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...

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-mirror-owners-emotions/">emotions</a> of oneself and others. Self-awareness is a critical step in achieving this level of intellect. When you recognize your own emotions and how they affect your thoughts and behavior, you become more aware of the same emotional cues in others. Emerging research has taken this idea to a new level, and finds that tuning into your own body may allow you to read other people’s minds.

Punit Shah is a professor of psychology at <a href="http://www.anglia.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a> who led the study. The main goal of the project was to determine if concentrating on oneself helps to better interpret what someone else is feeling. Shah suggested that when people notice their own heartbeat, it makes them more aware of the emotional states of others.

“If a male colleague is aggressive towards a woman on public transport, your body processes this by increasing your heart rate, perhaps making you feel awkward and anxious, enabling you to understand she is embarrassed. If you do not feel your heart rate increase, it may reduce your ability to understand that situation and respond appropriately,” explained Shah.

The research team asked participants of the study to focus on their heartbeats, and count their pulses without the use of equipment. Their level of accuracy was noted. Next, the individuals were shown short films of social interactions during which they were asked a series of questions. Some of the questions were pertaining to the thoughts and feelings of the characters, while others were irrelevant questions about the weather and backdrop.

The results of the study showed that the individuals who were more conscious of their heart rate seemed to also have a heightened state of perception. Those participants who most accurately reported their heart rate expressed much more insight in their responses regarding the emotions and feelings of the characters. The conclusion of this study suggests that teaching people to recognize their heart patterns may have some incredible benefits, such as helping people learn to deal with emotional problems.

“This may have a beneficial impact on daily functioning, where an improved ability to interpret the internal states of oneself and others could result in more accurate mind reading and improve someone’s social interactions and overall quality of life,” said Shah.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.anglia.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a>

Can heightened self-awareness help you read minds?

Emotional intelligence is the ability to identify the emotions of...

Sometimes, all it takes to be happy is a solid case of emotional exhaustion, a new study says. 

Research by the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia </a>(UEA) suggests that the process of dealing with emotional exhaustion can sometimes increase <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-bees-emotions-good-food-makes-happy/">happiness</a>.

It’s the activity of searching for advice, support or information from others - that boosts happiness, according to the research.

The study examined the role of work supervisors in providing supportiveness, caring and appreciation for the efforts of an exhausted employee.

"It is important to note that it is not emotional exhaustion per se, but rather how people cope with it, that is beneficial for individuals,” said Carlos Ferreira Peralta of UEA's <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/norwich-business-school">Norwich Business School</a>. “Our findings suggest that the activities people engage in have a key role in building happiness from an internally stressful experience and that emotional exhaustion can have a silver lining."

 Employees who perceived that their supervisor is not supportive stimulated them to develop an action plan to searching for advice, support or information from others. It was these efforts that boosted happiness, the study said.

This is believed to be the first study to investigate how the connection between emotional exhaustion and happiness. Previous studies have highlighted the harmful consequences of emotional exhaustion, such as poorer performance and depression, and that supervisor support can prevent emotional exhaustion.

“This research contributes to a greater understanding of whether benefits can be gained by individuals as they cope with emotional exhaustion,” Peralta said.

The findings are published in the journal <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/toc/twst20/current">Work &amp; Stress</a>

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>

New study shows how emotional exhaustion can lead to happiness

Sometimes, all it takes to be happy is a solid...

Fishing for “likes” on social media could indicate low self esteem, a new preliminary study says.

Also, likes don’t make people feel better about themselves or improve their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-mental-health-issues/">mood</a> if they are down, said the study, led by Dr Martin Graff from <a href="http://www.southwales.ac.uk/">University of South Wales</a>. 

Questionnaires provided to 340 participants on Twitter and Facebook asked them to say how much they agreed or disagreed with statements such as “'the attention I get from social media makes me feel good” or “I consider someone popular based on the amount of likes they get.”.

Participants who said they went out of their way to get more likes such as asking others or paying, were more likely to have low self-esteem and be less trusting, the study found. The same was true of those who admitted deleting posts or choosing their profile based on the number of likes it received.

 "The proliferation of social media use has led to general concerns about the effects on our mental health,” Graff said. “Although this is just a relatively small-scale study the results indicate that the ways we interact with social media can affect how we feel and not always positively."

The study is scheduled to be presented at the British Psychological Society's Annual Conference in Brighton, United Kingdom. 

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www1.bps.org.uk/">British Psychological Society</a>

Social media likes won’t actually make you happier, study finds

Fishing for “likes” on social media could indicate low self...

People who have a good memory grow tired of experiences faster, according to a new study which could help companies that market products to consumers.

"People with larger working memory capacities actually encode information more deeply," said Noelle Nelson, lead author of the <a href="https://www.ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a> study published in the <a href="http://www.ejcr.org/">Journal of Consumer Research</a>. "They remember more details about the things they've experienced, and that leads them to feel like they've had it more. That feeling then leads to the large-capacity people getting tired of experiences faster."

The study provides a window into how memory could be the key to becoming satiated, especially on products or habits they hope to quit, such as eating unhealthy foods, the study said.

"Our findings suggest that if they can enhance their memory for the other times they've eaten these foods, they may feel satiated and then not seek out those unhealthy things," said Nelson, an assistant professor of marketing and consumer behavior 

Nelson and coauthor Joseph Redden, associate professor of marketing at the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a>, conducted four experiments with undergraduates They measured students’ working memory capacities in different ways, such as how well they could remember a string of letters.

Then participants then performed a task where they would eventually become tired of what they experienced, like viewing paintings or listening to music.

Marketers might be able this type of research to craft strategies on ways to keep people interested longer.

"For example, introducing new products or having distractions in ads might help break up the satiation process because they disrupt memory," Nelson said.

The researchers didn't specifically study overeating or unhealthy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/14-billion-dollars-edible-foods-trashed/">foods</a>, but the findings should extend to those types of experiences, she added.

"Because a big part of overeating is psychological, a psychological solution such as memory processes, could help people control their eating," Nelson said. "Consumers might be able to satiate more quickly by simply recalling the last several times they ate."

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a>

Study: People with good memory get bored sooner

People who have a good memory grow tired of experiences...

Recently, earthquakes in certain areas of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oklahoma-earthquakes-drop-off/">Oklahoma</a> have been on the rise. Many experts believe that most Oklahoma earthquakes since 2009 have been caused by wastewater produced by oil and gas drilling that has been injected back into the ground.

The magnitude 5.8 earthquake that struck Oklahoma was felt widely across the state, and is believed to have been caused by variation in the rate of wastewater injection in disposal wells. A new report published in <a href="http://srl.geoscienceworld.org/">Seismological Research Letters</a> details this occurrence.

The Pawnee earthquake occurred in an area with active wastewater disposal wells, and was the largest earthquake recorded in the state since the 1950s. Andrew Barbour of the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> and colleagues analyzed injection data from nearby disposal wells in Osage County, finding a significant increase in injection rates in the years leading up to the Pawnee earthquake.

Data sets showed that some wells were injected with wastewater at a constant rate, while others varied the rate over time. The researchers found that the overall injected volume was about the same between these two types of wells.

However, the research team modeled different injection rates and discovered that the variable-rate wells were likely the most influential towards causing the earthquake. They report that “long-term injection may have been responsible for a gradual loading of the fault to the point where it primed the fault for failure triggered by the short-term high-rate injection...”

The team also believes that even if the variable injection rates weren’t used, it’s likely that the fault still would have failed, just at a much later time.

As the debate over fracking and oil and gas drilling continues to gain traction, studies such as this are increasingly pointing out the dangers of these practices. Besides potentially causing earthquakes, the groundwater contamination that is occurring across the country due to these resource extraction methods are causing major problems as well. Exposure of these problems will hopefully lead to some of these methods being improved or eradicated if they continue to put the public in harm’s way.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.seismosoc.org/">Seismological Society of America</a>

Oklahoma earthquake may have been caused by wastewater injection

Recently, earthquakes in certain areas of Oklahoma have been on...

Physical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunter-gatherers/">exercise</a> and training lead to aerobic endurance, which is the ability to exercise for long periods of time. The health benefits that result from this superior physical condition include strengthening of the heart and lungs and lower blood pressure. For people with limited mobility or other health restrictions, this level of fitness seems unattainable. However, a new study reveals that there is a chemical compound that may be capable of offering the benefits of physical exercise in the form of a pill.

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute</a> previously found a gene pathway triggered by running. Through a process of genetic engineering, scientists permanently activated the gene, known as PPAR delta, in some mice. The result was physically fit mice that could run long distances and were highly responsive to insulin. The mice were also unsusceptible to weight gain. 

The team then discovered that a chemical compound known as GW1516, or GW, was able to activate the PPAR delta in normal mice, making them resistant to weight loss and highly responsive to insulin. However, the GW did not instantly turn these mice into long-distance runners because it had no effect on their aerobic endurance.  

In a more recent study, the researchers gave normal mice a higher dose of GW for twice the length of time. The aerobic stamina of these mice changed significantly, as they were able to run 70 percent longer than the mice in the control group. 

Researchers found that the molecular changes in the mice had impacted 975 genes. Those genes related to breaking down carbohydrates for energy ceased to function. The genes that became more expressed were responsible for breaking down and burning fat. Therefore, the PPARD pathway prevented sugar from being used as an energy source in muscle during exercise. The fat-burning process, which usually takes a lot longer to activate, was used instead.

The mice did not display the physiological changes that are usually seen with aerobic fitness. This proves that these type of biological changes are not the only way to achieve aerobic endurance. This level of physical fitness can be achieved by chemically activating a genetic pathway. 

First author of the study Weiwei Fan said, “Exercise activates PPARD, but we're showing that you can do the same thing without mechanical training. It means you can improve endurance to the equivalent level as someone in training, without all of the physical effort.”

The study, published in Cell Metabolism, will likely be used to develop clinical tests for humans. A prescription drug based on the chemical compound GW could help fight serious health risks such as obesity and diabetes. The pill would have the ability to stimulate the fat burning process in those who are incapable of physical exercise, giving them immeasurable health benefits. 

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="http://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute</a>

Major breakthrough may lead to exercise in the form of a pill

Physical exercise and training lead to aerobic endurance, which is...

A new study could help athletes avoid “hitting the wall” when they feel like they can no longer move and brains and body seem to no longer be aren’t communicating.

The condition occurs when the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-creates-illusions/">brain</a> can no longer get enough glucose, according to the study published in <a href="http://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>

“At that point, you're toast," says co-corresponding author Ronald Evans, a <a href="http://www.hhmi.org/">Howard Hughes Medical Institute</a> investigator and director of the <a href="http://www.salk.edu/scientist/ronald-evans/">Gene Expression Laboratory</a> at the <a href="http://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute</a>. 

Progressive training reprograms muscle to burn less glucose,  preserving it as an energy source for the brain, the study said. While muscle can use either fat or glucose as its energy source,  the brain relies solely on glucose.

Training may not be the only solution, the study found. Using a small  molecule to stimulate a pathway that was already known to be activated by training, could also do the trick.

Research over the past two decades from Evans and the study's co-corresponding author, Michael Downes, a senior staff scientist in the lab, has focused on a transcription factor called PPARδ, which activates pathways involved when athletes train to increase their endurance. In the study, the researchers demonstrate that molecularly activating PPARδ  can also increase endurance.

In the first set of experiments with mice, the researchers genetically knocked out PPARδ in the muscles of mice.

 "When we did this and then ran those animals on a treadmill, we found that the genes that are normally induced by exercise failed to be induced," Downes says. "This indicates that PPARδ plays a central role in exercise, and that it's an important molecular switch gating energy entry into the muscle."

In the second part of the research, the scientists used a small-molecule drug to activate PPARδ in the muscles of sedentary mice. They found that the drug not only increased fat oxidation in muscle, but it also forestalled the effects of hypoglycemia, or loss of blood glucose, on the brain.

Mice who had been given the drug were able to increase the length of time they could run before "hitting the wall"--from 160 to 270 minutes--despite having no training to improve their endurance.

The discovery could lead to new therapies not just for athletes but for those unable to exercise because of health problems.

"Exercise is valuable for many different kinds of problems," Evans says. "With this research, you can begin to think about how a therapeutic that confers the advantages of fitness could help people gain health benefits. The greater potential is essentially unlimited."

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>

New findings could help athletes avoid “hitting the wall”

A new study could help athletes avoid “hitting the wall”...

We don’t often think of our liver as having much control over our dietary wants and needs, but that just may be the case, according to a new study out of Denmark.

Researchers from the <a href="http://metabol.ku.dk/">Novo Norisk Foundation Center for Basic Metabolic Research</a> at the <a href="http://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> have published data that reveals new information about the role of the liver in controlling what we eat. Led by Matthew Gillum and Niels Grarup – assistant professors of biological science and metabolic genetics respectively – the research team found that a specific hormone is secreted by the liver after an individual indulges in sweets. This hormone may play a role in determining who has a sweet tooth and who doesn’t.

The hormone is called FGF21, and the scientists found that individuals with certain variants of FGF21 were about 20% more likely to be the most avid consumers of sweets and candy. “The data, mined from a study of the lifestyles and metabolic health of 6,500 Danish individuals, is a really surprising insight into the potential hormonal basis of the sweet tooth,” says Gillum.

The researchers also believe that the liver could secrete additional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animal-brains-seasonal-change/">hormones</a> that influence our food choices on a broader spectrum. “How do we decide what and how much to eat? Maybe satiety consists of different pathways that control different types of nutrients,” Gillum wonders. “This study has opened my mind to how this regulatory system might work.”

Back in 2015, Gillum and collaborators at the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> discovered the role of FGF21 from the liver in regulating sweet intake in rodents. Another study around the same time found that FGF21 suppressed sweet intake in primates. However, at that point no research had been done on the role of this hormone in the sweet tooth of humans.

In order to study this in human subjects, Gillum and Grarup performed a clinical study that analyzed the levels of FGF21 in the blood of volunteers in response to sugar intake. They found that individuals who disliked sweets had 50% higher base FGF21 blood levels than those with a strong sweet tooth. However, after ingesting a sugary drink both groups had about the same hormone blood levels.

The researchers also found an association between the FGF21 variants and increased alcohol intake and smoking, but further research needs to be performed to confirm this.

Gillum and Grarup would also like to perform a much larger study of human subjects in order to collect more data on the rise and fall of the FGF21 hormone in humans and possibly shed light on how the hormone differs across individuals. An advanced study may allow them to find more gene variants and possibly determine a connection between FGF21 levels and metabolic conditions such as type II diabetes and obesity.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a>

Your liver may be the reason you’ve got such a sweet tooth

We don’t often think of our liver as having much...

The realities of climate change are usually daunting to think about and exhausting to truly comprehend. From increased severe weather patterns to decreased water supply and acidic oceans, it’s tough to keep track of every negative associated with the changing climate. So here’s one more to add to the list: significantly smaller crop yields from our food supply. Climate change will likely bring on more droughts and leave many of our crops starving for water. Therefore, it is important that scientists work to develop climate-resilient crops that can withstand these poor conditions – especially for our major crops.

The current and future increases in climate variability have researchers searching for resilient wheat varieties that can still produce high yields in non-ideal soil and weather. The market for healthier foods is also growing, creating an expanded demand for nutritionally-improved wheat varieties as well.

A recently published paper in the journal <a href="https://dl.sciencesocieties.org/publications/cs">Crop Science</a> analyzes the connections between wheat plants and a type of carbohydrates called fructans. Fructans are found in a number of plants, and play important physiological roles in both plants and humans.

In plants, fructans increase tolerance for environmental stresses such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-study-man-made-fires-drought/">drought</a>, cold temperatures, and salinity – all of which are associated with climate change. Furthermore, consumption of fructans by humans is believed to improve gut health.

Despite their importance, the utility of fructans as a breeding target for different wheat varieties has yet to be examined. This new study draws upon the current state of knowledge about fructans in wheat and their connection to human health, leading to a suggestion of potential breeding methodologies and goals for the future.

Moving forward, the push to breed wheat for increased fructans will help develop more climate-resilient varieties that will also have increased nutritional value, a win-win for anyone who wants good food and more of it.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.agronomy.org/">American Society of Agronomy</a>

Image Credit: Mark Sorrells

As climate change looms, climate-resilient wheat varieties bloom

The realities of climate change are usually daunting to think...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/brain-creates-illusions/">brain</a> has a network that measures the risk versus the reward of decisions, and a network which determines the behavior that results. Most decisions are made by assessing what is appropriate or acceptable. A new study published in Nature Neuroscience reveals that most people are disinclined to harm others for financial gain. The brain is more excited by money that results from moral actions.

Lead author Dr. Molly Crockett of the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> carried out the research for the project at the UCL Wellcome Centre for Neuroimaging. "When we make decisions, a network of brain regions calculates how valuable our options are," explained Dr. Crockett. "Ill-gotten gains evoke weaker responses in this network, which may explain why most people would rather not profit from harming others. Our results suggest the money just isn't as appealing."

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> had previously analyzed whether people are more willing to harm themselves or others. Based on the same idea, volunteers were offered money to harm someone else. 28 pairs of participants were assigned the roles of “decider” and “receiver.” The brains of the deciders were monitored with fMRI scanners while they decided what amount of money was worth shocking themselves or their partners.

A network of the brain that includes the striatum, a key structure in responding to various situations, was activated as the volunteers made their decisions. While they measured the monetary reward versus the number of shocks that would result, this region signaled the overall value of each of the options. 

The lateral prefrontal cortex, a region of the brain involved in ethical judgement and behavior control, became very active when the shocks were to pay out minimal financial reward. The lateral prefrontal cortex was in communication with the striatum when the participants chose not to inflict harm for money. This indicated that this region of the brain assessed blame. The result was that moral judgement prevailed, as the value of money established by the striatum was disrupted when illicit behavior was called for. 

“Our findings suggest the brain internalizes the moral judgments of others, simulating how much others might blame us for potential wrongdoing, even when we know our actions are anonymous," Dr Crockett said.

Senior author Ray Dolan added, "What we have shown here is how values that guide our decisions respond flexibly to moral consequences. An important goal for future research is understanding when and how this circuitry is disturbed in contexts such as antisocial behavior." 

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>

The brain values money more when it is made ethically

The brain has a network that measures the risk versus...

When your <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-miniature-brains-cure/">brain</a> processes information it could just be creating a hallucination, a new study says.

In order make more accurate predictions, brains modify their internal models of the world or force our bodies to move, so that the external environment comes in line with predictions, according to  the study by professors at <a href="http://www.uni-mainz.de/eng/">Johannes Gutenberg University</a> in Germany.

One of the keys to so-called “predictive processing” is that it sets out to challenge our intuitive feeling that our brains passively receive information (via our senses) and create perceptions of what is actually out there – the so-called bottom up approach.

Predictive processing argues that perception, action and cognition are the outcome of computations in the brain involving both bottom-up and top-down processing – in which prior knowledge about the world and our own cognitive and emotional state influence perception, <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2129208-addicted-to-love-craving-comes-in-two-forms-and-both-can-hurt/">New Scientist</a> reports.

“The takeaway here is this wild thought: we are always hallucinating,” the publication said.

The idea of top-down processing is not new, but “dominant theories of perception have for a long time marginalized” its role, the study said.

The novel contribution of predictive processing, according to the new study, is that it emphasizes the importance of top-down processing and prior knowledge as a feature of perception, one which is present all the time – not only when sensory input is noisy or ambiguous, New Scientists said.

“If you do get through enough of the papers to understand the computational principles behind predictive processing then, you get closer to understanding why “it is only a small step towards describing processing in the brain as a controlled online hallucination’”, the story said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2129208-addicted-to-love-craving-comes-in-two-forms-and-both-can-hurt/">New Scientist</a>

This is how your brain creates illusions

When your brain processes information it could just be creating...

What could a sea level rise of 10 or 12 feet look like? Well, it doesn’t look good.

The <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> is preparing for just such a scenario, and it has the documentation to prove it. Now, the website <a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/">Climate Central</a> has turned that data into maps and photos that show just how devastating the rising seas could be.

In January, NOAA released its “Global and Regional Sea Level Rise Scenarios for the United States,” and things look bleak.

In the worst case scenario based on decades of sea level data, San Francisco, New York and the Florida Keys could be battling regular extreme flooding events by 2100 – a little over 80 years from now. 

“The impacts of this rise would be devastating. For instance, these levels would mostly or completely inundate Kitty Hawk and Cape Canaveral; MIT and the U.S. Naval Academy; JFK and SFO [airports]; and the Jefferson Memorial and Mar-a-Lago. More than 99 percent of today’s population in 252 coastal towns and cities would have their homes submerged,” said Climate Central, an independent organization of climate scientists and science journalists.

The NOAA report predicts an average sea level rise of 10 to 12 feet along the coastal U.S. by 2100. Coastal regions higher above the current sea level and with a steeper rise away from the sea will be less affected than low-lying areas. 

Using NOAA's report, Climate Central has created a series of stunning and devastating maps of just what that might look like.

“These findings all reflect local sea level projections through 2100. However, under the extreme scenario, the sea would not stop rising that year. Rather, it would continue to add more than 1.5 feet per decade, and exceed 30 feet by 2200 for all coastal states except Alaska, where some locations might see 5 to 10 feet less,” the site states.

The doom-and-gloom look at the possible results of extreme flooding includes a few bright spots. There is still work that can be done to prevent some of the worst scenarios from coming to pass, even if current climate trends continue.

For example, the Florida Keys could build a seawall based on historic data that could provide some protection from storm surges for decades, the NOAA document noted. Cutting global carbon emissions could drastically slow the sea level rise, Climate Central said. 

“The extreme scenario is considered unlikely, but it is plausible. NOAA’s report and Antarctic research suggest that deep and rapid cuts to heat-trapping pollution would greatly reduce its chances,” Climate Central said.

<a href="http://www.climatecentral.org/news/extreme-sea-level-rise-stakes-for-america-21387">Click here to view Climate Central’s maps</a> and lists of potentially affected cities.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientific group releases maps of potential sea level rise

What could a sea level rise of 10 or 12...

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