A striking new view from the James Webb Space Telescope captures the Sombrero galaxy glowing in near-infrared light.



The portrait exposes a brilliant central bulge while softening the famous dark dust lane that circles the disk, offering a fresh look at the galaxy’s structure and turbulent history. 



The image comes from <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/webb/">Webb’s</a> NIRCam instrument and follows mid-infrared observations taken late in 2024.



Together with visible-light data from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/35-years-of-hubble-the-telescope-that-changed-our-view-of-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Hubble Space Telescope</a>, the new frame lets researchers compare how stars, dust, and gas behave across different wavelengths.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-dust-revealed-in-infrared">Galaxy dust revealed in infrared </h2>



In visible light, the Sombrero’s rim of dust looks like a dense, murky ring that nearly hides the galaxy’s bright center. 



Near-infrared wavelengths, however, slip through many of those grains. As a result, the lane appears thinner and the underlying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planet-forming-disks-surrounding-stars-often-last-much-longer-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">stars</a> shine more clearly.



Located about 30 million light-years from Earth on the outskirts of the Virgo cluster, the Sombrero galaxy boasts a mass roughly eight hundred billion times that of the Sun.



The galaxy’s disk stretches across nearly 50,000 light-years, and its central bulge swells like a luminous pearl.



That pearl glows even brighter in the near-infrared because thousands of older, cooler stars dominate the bulge and radiate strongly at longer wavelengths.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-signs-of-a-turbulent-past"><a></a>Signs of a turbulent past</h2>



Despite the Sombrero galaxy’s serene appearance, earlier surveys uncovered evidence that it has endured violent mergers.



A subtle warp in the inner disk, odd twists in the dust lane, and unexpected chemical patterns in surrounding star clusters all point to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-galaxy-collision-reveals-a-quasar-shutting-down-star-birth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">collisions</a> with at least one sizable companion in the distant past.



Webb’s sharp resolution reveals this warp in greater detail: the inner disk tilts inward like the shallow mouth of a funnel rather than lying flat. Simulations show similar patterns when two galaxies collide and then settle into a single system.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clues-from-2-000-globular-clusters">Clues from 2,000 globular clusters</h2>



Roughly 2,000 globular clusters - spherical swarms of hundreds of thousands of ancient stars - orbit the Sombrero.



Spectroscopic studies reveal that those stars do not share identical chemical fingerprints. Instead, the amounts of oxygen, neon, and heavier elements vary more than expected if all the clusters formed in one burst.



A series of mergers provides a neat explanation: each infalling galaxy contributed its own population of clusters, mixing their distinct chemistries into the halo we see today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-edge-on-view-with-a-twist"><a></a>Edge-on view with a twist</h2>



From Earth we see the Sombrero almost edge on, but not perfectly so. Our vantage point sits about six degrees above the galaxy’s true equator, letting astronomers peek slightly over the rim.



That modest tilt is crucial. It lets light from the bulge leak through gaps in the dust and exposes the warped inner disk that hints at past turmoil. 



If the galaxy were perfectly edge on, that interior twist would remain hidden behind the rim.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giants-glow-dwarfs-fade">Giants glow, dwarfs fade</h2>



Near-infrared light favors large, cool stars. In Webb’s frame, red giants - stellar elders that have swelled to enormous size - dot the scene like crimson embers.



Smaller, hotter blue stars emit more strongly at shorter wavelengths, so they fade in the near-infrared and almost vanish in the mid-infrared.



That spectral filtering helps astronomers separate different stellar populations and trace how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">star formation</a> shifted over billions of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-colors-and-cosmic-expansion">Galaxy colors and cosmic expansion </h2>



The Sombrero is not alone in the new image. Dozens of background galaxies speckle the black canvas, each tinted by distance and composition.



Pale blue spirals likely sit closer to us, their young stars still blazing in ultraviolet and visible light that stretches only slightly into the infrared.



Deep-red smudges probably lie billions of light-years farther away; their light has traveled so long that cosmic expansion has stretched their spectra deep into the infrared.



By sampling those color clues, researchers can estimate distances and ages for thousands of remote systems in a single field.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-multiple-wavelengths-matter">Why multiple wavelengths matter</h2>



Combining Webb’s near- and mid-infrared data with Hubble’s visible-light images is like slicing the galaxy into overlapping transparencies.



One layer reveals hidden stars behind the dust, another traces the dust itself, and a third shows where shorter wavelengths are completely blocked.



Together these layers chart how gas cooled, where dust condensed, and how gravitational encounters reshaped the entire structure. Without multi-wavelength coverage, many of those details would remain invisible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complex-life-cycles-of-galaxies">Complex life cycles of galaxies</h2>



The Sombrero portrait demonstrates Webb’s ability to probe the universe on every scale - from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mays-full-moon-will-eclipse-a-giant-red-star/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">red giants</a> glowing in a nearby galaxy to faint smudges at the cosmic horizon.



By resolving individual stars, mapping chemical fingerprints, and spotting structural ripples, Webb helps astronomers untangle the complex life cycles of galaxies.



Its infrared eyes also complement Hubble’s vision, ensuring that discoveries flow from one observatory to the next.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peering-into-the-future">Peering into the future</h2>



Future Webb campaigns will target other “edge-on” disks to test whether similar warps point to hidden mergers. Spectroscopy will break the Sombrero’s light into elemental signatures, refining mass estimates and tracking star-formation bursts through cosmic time.



Each new dataset will feed into computer simulations that replay a galaxy’s past, revealing how quiet spirals can mask dramatic histories.



The Sombrero’s near-infrared glow thus serves as both a snapshot and a clue. It shows the galaxy as it exists today - luminous, dusty, and slightly warped. It also hints at collisions long ago that seeded its halo with diverse clusters and bent its inner disk.



Thanks to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-telescope-may-reveal-how-fast-the-universe-is-expanding/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Webb</a>’s sharp vision, astronomers now hold a more complete record of that journey and a clearer path toward understanding how galaxies everywhere live, collide, and evolve.



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, CSA, STScI



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Sombrero galaxy’s turbulent past unveiled by Webb telescope

A striking new view from the James Webb Space Telescope captures the Sombrero galaxy glowing in near-infrared light. The portrait exposes a brilliant central bulge while softening the famous dark dust lane that circles the disk, offering a fresh look at the galaxy’s structure and turbulent history. The image comes from Webb’s NIRCam instrument and follows mid-infrared observations taken late in 2024. Together with visible-light data from the Hubble Space Telescope, the new frame lets researchers compare how stars, dust, and gas behave across different wavelengths. Galaxy...

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Global warming causes decline in fishery productivity. The decrease in fishery productivity in Lake Tanganyika since the 1950s is a consequence of global warming rather than just overfishing, according to a new report from an international team led by a University of <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/recreating-moon-craters-in-arizona/">Arizona</a> geoscientists.

The lake was becoming warmer at the same time in the 1800s the abundance of fish began declining, the team found. The lake's algae - fish food - also started decreasing at that time. Also Global warming causes decline in fishery productivity making a huge demand for more.

However, large-scale commercial fishing did not begin on Lake Ta nganyika until the 1950s.

The new finding helps illuminate why the lake's fisheries are foundering, said study leader Andrew S. Cohen, a UA Distinguished Professor of Geosciences.

"Some people say the problem for the Lake Tanganyika fishery is 'too many fishing boats,' but our work shows the decline in fish has been going on since the 19th century," Cohen said. "We can see this decline in the numbers of fossil fish going down in parallel with the rise in water temperature."

Lake Tanganyika yields up to 200,000 tons of fish annually and provides about 60 percent of the animal protein for the region's population, according to other investigators.

<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">Cohen</a> and his co-authors acknowledge that overfishing is one cause of the reduction in catch. However, they suggest sustainable management of the Lake Tanganyika fishery requires taking into account the overarching problem that as the climate warms, the algae - the basis for the lake's food web - will decrease.

Cohen and his colleagues figured out the lake's environmental history 1,500 years into the past by taking cores of the lake's bottom sediments and analyzing the biological and chemical history stored in the sediment layers.

The team's findings have important conservation implications. The largest and deepest of Africa's Rift lakes, Lake Tanganyika is famous for the great diversity of species unique to the lake.

"The lake has huge biodiversity - hundreds of species found nowhere else," Cohen said.

The warming of the lake has reduced the suitable habitat for those species by 38 percent since the 1940s, the team found.

"The warming surface waters cause large parts of the lake's floor to lose oxygen, killing off bottom-dwelling animals such as freshwater snails," Cohen said. "This decline is seen in the sediment core records and is a major problem for the conservation of Lake Tanganyika's many threatened species and unique ecosystems."

The paper, "Climate warming reduces fish production and benthic habitat in Lake Tanganyika, one of the most biodiverse freshwater ecosystems," by Cohen and his co-authors, is scheduled for online publication in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences the week of Aug. 8, 2016. A complete list of authors and funders is at the bottom of this release.

Previous research by Cohen's colleagues found Lake Tanganyika began warming in the mid-1800s and that the lake had warmed in the latter part of the 20th century faster than any similar time period since the year 500.

The lake's fish production had also slumped in the latter part of the 20th century. Cohen has been studying the paleoenvironment of Lake Tanganyika and the surrounding region for decades. He wondered whether the drop in fish productivity was from increased fishing or because the lake was getting warmer.

In tropical lakes, increases in water temperature reduce the seasonal mixing between the oxygenated top layer of the lake and the nutrient-rich but oxygen-free bottom layer of the lake, Cohen said. Fewer nutrients in the top layer mean less algae and therefore less food for fish.

In addition, as a tropical lake warms, the mixing doesn't reach as far down into the lake. As a result, the oxygenated top layer becomes shallower and shallower. As the top layer gets shallower, the oxygenated area of the lake bottom shrinks, reducing habitat for bottom dwellers such as molluscs and arthropods.

The remains of fish, algae, molluscs and small arthropods are preserved in the annual layers of sediment deposited in the bottom of Lake Tanganyika. By examining cores from the bottom of the lake, Cohen and his colleagues reconstructed a decade-by-decade profile of the lake's biological history going back 1,500 years.

Co-authors Elizabeth Gergurich and Jack Simmons analyzed parts of the cores during their independent study projects while undergraduates at the UA.

The team found that as the lake's temperature increased, the amount of fish bits, algae and molluscs in the layers of sediment decreased. Based on instrumental records of oxygen in the lake water, the scientists calculated that since 1946 the amount of oxygenated lake-bottom habitat decreased by 38 percent.

"We're showing the rising temperatures and declines in fish food are resulting in a decrease in fish production - less fish for someone to eat. It's a food security finding," Cohen said.

"We know this warming is going on in other lakes," Cohen said. "It has important implications for food and for ecosystems changing rapidly. We think that Lake Tanganyika is a bellwether for this process."
###
Cohen's co-authors are Elizabeth Gergurich, now at the University of Oklahoma in Norman; Benjamin Kraemer and Peter McIntyre of the University of Wisconsin, Madison; Michael McGlue of the University of Kentucky in Lexington; James M. Russell of Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island; Jack D. Simmons, now at Weston Solutions, Inc. in Austin, Texas; and Peter W. Swarzenski, now at the International Atomic Energy Agency of Monaco.

The National Science Foundation, the Lake Tanganyika Biodiversity Project, the U.S. Geological Survey, the Society of Exploration Geophysicists Foundation, the Packard Foundation and the Nature Conservancy funded the research.

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Global warming causes decline in fishery productivity

Global warming causes decline in fishery productivity. The decrease in...

Drought conditions slow the growth of Douglas fir trees across the West. Whether growing along the rim of the Grand Canyon or living in the mist with California's coastal redwoods, Douglas fir trees are consistently sensitive to drought conditions that occur throughout the species' range in the United States, according to a study led by a researcher at the University of<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=california&amp;cvid=d4aff47db9e9400f857fae379acd654b&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> California</a>, Davis.

The study, published Aug. 8 in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, provides direct evidence of the negative impact of water stress on forest ecosystems. It also pinpointed which conditions are causing low growth among Douglas fir trees.

[caption id="attachment_2408691" align="alignleft" width="267"]<img class="wp-image-2408691 size-medium" src="http://cff1.greenatom.earth/uploads/2016/08/08165635/121221_web-267x300.jpg" alt="121221_web" width="267" height="300" /> UC Davis researcher Christina Restaino examines a tree core in the Sierra Nevada. Credit: Christina Restaino/UC Davis[/caption]

"Warm, dry conditions can push these trees beyond their threshold of tolerance," said lead author Christina Restaino, a postdoctoral researcher in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/destructive-bark-beetles-create-new-habitats-for-wild-bees/">UC Davis</a> Department of Environmental Science and Policy.

Changes in the growth rates of trees also effect carbon sequestration, biodiversity and ecosystem resilience.

STRESSED TO THE CORE

Restaino and her colleagues collected tree core samples in 122 locations across the West--from the Pacific Northwest, across the Rocky Mountain ranges and into California and the Southwest. The scientists then examined how growth rates have changed in the trees over a 91-year time frame, from 1916 to 2006.

Using climate data, they showed that as temperature increases in future decades, climate-induced stress is expected to increase and Douglas fir growth to decrease. Douglas fir trees are an ecologically and economically important commercial timber species.

"Throughout the life of these trees, Douglas firs have experienced a lot of different conditions," Restaino said. "The conditions that have been the warmest and the driest have slowed their growth the most. With climate change, we expect the frequency of those conditions to increase."
###
Co-authors on the study included David L. Peterson with the U.S. Forest Service's Pacific Northwest Research Station in Seattle, Washington, and Jeremy Littell from the U.S. Department of the Interior's Alaska Climate Science Center in Anchorage.

The study was funded primarily by the National Science Foundation, as well as by the U.S. Geological Survey Global Change Research Program, the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station, and the U.S. Department of the Interior Alaska Climate Science Center.
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Drought conditions slow the growth of Douglas fir trees across the West

Drought conditions slow the growth of Douglas fir trees across...

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<div class="img-wrapper">NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite spotted Tropical Storm Omais just off-shore, and east of the big island of Japan.Tropical Storm Omais continues to weaken over Japan</div>
On Aug. 7 at 11:05 p.m. EDT (Aug.8 at 3:05 a.m. UTC) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible light image of Omais in the northwestern Pacific Ocean. The VIIRS image showed that the bulk of Omais' thunderstorms were north and west of the center of circulation. Omais' center was visible in the image, and the southeastern quadrant seems to be devoid of thunderstorm development. Also Tropical Storm Omais continues to weaken over Japan

A false-colored infrared image from the AIRS instrument aboard <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA'</a>s Aqua satellite showed Tropical Storm Omais' coldest cloud tops and strongest thunderstorms over northern Japan on Aug. 8. The image also showed that the storm is elongating, which is a sign of weakening. The image was created at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

On Aug. 8 at 11 a.m. EDT (3 p.m. UTC) Omais' maximum sustained winds were near 46 mph (40 knots/74 kph). It was centered near 36.2 degrees north latitude and 144.7 degrees east longitude, about 230 nautical miles east of Yokosuka,<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nearly-complete-duck-billed-dinosaur-fossil/"> Japan</a>. Omais was moving to the north at 11.5 mph (10 knots/18.5 kph).

The Japan Meteorological Agency has posted warnings and watches for northern Japan. To see the warning areas, visit: <a href="http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html</a>.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center expects Omais to curve to the northeast while remaining to the east of the Kuril Islands and transition into an extra-tropical storm over the next couple of days.


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Tropical Storm Omais continues to weaken over Japan

NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite spotted Tropical Storm Omais just off-shore,...

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<div class="img-wrapper">Newly formed Tropical Depression 08W NASA's Aqua satellite recently caught a look at the newly formed tropical depression in the Northwestern <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dust-asia-fertilizes-north-pacific/">Pacific Ocean</a>.</div>
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite used infrared data to look at cloud top temperatures within Tropical Depression 08W on Aug. 7 at 10:11 p.m. EDT (Aug. 8 at 2:11 a.m. UTC). Forecasters at the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">JTWC)</a> noted that animated enhanced infrared imagery "showed continued improvement in the convective structure (where thunderstorms are forming) with deep formative banding [of thunderstorms] wrapping into the low level circulation center."

At 11 a.m. EDT (3 p.m. UTC) on Aug. 8, 2016, Tropical Depression 08W's maximum sustained winds were near 34.5 mph (30 knots/55.5 kph). It was centered about 364 nautical miles west-southwest of Wake Island, near 17.9 degrees north latitude and 160.1 degrees east longitude. The depression was moving to the west-northwest at 4.6 mph (4 knots/7.4 kph). Newly formed Tropical Depression 08W has also made this massive amount of destruction to the area. Also the surrounding areas were hit pretty badly as well.

The JTWC forecast calls for this storm to continue to intensify as it turns to the northwest through open waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The storm is expected to reach typhoon strength by Aug. 11.


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Newly formed Tropical Depression 08W

Newly formed Tropical Depression 08W NASA's Aqua satellite recently caught...

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<div class="img-wrapper">Tropical Depression Ivette continues to weaken in the Central Pacific Ocean and infrared data from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Aqua satellite showed a small area of strong storms remaining in the system.</div>
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite looked at the weakening storms within Tropical Depression Ivette on Aug. 8 at 7:08 a.m. EDT (11:08 UTC). There was only one area with some strong storms remaining in the circulation and that was seen in the northeastern quadrant.Tropical Depression Ivette continues to weaken

At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Ivette was located near 17.0 north latitude and 141.1 west longitude. That's about 935 miles (1,505 km) east of Hilo, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hawaii-south-africa-extinctions/">Hawaii</a> and 1,135 miles (1,825 km) east-southeast of Honolulu, Hawaii.

The depression is moving toward the west near 8 mph (13 kph). A turn toward the west-southwest and a slight increase in forward speed is expected during the next day or two. Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts.

NOAA's Central Pacific Hurricane Center said, "Southwesterly vertical wind shear is taking its toll on Ivette, as the low-level circulation center of the depression has now been devoid of deep convection for over 12 hours." That strong vertical wind shear is expected to continue for the next several days which will prevent thunderstorms from reforming around the center of circulation.

The CPHC forecast calls for additional weakening and Ivette is expected to become a remnant low later today.


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Tropical Depression Ivette continues to weaken

Tropical Depression Ivette continues to weaken in the Central Pacific...

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

<div>Climate change is bad news for bladder wrack Fucus vesiculosus. Wherever ecosystems rich in species develop on the rocky shores of the Baltic Sea, the bladder wrack Fucus vesiculosus has provided perfect groundwork. By colonizing pebbles and rocks, it creates habitats for many other species. Other algae grow on the seaweed to be grazed by snails, isopods and amphipods. Crustaceans, mussels and predatory fish as well as many smaller organisms that are important for the Baltic Sea ecosystem thrive in submarine Fucus forests. Fucus vesiculosus is one of the main producers of organic matter in the Baltic and plays a crucial role for its biodiversity and biogeochemical cycles. These functions could be lost due to a series of reactions triggered by climate change. Also the Climate change is bad news for bladder wrack Fucus vesiculosus</div>
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According to a study conducted by marine biologists of GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel and Rostock University within the German research network BIOACID (Biological Impacts of Ocean Acidification), eutrophication - that is already known for its negative effects - and rising seawater temperatures could lead to a decline of the bladder wrack in the Baltic Sea. "It is important to consider the effects of a combination of global and local environmental factors on entire ecosystems", Dr. Franziska Julie Werner stresses. The post-doctoral researcher in marine ecology at GEOMAR is main author of two studies published in the magazines Limnology and Oceanography and Oecologia. "Our results also illustrate how important it is to promote a successful eutrophication management in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/southern-baltic-sea-coastlines/">Baltic Sea</a> - a factor which, unlike rising global temperatures, could be achieved by national commitment."

For the two experiments, bladder wrack from the Kiel Fjord and smaller species of algae living on it as well as grazers like isopods, amphipods and periwinkles were introduced into the Kiel benthocosms - twelve experimental tanks, each holding a water volume of one and a half cubic meters. A flow-through system continuously pumped fjord water into the benthocosms, which ensured that the basic conditions inside the tanks corresponded to the environmental conditions of the Kiel Fjord. For the first study, the seawater temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations (CO2) in half of the tanks were raised according to future climate change predictions for the Baltic Sea region. Divided into four seasonal phases, the experiment ran for one year. The second study examined the impact of increased nutrient supply in combination with "greenhouse conditions", a combined increase of temperature and carbon dioxide concentrations.

In the first experiment, elevated <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">CO2</a> concentrations did not show any effect on the bladder wrack at any season. Elevated seawater temperature, however, had a significantly negative effect on the entire Fucus system, especially in summer. After six weeks, the biomass of the bladder wrack was reduced by about one half under warmed conditions compared to that of Fucus, which was kept under present conditions. The second experiment confirmed these observations. If nutrients were added, the biomass of Fucus even decreased by 80 per cent. "The negative consequences could be observed although the increase of nutrients was very moderate", Dr. Werner says. "Smaller species of algae that naturally grow on Fucus benefitted from the additional nutrient supply. But snails, isopods and amphipods were not able to graze these epiphytes because they suffered from the increased temperature. Fucus suffered from both, thermal stress and intensified overgrowth by epiphytes. That's a double negative effect."

Eutrophication is one of the oldest environmental problems of the Baltic Sea. So far, European water management directives have not fully achieved their objective of a good chemical and ecological status, the scientists argue. This is partly due to the slow water exchange in the Baltic, which causes nutrients to circle in the system for a rather long time. Secondly, the Baltic Sea drainage area is characterized by intense agriculture. Over-fertilized fields and factory farms still lead to an excess of nutrients, which sooner or later end up in the ocean. "Climate change does not only entail changes in temperature, but also changes in precipitation patterns", Dr. Werner says. "Increased run-offs from land due to stronger rainfalls could carry additional nutrient loads from industrial agriculture into the coastal waters of the Baltic Sea."

The experiment of the Kiel marine biologists shows how local environmental factors such as eutrophication may amplify the effects of global factors such as rising temperatures and ocean acidification. "The management of ecosystems such as the Baltic Sea therefore needs to take area-specific factors into account", Dr. Werner advises. "The results of our study suggest that efforts to mitigate local perturbation such as nutrient enrichment in the Baltic Sea could pay off in the future, because it might help key species such as the bladder wrack to better cope with the effects of climate change and to maintain their ecosystem services." For a comprehensive forecast, however, plenty of other factors have to be considered.
###
Original publications:

Werner, F. J., Graiff, A., Matthiessen, B. (2016), Even moderate nutrient enrichment negatively adds up to global climate change effects on a habitat-forming seaweed system. Limnology and Oceanography, doi: 10.1002/lno.10342

Werner, F.J., Graiff, A., Matthiessen, B. (2016): Temperature effects on seaweed-sustaining top-down control vary with season. Oecologia. 2016 Mar 180(3):889-901, doi: 10.1007/s00442-015-3489-x

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Climate change is bad news for bladder wrack Fucus vesiculosus

Climate change is bad news for bladder wrack Fucus vesiculosus....

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<div class="img-wrapper">Soon after Tropical Depression 08W strengthened into Tropical Storm Conson, NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead from space and provided a look at the storm, revealing it was battling wind shear. <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/satellites-are-changing-the-way-we-view-the-earth/">Satellite</a> captures image of Tropical Storm Conson</div>
On August 8 at 10:44 p.m. EDT (Aug. 9 at 02:44 UTC) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a>-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible light image of Tropical Storm Conson. Southwesterly wind shear has pushed the bulk of clouds and showers to the northeast of the storm's center. Fragmented bands of thunderstorms over the southern semi-circle were seen wrapping into the north quadrant of the exposed low-level center.

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on August 9, 2016 Tropical storm Conson was centered near 17.0 degrees north latitude and 158.7 degrees east longitude, about 382 nautical miles northwest of the Enewetak Atoll. The Enewetak Atoll is a large coral atoll of 40 islands and forms a legislative district of the Ralik Chain of the Marshall Islands.

Conson was moving to the west at 7 knots (8 mph/12.9 kph) and had maximum sustained winds near 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph).

Conson is expected to move into a more favorable environment that will allow it to intensify to typhoon strength over the open waters of the Northwestern Pacific Ocean on August 12, before weakening commences. The storm is expected to continue tracking in a northerly direction over the open ocean.


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Satellite captures image of Tropical Storm Conson

Soon after Tropical Depression 08W strengthened into Tropical Storm Conson,...

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<div class="img-wrapper">Tropical Storm Javier forms in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Tropical Storm Javier formed on Aug. 7, 2016 in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off Mexico's western coast. Javier formed partially from the remnants of Hurricane Earl. NASA's Global Precipitation Measurement core satellite found that Javier contained heavy rain. On Aug. 8, Javier triggered hurricane and tropical storm warnings.</div>
Landslides caused by heavy rainfall from the remnants of Hurricane Earl caused the reported deaths of at least 39 people in eastern Mexico. That kind of rainfall was now seen in Tropical Storm Javier.

The Global Precipitation Measurement mission, or GPM core observatory satellite, flew above Tropical Storm Javier on Aug. 8, 2016 at 12:19 a.m. EDT (0419 UTC). Rainfall was analyzed using GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. Those data showed that Javier was producing heavy rainfall both near the center of the tropical storm and also near <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/samalayuca-sand-dunes/">Mexico's</a> coast northeast of Javier. Rain was measured by DPR falling at a rate of over 4.1 inches (103 mm) per hour near Javier's center of circulation. Precipitation was also calculated by GPM's GMI to be coming down at a rate of almost 2.4 inches (60 mm) per hour near Mazatlán, Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center expects that heavy rainfall to affect warning areas. Javier is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 3 to 6 inches over coastal parts of the Mexican states of Sinaloa and southern Sonora into Baja California Sur with possible isolated maximum amounts of 10 inches through Wednesday morning.

GPM's Radar (DPR Ku band) found that storm tops' heights were highest near Mexico's coast. Three-dimensional measurements of precipitation near Javier's center showed storm tops were above 8.1 miles (13 km) while tall storms near Mexico's coast reached altitudes above 10.5 miles (17 km). GPM is a joint mission between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a> and the Japanese space agency JAXA.

On Aug. 8, the National Hurricane Center posted a hurricane warning from Los Barriles to Todos Santos, Mexico. A hurricane watch is in effect from Todos Santos to Cabo San Lazaro. In addition, a tropical storm warning is in effect for Los Barriles to San Evaristo and Todos Santos to Cabo San Lazaro. A tropical storm watch is in effect for San Evaristo to Loreto Cabo San Lazaro to Puerto San Andresito.Tropical Storm Javier forms in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Javier was located near 22.0 degrees north and 109.2 degrees west longitude. That's about 75 miles (125 km) southeast of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Javier is moving toward the northwest near 10 mph (17 kph), and this motion with a decrease in forward speed is expected through Tuesday. On the forecast track, the center of Javier is forecast to pass near or over the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula later today, and move near the west coast of Baja California Sur tonight and Tuesday. Maximum sustained winds are near 50 mph (85 kph) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is possible while Javier passes near the extreme Baja California peninsula.

For updated forecasts, visit the NHC website: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>


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Tropical Storm Javier forms in the Eastern Pacific Ocean

Tropical Storm Javier forms in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. Tropical...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Tropical Storm Javier skims Baja California. When Tropical Storm Javier was closest to the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico, NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed overhead from space and provided a look at the storm's extent. Today, Aug. 9, Javier has weakened to a depression.</div>
On Aug. 8 at 4 p.m. EDT (20:00 UTC) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA"> NASA</a>-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured this visible light image of Tropical Storm Javier near the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico. The image showed the center of Javier just southeast of the Baja, while a fragmented band of thunderstorms were dropping heavy rainfall over land.

By Aug. 9 at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC), the government of Mexico discontinued the tropical storm warning and tropical storm watch for the Baja California peninsula as Javier moved to the northwest and away from land. Also Tropical Storm Javier skims Baja <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/shasta-lake-northern-california/">California</a>

At 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) the center of Tropical Depression Javier was located near 23.4 degrees north latitude and 110.6 degrees west longitude. That's about 50 miles (85 km) northwest of Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. Javier is moving toward the northwest near 6 mph (9 kph), and the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said this general motion is expected to continue through Wednesday.

Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 45 miles (75 km) from the center.

On the forecast track, the center of Javier is expected to move near or over Baja California Sur through Wednesday. Additional weakening is expected during the next couple of days, and Javier is forecast to become a remnant low within the next day or so.


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Tropical Storm Javier skims Baja California

Tropical Storm Javier skims Baja California. When Tropical Storm Javier...

<div>IMERG measures deadly rainfall from Hurricane Earl. Hurricane Earl began as a tropical wave that was tracked by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) from the African coast to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/hispaniola-caribbean-sea/">Caribbean Sea</a>. The tropical wave drenched the Dominican Republic, where it was blamed for the deaths of six people. Southwest of Jamaica on Aug. 2, 2016, the tropical wave developed a closed circulation, and Earl was upgraded to a tropical storm.</div>
<div>

On Aug. 3, Earl became a hurricane when it was located about 150 miles east of Belize. On Aug. 4 Earl made landfall just southwest of Belize City, Belize, at about 2 a.m. EDT (6 a.m. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">UTC</a>). At landfall Earl had winds of about 81 mph (70 knots). Earl weakened to tropical depression intensity over the Yucatan but regained tropical storm wind speeds of about 58 mph (50 knots) when it emerged over the Bay of Campeche. On Aug. 6, Earl hit Mexico again just south of Veracruz. Earl was then disrupted by Mexico's rough terrain and dissipated. IMERG measures deadly rainfall from Hurricane Earl

Data from NASA's Integrated Multi-satellite Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) were used to estimate the amount of rain that fell from Aug. 2 through Aug. 8. GPM is the Global Precipitation Measurement mission, a joint mission of NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

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The analysis, created at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, showed rainfall over the period from when Earl became a tropical storm until Earl's remnants interacted with an area of disturbed weather along the Pacific coast. Some areas in extreme southern Mexico received up to 43.3 inches (1,100 mm) of rain.

The IMERG analysis showed the extreme amount of rain that was dropped by Earl over Belize, Guatemala, eastern Mexico and Mexico's Pacific coast.

According to the official Twitter account of Luis Puente, Mexico's national civil protection coordinator, at least 40 people were reported killed by landslides in the Mexican states of Puebla and Veracruz.

The remnants of Earl interacted with an area of disturbed weather along the Pacific coast of Mexico and aided in the formation of a tropical depression that became Tropical Storm Javier on Aug. 7.


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IMERG measures deadly rainfall from Hurricane Earl

IMERG measures deadly rainfall from Hurricane Earl. Hurricane Earl began...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Several large fires burning on Portugal's Madeira Island. There are several large fires burning on Portugal's Madeira Island and mainland and <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/nasa-telescope-will-capture-millions-of-galaxies/">NASA</a>-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image of the smoke generated from them.</div>
This natural-color satellite image was collected by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument that flies aboard <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/nasa-telescope-will-capture-millions-of-galaxies/">NASA</a>-NOAA's Suomi<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=npp+satellite&amp;cvid=7a37c42cc11745439a56752c517b7fc4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> NPP satellite</a>. VIIRS imagery identified smoke on Aug. 9 at 8:55 a.m. EDT (12:55 UTC). Actively burning areas are outlined in red.

Madeira is an archipelago of four islands located off the northwest coast of Africa. They are an autonomous region of Portugal.The archipelago includes the islands of <a title="Madeira Island" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madeira_Island">Madeira</a>, <a title="Porto Santo Island" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porto_Santo_Island">Porto Santo</a>, and the <a title="Desertas Islands" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desertas_Islands">Desertas</a>, administered together with the separate archipelago of the <a title="Savage Islands" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Savage_Islands">Savage Islands</a>. The region has political and administrative autonomy through the Administrative Political Statute of the Autonomous Region of Madeira provided for in the Portuguese Constitution. The autonomous region is an integral part of the European Union as an outermost region. Madeira generally has a very mild and moderated subtropical climate with <a title="Mediterranean climate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mediterranean_climate">mediterranean</a> summer droughts and winter rain. There are many <a title="Microclimate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microclimate">microclimates</a> courtesy of the elevation changes. Madeira was claimed by Portuguese sailors in the service of Prince <a class="mw-redirect" title="Henry the Navigator" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_the_Navigator">Henry the Navigator</a> in 1419 and settled after 1420. The archipelago is considered to be the first territorial discovery of the exploratory period of the <a title="Age of Discovery" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Age_of_Discovery">Age of Discovery</a>.

The National Civil Protection (NPS) service reports a major forest fire in Portugal's Madeira Islands. The fire has triggered evacuations of over 400 people. NPS reported that other wildfires have also been burning in the mainland.

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Several large fires burning on Portugal's Madeira Island

Several large fires burning on Portugal's Madeira Island. There are...

<div>QB50 mission will study the thermosphere. A flotilla of 50 small satellites - known as cubesats and weighing an average of two kilos each - will be launched from the International Space Station in the European-led as QB50 mission to explore the little-understood region above Earth known as the thermosphere.</div>
<div>

The QB50 cubesats have been built by 48 universities and research institutes from 28 nations, including Canada, China, France, Italy, Korea, UK, USA and Australia (<a href="https://qb50.eu/index.php/community" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">see the full list here</a>). It is led by Belgium's Von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics, and includes three Australian satellites, two of them built at the University of New South Wales in Sydney.

They will focus on the lower thermosphere, between 200 and 380 km above Earth, a region vital for communications, weather formation and helps shield Earth from cosmic rays and solar radiation.

"This region is poorly understood and hard to measure," said Andrew Dempster, Director of Australian Centre for Space Engineering Research (ACSER) at UNSW. "And yet, it's the interface between our planet and space. It's where much of the ultraviolet and X-ray radiation from the Sun collides with the Earth, and generates auroras and potential hazards that can affect power grids and communications."

The Australian trio are ACSER's UNSW-Ec0, which will study the atomic composition of the thermosphere; INSPIRE-2, a joint project between the University of Sydney, UNSW and the Australian National University which will measure the electron temperature and density of plasma in the region; and SUSat, a joint project between by the University of Adelaide and the University of <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/murray-river-south-australia/">South Australia.</a>

All three satellites, along with 37 other QB50 cubesats, will be launched to the International Space Station in December by an Orbital ATK Antares rocket from Wallops Island, Virginia, inside a Cygnus cargo freighter. The cubesats will be deployed from the ISS between a month or so after arrival, and drift down from the ISS's orbit of 380 km toward the target region. QB50 mission will study the thermosphere

"This is the most extensive exploration of the lower thermosphere ever, collecting measurements in the kind of detail never before tried," said Elias Aboutanios, project leader of UNSW-Ec0 and a senior lecturer at UNSW. "The satellites will operate for 3-9 months - and may last up to a year - orbiting this little-studied region of space, before their orbits decay and they re-enter the atmosphere and burn up."

Each cubesat also carries other instruments with its own engineering and scientific goals. UNSW-Ec0, for example, has three other experiments: a robust computer chip designed to avoid crashing in the harsh radiation of space, as some satellites and space probes are forced to do when hit by cosmic rays; a space-borne GPS to allow satellites to cluster together in swarms; and test a super-reliable computer microkernel in the harsh radiation of space.

In addition, UNSW-Ec0's chassis is made entirely from 3D-printed thermoplastic, itself an experiment to test the reliability of using 3D-printing to manufacture satellites, making them cheaper.


</div>

QB50 mission will study the thermosphere

QB50 mission will study the thermosphere. A flotilla of 50...

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

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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

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

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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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" 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 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



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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

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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

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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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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