Tiny bits of organic matter bobbing at the ocean’s surface appear to help clouds freeze in some of the most pristine air on Earth.



New research shows that complex sugar molecules shed by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-microbes-can-tell-us-about-global-changes-in-the-ocean/">marine microbes</a> can trigger ice formation in cloud droplets across the vast Southern Ocean. This happens right in the temperature range that governs how long bright, cooling clouds survive and how much sunlight they bounce back to space.



The work draws on years of field campaigns, lab tests, and computer modeling led by scientists at the <a href="https://www.tropos.de/en/">Leibniz Institute for Tropospheric Research</a> (TROPOS) and its partners.



It helps explain why climate models have struggled to match observed cloud brightness over remote southern seas. In these regions, dust is scarce and human-made pollution is low.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clouds-need-help-to-freeze">Clouds need help to freeze</h2>



Clouds do not freeze on their own; they need ice-nucleating particles (INPs). These microscopic seeds coax liquid droplets into ice. The kind of particle that dominates changes with temperature.



In the cleaner air around Antarctica and the Southern Ocean, INP levels are tiny. Even small shifts can strongly affect cloud reflectivity, precipitation, and lifetime.



Getting the mix right in climate models is essential for predicting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-is-accelerating-beyond-control-as-co2-levels-rise/">global warming</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-sugar-spike-reveals-a-clue">A sugar spike reveals a clue</h2>



Scientists have long suspected marine biology as a source of INPs, but the actual substances remained mysterious. A turning point came during the 2017 Polarstern expedition PS106.



“During the Polarstern expedition PS106 in 2017, we observed increased glucose concentrations in Arctic samples and concluded this glucose could be an indicator of ice nuclei in seawater,” said senior author Sebastian Zeppenfeld from TROPOS.



“The monosaccharide glucose is a degradation product of polysaccharides. It was therefore obvious to us that polysaccharides could be the missing piece of the puzzle.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-sugars-and-freezing-clouds">Ocean sugars and freezing clouds</h2>



To test the idea, researchers collected material from the ocean’s surface microlayer. This living film teems with bacteria, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algae-revived-after-7000-years-beneath-the-baltic-sea/">algae</a>, diatoms, fungi, protists, viruses, and more. Researchers had largely overlooked marine fungi as possible ice starters.



Study co-author Susan Hartmann from TROPOS examined ice nucleation in the laboratory using the INDA (Ice Nucleation Droplet Array) droplet freezing test.



“We investigated the ice nucleation of marine polysaccharides derived from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-fungi-can-be-trained-to-degrade-plastic-faster/">marine fungi</a> and protist, as well as commercially available standard polysaccharides,” she said.



Those droplet-freezing experiments produced the first temperature‑resolved data showing how many ice nuclei these marine polysaccharides generate. 



The results fill a key gap: between roughly -15°C (5°F) and -20°C (-4°F), the ocean sugars could account for nearly all biologically driven ice formation in cloud droplets.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cloud-models-get-missing-ice-link">Cloud models get missing ice link</h2>



Earlier work had shown that proteins tend to initiate freezing in relatively “warm” clouds (above about 28°F), while mineral dust dominates in very cold clouds (below -4°F).



But the Southern Hemisphere offers limited dust sources. Many mixed-phase clouds linger in the middle range - exactly where the new study shows marine polysaccharides are most potent.



Study lead author Roland Schrödner from TROPOS analyzed the data using the TM5 global atmospheric chemistry transport model.



“In our simulations, we were able to show that at -15 to -16 degrees Celsius (5 to 3°F), the polysaccharides over the gigantic areas of the oceans in the clean Southern Hemisphere are probably the most important ice nuclei," said Schrödner.



"They contribute more to ice formation than mineral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-storms-are-a-surprising-source-of-deadly-air-pollution/">dust</a> emitted from the deserts, which is the main type of ice nuclei in climate models. This is a new and important finding for climate models.” 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-years-of-data-point-to-sugars">Years of data point to sugars</h2>



The study knits together aerosol microphysics, atmospheric chemistry, and global modeling groups at TROPOS.



Polysaccharide concentrations had been sampled during multiple expeditions: the Spanish Antarctic PI‑ICE mission, the German Arctic PASCAL/PS106 cruises, the tropical Atlantic MarParCloud campaign, and long‑term measurements on Spitsbergen.



Only by combining those datasets with lab freezing tests and model simulations could the team quantify the climatic punch of marine sugars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-for-cloud-ice-research">Next steps for cloud ice research</h2>



If nations succeed in cutting man‑made emissions, natural aerosol particles will matter even more for cloud behavior. Clean‑air regions respond sharply to even small aerosol changes, making the Southern Hemisphere a prime natural laboratory.



Beginning July 2025, the HALO‑South aircraft mission - led by TROPOS - will probe clouds, aerosols, and radiation over the Southern Ocean near New Zealand. 



A coordinated ground campaign, goSouth‑2, will deploy advanced remote‑sensing gear near Invercargill from September 2025 to March 2027. The goal is to watch clouds evolve in this pristine environment.



Life at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-draining-nutrients-from-the-oceans-surface/">ocean’s surface</a> shapes cloud brightness, revealing deep links between biology and the atmosphere.



The new evidence that marine polysaccharides help seed ice over huge swaths of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/">Southern Ocean</a> is a vivid reminder: what grows in the water below can change the sky above - and, through clouds, influence Earth’s climate itself.



The study was presented at the <a href="https://www.egu25.eu/">EGU General Assembly 2025</a> in Vienna, Austria. An abstract of the article can be found <a href="https://meetingorganizer.copernicus.org/EGU25/EGU25-15357.html">here</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

How tiny sugars in the Southern Ocean help clouds freeze

Tiny bits of organic matter bobbing at the ocean’s surface appear to help clouds freeze in some of the most pristine air on Earth. New research shows that complex sugar molecules shed by marine microbes can trigger ice formation in cloud droplets across the vast Southern Ocean. This happens right in the temperature range that governs how long bright, cooling clouds survive and how much sunlight they bounce back to space. The work draws on years of field campaigns, lab tests, and computer modeling led by scientists...

In a new study published by <a href="https://plos.org/">PLOS</a>, researchers investigated the geographical patterns of Lyme disease. The experts have discovered that a tick's host-seeking behavior, as well as their preferred hosts, can explain why Lyme disease is more prevalent in the northeastern region of the United States compared to the southeast.

Ticks contract Lyme disease by biting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-share-many-of-the-same-behaviors-as-animals-that-live-nearby/">animals</a> that are infected with Borrelia bacteria. Infected ticks can pass the disease along to humans. While it was known that Lyme disease is more commonly diagnosed in the northeast, the causes of this discrepancy are unclear. 

To investigate, a team led by Dr. Howard Ginsberg of the U.S. Geological Survey Patuxent Wildlife Research Center conducted an extensive study of tick-host interactions at eight field sites throughout the eastern U.S.

The researchers found that southern ticks have a tendency to select lizards as their hosts, rather than small mammals. This is significant because lizards infected with Borrelia bacteria are less likely to pass it along to other ticks compared to mammals. 

The tendency of southern ticks to bite lizards instead of mammals may explain why fewer ticks, and fewer people, develop Lyme disease in the South. 

"Northern blacklegged ticks attach mostly to mice and other mammals, while southern ticks love lizards, especially skinks," said Dr. Ginsberg. "It's interesting that this quirk in tick ecology can have such an important effect on human health."

Dr. Ginsberg's team previously reported that southern ticks tend to stay below leaf litter when seeking hosts, while northern ticks usually climb to leaf tops and twigs. This increases the likelihood that northern ticks will encounter and bite humans. 

Furthermore, variations in tick densities from north to south could help explain the Lyme-disease gradient. Future research is needed to explore how climate change may affect ticks and their hosts, potentially altering Lyme disease patterns in the U.S. and Canada.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lyme disease patterns tied to tick behavior and host choice

In a new study published by PLOS, researchers investigated the...

While it is known that Earth is warming rapidly, there is not enough observational data in places like the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-favors-some-arctic-insects-over-others/">Arctic</a> to accurately assess temperature variations across the globe. In a study from the <a href="http://english.iap.cas.cn/au/bi/">Institute of Atmospheric Sciences</a>, experts have taken a new approach to investigating temperature increases worldwide.

The international team has just released a new dataset that combines global surface temperatures, including reconstructed land and marine measurements, from the 1850s to 2018. 

An analysis of the data produced evidence of a steadily increasing warming trend that is more consistent than previous estimates. The trend closely matches the available observational data, as well as model simulations of the past two decades.

Study lead author Qingxiang Li is a professor in the School of Atmospheric Sciences and in the Key Laboratory of Tropical Atmosphere-Ocean System at Sun Yat-Sen University.

"The global surface temperature is one of the most important and accurate essential climate variables in the Earth system, yet there are still a number of discrepancies among the evaluation of magnitude of global warming," said Professor Li.

"The importance of global complete coverage dataset is emphasized in recent studies of the 'hiatus' period, when global warming appeared to slow from 1998 to 2012, especially for observations of high-latitude regions such as the Arctic."

To gain a better understanding of how the planet has warmed, the team previously combined the global land surface temperature dataset with a reconstructed sea surface temperature dataset from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to create the China Merged Surface Temperature (CMST) dataset. 

In their latest study, the researchers updated the CMST with a reconstructed global land surface temperature dataset.

"The resulting dataset is the CMST-Interim, a global monthly surface temperature dataset spanning 1854 to 2018," said Professor Li. She explained that the new dataset includes improved coverage of the Earth's surface, with 90 percent of the globe include from the 1950s onwards. "The CMST-Interim shows a significantly increased warming rate of the global surface temperature compared to the original dataset."

The experts report that existing datasets overestimated surface temperature anomalies prior to the 19th century, yet underestimated surface temperature anomalies in the 21st century. This explains the hiatus period that was found in recent studies. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/376">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth's temperature has been steadily rising since the 1850s

While it is known that Earth is warming rapidly, there...

Mother,Tyrannosaurus,Rex,With,Egg,Of,Baby,Tyrannosaur,Into,Mouth

While tyrannosaurs were some of the largest predators of all time, a new study from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> reveals that their babies were surprisingly small. Scientists have discovered that baby tyrannosaurs were no bigger than a medium-sized <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gifted-dogs-can-learn-words-after-hearing-them-four-times/">dog</a> when they took their first steps.

The study was focused on the fossils of tyrannosaur embryos. The remains are providing brand new insight into the early development of tyrannosaurs, which weighed as much as eight tons and grew up to 40 feet in length.

The team created 3D scans of two tiny one-inch dinosaur bones unearthed in Canada, including a jaw bone and a claw. 

The scans revealed that the delicate remains belonged to baby tyrannosaurs - cousins of Tyrannosaurus rex. The researchers discovered that the jaw bone contained distinctive tyrannosaur features, such as a pronounced chin.

Based on the size of the fossils, the baby tyrannosaurs were around three feet long when they hatched. Study lead author Dr. Greg Funston said the bones can teach us much about their size and appearance.

While tyrannosaur eggs have never been found, the new research indicates that they would have been around 17 inches long. This finding could aid efforts to recognize such eggs in the future and gain greater insights into the nesting habits of tyrannosaurs, explained the researchers.

The earliest developmental stages of tyrannosaurs remain a mystery to scientists. This is because the vast majority of tyrannosaur fossils that have been uncovered belonged to adults or older juveniles.

"These bones are the first window into the early lives of tyrannosaurs and they teach us about the size and appearance of baby tyrannosaurs," said Dr. Funston. "We now know that they would have been the largest hatchlings to ever emerge from eggs, and they would have looked remarkably like their parents - both good signs for finding more material in the future."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://cdnsciencepub.com/journal/cjes">Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Baby tyrannosaurs were surprisingly small

While tyrannosaurs were some of the largest predators of all...

In a breakthrough study from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a>, biologists are a giant step closer to making an inexpensive, renewable source of energy from a native North American <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/plants-cannot-keep-up-with-rising-co2-levels/">plant</a> called switchgrass. 

The researchers conducted an advanced genome analysis of switchgrass, which revealed genes that could ultimately be key to the widespread production of biofuels. 

By linking various switchgrass genes to specific climates, the experts have essentially developed a guide for breeding switchgrass that will perform optimally under current and future climate conditions across the United States. 

According to the researchers, optimizing switchgrass to grow efficiently in many different environments is key to ensuring its success as a biofuel feedstock.

Professor Tom Juenger has been on a mission to optimize switchgrass in his lab at UT Austin for more than a decade. When Professor Juenger analyzed samples provided by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's switchgrass stocks, he noticed a lack of diversity. 

Study co-author David Lowry was a postdoctoral researcher in Professor Juenger's lab when the research was initiated, and is now an assistant professor of Plant Biology at Michigan State University.

"Originally, a lot of these collections came from us driving around in a pickup truck with a shovel and digging up plants off the side of the road or in parks where we had permits," said Lowry.

Switchgrass is a warm-season perennial with deep roots that grows all over the country. It is an important component of tallgrass prairie habitats, growing up to 12 feet in some regions, and is also considered to be one of the most valuable plants for controlling soil erosion.

Furthermore, switchgrass has recently gained a lot of attention as a potential source of biofuel, which is critically needed to address the climate crisis. 

In collaboration with experts at the Hudson Alpha Institute for Biotechnology and the DOE Joint Genome Institute, the UT Austin team created 10 identical gardens in eight states. They grew clones of more than 1,000 switchgrass samples collected from across North America. 

The researchers assembled a reference genome sequence to compare the diversity among the samples. They documented which varieties thrived and where, matching sections of their DNA with traits that evolved over millennia in response to specific climates.

"We ended up finding three very distinct populations of switchgrass from three regions of the United States, all of which had their own sets of adaptations to climate," said study first author Alice MacQueen. "It means there are potentially multiple evolutionary paths available to match switchgrass plants to particular climates."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Switchgrass could be a major weapon in the fight against climate change

In a breakthrough study from the University of Texas at...

Researchers have found evidence that women's menstrual cycles are synchronized with lunar cycles, including the intensity of moonlight and the moon's gravitational pull. The experts theorize that this synchronization was strongest in ancient times and has been widely lost due to modern lifestyles and exposure to artificial light at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crown-of-thorns-starfish-stay-up-all-night-to-overindulge/">night</a>.

Study lead author Charlotte Förster holds the Chair of Neurobiology and Genetics at the <a href="https://www.uni-wuerzburg.de/en/university/">University of Würzburg</a> (JMU). "We know many animal species in which the reproductive behavior is synchronized with the lunar cycle to increase reproductive success," said Förster. 

Both menstrual and lunar cycles have a length of around 29.5 days, which indicates that there is a correlation. The idea is also supported by the results of previous research. For example, multiple older studies show that women who have menstrual cycles that are synced up with the moon have the greatest chances of becoming pregnant. 

In addition, two longitudinal studies found a significant connection between lunar cycles and birth rate, with an increase in births during the full moon and a decline in births during the new moon. Further evidence suggests that births are more likely to take place at night when there is a full moon, and in the daytime when there is a new moon. 

To investigate, Förster and her team analyzed the timing of the menstrual cycles of 22 women who had kept menstrual diaries for up to 32 years. "To our knowledge, this approach to analyzing this type of long-term data has not been used before." 

Förster explained that the moon exhibits three distinct cycles that periodically change the intensity of moonlight and its gravitational pull here on Earth. 

The researchers determined that all three lunar cycles influence the onset of menstruation in women. They found that moonlight seems to have the strongest effect, while gravitational forces of the moon also contribute.

Not all women follow the cycle of moonlight, and those that do only sync up for certain periods of time. Women under 35 years of age have menstrual cycles that follow the light and dark phases of the moon for an average of 25 percent of the time.

The connection between menstrual and lunar cycles decreases as women age, and also decreases with exposure to artificial light sources at night. For example, women who go to bed late and leave lights on longer do not show signs of synchronization with the moon.

The fact that humans follow the rhythm of gravity could explain why other cycles, such as when we fall asleep or how long we sleep, are temporarily influenced by a full moon or new moon. 

According to the researchers, the observations suggest that humans respond not only to rapid changes in gravity, like when we are thrown off balance, but also to slow, recurring gravitational changes. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lunar cycles have a secret influence on human reproduction

Researchers have found evidence that women's menstrual cycles are synchronized...

In a new report from <a href="https://futureearth.org/">Future Earth</a>, 57 leading scientists from all over the world have compiled a list of the top 10 most important insights on the climate from 2020. The goal of the research is to help inform collective action on the ongoing climate crisis.

"This series is a critical part of our mission to get the latest science to decision makers in an accessible format to help accelerate transitions to sustainability," explained Wendy Broadgate, Future Earth Global Hub Director. "Worsening wildfires, intensifying storms, and even the ongoing pandemic are all signals that our relationship with nature is deteriorating, with deadly consequences."

Some of the topics addressed by the experts include higher than expected emissions from permafrost thaw and the untapped potential of green COVID-19 recovery packages. The top 10 climate insights outlined in the report are listed below. 
<ol>
 	<li> Improved understanding of Earth's sensitivity to carbon dioxide strengthen support for ambitious emission cuts to meet Paris Agreement: The climate's sensitivity to carbon dioxide - how much the temperature rises with a certain increase of emissions - is now better understood. This new knowledge indicates that moderate emission reductions are less likely to meet the Paris climate targets than previously anticipated.</li>
 	<li> Emissions from thawing permafrost likely to be worse than expected: Emissions of greenhouse gases from permafrost will be larger than earlier projections because of abrupt thaw processes, which are not yet included in global climate models.</li>
 	<li> Tropical forests may have reached peak uptake of carbon: Land ecosystems currently draw down 30% of human CO2 emissions due to a CO2 fertilization effect on plants. Deforestation of the world's tropical forests are causing these to level off as a carbon sink.</li>
 	<li> Climate change will severely exacerbate the water crisis: New empirical studies show that climate change is already causing extreme precipitation events (floods and droughts), and these extreme settings in turn lead to water crises. The impact of these water crises is highly unequal, which is caused by and exacerbates gender, income, and sociopolitical inequality.</li>
 	<li> Climate change can profoundly affect our mental health: Cascading and compounding risks are contributing to anxiety and distress. The promotion and conservation of blue and green space within urban planning policies as well as the protection of ecosystems and biodiversity in natural environments have health co-benefits and provide resilience.</li>
 	<li> Governments are not seizing the opportunity for a green recovery from COVID-19: Governments all over the world are mobilizing more than US$12 trillion for COVID-19 pandemic recovery. As a comparison, annual investments needed for a Paris-compatible emissions pathway are estimated to be US$1.4 trillion.</li>
 	<li> COVID-19 and climate change demonstrates the need for a new social contract: The pandemic has spotlighted inadequacies of both governments and international institutions to cope with transboundary risks.</li>
 	<li> Economic stimulus focused primarily on growth would jeopardize the Paris Agreement: A COVID-19 recovery strategy based on growth first and sustainability second is likely to fail the Paris Agreement.</li>
 	<li> Electrification in cities pivotal for just sustainability transitions: Urban electrification can be understood as a sustainable way to reduce poverty by providing over a billion people with modern types of energy, but also as a way to substitute clean energy for existing services that drive climate change and harmful local pollution.</li>
 	<li> Going to court to defend human rights can be an essential climate action: Through climate litigation, legal understandings of who or what is a rights- holder are expanding to include future, unborn generations, and elements of nature, as well as who can represent them in court.</li>
</ol>
"Given the urgency of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and removing carbon from the atmosphere to keep our planet from overheating, it is critical to inform the decision-making process for immediate action by the newest insights from climate science," said Peter Schlosser, co-chair of the <a href="https://the-earth-league.org/">Earth League</a>.

The report confirms that the environmental impacts of climate change are becoming increasingly more intense, yet it also points to opportunities that have emerged from new breakthroughs in climate science. 

"All parts of our world are affected by the climate crisis, and each continent, country, city and village depends on how well we manage Earth's natural carbon sinks - that's what the overwhelming scientific evidence shows," said Johan Rockström, Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. 

"Because we all share the same small planet, and there are planetary boundaries, we cannot rely on nature to support us if we do not support nature. Just look at the stressed tropical forests that so conveniently have been taking up huge amounts of CO2, but this might now come to a peak and decline." 

"From all these scientific insights, one political insight should arise: if we want to have a chance of stabilizing our climate, for the sake of our own safety, the last chance to reduce greenhouse gases is now."

The 10 New Insights in Climate Science 2020 will be presented today to Patricia Espinosa, Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC).

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/global-sustainability">Global Sustainability</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts have outlined the top ten climate insights of 2020

In a new report from Future Earth, 57 leading scientists...

Mineral dust is driving increasingly large algal blooms on the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/greenland-glaciers-face-a-triple-threat-from-global-warming/">Greenland</a> Ice Sheet. Researchers at the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> have found that the blooms have created a "Dark Zone" on the western margin of the ice sheet where sunlight is not properly reflected, which causes the ice to melt faster.

Across the Greenland Ice Sheet, surface melting and water runoff has increased by about 40 percent in the last 25 years. The new research indicates that algae living on the melting ice surfaces are contributing to this phenomenon, and that phosphate mineral dust is helping the algal blooms thrive. 

According to study co-author Professor Jim McQuaid, mineral dust can be transported thousands of miles by wind, but the dust examined by the researchers was from local sources. 

"As dryland areas in northerly latitudes become even drier under climate change, we can expect to see more dust transported and deposited on the Greenland Ice Sheet, further fuelling algal blooms," said Professor McQuaid.

"As an atmospheric scientist, it's exciting to see how wind-blown mineral dust is linked to algal bloom development and impacts ice sheet melting."

The algae blooms darken the ice as they spread out. This decreases the ice sheet's albedo, or its ability to reflect sunlight.

The Leeds team analyzed samples from the southwestern margin of the Greenland ice sheet over two years. By examining the surface dust, the experts determined that phosphorus is used as a key nutrient to help the algae grow. 

The researchers identified the phosphorus-containing mineral hydroxylapatite as the source of fuel for the algal blooms in the Dark Zone. The hydroxylapatite was blown onto the ice from neighboring rock outcrops.

"The photosynthesis rate of the ice algae improved significantly when we provided them with a source of phosphorus," said study lead author Dr. Jenine McCutcheon. "Our mineralogy results revealed that the phosphorus used by ice algae may be coming from the hydroxylapatite we identified in the mineral dust."

"It's important to understand the controls on algal growth because of their role in ice sheet darkening. Although algal blooms can cover up to 78% of the bare ice surfaces in the Dark Zone, their abundance and size can vary greatly over time."

"From one season to the next, algal blooms may change and vary in intensity, making them difficult to model year-to-year."

Previous studies have shown that for the last two decades, the melt season in the Dark Zone has started progressively earlier and lasted longer, reducing the ice sheet's ability to reflect solar radiation.

"The glacier ice algae bio-mine the phosphorus from the minerals fueling the blooms that cover larger and larger areas each year, leading to more melting and faster rising sea levels," said Professor Liane G. Benning, who is the principal investigator of the Natural Environment Research Council project Black and Bloom. 

"As current ice sheet and climate models do not include this phenomena, this research will advance these models and give us a greater understanding of the annual lifecycle of algal blooms."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How mineral dust is melting the Greenland ice sheet

Mineral dust is driving increasingly large algal blooms on the...

Bones found in Argentina may belong to the world's largest dinosaur. Experts in Argentina are reconstructing the fossilized bones of what may have been the largest <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/when-the-dinosaurs-vanished-forests-expanded-and-thrived/">dinosaur</a> that ever lived on Earth. 

The remains of a 98 million-year-old titanosaur were uncovered in Argentina's northwest Patagonia in 2012. The giant bones, including 24 vertebrae of the tail and elements of the pelvic and pectoral girdle, had been preserved in thick, sedimentary deposits known as the Candeleros Formation.

It was not immediately clear what type of animal had been found. In a new study published in the journal Cretaceous Research, paleontologists report that the remains belonged to a long-necked, plant-eating dinosaur called a titanosaur.

The experts believe the creature is "one of the largest sauropods ever found" and could exceed the size of a Patagotitan, a species which lived about 100 million years ago and measured up to 122 feet in length.

"It is a huge dinosaur, but we expect to find much more of the skeleton in future field trips, so we'll have the possibility to address with confidence how really big it was," said study lead author Alejandro Otero of the Museo de La Plata.

Titanosaur fossils have been found on almost every continent, but the largest "multi-ton" individuals, including those that exceeded 40 tons, have been primarily unearthed in Patagonia.

The experts still need the dinosaur's humerus or femur bones to accurately estimate how much the creature weighed. At the same time, the researchers believe the enormous dinosaur had a body mass as large or larger than that of a Patagotitan or Argentinosaurus.

"While anatomical analysis does not currently allow us to regard it as a new species, the morphological disparity and the lack of equivalent elements with respect to coeval taxa also prevent us from assigning this new material to already known genera," wrote the study authors. 

"This set of extremely large taxa from Patagonia has contributed to a better understanding of the phylogenetic relationships of titanosaurs, revealing the existence of a previously unknown lineage and shedding new light on body mass evolution."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/cretaceous-research">Cretaceous Research</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bones found in Argentina may belong to the world's largest dinosaur

Bones found in Argentina may belong to the world's largest...

People who take naps have a lower risk of developing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exposure-to-fine-particle-pollution-linked-to-higher-risk-of-dementia/">dementia</a>, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.bmj.com/">The BMJ</a>. The researchers linked afternoon naps of at least five minutes to improved cognitive ability, such as mental agility and speed of thought.

The neurodegenerative changes associated with older age increase the risk of dementia, which affects around 50 million people worldwide. Sleep patterns also change with age, with afternoon naps becoming more frequent.

The study was focused on the sleep patterns of more than 2,200 adults over the age of 60, who were given a standardized screening test for cognitive decline and dementia.

Overall, 1,534 of the participants reported taking a regular afternoon nap of between five minutes and two hours, and the remaining 680 individuals did not take naps. In both groups, the average length of night time sleep was around 6.5 hours.

The analysis revealed that the cognitive performance scores were significantly higher among the nappers compared to those who did not nap. Afternoon naps were associated with higher scores in locational awareness, working memory, and verbal fluency.

Since this is an observational study, the researchers did not establish the underlying cause of the link between afternoon naps and lower levels of cognitive decline. However, the researchers said there are some possible explanations for the observations found.

For example, one theory is that inflammation serves as a mediator between mid-day naps and poor health outcomes. Inflammatory chemicals have an important role in sleep disorders. Sleep regulates the body's immune response and napping is thought to be an evolved response to inflammation, explained the study authors. 

"In addition to reducing sleepiness, mid-day naps offer a variety of benefits," wrote the researchers. These include "memory consolidation, preparation for subsequent learning, executive functioning enhancement, and a boost to emotional stability - but these effects were not observed in all cases."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://gpsych.bmj.com/">General Psychiatry</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Afternoon naps may prevent cognitive decline and dementia

People who take naps have a lower risk of developing...

A new study from <a href="https://www.elte.hu/en/">Eötvös Loránd University</a> (ELTE) shows that some <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-first-american-settlers-arrived-with-their-dogs/">dogs</a> can learn a new word after hearing it only four times. The preliminary findings indicate that most dogs do not learn words, such as the names of objects, without extensive training. However, there are some dogs that have an exceptional gift for learning language.

Researchers with the Family Dog Project from the ELTE Department of Ethology have been analyzing talented dogs that seem to learn words in the absence of any formal training. According to the study, the dogs learn language simply by socializing with their owners in a human family. 

The research was focused on two gifted dogs, a Border Collie named Whisky from Norway and a Yorkshire terrier named Vicky Nina from Brazil. The experts tested their ability to learn a new word after hearing it only a few times.

"We wanted to know under which conditions the gifted dogs may learn novel words. To test this, we exposed Whisky and Vicky Nina to the new words in two different conditions - during an exclusion-based task and in a social playful context with their owners. Importantly, in both conditions the dogs heard the name of the new toy only 4 times," explained study first author Claudia Fugazza.

In the first task, the dogs showed that they were able to select the correct toy when their owner said an unfamiliar name. They did this by excluding all the other toys that had already been assigned a name, and by then selecting the one toy that had not. However, when they were asked to recognize the toy by its name, the dogs were unsuccessful.

It turned out the dogs were successfully learning words while they were socializing with their owners, who pronounced the name of toys as they played with them together. 

Both Whisky and Vicky Nina were able to select the toys based on the names pronounced by their owners, even though the names were only spoken four times. 

"Such rapid learning seems to be similar to the way human children acquire their vocabulary around 2-3 years of age," said study co-author Adam Miklósi.

The team tested 20 other dogs using the same condition, but none of them showed evidence of learning the names of the toys. This confirms that the capacity for dogs to learn words rapidly is very rare without formal training.

Even the gifted dogs could not commit the words to memory after such a few exposures, and the words faded pretty fast. Whisky and Vicky Nina could remember the words a few minutes after they learned them, but had typically forgotten them by an hour later without any further exposure. 

To investigate further, the ELTE team recently launched the <a href="http://geniusdogchallenge.com/">Genius Dog Challenge</a>, and the project has since gone viral in social media.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gifted dogs can learn words after hearing them four times

A new study from Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE) shows that...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.aip.org/">American Institute of Physics</a> (AIP) describes how air purifiers can actually worsen airborne <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plant-compounds-in-muscadine-grapes-block-coronavirus-replication/">virus</a> transmission. The researchers found that air purifiers in elevators and other confined spaces facilitate the dispersal of saliva droplets, potentially increasing the spread of viruses. 

Air purifiers are often used in small spaces that are not well-ventilated. These systems use ultraviolet radiation to kill viruses, but they also increase the movement of air as they purify it. This accelerated air circulation has not been considered in previous studies.

Recently, the AIP team demonstrated that saliva droplets can travel 18 feet in five seconds when an unmasked person coughs. The researchers used the same model to examine the effects of face masks and weather conditions.

For the current investigation, the experts simulated conditions in a 3D space equivalent to an elevator with the capacity to hold five people. The team examined the effect of a mild cough in the space, which contained air inlets, air outlets, and an air purifier.

"We quantified the effect of air circulation on airborne virus transmission and showed that installing an air purifier inside an elevator alters the air circulation significantly but does not eliminate airborne transmission," said study co-author Dimitris Drikakis.

The researchers analyzed the role of the air purifier, considering the air intake and exhaust associated with the system. They found that airborne virus transmission is still significant even with an air purifier in place. 

"Our results show that installing an air purifier may increase the droplet spread," said Drikakis. "The air intake integrated inside the purifier equipment induces flow circulation that can add to the transport of contaminated saliva droplets in the cabin."

Since the effect would increase with the number of infected persons in a confined space, the number of people allowed in an elevator should be restricted to minimize the spread of viruses. The study also suggests that air purifier and ventilation systems are in urgent need of improvement.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aip.scitation.org/journal/phf">Physics of Fluids</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air purifiers help spread airborne viruses in confined spaces

A new study from the American Institute of Physics (AIP)...

Rising temperatures are an even bigger threat to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-in-meltwater-sediments-speed-up-ice-loss-in-greenland/">Greenland</a> ice sheet than what was previously realized. Scientists at <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a> and the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> have quantified how warming coastal waters are impacting individual glaciers across the island. 

As part of the Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) mission, the researchers have surveyed 226 glaciers for the past five years. The study revealed that 74 glaciers situated in deep valleys accounted for nearly half of Greenland's total ice loss between 1992 and 2017. 

The fjord-bound glaciers were found to be the most impacted by undercutting, which is when warm seawater at the bottom of the canyons melts the ice from below.

By contrast, the team found that 51 glaciers positioned in shallower fjords experienced less undercutting and contributed only about 15 percent of the total ice loss.

"I was surprised by how lopsided it was. The biggest and deepest glaciers are undercut much faster than the smaller glaciers in shallow fjords," said study lead author Michael Wood. "In other words, the biggest glaciers are the most sensitive to the warming waters and those are the ones really driving Greenland's ice loss."

The experts pointed out that warm seawater is able to accumulate more in deep fjords compared to shallow ones. 

Meanwhile, rising air temperatures heat the surfaces of glaciers, creating pools of meltwater that ultimately flow into the ocean. Glacier meltwater is lighter than seawater and floats up to the bottom of the glaciers, dragging with it a plume of warm water that causes undercutting. 

The researchers explained that while fjord depth is a fairly fixed variable, other factors such as ocean temperature and meltwater accumulation are greatly impacted by climate change. All three factors combine to cause accelerated deterioration of Greenland's ice sheet, they said.

The findings suggest that climate models which fail to account for undercutting may substantially underestimate glacial ice loss. In addition, the results may explain why many of Greenland's glaciers never recovered after an abrupt period of ocean warming between 1998 and 2007, despite a pause in ocean warming between 2008 and 2017.

"We have known for well over a decade that the warmer ocean plays a major role in the evolution of Greenland glaciers," said OMG Deputy Principal Investigator Eric Rignot. "But for the first time, we have been able to quantify the undercutting effect and demonstrate its dominant impact on the glacier retreat over the past 20 years."

“When the ocean speaks, the Greenland Ice Sheet listens,” said study co-author Josh Willis. “This gang of 74 glaciers in deep fjords is really feeling the influence of the ocean; it’s discoveries like these that will eventually help us predict how fast the ice will shrink. And that’s a critical tool for both this generation and the next.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Greenland glaciers face a triple threat from global warming

Rising temperatures are an even bigger threat to the Greenland...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

News coming your way