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Dark, finger‑like marks slide down countless Martian cliffs each year. These stripes have prompted decades of speculation about water still trickling across the Red Planet.



A new analysis of 500,000 of these features shows that they form through avalanches of dry dust, report <a href="https://www.csh.unibe.ch/about_us/people/csh__bernoulli_fellows/dr_bickel_valentin/index_eng.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Valentin Tertius Bickel</a> of the <a href="https://www.unibe.ch/index_eng.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bern</a> and <a href="https://deeps.brown.edu/people/postdocs-researchers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Adomas Valantinas</a> of <a href="https://www.brown.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Brown University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-martian-stripes-matter">Why the Martian stripes matter</h2>



For almost 50 years, scientists have puzzled over the dusky streaks that run hundreds to thousands of feet down Martian slopes before slowly fading. Their shorter‑lived cousins, <a href="https://www.lpl.arizona.edu/~shane/publications/mcewen_etal_natgeo_2014.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">recurring slope lineae (RSL)</a>, appear seasonally and were once thought to be briny trickles that might shelter microbes.



If <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wave-ripples-discovered-mars-surface-indicate-liquid-water-present-4-billion-years-ago/">liquid water</a> were involved, these sites would demand strict planetary‑protection rules and might even hint at present‑day habitability. Proving the absence of water, therefore, reshapes exploration priorities and eases contamination worries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-building-a-map-of-dust-based-stripes">Building a map of dust‑based stripes</h2>



Bickel and Valantinas trained a deep‑learning model on images from the <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter</a> and scanned 86,000 photographs, thus assembling the first global catalog of half a million Martian stripes. 



The map shows that streaks cover less than 0.1 percent of Mars’ surface, yet shuffle enough dust each Martian year to rival several planet‑wide storms.



Most stripes cluster between 40 degrees north and 20 degrees south, in the dustiest lowlands where reflectance is high and grain size is tiny. Bright, older streaks outnumber fresh dark ones by roughly 37 to 1, revealing a surface that is still reworked long after volcanic and fluvial eras ended.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wind-impacts-and-avalanches">Wind, impacts, and avalanches</h2>



The study found no link between Martian stripes and humidity, <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasa-is-locating-ice-on-mars-with-this-new-map/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subsurface ice</a>, or temperatures that ever rise above the freezing point. Instead, stripe density rises sharply in areas with above‑average wind speeds and fresh impact craters, suggesting that blasts and gusts dislodge blankets of ultra‑fine dust.



“Once we had this global map, we could compare it to databases of temperature, wind speed, and rock‑slide activity. Then we could look for correlations over hundreds of thousands of cases,” said Bickel.



High‑resolution images catch some streaks cascading minutes after nearby meteorites land, while others follow seasonal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-storms-can-engulf-the-entire-planet-of-mars-but-how/">dust deposition</a> peaks tracked by orbital weather <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0019103524001210" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">models</a>. 



Laboratory experiments with micron‑scale grains show that such powders can flow like a liquid under Mars’ weak gravity, giving the stripes smooth outlines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-investigations-of-martian-stripes">Future investigations of Martian stripes </h2>



Because the streaks are dry, rovers and landers can safely approach them without risking forward contamination of a hidden oasis. The dusty gullies also provide natural “core samples” of surface coatings, which offer clues to recent climate cycles without the need for drilling.



Planetary‑protection officers may reroute planned missions away from suspected wet spots and toward subsurface ice, where astrobiological potential remains stronger. 



For human explorers, the result underscores that liquid water is still locked in ice or vapor, simplifying landing‑site selection but highlighting the need for in‑situ resource extraction.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dust-stripes-and-climate-dynamics">Dust stripes and climate dynamics</h2>



The dust shifted by Martian stripes isn’t just a cosmetic feature, it’s part of a much larger atmospheric loop. Each Martian year, flowing stripes displace enough <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-could-threaten-the-health-of-future-astronauts-on-mars/">dust</a> to rival multiple global dust storms, suggesting that they play a bigger role in regulating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-ridges-on-mars-hint-at-an-unexpected-past/">Mars</a>’ thin, dusty air than previously thought.



This ongoing redistribution could influence seasonal temperature patterns, surface reflectivity, and even the strength of regional wind systems. Researchers haven’t yet observed the dust entering the atmosphere during a stripe’s formation, but models suggest this movement contributes significantly to the surface-atmosphere dust exchange budget.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-martian-dust-stripes-flows-like-a-fluid">Martian dust stripes flows like a fluid</h2>



The motion of Martian slope stripes mimics the behavior of liquids, even though they consist of dry dust. Laboratory studies on granular materials show that fine particles can flow downhill in dense, smooth waves, especially in low-gravity environments like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/detecting-life-on-mars-a-breakthrough-in-space-research/">Mars</a>.



On Earth, this kind of granular flow is seen in slow-moving avalanches or the collapse of powdery hills. 



On Mars, it may explain why slope stripes form without leaving behind visible dust clouds. The dust might move in tightly packed sheets, held together by electrostatic forces and grain-to-grain interactions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-unanswered-questions">The unanswered questions</h2>



Researchers still debate why <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/2016JE005012" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RSL</a> favor sun‑facing southern highlands while most Martian stripes sit in northern lowlands. They question whether this is related to different grain sizes or bedrock textures. 



Dust‑devil tracks often skirt stripe fields but rarely overlap, raising puzzles about the effects of localized wind turbulence and static charging.



Future high‑cadence imaging could reveal exactly how fast each stripe forms, whether seconds or hours, and whether Marsquakes ever help kick‑start an avalanche. 



For now, the Red Planet’s famous stripes turn out to be the work of wind and impacts, not water, deepening our understanding of a world that remains strikingly dry.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-59395-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>. Image credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / University of Arizona.



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New analysis offers alternative theories on the mysterious 'Martian stripes'

Dark, finger‑like marks slide down countless Martian cliffs each year. These stripes have prompted decades of speculation about water still trickling across the Red Planet. A new analysis of 500,000 of these features shows that they form through avalanches of dry dust, report Valentin Tertius Bickel of the University of Bern and Adomas Valantinas of Brown University. Why the Martian stripes matter For almost 50 years, scientists have puzzled over the dusky streaks that run hundreds to thousands of feet down Martian slopes before slowly fading. Their...

Two years ago, the former prime minister of Oslo urged drivers in the city to purchase diesel cars because they emit less carbon dioxide. On Tuesday, the city council will ban <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/four-major-cities-diesel-ban/">diesel-fueled vehicles</a> from Oslo’s streets for 48 hours in an attempt to cut down on <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/a-decade-of-change-for-nitrogen-dioxide/">nitrogen dioxide</a>, another harmful gas.

While some cities like Paris have implemented occasional driving bans in order to combat smog, the Oslo ban is different in that it only targets vehicles that run on diesel. This has many drivers upset, taking to the internet to voice their displeasure and ask politicians to make up their minds. 

Mazyar Keshvari from Oslo’s populist right Progress Party thinks citizens have a right to be angry after they were encouraged to ditch their gasoline-guzzlers for diesel-fueled cars. He calls the government’s push towards diesel vehicles a “swindle of Norwegian motorists” in an interview with TV2. 

Other politicians disagree. Lan Marie Nguyen Berg, a city councillor in Greens, reminds citizens that the ban works to protect those with respiratory problems that are aggravated by CO2. This is a particular concern for small children and the elderly. These concerns aren’t unfounded: the<a href="https://www.fhi.no/en/"> Norwegian Institute of Public Health</a> reports that in Oslo, 185 people die prematurely each year due to health issues caused by air pollution. 

Despite the controversy, the ban has generated multi-party support. In 2016, a city council made up of Greens and Labour party members laid the framework for the ban. Response from citizens hasn’t been completely negative. One man took to the Facebook page of Verdens Gang, a Norwegian newspaper, to voice his support for a permanent ban on all diesel vehicles in large cities.

--

By Dawn H., Earth.com Staff Writer

Two-day ban leaves Oslo diesel drivers fuming

Two years ago, the former prime minister of Oslo urged...

Our early North American ancestors were incredibly hardcore. They found their way across the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/sea-ice-in-the-bering-strait/">Bering Strait</a> and started life on a brand new continent. And now, scientists believe they did it 10,000 years earlier than they previously thought. 

Until recently, researchers believed that early humans settled in North America sometime around 14,000 Before Present (BP). New evidence suggests that our North American ancestors may have arrived even sooner. Evidence gathered from early archeological sites now places humans in North America as early as 24,000 BP. This was around the time of the Last Glacial Maximum, also known as the last ice age. 

To arrive at these numbers, scientists studied artifacts from the Bluefish Caves. This ancient archeological site is located next to the Bluefish River in Alaska. It was first excavated by Jacques Cinq-Mars, an archeologist who worked at the site between 1977 and 1987. He initially hypothesized that humans first settled the area as early as 30,000 BP – a claim that generated much controversy in scientific circles. 

Enter researchers Ariane Burke and Lauriane Bourgeon. Burke, a professor at the<a href="http://www.umontreal.ca/english/"> Université de Montréal</a> and Bourgeon, her student, analyzed bone fragments found at the site. The bones showed evidence of human activity. For instance, a preserved piece of a horse mandible revealed that someone had used a stone tool to remove the tongue.

When the scientists used radiocarbon dating to determine how old the bones were, results revealed that they originated between 23,000 and 24,000 cal BP (calibrated years Before Present). This means that the Bluefish Caves are “the earliest known site of human settlement in Canada,” says Burke. 

The area in which the Bluefish Caves are located is known as Berengia. It spans from the Mackenzie River in the Northwest Territories all the way to Russia’s Lena River. Burke says that the people who once populated the area were isolated from “glaciers and steppes too inhospitable for human occupation to the West.” 

This allowed them to survive and eventually populate the entire continent all the way down to South America.

North American ancestors arrived sooner than originally thought

Our early North American ancestors were incredibly hardcore. They found...

The philosophy behind an eco-tourist resort is all in the name. This style of tourism focuses on environmental awareness and an appreciation of nature. It’s surprising, then, that ecotourism is one of the biggest threats to a spectacular national park in Montenegro.

Every year, environmentally-minded adventurists flock to Montenegro. It’s an increasingly popular vacation hotspot, with 1.5 visitors in 2016 alone. Eager to take advantage of the growing industry, developers have started building resorts – much to the chagrin of locals and activists who seek to protect Montenegro’s flora and fauna. 

One of the latest projects to get environmentalists up in arms is Port Skadar Lake, a 600-guest "eco-tourist resort” to be constructed in<a href="http://www.visit-montenegro.com/tourism/national-parks/lake-skadar/"> Lake Skadar National Park</a>. The government has already granted approval for the project, which broke ground last month. Developers expect the resort to be finished in 2019. 

The problem? Lake Skadar is home to a diverse population of waterbirds – over 280 species. It’s also populated by 50 different species of fish that are exclusive to its waters. The lake is currently listed as under high threat by <a href="http://datazone.birdlife.org/site/factsheet/lake-skadar-iba-montenegro">Birdlife International</a>. 

Until recently, Lake Skadar wildlife has gone largely undisturbed. The only development nearby – the Kom monastery on the tiny island of Odrinska gora – has been there since the 14th century. Activists point out that any disruption caused by meditating monks moving about the lake pales in comparison to a resort with 30 villas and a marina. 

Protesters have set up events and took to the internet to stop the resort, generating support with a petition on<a href="https://www.change.org/p/government-of-montenegro-save-skadar-lake-last-european-wilderness"> change.org</a>, a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/saveskadarlake/">Save Skadar</a> page on Facebook, and a<a href="https://twitter.com/SaveSkadarLake"> Twitter </a>account. Despite the protests, construction has begun and environmentalists worry that this is only the beginning of the destruction of this beloved lake. Despite its name, they insist that many forms of supposedly environmentally conscious eco-tourism are anything but.

Eco-tourist resort rips up a national park in Montenegro

The philosophy behind an eco-tourist resort is all in the name....

NuScale Power wants small-scale nuclear reactors to be part of the planet’s future energy portfolio. To that end, they’ve submitted designs for a small modular reactor to the <a href="https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/advanced/nuscale.html">U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission</a>.

Bonus: No meltdowns. At least, that’s what the small size is supposed to ensure.

The design <a href="http://www.nuscalepower.com/">NuScale Power</a> submitted is for a small modular reactor, or SMR, that can be factory-built and shipped to a destination for assembly.

On top of providing nuclear power, it can refine oil, desalinate saltwater, produce hydrogen, and more. The modular design means it can be built in a number of sizes and fit into existing power plant designs.

Each module is so small that the surface area is much larger compared to the volume than that ratio is in a traditional nuclear reactor. That design ensures heat can be siphoned off easily, and a meltdown is next to impossible.

Each of the SMRs produces about 50 megawatts of power, and they can be paired with other energy sources or put together in a “12-pack” to produce 600 mW, the company said.

The firm is the first to submit an SMR design to federal regulators. Because their design is the first, it may take some time – as long as 40 months – for it to wind its way through the approval process, if it’s approved at all.

NuScale Power has taken steps to make approval a slam-dunk, though.

The company invested more than $30 million in testing the SMR design, including building large-scale test facilities and a control room simulator so they could run through every scenario imaginable.

NuScale Power submitted more than 12,000 pages of technical and design information to the NRC to ensure regulators have everything they need to begin their review.

The SMR design has been in the works for nearly 20 years. The early research began at <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>, led by Dr. Jose Reyes, a physicist who co-founded the company and now serves as its chief technical officer.

If the NRC approves the design, NuScale has developed a teaming arrangement with the <a href="https://energy.gov/">U.S. Department of Energy</a>, the state of Utah, and <a href="https://www.energy-northwest.com/">Energy Northwest</a> to build the first <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/indian-point-3-nuclear-power-plant-shuts-down/">reactor</a> in Idaho.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

NuScale Power designs nuclear reactor that can't melt down

NuScale Power wants small-scale nuclear reactors to be part of...

Atmospheric scientists in Idaho are flying high with a new project. They’re hoping cloud seeding can increase <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/western-mountains-heavy-snowfall/">snowfall</a>.

For a little over two months, the team of scientists plans to release artificial ice nuclei such as silver iodide particles into clouds about 50 miles north of Boise.

They hope that the project (dubbed Seeded and Natural Orographic Wintertime Clouds – the Idaho Experiment, or SNOWIE) will add to data scientists are collecting worldwide on cloud seeding.

Cloud seeding is a type of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/black-carbon-aerosols-enhance-humidity-near-the-earths-surface/">weather modification</a> where substances are released into clouds, either from ground-based generators or from the air, to encourage cloud growth or precipitation like rain or snow.

Though cloud seeding has been used since the 1940s, there’s very little scientific data about the practice and whether or not it works.

"Scientists are still uncertain about cloud seeding for increasing precipitation, despite ongoing operations around the globe," Nicholas Anderson said in a <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=190748&amp;WT.mc_id=USNSF_51&amp;WT.mc_ev=click">press release</a>. "SNOWIE is the most comprehensive study to date on cloud seeding in winter."

Anderson is a program director at the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>, which is co-funding the SNOWIE project along with the <a href="https://www.idahopower.com/">Idaho Power Company</a>.

For SNOWIE, scientists aboard an Idaho Power aircraft are releasing silver iodide into the <a href="http://www.earth.com/cement-absorbs-co2-emissions-atmosphere/">atmosphere</a>. Another team of researchers on an NSF-funded turbo-prop plane are collecting data to help understand the effects. The project will run until March 17.

The scientists hope to gather data about whether or not cloud seeding measurably increases snowfall and cloud formation. If it does, this could allow <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/can-renewable-energy-fuel-africa/">hydroelectric</a> power companies like Idaho Power to seed for more snowfall high in the mountains need river headwaters.

"Improved information about cloud seeding, and winter precipitation in general, is especially important for water resources, such as those related to hydropower and for agriculture,” Anderson said.

—

SNOWIE includes researchers from the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a>, <a href="http://www.cu.edu/">University of Colorado</a>, the <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</a>, the <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/">National Center for Atmospheric Research</a>, and the <a href="http://www.cswr.org/">Center for Severe Weather Research</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Cloud seeding offers scientists high hopes for snow

Atmospheric scientists in Idaho are flying high with a new...

Want to make sure your pet pooch can keep up with your active lifestyle? The new Fitbark can help.

The health monitor is the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/awww-looks-just-like-dog/">doggy</a> version of the popular Fitbit, the wearable tech that keeps humans on the move.

“We're on a mission to get dogs and humans healthy together,” the <a href="https://www.fitbark.com/explore/">website devoted to the device</a> proclaims.

Fitbark is a bone-shaped clip-on for canine collars. It connects to a smartphone app, where owners can fill out information about their dogs for a better reading.

Then, the new Fitbark goes to work, monitoring your dog’s activity – through miles traveled and calories burned – and sleep patterns. It works with any mobile device that can connect to Bluetooth devices, as long as they’re running either iOS 8, Android 5, or above.

FitBark can be used with any dogs, according to the device’s creators.

“FitBark is so tiny that it won’t bother dogs of any size, including 3-pound Chihuahuas and 200-pound Leonbergers,” they wrote on their website.

It can even be used with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/non-profit-instagram-big-cats/">cats</a>, pigs, and other pets, but the app doesn’t provide baseline data for animals other than dogs, they said.

FitBark can also help to monitor some health conditions seen in dogs as they age, such as osteoarthritis.

The creators of FitBark are also using it to add to our understanding of dogs’ health. They’ve discovered some interesting trends in the data collected by dogs owners who have adopted the new FitBark tech.

For one, they learned that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/deal-puppy-talk/">puppies</a> only spend about 11 to 13 hours a day sleeping. Human babies, on the other hand, sleep an average 16 to 20 hours a day.

They found that Maltese dogs are more restless during fireworks, while beagles and golden retrievers tend to be calmer. They even found that 6 p.m. is the most popular time for people to walk their dogs, and Swiss dogs are the most active.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

New Fitbark promises to keep canines active

Want to make sure your pet pooch can keep up...

A new study offers an intriguing new possibility for the formation of life on planet Earth: ancient viruses infecting single-celled bacteria.

Scientists have known for a while that when a virus infects a cell, it reprograms it from its original function and turns it to replicating the virus. HIV, for example, turns white blood cells that help protect the body from infections into virus factories.

A group of scientists from the <a href="http://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California, Santa Barbara</a> found that this re-purposing of cells may go a lot farther, though.

In most cases, when a virus replicates enough copies, the cell ruptures and the copies are released to infect other cells. Sometimes, however, viruses can "bud" through the cell membrane, leaving cell structure intact. Scientists have theorized that in some of these cases, a virus could take control of the cell.

The researchers studies how viruses affect the bacteria Pseudomonas chlororaphis, which is used to protect against certain types of fungus in agriculture.

During infection, the virus created a special compartment within the cell. It broke down the bacteria’s DNA, then began rebuilding. That’s when it destroyed the cell's nucleus and assembled its own structure, similar to the nucleus in a plant or animal cell, the scientists said.

The new nucleus was radically different than anything that had been seen in bacteria before, the scientists said.

The research team spotted the new structure on a specialized microscope that allowed them to watch how the virus infected the bacteria as it happened. They used fluorescent markers on the viral proteins to keep track of them.

The study was the first to show that viruses can transform bacterial cells to look and act more like animal cells.

However, it supports a hypothesis with a name that’s a mouthful: “viral eukaryogenesis.” The idea is that complex, multi-cellular life grew out of interactions between ancient viruses and single-celled microbes like bacteria.

Scientists who support the hypothesis point to complex DNA viruses that infect single-celled organisms like amoebas. Ancient viruses that behaved in similar ways may have reprogrammed tiny microbes to behave more like plant and animal cells, according to the idea’s backers.

The study by the UC Santa Barbara researchers was published in the journal <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/355/6321/194">Science</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Did ancient viruses and bacteria spark complex life?

A new study offers an intriguing new possibility for the...

You may think you’ve been feeding puss perfectly with gourmet cat food twice a day – but scientists beg to differ and have outlined a new cat feeding schedule. The proper feeding schedule for your furry friend is actually closer to five bite-size meals a day, which more closely replicates how kitty dines in the wild.

Large meal sizes mean that our favorite pets are getting overweight and sluggish, and suffering from diseases like diabetes in their older years.

The new report suggests that:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Cats should be fed five times a day, which includes a night feed.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Dining on many small meals throughout the day stops cats from overeating.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Eating “little and often” replicates the way that cats naturally eat in the wild.</li>
</ul>
Chomping down on large-portioned meals means a cat overrides its inclination to stop eating when it feels full. As our feline companions are active after dark, scientists also suggest using timed feeders to assure cats get their energy after we go to bed. 

In addition to adopting the new cat feeding schedule the experts also suggested gamifying meal times to give the impression of a hunt. In the wild, cats can hunt for up to 12 hours a day. Without the stimulation of the hunt, cats become bored and frustrated, and engage in attention-seeking behaviours.

The scientists suggested creating “puzzle feeders” for the pets to help stimulate them mentally.

Puzzle feeders were the subject of a recent <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/loi/jfm">Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery</a> review. These nifty tools helped reduce feline stress, curbed weight loss, reduced aggressive behavior, and eliminated attention seeking. The same journal also advised to keep water bowls separate from food, as in the wild cats prefer to drink water far away from a food source. It is presumed that water near food is considered contaminated by the cats.

Feline behavior specialist Sarah Ellis said: “The way we feed our cats generally does not match the lifestyle they were designed for. Cats have undergone little in the way of selective breeding during the domestication process and therefore have an instinctive need to hunt. This modern lifestyle could be dangerous to pets, but by making a few simple changes to the way we feed them, we can help our cats to live longer, healthier and happier lives. The plan, based on scientific evidence, helps every cat owner mimic the conditions cats would usually contend with to get their food.”

This research and the subsequent cat feed plan was authored by Dr. Sarah Ellis and Dr. Lizzie Rowe for the charity <a href="http://www.icatcare.org/">International Cat Care</a>. You can read all their excellent tips for taking care of your nearest and dearest furry friend on their website. Follow this new cat feeding schedule and see your pussy prosper!

By Frances Levine/ Earth.com Editor-in-Chief

What's new pussycat? Science suggests new cat feeding schedule

You may think you’ve been feeding puss perfectly with gourmet...

The Asian shot hole borer has a name longer than it is. This tiny bug has a big appetite, though, and a new favorite food: avocado trees.

The little beetles are native to southeast Asia, but traveled to Los Angeles in 2003. More than a dozen years later, they’re expanding into other areas of Southern California.

Among those areas are the avocado tree orchards of Ventura County.

“Shot hole borers will bore into almost everything, including avocado trees, which is why they are getting a lot of attention,” graduate student Shelley Bennett said in a <a href="http://www.news.ucsb.edu/2017/017516/holy-guacamole">press release</a>. “But these beetles also affect many native tree species.”

Bennett works in the <a href="http://rivrlab.msi.ucsb.edu/">Riparian InVasion Research Laboratory</a> at the University of California, Santa Barbara. The lab studies invasive insect species, among other topics. One team has been tracking Asian shot hole borers in California.

The two species of shot hole borer seen in the state are tiny – usually less than a tenth of an inch. They have a big appetite, though.

Worse, both species of beetle carry a pathogenic fungus that causes a disease called Fusarium dieback.

For the beetles, the fungus is vital. It’s carried by pregnant females, who plant it beneath a tree’s bark before laying their eggs. The eggs hatch into larvae, which eat the fungus as they grow to adulthood.

Once they’re adults, each females collects some fungus of her own before heading out into the world.

But for trees that are susceptible to Fusarium dieback, the fungus that causes it is devastating. The disease affects the vascular systems of more than 130 tree species, cutting off the flow of nutrients that keep them alive.

Aside from the avocado trees, the beetle has been spotted in oak and sycamore trees in Santa Barbara County, and along the Santa Clara River which runs through parts of Southern California.

The spread of the invasive insects could lay waste to Southern California’s avocado groves, valued at more than $400 million.

Worse, they could cause damage to the state’s riparian habitats – natural areas along rivers that offer habitat for native animal and plant species.

The <a href="http://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a> researchers are working with scientists from the <a href="http://ucanr.edu/">UC Cooperative Extension</a>, the <a href="https://www.cdfa.ca.gov/">California Department of Food and Agriculture</a>, and other agencies to come up with a solution.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Tiny shot hole borers want our guacamole!

The Asian shot hole borer has a name longer than...

Western Antarctica has been rapidly losing ice over the past few decades, and the strong Antarctic ocean waves may be adding to the complex melting process, a new study claimed.

Over the past 50 years, western Antarctica has lost four ice shelves, with an area similar in size to the state of Massachusetts. It’s about to add a “Delaware” of ice to that amount.

A massive rift across the ice shelf Larsen C is <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-shelf-break-away/">poised to crack free</a>. The rift, which is more than 300 feet wide, has been quickly growing since August 2016. If it breaks away, it would create one of the largest icebergs on record. And when the iceberg calves, scientists worry it could cause the rest of the shelf to collapse.

Most scientists have blamed climate change for the ice loss. But it’s a little more complicated than just warmer air temperatures melting ice, according to the new study.

Scientists from <a href="http://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> have discovered that strong ocean waves are also having a profound effect on Antarctic ice loss. Those strong waves are linked to a cyclical climate pattern, they said.

The Southern Annular Mode is a variable climate cycle similar to the El Niño/La Niña events, more formally known as the Southern Oscillation. Essentially, the Southern Annular Mode is a pattern of shifting water and surface temperatures.

By studying “microseismic” data collected on the southern continent, the Colorado State researchers were able to track how the Southern Annular Mode strengthens ocean waves.

Those stronger waves and climate change-linked <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-antarctic-glaciers-retreat/">thinning of ice shelves</a> worked together to cause them to collapse, the scientists said.

They believe this interaction led to the disintegration of four ice shelves. It also likely played a role in the sudden and dramatic collapse of Larsen A, they said.

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016JF004098/abstract">Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface</a>. The <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> funded the research.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Antarctic ocean waves add to ice shelf collapse

Western Antarctica has been rapidly losing ice over the past...

A new<a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/international/en/"> Greenpeace</a> report finds that every single city in northern India has failed to meet international air quality standards. The study estimates that more than 1 million people die each year from India's air pollution. Poor air quality also takes 3% off the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).

While levels of the most dangerous airborne pollutants decreased by at least 15% in China, the U.S. and Europe from 2010 to 2015, the study finds that India’s air quality grew more toxic by 13% during that same period. 

According to data compiled for 2015 by state pollution control boards and under freedom of information laws, “there are virtually no places in India complying with<a href="http://www.who.int/en/"> World Health Organization</a> and national ambient air quality (NAAQ) standards, and most cities are critically polluted.”

“Except for a few places southern India which complied with NAAQ standards, the entire country is experiencing a public health crisis dude to high air pollution levels.”

Citing the Lancet’s <a href="http://thelancet.com/gbd">global burden of disease</a> study, the report finds that about 3,283 Indians die each day from exposure to outdoor air pollution, meaning deaths due to poor air quality amount to “only a fraction less than the number of deaths caused by tobacco usage.”

In the state of Uttar Pradesh, the level of PM10 (airborne pollutants like dust and mold) in all 20 cities observed were 100% higher than international limits. The report also found that the limit in Ghaziabad, an Uttar Pradesh city that borders the Indian capital Delhi, exceeded the limit by 400%.

Open fires, road dust, exhaust fumes from vehicles, industrial emissions, and the burning of crop residue are some of the primary factors contributing to India’s poor air quality. 

Delhi’s high court has taken action this week, prohibiting administrators in the northern agricultural state of Punjab to cease this year with their annual crop burning, which is responsible for sending huge clouds of smog across northern India. 

“We are of the view that the air quality of Delhi and nearby states is already deteriorating day by day and has attained alarming proportions,” the court said Thursday.

India's air pollution leads to public health crisis

A new Greenpeace report finds that every single city in...

Stop whatever you’re doing, and take a big, deep breath of air. If the oxygen you just inhaled is mostly free of smog and soot, you may have a 19th century building project – the Houses of Parliament – to thank. 

The construction of the building that houses the British government lasted from 1840 to 1870. During that three-decade period, it led to new clean air laws, according to research by Dr. Timothy Hyde, an architectural historian at the <a href="http://web.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a>.

While studying archival materials, Hyde came across documents showing that construction at the Houses of Parliament was hindered by heavy air pollution.

The air quality in London was notoriously bad at the height of the Industrial Revolution. "London fog" wasn't fog at all, but a heavy, wet smog. It got so bad that the pollution was eating away at the stones for the 19th century building project as they were laid, Hyde said.

The British government, desperate to save its new home base, launched scientific studies into the problem.

The reason they were so willing to stop and take another look at London’s industrialization?

“The rebuilding of the Houses of Parliament was the single most important architectural project in the 19th century in Great Britain, and was understood as such by the public and the protagonists,” Hyde said in a press release from MIT.

The government formed committees of experts to examine the problem, including a number of notable scientific minds. By 1846, the scientists had submitted a report about the dangers of smoke pollution – and not just to limestone buildings.

The committees also pulled existing research that had gone mostly unnoticed into the spotlight, such as studies of air quality in the city of Manchester.

The experts confirmed that too much sulfuric acid in the air could cause acid rain. They also showed that this rain was destroying the limestone used in construction of the Houses of Parliament.

Of course, research into the public health effects of the Industrial Revolution was already gaining ground, Hyde admitted. However, this new, high-profile evidence of pollution helped to boost those studies. It also raised legal questions about destruction of property.

That spurred the British government to create new laws limiting smoke from factories, along with other clean air regulations, he said.

Hyde used his research to create a chronological reconstruction of environmental science advances of the time period, and how the Houses of Parliament played a role. His work has been published in <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13602365.2016.1255988">The Journal of Architecture</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

How a 19th century building project helped clear the air

Stop whatever you’re doing, and take a big, deep breath...

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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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



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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"

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

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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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