Close-up,Of,Antarctic,Moss,At,Fort,Point,,Antarctica

Hidden beneath East Antarctica’s thick ice lie secrets from a warmer, ancient world. For decades, scientists have speculated about what lies under this frozen continent.&nbsp;



Researchers have uncovered remnants of vast prehistoric river landscapes buried beneath East Antarctica. These hidden features could help refine predictions about the future of our planet’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-sea-ice-extremes-disrupt-global-climate-systems/">ice</a> and oceans.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plains-found-under-east-antarctica-s-ice">Plains found under East Antarctica’s ice</h2>



A team led by researchers from <a href="https://www.durham.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Durham University</a> studied radar data across a 3,500 km (2,175 mile) stretch of Antarctica, from Princess Elizabeth Land to George V Land. 



They discovered 31 flat surfaces beneath the East Antarctic Ice Sheet (EAIS). These surfaces, preserved under ice as thick as 2,500 meters (8,200 feet), appear as coherent, low-relief plains. 



The study showed that they were once part of a single fluvial landscape that formed after East Antarctica separated from Australia.



The researchers used data from four major airborne surveys. Their detailed analysis revealed gently sloping surfaces with consistent elevations, now separated by deep glacial troughs. 



These plains dip coastward and cluster around 200 to 450 meters (656 to 1,476 feet) above present sea level, once adjusted for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-sea-ice-collapse-linked-to-a-sudden-surge-in-ocean-salt/">ice</a> unloading.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-origins-in-ancient-river-systems">Origins in ancient river systems</h2>



The scientists interpret the surfaces as remnants of ancient river plains. After the continents split, rivers eroded the land to a base level, creating a vast, seaward-sloping plain. 



These features closely resemble those along the Australian coast, which formed through similar processes.



According to the team, the plains likely developed between 80 and 34 million years ago, after the breakup and before widespread glaciation.



“Information such as the shape and geology of the newly mapped surfaces will help improve our understanding of how ice flows at the edge of East <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-lies-beneath-16000-feet-of-antarctic-ice-a-world-never-before-seen-by-humans/">Antarctica</a>,” said Dr. Guy Paxman.



“This, in turn, will help make it easier to predict how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-past-present-and-future/">East Antarctic Ice Sheet</a> could affect sea levels under different levels of climate warming in the future.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surfaces-in-east-antarctica-survived-ice">Surfaces in East Antarctica survived ice</h2>



Remarkably, these river-carved surfaces have survived beneath the ice for over 30 million years. 



They were not destroyed by glacial erosion. Instead, fast-moving ice carved deep troughs between them, leaving the flat surfaces mostly intact. These areas likely remained frozen at the base, which reduced erosion.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/antarctic-ice-sheet_underneath_topography_credit-S-Ink_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/antarctic-ice-sheet_underneath_topography_credit-S-Ink_1s.webp" alt="The topography beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Credit: Open-access s-ink.org repository" class="wp-image-1978129"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The topography beneath the Antarctic Ice Sheet. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Open-access s-ink.org repository</figcaption></figure>



Research shows that today's fast-flowing glaciers, such as Totten and Denman, move through these deeper troughs. 



Meanwhile, the ice above the flat surfaces is slow-moving and cold-based, further preserving the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarcticas-waters-are-getting-saltier-and-it-could-transform-earths-climate/">landscape</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bedrock-confirms-river-not-ice-origins">Bedrock confirms river, not ice origins</h2>



The researchers found that the surfaces cross different geological provinces, including crystalline gneisses and sedimentary rocks. 



This confirms that the surfaces did not form due to rock boundaries. They formed from river erosion, not through ice or marine processes. Their consistency in elevation and slope supports this.



Some of these surfaces now align with exposed regions like the Bunger and Vestfold Hills. These exposed features show signs of glacial scouring, but not enough to erase the original fluvial structure. 



The research suggests limited modification by ice, mostly during the Oligocene or early Miocene periods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-influence-on-future-ice-sheet-retreat">Influence on future ice sheet retreat</h2>



These buried plains are not just ancient relics. They still shape the modern flow of the EAIS. Ice moves fastest through the troughs, not over the flat surfaces. 



The researchers argue that these plains could anchor ice during future warming events, potentially forming grounded ice rises.



“This study brings the jigsaw pieces of data together, to reveal the big picture: how these ancient surfaces formed, their role in determining the present-day flow of the ice, and their possible influence on how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-patterns-point-to-rapid-melting-risks/">East Antarctic Ice Sheet</a> will evolve in a warming world,” noted Professor Neil Ross.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slowing-east-antarctica-s-ice-loss">Slowing East Antarctica’s ice loss</h2>



The presence of these elevated plains buried under the ice could slow the retreat of grounding lines.



If ice shelves collapse during warming, some grounded ice might remain over these surfaces. This would reduce ice loss into the ocean. In regions like Law Dome, some surfaces already host ice rises, which help anchor and stabilize the inland ice.



However, current large-scale ice sheet models often overlook these features. Their resolution is too low to capture how these plains affect grounding-line behavior. 



The authors urge more drilling and high-resolution modeling to better understand the role of these features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-this-could-change-sea-level-predictions">This could change sea level predictions</h2>



East Antarctica holds about 90 percent of Antarctica’s ice. If this ice sheet melted, it would raise sea levels by 52 meters (171 feet). Improving how we model its behavior is essential. 



These hidden landscapes offer a new constraint on where ice will likely remain stable.



The study's detailed data on elevation, slope, and bedrock composition provide critical insights. They help scientists to project more accurately the responses of the EAIS to future climate change.



The findings highlight the value of geophysical surveys in revealing what lies beneath the ice and how it might shape our future.



The research appears in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01734-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Geoscience</a> and is supported by institutions in the U.K., Germany, China, and Australia. 



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Vast river landscapes discovered beneath Antarctica's thick ice sheet

Hidden beneath East Antarctica’s thick ice lie secrets from a warmer, ancient world. For decades, scientists have speculated about what lies under this frozen continent.&nbsp; Researchers have uncovered remnants of vast prehistoric river landscapes buried beneath East Antarctica. These hidden features could help refine predictions about the future of our planet’s ice and oceans. Plains found under East Antarctica’s ice A team led by researchers from Durham University studied radar data across a 3,500 km (2,175 mile) stretch of Antarctica, from Princess Elizabeth Land to George V...

A diet high in salt may be most commonly associated with high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, but the reality is that the body needs salt to balance its water content, control blood pressure, and regulate cellular function. As the body loses salt, hormones are released in response to sodium deficiency. New research is unraveling the mystery of how these hormones influence the brain, causing increased salt cravings and consumption.

A team of scientists at the <a href="http://www.bidmc.org/">Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center</a> (BIDMC) have  identified neurons that respond to the body's sodium deficiency. As a result, they managed to map the brain circuitry that drives salt-seeking behavior.

"We identified a specific circuit in the brain that detects sodium deficiency and drives an appetite specific for sodium to correct the deficiency," said co-author Jon M. Resch. "In addition, this work establishes that sodium ingestion is tightly regulated by the brain, and dysfunction in these neurons could lead to over- or under consumption of sodium, which could lead to stress on the cardiovascular system over time."

The team focused on a subset of neurons known as NTSHSD2. Through a series of experiments on sodium-deficient mice, the researchers managed to show that sodium deficiency activates these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chocolate-improve-brain-power/">neurons</a>. They also found that the presence of aldosterone, the hormone which is released during sodium deficiency, increases the response of these neurons.

"These neurons appear to be highly influenced by these hormones and less so by inputs from other neurons - though further study is warranted," said Resch. "This is a unique and very unexpected feature of these NTSHSD2 neurons."

Further evaluation of mice that were not deficient in sodium showed that the activation of NTSHSD2 neurons only triggered sodium consumption when there was a simultaneous signaling by another hormone released during sodium deficiency, angiotensin II. Because of this, the team established that NTSHSD2 neurons are not solely responsible for driving the sodium appetite. This second set of neurons, which have not yet been identified, most likely play a role in the drive for salt consumption as well.

"Several questions remain with regard to how sodium appetite works, but a major one is where ATII is acting in the brain and how the signal works in concert with NTSHSD2 neurons that respond to aldosterone," said Resch. "We have already begun work to help us close these gaps in our knowledge."

The research is published today in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Finally some answers about where your salt cravings come from

A diet high in salt may be most commonly associated...

Groundbreaking research by a team of neuroscientists at <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> explains how the brain organizes experiences and memories over time. The study reveals that the brain sorts through life events and groups them according to their similarities.

"It is as if in order to make sense of the world, the brain re-organizes individual distinct experiences into information clusters - perhaps signaling the emergence of conceptual knowledge," explained senior author Lila Davachi, an associate professor in NYU's Department of Psychology.

The researchers explored how memories become transformed over time, which is a primary question in memory research. The team set out to determine whether and how the brain would represent the similarities of individual experiences. They developed an experiment in which participants learned a series of object-scene associations.

During a series of tests, the individuals viewed single objects on a computer screen. Each object was paired with images of four scenes, such as beach or mountain backdrops, which were repeated over and over. The researchers then tested the ability of the participants to match the objects with the scenes they viewed, both immediately after the experiment and one week later.

While the individuals attempted to match the objects and scenes, the scientists observed the neural patterns of activity associated with individual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/time-windows-convert-memories/">memories</a>.

The analysis revealed that, immediately after the testing, there was no notable overlap in the neutral activation pattern associated with memories of objects that had been paired with the same backdrop. After a week had passed, however, the activation patterns significantly overlapped in the brain's hippocampus and its medial prefrontal cortex. This indicated that the brain had organized the memories according to their overlap over time.

The study, which is published in the journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/neuron/home">Neuron</a>, also found that this organization of experience over time was inversely related to the fidelity of individual memory reinstatement. In other words, while the brain paired related memories together, patterns of neural activity that corresponded to the details of those specific memories were diminished.

"This aspect of the research points to the tension between 'good memory' and learning-if we remember each individual experience as it was encountered, are we able to effectively learn about the underlying regularities across experiences?" asked co-author Alexa Tompary. "We see evidence for this competition in our neural analysis of memory structures in the brain."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The brain stores and organizes memories by category

Groundbreaking research by a team of neuroscientists at New York...

Researchers from <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> have conducted a groundbreaking study to explore the concept of evaporation as a renewable energy source. Their analysis reveals that lakes and reservoirs in the United States could generate 325 gigawatts of power, which is almost 70 percent of what the country currently produces.

While the testing has been limited to the lab, the studies suggest that evaporation-harvested power could be made on demand, 24 hours a day. This means that it could be much more feasible than utilizing solar or wind energy.

Ozgur Sahin is a biophysicist at Columbia University and the study’s senior author.

"We have the technology to harness energy from wind, water and the sun, but evaporation is just as powerful,” said Sahin. "We can now put a number on its potential."

Sahin and his colleagues have previously shown how energy behind the cycling of water and air can be harnessed. The team developed a machine called Evaporation Engine, which controls humidity with a shutter that opens and closes. This causes bacterial spore contractions which are transferred to a generator that makes electricity. The current study was created to determine just how much power this process could hypothetically produce.

"Evaporation comes with a natural battery," said lead author Ahmet-Hamdi Cavusoglu. "You can make it your main source of power and draw on solar and wind when they're available." 

This type of evaporation technology can also save water. The research team estimates that half of the water lost from lakes and reservoirs to evaporation could be saved during the energy-harvesting process. In their study, the water savings totaled 25 trillion gallons a year, which is around 20 percent of the amount of water Americans consume.

Energy from evaporation could be most advantageous to states with growing populations and hotter, dryer weather.

States which are prone to <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/world-recover-drought/">drought</a> such as California, Nevada and Arizona could benefit the most, where evaporation could pump out more energy while reducing water waste.

The study, which is published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>, is being continued as the 
researchers work to improve the energy efficiency of their spore-studded materials. They hope to eventually experiment outside of the lab to more accurately test their technology’s ability to generate power and limit water loss at the same time.

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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
Image Credit: Central Arizona Project

Energy from evaporation could power 70 percent of the U.S.

Researchers from Columbia University have conducted a groundbreaking study to...

Scientists have discovered 15 new species of  "smiley-faced" spiders in the Caribbean, including one named after Bernie Sanders. 

The research was conducted by students from the <a href="http://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont </a>(UVM) and published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society.

The students, led by Ingi Agnarsson, a professor of biology at UVM, were able to name the spiders and chose to honor many top political figures and celebrities. 

Among the names chosen for the spiders were Barack Obama, Michelle Obama, Leonardo DiCaprio, and, unanimously picked by the researchers, Bernie Sanders.

“In naming these spiders, the students and I wanted to honor people who stood up for both human rights and warned about climate change--leaders and artists who promoted sensible approaches for a better world,” said Agnarsson. 

The students deeply respect Bernie Sanders and hope to help memorialize his legacy by naming a new species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-spiders-guts-oxygen/">spider</a> after him. 

“It is my hope that through naming that spider after Bernie we can remember the ideas that he has at this pivotal point in the life of our nation,” said Lily Sargeant, one of the student researchers. 

“It is through a diversity of perspectives that we achieve innovation in science and I appreciate how much the Obamas value diversity,” Sargeant added.

Previously thought to a be a widespread species that can be found in many parts of the world, the UVM students instead found that there were many endemic species of smiley-faced spiders.

The discovery of the new species has sparked talks on conservation practices in the Caribbean, and further studies may bring to light even more biodiversity.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Glynnis Fawkes

Bernie Sanders spider among 15 new species discovered

Scientists have discovered 15 new species of  "smiley-faced" spiders in...

Maybe “bird-brained” shouldn’t be considered an insult. Proportionally bigger brains appear to be linked to better survival skills in birds.

Scientists have wondered for some time whether humans’ comparatively large brains contributed to the species’ evolutionary success. Because humans are the only surviving species of the genus Homo, however, it’s difficult to test that hypothesis.

Dr. Carlos Botero of Washington University in St. Louis thought birds might prove an interesting case study. He teamed up with Dr. Trevor Fristoe, also of Washington U, and Dr. Andrew Iwaniuk of the University of Lethbridge suspected the more than 9,000 species of birds could let them test the idea that proportionally bigger brains boost survival.

"We went through all the data for North America, all of the species for which we knew brain size, and came up with a metric for population stability, adjusting for other factors that can affect stability such as clutch size and whether or not the bird is migratory," Botero said.

The team had two goals: find out if birds living in more variable habitats have bigger brains, and see if bigger brains can be linked to survival. 

They quickly ruled out that birds in more challenging environments evolved larger brains. But bigger brains really do seem linked to a survival advantage, the researchers said.

"The findings were pretty surprising," Fristoe said. "In the first part of the study, we showed that a big brain really does give birds a survival advantage in variable environments. So the mechanism works. But that made it all the more puzzling when the second part of the study showed that big brains often evolved in stable – not in variable – habitats."

While environment doesn’t seem to affect how bird brains evolve, those with larger brains do appear to have a survival advantage when in a non-stable environment.

"But we found that variable environments are more likely to be colonized by species that already had big brains," Botero said. "That explains why, when we go out today, we find an association between big brains and variable environments.”

The scientists acknowledged that the study has its limitations. Brain size isn’t the only way or the most accurate way to measure cognition, they noted. More study is also needed to discover why smart birds like ravens – and smart primates like humans – evolved larger brains in the first place.

The research will be published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0316-2">Nature Ecology and Evolution</a>.  

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Bigger brains give birds a survival advantage

Maybe “bird-brained” shouldn’t be considered an insult. Proportionally bigger brains...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a> have found that the brain plays a central role in development before movements and other behaviors begin. Their study revealed that the brain influences nerve and muscle development while it is still developing itself. This documents the earliest known interaction between the brain and the body.

"Everyone knows that the brain guides behavior, but these data suggest that we need to revise our view of the brain as quiescent prior to an animal's independent activity,” explained co author Michael Levin. “Our research shows that the brain is engaged long before that, before it's even fully built.”

Using embryonic frogs, the study also revealed that the brain protects the embryo from harmful agents that cause developmental disabilities. In addition, the research team managed to override defects caused by the lack of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-recognizes-faces-notice/">brain</a> by using widely available drugs which are proven safe enough for humans.

“What is particularly promising on the therapeutic side is that we were able to reverse developmental defects that result in the absence of a brain by applying relatively simple bioelectric and neurotransmitter manipulations,” said Levin.

The researchers set out to get a closer look at the role of the brain during the earliest stages of development. In order to do this, they removed the brains of frog embryos 27.5 hours after the eggs were fertilized, which is  long before embryonic activity begins.

The embryos without brains had problems in several areas. The complication that stood out the most was abnormal development of the muscles and the peripheral nervous system. 

The research team also exposed the modified embryos to chemicals that do not cause birth defects in normal embryos. The embryos developed major deformities like bent tails and spinal cords. Without brain activity, the embryos were defenseless against the harmful agents.

The scientists were able to reverse many of these defects using scopolamine, a drug used to regulate human neural function. They were also successful in rescuing the embryos from defects by injecting messenger RNA encoding the HCN2 ion channel, which regulate bioelectric signals in many animals, including humans.

"Our data suggest that the brain exercises these functions using electrical and chemical channels that communicate locally and at a distance,” said first author Celia Herrera-Rincon. “Such distributed communications means we may be able to repair damage in a difficult-to-reach site by providing therapies to more easily-accessible tissues. Being able to treat one part of the body and see results in another part is particularly valuable in specialties like neuroregeneration.”

The study is published today in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@gmail.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The brain directs the body while it is still developing itself

Researchers from Tufts University have found that the brain plays...

It sounds like a plot for the next sequel to “Finding Nemo” – scientists stressing out tropical fish to better analyze their inner lives.

It’s not the next Pixar project, though. Scientists from the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have been studying guppies, and found that individual fish seem to have unique and complex personalities.

The finding wasn’t actually the initial goal of the study. Instead, they only wanted to see how risk-averse or risk-prone individual guppies were.

"The idea of a simple spectrum is often put forward to explain the behavior of individuals in species such as the Trinidadian guppy," Dr. Tom Houslay said. "But our research shows that the reality is much more complex.”

For example, the researchers tried putting guppies in an unfamiliar environment to see which would hide and which would not. But instead of cooperating, the guppies showed a range of coping skills to deal with the stress. Some hid, some looked for a way to escape, some explored their new environment – their reactions to the new tank were varied.

Moreover, these personality traits of individual fish appeared to be consistent over time and in different situations. A fish that seemed more nervous than its fellows would always behave more nervously than its fellows in new situations, the researchers found.

"So, while the behavior of all the guppies changed depending on the situation – for example, all becoming more cautious in more stressful situations – the relative differences between individuals remained intact," Houslay said.

In addition to moving the fish to a new tank initially, the scientists continued the experiment using models of birds or predatory fish to introduce stressful situations to the fish. 

The researchers hope to continue learning about the guppies’ inner lives. 

"We want to know how personality relates to other facets of life, and to what extent this is driven by genetic – rather than environmental – influences,” Dr. Alistair Wilson said. "The goal is really gaining insight into evolutionary processes, how different behavioral strategies might persist as species evolve."

The study will be published in the journal <a href="http://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2435/">Functional Ecology</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Study peeks into the inner lives of Trinidad guppies

It sounds like a plot for the next sequel to...

Scientists are looking to expand the options when it comes to clean energy. With wind and solar power sources already being developed, Japanese researchers are looking at another possibility: sea energy.

Dr. Tsumoru Shintake, a professor at the <a href="https://www.oist.jp/">Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology’s</a> Graduate University, began looking into new ways to harness the ocean’s power in 2012. 

He and the university’s Quantum Wave Microscopy Unit anchored turbines to the ocean floor in the Kuroshio current, a north-flowing ocean current off the coast of Japan. The turbines were anchored with mooring cables that turned the current’s energy into electrical power. 

The experiment, titled “Sea Horse,” was a success, and the team is now looking for industry sponsors who will help them move onto the next phase of the project. 

"Particularly in Japan, if you go around the beach you'll find many tetrapods," Shintake said in a press release. "Surprisingly, 30 percent of the seashore in mainland Japan is covered with tetrapods and wave breakers." 

Tetrapods – concrete, pyramid-shaped structures that help soften the force of waves along the shore – and the beach walls dubbed wave breakers could be altered to serve a dual purpose, Shintake and his team said. “Intelligent” tetrapods and wavebreakers with nearby turbines could both protect Japan’s shoreline and turn sea energy into electricity for nearby communities.

"Using just 1 percent of the seashore of mainland Japan can [generate] about 10 gigawatts, which is equivalent to 10 nuclear power plants," Shintake said. "That's huge."

To test the theory, the team has already placed some turbines near tetrapods and coral reefs, dubbed the Wave Energy Converter. 

The turbines have been designed with Japan’s environment in mind. They’re built strong enough to withstand typhoons, and flexible so the currents and waves don’t destroy them, the scientists said. They’ve also been designed so that sea creatures can avoid their blades.

They plan to install half-scale models of the new turbines soon. If successful, the project could be copied in other places where strong ocean currents might provide clean sea energy.

Shintake and his team presented their project at the 3rd Asian Wave and Tidal Energy Conference.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Could sea energy help power the future?

Scientists are looking to expand the options when it comes...

Deep decarbonization, or the decreasing of carbon emissions on a mass scale, must happen quickly if we are to cap global warming at 2 degrees Celsius and stop temperatures from continuing to rise.

If there is any chance of achieving this, it will take a significant, collaborative effort whereby carbon emissions are reduced by 70 percent over the next 35 years, according to a new study published in the journal Science. 

This will be no easy feat and depends on more than just scientific studies that prove the effects of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-cold-winter/">climate change</a>, as the researchers noted. 

The problem with many climate change studies is their “one solution fits all” approach, looking for a single piece of the puzzle that will reduce carbon emissions worldwide without considering the current cultural, political, or economic climate. 

Instead, researchers from the universities of <a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/">Sussex</a>, <a href="https://www.manchester.edu/">Manchester</a>, and <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford</a> took all these factors into account and conducted a study to create a “socio-technical” framework that can be used a model for tackling rapid decarbonization successfully. 

"Our 'big picture' socio-technical framework shows how interactions between various social groups can increase the momentum of low-carbon transitions,” said Professor Frank Geels from the University of Manchester and the lead author of the study.  

The study includes a wide-reaching policy forum with four major steps, called lessons, that need to be taken for changes to occur. 

The first is a transformation of ‘socio-technical systems,' as speeding up the decarbonization process is not just dependent on new technology, but it must be widely accepted socially and politically as well. 

The second step is the alignment of multiple innovations and systems. If there is a major shift in renewable energy, there will also have to be technical advances made in energy storage and demand for those innovations.

“One of the great strengths of this study is the equal emphasis it accords to technological, social, business and policy innovation, in all of which governments, as well as the private sector, have a key role to play. Public policy has an enormous role to play at every step in the creation of these changed conditions,” said Paul Ekins, the Director of the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> Institute for Sustainable Resources.

The third step involves making sure the right tools are in place to support and motivate businesses and people transitioning to renewable energy and low carbon lifestyles. 

The fourth step requires the removal of existing systems as new technologies and innovations are adopted. 

This research not only shows how vital a collaborative effort is to policymakers, scientists, business and the public sector, but also proves that it will be the only way to successfully achieve the rapid decarbonization.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

If we want to stop rising temperatures, rapid changes must happen

Deep decarbonization, or the decreasing of carbon emissions on a...

A new method for predicting extreme events has been developed by researchers from the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT). Extreme events refer to incidents like a previously stable species going extinct, a wave rising from calm waters, or an instability inside of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/scotland-wind-turbines-generate/">wind turbine</a>. 

These random events happen all over but scientists have lacked sufficient data and technology to be able to predict them with any real accuracy until now. 

Engineers from MIT have developed a framework that combines real-world data and already existing equations to predict extreme events. 

The results of these calculations show that extreme events can in fact be predicted, and that the model is general enough to apply to many systems where events can occur. 

“This happens in random places around the world, and the question is being able to predict where these vortices or hotspots of extreme events will occur. If you can predict where these things occur, maybe you can develop some control techniques to suppress them,” said Themistoklis Sapsis, an associate professor of mechanical and ocean engineering at MIT. 

Previously, when attempting to predict extreme events, scientists relied on solving a series of complex mathematical equations that could indicate certain initial conditions were a precursor to an extreme event. 

But these equations, as Sapsis noted, were not foolproof, and often resulted in inaccurate and unrealistic predictions. 

Scientists who wanted to use real-world data to try and find some commonality or indicator that predicted the events also struggled because extreme events are random and rare. 

Instead, Sapsis and fellow MIT collaborators created an algorithm that uses both the applicable equations and any known real-world data to create a more stable predictor of extreme events. 

The researchers then simulated a turbine fluid flow and used the algorithm to identify the precursors to an extreme event. The method identified developing precursors 75 to 99 percent of the time. 

Having an accurate model that predicts extreme events will be incredibly useful for future studies and for finding methods to prevent such events from occurring. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New algorithm can predict extreme environmental events

A new method for predicting extreme events has been developed...

New research shows that our brain recognizes familiar images and faces even if we don’t consciously notice them ourselves. 

A new study published the journal Current Biology examined how the same <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brains-detect-pitch-meaning/">neurons</a> that register when we see a face that we recognize also light up when presented with a familiar face we fail to notice. 

The researchers found that the only real difference between the two was the strength and timing of the neural activity. 

When we fail to notice a familiar face, the neural activity is weaker and delayed in comparison to when we are aware of the particular face or image. 

Dubbed the “Roger Federer Cell” by the researchers, the study noted that the cell was active whether or not the person consciously recognized the familiar face of Roger Federer in a rapid succession of images presented. 

Researchers from Germany conducted the study and gathered 21 neurosurgical patients who were being monitored, via electrodes in the brain, for epilepsy. The research team recorded the activity of 2,735 neurons in the patients and set up an experiment where the test participants were shown two images in quick succession. 

The patients most often didn’t register the second familiar image in a succession of rapid pictures, even though it was identical to the first. But regardless of the patient's reaction, the same neural activity registered when it was presented with similar images. 

“Our study finds that a 'Roger Federer cell' can also become active when its owner fails to notice the image of Roger Federer rapidly flickering by in a stream of other images,” said Florian Mormann from the <a href="https://www.meb.uni-bonn.de/welcome.en.html">University of Bonn Medical Center </a>in Germany. 

This research shows that human consciousness is a much more complex phenomenon than previously thought, and sheds new light on the inner workings of our conscious awareness.  

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Your brain recognizes faces even when you don’t notice

New research shows that our brain recognizes familiar images and...

Cassiopea is an ancient jellyfish that has no brain or spine and basically spends its entire existence upside down on the ocean floor. But researchers from the <a href="http://www.caltech.edu/">California Institute of Technology</a> were surprised to discover that Cassiopea actually sleeps, indicating that sleep is a primitive behavior that has survived thousands of years of evolution.

"It may not seem surprising that jellyfish sleep--after all, mammals sleep, and other invertebrates such as worms and fruit flies sleep," said co-author Ravi Nath. "But jellyfish are the most evolutionarily ancient animals known to sleep. This finding opens up many more questions: Is sleep the property of neurons? And perhaps a more far-fetched question: Do plants sleep?"

There are three conditions that constitute “sleeping.” First, sleep is marked by a state of inactivity and tranquility, also known as quiescence. While in the quiescent state, the organism must show a decreased response to stimuli. Also, the organism must show that it is more and more sleepy when deprived of sleep. In order to prove that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/suez-canal-blamed-jellyfish/">jellyfish</a> sleep, the research team needed to demonstrate that they meet all three sleep criteria. 

To show quiescence, the researchers set up cameras to monitor the jellyfish. They found that the jellyfish go through periods of inactivity at night. During this tranquil stage, the jellyfish pulsed around 39 times per minute as opposed to 58 pulses per minute during the day.

Next, the team needed to test if the jellyfish were less responsive to stimuli during this state of decreased activity. They placed a jellyfish on a platform and pulled the platform out from underneath the animal once it had gone into a quiescent state. Instead of swimming to the bottom of the tank right away, the jellyfish floated in the water for up to five seconds before becoming alert.

In order to demonstrate the jellyfish had an increased sleep drive when deprived of sleep, researchers pulsed water at the animals for 20 minutes to keep them awake. As a result, the jellyfish were more likely to fall into the quiescent state during daytime hours when they would normally be active.

While the study proves that jellyfish exhibit sleep behavior, the underlying sleep mechanisms remain a mystery. The study is published in the online journal <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Even jellyfish sleep, proving it is a primitive ancient behavior

Cassiopea is an ancient jellyfish that has no brain or...

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

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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

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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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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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