Far beneath the Pacific, where the Philippine Sea Plate dives under Japan, researchers have finally caught a peculiar kind of earthquake in the act.



Instead of lurching violently, the shallow end of the Nankai Trough crept for weeks, shifting only millimeters at a time while instruments buried in the seabed recorded every move.



“It's like a ripple moving across the plate interface,” said Josh Edgington, who analyzed the data while completing his PhD at the <a href="https://ig.utexas.edu/">University of Texas Institute for Geophysics</a> (UTIG).



The event - technically a slow-slip earthquake - was first spotted in autumn 2015 and repeated in 2020. Each episode unzipped roughly 20 miles of the fault in slow motion, starting about 30 miles off Japan’s Kii Peninsula and migrating seaward toward the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-ocean-trenches-holding-water/">ocean trench</a>.



Onshore seismometers and GPS receivers were oblivious. Only a new network of borehole observatories, drilled hundreds of feet into the seabed, was sensitive enough to detect motion so subtle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detecting-earthquakes-from-below">Detecting earthquakes from below</h2>



Those boreholes are part of Japan’s ambitious scientific-<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drilling-hole-reveals-significant-presence-of-high-grade-gold-and-silver-navidad-deposit/">drilling</a> program, which set out to plug the blind spot in global earthquake monitoring.



Land-based arrays can pinpoint sudden jolts but cannot “listen” to the shallows of subduction zones - precisely the places where tsunami-spawning ruptures begin. Installed sensors measure fluid pressure, strain and tilt with exquisite precision, allowing scientists to see how strain accumulates and releases in real time.



For UTIG director Demian Saffer, who led the study, the advantage is obvious. Slow-slip signals, he said, give researchers a direct view of how the shallow plate boundary behaves between major quakes.



If this creeping zone regularly releases stress, it could limit the size of future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/650-foot-mega-tsunami-sends-seismic-waves-around-world-dickson-fjord-swot-mission/">tsunamis</a>. If not, the locked portion of the fault farther down-dip might still be primed for a magnitude-8 or 9 shock, similar to 1946, when a great Nankai earthquake leveled towns and killed more than 1,300 people.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-helps-faults-slip">Water helps faults slip</h2>



Both slow-slip events tracked by the borehole array unfolded in regions where pore-fluid pressures are unusually high.



That correlation supports a popular but difficult-to-prove theory: overpressured fluids lubricate faults, allowing sections to move quietly rather than break catastrophically.



In the Nankai data, the link is as clear as it has ever been, offering a new metric for judging the tsunami potential of similar faults worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tsunami-signs-from-afar">Tsunami signs from afar</h2>



While parts of Nankai appear to “creak and groan” in slow motion, the equivalent shallow segment off the Pacific Northwest known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-dangerous-part-of-this-west-coast-earthquake-fault-cascadia-subduction-zone/">Cascadia</a> may be silent. 



That worries scientists, because a silent, locked interface stores energy that can unleash one of Earth’s rare magnitude-9 megathrusts and the devastating tsunamis that follow.



“This is a place that we know has hosted magnitude 9 earthquakes and can spawn deadly tsunamis,” Saffer said.



“Are there creaks and groans that indicate the release of accumulated strain, or is fault near the trench deadly silent? Cascadia is a clear top-priority area for the kind of high-precision monitoring approach that we’ve demonstrated is so valuable at Nankai.”



Installing similar borehole observatories along Cascadia, Chile, and Indonesia - other corners of the Pacific “Ring of Fire” - could reveal whether those margins harbor their own stealthy slow quakes or remain locked tight to the trench. 



The answer would refine tsunami-hazard forecasts and perhaps buy coastal communities critical minutes of warning.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-creeping-fault-limits-big-earthquakes">Creeping fault limits big earthquakes</h2>



Taken together, the 2015 and 2020 Nankai slow-slip episodes suggest the shallow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-dangerous-part-of-this-west-coast-earthquake-fault-cascadia-subduction-zone/">fault</a> functions more like a tectonic shock absorber than a ticking bomb. By periodically releasing energy, it might reduce how much strain transfers to deeper, more dangerous segments.



Yet the scientists caution against complacency. The deeper Nankai interface and neighboring segments could still fail suddenly, as history shows.



For now, geophysicists are analyzing the rich new dataset to model how fluids, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-heat-and-earthquake-activity-is-there-a-connection/">temperature</a>, and rock composition govern the transition from silent creep to violent rupture.



Each slow-slip event is another frame in an expanding time-lapse of the earthquake cycle - one that could eventually reveal when the next big snap is likely to occur.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hearing-earthquakes-before-they-roar">Hearing earthquakes before they roar</h2>



Catch a fault in the middle of a slow-motion glide and you learn a simple truth: not every earthquake shouts. Some only whisper, rippling quietly through kilometres of rock.



By wiring the seabed for sound, scientists have begun to hear those whispers and, with them, the hidden conversations that decide when Earth decides to roar.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads9715">Science</a>.



Image Credit: Japan Meteorological Agency 



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Scientists detect a rare slow-motion earthquake along Japan’s tsunami fault

Far beneath the Pacific, where the Philippine Sea Plate dives under Japan, researchers have finally caught a peculiar kind of earthquake in the act. Instead of lurching violently, the shallow end of the Nankai Trough crept for weeks, shifting only millimeters at a time while instruments buried in the seabed recorded every move. “It's like a ripple moving across the plate interface,” said Josh Edgington, who analyzed the data while completing his PhD at the University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG). The event - technically a...

Panama disease is one of the most destructive plant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-heightens-risk-of-most-infectious-diseases/">diseases</a> of modern times. It is caused by a fungal pathogen called Fusarium oxysporum cubense, and is also known as Fusarium wilt. It infects banana plants, causing the leaves to turn yellow and wilt, the corm to rot and the vessels to become blocked. Infected plants will invariably die. The fungus is easily spread in the form of hardy spores residing in the soil and also by the transplantation of young banana suckers that appear uninfected but do, in fact, already carry the fungus.&nbsp;



Bananas are one of the most important crops in the world. Over 100 million metric tons are produced in total each year, in more than 150 countries. Not only are they exported and consumed world-wide, but also they provide staple local food for almost half a billion people. They are thus an essential calorie crop and a revenue-generating trade commodity.&nbsp;



In the 1950s, a race of the same fungus (Fusarium oxysporum cubense&nbsp;Race 1) was responsible for an outbreak of Panama disease that almost wiped out commercial banana production around the world. At that time the ‘Gros Michel’ cultivar was the dominant variety of banana and was relied upon for almost all exports. In order to overcome the disaster, a new variety known as ‘Cavendish’ was introduced. This cultivar was not susceptible to the disease and soon replaced the Gros Michel bananas in terms of exports.&nbsp;



Unfortunately, by 1967, a new race of the fungus, known as Tropical Race 4 (TR4), was detected in Taiwan and proved infectious even to the Cavendish variety of banana plants. Since then TR4 has spread rapidly to continents across the world; it reached Africa by 2015 and, by August 2019, had arrived in Colombia in Latin America, a region famed for being the world’s biggest exporters of bananas. This aggressive fungus once again places banana production in jeopardy, threatening to inflict enormous costs on farmers and local people who depend on the fruit for income as well as nutritional value.&nbsp;



The new Panama disease threat is of particular significance as Cavendish bananas currently account for about 40 percent of world production and more than 90 percent of all exports. Normally the best method of controlling fungi on crops is to use fungicides but, so far, none of the usual chemical measures has shown much efficacy against TR4. In a systematic new study, reported in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1010860">PLOS Pathogens</a>, University of Exeter scientists have now tested 21 fungicides of seven different types, in the hope of identifying a chemical agent that can control Panama disease.&nbsp;



Funded by the BBSRC Global Food Systems initiative (GFS), the team of researchers, led by Professor Steinberg and Professor Sarah Gurr, used a multi-disciplinary approach to improve their understanding of why the trusted fungicides did not appear to work on Panama disease. They tested the fungicides against TR4 spores and hyphae in laboratory cultures, as well as in infected banana corms and roots in the field. By combining expertise in cell and molecular biology, bioinformatics and plant pathology, the team revealed that all major classes of single-site fungicides do not work against this troublesome pathogen.&nbsp;



Their results did, however, provide insight about the molecular reason behind the “tolerance” of these fungicides exhibited by Fusarium TR4. Guided by this understanding, the research team tested seven different multi-site fungicides and discovered that some of this specialized class of anti-fungal chemistries, not previously used on bananas, are toxic to TR4 spores. Further tests using different concentrations of these potentially effective fungicides, and monitoring for possible negative outcomes on plant leaves and corms, revealed two types of fungicides that do protected bananas against TR4-induced Panama disease. They identify these substances as captan and three types of mono-alkyl lipophilic cations (MALCS).



This discovery opens new avenues to develop efficient control strategies and provides a significant step forwards in the fight to protect this valuable crop. Professor Steinberg, who led the molecular and cellular aspects of the work, said: “Bananas are Britain's favorite fruit and Panama disease may ‘wipe’ them off the supermarket shelves. On top, millions of people in producer countries live on bananas. Providing an important step towards safeguarding bananas from Panama disease gives me great pride.”



"Our success is due to an enormous amount of dedicated work over several years with co-workers with hugely disparate skills," said Professor Sarah Gurr, the plant pathology expert who led all work on banana infection and pathogen cultivation. "We are highly delighted and excited by the outcome of our work and by the glimmer of hope that the beloved banana may remain as part of our daily diet.”



Professor Dan Bebber, who was not involved in the study but heads the Exeter Global Food Security program, said: “This work has rather excitingly opened the door to development of safe and effective ways of protecting the UK’s favorite fruit by demonstrating good levels of disease control with lesser known antifungals. It also confirms that basic research has the potential to provide answers to pressing challenges in global food security.”



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New research will help keep bananas on supermarket shelves

Panama disease is one of the most destructive plant diseases...

During evolution, when there are limited resources available, plants and animals often compete for nutrients, mates, and habitats. This makes the flower-covered meadows of China’s Hengduan mountains an evolutionary mystery, sporting dozens of species of closely-related rhododendrons – a family of flowering shrubs – which all live in harmony. Now, a team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> in Chicago has found that these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-formation-led-to-an-explosion-in-plant-diversity/">plants</a> are able to co-exist because they burst into bloom at different times of the season, and thus, don’t have to compete for pollinators.&nbsp;



“There’s this basic idea in ecology of the niche, that a species’ lifestyle, like what it eats and how it fits into the environment, cannot be replicated in the same community. If two species with the same lifestyle are living in the same space, they’ll compete with each other, so either one or both of them will adapt to have different, non-overlapping lifestyles, or they’ll go extinct,” explained study lead author Rick Ree, a curator at the Field Museum. “Since there are so many closely-related species of&nbsp;rhododendrons all living together in these mountains, we wanted to figure out how they were able to co-exist.”



According to Ree, the rhododendron diversity in this area is partly caused by speciation – the divergence of new ecologically-similar species from a common ancestor. This process, however, would theoretically increase the likelihood that the various species will need to compete with one another. Thus, in order to survive, they need to adapt so they can co-exist, by using different strategies.



“They can become very different in terms of their preferences for soil, light, and moisture, very basic physiological functional traits,” Ree said. “They can also evolve differences to reduce this potential for cross pollination or competing for pollinators. That would be manifested through differences in flower shape, size, or color, or could be manifested in when they make their flowers available for pollinators. By partitioning that timeline, they can reduce their chances of wasting their pollen and the resources that go into reproduction.”



By examining over 100 sites in the Hengduan mountains four times throughout the season, the scientists discovered that the key factor in allowing these plants to co-exist was that they all flower at different times. Unfortunately, while this strategy allows them to survive and share resources, it also makes the highly sensitive to climate change.



“There’s abundant evidence that the pace of climate change is messing with plants’ flowering times, causing population declines and extinctions. The question is, how are plant communities around the globe going to respond? Weather is part of what signals them to blossom, and since climate change affects the weather, it’s likely to shift that competitive landscape. When the environment changes, species have three choices: you move, you adapt, or you die. Climate change is accelerating that dynamic,”&nbsp;Ree concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1365-2745.14002">Journal of Ecology</a>.&nbsp;



Image Credit: Qin Li



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Flowers share resources by blooming at different times

During evolution, when there are limited resources available, plants and...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-confirms-microplastics-have-entered-our-food-chain/">Microplastics</a> are tiny pieces of plastic which can get into our bodies through our food, drinks, or even the air that we breathe. Although scientists are not yet sure what is the effect of these compounds on human health, increasingly more studies have provided clear evidence that exposure to microplastics can lead to oxidative stress, inflammation, and even DNA damage.&nbsp;



A research team led by <a href="https://en.scu.edu.cn/">Sichuan University</a> in China has now found that drinking a single cup of takeaway coffee per week could expose a person to over 90,000 microplastic particles each year.



The scientists examined three different types of plastic cups in which takeaway coffee is usually served: polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyethylene (PE). They filled each of the three kinds of cups with 400 milliliters of water, sealed them with foil to avoid airborne microplastics entering the cups, and shook them for one minute. These procedures were carried out on a clean glass beaker, in order to avoid potential procedural contaminations.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that, in about five minutes, the number of microplastic particles in the water reached between 723 and 1,489 particles per cup. Polypropylene cups produced the highest numbers of particles, which is highly concerning, considering the widespread use of such materials all over the world.&nbsp;



Moreover, cups containing hot liquids released significantly more microplastics than those with cold ones. Finally, shaking of the cups – which is common in the case of takeaway coffee – further promoted the release of microplastics.



“Based on the results, we estimated that people may unconsciously ingest 37,613–89,294 microplastics a year due to the use of one plastic cup every 4–5 days. Considering the potential harm of microplastics, the contamination of microplastics resulting from the use of plastic cups for drinks needs to be taken seriously,” the authors warned.



The study is published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2022.129982">Journal of Hazardous Materials</a>.&nbsp;



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

One carryout coffee could expose you to 1,500 plastic particles

Microplastics are tiny pieces of plastic which can get into...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vitamin-d-is-essential-for-heart-health/">Vitamin D</a> deficiency is currently considered by many as a pandemic, affecting over one billion people worldwide. This vitamin is well-known for its major role in maintaining calcium levels in the body, contributing to the proper functioning of bones and muscles. However, its range of biological functions is much wider, and prolonged vitamin D deficiency has been linked to a variety of health conditions, such as heart and autoimmune diseases, cancers, and respiratory infections.



While vitamin D’s function in humans has been widely explored, comparatively little is known about its role in non-human primates. Now, an international team of scientists and zoo veterinarians has set up a Europe-wide research project to investigate the presence and role of this vitamin in chimpanzees. Their analysis revealed that inadequate vitamin D levels are widespread in chimpanzees living in Europe, which could turn out to be a significant risk factors for the development of Idiopathic Myocardial Fibrosis (IMF), a mysterious heart condition that commonly affects them.



“This is essential research to further understand the factors contributing to maintaining a healthy in-human-care chimpanzee population for the future of the species. Such a wide range of individuals and locations has not been explored before and this reveals potential new ways to care for these animals,” said study co-author Melissa Grant, a senior scientist at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a>.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples from around 20 percent of the chimpanzees living in Europe in 32 zoos and sanctuaries, and found significant vitamin D deficiencies in many of these samples. However, the findings showed that unlimited outdoor access resulted in higher vitamin D levels, even for animals living in Northern Europe, where sunny days are relatively rare. Moreover, there were also differences in vitamin D between seasons – as it happens in humans too. Yet, for many chimpanzees their end-of-summer vitamin D levels are usually not high enough to avoid winter deficiencies.&nbsp;



“Vitamin D plays an important role in the transcriptional control of pro-fibrogenic and pro-inflammatory factors in the body, so adequate Vitamin D levels are vital for the health of chimpanzees in our care,” said study senior author Kerstin Baiker, a pathologist at the <a href="https://www.cityu.edu.hk/">City University of Hong Kong</a>.&nbsp;



These findings could inform how chimpanzees are cared for in zoos and sanctuaries, hopefully contributing to improvements in welfare standards. “This is a really good example of clinical research informing best practice: unlimited outdoor access for these captive animals is likely to be more important than we previously thought,” concluded co-author Kate White, an expert in Veterinary Medicine at the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-21211-6">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Many European chimps suffer from vitamin D deficiency

Vitamin D deficiency is currently considered by many as a...

With a population of over 7,000 individuals spread across the Carpathian Mountains and neighboring areas, Romania has the highest density of brown <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/untangling-the-history-of-polar-bears-and-brown-bears/">bears</a> in Europe. However, as they often inhabit human-populated areas, conflicts with people are not uncommon. Recently, a team of researchers led by the&nbsp;<a href="https://unibuc.ro/?lang=en">University of Bucharest</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://en.asociacionchelonia.org/inicio">Chelonia Romania</a> has explored how Romanian media depict human-bear interactions, and found that media depictions are largely negative, thus hindering conservation efforts.



“The media play an influential role in how the public perceives brown bears, thus, it can promote human-wildlife coexistence or exacerbate future conflicts,” the scientists explained. Their investigations revealed that news stories related to brown bears became common only after 2016, following a one-year ban on culling, and increased dramatically in 2021, after the whistleblowing of an alleged trophy hunting event.&nbsp;



Most of the media reports were about human-bear interactions, hunting, and poaching, offering to the public very little context and information on how to avoid conflicts. Moreover, articles focusing on the biology and ecology of brown bear were scarce, indicating less consideration of the ecological significance and impact of human activities on bears’ conservation status.



These articles’ attitude toward brown bears was predominantly negative (in 53 percent of the cases), using phrases such as: “At any moment the people can find themselves in front of a hungry bear;” “Beyond the horror they live with every day, they have lost their patience and trust in the authorities;” and “People are afraid of the worst.”&nbsp;



Even when reporting encounters with bears with no casualties, Romanian media continued to promote a negative image of the bears to their audiences. “Focusing on alarming messages without offering evidence or advice can increase fear and undermine efforts to protect the species and the welfare of society,” the researchers wrote.



Most importantly, the experts discovered that media outlets failed to consult wildlife and conservation biologists when reporting on human-bear interactions. According to the scientists, this could be because the experts are reluctant to take part in these debates, or because the media is not interested in bringing more scientific context to their reports.



“In conclusion, increasing the frequency of reporting interaction events with alarming messages can only lower the level of tolerance for wildlife and negatively influence political decisions regarding the management of the brown bear population. Evidence-informed news can help authorities better understand conflicts and create bottom-up pathways toward an optimistic future for brown bears and Romanian society,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.50.86019">Nature Conservation</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How are brown bears depicted by Romanian media?

With a population of over 7,000 individuals spread across the...

Out gut microbiome consists of thousands of microorganisms that play an essential role in digesting nutrients and can have both positive and negative effects on our health. While the mechanisms of how the gut microbiome impacts human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dietary-changes-can-improve-the-health-of-shift-workers/">health</a> is still under scientific investigation, new evidence suggests that eating specific kinds of food influences the type of bacteria living in our gut and their health-related role. For instance, a new study led by <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King’s College London</a> (KCL) has found that eating a handful of almonds per day significantly increases the production of butyrate, a short-chain fatty acid promoting gut health.



The scientists recruited 87 healthy adult participants who were already eating less than the recommended amounts of fibers and who typically snacked on unhealthy foods such as chocolate or crisps. The participants were split into three groups: the first group changed their snacks for 56 grams of whole almonds per day, the second one for 56 grams of ground almonds per day, and the control group ate energy-matched muffins during the course of a month.&nbsp;



Researchers discovered that butyrate – a fatty acid which is the main source of fuel for the cells lining the colon, contributing to a strong gut wall that can easily absorb nutrients, and allowing beneficial gut microbes to flourish – was significantly higher among almond eaters compared to those that consumed muffins. While no major difference was observed in gut transit time among the three groups, whole-almond eaters had an additional 1.5 bowel movements per week, suggesting that eating almonds could also benefit people with constipation.



Thus, eating whole and ground almonds can improve people’s diets, providing them with higher intakes of monounsaturated fatty acids, fiber, potassium, and other important nutrients. “Part of the way in which the gut microbiota impact human health is through the production of short-chain fatty acids, such as butyrate. These molecules act as a fuel source for cells in the colon, they regulate absorption of other nutrients in the gut, and help balance the immune system. We think these findings suggest almond consumption may benefit bacterial metabolism in a way that has the potential to influence human health,” concluded study lead author Kevin Wheelan, an expert in Nutritional Sciences at KCL.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac265">American Journal of Clinical Nutrition</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A daily dose of almonds can boost gut health

Out gut microbiome consists of thousands of microorganisms that play...

The Covid-19 pandemic affected people all over the world in different ways, and the high uncertainties that accompanied this unprecedented situation caused fear and anxiety for many. During the pandemic, social media platforms such as Twitter was a major information source for many people, due to the quick and easily digestible news that it constantly provided. Sadly, such platforms also contributed to the spread of various <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/conspiracy-theory-believers-small-crimes/">conspiracy theories</a>, rumors, and outright lies, which had an adverse impact on people’s compliance with public health measures.



Now, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://iiasa.ac.at/">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis</a> (IIASA) has analyzed the Twitter discussions of eight different widespread conspiracy theories. Instead of measuring the number of conspiracy-related tweets relative to the total number of tweets – as previous studies did – the researchers analyzed the discussions around conspiracy tweets themselves in order to find out more about what specific theories were discussed, to what extent, and how the frequency of these discussions changed over time.



The scientists collected a data set of nearly 1.3 million tweets associated to conspiracy theories between January 2020 and November 2021. These data included tweets related to eight different conspiracy theories: the 5G, Big Pharma, Bill Gates, biological weapon, exaggeration, Film Your Hospital, Genetically Modified Organism (GMO), and vaccine conspiracies.&nbsp;



“Analyzing the distribution of tweets citing different conspiracy theories over time allowed us to instantly determine when the discussion of which theory prevailed and how the distribution changed over the time period we investigated,” said study lead author Dmitry Erokhin, a scientist in the Cooperation and Transformative Governance Research Group at IIASA.



The analyses revealed that conspiracy theories differed in terms of their development. For instance, some peaked at the beginning of the pandemic (the 5G and Film Your Hospital theories), some grew during the pandemic (the vaccine-related theories), others remained persistent during the pandemic (the Bill Gates and exaggeration theories), and some had two peaks (the GMO and the biological weapon theories). The number of active Covid-19 cases appeared to be a significant predictor for the frequency of conspiracy tweets a week later for seven of the theories.



According to the researchers, risk perceptions play a large role in the emergence and proliferation of conspiracy theories, which usually aim to describe difficult and unexpected events with a high personal risk. Fear and distrust drive people to search for seemingly logical explanations of the pandemic and bring together like-minded individuals, forming so-called “echo-chambers” consisting of, for example, pro- versus anti-vaccine groups.



“Conspiracy theories are an important part of the Covid-19 discussion, and they influence people’s behavior. In this regard, it is important to be careful and critical in evaluating the information we receive, especially from social media. This makes our findings important for policymakers, as it can help them identify theories that remain persistent despite two years of pandemic development and anti-conspiracy news campaigns, and to develop measures aimed specifically at combating the remaining conspiracies,” concluded co-author Nadejda Komendantova, the leader of the Cooperation and Transformative Governance Research Group at IIASA.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/20563051221126051">Social Media and Society</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why do Covid conspiracy theories persist on social media?

The Covid-19 pandemic affected people all over the world in...

The Southern Ocean is important to the health of the planet. The waters around Antarctica play key roles in global temperature and sea levels. This frigid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/open-water-is-accelerating-ocean-acidification-in-the-arctic/">ocean</a> is also teeming with a surprising amount of life, including sea lions, penguins, and whales. 



While the international community has long afforded the Southern Ocean some protection, a new paper published in the journal <a href="http://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add9480?adobe_mc=MCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1666364390&amp;_ga=2.171266976.1096385489.1666364390-737731294.1666364390">Science</a> shows that this protection isn’t enough. Researchers from the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> and other institutions are calling on the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Living Marine Resources (CCAMLR) and other nations to do more.



“With no Indigenous Peoples in Antarctica, and no local fishing communities, exploitation of the waters surrounding Antarctica has always been the result of industrial distant water activities,” explained study lead author Dr. Cassandra Brooks, professor of environmental studies at the University of Colorado Boulder.&nbsp;



“Species such as toothfish, the region’s top fish predator, Antarctic krill, and mackerel are being overexploited by fishers, to the detriment of the Southern Ocean ecosystem, including local fauna, such as whales and native seabirds.”&nbsp;



Dr. Brooks pointed out that the krill fishing industry in the area killed three young humpback whales, 16 seals, and 59 seabirds over the period of two seasons.



Climate change will make the situation worse, and with warming oceans, it may be possible for the area to host year-round fishing, increasing the pressure on wildlife. Fishing in such remote areas also creates a much bigger carbon footprint than in many regions.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Antarctic fish have been easily overexploited, and many of these fisheries continue to be economically viable only on account of government subsidies which, as has been shown, contribute to overfishing,” said study senior author Dr. Rashid Sumaila, professor at the UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF).&nbsp;



“The remoteness of the Antarctic means that fuel use is high, leaving a disproportionate carbon footprint for fishing. Further, some fisheries are still targeted by illegal, unregulated, and unreported fisheries.”



The researchers hope that protected areas can be expanded and more strict fishing regulations implemented during the CCAMLR meetings over this week and the next.&nbsp;



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Experts are calling to halt fishing in Antarctica

The Southern Ocean is important to the health of the...

Scientists have long debated when the majestic Yosemite Valley in California formed. While some argue that it all started 50 million years ago, when the granite through which the valley cuts was first exposed to the elements, others believe that canyons in the southern Sierra Nevada began to form only about 30 million years ago. Still others claim that the valley only began to form after the Sierra tilted toward the west some five million years ago, or when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-could-unleash-dangerous-viruses/">glaciers</a> formed in a cooling climate two to three million years ago.



Now, a team of geologists from the University of California, Berkeley employed a novel technique of rock analysis to get a more precise answer. Their analysis revealed that much of Yosemite Valley’s impressive depth was carved since ten million years ago, or most likely even more recently, about five million years ago, with rivers performing the initial carving in a preexistent shallow valley.&nbsp;



“Yosemite Valley is one of the most famous topographic features on the planet,” said study lead author&nbsp;Kurt Cuffey, a professor of Geography and of Earth and Planetary Science at UC Berkeley. “And of course, if you go to Yosemite Park and read the signage, they will give you numbers for when it became a deep canyon. But up until this project, every single claim about how old this valley is, when it formed a deep canyon, was just based on assumptions and speculation.”



“We know that the Sierra was a high mountain range 100 million years ago, when the granite was forming at depth. It was a chain of volcanoes that might have looked a bit like the Andes Mountains in South America,” added study co-author Greg Stock, a Yosemite National Park geologist. “The question really is whether the elevation has just been coming down through erosion since that time or whether it came down some and then was uplifted again more recently. At this point, based on studies I’ve done for most of my career and supported by this study, I see a lot of evidence for recent uplift happening sometime in the last five million years.”



According to the researchers, this uplift – which occurred around the same time that earthquake faulting in the eastern Sierra Nevada gave rise to an escarpment several kilometers high – steepened the western slopes and rivers, causing them to incise valleys more quickly.



Although there was some kind of valley in place for tens of millions of years — a river-carved canyon associated with the ancient Sierra Nevada - only in the last five million years renewed uplift of the range through westward tilting caused rivers to steepen and deepen the canyons that they passed through, carving out more of Yosemite Valley and forming the Tenaya Canyon. 



Afterward, during the last two to three million years, as the climate cooled and glaciers descended through the Tenaya Canyon and into Yosemite Valley, they further sculpted the rock, deepening and widening the valley. “So, there’s some component of an old Yosemite Valley. But I think this recent work shows that much more of that topography is younger, rather than older,” Stock concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/B36497.1">Geological Society of America Bulletin</a>.&nbsp;



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How old is the Yosemite Valley?

Scientists have long debated when the majestic Yosemite Valley in...

Although scientists have already noticed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimpanzees-use-distinctive-drumming-styles-to-communicate/">chimpanzees</a> can coordinate their actions when working towards a goal – such as pulling a string to release food – much less was known about their propensity to coordinate spontaneously. Now, a team of experts from the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/">University of St Andrews</a> and the <a href="https://www.ceu.edu/">Central European University</a> in Vienna has found that chimps share a well-known human tendency to unintentionally synchronize their steps when walking alongside one another.



By recording the walking behavior of chimpanzees at the Chimfunshi Wildlife Orphanage Trust (a sanctuary in Zambia) both when walking alone and when walking next to others, the scientists observed that chimps exhibit unintentional synchronization in their steps when walking next to one another. These findings suggest that humans’ strong tendency to coordinate simple actions is shared with one of our closest primate relatives, and it might thus be an ancestral trait.



“Humans deliberately plan and coordinate actions with others during sport games, group dances, musical ensembles, or military actions. But it is also part of our daily life – like carrying items together or getting a child dressed. Indeed, joint actions have been suggested to be crucial for our success as a species because much more can be achieved together than alone. In fact, we can’t help it and coordinate actions even when it is not necessary to do so, such as falling into the same rhythm with someone walking next to us,” explained study lead author Manon Schweinfurth, a lecturer in Psychology and Neuroscience at St Andrews.



“In contrast, one of our closest living relatives, the chimpanzee, does not appear to show the same preference for rather complex joint actions. But little is known about simpler forms of joint action, such as a tendency to fall into inter-individual synchrony. Chimpanzees are particularly interesting here, as they are a good model for our last common ancestor with other African great apes.”



The new study, which involved both male and female chimpanzees of different ages, has provided clear evidence that, when they walked together, a step by one walker was followed by the same respective foot of the other walker in 79 percent of the cases within less than half a second.



“This study provides evidence that chimpanzees temporally synchronize their body movements to the movements of their conspecifics. This interpersonal coordination of movements is often called entrainment and relies on perception-action links that become coupled. Understanding which mechanisms humans share with other species can help us understand the evolutionary origins of more sophisticated forms of joint action,” Dr. Schweinfurth concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.09.059">Current Biology</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Chimpanzees synchronize their steps when walking together

Although scientists have already noticed that chimpanzees can coordinate their...

Scientists have long been puzzled by the fact that, across the North American continent, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wolves-improve-the-genetic-fitness-of-moose-populations/">wolves</a> tend to change their coat color: while in the Arctic Canada and other northern areas wolves tend to be grey, in the south, most of them are black. Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> has found that patterns of infectious diseases can drive coat coloring in wolf populations.&nbsp;



Coat color in wolves is determined by a gene called CPD103: depending on the variant of this gene that a specific wolf has, its coat can be either grey or black. By examining 12 wolf populations across North America, the scientists discovered that this gene also plays a major role in protecting against respiratory diseases such as the canine distemper virus (CDV) disease. The analyses revealed that most of the black wolves had CDV antibodies (suggesting that they contracted the disease in the past and survived), and that this coloring was more frequent in areas where CDV outbreaks occurred. Thus, black wolves appeared to be more likely to survive CDV outbreaks compared to grey wolves.



By analyzing 20 years-worth of data from the wolf population at the Yellowstone National Park, the scientists found that, in areas where CDV outbreaks occur, wolves would often choose mates of the opposite color in order to maximize the chance that their cubs would have black coats.



“It’s intriguing that the gene for protection against CDV came from domestic dogs brought by the first humans entering North America, and the CDV disease virus emerged in North America many thousands of years later, once again from dogs,” said study co-author Peter Hudson, a professor of Biology at the <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a>.



“What I love about this study is how we have been able to bring together experts from so many fields and a range of approaches to show how disease can have remarkable impacts on wolf morphology and behavior. We are learning that disease is a major evolutionary driver that impacts so many aspect aspects of animal populations.”



According to the scientists, other animal species – such as insects, amphibians, birds, and some non-human mammals – may also have evolved associations between color patterns and disease resistance, leading them to conclude that the presence of a disease, or the frequency of disease outbreaks, are major factors affecting the color of mate an animal prefers.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abi8745">Science</a>.



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Disease has influenced wolf colors across North America

Scientists have long been puzzled by the fact that, across...

Although the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-amazon-is-the-main-source-of-rain-in-the-atacama-desert/">Atacama desert</a>, which stretches for 1,600 kilometers along the western coast of South America, is the Earth’s driest place, it is far from barren. Many plant species that are adapted to extreme conditions thrive here. Moreover, about every five to ten years, this desert hosts one of the world’s most spectacular sights: the so-called “desierto florido” (“blooming desert”) – amazing flower mass blooms that usually occur after rainfall.&nbsp;



Now, an international team of scientists has investigated which physiological and evolutionary mechanisms enable the great diversity of shapes, colors, and visual patterns of flowers during desiertos floridos, and how pollinators for whose benefit such visual extravaganza evolved, perceive these variations.&nbsp;



“Our aim was to shed light on the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that cause biological diversity in extreme environments like the Atacama desert,” said study first author Jaime Martínez-Harms, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.inia.cl/">Institute of Agricultural Research</a> in Chile.



“Here we show that flowers of the pussypaw&nbsp;Cistanthe longiscapa,&nbsp;a representative species for&nbsp;desiertos floridos&nbsp;in the Atacama desert, are highly variable in the color and patterns they present to pollinators. This variability probably results from different so-called ‘betalain’ pigments in the flower petals.”



During desiertos floridos, C. longiscapa – an annual plant growing up to 20 centimeters which blooms in patches of purple and yellow flowers, with numerous intermediate (reddish, pinkish, white) flowers in-between – appears to be the dominant species in the Atacama desert, suggesting that purple and yellow morphs are heritable variants that can be interbred.



In order to clarify how pollinators – mostly hymenopterans such as wasps and bees - perceive these flowers, the scientists used cameras sensitive to visible light and UV, together with spectrometers to measure the reflection, absorption, and transmission of different wavelengths of 110 purple, yellow, pink, and while C. longiscapa flowers, which helped them create composite images of these variants as seen by various species of pollinators.



The results showed that the diversity perceptible to pollinators was greater than what the human eye can perceive, since these insects can also distinguish between flowers with a high versus low UV reflection.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, the visual diversity of the flowers is due to differences between betalains (yellow, orange, and purple pigments) that not only give flowers their colors, but also protect them from drought, salt stress, and damage from the reactive oxygen radicals under environmental stress. Moreover, this diversity appears to be driven by differences in the sensitivity and preference for different colors and patterns across various species of pollinators.



“The great variation in flower color within&nbsp;C. longiscapa&nbsp;can be explained if different species of pollinating insects, through their preference for particular flower colors and patterns, could cause these variants to become reproductively isolated from other individuals of the same plant species. This ongoing process could ultimately lead to the origin of new races or species,” said Martínez-Harms.&nbsp;



“In our next studies, we will further investigate the chemical identity and the biological synthesis pathways of betalains and other flower pigments, as well as their relationship to traits such as the scents produced by the flowers. This should help us to understand their role in shaping the interactions between plants and their pollinators, and in the plants’ tolerance to biotic and abiotic stressors under fluctuating climate conditions,”&nbsp;he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.957318">Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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.



---



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Desert flower diversity is driven by pollinators

Although the Atacama desert, which stretches for 1,600 kilometers along...

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



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



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



---



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



---



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



---



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



---



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



---



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



---



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



---



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



---



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



---



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



---



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

News coming your way