levels-of-disease-biomarkers/">disease</a> outbreaks and protect the global food supply.

Plant diseases do not stop at national borders and even miles of oceans cannot prevent their spread, explained the researchers.

According to lead author Professor Jean Ristaino of NC State University, the idea is to detect these plant disease outbreak sources early and stop the spread before it becomes a pandemic. He noted that once an epidemic occurs it is difficult to control, just like COVID-19.

"We've seen how important information sharing, data analytics, and modeling have been in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic," said co-author Professor Graham MacDonald. "These types of tools could also be leveraged to help build resilience to future plant disease outbreaks - from identifying risk in global crop trade networks to local citizen science monitoring."

Some plant diseases are already under surveillance, such as wheat rust and potato blight, but others are not regularly monitored. 

"There are a few existing surveillance networks, but they need to be connected and funded by intergovernmental agencies and expanded to global surveillance systems," said Professor Ristaino. "We can improve disease monitoring using electronic sensors that can help rapidly detect and then track emerging plant pathogens."

The experts noted that global plant disease outbreaks are increasing in frequency and threaten the global food supply. In 2019, plant diseases and pests caused average losses of up to 30 percent to major food crops such as wheat, rice, and maize. 

Climate change will likely exacerbate outbreaks of plant diseases. In Africa, for example, temperature changes and drought conditions influence fluctuations in locust populations, which devastate crops.

"More frequent rainfall can allow airborne plant pathogens to spread and fungal spores can move with hurricanes, which is how soybean rust came to North America from South America - via storms," said Professor Ristaino.

"There are also cases of early emergence, when pathogens emerge earlier in the growing season than usual due to warmer springs."

The global food trade is also driving outbreaks of plant diseases. The emergence of new pathogens puts a strain on the food supply.

"Globalization means that agriculture and food supplies are increasingly interconnected across national borders. Analyzing these crop trade networks combined with greater information sharing among countries can help to pinpoint risks from pests or diseases," said Professor MacDonald.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plant diseases must be monitored to protect the food supply

In a new commentary from McGill University, experts say that...

Common swifts <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fruit-flies-can-travel-six-million-times-their-body-length/">travel</a> more than 350 miles on an average day and have the capacity to travel even farther, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>. The researchers recorded a maximum distance of more than 500 miles per day over nine days.

"We have discovered that common swifts breeding in the most northern part of the European breeding range perform the fastest migrations of swifts recorded so far, reaching above the predictions," said Susanne Åkesson of Lund University in Sweden. 

When they are not breeding, common swifts stay in the air most of the time up to 10 months of the year. Prior to this study, scientists estimated that the birds travel an average of about 500 kilometers, or 310 miles, per day. The new research suggests that this is a conservative estimate.

"The swifts seem to achieve these high speeds over substantial distances - on average about 8,000 kilometers one way - in spring by using a mixed migration strategy, with fueling at stopover and a fly-and-forage strategy, meaning they feed and fuel a bit each day."

The researchers used miniature tracking devices to monitor adult breeding swifts from one of the most northern breeding locations in Europe. The team was able to recover many of the tracking devices after one migration season. 

The tracking data confirmed that northern breeding swifts reach exceptionally high migration speeds. But the researchers did not expect to find that the birds could travel at the rates that were recorded. 

Swifts manage to travel quickly by using a fly-and-forage strategy, which works for species that can easily find food along their journey, such as flying insects. 

"The strategy will substantially reduce the cost of transport since they do not need to carry so much fuel, which will increase the realized speed of migration," explained Åkesson.

According to the researchers, the swifts also have another trick - they seem to time their departures for migration so that they coincide with favorable winds. 

"This means they do not react directly to local winds but to what they expect to find along the route ahead during the next few days."

While it is not yet clear how the swifts can forecast the wind and make decisions based on it, Åkesson suggests that they may rely on air pressure associated with passing weather systems. The wind strategy helps the swifts gain an extra 20 percent of support from tailwinds in the spring compared to the fall. 

"The airspeed of common swifts is not exceptional (about 10 meters/second) as compared to other bird migrants," said Åkesson. "But these strategic adaptations contribute to the high overall migration speeds."

"In addition, their selective use of tailwinds promotes even higher migration speeds, which may explain how they reach above the predicted maximum speed during spring migration."

The experts noted that pesticide use may pose a threat to swifts, considering their reliance on insects. Climate change and shifting weather patterns may also have unknown effects on the birds. 

Åkesson said her team will continue to study swifts in different parts of the world. The researchers hope to learn more about the physiological adaptations that support the swifts' highly mobile lifestyle.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/iscience/home">iScience</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Common swifts are even faster than previously realized

Common swifts travel more than 350 miles on an average...

Scientists have discovered a new type of coronavirus in human patients hospitalized with pneumonia that originated in dogs. If confirmed as a pathogen, this may be the eighth unique coronavirus known to cause disease in humans.

According to a report from <a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a>, the researchers tested nasal swab samples taken from 301 pneumonia patients at a hospital in the east Malaysian state of Sarawak. Eight of the samples came back positive for a canine coronavirus.

Genetic testing showed that the new virus, known as CCoV-HuPn-2018, shares characteristics with other coronaviruses known to have infected cats and pigs. However, the strain was found to be mostly similar to one that is known to have infected dogs.

The experts report that the coronavirus also contained a genetic deletion, or mutation, that was not found in any known canine coronaviruses but was present in human strains such as SARS-COV and SARS-COV-2. The source of SARS-COV-2, which causes COVID-19, has not yet been identified.

While the findings indicate that the virus likely jumped from animals to humans, and did so recently, the researchers stress that more studies are needed to determine whether it can be transmitted between people.

“At this point, we don’t see any reasons to expect another pandemic from this virus, but I can’t say that’s never going to be a concern in the future,” said Professor Anastasia Vlasova of The Ohio State University.

She conducted the study with Professor Gregory C. Gray at the Duke University School of Medicine, and Professor Teck-Hock Toh of SEGi University in Sarawak, Malaysia.

The study authors emphasize that it is unclear whether the virus can make people sick, noting that it is possible it was merely "carried" in the patient's airways without causing disease.

“We don’t really have evidence right now that this virus can cause severe illness in adults,” said Professor Vlasova, who noted that only one person in the study found to have been infected with the new coronavirus was an adult. 

“I cannot rule out the possibility that at some point this new coronavirus will become a prevalent human pathogen. Once a coronavirus is able to infect a human, all bets are off.”

“If you had mentioned this 20 years ago, that a virus that affects dogs could change to be able to infect people, many would have been skeptical." 

Professor Vlasova added that even though this new coronavirus comes from a dog, it may not be necessary for people to change how they interact with their dogs in light of this study.

“We are likely missing important animal viruses that are beginning to adapt to humans,” said Professor Gray. 

“We need to conduct such virus discovery work among people with pneumonia and also among people who have intense exposure to animals so that we get early warning of a new virus which may become a future pandemic virus.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cid">Clinical Infectious Diseases</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New coronavirus identified that has originated in dogs

Scientists have discovered a new type of coronavirus in human...

Scientists have used airborne ice-penetrating radar to detect the groundwater running beneath the Hiawatha Glacier in <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/meltwater-is-accelerating-the-movement-of-greenland-ice/">Greenland</a>. 

Even though melting glaciers and polar ice sheets are among the dominant sources of sea-level rise, the water beneath them has remained hidden from airborne radar prior to this study. 

The research, led by <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>, opens up the possibility that water can be detected under other glaciers at a continental scale to help improve sea-level rise projections. 

Measurements of water beneath ice sheets is a critical component that is currently missing from glacial melt scenarios. Groundwater estimates are urgently needed, as this meltwater could greatly impact the rate of global sea level rise. 

For example, groundwater fluctuations could cause large chunks of ice to calve from glaciers. Without taking this into account, models assume that these glaciers will stay intact and melt slowly. 

"If we could potentially map water underneath the ice of other glaciers using radar from the air, that's a game-changer," said senior study author Professor Dustin Schroeder.

The data was collected in 2016 as part of NASA's Operation IceBridge. While the experts suspected groundwater existed beneath the Hiawatha Glacier, they were still surprised to see their theory confirmed in the analyses. "When you see these anomalies, most of the time they don't pan out," said study lead author Jonathan Bessette.

&nbsp;

Based on the airborne radar signal, the researchers constructed two possible models to describe Hiawatha Glacier's geology. They determined it was either frozen land with thawed ice below it, or porous rock that enables drainage. Each of these scenarios has a different implication for how Hiawatha Glacier will respond to global warming.

According to Schroeder, groundwater systems play a more significant role than what scientists currently model in ice sheets for sea-level-rise projections. The researchers hope their findings will prompt further investigation of the possibility for additional groundwater detection using airborne radar.

"What society wants from us are predictions of sea level - not only now, but in futures with different greenhouse gas emission scenarios and different warming scenarios - and it is not practical to survey an entire continent with small ground crews," said Schroeder. 

"Groundwater is an important player, and we need to survey at the continental scale so that we can make continental-scale projections."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Airborne radar can detect groundwater beneath glaciers

Scientists have used airborne ice-penetrating radar to detect the groundwater...

Many scientists support the idea that large-scale tree-planting will help to mitigate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-is-not-properly-represented-in-climate-targets/">climate</a> change and global warming. But in a new <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/journal-department/perspectives">Perspectives</a> article, two leading experts say the idea of planting trees as a substitute for the direct reduction of greenhouse gas emissions could be a pipe dream.

Jonathan Overpeck is dean of the <a href="https://umich.edu/">University of Michigan</a> School for Environment and Sustainability and an expert on paleoclimate and climate-vegetation interactions. His co-author, University of Arizona's David Breshears, is a top expert on tree mortality and forest die-off in the West. 

According to the researchers, instead of wasting money by planting lots of trees in a way that is destined to fail, it makes more sense to focus on keeping existing forests healthy so they can continue to act as carbon sinks, removing carbon from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and storing it in trees and soils. "We can't plant our way out of the climate crisis," said Breshears.

The researchers hope the role of the world's forests, and specifically the urgent need to protect existing forests and keep them intact, is thoroughly debated at the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow this November.

"Policymakers need to enable new science, policy and finance mechanisms optimized for the disturbance and vegetation change that is unstoppable, and also to ensure that the trees and forests we wish to plant or preserve for the carbon they sequester survive in the face of climate change and other human threats."

"Failure to meet this challenge will mean that large terrestrial stores of carbon will be lost to the atmosphere, accelerating climate change and the impacts on vegetation that threaten many more of the ecosystem services on which humans depend."

Overpeck and Breshears explained that keeping forests healthy will require a new approach to forest management, one that they call managing for change. The first step of this approach is to acknowledge that large-scale vegetation changes are inevitable.

"Even in a world where climate change is soon halted, global temperature rise will likely reach between 1.5 and 2 C above pre-industrial levels, with all the associated extreme heat waves that brings, and thus global vegetation will face up to double the climate change already experienced," wrote the researchers.

The next step is to manage forests proactively for the vegetation changes that can be anticipated, instead of trying to maintain forests as they were in the 20th century, explained Overpeck and Breshears.

Managing for change means, for example, more aggressive thinning of forests to reduce the buildup of fuels that stoke massive wildfires. Furthermore, the experts point to a big opportunity to improve the ability of forests to store carbon through increased use of biochar, a form of charcoal.

Biochar is produced by exposing organic waste matter, such as wood chips or manure, to heat in a low-oxygen environment. Overpeck noted that large amounts of wood generated during forest thinning projects could be converted to biochar, then added to forest soils to improve their health and increase the amount of carbon that is locked away.

"Thinning of forests, conversion of the removed wood to biochar and burial of the biochar in forest soils is a way to bring new jobs to forested rural areas while allowing forests to play a bigger role in keeping carbon out of the atmosphere and thus fighting climate change," said Overpeck. "Forest carbon management could be a boon for rural areas in need of new economic engines."

In the long run, according to the researchers, such projects are likely to benefit forests and enhance their ability to store carbon far more than massive tree-planting campaigns conducted without appropriate management strategies.

"Tree-planting has great appeal to some climate activists because it is easy and not that expensive," said Breshears. "But it's like bailing water with a big hole in the bucket: While adding more trees can help slow ongoing warming, we're simultaneously losing trees because of that ongoing warming."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Instead of planting trees, keep forests healthy

Many scientists support the idea that large-scale tree-planting will help...

The current biodiversity crisis in freshwater ecosystems is worse than that associated with the mass extinction event that killed the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-lizards-were-thriving-during-the-age-of-dinosaurs/">dinosaurs</a>. 

In a new report from the <a href="https://www.naturalis.nl/en">Naturalis Biodiversity Center</a>, researchers warn that the damage being done today - in a relatively short timescale of decades to centuries - will take millions of years to recover from. 

One of the most urgent challenges of this century is the ongoing biodiversity crisis, which is often referred to as the 6th mass extinction. According to the researchers, the rate at which we lose species today is unprecedented and has not been reached during major extinction crises in the past. 

Both directly and indirectly, humans are pushing species beyond the limits of what they can survive. The major drivers of the biodiversity crisis include habitat destruction, climate change, overexploitation, pollution, and the introduction of invasive species.

An international team of experts led by the Justus Liebig University Giessen set out to investigate the extent of today's biodiversity crisis by comparing it with the Cretaceous extinction event, which resulted from an asteroid impact 66 million years ago. 

The Cretaceous extinction event wiped out about 76 percent of all species on the planet, including the dinosaurs. 

The researchers focused on the impacts to freshwater animals. They analyzed a large dataset containing 3,387 fossil and living snail species of Europe covering the past 200 million years.

The study showed that the extinction rate for freshwater biota during the 5th mass extinction was considerably higher than what was previously believed. At the same time, the researchers found that this rate was drastically lower than what is predicted for the current 6th mass extinction event. 

On average, the projected rate for the 6th mass extinction is three orders of magnitudes higher than during the time the dinosaurs went extinct. By 2120, a third of all living freshwater species are expected to have vanished.

"Losing species entails changes in species communities and, in the long run, this affects entire ecosystems. We rely on functioning freshwater environments to sustain human health, nutrition and fresh water supply," said study lead author Dr. Thomas A. Neubauer.

The experts uncovered an alarming pattern in the 5th mass extinction event that could have dire consequences implications for the ongoing biodiversity crisis. After the asteroid impact, the extinction rate remained high for approximately five million years, and this was followed by an even longer period of recovery that lasted for millions more years. 

According to the researchers, it took nearly 12 million years until the balance was restored between species emerging and going extinct.

"Even if our impact on the world's biota stops today, the extinction rate will likely stay high for an extended period of time," explained Dr. Neubauer. 

"Considering that the current biodiversity crisis advances much faster than the mass extinction event 66 million years ago, the recovery period may be even longer."

"Despite our short existence on Earth, we have assured that the effects of our actions will outlast us by millions of years."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/commsenv/">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ongoing biodiversity crisis will take millions of years to recover from

The current biodiversity crisis in freshwater ecosystems is worse than...

A study from <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">AAAS</a> is shedding new light on the negative impacts of human activities on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extraordinary-biodiversity-found-in-ancient-asian-rainforest/">biodiversity</a>. The researchers found that after European colonists arrived on the Guadeloupe Islands in the Caribbean, up to 70 percent of the local reptiles went extinct.

The study was focused on 43,000 fossilized bones of reptiles from six islands. The results of the analysis suggest that Indigenous populations who lived on the islands for thousands of years before the colonists' arrival did not diminish the diversity of local reptiles. 

According to the experts, the research highlights the importance of considering fossil data when investigating how humans have impacted biodiversity. 

"Large-scale extinction is one of the defining challenges of our time, as human processes fundamentally and irreversibly reshape global ecosystems," wrote the researchers.

"While the extinction of large animals with popular appeal garners widespread public and research interest, the importance of smaller, less 'charismatic' species to ecosystem health is increasingly recognized." 

"Benefitting from systematically collected fossil and archaeological archives, we examined snake and lizard extinctions in the Guadeloupe Islands of the Caribbean."

The fossilized remains originated in 31 different sites on the Guadeloupe Islands, and were sorted into four groups: the Late Pleistocene, the Holocene before the arrival of humans, the Indigenous habitation period, and the modern period, beginning 458 years ago. 

The team reconstructed the evolutionary history and diversity of the reptiles over the past 40,000 years. The study revealed that mass extinction of the islands' reptiles occurred over only the last 500 years. 

The researchers determined that tree-dwelling species were less impacted by the European settlers than ground dwelling reptiles, and that medium-sized lizards and snakes were more vulnerable than smaller ones. 

There was also evidence that the colonists introduced predators, including cats, mongooses, rats, and raccoons, that may have been responsible for the extinctions.

"These results demonstrate that failure to consider fossil-derived data, especially regarding poorly studied lineages, probably contributes to a substantial underestimation of the magnitude of the human impact to global biodiversity," wrote the study authors. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human settlement of the Guadeloupe Islands wiped out many reptiles

A study from AAAS is shedding new light on the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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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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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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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

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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.

How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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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.

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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