Rare earth elements are everywhere - in your smartphone screen, in the MRI machine at the hospital, in the battery of an electric vehicle, and even in oil and gas refining. They are a key ingredient of modern life.



As global tensions rise, so does the competition for access to these minerals. Recent headlines show the stakes: China has halted rare earth exports to the United States, and a deal was just signed to secure U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources.



Despite their name, rare earth elements aren’t actually scarce; what’s rare is finding them in high enough concentrations to mine economically. These deposits are scattered unevenly across the globe and often buried deep underground, shaping who controls their production and the global supply chain.



Scientists at <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tufts University</a> are trying to better understand how and why rare earth minerals ended up where they did. Their research reveals how the movement of continents over billions of years helped form - and hide - these valuable deposits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-supercontinents-shaped-rare-deposits">Supercontinents shaped rare deposits</h2>



To explain how this mineral drama began, we need to go back in time. Way back. Earth's surface is always on the move. Over millions of years, massive landmasses shift, collide, and break apart, reshaping the planet in the process.



"Most of us are familiar with <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/supercontinents-101-pannotia-gondwana-and-pangea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pangea</a> - the supercontinent that formed about 300 million years ago and that the current seven continents broke off from to form their present-day arrangement," said Jill VanTongeren, professor and chair of the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences.



"But Pangea is only the most recent supercontinent. Throughout Earth history, there have been at least five major <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australia-north-america-supercontinent/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">supercontinent</a> cycles - periods when continents all come together and then spread back out again into different pieces. We think this process happens roughly every 500 million years."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-minerals-begin">Where minerals begin</h2>



As these continents drifted apart, they created rifts - places where the Earth's tectonic plates pulled away from each other. These rifting zones became birthplaces for rare earth element-rich magmas.



"As the rocks are pushed apart, they decompress, causing melting. It's kind of like taking the lid off a soda bottle, and the bubbles rise to the surface," said VanTongeren.



"Those early magmas contain the highest abundance of rare earth and other incompatible elements that then enter the crust, either erupting in volcanic centers or solidifying at depth."



Some of these mineral-rich magmas cooled and stayed near the surface. Others got dragged back down into the mantle or remain buried too deep to mine with today’s technology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-race-for-control-resources">A race for control resources</h2>



Today, the number of economically viable rare earth deposits is limited. China dominates the market, with nearly 70% of global production coming from its Bayan Obo mine. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/crucial-rare-earth-elements-discovered-coal-mines-united-states/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S.</a> has a smaller operation at Mountain Pass in California, and a few other countries have scattered deposits.



In the late 1990s and early 2000s, China flooded the market with rare earth minerals, driving down prices and shutting down other global producers. That move reshaped global dependence.



In response, the U.S. government took steps to re-establish a domestic supply. Recent investments from the 2021 Infrastructure and Jobs Act and the Department of Defense aim to restart full operations at the Mountain Pass mine, though it could take up to a decade.



There’s also hope that Ukraine's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nasa-is-on-a-mission-to-map-americas-mineral-wealth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mineral deposits</a> could help diversify supply. But for now, their potential remains unclear.



"Political boundaries and the desire to obtain access to mineral resources have been the source of economic and military conflicts throughout human history," said VanTongeren. "This is likely to continue as the world shifts toward green energy and a greater dependence on rare earth elements in the future."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hunting-for-mineral-deposits">Hunting for mineral deposits</h2>



VanTongeren’s work tracks these mineral stories from source to surface. Her fieldwork has taken her from a ship near Antarctica to platinum mines in South Africa, Morocco’s mountains, and even a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/huge-lithium-deposit-from-volanic-ash-found-in-pennsylvania/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lithium</a> discovery in Maine.



"It's a fascinating area of study partly because it lies at the intersection of science, economics, and politics," she said. Back on the Tufts campus, this intersection takes a more visual form.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tufts-secret-mineral-vault">Tufts' secret mineral vault</h2>



Tucked into the basement of Lane Hall, the P.T. Barnum Mineral Collection offers a glimpse into the Earth’s treasures. It includes thousands of mineral specimens, some collected by Barnum himself. He was an early supporter of Tufts and a major collector of natural history in the 1800s.



"In the late 1800s, it was considered fashionable for many prominent individuals to accumulate their own natural history collections," noted VanTongeren.



"P.T. Barnum was one of the biggest collectors of the time. His collection of animals, plants, and minerals was among the first gifts to Tufts University and part of an endowment to establish Tufts as one of the major natural history museums in the country."



After a fire destroyed the Barnum Museum in 1975, the mineral collection moved to Lane Hall. Now, it’s about to move again - this time to Bacon Hall, the new home for the Department of Earth and Climate Sciences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-hunt-for-rare-earth-elements">Global hunt for rare earth elements</h2>



VanTongeren hopes this new home will be more than just a storage site. She wants it to become a space that encourages curiosity and exploration, not just for scientists, but for everyone.



"My pie-in-the-sky vision is to set up a mineral gallery with both a permanent exhibit as well as pop-up exhibitions every semester highlighting minerals important for technology, related to other research at the university, or to global events," said VanTongeren.



"I'd like to help bring back Barnum's vision of bringing the beauty of, and an appreciation for, the natural world to campus."



-----



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Global hunt for rare earth elements is underway

Rare earth elements are everywhere - in your smartphone screen, in the MRI machine at the hospital, in the battery of an electric vehicle, and even in oil and gas refining. They are a key ingredient of modern life. As global tensions rise, so does the competition for access to these minerals. Recent headlines show the stakes: China has halted rare earth exports to the United States, and a deal was just signed to secure U.S. access to Ukraine’s mineral resources. Despite their name, rare earth elements...

A study from <a href="https://med.stanford.edu/">Stanford Medicine</a> is shedding new light on how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/severity-of-covid-19-may-be-tied-to-nasal-cells/">COVID-19</a> vaccine works. The research emphasizes the importance of the second dose, finding that it provides far more antiviral protection than the first dose.

"Despite their outstanding efficacy, little is known about how exactly RNA vaccines work," said study co-senior author Dr. Bali Pulendran. "So we probed the immune response induced by one of them in exquisite detail."

The experts set out to investigate how the Pfizer vaccine affects numerous components of the immune response. The study was focused on antibodies and immune cells in blood samples from individuals who had been inoculated with the vaccine. 

"The world's attention has recently been fixed on COVID-19 vaccines, particularly on the new RNA vaccines," said Dr. Pulendran. "This is the first time RNA vaccines have ever been given to humans, and we have no clue as to how they do what they do: offer 95% protection against COVID-19."

The traditional approach to approving new vaccines looks at their ability to induce neutralizing antibodies, which are individualized proteins created by immune cells that can block a virus from infecting cells.

"Antibodies are easy to measure," said Dr. Pulendran. "But the immune system is much more complicated than that. Antibodies alone don't come close to fully reflecting its complexity and potential range of protection."

The researchers analyzed how every type of immune cell was influenced by the vaccine, including their numbers, their activation levels, the genes they express, and the proteins and metabolites they produce. 

The team looked closely at the response of T cells, "search-and-destroy" immune cells that probe the body for cells associated with viral infection.

The researchers found that the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine increases SARS-CoV-2-specific antibody levels, but not nearly as much as the second dose, which turned out to be far more powerful in other ways as well. 

"The second shot has powerful beneficial effects that far exceed those of the first shot," said Dr. Pulendran. "It stimulated a manifold increase in antibody levels, a terrific T-cell response that was absent after the first shot alone, and a strikingly enhanced innate immune response."

According to Dr. Pulendran, the second dose of the vaccine was particularly responsible for the massive mobilization of a newly discovered group of first-responder cells that are normally scarce. 

The cells were first identified in a recent vaccine study led by Dr. Pulendran. While they barely responded to an actual COVID-19 infection, they became 100 times more prevalent after the Pfizer vaccine. Dr. Pulendran said the cells seem uniquely capable of providing broad protection against diverse viral infections.

"The extraordinary increase in the frequency of these cells, just a day following booster immunization, is surprising," said Dr. Pulendran. "It's possible that these cells may be able to mount a holding action against not only SARS-CoV-2 but against other viruses as well."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine is far more powerful

A study from Stanford Medicine is shedding new light on...

Several studies presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC) suggest that improving air quality can lessen the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-diet-protects-the-brain-from-dementia/">dementia</a> among older adults. 

"We've known for some time that air pollution is bad for our brains and overall health, including a connection to amyloid buildup in the brain. But what's exciting is we're now seeing data showing that improving air quality may actually reduce the risk of dementia," explained Claire Sexton, director of scientific programs and outreach for the <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChcSEwjYm8XXxIHyAhXCnYYKHRxRDSgYABAEGgJ2dQ&amp;agsac=2j_ezowndEM&amp;cit=CkQKCAjwuvmHBhAjEjQAVhKa2ixkTvqeW6LShEw80Ch3RA5sVqcwA47bl1_-tKTOnJZ8Uyfcx1I-FW8FWu-yfVkNGgJ4PvD_BwE&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESQOD2GIs0tcIBkzXaAjFctaDvrTtH-lsW6E0z9WXHCka6jGn_ya6ajXXJ256caoDe5Xcb2GMW4BNBZxW30HfUmrs&amp;sig=AOD64_0BtSJiI14_ey928P2ladkzM8nVXw&amp;q&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiOn7rXxIHyAhWjSTABHV4GCicQ0Qx6BAgCEAE&amp;ms=CoAC7xndNEbQfb5zSob7DzUnnpYtlMG8mWDm9d6zw_uxcXm0Uo6e9rivPBuEUBK2Uj5Rsc9zhckZQ0b573pMRU91l2nevvX_aBcFt42XIffYl93QICqNSoK0ALYx98Tcu_hLNVKQ5MNgbHW1bM8aUsHzEb82l1SztplmVxXfUPZhRukDPwvTsFU62-lOcM36ygJA_MhitI_Pr2NCKU9gnh2AHlGMXdYylWBaBwuajo6ZaQohQektxpvrjmK66B9Ux1wbc1QXi0yO1zZD7glKxrpWAxO_D8G-9hrHm8pcg1eyfuEA1iRbuy5pdKC0fWfllsIQzyXX1AGqTu79HqIOLQVxzwqAApNxIYwWBMv2pgYV2rOFb2WqaL6J11Qc2L0tU0pBQAPR-Fl1qzxIG6_P0vEvYLlcbWUUpSh1LkGB72sVtCFg4wd2Xn88Fat9-t939yU2ldfgM1ucwl9q2GgeMTjKRVl8e-Xog9D5s5voqXOkUzfLaJu_LiiAUTeIlba8HATkrzeQBFNvw-ABC99M_wR2B_AiANlDA1VF0YrQlMM8pAgvPDPxLI-PgF_DMIafU1-VznTRFc2_EZ3wDre4Ev8uBpfNzEcMPKH0zrh84jURMfLHQICLzJ5sVmjQZVSUzNkxqV0jIa6DS7Wj4dUefj6Ksfho1Mjk5qJYqYcZDPmZE1JywFsSEPV9R5qfhD9hMxCgsZeMYuo">Alzheimer’s Association</a>.

"These data demonstrate the importance of policies and action by federal and local governments, and businesses, that address reducing air pollutants."

A team led by Dr. Xinhui Wang, assistant professor of research neurology at University of Southern California, set out to investigate whether older women living in areas with less air pollution may be less likely to develop dementia.

The researchers found that, in general, air pollution had been greatly reduced over the decade prior to the study. The results showed that the women who lived in locations with greatest reductions of fine particulate matter and traffic-related pollutants had a lower risk of dementia by up to 26 percent.

"Our findings are important because they strengthen the evidence that high levels of outdoor air pollution in later life harm our brains, and also provide new evidence that by improving air quality we may be able to significantly reduce risk of cognitive decline and dementia," said Dr. Wang. 

"The possible benefits found in our studies extended across a variety of cognitive abilities, suggesting a positive impact on multiple underlying brain regions."

Perhaps more importantly, the research shows that reducing air pollution can benefit people by lowering the risk of dementia among the elderly. This is important in a time of urbanization and increased air pollution worldwide. 

While some of the risk factors for dementia and cognitive impairment are fixed, air pollution is changeable. Improving air quality - even relatively late in life - may have a positive impact on mental health. 

The scientists point out that this is a good starting point, with exciting results but more research is needed to fully understand the issue of air pollution and its impact on mental health.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Better air quality linked to lower dementia risk

Several studies presented at the Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC)...

Why do some people infected with COVID-19 seem to get by with minor symptoms, while others become critically ill? A new collaborative study led by researchers at <a href="https://www.childrenshospital.org/">Boston Children's Hospital</a> suggests that the severity of COVID-19 symptoms may be linked to how cells in the nose and throat respond to the virus.

"Many studies looking for risk predictors have looked for signatures in the blood, but blood may not really be the right place to look,” said study co-author José Ordovás-Montañés. 

For the current investigation, the experts looked at nasal swabs from 35 adults infected with COVID-19, whose symptoms ranged from mild to severe. Each swab yielded about 562 epithelial cells, and the researchers diligently sequenced the RNA of each and every one. 

The researchers found that these cells changed dramatically post-exposure, with mucus-secreting goblet cells increasing in number while mature ciliated cells dwindled. This is notable because the function of mature ciliated cells is to move microbes and debris out of the respiratory organs. Multiple kinds of cells were infected - including goblet cells, immature ciliated cells, and epidermal cells. 

The cells sampled from people who exhibited critical symptoms displayed delayed interferon response. Interferons are somewhat like the alarm bell for the immune system, and if they don’t signal to the cells that they’re in danger, the whole immune system may be sluggish to counteract viral infection. 

According to Ordovás-Montañés, having the right amount of interferon at the right time could be at the crux of dealing with SARS-CoV-2 and other viruses.

Why and how COVID-19 causes this delayed antiviral signal in the nasopharynx is still unclear. Early evidence suggests that the new COVID variants work in a similar manner. It will be up to future studies to untangle the source of COVID-19’s dangerous inner-workings.

However, the new study does provide some hope. Perhaps if symptoms are recognized early on, interferons could be activated with a nasal spray or drops. "The question is, 'How do you make these cells more responsive?'” said Ordovás-Montañés.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell</a>.

---

By <a href="http://rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Severity of COVID-19 may be tied to nasal cells

Why do some people infected with COVID-19 seem to get...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tomato-fruit-warns-the-rest-of-the-plant-when-attacked/">Fruits</a> from the Mandarin family are popular throughout the world. In Japan, the shiikuwasha and the tachibana are two culturally important varieties, yet the history of these and other mandarin fruits has been a long-standing mystery. 

Now, researchers at the <a href="https://www.oist.jp/">Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology Graduate University</a> (OIST) have analyzed 69 genomes of the east Asian mandarins. The experts compared the east Asian varieties to those in mainland Asia, revealing an interesting history. 

Wild mandarin diversity originated in southern China, and most domestic varieties have their origins there as well. The scientists discovered that wild mandarins found in the mountains of the area were not one but actually two subspecies. 

Dr. Guohong Albert Wu, who collaborated on the research from the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California, explained how different the two are.

"We found that one of these mandarin subspecies can produce offspring that are genetically identical to the mother," said Dr. Wu.

"Like many other plants, wild citrus typically reproduces when the pollen of the father combines with the egg of the mother, mixing the genes from both parents in the seed." 

"But we found a subspecies of wild mandarins from Mangshan, in southern China, where the seed contains an identical copy of the mother's DNA without any input from a father. So, the seed grows to be a clone of the mother tree."

In Okinawa, the scientists looked more closely at an odd citrus that is similar to shiikuwasha, with small acidic fruits that are undesirable to local farmers. Surprisingly, the researchers discovered that this citrus is a new species they called the Ryuku Citrus, or Citrus ryukyuensis. Unlike the citrus in China, this one reproduces only sexually. 

Interestingly, the experts determined that all of the shiikuwasha citrus varieties are hybrids, with one parent being from mainland China and one parent being from the Ryukyu citrus. It seems that one parent was brought from mainland China to the Ryuku Islands long ago, where it mated with a local citrus, producing a hybrid. 

Even more interestingly, all of the Japanese citrus varieties that the scientists looked at turned out to be hybrids. 

The researchers point out that this information could be valuable. If we can understand the history of hybridization, what new varieties of citrus could also be created through hybridization?  

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

History of Okinawan mandarin revealed

Fruits from the Mandarin family are popular throughout the world....

Dry summers and extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-millions-of-sea-creatures-killed-in-historic-heatwave/">heat</a> are the biggest contributors to tree death in Colorado's subalpine forests, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">CU Boulder</a>. The experts found that the rate of tree mortality has tripled in subalpine forests that have not been impacted by fire or bark beetle outbreaks in more than a decade. 

"We have bark beetle outbreaks and wildfires that cause very obvious mortality of trees in Colorado. But we're showing that even in the areas that people go hiking in and where the forest looks healthy, mortality is increasing due to heat and dry conditions alone," explained study lead author Robert Andrus. "It's an early warning sign of climate change."

The hotter and drier conditions are reducing the forests' ability to store carbon and making it difficult for new trees to become established.

The researchers measured tree mortality over the past four decades in 13 areas of subalpine forest in Colorado. They found that heat and drought alone are responsible for more than 70 percent of tree deaths across these sites. 

By comparison, about 23 percent of tree deaths were caused by bark beetles and only about five percent were caused by wind damage.

Subalpine forests cover more than 10,000 square miles in Colorado. According to Andrus, subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce dominate the area above the Peak to Peak Highway in the Front Range, and if you go over any mountain pass in Colorado, you're going into the subalpine zone.

"As trees die in increasing numbers due to fire, bark beetles and drought, the warmer and drier climate is making it much less likely that new tree seedlings can establish and replace the dead adult trees," said study co-author Professor Tom Veblen.

"It was really surprising to see how strong the relationship is between climate and tree mortality, to see that there was a very obvious effect of recent warmer and drier conditions on our subalpine forests," said Andrus. "The rate of increasing mortality is alarming."

The study is published in the <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652745">Journal of Ecology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tree mortality in Colorado is a warning sign of climate change

Dry summers and extreme heat are the biggest contributors to...

A recent analysis of DNA data from 60 years’ worth of frozen bull semen has shown that, while the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grass-crops-steal-genes-from-their-neighbors-to-evolve-faster/">genes</a> for fertility and productivity have improved over time, genes that enable adaptation to environmental stresses have faded among cattle. 

The results of this study, published recently in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/">PLOS Genetics</a>, indicate that, as a result of selective breeding for specific desirable physical traits, today’s herds are losing the genes that enable them to adapt to changes in environment, such as increased temperature or humidity, higher altitude or different types of grass. 

Study co-author Jared Decker is an associate professor and Wurdack Chair in Animal Genetics in the College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources at the <a href="https://missouri.edu/">University of Missouri</a>. 

"We can see that, for example, historically cows in Colorado are likely to have adaptations that ease the stress on their hearts at high altitudes," explained Professor Decker. "But if you bring in bulls or semen from a different environment, the frequency of those beneficial adaptations is going to decrease. Over generations, that cow herd will lose advantages that would have been very useful to a farmer in Colorado."

Professor Decker and his team recognize that this is not the fault of cattle farmers since they have no cost-effective genetic test to determine whether the bull they choose to inseminate their cows is adapted for the environment where the herd resides and the calves will be born.

The research has enabled the team to develop genetic mapping techniques that help identify regions of the bovine genome containing genes that contribute to local adaptation. This paves the way for genetic tests of cattle that can look for the presence of specific adaptations, such as heat or altitude tolerance, and identify locally adapted individuals. This is particularly important in the light of changes in current environmental stressors due to climate warming.

"Efficiency and productivity have vastly improved in the last 60 years,” said Professor Decker, but environmental stressors are never going to go away. Farmers need to know more about the genetic makeup of their herd, not only for the short-term success of their farm, but for the success of future generations."

"As a society, we must produce food more sustainably and be good environmental stewards," said Professor Decker. "Making sure a cow's genetics match their environment makes life better for cattle and helps farmers run efficient and productive operations. It's a win-win."

---

By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cattle are becoming less adapted to their environment

A recent analysis of DNA data from 60 years’ worth...

A new study from the University of São Paulo has concluded that the climate crisis will lead to detrimental changes in the stony coral habitats of the tropical Atlantic. The research, published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a>, concludes that the loss of such species could have a devastating chain reaction of consequences for marine ecosystems unless urgent action is taken.

The researchers projected current and future distributions of three "ecosystem engineer" corals: Mussismilia hispida, Montastraea cavernosa, and the Siderastrea complex. Each species deposits calcium carbonate, an essential compound for the marine ecosystem maintenance.

"Coral reefs provide essential ecosystem services such as food provision, coastal protection, and nutrient cycling, that benefit millions of people - including those who live far from any coral reef," stated study lead author Silas Principe. "If species that are important in structuring the coral reefs are lost, the provision of all those services is consequently also threatened."

Human activity has harmed coral habitats worldwide; intense pollution, fisheries, and tourism all contribute to the loss of coral cover. The climate crisis is yet another factor. Climate change leads to key coral species moving to temperate waters at higher latitudes and may have cascading effects on marine wildlife communities.

The researchers collected data on the three reef types and used distribution models to model their suitability on their current habitat. They also used future projections based on three scenarios - pessimistic, optimistic, and moderate. 

Tragically, decreased abundance of stony corals is expected under each scenario. The Brazilian coast will be particularly affected, as it contains fewer habitat-building coral species.

The researchers urge conservation efforts to focus within the Abrolhos region, northeast coast of Brazil, western Caribbean, and the Gulf of Mexico. "We show that important reef builder species of the Atlantic will face shifts in its distribution due to climate change," said Principe.

"Certain areas, such as the Abrolhos region in the coast of Brazil, will completely lose at least one of its species in any of the future scenarios. Major areas in the Caribbean will also lose species in the future, although in the coast of Africa some species may expand their current range."

However, there is still hope for Atlantic stony corals. "Although our results predict major negative impacts on Atlantic shallow reefs, we also identified several areas where none or fewer changes are predicted," said Principe. "Managers and policymakers can use this to support the planning process of conservation areas." 

"Researchers and conservationists can use these results to focus research efforts on the so-called 'refuge areas' that may constitute safe areas for coral species in the future."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Three important coral habitats are vanishing

A new study from the University of São Paulo has...

A recent study from the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/index.html">University of Alberta</a> has analyzed the gut microbiomes of over 400 infants. The researchers found that baby boys with a gut bacterial composition high in Bacteroidetes had more advanced cognition and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/monkeys-depend-on-social-interactions-for-language-development/">language</a> skills after one year. 

"It's well known that female children score higher (at early ages), especially in cognition and language," said study co-author Professor Anita Kozyrskyj. "But when it comes to gut microbial composition, it was the male infants where we saw this obvious connection between the Bacteroidetes and the improved scores."

The researchers studied bacteria found in fecal samples from the infants, identifying three different groups exhibiting similar dominant clusters of bacteria.

The experts discovered that only male infants with Bacteroidetes-dominant gut composition showing signs of enhanced neurodevelopment.

"The differences between male and female gut microbiota are very subtle, but we do know from CHILD Cohort Study data that girls at early ages are more likely to have more of these Bacteroidetes," said Professor Kozyrskyj.

"So perhaps most girls have a sufficient number of Bacteroidetes and that's why they have improved scores over boys."

According to Professor Kozyrskyj, Bacteroidetes are just one of many bacteria that produce metabolites called sphingolipids which are instrumental for the formation and structure of brain neurons. 

“If you have more of these microbes and they produce more sphingolipids, then you should see some improvement in terms of the formation of neuron connections in our brain and improved scores in cognition and language."

Professor Kozyrskyj noted that cesarean birth is one factor that significantly depletes Bacteroidetes. However, breastfeeding, high-fiber diets, living with a dog, and exposure to nature have a positive impact on microbiota composition levels.

The findings do not necessarily suggest that children with a lower proportion of Bacteroidetes will fall behind in school. Instead, the researchers believe the results could be instrumental in the identification of children at risk of neurodevelopmental disorders.

"Over the first one to two years of life, your brain is very malleable," said Professor Kozyrskyj. "Now we're seeing a connection between its malleability and gut microbiota”. 

The researchers will continue to follow the infants to determine whether the findings have the potential to predict autism or ADHD. Other potentially impactful factors are being studied that the experts believe could have an effect on neurodevelopment in infants, including stress and gut colonization by the bacterium Clostridium difficile.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/toc/kgmi20/current">Gut Microbes</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gut bacteria of infant boys can enhance cognitive skills

A recent study from the University of Alberta has analyzed...

Attempts to meet the Paris Agreement’s global target of keeping average temperature increases to within two degrees will have a significant impact on jobs in the energy sector, finds recent research conducted by Johannes Emmerling and colleagues and published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/one-earth/home">One Earth</a>.

"Currently, an estimated 18 million people work in the energy industries – a number that is likely to increase, not decrease, to 26 million or by over 50% if we reach our global climate targets," said Emmerling, who is an environmental economist at the RFF-CMCC European Institute on Economics and the Environment. 

The researchers built a global dataset on employment factors in the energy sector and modeled the impacts that various climate protection scenarios and policies would have on these factors. They found that in order to fulfil the targets enshrined in the Paris Agreement, the energy sector would need to transition from fossil fuels to renewable and low carbon energy sources.

Such transitions would lead to the creation of about 8 million new jobs by 2050, primarily due to gains in the solar and wind energy industries. Of the total predicted jobs in the energy sector in 2050, 84 percent would be in the area of renewable energy, such as solar and wind, while only eleven percent would fall in the fossil fuel sector and 5 percent in the field of nuclear-powered energy.

"Manufacturing and installation of renewable energy sources could potentially become about one third of the total of these jobs," said Emmerling.

"The energy transition is increasingly being studied with very detailed models, spatial resolutions, timescales, and technological details. Yet, the human dimension, energy access, poverty, and also distributional and employment implications are often not considered at a high level of detail."

"We contributed to this gap by collecting and applying a large dataset across many countries and technologies that can also be used in other applications."

It important to understand the potential implications of actions that may be taken to reach the climate agreement’s goals because this will affect people’s jobs and livelihoods. In many countries there is a debate about the importance of jobs versus the environment. The current model will help governments to undertake appropriate planning in this field. 

Future research will need to investigate the new skill requirements - along with the training, education, and wages - that will be involved in trying to meet the global climate targets. 

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By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Millions more jobs will open in the energy sector by 2050

Attempts to meet the Paris Agreement’s global target of keeping...

Humid tropical forests impact the world’s weather patterns and temperatures, and are home to enormous biological biodiversity. These forests are also crucial in the global cycling of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/part-of-the-amazon-now-releases-more-carbon-than-it-stores/">carbon</a> dioxide and water.

At the same time, tropical forests are extremely vulnerable to changes in land use and climate. They are being cleared at an alarming rate, often to make space for farmlands, palm oil plantations and ranches. 

"Frequent droughts, higher temperature, and longer dry seasons, along with increasing pressures from deforestation and degradation in the last two decades, have pushed the tropical rainforests to the verge of a tipping point," said Sassan Saatchi of <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>.

To address this problem, almost 60 scientists, backed by the National Geographic Society and Rolex watch manufacturers, have worked together to devise an early warning system to monitor forest vulnerability. The team combined satellite data on weather patterns with other indicators of forest ecological health to develop the Tropical Forest Vulnerability Index (TFVI).

The TFVI index helps monitor changes in climate and land usage in forest areas. It can be used by researchers to identify forests that are becoming increasingly vulnerable before they reach a “tipping point” beyond which the forest no longer functions as a stable ecosystem.

According to Saatchi, the results of the study suggest that rainforests are losing their capacity to cycle carbon and water as before. "This is occurring gradually at the continental scale and more rapidly at the regional scale, with significant implications for the global carbon sink and climate."

However, not all tropical forests are responding to changes in climate in the same way. Forests in Africa appear to be more resilient to such changes, while those in the Americas respond more rapidly to stress and show greater vulnerability. 

Some of these forests show almost no resilience to climate warming and droughts, particularly if they have been significantly disturbed by human activities or fragmented into small patches. 

It is hoped that scientists and policy makers will make use of the TFVI to monitor changes in forest vulnerability and step in with appropriate solutions before forests become degraded beyond repair.

"Now is the time to do something and not later," said Saatchi. "This work takes advantage of a suite of satellite observations made for the past few decades to show how and where the tipping points may be reached and to help policy makers plan for conservation and restoration of these forests."

The results of the study are published by <a href="https://www.cell.com/">Cell Press</a> in the journal <a href="https://www.oneearth.org/">One Earth</a>.

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By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tropical forests are on the verge of a tipping point

Humid tropical forests impact the world’s weather patterns and temperatures,...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> are describing five previously unknown plant species from the Bolivian <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-species-frog-andes/">Andes</a>. All of the new species belong to the genus Jacquemontia, a group of trailing plants with blue flowers.

As the issue of biodiversity loss becomes increasingly worse on a global scale, it is more important than ever before to identify new plants so that they can be protected from extinction.

"Many plant species have not been identified and classified, especially in the tropics," said study co-author Rosie Clegg. "If you don't know what a species is, you can't conserve it."

"Working with local collaborators in Bolivia, we have identified five new Jacquemontia species - and our work so far suggests most of them are relatively rare."

The researchers now want to learn more about Jacquemontia plants, which often grow in open or grassy habitats. On the other hand, some of the species are highly specialized, existing only in a single location. 

When plants are limited to a very small range, they are more susceptible to threats such as climate change and human development. 

The current study by Clegg is focused on rock outcrops, where some Jacquemontia plants can be found. However, the new species are found on Andean slopes. 

"Rock outcrops come in many forms across South America, with different geologies and different plants living on them," said Clegg.

"As well as identifying plants, we want to learn more about these habitats and the role they play in wider ecosystems. "Jacquemontia and other plants on rock outcrops are able to survive in very harsh conditions, so through them we can learn more about how plants might respond and adapt to climate change."

According to John Wood of the University of Oxford, collaboration between UK institutions working alongside colleagues in Bolivia is important for the identification and conservation of species.

The new species are named Jacquemontia boliviana, J. cuspidata, J. longipedunculata, J. mairae and J. chuquisacensis.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/12225">Kew Bulletin</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

Five new plant species found in Bolivia

Scientists at the University of Exeter are describing five previously...

Global warming is leading to increasing temperatures across <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/changes-in-earths-tilt-led-to-the-emergence-of-complex-life/">Earth</a>, and experts are investigating how this will affect high-impact weather in the UK. A recent study published in the journal <a href="https://www.springer.com/journal/10584">Climatic Change</a> concludes that higher levels of global warming will lead to an increase in the frequency of extremely hot days, droughts, and floods.

The researchers used simulations from the ‘Regional Climate Model’ to lead to these conclusions. The study has shown that at a global warming level of 1.5°, the UK can expect an annual increase of at least five days over 25°C and a decrease in at least 10 days of temperatures under 0°C. 

With an increased global warming rate of 4.0°C, figures would subsequently lead to up to 39 additional hot days and a decrease in up to 49 days of sub-zero temperatures. 

These temperature changes would directly correlate with an increase in frequency and severity of long-term droughts and up to seven additional days every year of prolonged rainfall, which would likely result in damaging flooding in the UK. 

“Our research clearly shows that the more we warm the planet through human-induced climate change, the more severe weather we can expect in the UK. Severe weather can impact us in a number of ways, from our health, to flooding, food availability and transport issues," said lead author Dr. Helen Hanlon.

Despite the bleak findings of the study, a glint of hope remains. According to Dr. Hanlon, “the paper shows that the increase in high-impact weather is reduced if global warming is kept as low as possible, showing that efforts to reduce human-induced climate change will curb the most severe impacts of future weather in the UK.” 

However, with changes evident at even 1.5°C of global warming this is a reminder that even with the most optimistic global emissions mitigation scenarios, there is still a need for adaptation, long-term planning, and risk assessment activities across sectors in the UK.  

“This study provides part of the picture for what our future weather and climate may look like," noted Professor Jason Lowe. "Crucially it sits alongside other studies, such as those examining the risks from wildfire and floods, helping to create as full a vision of the future as possible. The more insight we have on our future world, the more opportunity there is to plan for it.”

The research has recently been comprehensively cited in the UK’s third Climate Change Risk Assessment (CCRA3), compiled by the Climate Change Committee. 

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Extremely hot days could quadruple in the UK

Global warming is leading to increasing temperatures across Earth, and...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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



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

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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



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

How does salt makes things taste better?

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Santiago, Chile in South America

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&nbsp;



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



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

Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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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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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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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