The Earth spins steadily, but not without a wobble. While we imagine the North and South Poles as fixed points, they’re not exactly anchored. Over time, they shift slightly, influenced by how mass is distributed across the globe. 



Ice sheets melt, tectonic plates shift, and oceans swell. But now, researchers have revealed that humans, through dam building, have also nudged the planet’s spin ever so slightly.



In a quiet but measurable way, our thirst for water control and hydroelectric energy has shifted the Earth's poles. From the earliest major dams in the 19th century to the massive reservoirs constructed in Asia and Africa during the 20th century, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-impacting-earths-rotation/">effect</a> has grown stronger. 



According to a study published in the journal Geophysical Research Letters, this phenomenon has moved Earth’s rotational axis by more than a meter (3.3 feet) since 1835.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dam-building-shifts-earth-s-poles">Dam building shifts Earth’s poles</h2>



True polar wander refers to the shifting of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetic-north-pole-is-moving-faster-than-ever-as-it-races-toward-russia/">Earth</a>’s solid outer shell relative to its spin axis. This motion occurs when mass on the planet’s surface moves around. 



Think of Earth like a spinning basketball. Place a lump of clay on one side, and the ball shifts slightly to balance the extra weight. When this happens on Earth, the solid crust adjusts its position, moving relative to the axis of rotation. The poles then pass through new locations on the surface.



Traditionally, this phenomenon has been linked to natural processes like glacial melting. But the recent study by Natasha Valencic and her team at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a> shows that human activity, specifically water impoundment from dam construction, has become another significant contributor. 



The findings suggest that this artificial redistribution of mass has created a measurable shift in the Earth’s pole positions.



“As we trap water behind dams, not only does it remove water from the oceans, thus leading to a global sea level fall, it also distributes mass in a different way around the world,” said Valencic. That mass, once fluid and ocean-bound, is now stored in still reservoirs scattered across continents.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-poles-moved-in-two-phases">Earth’s poles moved in two phases</h2>



Using data from the Global Reservoir and Dam (GRanD) database, the researchers mapped the water storage of 6,862 artificial reservoirs from 1835 to 2011. The dam analysis revealed a striking, non-linear shift in the Earth’s poles. 



From 1835 to 1954, dam building focused heavily in North America and Europe. This caused the North Pole to move about eight inches toward 103.4°E, a direction passing through Russia and parts of Asia.



After 1954, the pattern of dam construction changed. Major projects emerged across East Africa and Asia. As a result, the pole reversed direction, moving 22.5 inches toward −117.5°E, roughly through the western United States and into the South Pacific. 



These changes did not follow a smooth path. The polar motion was highly variable, influenced by the size and location of dams being built over time.



Across the entire study period, the poles shifted about 44.6 inches. Notably, 40.9 inches of that motion occurred during the 20th century. This finding suggests that modern infrastructure, rather than long-term natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/this-is-what-the-total-collapse-of-the-earths-magnetic-field-sounded-like-41000-years-ago/">processes</a> alone, has become a key factor in Earth's orientation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dams-and-earth-s-pole-positions">Dams and Earth's pole positions</h2>



To track these subtle shifts, the team used a detailed physical model. They combined gravitationally self-consistent sea level theory with equations for rotational stability. 



The researchers accounted for how Earth’s crust responds elastically to mass changes, and how these changes, in turn, influence Earth’s spin.



The Earth model used, known as PREM (Preliminary Reference Earth Model), includes variations in Earth’s density and elasticity. The team also incorporated seepage, the loss of stored water into surrounding soils, using a parameterization method from earlier work by Chao et al. (2008). 



Despite excluding about 28 percent of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-magnetic-field-is-shifting-and-putting-navigation-at-risk/">global</a> impoundment volume, mainly from smaller dams, the results remained consistent. 



The missing volume came mostly from minor reservoirs, each contributing less than 0.024 cubic miles, and these had minimal influence on the final polar calculations.



To test the significance of these smaller dams, the team plotted how pole position changed with each added reservoir. After about 6,000 of the largest were included, the results stabilized. This confirmed that the many small, excluded dams had negligible overall effect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dam-water-storage-and-sea-levels">Dam water storage and sea levels</h2>



Global sea levels are rising today, but during the 20th century, the creation of reservoirs temporarily offset this trend. The researchers found that the 6,862 dams in their study led to a sea level drop of 0.86 inches between 1900 and 2011.



This artificial dip matters. While it’s small compared to the rise caused by melting glaciers and warming oceans, it complicates calculations. 



“Depending on where you place dams and reservoirs, the geometry of sea level rise will change. That’s another thing we need to consider, because these changes can be pretty large, pretty significant," said Valencic.



In the first half of the 20th century, the mean polar motion rate from impoundment was about 0.12 inches per year. 



In the second half, it rose to 0.37 inches per year, a threefold increase. The pole's changing pace mirrors the rapid expansion of dam building after 1950.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revisiting-old-assumptions">Revisiting old assumptions </h2>



Previous studies underestimated the effect of dam-induced polar wander. One earlier estimate in 2008 suggested a mean movement of −0.06 inches per year in the east direction and −0.31 inches per year northward across the 20th century.



But Valencic’s team found it was actually −0.12 inches per year and −0.09 inches per year, respectively. This difference matters because it rebalances the budget of polar motion. 



Scientists trying to understand how much glaciers, groundwater, or ocean changes contribute to Earth's spin now have to subtract out the dam effect. Without this correction, estimates about ice loss and sea level rise remain incomplete.



Interestingly, the influence of dam building didn’t act alone in shifting Earth's poles. The researchers also modeled how the oceans responded to displaced water. 



While water impoundment dominated the first half of the century, the second half saw both dam storage and ocean mass redistribution playing nearly equal roles in shaping Earth’s polar path.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-subtle-shift-in-earth-s-poles">Subtle shift in Earth's poles</h2>



This study began as a classroom project at Harvard but quickly grew into a deeper investigation of Earth’s shifting balance. It reveals that something as mundane as a dam, one of civilization’s most common tools, has reshaped the geography of our spinning planet.



The pole has not leapt across continents. It has crept, step by engineered step, with every new concrete wall holding back a river. While not disastrous on its own, this shift reveals a truth: our actions reach farther than we often imagine.



Every dam, every floodgate, becomes part of the Earth’s momentum. What we store on land doesn’t just change rivers. It nudges Earth’s rotation, redistributes the weight of water, and contributes silently to a planet that, while spinning, is never truly still.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL115468" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Dams built by humans have shifted Earth’s poles

The Earth spins steadily, but not without a wobble. While we imagine the North and South Poles as fixed points, they’re not exactly anchored. Over time, they shift slightly, influenced by how mass is distributed across the globe. Ice sheets melt, tectonic plates shift, and oceans swell. But now, researchers have revealed that humans, through dam building, have also nudged the planet’s spin ever so slightly. In a quiet but measurable way, our thirst for water control and hydroelectric energy has shifted the Earth's poles. From the...

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://en.ilmatieteenlaitos.fi/">Finnish Meteorological Institute</a> in Helsinki has recently confirmed that, over the past four decades, the Arctic has been <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-arctic-is-warming-four-times-faster-than-the-rest-of-the-planet/">warming</a> four times faster than the rest of the world, with some areas – such as the Barents Sea north of Russia and Norway – warming up to seven times faster. This rapid heating is largely caused by a feedback loop in which warming melts the sea ice, exposing more of the Arctic Ocean to sunlight and leading to more warming, which in turn leads to even more melting and warming, resulting in a phenomenon called Arctic amplification.



An immediate effect of rapid Arctic warming is the faster melting of the Greenland ice sheet, which contributes to sea-level rise. However, the impacts of this phenomenon extend well beyond the Arctic regions, giving rise to extreme weather events, such as heatwaves, massive rainfall, and storms in North America and other parts of the globe. For instance, recent events such as the deadly heatwaves clamping down Europe, the heavy rainfall that flooded Seoul, or the McKinney wildfire that continues to rage in Northern California are at least partly correlated to the rapid heating of the Arctic.



According to the scientists, warming has caused the Arctic’s fundamental climate to change to one characterized more by liquid water than ice, which has a profound effect on plants, animals, and human living there. The loss of sea ice is endangering polar bear populations, which affects the well-being of local communities who have hunted them for centuries, while sailing routes that were perpetually filled with ice are now opening up, increasing the environmental risks of ocean shipping to once pristine waters. Moreover, shorelines are eroding more quickly, and permafrost is thawing at unprecedented rates, leading to increased greenhouse gas emissions and damaging Arctic infrastructure.



These phenomena are still largely underrepresented by existing climate models and previous research. “Numerous studies report that the Arctic is warming either twice, more than twice, or even three times as fast as the globe on average.&nbsp;Here we show, by using several observational datasets which cover the Arctic region, that during the last 43 years, the Arctic has been warming nearly four times faster than the globe, which is a higher ratio than generally reported in literature,” the authors wrote. “Our results call for more detailed investigation of mechanisms behind Arctic amplification and their representation in climate models,” they concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-022-00498-3">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

The Arctic has warmed four times faster than the rest of the planet

A team of researchers from the Finnish Meteorological Institute in...

On the eve of <a href="https://worldelephantday.org/">World Elephant Day</a> (August 12), an analysis of social media posts led by <a href="https://www.griffith.edu.au/">Griffith University</a> in Australia has highlighted how the type of attention <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/elephants-have-personality-traits-that-help-them-solve-problems/">elephants</a> receive on Twitter does not align with the most pressing threats to wild elephants. This phenomenon may have negative consequences for elephant conservation and lead to resentment from the local communities that live with elephants.&nbsp;



According to the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN), the most pressing threats elephants currently face are habitat loss, human-elephant conflict, and poaching, with the magnitude of each threat varying between the three species of elephants (the African Forest Elephant, the African Savanna Elephant, and the Asian Elephant).&nbsp;



“The key highlights were that of the three main threats to wild elephants – being poached, habitat loss, and human-elephant conflict – there was a lack of attention on Twitter specifically around habitat loss and human-elephant conflict,” said study lead author Niall Hammond, a doctoral student in Wildlife Conservation at the Griffith University.&nbsp;“Our Twitter analysis revealed these major threats were infrequently discussed, with habitat loss being the most infrequently discussed (less than one percent of all tweets).”



The analysis showed that the most frequently discussed aspects were elephant welfare issues, such as tourist elephant rides (23 percent). Users from non-elephant range regions were the dominant voice on Twitter (72 percent), with posts largely focusing on elephant welfare concerns and trophy hunting (which, in fact, is not a threat to elephant conservation). By contrast, users from African Elephant range countries (14 percent) were more likely to discuss human-elephant conflict and poaching, as well as to promote elephant tourism, while those from Asian Elephant range countries (13 percent) posted more about human-elephant conflict and elephant tourism, but were less likely to tweet about poaching.



“Human-elephant conflict is a major issue. Our study found that the lack of acknowledgement of the impact of human-elephant conflict on local people often leads to resentment from people within elephant range countries, where peoples’ safety and livelihoods are often at risk due to elephants. For example, in India it is estimated that 100 people are killed by elephants each year and 40-50 elephants are killed during crop raiding,” Hammond explained.



Thus, the location of the tweets’ origins highlighted a divide in the understanding and lived experience of those living in countries with elephants and those without. “When we watch nature documentaries, elephants are often portrayed as living in areas where there are no people, but that is not the reality.”



“The reality is that in many areas, elephants and people live in shared spaces, where there are no fences to separate people and wildlife. It is important to acknowledge the sacrifices these communities make on a daily basis in co-existing with elephants and advocate for greater rights for communities to manage their wildlife sustainably because without their continued support the conservation of elephants would not be possible,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/csp2.12785">Conservation Science and Practice</a>.&nbsp;



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

Elephant tweets often misrepresent conservation issues

On the eve of World Elephant Day (August 12), an...

A new study led by the <a href="https://pitiesalpetriere.aphp.fr/">Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital</a> in Paris, France has investigated why intense and prolonged cognitive work makes us feel worn out. The experts found that, when intense thinking is prolonged for several hours, it causes potentially toxic byproducts to build up in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/prefrontal-cortex-treating-alcoholism/">prefrontal cortex</a>, which then alter our control over decisions and makes us shift towards low-cost actions that require no effort or waiting as cognitive fatigues sets in.



“Influential&nbsp;theories suggested that fatigue is a sort of illusion cooked up by the&nbsp;brain to make us stop whatever we are doing and turn to a more gratifying activity,” said study senior author Mathias Pessiglione, a cognitive neuroscientist at the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital. “But our findings show that cognitive work results in a true functional alteration - accumulation of noxious substances - so fatigue would indeed be a signal that makes us stop working but for a different purpose: to preserve the integrity of brain functioning.”



By using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), the scientists monitored brain chemistry over the course of a workday in two groups of people: those who had relatively simple cognitive tasks to accomplish, and those who needed to think hard. The latter exhibited signs of fatigue and tended to shift towards options that offered them rewards quickly and with little effort. Importantly, they also had higher levels of glutamate in synapses from the prefrontal cortex.&nbsp;



This discovery suggests that glutamate accumulation makes further activation of the prefrontal cortex more costly, leading to difficulties in maintaining cognitive control after a mentally tough workday. When asked whether there are some ways around this limitation of our brain’s cognitive functioning, Dr. Pessiglione replied: “Not really, I’m afraid. I would employ good old recipes: rest and sleep! There is good evidence that glutamate is eliminated from synapses during sleep.”



These findings suggest that monitoring of prefrontal metabolites could be useful in detecting severe mental fatigue and help people adjust their work agendas to avoid burnout. Future research is needed to clarify why the prefrontal cortex seems particularly susceptible to glutamate accumulation and the resulting fatigue, and whether the same markers of fatigue in the brain could predict recovery from health conditions such as depression or even cancer.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01111-3#%20">Current Biology</a>.



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

Why does thinking hard make us tired?

A new study led by the Pitié-Salpêtrière University Hospital in...

In many animals – and most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-dinosaurs-died-in-the-springtime/">dinosaurs</a> – the eye sockets are circular holes in the skull housing the eyeballs. However, according to a new study led by Dr. Stephan Lautenschlager, a senior lecturer in Paleobiology at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a>, large dinosaur predators, such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, evolved different, elliptical or oval shapes of eye sockets in order to better deal with forceful bites.



Dr. Lautenschlager analyzed the shape of the eye sockets of over 500 different dinosaurs and related species. “The results show that only some dinosaurs had eye sockets that were elliptical or keyhole-shaped,” he said. “However, all of those were large, carnivorous dinosaurs with skull lengths of one meter or more.”



By using computer simulations and stress analysis, Dr. Lautenschlager investigated what purpose such unusual eye socket shapes could have, and discovered that a skull with circular eye sockets was more prone to high stresses during biting. However, if these were replaced with elliptical or oval eye sockets, the stress during biting was considerably reduced, allowing major predators to evolve high bite sources that would not compromise their skull stability.



While most herbivorous dinosaur species and juvenile individuals retained circular eye socket shapes, large carnivores such as T. Rex adopted different morphologies, including elliptical, keyhole-shaped, of figure-of-eight-shaped sockets. “In these species, just the upper part of the eye socket was actually occupied by the eyeball. This also led to a relative reduction of eye size compared with skull size,” explained Dr. Lautenschlager.



“These morphologies are beneficial in mitigating and dissipating feeding-induced stresses and require only little investment in reinforcing the bony structure of the skull. Conversely, the development and maintenance of large circular orbits and corresponding eyes would be physiologically costly and likely outweigh potential benefits for visual acuity,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-022-03706-0#Sec6">Nature Communications Biology</a>.



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

Dinosaurs evolved different eye sockets for stronger bites

In many animals – and most dinosaurs – the eye...

Every year, trillions of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pitcher-plants-harness-rain-energy-to-capture-insects/">insects</a> in Western Europe undertake seasonal migrations; usually they move southward towards the Mediterranean and North Africa at the end of the northern summer, and return northward during the spring or early summer. The same pathway is followed by many species of moths, butterflies and hoverflies; vast numbers of these insects cross the Alps in order to fly as directly as possible to their overwintering destinations.&nbsp;



Although these enormous migrations are understood on a population level, very little is known about how individual insects manage to navigate their way through the considerable obstacles, or what methods they use to locate their destinations. This gap in understanding is due, mostly, to the challenge of tracking these small animals as they fly, surprisingly rapidly and often at night.&nbsp;



A new study on migrating death’s-head hawkmoths (Acherontia atropos) has now used miniscule tracking devices and a light aircraft to track seven individual moths as they migrated across the Alps at night. The study, published by the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> (AAAS), reveals that these hawkmoths make use of complex migratory strategies to stay on track.&nbsp;



The death’s-head hawkmoth, known for the sinister skull-shaped marking on its thorax, is the largest lepidopteran in Europe, weighing in at up to 3.5g. It is a long-distance Afro-Palearctic migrant that arrives to breed in Europe, north of the Alps, in spring each year. The subsequent generation returns south the following autumn to winter-breeding regions in the Mediterranean Basin and sub-Saharan Africa, covering a distance of up to 4,000km.&nbsp;



The researchers fitted tiny, very high frequency radio transmitters to the backs of 14 hawkmoths and recorded their precise GPS locations from a light aircraft at regular intervals (every 5 to 15 min, when possible) throughout their migration. They obtained detailed tracks for seven of the moths. The moths all started their migratory flights shortly after sunset, and were followed by the researchers for between 1 and 3.7 hours. During this time, the moths flew a mean distance of 63.7km, with the longest distance being 89.6km. This represents the longest distance over which any insect has been continuously tracked in the field.



A team led by Dr. Myles Menz&nbsp;from the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior discovered that the moths did not just fly in a direction with favorable tailwinds, as had been proposed by other scientists in the past. Instead, the moths flew in the most direct straight line to their destination, but were able to correct their specific flight headings constantly, as they came across disruptive winds and specific features of the terrain.&nbsp;



The hawkmoths traveled at a mean ground speed of 33.8km/hour, and they all travelled in straight lines along their entire flight paths, which lasted tens of kilometers. This direct line was maintained, despite the presence of winds of varying strengths and directions throughout their course.&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to the researchers, maintaining a consistently straight flight trajectory and flight speed throughout the night under variable wind conditions strongly suggests that the moths have an internal compass mechanism. This, along with the insect’s exceptional night vision, indicates that the hawkmoths likely use a combination of visual landmarks and Earth’s magnetic field to navigate considerable distances during migration.



Interestingly enough, the moths chose pathways through the mountains that had topographical features (such as high-altitude passes) which allowed them to avoid the very highest altitudes when crossing the Alps. One of these pathways involved using a wide valley running west-southwest that enabled the moths to circumvent the Alps altogether.



The research, published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>, sheds new light on the complex and sophisticated behavior of hawkmoths while on seasonal migrations. "To maintain such straight trajectories over long periods of time, as seen here, the moths must regularly update their positions relative to whichever navigational cues they rely on," wrote the study authors. The results show that complex migratory strategies are not the preserve of vertebrates alone, but can be found in these remarkable insects as well.&nbsp;



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

How death’s-head hawkmoths navigate the Alps at night

Every year, trillions of insects in Western Europe undertake seasonal...

While scientists have known that self-pollination can jeopardize <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fungus-renders-corn-plants-defenseless-with-surgical-precision/">plant</a> species' long-term survival, they did not understand the mechanism behind the threat or how quickly it became detrimental. To investigate, a team of researchers led by Jeremiah Busch of <a href="https://wsu.edu/">Washington State University</a> conducted a genetic study.&nbsp;



"We found that in a very short amount of time, there were major consequences on the genomes of the plants when they had to adopt selfing," said Busch.



The team compared a group of self-pollinating monkeyflower plants to a group of bumble bee-pollinated monkeyflowers. They determined that the "selfing" plants lost between 13 and 24 percent of their genetic variation, and substantial loss occurred within nine generations.&nbsp;



We already know that genetic variation is a major factor in determining how species adapt to changing environments, so this loss could seriously hinder a plant's ability to survive.&nbsp;



Busch explained that in selfing populations, particular genotypes might be selected for if they are shown to be advantageous. However, some harmful mutations may "hitchhike" as well. This "genetic hitchhiking" is less likely in bee-pollinated populations due to the mixing of genetic material.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



"Strong inbreeding fundamentally altered the consequences of adaptation," explained Busch. The findings are especially tragic considering the global bee decline.&nbsp;



"If pollinators are lost, it's not just going to be a problem for the pollinators: plant populations will lose genetic variation in tens of generations - not thousands, but tens."&nbsp;



Busch would be interested to see long-term studies determining if and when population collapse occurs due to a lack of pollinators and loss of genetic variation.&nbsp;



"A really important next step is to see how fast highly inbred groups will have their viability decline over time – to know how quickly those populations will go extinct," said Busch. "We need to really understand what the consequences are from pollinator loss. It will matter for wild populations of plants and crops. A lot of crops depend on bees."



This study can be found in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evo.14572">Evolution</a>.



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

Bees do it better: self-pollinating plants lose genetic diversity

While scientists have known that self-pollination can jeopardize plant species'...

Boreal forests in the far north make up the largest forested region in the world. These ecosystems are extremely important for capturing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazons-carbon-emissions-jumped-40-percent-since-2019/">carbon</a>. Unfortunately, research shows that climate change is already impacting northern forests in both positive and negative ways.&nbsp;



Boreal forests are composed mainly of conifer species such as spruce, fir, and pine. There are also a few much less common broadleaf hardwood trees such as oak and maple. Experts have determined that global warming is likely causing a decrease in growth in the conifers, along with an increase in growth in the hardwoods.&nbsp;



These observational studies were recently confirmed and enhanced by a rare experimental study on the impact of climate change on northern forests.



Nine species of native boreal trees were planted and grown under different conditions. Some of the trees were left alone as controls. Others were grown with temperatures raised by two hypothetical amounts: 1.6 degrees Celsius (2.9 degrees Fahrenheit) and 3.1 C (5.6 F) above natural temperatures. Some of the trees were covered by tarps prior to storms to mimic a reduction in rainfall.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The results of the analysis showed that even a moderate change in climate is likely to have negative impacts on boreal forest composition.&nbsp;



Study lead author Paul Reich is the director of the Institute for Global Change Biology at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability and a forest ecologist at the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a>.



"Our results spell problems for the health and diversity of future regional forests," said Reich. "Present-day southern boreal forest may reach a tipping point with even modest climate warming, resulting in a major compositional shift with potential adverse impacts on the health and diversity of regional forests."



"Those impacts could reduce the capacity of our forests to produce timber, to host other plant, microbial and animal diversity, to dampen flooding, and - perhaps most important of all - to scrub carbon out of the air and hold it in wood and soil."&nbsp;



The researchers found that elevated temperatures increased the death rate of all nine of the tree species and the growth rate of seven of the trees. This suggests that there will be a shift in boreal forests in the future and the potential incursion of invasive species already in temperate forests.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05076-3">Nature</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

Even moderate warming will transform northern forests

Boreal forests in the far north make up the largest...

Scientists have long known that, just like humans, many species of mammals and birds experience REM (rapid eye movement) sleep – a type of deep sleep during which most dreaming occurs. However, until recently, not much attention has been given to the sleeping patterns of spiders.&nbsp;



Now, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en">University of Konstanz</a> in Germany has recorded over 30 baby <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/jumping-spiders-know-the-difference-between-animals-and-objects/">jumping spiders</a> (Evarcha arcuata) during their resting states, and found that they displayed periodical bouts of retinal movements coupled with limb twitching and leg curling, suggesting that they might experience REM sleep too.



While many species similar to spiders do not have movable eyes, which makes it difficult to investigate their sleep cycles, jumping spiders are fierce predators that move their retinal tubes around constantly to redirect their gaze when they hunt.&nbsp;



Moreover, baby jumping spiders have a see-through outer layer which gives scientists a clear window into their bodies. “Sometimes as a biologist, you just get really, really lucky,” said study co-author Paul Shamble, an evolutionary biologist at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>.&nbsp;



By filming the baby spiders while they were resting, the researchers were surprised to find that they exhibited similar movements and behaviors as other species known to experience REM sleep.&nbsp;



“Here, we report evidence for an REM sleep-like state in a terrestrial invertebrate – periodic bouts of retinal movements coupled with limb twitching and stereotyped leg curling behaviors during nocturnal resting in a jumping spider,” the study authors reported.&nbsp;



“Observed retinal movement bouts were consistent, including regular durations and intervals, with both increasing over the course of the night.&nbsp;This report provides direct evidence for an REM sleep-like state in a terrestrial invertebrate – an arthropod – with clear parallels to REM sleep in terrestrial vertebrates.”



However, scientists are still not sure whether the spiders are technically asleep while they are in these resting states. Experts such as Jerry Siegel, a sleep researcher at the <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> (UCLA), remain skeptical that spiders are in fact capable of REM sleep. “There may be animals that have activity in quiet states. But are they REM sleep? It’s hard to imagine that they could be the same thing,” he said.



Further research is needed to better understand the sleeping patterns of spiders and other similar animals, and clarify how widespread REM sleep is in the animal kingdom, and what evolutionary purposes it might serve. “Comparisons across such long-diverged lineages likely hold important questions and answers about the visual brain, as well as the origin, evolution, and function of REM sleep,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2204754119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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

Jumping spiders may experience REM sleep

Scientists have long known that, just like humans, many species...

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.uni-bonn.de/en/university">University of Bonn</a> has examined the ways in which a harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fungi-everywhere/">fungus</a> – Ustilago maydis – reproduces in the aerial parts of the corn plant and renders it defenseless. According to the experts, huge tumor-like tissue growth, known as galls, form at the site of the infection after being triggered by molecules released by the fungus - called effectors - which manipulate the plant’s metabolism and suppress its immune defenses. These effectors are also promoting cell growth and division in the corn by interfering with a plant signaling pathway regulated by the hormone auxin.



“The fungus uses this auxin signaling pathway for its own purposes,” said study senior author Armin Djamei, an expert in Plant Pathology at the University of Bonn. “This is because the huge growth of the tissue devours energy and resources that are then lacking for defense against&nbsp;Ustilago maydis. In addition, the fungus finds an ideal supply of nutrients in the growths and can multiply well there.”



“We therefore wanted to find out how the fungus promotes these proliferation processes. To do this, we searched for genetic material in the fungus that enables it to control the auxin signaling pathway of its host plant and thus its cell growth.”



The investigation revealed a cluster of five genes – called Tip1 to Tip5 – that the fungus uses to manipulate corn’s auxin signaling pathway. “The proteins encoded by the five Tip genes can bind to a protein in the corn plant known to experts as Topless,” explained lead author Janos Bindics, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.oeaw.ac.at/imba/home">IMBA Institute of Molecular Biotechnology</a> in Vienna.



Topless is a central switch that suppresses various signaling pathways in the plant. The fungal effectors produced by the cluster of Tip genes override this suppression, specifically for signaling pathways that benefit the fungus, such as the auxin one. “Figuratively speaking, the fungus acts with surgical precision. It accomplishes exactly what it needs to accomplish to best infect the corn plant,” said Dr. Djamei.



Since there are various pathogens that interfere with the auxin signaling pathways of the host plants which they infect, further research is needed to better understand the infection process in different plant diseases. By using this study’s findings, “it will be possible for the first time to influence specific effects of the auxin signaling pathway in a very targeted manner and thus to elucidate the effect of these important plant hormones even more precisely,” as Dr. Djamei put it.&nbsp;



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.18315">New Phytologist</a>.



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

Fungus renders corn plants defenseless with surgical precision

A team of researchers led by the University of Bonn...

&nbsp;After the amazing spectacle offered by the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tonights-buck-moon-will-be-the-largest-supermoon-of-2022/">Buck Moon</a> - the largest supermoon of the year - in July, stargazers can enjoy tonight another celestial show provided this time by the Sturgeon Moon, which will be the last supermoon illuminating the night sky this year. This full moon will reach its peak at 21:36 ET (02:36 BST) and will be visible until dawn from regions with clear skies.



According to the <a href="https://www.almanac.com/content/full-moon-august">Old Farmer’s Almanac</a>, August’s supermoon was called the Sturgeon Moon by Native American tribes because the giant sturgeon – a prehistoric-looking fish that has been traced back to around 136 million years ago – was most easily caught during this time of the summer in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain regions. 



Other traditional names for this moon include the Flying Up Moon, a Cree term referring to the time when young birds are finally ready to take flight, as well as a variety of names signifying that crops have matured and are ready to be harvested, such as the Corn Moon (Algonquin, Ojibwe),&nbsp;the Harvest Moon&nbsp;(Dakota), or the Ricing Moon&nbsp;(Anishinaabe).&nbsp;



In Old English, the Sturgeon Moon was sometimes referred to as the Barley Moon, the Fruit Moon, or the Grain Moon, while in China, this full moon marks the beginning of the Hungry Ghost Festival, a traditional celebration honoring ancestors and aiming to appeased hungry, vengeful ghosts.



The Sturgeon Moon will appear about seven percent larger and 15 percent brighter than a standard full moon, since it will be closest to the Earth in its orbit, reaching a point called “the perigee.” This effect is further amplified when the moon is still low on the horizon – due to a phenomenon called “<a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1191/the-moon-illusion-why-does-the-moon-look-so-big-sometimes/">the moon illusion</a>” - thus offering a breathtaking spectacle while it is rising. The Perseids meteor shower will also peak these days, but unfortunately it will not be very visible since it coincides with this supermoon.



“When I go outside and look at the full moon I feel very connected to the universe,” said Michelle Thaller, the assistant director of science at NASA’s <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">Goddard Space Flight Center</a>. 



“The moon is so there; it’s a part of our lives; it may have affected the way humans thought about the universe, our evolution as a culture.” Although how the Sturgeon moon impacted our ancestors’ perception of the universe will largely remain a mystery, the fascination this moon brings to amateur stargazers today proves that such astronomical phenomena did not yet lose their power and appeal.



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

Sturgeon Moon: Final supermoon of 2022 peaks tonight

&nbsp;After the amazing spectacle offered by the Buck Moon -...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> (UCLA) has found that female white-faced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/age-rated-genes-help-capuchin-monkeys-live-longer/">capuchin monkeys</a> living in the tropical forests of northwestern Costa Rico that are better integrated into social networks with other adult females tend to survive longer.



“As humans, we assume there is some benefit to social interactions, but it is really hard to measure the success of our behavioral strategies,” said study senior author Susan Perry, a field primatologist at UCLA. “Why do we invest so much in our relationships with others? Does it lead to a longer lifespan? Does it lead to more reproductive success? It requires a colossal effort to measure this in humans and other animals.”



Together with her research team, Professor Perry tracked the female capuchin monkeys’ social interactions with other females, males, and companions of any sex and age, based on 18 years of data. Interactions taken into account in the study included giving and receiving grooming, foraging nearby, and taking part in coalitionary conflicts, such as intervening to help one another in conflicts by fighting, chasing, or producing aggressive sounds and facial expressions.



While the analyses revealed no evidence that heterosexual relationships provided any survival-related benefits to females, they clearly shown that social integration into networks with other female adults significantly improved their chance of survival. 



“We found the strongest evidence that social integration into female networks predicts survival. Females who frequently engaged in grooming and foraged in close proximity with other females experienced improved survivorship,” the authors explained.



“We also found marginal support that females who frequently provided and received coalitionary support from other females possibly experienced survival-related benefits. The fact that female interactions with other females across all behavioral domains show at least some evidence of beneficial impact on survival suggests that females cultivate strong relationships with each other.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



Further research is needed to better understand why relationships with other females have the greatest impact on the survival of female capuchin monkeys, and to investigate whether this phenomenon can be found in other species of monkeys.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/33/4/807/6598784">Behavioral Ecology</a>.



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

Female monkeys with strong friendships survive longer

A new study led by the University of California, Los...

An international team of researchers from China, Singapore, and Australia has recently identified a new virus that was likely transmitted from animals to humans, in another potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/the-terrifying-biology-of-zoonotic-diseases/">zoonotic</a> spillover in China. The Langya virus was first detected in the northeastern provinces of Shandong and Henan in late 2018, but was only formally identified and described by scientists last week, in a study published in the<a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMc2202705"> New England Journal of Medicine</a>.&nbsp;



Langya is a henipavirus causing symptoms such as fever, cough, decreased white blood cell count, fatigue, muscle aches, loss of appetite, and, in rare cases, impaired kidney and liver functions.



The first Langya virus sample was found in late 2018 in a farmer from the Shandong province in China, who sought medical treatment for a fever. Over the next two years, 34 other people were found to be infected in Shandong and the neighboring province Henan. Genetic sequencing of the samples showed that the pathogen is part of the henipavirus family, which has five other known viruses. Two of these – the Hendra and Nipah viruses - are extremely virulent, leading to high mortality rates. Fortunately, all of the known Langya patients survived.&nbsp;



By testing 25 small wild animal species for this virus, the scientists detected its genetic material predominantly in shrews – a species of small mammals that subsists on insects – which means that they could act as “natural reservoir” for the Langya virus. Disease surveillance indicated no sources of exposure common among the people infected, and no interaction between them, suggesting that human infection may have occurred in a “sporadic” fashion, through repeated spillovers from shrews. However, although scientists did not find any evidence yet that the Langya virus can be transmitted between people, this may be due to the very small sample size available.&nbsp;



According to Francois Balloux, a professor of Computational Systems Biology at the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a>, even if the Langya virus does not “look like a repeat of Covid-19 at all” and “probably doesn’t transmit easily from human to human,” it should nevertheless be considered as “yet another reminder of the looming threat caused by the many pathogens circulating in populations of wild and domestic animals that have the potential to infect humans.”



Urgent research is needed to clarify the transmission pathways of this virus, in order to ensure that any potential human-to-human transmission is identified – and stopped - as early as possible, before a new epidemic could emerge.&nbsp;



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

New "Langya" virus infects dozens of people in China

An international team of researchers from China, Singapore, and Australia...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

[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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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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