Abuse or neglect in the preschool years appears to push a child’s internal clock forward while also steering their eyes away from the very cues that build trust. 



Two separate biological and social signals - faster cellular aging and reduced eye contact - foreshadow later struggles with emotions and behavior.



The evidence comes from the <a href="https://www.ugscd-osaka-u.ne.jp/en/">United Graduate School of Child Development</a>, a consortium of several leading Japanese universities specializing in child development research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-quiet-footprint-of-maltreatment">The quiet footprint of maltreatment</h2>



Long-term studies already link childhood maltreatment to heart disease, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seven-healthy-lifestyle-habits-that-prevent-depression/">depression</a>, and premature death, yet pinpointing the earliest biological shifts has been tricky. 



Many investigations lean on teenagers’ memories or on broad stress hormones that rise for many reasons.



The Japanese team aimed lower in age and deeper in detail, asking what happens inside the body and in live social behavior before a child enters grade school.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clocking-childhood-stress-in-cells">Clocking childhood stress in cells</h2>



Ninety-six four- and five-year-olds visited the university lab with a caregiver they trusted. Thirty-six of them suffered confirmed severe childhood maltreatment; the remaining sixty formed a comparison group.



Technicians took a painless cheek swab and measured DNA methylation patterns with the Pediatric-Buccal-Epigenetic clock - a method this group refined in earlier work. 



The algorithm converts chemical tags on genes into an “epigenetic age.” If that number outruns the child’s actual age, researchers infer that wear and tear has set in early.



The abused children’s cells looked markedly older, even after the analysts adjusted for sex, birth weight, and household income. 



Accelerated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/epigenetic-dna-clocks-predict-biological-age-more-accurately/">epigenetic clocks</a> in adults often foreshadow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-type-of-diabetes-type-5-is-now-officially-recognized-linked-to-nutritional-deficiencies/">diabetes</a>, stroke, and early mortality. Spotting the same pattern in four-year-olds suggests damage is already under way while most of the brain is still wiring itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-abused-children-miss-social-cues">Abused children miss social cues</h2>



Next came a social test. High-resolution eye-tracking cameras recorded exactly where and how long each child looked while short videos played.



When faces appeared on screen, youngsters with a history of abuse spent far less time examining the eye region than their peers.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dog-and-human-brains-sync-up-during-eye-contact/">Eye contact</a> feeds children information about emotions, intentions, and safety. Avoiding it deprives them of a fast, intuitive map of other people’s feelings just when they are learning to navigate friendships.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-abuse-disrupts-on-two-fronts">Abuse disrupts on two fronts</h2>



Statistical models showed that cellular aging and gaze avoidance each predicted higher scores on caregiver checklists of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-microbes-have-an-unexpected-link-to-anxiety/">anxiety</a>, aggression, and attention problems.



Yet the two did not sit in a single chain. Faster clocks did not explain why eyes wandered, and wandering eyes did not explain the faster clocks. Trauma, it seems, injures children along at least two independent tracks.



“Our research sends a powerful message: child maltreatment can leave invisible but measurable marks on a child’s biology and social development. By identifying these early warning signs, we can step in earlier and provide targeted support,” said lead author Keiko Ochiai.



“Tools such as eye-tracking assessments and stress-related biological testing could help teachers, doctors, and caregivers expedite the identification of children at risk,” she added.



“Support programs can then be tailored to improve social skills, reduce emotional stress, and promote healthier development - potentially preventing more serious problems later in life.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-catching-childhood-maltreatment-early">Catching childhood maltreatment early</h2>



Because the study captured a single snapshot in time, it cannot prove that abuse causes every change.



Poverty, prenatal stress, or inherited risks may also accelerate epigenetic clocks or nudge eyes away from faces. Even so, the data place the first measurable cracks astonishingly early, suggesting that age four is not too soon - perhaps not even soon enough - to intervene.



Crucially, both assessments are simple to bring into clinics and preschools. Cheek swabs require no needles, and modern processors can read methylation signatures in hours. Portable eye trackers now fit on a laptop.



Embedding these tools into routine checkups could flag vulnerable youngsters before <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-hijacks-the-brain-disrupting-sleep-and-memory/">stress</a> cements into chronic disease or social isolation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-helping-young-people-reset-the-clock">Helping young people reset the clock</h2>



The researchers have already begun a follow-up that will revisit the same children in middle school to see whether early cellular age predicts adolescent depression, metabolic illness, or continued social withdrawal.



They also hope to test whether nurturing foster care, trauma-focused therapy, or parent-training programs can slow the epigenetic clock and coax eyes back to faces.



Childhood is meant to stretch time, not compress it. Yet when abuse or neglect crowds those years with fear, the body and mind appear to leap forward, aging faster and dodging the very gaze that could bring comfort.



Detecting those hidden signals of childhood maltreatment offers a rare chance to reset the clock and guide young people toward a future where curiosity, connection, and health unfold at the pace nature intended.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0321952">PLOS One</a>.



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Childhood maltreatment speeds up aging and alters behavior

Abuse or neglect in the preschool years appears to push a child’s internal clock forward while also steering their eyes away from the very cues that build trust. Two separate biological and social signals - faster cellular aging and reduced eye contact - foreshadow later struggles with emotions and behavior. The evidence comes from the United Graduate School of Child Development, a consortium of several leading Japanese universities specializing in child development research. The quiet footprint of maltreatment Long-term studies already link childhood maltreatment to heart disease,...

The 75 million-year-old claw of an extinct dinosaur has a sheath formed of keratin – just like modern birds such as the ostrich.

The finding was reported by a research team from <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Carolina State University</a> in the journal <a href="http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences</a>.

The claw came from a bird-like dinosaur, Citipati osmolskae, that lived during the Cretaceous Period in what is now the Gobi Desert along the border of China and Mongolia. The dinosaur was killed when a sand dune collapsed, researchers said. 

It was unlucky for the extinct dinosaur, but not for researchers: the rapid burial led to remarkable preservation of the C. osmolskae’s remains.

Though the fossil was uncovered 20 years ago, researchers studying the specimen recently spotted what appeared to be a keratin sheath. Microscopic examination and molecular scans showed that it was indeed a keratin sheath, and that it was structurally similar to the claw sheaths of modern birds.

In modern birds, beta-keratin – a substance found only in reptiles and birds, but similar to the material that forms human finger- and toenails – serves to protect each claw, making them harder and more useful tools in defense and hunting.
<ol>
 	<li> osmolskae was a feathered oviraptor (a type of flesh-eating dinosaur) with a long neck, short tail, and crest on its head totalling about 10 feet in length. The specimen examined by the North Carolina State team was probably guarding its nest when it was killed, the scientists said.</li>
</ol>
In addition to revealing a link between Cretaceous Period dinosaurs and modern birds, the study found that the rapid collapse of the sand dune on the dinosaur led to calcium being incorporated with the fossil remains. The calcium appears to have played a major role in the preservation of the original molecules of the remains, allowing scientists to get a better idea of the oviraptor’s physical structures, scientists said. 

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Extinct dinosaur rocked keratin in claws eons before modern birds

The 75 million-year-old claw of an extinct dinosaur has a...

Male chimpanzees are better fathers than husbands – they’d rather hang around with their children than their lovers.

“Co-parenting” may be a fashionable term these days to describe friendly exes who raise their kids together as a team, but it turns out humans didn’t invent that move. According to new research, male chimps tend to be very invested in their offspring, despite not cultivating any kind of lasting relationship with the mother.

Until now, chimpanzees were thought to be promiscuous animals who may not even recognize their own kids. But new research shows that male chimpanzees spend time with non-mating female chimpanzees who look after their offspring. The father chimps also spend time grooming and caring for their young.

Lead author of the paper “Chimpanzee Fathers Bias Their Behavior Toward Their Offspring,” Carson Murray collected long-term data from Gombe Stream National Park in Tanzania and examined patterns based on 17 father chimpanzees and 49 mother-infant pairs to determine if the fathers could recognize their offspring. The research showed the males associated with the mothers of their offspring in infancy and interacted with their offspring more than expected.

"As anthropologists, we want to understand what patterns could have existed early in human evolution that help explain how human behavior evolved," said Murray. “This research suggests that males may sometimes prioritize relationships with their offspring rather than with potential mates. For a species without pair-bonds where it was assumed fathers didn't know which infants were their own, this is an important finding."

That male chimpanzees prioritized parenting over mating came as a surprise to many who previously assumed the primates were mostly motivated by sex. Chimpanzees are humankind’s closest living relative, so the research also contributes to the large anthropological question of why human fathers invest so much in their own offspring.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Male chimpanzees better fathers than husbands

Male chimpanzees are better fathers than husbands – they’d rather...

Carbon-hungry plants may be getting better at recycling greenhouse gases, slowing down global warming, according to a study led by Dr. Trevor Keenan of the Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.

The study found that while human activity is still generating increasing amounts of carbon, Earth’s vegetation has begun absorbing and recycling more carbon dioxide – the main warming offender.

The research team found that between 2002 and 2014, the rate at which carbon dioxide increased in the Earth’s atmosphere remained steady, at about 1.9 ppm per year. However, human-caused carbon dioxide emissions went up during that time.

The researchers believe the reason atmospheric carbon dioxide grew at a steady rate rather than increasing at the same pace as human-driven emissions is because plants stepped up their absorption. 

As carbon emissions increase, plants increase their uptake of carbon during photosynthesis, which fuels more plant growth, the study found. That growth increases plants’ ability to take in even more carbon.

At the same time, rising surface temperatures appear to have kept plant respiration, which produces carbon dioxide, from increasing at the same rate as photosynthesis.

The researchers based their findings on data about Earth’s vegetation from satellite measurements, observations of atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and computer modeling. They used ten vegetation models to predict how the carbon cycle has changed in recent decades.

They also looked at other “carbon sinks” on Earth such as the oceans. However, while the oceans are continuing to take in a steady amount of carbon, the study found no evidence of a spike that would offset human production, which reinforces that the carbon-hungry plants are pulling additional weight in absorbing carbon. 

While the study results are promising, the scientists were quick to warn that increased photosynthesis is not enough to reverse climate change. Humans must continue working to reduce greenhouse gases, they said.

Carbon dioxide and other so-called <a href="http://climate.nasa.gov/causes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">greenhouse gases</a> have been linked to global warming. 

—

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Nature Communications</a>.

Carbon-hungry plants prevent warming by recycling greenhouse gases

Carbon-hungry plants may be getting better at recycling greenhouse gases,...

Trump vs Paris Agreement: Donald Trump has called global warming a hoax, pledged to pull the United States out of the landmark Paris Agreement on climate change, and promised to support the coal industry. 

Now that he’s president-elect of the United States, Trump’s promises are worrying environmental advocates around the globe.

The U.S. is one of about 100 nations that make up the Paris Agreement, in which they pledged to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. President Barack Obama, who placed a priority on environmental responsibility in the U.S. and around the world, was instrumental in helping the agreement form.

Now, America’s leadership role in the agreement is at risk – and confidence in the Paris Agreement as a whole has been shaken. Trump promised to “cancel” the Paris Agreement in May.

While withdrawal would take four years, countries that ignore their pledge are not penalized.

However, other world leaders who ratified the agreement will keep working on reducing emissions, said Aziz Mekouar, chief negotiator for Morocco at the U.N. climate talks currently underway in that country.

Trump also made other promises and statements leading up to the election that environmentalists are worried about.

He has called global warming a “hoax” despite <a href="http://climate.nasa.gov/evidence/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">evidence of climate change</a> including a 6.7-inch rise in sea levels over the past century, records of rising surface temperatures on Earth since 1880, record levels of atmospheric carbon dioxide, warming ocean temperatures, melting ice sheets, extreme weather, and more. Of course, no one can predict the future with 100% accuracy, so continued warming is not guaranteed by any stretch – the Trump vs Paris Agreement battle with rage regardless.

He told a North Dakota oil and gas conference in May that he planned to “save the coal industry” and cut off taxpayer support of climate change programs if elected. 

Oil billionaire and animal rights opponent <a href="http://www.politico.com/story/2016/09/forrest-lucas-trump-interior-secretary-228364" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forrest Lucas</a> is reportedly on Trump’s short list for a cabinet position. 

Trump’s transition team includes a number of fossil fuel industry lobbyists and global warming skeptics.

While U.S. negotiators at the United Nations meeting in Morocco have not spoken publicly about the election results, in the weeks leading up to Election Day they expressed hope that global climate change talks would continue even if the U.S. is not involved.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trump vs Paris Agreement: Future looks bleak for UN climate accord

Trump vs Paris Agreement: Donald Trump has called global warming...

Prehistoric Mosasaur fossil was once an enormous menace roaming the warm Antarctic seas 66 million years ago hunting giant prey.

Scientists discovered the four-foot-long skull of a <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195667116303123">new mosasaur species</a> on Seymour Island off the coast of Antarctica in 2010. The fossil remains of the prehistoric sea monster indicates it is the largest species of mosasaur to have lived in the Southern Hemisphere.

Mosasaurs were gargantuan sea lizards that hunted the reptilian ancestors of whales and other large sea creatures. Fossil specimens have been found <a href="http://oceansofkansas.com/about-mo.html">throughout the world</a>, from the United States and Canada to Europe, the Middle East, Africa and beyond. Several partial sets of juvenile remains have been discovered off the coast of Antarctica since 1998.

But the mosasaur that once owned the skull discovered in 2010, dubbed Kaikaifilu hervei after Mapuche legends of a sea monster named Kai-Kai Filu that battled a giant land-based reptile, is about twice the size of other fossilized skulls found in the region. K. hervei is believed to have been 33 feet long.

While the leviathan was alive, the Antarctic seas would have been much warmer. It likely hunted marine reptiles similar to modern whales. The whale-like reptiles, known as pleisosaurs, were abundant in the Antarctic waters. 

Like modern whales, mosasaurs like K. hervei appear to have been descendants of land-based creatures that returned to the ocean and evolved to live there.

The mosasaurs disappeared at the end of the Cretaceous Period, around the time of a suspected asteroid impact in Mexico that triggered a mass extinction. 

This prehistoric mosasaur fossil helps paleontologists gain a better understanding of biological diversity in the Southern Hemisphere prior to that extinction event, and how it developed differently from similar creatures in the Northern Hemisphere.

The newly discovered species was described by researchers in the journal <a href="http://www.journals.elsevier.com/cretaceous-research">Cretaceous Research</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Prehistoric Mosasaur fossil found, tells story of gigantic sea menace

Prehistoric Mosasaur fossil was once an enormous menace roaming the...

MEOW! Meet an ancient sabertooth cat the size of a polar bear.

Discovery of an ancient skull in northwestern China has offered new information about a prehistoric sabertooth cat that was roughly the size of a polar bear, according to scientists.

Machairodus horribilis lived during the Late Miocene, about 5.3 to 11.6 million years ago, said the researchers from the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>, who rediscovered the fossil that was originally found in the Longjiagou Basin but left in storage for decades.

The skull is about 15.7 inches long, indicating the ancient sabertooth cat was a little over 10 feet long and weighed about 892 pounds, according to <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309409331_A_skull_of_Machairodus_horribilis_and_new_evidence_for_gigantism_as_a_mode_of_mosaic_evolution_in_machairodonts_Felidae_Carnivora" target="_blank" rel="noopener">researchers’ findings</a>. 

[caption id="attachment_119344" align="alignleft"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-119344" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/cat-150x150.jpg" alt="An ancient sabertooth cat fossil from the Late Miocene was rediscovered in northwestern China that was as big as a polar bear." width="150" height="150" /> An ancient sabertooth cat fossil[/caption]

However, despite its enormous size, M. horribilis most likely hunted smaller prey than later prehistoric sabertooths like Smilodon, a younger Ice Age cousin. Though M. horribilis had long, serrated fangs, it was unable to open its mouth as widely. 
M. horribilis, which lived about 8.3 million years ago, would only have opened its mouth to about a 70 degree angle, similar to modern lions. The skull also showed some cranial characteristics that in some ways are more similar to pantherine species than later sabertooths, researchers said.
Preservation of the skull allowed the scientists to determine where muscles would have attached and reconstruct the large cat’s bite.

Despite its large bite, the scientists believe M. horribilis was still a successful hunter, able to overpower its prey with its enormous size.

The research team asserts that the rediscovery offers scientific support for the theory of mosaic evolution: the idea that some body parts or systems evolve independently of others and at different rates across related species. 

M. horribilis appears to have grown larger in size than other, related machairodont (sabertooth) cats which evolved a wider bite that allowed them to hunt larger prey, according to the study published in the journal <a href="http://english.ivpp.cas.cn/sp/PalAsiatica/vp_intr/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vertebrata PalAsiatica</a>.

Ancient sabertooth cat found in northwestern China big as a polar bear

MEOW! Meet an ancient sabertooth cat the size of a...

Root biomass estimations can help us combat some of climate changes’ effects on plant ecosystems.

Most people don’t typically think about the root systems of plants until they’re causing some sort of inconvenience – like a disrupted sidewalk or plumbing. But as climate change continues to alter the earth’s landscape and droughts continue to worsen, the study of root systems has become increasingly important to plant sustainability and carbon absorption. 

In particular, the measure of root biomass can be important to plant breeding programs – unfortunately it’s an incredibly laborious process. One must wash, filter, dry, and weigh tiny root particles to varying accuracy. Recently, scientists have begun using the ability of an object to store an electrical current, otherwise known as electrical capacitance, to determine root biomass. However, this method had only been effective in hydroponically grown plants, as opposed to soil-grown.

According to Craig Carlson of Cornell University’s College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, "A majority of electroconductivity studies have focused on annual grasses and hydroponic systems. We wanted to develop a cheap, quick method of measuring root biomass in soils."

Carlson, along with Larry Smart, ever so slightly altered the root electrical capacitance (REC) method to work in soil by using a stem clamp, soil probe, and capacitance meter. This method allowed the team to make quick predictions of dry root biomass in a variety of shrub willow species without having to dig through soil and measure tiny roots. Their findings were published in the most recent issue of Applications in Plant Sciences.

Shrub willows serve as an ideal renewable biofuel crop because they grow quickly, need little care, and quickly deposit carbon. A more thorough understanding of the shrub willow root biomass serves as an indicator of plants’ ability to grow in drought conditions. Dr. Smart’s breeding program has made great progress in breeding new hybrids that grow quickly and are resistant to disease. 

"Craig's method allows us to select new cultivars that could be more drought tolerant or be able to occupy marginal sites, such as reclaimed mine sites in West Virginia," said Smart. “This method could be directly applied to breeding programs for crops that generally require grafting to rootstocks to maintain scion varieties,” (apples, for example). “Additionally, it will be helpful for other agricultural species. Our next step is to take this method into the field and see if these correlations hold up.”

Root biomass estimations can help us combat climate change

Root biomass estimations can help us combat some of climate...

Electric car manufacturer Tesla setting up a manufacturing base in the UK is in planning, announced Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla Motors. 

“We have a lot of respect for the British automotive engineering talent. Just look at Formula 1, it amazes me how much British talent there is in that,” said Musk. “We are likely to establish a Tesla engineering group in Britain at some point in the future.”

The news comes hot on the heels of Tesla’s acquisition of German engineering business Gohmann. The electric car manufacturer is also about to introduce its Model 3, the most affordable Tesla yet. Musk aims to power the world with renewable energy, but first, the company must increase its manufacturing efficiency. 

Acquiring Grohmann will allow Tesla to do just that: predictions show an increase of  500% in car production. By 2018, the company expects to have 500,000 cars made.

“We want to change the world with a lot of electric cars for a lot of people. That is what buying Grohmann is about,” said Musk. “This is about building the machine that builds the machine, which is more important than the [cars] themselves as volume increases.”

“The only way to make a large factory work is to have significant automation,” Mr. Musk added. “We will still have a large headcount but lots of automation and robotics. Automation is the way to make cars more affordable and accessible to as many people as possible. Economies of scale are the way to take the cost to something that people can afford to buy.”

Tesla setting up manufacturing at its factory in Fremont, California was done years ago. But according to Musk, the company is keen on growth in the European market – establishing a European manufacturing base would significantly reduce shipping costs.

“Tesla is going to make some very significant investments in Europe – and the US of course,” he said. “There is no question of at least one, maybe two or three gigafactory locations in Europe in the future.

“Currently Europe is a market for Tesla but we think the right thing to do is to start producing cars there as soon as we can reasonably do.”

Tesla setting up manufacturing base in the UK for cheaper shipping

Electric car manufacturer Tesla setting up a manufacturing base in...

During the past 200 years, the human population exploded – a new animation from the <a href="http://www.amnh.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Museum of Natural History</a> aims to show just what that looks like.

The animation, posted on <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PUwmA3Q0_OE" target="_blank" rel="noopener">YouTube</a>, follows humanity from Africa as it spreads around the world. Then, beginning in 1 A.D., the video shows the rises (and very rare falls) in human population across the globe.

The population in 1 A.D. was 170 million; today, it’s 7.2 billion, according to the museum, which worked with <a href="http://www.populationconnection.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Population Connection</a>, the <a href="https://esa.un.org/unpd/wpp/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">U.N.’s World Population Prospects</a>, <a href="http://www.worldometers.info/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Worldometers</a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NASA</a> on the project. 

As it follows the population explosion, the American Museum of Natural History points out specific events that encouraged population growth, such as the advent of farming, travel and trade on the Silk Road, and the development of modern medicine. It also highlights occurrences that reduced the global population, such as the bubonic plague epidemic known as the Black Death.

Cities and areas with more than 1 million residents appear and, less often, disappear from the map as the animation travels along the timeline from 1 A.D. to the present day.

As late as 1700 A.D., global population was just 590 million, but the Industrial Revolution, which brought advances in medicine, agriculture and technology, spurred growth. In just 316 years, humanity has reached more than 7 billion people worldwide.

Scientists believe that number will begin to level off by 2100. Fertility rates are already falling in many countries, the museum reports.

However, the Earth’s ecosystems are already showing the strain of supporting 7.2 billion people. 

Construction of cities, expansion of industry, and even clearing land for agricultural use have reduced the number of habitats available for other animals and plants around the world, leading to species becoming endangered or extinct. Pollution has contributed to <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/aqa_pre_2011/evolution/humansrev2.shtml" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illness and death among wildlife</a> and even other humans, and <a href="https://www.epa.gov/air-research/air-quality-and-climate-change-research" target="_blank" rel="noopener">air pollution may contribute to climate change</a>.  

As scientists study how human population exploded, they can help humanity make better choices about family planning, consumption, habitat protection and other issues, to better preserve the Earth for future generations, the museum said.

Human population has exploded since 1 A.D., animation reveals

During the past 200 years, the human population exploded – a...

Scientists have discovered a new lake under the Cerro Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia, but it's not safe to swim in.

The body of water is more than 9 miles beneath the dormant Cerro Uturuncu volcano, and has dissolved into partially melted rock at a temperature of about 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit.

The volcano is located on the Bolivian Altiplano, which has been the site of volcanic activity for millions of years. There are no currently active volcanoes on the Altiplano. 

The scientists from England, Canada, Germany, France and Wales believe <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0012821X16305805" target="_blank" rel="noopener">their findings</a> may offer some answers as to how and why volcanoes erupt.

Volcanoes with molten silicate rock can only dissolve water under high pressure, said Dr. Jon Blundy, a professor in the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">University of Bristol</a>'s School of Earth Sciences who participated in the research. When pressure lowers, the water escapes as bubbles, which could spur an eruption.

The scientists now wonder whether other volcanoes could hide similar bodies of water that may be triggering eruption activity.

The Bolivian Altiplano is unique in that it has a "geological anomaly": about 360,000 cubic miles of partially molten rock located about 9.3 miles underground. 

The research team measured and analyzed the electrical conductivity of the rock, finding that water was dissolved into the silicate melt.

The large amount of water dissolved into the molten rock is about the same amount as found in one of the Great Lakes, and is the only way to explain the high conductivity of the molten rock, the scientists concluded.

The findings could explain similar electric conductivity readings for <a href="https://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/cvo/cascade_volcanoes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">volcanoes in the Cascades</a> along the Pacific Coast and New Zealand's <a href="https://www.gns.cri.nz/Home/Learning/Science-Topics/Volcanoes/New-Zealand-Volcanoes/Taupo-Volcano" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Taupo Volcanic Zone</a>, the study postulated.

The team's research has been published in the journal <a href="http://www.journals.elsevier.com/earth-and-planetary-science-letters" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Earth and Planetary Science Letters</a>.

Massive "lake" discovered under Cerro Uturuncu volcano in Bolivia

Scientists have discovered a new lake under the Cerro Uturuncu...

Leftovers from insect meals in South America are offering up new information about the mass extinction event that killed the dinosaurs. 

The leaf fossils discovered in Patagonia, Argentina are helping scientists learn about how ecosystems recovered after an asteroid struck Earth approximately 66 million years ago, ending the Cretaceous Period. 

The fossils offer a unique perspective into the disaster because most of what scientists know about the disaster is from fossils close to the impact site in Chicxulub, Mexico, according to doctoral student Michael Donovan of <a href="http://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a>, who authored the study published Monday in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>. 

The leaf-mining insects that munched on leaves in Patagonia were wiped out after the asteroid hit, much like the leaf-mining insects close to the impact site in the western United States. In the area that is now the U.S., however, it took 9 million years for insect populations to recover. In Patagonia, farther from the impact site, it took only 4 million years for insect diversity to bounce back from the die-off.

The scientists' conclusion is based on analysis of 3,646 different leaf fossils from Patagonia. The researchers searched for signs of leaf-mining insects, whose larvae burrow through leaves as they eat, leaving unique patterns and droppings as they go. 

While they found no evidence that any leaf-miners survived the initial impact, nixing the team's original hypothesis that the region south of the asteroid impact had offered some protection from the extinction event, they found signs that new leaf-mining insect species emerged in that regional much sooner than in the U.S. 

The quicker recovery could indicate that South America didn't feel the ground zero effects of the asteroid for as long as North America did. When the asteroid struck, it likely sent up a <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-36377679">massive cloud of debris</a>, blocking the sun and causing global temperatures to drop. 

As plant life rebounded, insect species began to diversify again to fill the niches left behind by the bugs that died out, like the leaf-miners.

The study offers new insight into modern biodiversity; mammal species began expanding and diversifying in the wake of the Chicxulub asteroid impact. The impact is believed to have wiped out the dinosaurs and many other species.

Fossils provide clues about mass extinction event

Leftovers from insect meals in South America are offering up...

Diamonds reveal secrets about the Earth: a recent analysis proves that these coveted gems really are forever.

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.dmns.org/" target="_blank">Denver Museum of Nature &amp; Science</a> and <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/" target="_blank">University of British Columbia</a> learned about the formation of Africa from an unusual source – diamonds.

To produce the precious stone, it takes a whole lot of pressure and heat. When glittering gems were formed, they trapped microscopic minerals inside. These minerals contain secrets which led the scientists to understand how the Earth’s crust was formed.

Diamonds found in the Congo craton (a large, stable block of the earth's crust forming the nucleus of a continent) in central southern Africa illustrate a dramatic 3-billion-year journey surviving tectonic collisions and volcanic eruptions.

The team, led by author Charles W. Kosman, used an electron microprobe, an infrared spectrometer, and a secondary ion mass spectrometer to analyze these prize jewels. Don’t try this at home!

"These diamonds are special," Kosman said. "They're the ultimate time capsules from deep Earth."

The researchers determined that the diamonds reveal secrets that began their journey beneath the continental crust of central Africa. This part of Africa repeatedly rammed into smaller and thinner fragments over 2.8 billion years. These fragments slid back toward the Earth's core, became dehydrated due to extreme heat and pressure, and became the diamonds the scientists are studying today. The fragments were then ejected in volatile eruptions, which pierced the hide of the ancient African continent and deposited the diamonds on the surface. Museum collections can often be overlooked, but the researchers point out what a wealth of information they can hold.

"The circumstances that led to the formation of these diamonds trapping invaluable information inside are incredible," said James Hagadorn, the Museum's curator of geology. "Grueling conditions – temperatures five times hotter than your oven, and pressure 10 times that found below Mount Everest – are what it takes to freeze clues to Earth's evolution for studies such as this one."

Now we know how and where these precious gems were formed, we can better predict where we may find deposits like it in future. 

"Diamonds are a key part of our culture and industry. Not all diamonds end up on a ring or a saw-blade's edge. The ugly ones often have the coolest scientific stories to tell," said Hagadorn.

—

The original study was published in the journal <a href="http://www.dmns.org/media/26928/2016_Kosman_etal.pdf" target="_blank">Lithos</a>.

Diamonds reveal secrets about the Earth – gems really are forever

Diamonds reveal secrets about the Earth: a recent analysis proves...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[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

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

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