The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is nearly 80 miles wide, making it the largest glacier in the world by width. If it collapses entirely, the resulting changes could raise global sea levels. Scientists are racing to understand the forces at work before it’s too late.



To better understand how this could unfold, researchers developed a new way to study the cracks - or fractures - that weaken the massive ice shelves connected to glaciers. 



These shelves float on the ocean, but they’re anchored to land. When they fracture and collapse, they speed up the melting of the glacier behind them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antarctic-glacier-nears-its-breaking-point">Antarctic glacier nears its breaking point</h2>



Using years of NASA satellite data, the team focused on vertical fractures in the Antarctic ice sheet - the largest on the planet, even though it’s losing about 136 billion tons of ice each year. 



Their attention was on the Thwaites Ice Shelf, a critical extension of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predicting-the-future-behavior-of-thwaites-the-doomsday-glacier/">Thwaites</a> Glacier in West Antarctica.



Often called the “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/doomsday-glacier-may-collapse-sooner-than-we-thought/">Doomsday Glacier</a>” for its potential to raise sea levels by up to 11 feet, Thwaites is especially vulnerable. The ice shelf acts like a stopper, slowing the glacier’s flow into the ocean. If that shelf collapses, it could trigger a chain reaction of rapid ice loss.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-how-fractures-form">Rethinking how fractures form</h2>



The new method was developed by a research team at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Penn State University</a>. Their findings zero in on how fractures form and evolve in ice shelves - and why existing models aren’t enough.



Shujie Wang is an assistant professor of geography, a faculty associate in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State, and a co-author of the study.



“We know little about fractures, and their behavior is much more complex than conventional models suggest,” she said. “Conventional models depend largely on simplified models and scarce, hard-to-obtain field observations.”



The Thwaites Ice Shelf is particularly unstable. It changes quickly, its surface is heavily fractured, and the ice flows at a fast pace. 



Researchers describe it as a final barrier that keeps the rest of the glacier from disintegrating.



Richard Alley, Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences at Penn State and co-author of the study, offered this analogy: “We’ve seen ice shelves break off, but we’ve never seen one grow back."



"This new research indicates we can predict better the point at which these will break off. It’s helping to establish the early-warning signals.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-resolution-views-of-ice-breaking">High-resolution views of ice breaking</h2>



To capture the changes in the ice shelf’s structure, the research team used data from NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite. It collected measurements between 2018 and 2024.



This satellite tracks ice elevation, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-will-antarctica-contribute-to-sea-level-rise/">sea level</a>, and other Earth features with remarkable precision.



The team built a new two-step process to analyze the satellite data. It lets them create high-resolution elevation profiles and visual cross-sections of fractures in the ice. 



Building on a previous algorithm Wang had designed to detect individual cracks, the new method gives researchers a better view of how different types of fractures form and evolve over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antarctica-s-glacier-instability-feeds-on-itself">Antarctica’s glacier instability feeds on itself</h2>



The findings showed that the eastern section of the Thwaites Ice Shelf has more aggressive fracturing, while the western side appears more stable. The cause of that difference isn’t clear yet.



But the researchers pointed to several possible factors. These included warmer winter temperatures, less sea ice, and shifting ocean currents beneath the shelf. Further research is needed to know for sure.



As fractures spread, the ice flows faster. In Antarctica, that creates more cracks, which leads to more instability - a feedback loop that can push parts of the glacier past the point of no return.



“We believe that if the Thwaites Glacier gets very unstable, it will have catastrophic consequences,” Wang said. “It’s an important area to be studied, to say what’s going to change next.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-from-a-glacier-lost">Lessons from a glacier lost</h2>



This latest work builds on a 2023 study led by Wang that looked at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/evidence-of-massive-ancient-icebergs-found-off-the-coast-of-britain/">Larsen B</a> Ice Shelf, which collapsed in 2002. 



That shelf, about 1,250 square miles in size, broke apart over just five weeks after years of weakening due to warmer air and ocean temperatures.



Back then, models didn’t catch the warning signs. Now, with this new method, researchers have better tools to predict when and where these breaks might happen.



While older approaches relied heavily on theory, the new system offers observations and data that can feed into more accurate models. Over time, the researchers hope this will lead to stronger predictions about how Antarctic ice is changing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-tool-to-predict-ice-collapse">A tool to predict ice collapse</h2>



To support ongoing and future research, Zhengrui Huang, a doctoral candidate in geography and co-author of the paper, pulled together satellite data from more than 40 Antarctic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-threat-lurking-in-antarcticas-ice-shelves/">ice shelves</a>. 



That dataset includes 3D information about fracture locations and depths - a potential goldmine for scientists working to understand ice dynamics.



“We expect this will be a key observational dataset of fractures for researchers who study and model Antarctic ice-shelf dynamics,” Huang said.



By sharing this data as an open resource, the team hopes to accelerate discoveries and sharpen predictions. The researchers also aim to help the world better understand what's at stake if massive glaciers like Thwaites keep crumbling.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JF008118" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Geophysical Research Earth Surface</a>.



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Glacier in Antarctica that could drown cities is breaking apart

The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is nearly 80 miles wide, making it the largest glacier in the world by width. If it collapses entirely, the resulting changes could raise global sea levels. Scientists are racing to understand the forces at work before it’s too late. To better understand how this could unfold, researchers developed a new way to study the cracks - or fractures - that weaken the massive ice shelves connected to glaciers. These shelves float on the ocean, but they’re anchored to land. When...

California is the most fire-prone state in the United States. In 2020, over 9,900 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-will-release-massive-amounts-of-carbon-by-mid-century/">wildfires</a> burned about 4.3 million acres. A new study from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California, Davis</a> has summarized the 2020 fire season and examined what drove the record-breaking fire activity.



The study said 2020 was the first year in recorded history that burned areas in California came close to rates seen before the 1800s, when an estimated 3-4 million acres burned in an average year.



Resource and fire managers have shifted their emphasis from reducing burned area to reducing fire severity and damage, and to restoring ecosystems after fire.



“The problem is that much of the burning we are seeing now is not restorative but destructive. The need to shift management goals is key, as is understanding the very important role that fuels play in driving fire severity,” said study lead author Hugh Safford.&nbsp;



For the past century, the key measure of success among forest managers has been decreased burned area, but that needs to change as increased fire severity is a greater concern.&nbsp;



Over the past 40 years, the increases in burned area occurred almost entirely in central and northern California forests, despite extreme warming taking place in Southern California. This is because of decades old fire exclusion policies that led to a huge increase in forest density and fuels, driving an explosion in large, destructive fires.



“In these ecosystems, reducing burned area is a cause of the current catastrophic trends, not a solution to them,” the authors said.



The researchers found that the 2020 fire season followed an accelerating, decades-long trend of increased burn area, severity, size and costs to society and the economy.



<ul><li>In 2020, fires killed 33 people with overall economic losses of more than $19 billion and firefighting costs of $2.1 billion.&nbsp;</li><li>The years 2020 and 2021 together burned more area than the previous seven years combined.</li><li>Between 2015 and 2020, total insured economic losses were more than $50 billion, and over 50,000 structures — mostly homes — were destroyed.</li><li>The increase in forest fires resulted in more than half of Californians experiencing unhealthy, and sometimes hazardous, air quality index levels for a month or more.&nbsp;</li><li>The state’s worst five days of air pollution in history all occurred in 2020, according to CalFire.</li><li>Wildfire-driven air quality in August and September likely also caused 1,200 to 3,000 “excess” deaths among people age 65 or older.</li><li>Overall, the 2020 fires emitted nearly 112 million metric tons of carbon and 1.2 million tons of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), 120 times more than California’s vehicles produced in the same year.</li></ul>



The study also assessed the severity patterns of the 2020 fire season. Fire severity is a measure of the impact of burning on an ecosystem, measured in this study by losses in vegetation biomass. It was found that fuel load-related variables, along with dryness and wind, are leading to increased severity.&nbsp;



Nearly 60 percent of the fires were caused by human activity such as arson, vehicles, power lines, campfires or unknown causes, while lightning sparked the rest. However, the lightning-sparked fires burned more than five times the area burned by human-caused fires.



“Extreme weather conditions are certainly playing a role, but climate change isn’t driving all the change we’re seeing,” said Safford. “Fuel loads played a major role in driving fire severity patterns in forested landscapes in 2020, like in other years. High fuel loads are due mostly to human management decisions over the last century or more, and we can do something about this issue.”



Recent agreements between the state and U.S. Forest Service that seeks to increase fuel-reduction activities, and the California Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan appear promising.&nbsp; But, the researchers urge that “there is no time to lose.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14668238">Global Ecology and Biogeography</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

What caused the devastating 2020 fire season in California?

California is the most fire-prone state in the United States....

By recycling organic matter, controlling pests, and pollinating, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insect-groups-do-not-share-the-same-fate-even-when-they-share-a-habitat/">insects</a> are crucial for maintaining a healthy environment. A new survey study led by <a href="https://www.buglife.org.uk/">Buglife – the Invertebrate Conservation Trust</a> and the <a href="https://www.kentwildlifetrust.org.uk/">Kent Wildlife Trust</a> (KWT) has found that the number of flying insects in the United Kingdom has declined by nearly 60 percent since 2004. According to the researchers, this is a “terrifying” drop, calling for urgent conservation efforts.



The scientists asked survey participants to download an application called <a href="https://www.buglife.org.uk/get-involved/surveys/bugs-matter/">Bugs Matter</a>, which enabled them to record their car journeys and the number of insects squashed on their registration plates.&nbsp;



The survey included nearly 5,000 journeys made in 2021, and determined the “splat rate” (the number of insects squashed each mile) for each trip. By comparing the results with those of a similar study conducted in 2004, the researchers found that the number of insects declined by 58.5 percent from 2004 to 2021 in the UK, with the highest decline recorded in England (65 percent), followed by Wales (55 percent) and Scotland (28 percent).



“This vital study suggests that the number of flying insects is declining by an average of 34 percent per decade – this is terrifying,” said study co-author Matt Shardlow, the CEO of Buglife. “We cannot put off action any longer, for the health and wellbeing of future generations this demands a political and a societal response. It is essential that we halt biodiversity decline now.”



“The results should shock and concern us all,” added Paul Hadaway, a Connectivity Program Manager at KWT. “We are seeing declines in insects which reflect the enormous threats and loss of wildlife more broadly across the country. We need action for all our wildlife now by creating more and bigger areas of habitats, providing corridors through the landscape for wildlife, and allowing nature space to recover.”



Although the researchers admit that it is difficult to extrapolate clear decline rates from only two large surveys, these new results are consistent with assessments of insect declines in other countries, such as the <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/ece3.5236">car windshield survey</a> in rural Denmark, which was conducted every year from 1997 to 2017 and found an 80 percent decline in the abundance of flying insects.



In order to tackle this highly serious problem, the scientists demand urgent action from the government and councils, as well as from ordinary people, who could help protecting insect populations by not using pesticides, letting grass grow longer, and sowing wildflowers in their gardens.&nbsp;



The study is available for download on Buglife’s <a href="https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2022/05/Bugs-Matter-2021-National-Report.pdf">website</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

Scientists have found a "terrifying" decline in flying insects

By recycling organic matter, controlling pests, and pollinating, insects are...

Closeup,Yellow,Eye,Of,The,Dinosaurs,With,Terrifying.,Dinosaur,Hunters

In 2010, scientists described a small reptile called Faxinalipterus minimus, whose fossils - dating back to 225 million years ago, towards the end of the Triassic period - were found in Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil. Faxinalipterus was assigned to the group <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mystery-solved-pterosaurs-had-colorful-feathers/">Pterosauria</a>, which includes the first vertebrates to develop active flight. Its fossils were composed of bones from the postcranial skeleton and a part of the jaw (an upper jaw with several teeth) that was found separately in another field expedition. While it was not certain whether all parts belonged to the same animal and species, the scientists assumed at the time that they both belonged to Faxinalipterus.



However, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/13276/">PeerJ</a> has reassessed these findings and concluded that, in fact, the isolated jaw belonged to another animal from a different species named Maehari bonapartei. This discovery was possible based on comparisons with a new fossil recently found at the same site, whose maxilla exhibited the same features as the jaw initially attributed to Faxinalipterus.



“There was always a great doubt whether the two specimens attributed to Faxinalipterus represented the same species, and whether this was a flying reptile,” said study lead author Alexander Kellner, the director of the <a href="https://www.museunacional.ufrj.br/">National Museum of Brazil</a>.&nbsp;These doubts have also troubled Borja Holgado, a paleontologist at the <a href="http://www.urca.br/portal2/">Regional University of Cariri</a>. After examining the materials, she concluded that they belonged to two different species.



&nbsp;“It was clear to me that this is a primitive reptile that did not belong to pterosaurs, as it did not present any unequivocal features of this lineage,” she said. “But the present knowledge of the faunas at the end of the Triassic indicates that the disparity of animals at that time was so great that animals that might resemble pterosaurs at first glance are not actually flying reptiles. This is what happened to Faxinalipterus and Maehary.”



After further analyses, the researchers concluded that the dentition pattern was not consistent with that of pterosaurs. Using a vast anatomical database, the scientists found that Faxinalipterus was closely related to lagerpetids, a branch considered to be a sister group to Pterosauria. Together, lagerpetids and pterosaurs form a broader group called Pterosauromorpha. According to the scientists, Maehary bonapartei was one of the most primitive members of this group.



“That is, Faxinalipterus and Maehary are not pterosaurs, but are related to them. Especially Maehary is configured as a key element in the elucidation of how the anatomical characteristics evolved along the lineage of pterosauromorphs to the pterosaurs themselves, fully adapted to the flight,” explained study senior author Rodrigo Müller, a biologist at the <a href="https://www.ufsm.br/">Federal University of Santa Maria</a>. “These species, with an estimated length of 30 cm for Faxinalipterus and 40 cm for Maehary, demonstrate the importance of continuing to collect fossils in this region,” he concluded.



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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

Experts describe a 225-million-year old reptile discovered in Brazil

In 2010, scientists described a small reptile called Faxinalipterus minimus,...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2021EF002567">Earth’s Future</a> has found that, due to climate change, agricultural water scarcity is set to increase in over 80 percent of the world’s croplands by 2050. In order to examine current and future water requirements for global agriculture and to predict whether the water levels available will be sufficient in a world struggling with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-impacts-biodiversity-in-protected-areas-worldwide/">climate</a> change, the experts developed a new index to measure and predict water scarcity in agriculture’s two main sources: soil water that comes from precipitation (the so-called “green water”) and irrigation from lakes, rivers, or groundwater (“blue water”).



“As the largest user of both blue and green water resources, agricultural production is faced with unprecedented challenges,” said study lead author Xingcai Liu, an expert in the relationship between hydrology and climate change at the <a href="https://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>. “This index enables an assessment of agricultural water scarcity in both rainfed and irrigated croplands in a consistent manner.”



Over the past century, the demand for water worldwide has grown twice as fast as the human population, leading to water scarcity and major threats to food security on every continent. However, previous water scarcity models mostly take into account the role of blue water, largely overlooking green water – the portion of rainwater available for plants in the soil.&nbsp;



The amount of green water available for crops depends on how much rainfall an area receives and how much of this water is lost due to evaporation or runoff. As temperatures and rainfall patterns change due to global warming, while farming practices intensify to meet the needs of an increasing population, the amount of green water available will also change significantly.&nbsp;



The scientists predict that changes in agricultural green water will impact up to 16 percent of global croplands. However, taking into account also the effects of blue water, the researchers estimated that, due to the impact of climate change, global agricultural water scarcity will worsen in up to 84 percent of croplands, with a loss of water supplies driving scarcity in over 60 percent of these croplands.



This new, more comprehensive index could help countries better assess the threats and causes of water scarcity, and develop strategies to mitigate the impact of future droughts. Some practices that could increase the conservation of agricultural water include: mulching, which reduces evaporation from the soils; no-till farming, which encourages water to infiltrate the ground; contour farming, where farmers till the soil on sloped land in rows with the same elevation in order to prevent water runoff and soil erosion; or adjustments in the timing of plantings in order to better align crop growth with changes in rainfall patterns.



“Longer term, improving irrigation infrastructure, for example in Africa, and irrigation efficiency would be effective ways to mitigate the effects of future climate change in the context of growing food demand,” concluded Professor Liu.&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

Agricultural water scarcity is about to get much worse

A new study published in the journal Earth’s Future has...

Bird populations and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/assisted-migrations-could-help-species-survive-climate-change/">migrations</a> are monitored by conservation organizations and enthusiastic birdwatchers throughout the world. Because of this, birds are probably the most completely inventoried large taxonomic class of organisms globally. The state of the world’s bird species is the topic of a recent review, published today in the <a href="https://www.annualreviews.org/journal/energy">Annual Review of Environment and Resources</a>, and the findings are not encouraging.



“We are now witnessing the first signs of a new wave of extinctions of continentally distributed bird species,”&nbsp;said study lead author Alexander Lees, who is a senior lecturer at Manchester Metropolitan University and also a research associate at the <a href="https://www.birds.cornell.edu/home/">Cornell Lab of Ornithology</a>. “Avian diversity peaks globally in the tropics and it is there that we also find the highest number of threatened species.”



The international team of scientists present an overview of the global spatiotemporal distribution of bird biodiversity, along with the ways in which distribution has changed, and the extent to which it is at risk. For this, they used data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s “Red List” that has documented a steady deterioration in the conservation status of avifauna globally over the past three decades.



According to the study, key threats to bird numbers and diversity include the loss and degradation of natural habitats and the overexploitation of many species. In addition, climate change is identified as an emerging driver of bird population declines.



In the study, the researchers considered the status of the world’s 11,000 bird species. They found that around 48 percent of existing bird species are known, or suspected, to be undergoing population declines. Populations are stable for a further 39 percent of species, while only six percent are showing increases. The status of the remaining seven percent of bird species is still unknown.&nbsp;



These findings echo the results of a seminal 2019 study that found nearly 3 billion breeding birds had been lost during the past 50 years across the United States and Canada. The lead author of that study is also an author on this global status report.



“After documenting the loss of nearly 3 billion birds in North America alone, it was dismaying to see the same patterns of population declines and extinction occurring globally,”&nbsp;said conservation scientist Ken Rosenberg from the Cornell Lab, now retired. “Because birds are highly visible and sensitive indicators of environmental health, we know their loss signals a much wider loss of biodiversity and threats to human health and well-being.”



The experts&nbsp;say there is still hope for avian conservation efforts, despite the sobering results of the study. They state that transformative change is needed in order to stem the decrease in bird numbers.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The fate of bird populations is strongly dependent on stopping the loss and degradation of habitats,”&nbsp;said Lees. “That is often driven by demand for resources. We need to better consider how commodity flows can contribute to biodiversity loss and try to reduce the human footprint on the natural world.”&nbsp; &nbsp; “Fortunately, the global network of bird conservation organizations taking part in this study have the tools to prevent further loss of bird species and abundance,”&nbsp;said Rosenberg. “From land protection to policies supporting sustainable resource-use, it all depends on the will of governments and of society to live side by side with nature on our shared planet.” Information is key, and study authors point out that the growth of public participation in bird monitoring and the advent of easy-to-use tools, such as the Cornell Lab’s eBird database, make continental-scale breeding bird surveys, distribution atlases, and abundance models possible and help inform conservation efforts.



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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

New report confirms that bird species are steadily declining

Bird populations and migrations are monitored by conservation organizations and...

Many scientists believe that water is a key to understanding the behavior of the frozen form of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-model-can-identify-glaciers-at-risk-of-collapse/">glaciers</a>. Melt water is known to lubricate the base of a glacier and hasten movement towards the sea. Previously, unmapped reservoirs could speed glaciers, and as a result, release carbon.&nbsp;



In recent years, researchers in Antarctica have discovered hundreds of interconnected liquid lakes and rivers within the ice itself. Images of thick basins of sediments under the ice have been captured, and these potentially contain the biggest water reservoirs of all.&nbsp;



For the first time, a team has mapped a huge, actively circulating groundwater system in deep sediments in West Antarctica. These systems may have unknown implications for how Antarctica reacts to, or even contributes to, climate change.&nbsp;



“The amount of groundwater we found was so significant, it likely influences ice-stream processes. Now we have to find out more and figure out how to incorporate that into models.” said study lead author Chloe Gustafson, who did the research as a graduate student at Columbia University’s <a href="https://lamont.columbia.edu/">Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory</a>.&nbsp;



Most of Antarctica’s sedimentary basins lie below current sea level, and are thought to have formed on sea bottoms during warm periods when sea levels were higher. Under a warming climate, these ice shelves could pull back, allowing ocean waters to re-invade the sediments, and the glaciers behind them could raise sea levels worldwide.



The study concentrated on the 60-mile-wide <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Whillans-Ice-Stream">Whillans Ice Stream</a>, one of a half-dozen fast-moving streams feeding the Ross Ice Shelf, the world’s largest. Shallow drilling into the first foot of sediments brought up liquid water and a thriving community of microbes. But what lies further down has been a mystery.



In 2018, a U.S. Air Force ski plane dropped Gustafson, along with Lamont-Doherty geophysicst Kerry Key, geophysicist Matthew Siegfried, and mountaineer Meghan Seifert on the Whillans. Their mission was to better map the sediments using geophysical instruments over six exhausting weeks of work.&nbsp;



The team planted their instruments in snow pits, collecting readings at four dozen locations. Their analysis showed that, depending on location, the sediments extend below the base of the ice from a half kilometer to nearly two kilometers before hitting bedrock. It was confirmed that the sediments are loaded with liquid water all the way down. If all of it were extracted, it could form a water column from 220 to 820 meters high, or higher.



The research team was able to show that the groundwater becomes more saline with depth. This is because the sediments are believed to have formed 5,000 to 7,000 years ago, when ocean waters last reached the area, saturating the sediments with salt water. When the ice readvanced, fresh melt water was forced into the upper sediments. It probably continues to filter down and mix in today, said Key.



This slow draining of fresh water into the sediments could prevent water from building up at the base of the ice, acting as a brake on the ice’s forward motion. It is likely that fresh water is flowing through the sediments to the ocean, making room for more melt water to enter, and keeping the system stable.&nbsp;



However, a warming climate could lead to thinning of the ice surface, causing the direction of water flow to be reversed. This could further lubricate the base of the ice and increase its forward motion. This is concerning as the Whillans already moves ice seaward about a meter a day, considered fast for glacial ice.



Furthermore, if deep groundwater flows upward, it could carry up geothermal heat naturally generated in the bedrock, thawing the base of the ice and propelling it forward. But if that will happen, and to what extent, is not clear.



“Ultimately, we don’t have great constraints on the permeability of the sediments or how fast the water would flow,” said Gustafson. “Would it make a big difference that would generate a runaway reaction? Or is groundwater a more minor player in the grand scheme of ice flow?”



Another potential concern is the known presence of microbes in the shallow sediments. If groundwater begins moving upward, it would bring up the dissolved carbon used by these organisms, sending some of this carbon to the ocean. This could turn Antarctica into a source of carbon in a world already swimming in it. But again, the question is whether this would produce some significant effect, said Gustafon.



The new study is just a start to addressing these questions, said the researchers. “The confirmation of the existence of deep groundwater dynamics has transformed our understanding of ice-stream behavior, and will force modification of subglacial water models."



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



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Giant groundwater system discovered beneath Antarctica

Many scientists believe that water is a key to understanding...

We are probably all familiar with the way that hunger can change our behavior – make us grumpy, angry or less able to cope. But the way in which signals from the gut are communicated to the brain and end up causing changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-uncovers-4000-years-of-foraging-behavior-among-albatrosses/">behavior</a> are not well understood.&nbsp;



Now, scientists from the <a href="https://www.salk.edu/">Salk Institute</a> have investigated this topic, using lowly worms as a model to examine the molecular origins of behavioral changes in hungry individuals. They created a barrier of copper sulfate, a known worm repellent, and allowed tiny worms (Caenorhabditis elegans) the option of crossing it to access food on the other side.



“Animals, whether it’s a humble worm or a complex human, all make choices to feed themselves to survive. The sub-cellular movement of molecules could be driving these decisions and is maybe fundamental to all animal species,” said senior author&nbsp;<a href="https://www.salk.edu/scientist/sreekanth-chalasani/">Sreekanth Chalasani</a>, associate professor in Salk’s Molecular Neurobiology Laboratory.



Chalasani and the team found that if worms were deprived of food for two to three hours, they were more willing to cross the toxic barrier to access the food than were well-fed worms. The researchers then used genetic tools and imaging techniques to establish whether molecules in the gut were signaling to the brain in ways that would explain this more risky behavior.&nbsp;



The results, published today in&nbsp;<a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/">PLOS Genetics</a>,&nbsp;suggest that specific transcription factors, proteins that turn genes “on” and “off,” changed location in hungry animals.&nbsp; Normally, transcription factors are found in a cell’s cytoplasm but move into the nucleus when activated, but the Salk scientists found that these transcription factors, known as MML-1 and HLH-30, move back to the cytoplasm in cells of the gut when a worm is hungry.&nbsp;



When the scientists deleted these transcription factors, hungry worms stopped trying to cross the toxic barrier, indicating a central role for MML-1 and HLH-30 in controlling how hunger changes worm behavior.



In a subsequent experiment, the researchers also discovered that a protein called insulin-like peptide (INS-31) is secreted from the gut when MML-1 and HLH-30 are on the move. Neurons in the brain, in turn, make a receptor that might detect the INS-31secretions.



The authors summarize their findings as follows: in a worm deprived of food, the transcription factors MML-1 and HLH-30 move back to the cytoplasm of cells in the gut, which could promote the secretion of the protein called INS-31 from the gut cells. These INS-31 proteins then travel to, and bind to, receptors on neurons in the brain and this relays the information that food is needed. Worms then respond to the huger information by choosing appropriate behavior to access food, even if this involves taking risks.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“C. elegans&nbsp;are more sophisticated than we give them credit for,” said co-first author Molly Matty, a postdoctoral fellow in Chalasani’s lab. “Their intestines sense a lack of food and report this to the brain. We believe these transcription factor movements are what guide the animal into making a risk-reward decision, like traversing an unpleasant barrier to get to food.”



The researchers propose that such molecular mechanisms may also exist in humans and may change our behavior when we are hungry. They plan to undertake further research on the dynamic nature of these transcription factors and establish whether similar mechanisms operate in other animals, such as humans, to prioritize basic needs over comfort.



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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

Hunger alters the behavior of worms, and perhaps humans too

We are probably all familiar with the way that hunger...

An international team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.ru.nl/english/">Radboud University</a> has demonstrated that plants in salt and freshwater wetlands capture and store massive amounts of carbon dioxide. This means that the restoration of wetlands, such as bogs, salt marshes, and mangrove forests, has very promising potential to help mitigate climate change and slow global warming.&nbsp;



While wetlands only cover about one percent of Earth's surface, they capture and store more than 20 percent of the CO2 that is absorbed by all of the ecosystems in the world. The plants contained in wetlands are able to capture huge amounts of CO2 and store them in the surrounding soil. This creates "carbon capture hotspots," as the researchers have now confirmed.



The experts found that oceans and forests hold the most CO2, followed by wetlands. "But when we look at the amount of CO2 stored per square meter, it turns out that wetlands store about five times more CO2 than forests and as much as 500 times more than oceans,” explained study first author Ralph Temmink. “Peat bogs, salt marshes, mangrove forests and seagrass beds are therefore global 'hotspots' of CO2 storage.”



The secret to these hotspots, the researchers discovered, is that wetlands are built by landscape-forming plants that help each other when they grow close together, and this process boosts their ability to capture CO2.&nbsp;



For example, in raised bogs, peat mosses behave like sponges and retain an enormous amount of rainwater. This makes the mosses grow faster, and they are able to stabilize dead plant material that is held beneath them under the water. Nutrients released from the dead material further stimulates the growth of the moss, which in turn thickens the soil layer that stores CO2.



“We support this study and are very happy with its findings," said Teo Wams. “It shows how important peatland and salt marshes are, and illustrates that we should take good care of these valuable ecosystems. Also, this knowledge helps us to improve management and restoration of unique landscapes."



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



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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

Wetlands are powerful weapons in the fight against global warming

An international team of researchers led by Radboud University has...

The vaquita porpoise is one of only seven different porpoise species in the entire world – and its population is critically <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/endangered-insects-are-easy-to-purchase-illegally-online/">endangered</a>. The species is endemic to the northern end of the Gulf of California in Baja California, Mexico, and is unusual in that it is the smallest of all cetacean species and the only member of the porpoise family to live in warm waters. Tragically, there are only 10 vaquita porpoises left.



This small marine mammal, which only reaches four to five feet in length, has been the unfortunate bycatch of poachers hunting the totoaba (Totoaba macdonaldi), an endangered fish species that is highly prized in some countries for its perceived medicinal properties.  Vaquitas are roughly the same size as the large totoaba that are illegally targeted using gillnets, and the porpoises easily become entangled in the nets and then drown. 



Fishing for totoaba has been outlawed in Mexico since 1975 but the ban has not been adequately enforced. The swim bladder of a totoaba is perceived in China as having medicinal and nutritional properties and is in such demand that the prices have become sky high. In fact, dried maw (swim bladder) from totoaba often fetches higher prices per kilogram than cocaine or gold. Despite the fact that the trade in totoaba is banned by CITES, the value of the maws makes them sought-after by poachers and so the illegal fishing and trade continues. Vaquitas are simply collateral damage in this situation.



A recent genetic analysis of vaquitas by a team of <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">UCLA</a> biologists and colleagues has, however, given a ray of hope for this critically endangered species. The experts analyzed the genomes from tissue of 20 vaquitas that lived between 1985 and 2017 and assessed the range of genetic variation present in the genomes. Using this information, they conducted computational simulations to predict the species’ risk of extinction over the next 50 years.&nbsp;



The results, published today in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>, indicate that the species still has a relatively high genetic diversity and a low incidence of harmful mutations, despite the effects of inbreeding. The researchers say that this gives the living population a good chance of recovery, as long as gillnet fishing ends immediately.  If the threat of gillnets continues, however, the prospects of population recovery are very dim indeed. 



“Interestingly, we found the vaquita is not doomed by genetic factors, like harmful mutations, that tend to affect many other species whose gene pool has diminished to a similar point,” said study co-lead author Christopher Kyriazis. “Outlawed fishing remains their biggest threat.”



Genetic diversity is a measure of the differences in genes that exist between individuals in a population. The accepted understanding is that the greater the genetic diversity present in a population, the healthier that population is. Large populations tend to have many differences, while naturally smaller or reduced ones have fewer, resulting in individuals that are more genetically similar. Breeding between genetically similar individuals (known as inbreeding) increases the chances of offspring with harmful genetic mutations, as mutated genes can be passed on by both parents.&nbsp;



“A prevailing view in conservation biology and population genetics is that small populations can accumulate deleterious mutations,” said senior author Professor Kirk Lohmueller. “However, our finding that the vaquita likely has fewer strongly deleterious mutations hiding in the population means that they are better poised to survive future inbreeding, which bodes well for their overall recovery.”



“Relative to other species, the vaquita has a higher chance of rebounding from an extreme population crash without suffering severe genetic consequences from inbreeding,” said co-lead author&nbsp;Jacqueline Robinson. “Genetic diversity in vaquitas is not so low that it constitutes a threat to their health and persistence. It simply reflects their natural rarity.”



The fact that vaquitas have always been rare is what seems to protect them from the harmful effects of inbreeding. Although their historic numbers are not known, a comprehensive survey in 1997 counted 570 porpoises in their only known habitat, the Gulf of California. This means that some extent of inbreeding has probably been taking place for a long time and the harmful mutations have gradually been selected out of the population.&nbsp;



“They’re essentially the marine equivalent of an island species,” said Robinson, who noted that the species has survived for tens of thousands of years with low genetic diversity due to the small size of their population. “The vaquitas’ naturally low abundance has allowed them to gradually purge highly deleterious recessive gene variants that might negatively affect their health under inbreeding.”



In fact, Robinson said, of the 12 marine mammal species that the researchers analyzed genetically, vaquitas had the lowest number of potentially harmful mutations. This situation gives hope that the population of these porpoises may be able to rebound from the precipice of extinction, given the chance.



Encouragingly, the surviving vaquitas in the northern Gulf of California are actively reproducing and appear healthy. But poachers’ gillnets continue to pose an existential threat to them, and unless further measures are taken to protect the porpoises, there is a distinct possibility they may go extinct. The loss would be a great tragedy, said study senior author Professor Robert Wayne.



“The vaquita is symbolic of the unique diversity found in the Gulf of California, which was described by John Steinbeck in his wonderful 1951 book ‘The Log from the Sea of Cortez,’” said Wayne. “It represents a unique evolutionary lineage – there is no similar species anywhere in the world – and its loss would rob the ecosystem of an important predator adapted to this unique ecosystem.”



Image Credit: NOAA Fisheries&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

Vaquita porpoises may have a good chance at recovery

The vaquita porpoise is one of only seven different porpoise...

Despite notable successes in reducing poverty worldwide over the past two decades, almost one billion people still live without access to affordable and reliable <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electricity-may-be-the-cheapest-energy-source-by-2050/">electricity</a>, which negatively impacts their health and welfare, and impedes sustainable development. Knowing the precise location of these people is crucial in order to provide them the assistance and infrastructure they need. A recent study led the <a href="http://iiasa.ac.at/">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis</a> (IIASA) has proposed a new method to estimate global economic well-being by using nighttime satellite imagery.&nbsp;



For almost three decades, scientists have used such images – known as “nighttime radiance” or “nighttime lights” – to study human activity and map issues related to economic growth, poverty, or inequality, particularly in places where such data was lacking. While brightly lit areas indicate more developed regions such as capital cities, areas that are unlit at night usually indicate limited development. By contrast to previous studies that assessed data gathered from lit areas, this new study has specifically focused on unlit areas in order to estimate global economic well-being.



“Whereas previous work has focused more on the relationship between lit areas and economic development, we found that it actually also works the other way around and that unlit areas are a good indicator of poverty. By identifying those unlit areas, we can target interventions for poverty alleviation and places to focus on to improve energy access,” explained study senior author Steffen Fritz, the IISSA Strategic Initiatives Program Director.



By combining a harmonized geo-spatial wealth index for households in Africa, Asia, and the Americas (calculated by the <a href="https://dhsprogram.com/">Demographic and Health Surveys Program</a>) with satellite images of nighttime lights in these countries, the scientists found that 19 percent of the Earth’s total settlement footprint had no detectable artificial radiance. The majority of unlit settlements were in Africa (39 percent) and Asia (23 percent). Moreover, if only rural areas were considered, these percentages rose to 65 percent for Africa and 40 percent for Asia. These results indicate a strong association between increasing percentages of unlit communities and decreasing economic well-being.



While government agencies usually prioritize the expansion of electricity access for urban rather than rural areas, the researchers stress that rural electrification is crucial for increasing economic wellbeing, health, and education. Since the <a href="https://sdgs.un.org/goals">United Nations Sustainable Development Goals</a> (SDGs) specifically include “access to affordable, reliable, sustainable, and modern energy for all,” identifying all the areas where such access is lacking is crucial.



“If applied over time, the method we used in our study could provide opportunities to track well-being and progress toward the SDGs. In terms of policy, it can help better inform energy policy around the globe and can also be helpful in shaping aid policy by ensuring that we are reaching those remote rural areas that are likely energy poor. In addition, it could be useful to detect signs of sustainable and environmental management of lighting in the developed world,” concluded study co-author Shonali Pachauri, a researcher at IIASA.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-30099-9">Nature Communications</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

Satellite imagery used to map global poverty

Despite notable successes in reducing poverty worldwide over the past...

Scientists from various Chinese universities have recently had the opportunity to analyze soil samples brought back from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shark-attacks-linked-to-phases-of-the-moon/">moon</a> by the Chinese space mission know as Chang’E-5. They find that the lunar soil, or components extracted from it, have the potential to be used as photocatalysts for splitting water molecules and using the products - along with carbon dioxide from the breath of visiting astronauts - to form oxygen and various fuels. This, they say, could form the basis of an independent life-support system on the moon.



The exploration of deep space by manned spacecraft is receiving a lot of attention as the next great frontier of space exploration. However, a suitable first step would be to develop the technology to allow extraterrestrial survival using in situ resources. Nanjing University material scientists Yingfang Yao and Zhigang Zou hope to design just such a system that takes advantage of lunar soil and solar radiation, the two most abundant resources on the moon.



After analyzing the soil brought back by China’s Chang’E-5 lunar lander, the research team proposed that water found in the soil and rocks, along with iron-rich and titanium-rich substances that could work as catalysts, could be used to make essential products to support life on the moon.&nbsp;



In their research paper, published today in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/home">Joule</a>, the team of scientists propose an “extraterrestrial photosynthesis” pathway that uses in situ resources on the moon to produce oxygen and fuel for use in a “zero-energy consumption” extraterrestrial life-support system.&nbsp;



The system uses lunar soil and solar energy to electrolyze water extracted locally on the moon, and from the exhaled breath of astronauts, to form oxygen and hydrogen. In addition, carbon dioxide exhaled by moon inhabitants could also be collected and reacted with the hydrogen from water electrolysis, during a hydrogenation process catalyzed by substances present in the lunar soil.



This process would yield hydrocarbons such as methane and methanol, which could be used as fuel. The strategy uses no energy other than that derived from sunlight to produce a variety of desirable products such as water, oxygen, and fuel that could support life on a moonbase, the researchers say. The team is now looking for an opportunity to test the system in space, likely with China’s future crewed lunar missions.



“We use in situ environmental resources to minimize rocket payload, and our strategy provides a scenario for a sustainable and affordable extraterrestrial living environment,” said Yao.



While lunar soil is less efficient at catalyzing chemical reactions than the catalysts available on Earth, Yao says the team is testing different methods to improve the design, such as melting the lunar soil into a nanostructured high-entropy material, which is a better catalyst.



The team’s proposed system of extraterrestrial survival is unusual in that it requires no energy input from Earth. For example, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover brought an instrument that can use carbon dioxide in the planet’s atmosphere to make oxygen, but it’s powered by a nuclear battery onboard. The scientists say that achieving the objective of independence from Earth’s resources could dramatically improve the feasibility and durability of human extraterrestrial survival and would increase the economic feasibility of future space journeys.



“In the near future, we will see the crewed spaceflight industry developing rapidly,” said Yao. “Just like the ‘Age of Sail’ in the 1600s when hundreds of ships head to the sea, we will enter an ‘Age of Space.’ But if we want to carry out large-scale exploration of the extraterrestrial world, we will need to think of ways to reduce payload, meaning relying on as little supplies from Earth as possible and using extraterrestrial resources instead.”



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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

Lunar soil could be the basis of moon life-support system

Scientists from various Chinese universities have recently had the opportunity...

A study from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> reveals that fire activity in protected areas increased dramatically during COVID lockdowns. The research is focused on the island of Madagascar, one of the world's most renowned <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-impacts-biodiversity-in-protected-areas-worldwide/">biodiversity</a> hotspots, where the experts believe that a huge spike in fires during 2020 may be attributed to a lack of on-site management over five months of lockdowns.



The findings highlight the need for governments to keep staff on duty in protected areas at all times as an “essential service," even during periods of health crisis and travel restriction, said the study authors. They referred to the long-delayed convention to set international biodiversity goals later this year, noting that more attention must be paid to the management of protected areas - not just expanding their coverage.



The study is the first to examine the effects of the pandemic on protected areas. In collaboration with experts at the University of Helsinki, the researchers used historical and contemporary data to analyze rates of burning in Madagascar’s protected areas for every month during 2012 to 2020. The team compared the data to fires captured in satellite images to look at previous patterns of burning.&nbsp;



The study revealed that during the first lockdowns of 2020, fire activity increased by 209 percent in March, 223 percent in April, 78 percent in May, 248 percent in June and 76 percent in July.&nbsp;



The researchers describe this scale of burning inside Madagascar’s protected areas as “unprecedented” in recent history. Once management operations resumed, fire activity quickly returned to normal levels.



“The disruption caused by COVID-19 clearly demonstrates the dramatic impact that interruptions to the management of protected areas can have on habitats,” said study senior author Professor Andrew Balmford. “Over the last twenty years, excess fires in Malagasy protected areas have been limited to occasional blocks of one or two months."



“When all staff were pulled out of protected areas in March 2020 the fires spiked dramatically and continued at a ferocious level for an unprecedented five months, falling away exactly as staff started to return."



Study lead author Dr. Johanna Eklund said that while they cannot know for sure what caused all the fires during the early months of COVID-19, local communities already struggling economically would have come under further pressure from lockdowns.



“Madagascar has very high rates of poverty, and has a history of conflict between the livelihoods of vulnerable people and saving unique biodiversity,” said Dr. Eklund. “The pandemic increased economic insecurity for many, so it would not be surprising if this led some to encroach on protected lands while on-site management activities were on hold.”



“Importantly, the study did not measure fires outside conservation sites, so we cannot measure how much protected areas actually mitigated burning compared to areas without protection."



Study co-author Domoina Rakotobe is the former coordinator for the Malagasy organisation Forum Lafa, the network of terrestrial protected area managers.



“The high levels of burning during the lockdowns clearly shows the value of on-the-ground management, with protected area teams working with communities to support local livelihoods and safeguard natural resources," said Rakotobe.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain/">Nature Sustainability</a>.



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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

Fire activity spiked in protected areas during COVID lockdowns

A study from the University of Cambridge reveals that fire...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.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



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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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&nbsp;



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



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

How the immune system responds to injury

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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