Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features smoke hovering over the Butler Fire in Six Rivers National Forest. The fire was sparked by lightning on July 1 before quickly spreading to the east of Orleans, California. 



By July 16, the Butler Fire had burned more than 9,000 acres and was zero percent contained.&nbsp;



Fueled by triple-digit temperatures and low humidity, the fire produced massive smoke plumes that drifted westward, impacting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-are-changing-the-quality-of-our-air/">air quality</a> across the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-california-fires-ignited-by-lightning">California fires ignited by lightning</h2>



About 75 miles southeast of the Butler Fire, the Green Fire has been burning for weeks near the Pit River arm of Shasta Lake. The fire was also ignited by lightning. 



By mid-July, the Green Fire had scorched over 15,000 acres and was only 13 percent contained.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154554/wildfire-smoke-billows-over-northern-california">NASA</a>, the fire’s rapid spread was driven by similarly extreme conditions - temperatures above 100°F and humidity levels below 20 percent.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-california-s-intense-2025-fire-season">California’s intense 2025 fire season</h2>



California’s 2025 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">wildfire season</a> started early - and with alarming intensity. In January, Southern California endured destructive fires that were fueled by strong Santa Ana winds. 



Most notably, the Palisades and Eaton Fires burned over 57,000 acres, destroyed thousands of homes, and resulted in around 30 fatalities.&nbsp;



Through mid-July, more than 4,195 wildfires had scorched over 201,000 acres statewide. This is nearly triple the area burned in the same period in 2024 and well above the five-year average. 



Among these fires, the massive Madre Fire in San Luis Obispo County alone had burned more than 80,000 acres by early July, making it the largest wildfire of the season.



California is entering the peak of its fire season amid worsening climate-driven hot and dry weather, with fire agencies forecasting above-normal fire potential through August and September.&nbsp;



Firefighters and communities are facing increasingly complex and dangerous conditions, including extreme heat, dry vegetation, and low humidity. These factors are making wildfires harder to predict and control.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-more-intense-fire-seasons-ahead">More intense fire seasons ahead</h2>



Looking ahead, California’s wildfire seasons are expected to grow longer, more intense, and more unpredictable as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">climate change</a> continues to reshape the landscape.&nbsp;



Rising temperatures, prolonged droughts, and shrinking snowpacks are drying out forests and grasslands earlier in the year, creating dangerous conditions months before the traditional fire season. 



Scientists warn that even in wetter years, vegetation growth can provide abundant fuel that dries out quickly under warming trends. This increases the risk of fast-moving, high-intensity fires. 



The state is also seeing more fire activity in regions once considered low risk, including coastal areas and higher elevations.



In addition to fueling larger and more frequent fires, climate change is complicating response and recovery efforts. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">Smoke</a> from massive wildfires can impact extensive regions, posing serious health risks and straining public health systems. 



Ultimately, experts agree that without significant action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and slow the pace of global warming, wildfires will remain one of the most visible and destructive symptoms of a <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/earth/explore/wildfires-and-climate-change/">changing climate</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-living-with-fire">Living with fire</h2>



As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/">wildfires</a> become a more permanent fixture of life in California, residents are adapting to new realities. From packing emergency “go bags” in spring to installing air purifiers and fire-resistant landscaping, preparedness is becoming part of everyday life.&nbsp;



Schools and workplaces now routinely factor wildfire smoke into closure plans, and emergency drills are no longer seasonal but year-round.



For people on the front lines - firefighters, emergency responders, and healthcare workers - demands will only get worse and more support is needed.&nbsp;



Many are calling for improved pay and benefits, as well as mental health services to cope with repeated trauma.



Living with fire in California means balancing resilience with action. Communities must prepare for fire, recover from fire, and push for climate policies that may prevent a future defined by ever-worsening wildfire seasons.



The image was captured on July 13, 2025 by the Operational Land Imager (OLI) on the <a href="https://landsat.gsfc.nasa.gov/satellites/landsat-8/">Landsat 8 satellite</a>.&nbsp;



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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California's extreme fire season rages on

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features Abell S1063, a massive galaxy cluster located about 4.5 billion light-years from Earth. The galaxy cluster was captured by the Webb telescope in stunning detail.



According to <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA_Multimedia/Images/2025/05/Webb_glimpses_the_distant_past" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a>, the image is what’s known as a deep field - a long exposure of a single area of the sky, collecting as much light as possible to draw out the most faint and distant galaxies that don’t appear in ordinary images.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxies-of-the-early-universe">Galaxies of the early universe </h2>



Composed of nine separate snapshots taken at different near-infrared wavelengths over roughly 120 hours, this image represents Webb’s most detailed and deepest view of a single target so far.&nbsp;



Thanks to the gravitational lensing effect of Abell S1063, astronomers can peer deeper into the past than ever before - possibly viewing some of the universe’s very <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-galaxies-formed-from-the-earliest-elements-in-the-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">first galaxies</a>.



“The eye is first drawn, in this new NASA/ESA/CSA James Webb Space Telescope Picture of the Month, to the central mega-monster that is galaxy cluster Abell S1063. This behemoth collection of galaxies, lying 4.5 billion light-years from Earth in the constellation Grus (the Crane), dominates the scene,” noted ESA.



“Looking more closely, this dense collection of heavy galaxies is surrounded by glowing streaks of light, and these warped arcs are the true object of scientists’ interest: faint galaxies from the universe’s distant past.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-is-a-galaxy-cluster">What is a galaxy cluster?</h2>



Galaxy clusters are the largest known gravitationally bound systems and include not just galaxies, but also vast amounts of hot, X-ray-emitting gas and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-true-nature-of-dark-matter-may-be-revealed-in-a-supernova/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dark matter</a>.&nbsp;



The galaxies within a cluster move through this hot intracluster medium, and their interactions can lead to phenomena like galaxy mergers or the stripping of gas from galaxies.&nbsp;



Galaxy clusters are important for studying the large-scale structure of the universe, the behavior of dark matter, and the evolution of galaxies over cosmic time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hundreds-of-galaxies-bound-together-nbsp">Hundreds of galaxies bound together&nbsp;</h2>



As one of the most densely populated clusters known, Abell S1063 contains hundreds of galaxies bound together by gravity.&nbsp;



Its immense mass makes it an excellent example of a gravitational lens - a cosmic phenomenon where the cluster’s gravity bends and magnifies the light from galaxies far behind it.&nbsp;



This effect allows astronomers to observe incredibly faint and distant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-like-galaxies-were-present-in-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">galaxies</a> that would otherwise be beyond our detection limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-galaxy-evolution">Studying galaxy evolution</h2>



The cluster has been the focus of several major observational campaigns. It was prominently featured in the Hubble Space Telescope’s Frontier Fields program, which used its gravitational lensing power to study the early universe.&nbsp;



“The new imagery from Webb’s Near-Infrared Camera (NIRCam) takes this quest even further back in time,” said ESA.



“This image showcases an incredible forest of lensing arcs around Abell S1063, which reveal distorted background galaxies at a range of cosmic distances, along with a multitude of faint galaxies and previously unseen features.”



These observations are helping scientists probe the Cosmic Dawn era - the period shortly after the Big Bang.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-exploring-the-cosmic-dawn-nbsp">Exploring the Cosmic Dawn&nbsp;</h2>



The Cosmic Dawn refers to a time in the history of the universe when the first stars and galaxies began to form and shine. This pivotal era occurred roughly between 100 million and 1 billion years after the Big Bang.&nbsp;



During the Dark Ages, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fastest-feeding-black-hole-found-in-the-early-universe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">universe</a> had cooled enough for neutral hydrogen to form, but no luminous objects yet existed to light it up.&nbsp;



The birth of the first stars - often massive and short-lived - marked the beginning of the Cosmic Dawn. These stars emitted intense ultraviolet radiation, which gradually ionized the surrounding hydrogen gas in a process known as reionization.&nbsp;



This transformed the universe from a cold, opaque environment into one that was transparent to light, enabling the large-scale structure of the cosmos to take shape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-constellation-grus">The constellation Grus</h2>



Grus is a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-jupiter-discovered-in-the-great-bear-constellation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">constellation</a> in the southern sky, its name derived from the Latin word for "crane," a type of large, graceful bird.&nbsp;



It was introduced in the late 16th century by the Dutch navigators Pieter Dirkszoon Keyser and Frederick de Houtman, during an era of celestial charting tied to European exploration of the southern hemisphere.&nbsp;



Grus is part of a group of constellations known as the "Southern Birds," which also includes Phoenix, Tucana, and Pavo.



This constellation lies near the celestial south pole and is best seen from the Southern Hemisphere during the months of August through October.&nbsp;



Image Credit: ESA/Webb, NASA &amp; CSA, H. Atek, M. Zamani



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Hundreds of galaxies illuminate the early universe 

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency...

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the spiral galaxy UGC 11397 in the constellation Lyra (The Lyre).



The light captured in this striking image traveled for 250 million years before reaching the NASA/ESA <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/35-years-of-hubble-the-telescope-that-changed-our-view-of-the-universe/">Hubble Space Telescope</a>.



“At first glance, UGC 11397 appears to be an average spiral galaxy: it sports two graceful spiral arms that are illuminated by stars and defined by dark, clumpy clouds of dust,” noted ESA.



“What sets UGC 11397 apart from a typical spiral lies at its center, where a supermassive black hole containing 174 million times the mass of the Sun is growing.”&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-hidden-powerhouse">A hidden powerhouse</h2>



As the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/largest-oldest-black-hole-jet-ever-seen-is-size-of-three-milky-ways-j1601-3102/">black hole</a> consumes gas, dust, and even entire stars from its surroundings, the infalling material heats up dramatically, producing a dazzling display of energy.&nbsp;



These emissions span the electromagnetic spectrum - from gamma rays to radio waves - and can flare or fade unpredictably.&nbsp;



“But in some galaxies, including UGC 11397, thick clouds of dust hide much of this energetic activity from view in optical light,” explained ESA.



“Despite this, UGC 11397's actively growing black hole was revealed through its bright X-ray emission - high-energy light that can pierce the surrounding dust.”&nbsp;



Its distinctive signature has earned UGC 11397 the classification of a Type 2 Seyfert galaxy. This category describes active galaxies whose central regions are obscured in visible light by a doughnut-shaped cloud of dust and gas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-galaxy-and-black-hole-growth">Galaxy and black hole growth</h2>



“Using Hubble, researchers will study hundreds of galaxies that, like UGC 11397, harbor a supermassive black hole that is gaining mass,” noted ESA.&nbsp;



“The Hubble observations will help researchers weigh nearby supermassive black holes, understand how black holes grew early in the universe’s history, and even study how stars form in the extreme environment found at the very center of a galaxy.”



Studying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-galaxies-discovery-would-upend-current-understanding-of-universe/">galaxies</a> like UGC 11397 also offers insight into the mysterious relationship between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies.&nbsp;



Despite residing at the heart of galaxies, these black holes influence their surroundings on a much larger scale, often regulating the formation of stars and even shaping the structure of the galaxy itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracing-black-hole-origins">Tracing black hole origins</h2>



One of the key questions astronomers hope to answer is how these black holes grow so massive in the first place.&nbsp;



While some appear to have formed gradually over billions of years, others - especially those in the early universe - seem to have reached enormous sizes much more quickly. 



Observations of galaxies such as UGC 11397 provide crucial data to test different growth scenarios.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-clearer-picture-of-cosmic-evolution">A clearer picture of cosmic evolution</h2>



By combining Hubble’s observations with data from other telescopes, including those that detect X-rays and radio waves, researchers can build a more complete picture of how matter behaves around black holes.&nbsp;



This multi-wavelength approach is essential for studying objects obscured by dust, like Type 2 Seyfert galaxies, where optical views alone can be misleading.



Hubble’s sharp vision also allows astronomers to examine the surrounding galactic disk and spiral arms in high detail. 



These structures hold clues about recent star formation, galactic dynamics, and how gas flows toward the center - fueling both star birth and black hole growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-black-hole-energy-in-active-galaxies">Black hole energy in active galaxies</h2>



In many active <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-galaxies-revealed-in-a-single-webb-image/">galaxies</a>, the energy released by the central black hole can blast out powerful winds or jets that affect star formation. These feedback processes can either shut down or stimulate the creation of new stars, depending on the conditions.&nbsp;



Understanding when and how this feedback occurs is another major goal of Hubble’s ongoing studies.



UGC 11397 is just one of many galaxies being surveyed as part of broader efforts to trace the cosmic history of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/black-holes-turn-into-white-holes-and-blast-out-matter-and-time-runs-backwards/">black hole</a> activity.&nbsp;



Projects such as these are helping scientists map how common active galactic nuclei are, how their properties evolve over time, and how they relate to galaxy mergers and other large-scale events.



The wealth of information gathered from galaxies like UGC 11397 is not only deepening our understanding of black holes but also refining models of galaxy formation and evolution.&nbsp;



With each new observation, astronomers are piecing together the vast and complex puzzle of how galaxies and their central engines co-evolve across cosmic time.



Image Credit: ESA/Hubble &amp; NASA, M. J. Koss, A. J. Barth



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Bright spiral galaxy hides a dark secret

Today's Image of the Day from the European Space Agency features the Eagle Nebula, also known as Messier 16, which is located about 7,000 light-years away in the constellation Serpens.



The Eagle Nebula is one of the most iconic star-forming regions in our galaxy.&nbsp;It’s a vast cloud of gas and dust stretching roughly 70 light-years across.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pillars-of-creation-nbsp">Pillars of Creation&nbsp;</h2>



What makes it especially famous is a portion of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-rogue-worlds-discovered-inside-a-young-star-forming-nebula/">nebula</a> captured by the Hubble Space Telescope in 1995 - an area called the "Pillars of Creation."&nbsp;



Some of these towering columns of gas are several light-years tall. The towers resemble sculpted fingers reaching out into space. Inside these pillars, new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/serpens-nebula-image-reveals-how-stars-are-born/">stars</a> are being born as gravity pulls material together into dense cores that eventually ignite nuclear fusion.



The Pillars of Creation are often cited as a poetic example of the cosmic cycle of birth and destruction - where new stars are born even as the surrounding material is slowly destroyed by radiation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hubble-image-of-the-eagle-nebula-nbsp">Hubble image of the Eagle Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



“This towering structure of billowing gas and dark, obscuring dust might only be a small portion of the Eagle Nebula, but it is no less majestic in appearance for it,” said <a href="https://esahubble.org/images/heic2507a/">ESA</a>.



“The new Hubble image is part of ESA/Hubble’s 35th anniversary celebrations. The cosmic cloud shown here is made of cold hydrogen gas, like the rest of the Eagle Nebula. In such regions of space new stars are born among the collapsing clouds.”&nbsp;



The hot, energetic stars emit intense ultraviolet light and powerful stellar winds that erode and sculpt the surrounding gas. The result is the creation of fantastical structures - like the narrow pillar with a blossoming head featured in the Hubble image.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-light-and-shadow-in-the-eagle-nebula">Light and shadow in the Eagle Nebula</h2>



The thick material in the pillar blocks most light, appearing dark and heavy against the backdrop. However, its edges glow where light from the more distant nebula shines through.&nbsp;



The striking colors reflect the chemistry and physics at play: blues signal ionized oxygen, reds indicate glowing hydrogen, and orange shows where starlight has managed to pierce the dust.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-structure-under-siege">A structure under siege</h2>



Just out of frame lie the very stars responsible for shaping this dramatic pillar. Their radiation and winds continue to batter the cloud, compressing the gas and potentially triggering the birth of even more stars within.



For now, the pillar holds firm, but this stability is temporary. Over time, the relentless energy from newly formed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluffy-molecular-clouds-may-change-our-understanding-of-star-formation/">stars</a> will eventually erode the entire structure.



“While the starry pillar has withstood these forces well so far, cutting an impressive shape against the background, eventually it will be totally eroded by the multitude of new stars that form in the Eagle Nebula,” explained ESA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-life-cycle-of-the-milky-way">Life cycle of the Milky Way</h2>



The nebula’s location in the Sagittarius Arm - one of the Milky Way’s major spiral arms - places it in a zone bustling with similar star-forming regions. This highlights the role of the Eagle Nebula in shaping the structure and the future of our galaxy.



Studies of the Eagle Nebula have revealed that the region is rich in young, hot stars - some of which are only a few million years old. These stars are in various stages of development, providing a natural laboratory for astronomers to study stellar life cycles.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-evolution-of-the-eagle-nebula-nbsp">Evolution of the Eagle Nebula&nbsp;</h2>



Within the Eagle Nebula, there is a variety of stellar processes occurring in close proximity. Some stars are still forming within dense clouds of gas, while others have already matured and begun to emit powerful ultraviolet radiation.&nbsp;



The ongoing interaction between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/star-formation-reignited-in-the-galaxy-leo-p-after-billions-of-years/">young stars</a> and their environment drives the evolution of the nebula itself.&nbsp;



As newly formed stars heat and disperse the gas and dust around them, they trigger further waves of star formation - or in some cases, halt it altogether.&nbsp;



This feedback loop not only influences the pace of star birth in the Eagle Nebula but also contributes to the broader life cycle of matter within the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/milky-way-collision-may-change-everything-we-know-about-our-galaxy/">Milky Way</a>, enriching the galaxy with heavier elements forged in stellar cores.



Image Credit: ESA/Hubble &amp; NASA, K. Noll



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Eagle Nebula: Carving light from darkness

Today's Image of the Day from NASA Earth Observatory features a satellite view of smoke from fires burning in Manitoba, Canada on July 9, 2025.&nbsp;



Manitoba is facing its most severe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">wildfire season</a> on record - driven by extreme heat, drought, and strong winds.



By mid‑May, five fires in Manitoba were already classified as out of control, including one north of Whiteshell Provincial Park that rapidly consumed more than 100,000 hectares.



A record‑breaking heat wave around May 13, which was the hottest day Winnipeg has seen in 125 years, further accelerated the spread of the fires.



“Large fires have burned in Canada’s Manitoba province since May 2025, but the intensity of activity escalated in July,” noted <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/154531/manitoba-burning">NASA</a>. 



“The province’s wildfire service reported 98 active fires burning on July 8, including 16 that were listed as out of control across the northern, western, and eastern parts of the province.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-smoke-plumes-are-shifting-directions-nbsp">Smoke plumes are shifting directions&nbsp;</h2>



The fires have blown across vast swaths of northern Manitoba, at times closing in on urban centers like Flin Flon and The Pas. 



Dense smoke rendered aerial firefighting efforts dangerous or impossible, forcing firefighting crews to focus on protecting lives and infrastructure from the ground. 



Smoke plumes drifted south into the U.S. Upper Midwest, degrading <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-are-changing-the-quality-of-our-air/">air quality</a> in states like Minnesota, North Dakota and Wisconsin, where conditions reached unhealthy levels and outdoor activities were limited.



“At the time the image was acquired, dense smoke plumes from several of the largest fires streamed north; however, satellites have often observed plumes from Manitoba’s fires blowing east in recent weeks and months,” noted NASA.



Persistent smoke has caused air alert levels to spike across North America. A growing collection of research links <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">wildfire smoke exposure</a> to long‑term health risks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-escalating-fire-crisis-in-manitoba-nbsp">Escalating fire crisis in Manitoba&nbsp;</h2>



“As of July 9, fires in 2025 had charred 4.8 million hectares across Canada, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center. That’s an area about twice the size of New Jersey and nearly four times the 25-year average,” said NASA.



“Manitoba accounted for about 1 million hectares of burned area, about 20 times more than at the same point in 2024 and 13 times more than the 25-year average.”



Despite brief relief from cooler weather and scattered rain, officials caution that full containment of the fires remains a long way off. The threat of flare-ups grows as temperatures continue to rise.



Authorities in Manitoba have emphasized the importance of fire‑smart behavior and compliance with restrictions in what continues to unfold as a historic wildfire emergency.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-remote-communities-face-greater-risks">Remote communities face greater risks</h2>



First Nations communities have been hit especially hard by Manitoba’s wildfire crisis. Many of these communities are located in remote areas with limited road access, which complicates evacuation efforts and delays emergency response.&nbsp;



Critical firefighting infrastructure - such as water tanks, hoses, and trained personnel - is often lacking. In some cases, airstrips are too small to accommodate large aircraft needed for evacuations or supply drops.



These challenges stem from long-standing systemic inequities. Chronic underfunding of infrastructure, healthcare, housing, and emergency services has left many Indigenous communities more vulnerable to climate-related disasters.&nbsp;



When <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/">wildfires</a> strike, the impacts on these remote communities are often more severe and long-lasting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-rise-of-extreme-fire-seasons">The rise of extreme fire seasons</h2>



Climate change is intensifying wildfire activity across Canada and beyond. Rising global temperatures have led to longer and more severe fire seasons, as warmer air draws more moisture from vegetation and soil, leaving forests drier and more flammable.&nbsp;



In Manitoba, an early onset of heat and persistent drought created ideal conditions for ignition and rapid spread - conditions that are becoming increasingly common in a warming world.



In addition to fueling drier landscapes, climate change has altered atmospheric patterns that influence fire behavior. Shifts in jet streams and the frequency of high-pressure systems can trap <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-is-pushing-parts-of-earth-beyond-human-survival/">heat</a> over regions for prolonged periods.&nbsp;



These effects compound the risks, turning what might once have been manageable fire seasons into widespread and persistent emergencies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-future-with-more-megafires">A future with more megafires </h2>



While wildfires are a natural part of many ecosystems, the scale and intensity now being observed point to a system pushed beyond historical norms.&nbsp;



Experts warn that without major cuts to greenhouse gas emissions, Canada will face more frequent megafires - especially in fire-prone provinces like Manitoba. 



These escalating fires are expected to bring greater health risks from smoke and increasing strain on emergency response systems.



The image was captured on July 9, 2025 by the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) on NASA’s Aqua satellite.



Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory&nbsp;



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From drought to disaster: Manitoba’s fire crisis escalates

Geologists have stumbled on what they call gigantic fortresses lying almost 1,800 miles below our feet in Earth's mantle. 



New seismic evidence shows how these subterranean bulwarks are older and tougher than the cooler debris of dead ocean plates that surround them, turning a long‑running mystery into a concrete data story.



Each fortress spans an area comparable to a continent beneath Africa and the Pacific, and registers hotter than its frigid surroundings. 



<a href="https://www.uu.nl/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Utrecht University</a>'s seismologist <a href="https://www.uu.nl/staff/AFDeuss" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arwen Deuss</a>, working with colleagues across Europe, Australia, and the United States, led the crew that pieced together the picture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fortresses-in-earth-s-mantle">Fortresses in Earth's mantle</h2>



The scientific shorthand for the fortresses is large low seismic velocity provinces or <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22185-1" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LLSVPs</a>, continent‑scale masses perched at the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1148028" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">core‑mantle boundary</a> about 1,800 to 1,900 miles down. 



They dampen shear waves and slow them, marking them out as zones of hot, sluggish rock that differs sharply from the stiff material around them.



Seismic tomography first lit them up in global maps during the 1990s. Two hulking blobs emerged, one under Africa and one under the central Pacific, each more than 3,000 miles across.



Later surveys confirmed that the African LLSVP towers roughly 600 miles high while its Pacific twin rises even farther. 



Yet whether they were temporary stains or ancient fixtures remained unsettled, in part because most models assumed vigorous, homogenizing flow in the lower mantle.



Taken together, the two provinces occupy about eight percent of the mantle’s volume, a reminder that Earth’s interior is far from uniform.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-listening-to-the-planet-s-bell">Listening to the planet's bell</h2>



Seismologists treat the Earth like a giant bell that rings when a great quake strikes. The catastrophic <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/95GL01598" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">1994 Bolivia event</a> provided tones that hummed for hours, carrying clues from the deepest layers and offering clean, low‑noise data.



“Large earthquakes make the whole Earth ring like a bell with different tones,” said Deuss after reviewing decades of records. 



Her team tuned in not only to the pitch shifts but also to how loudly each mode persisted, a seldom‑used metric called quality factor.



That loudness, known as damping, revealed something odd. Vibrations grew quiet in the cold slab graveyard but stayed loud inside the hot fortresses, implying low internal friction and unexpectedly efficient energy transmission.



Against expectation, the LLSVPs sapped little energy from the waves. The finding overturned the simple view that heat alone controls attenuation, forcing scientists to search for another variable.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-texture-tells-a-deeper-story">Texture tells a deeper story</h2>



The key lies in <a href="https://web.mit.edu/hufaul/www/UPubs/JacksonJGR02.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">grain boundaries</a>, the microscopic seams between crystals in mantle minerals. Fewer seams mean fewer places for energy to bleed away, a principle familiar to anyone who has tried to push water through a coarse versus fine filter.



Subducted plates recrystallize into tiny grains as they plunge, multiplying boundaries and soaking up seismic energy. They show up as the quietest patches in the global map, matching the high‑damping ring around the Pacific.



Inside the fortresses, grains have had eons to grow fat. Large crystals line up like chunky bricks, stiffening the rock and letting waves glide through with little loss, a behavior confirmed in high‑pressure laboratory rigs.



Laboratory tests on olivine confirm the trend, showing that doubling grain size can nearly halve seismic attenuation at mantle temperatures. 



That experimental curve fits the numbers seen in the new global model, strengthening the grain‑size explanation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-restless-mantle-and-giant-fortresses">Restless mantle and giant fortresses</h2>



Modeling suggests the grain growth needed to reach that size takes at least 500 million years, perhaps far longer. 



The fortresses, therefore, predate many supercontinents that have since broken apart, including Pangea and its earlier cousins.



Such rigidity helps them ignore the slow churn of mantle convection. They stand their ground while cooler slabs crawl and sink around them, like boulders lodged in a riverbed of flowing rock.



“There is less flow in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sunken-worlds-discovered-under-the-pacific-ocean-in-earths-mantle/">Earth's mantle</a> than is commonly thought,” Deuss explained, noting that the presence of these immovable masses forces scientists to rethink convection cycles. The textbook picture of a well‑stirred mantle no longer fits.



A layered mantle, part conveyor and part castle, now seems more likely. That hybrid view changes every surface process driven from below, from the drift of continents to the cycling of carbon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-finding-matters-at-the-surface">Why the finding matters at the surface</h2>



The hot edges of the fortresses appear to be launchpads for mantle plumes that punch up to volcano chains such as Hawaii. Their buoyant rise fuels not only island arcs but also the massive basalt floods seen in Earth’s deep past.



Large igneous provinces linked to mass extinctions tend to cluster above these plume zones. Knowing that the plumes come from fortress margins ties surface cataclysms to deep‑<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fresh-lava-from-deep-earth-mantle-pulses-burst-onto-land-where-new-ocean-is-forming/">mantle</a> architecture.



Mountain belts form where plates collide, but the deep heat flow that drives those collisions may trace back to these hot roots. In that sense, the fortresses could set the tempo of orogeny and rifting alike.



Over geologic time, their stability may even shape the drift path of continents, steering plates around the mantle’s slow‑moving keystones. That possibility will feed new computer models that link deep convection to plate motions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-scientists-will-chase-next">What scientists will chase next</h2>



Researchers plan denser global arrays and machine‑learning tools to catch fainter normal modes. Each new quake becomes another flashlight aimed into the depths, refining the 3‑D map with every event.



Geochemists will compare <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-gold-precious-metals-discovered-hawaii-may-have-come-from-earths-core/">volcanic rocks</a> to lab‑made analogs, hunting chemical fingerprints of the fortresses. 



A match would close the loop between seismic images and real material, settling the debate over whether the fortresses differ in composition as well as temperature.



Mineral physicists also want to recreate fortress conditions in diamond‑anvil presses, squeezing and heating samples to map how grain growth unfolds through deep time. The work could reveal why some minerals coarsen while others stay fine and brittle.



Meanwhile, <a href="https://www.geol.umd.edu/~mcdonoug/documents/geoneutrino/Dye_etal_(AIP-CP-1182_09).pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">geoneutrino observatories</a> may soon detect radioactive decay signatures that differ inside and outside the fortresses. 



Any contrast would add a new dimension to the planet‑sized puzzle, linking deep geology to particle physics.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08322-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Geologists found 'gigantic fortresses' beneath the Earth's crust in the mantle

Geologists have stumbled on what they call gigantic fortresses lying...

Aspen trees, long admired for their beauty, may also be powerful allies in wildfire defense. A new study reveals that aspen forests can slow wildfires or even stop them entirely. The researchers looked at 314 wildfires across the Four Corners region between 2001 and 2020.



The team discovered that even small increases in aspen cover reduced fire spread. Daily fire growth dropped from over 1,100 hectares to just 368 hectares where aspen cover exceeded 25 percent. The research shows how aspen stands can work like natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">firebreaks</a>.



Study co-author Camille Stevens-Rumann is an associate professor of forest and rangeland stewardship at <a href="https://www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&amp;ai=DChsSEwiA8d2KmsSOAxV7Ha0GHTydJiAYACICCAEQABoCcHY&amp;ae=2&amp;co=1&amp;ase=3&amp;agsac=WSzQGi9fupA&amp;gclid=CjwKCAjwvuLDBhAOEiwAPtF0VvDkxM68atE0hzajpCpwrMe24lEHXOSwVutUvw84cPX2BysJJ2eskhoCUroQAvD_BwE&amp;ei=FxZ5aMjFFsGo0PEPs9jsuA0&amp;ohost=www.google.com&amp;cid=CAESwwHg9kzbdMEryDyc7pk-9MOgOrKHc7cMTIF0G6ZsM0D2PJUpift_Q4S3ecWuFTmhlQXjWRxCVGbRflQ_7EvzOmQUxpksK3XjbJ8LjeVG5ZQkfxcHkPJydOp6-ZJOtCCajsLxWE4SQuqxaiO_DdhAnxFMwdP0qeMH20OxzApcNao_qxEKsuKuSlNylmWnUi5AdKmueQLRNsW4u1sw_PfNXq35SEzNXBphGOCrLGOkToEzUy3z7zSchJ7Ue-Vih746BImLwVc&amp;sig=AOD64_3MAeRUmbBQqepNuOcbnIXyZ96t8Q&amp;q&amp;sqi=2&amp;adurl&amp;ved=2ahUKEwiIrdiKmsSOAxVBFDQIHTMsG9cQ0Qx6BAgTEAE&amp;ms=CoACUlSkG05Cs3Fm4sA9v7CZdXwaUYWgIPZKVjPN0oyvBswcyW9a95LuMEiM7bkdxxgRIFJMZQ66WdZKTZtycckRazNVWDdflJDr-tClbsz3m45gUR3DXKzI9uIGU6fESdVlm41lPifH5SLLv6awmDB-YdMVdJ1jc6kb4TRCdcKgOx9EzZgWgjmgVq3fpag5jQXRDyYmOUwDStf53i2OJdj0e1Ux9gME9tKaqygrPiS5co6oHzOQI-fTCbnqncM4YbzWcbYWSG74tMsS0VPMsMtn04A6jUkiH8LFLJkLNzV0Y91UBGC4zWLpcDmSadS9Ff_mB4Af7ts9re2GEKxUO-1GLwqAAiZJeyMuX0MPh0nKj6nrwQxx5XwQndxpncGphRUQw71wnhflX5pDL6w3n0aWgdIWG_xC_9DdHftnEd65ywZBxO1OWD9bXvIGgkKcslaq14M4ivLUHGaVeDEhwETD771_WromHppfg9vPrr61o5R7YFLnN49428HIHTyY9VzKGhcXKpysNy25tEtb1yKiPakXfsxg0DeXyUaHY9q7e_Oza1s9zeXirHV3GzTBY7vqZ_Z1UhoE5OCbQBPUJHnhEQ4pzdd4w-xDxxn1fjnvMlApJPQ3I5TYkrgc6UuScJvcO2CS-IgXXmN7e-Sd37nYpgQYaf_926zSNVdeNABxi08LTJ0SEG91ZYMjMf5m7jBLDg9Q41o&amp;nis=12&amp;uk=1752765978850&amp;dct=1&amp;suid=48698778863">Colorado State University</a>.



“Where managers can encourage aspen over conifers, they may represent a more desirable fuel treatment in some forest types than traditional thinning or shaded firebreaks because of the aesthetic value and wildlife habitat aspen provide,” said Stevens-Rumann.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-barriers-that-stop-wildfires">Barriers that stop wildfires</h2>



The researchers found that aspen was more abundant at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-are-changing-the-quality-of-our-air/">fire</a> edges than in the interior. The pattern suggests aspen helped form fire boundaries. This makes them a natural shield, especially useful for land managers.



“My hope is that this research can help inform fire and fuels management focused on propagation of aspen through prescribed fire. In some settings, aspen might even be planted around communities to form green fuel breaks for fire protection,” noted study lead author Matt Harris, a recent <a href="https://western.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Western Colorado</a> graduate.



The researchers used satellite data to measure daily fire growth. Fire spread slowed as aspen coverage increased, even under extreme conditions like high winds and low humidity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-aspen-resists-wildfires">Why aspen resists wildfires</h2>



Aspen trees carry unique traits that help them resist burning. Their leaves and understory hold more moisture. Their branches stay high, making crown fires less likely. And their chemical makeup makes them less flammable than conifers.



Daily fire spread dropped from over 2000 meters to under 1350 meters when aspen cover passed 25%. That’s a sharp decline with important implications.



The researchers also found that aspen’s effectiveness did not vary much with weather. While climate factors did affect total fire spread, they didn’t change aspen’s relative performance against conifers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aspen-in-the-late-fire-season">Aspen in the late fire season</h2>



One pattern did emerge with timing. Aspen tended to be more effective wildfire stoppers later in the season. In early spring, fires could still move through before the leaves fully emerged.



During summer, when aspen foliage reaches peak moisture, the trees became more effective buffers. Still, this trend was mild and not uniform across all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-making-wildfire-smoke-more-deadly/">fires</a>.



The study supports using aspen in green fuel breaks. These natural buffers could slow fire in forest landscapes while offering habitat and scenic value.



“This research is a direct result of long-term federal investment in understanding wildfire and forest dynamics," noted study co-author Jonathan Coop. 



"The wildfire challenges we face in the western U.S. continue to grow every year, and we require good science to inform solutions to protect communities and sustain the ecosystem functions we depend on, from water to timber."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aspen-forests-boost-wildfire-resistance">Aspen forests boost wildfire resistance</h2>



Aspen spreads quickly after disturbance. It regenerates through root suckers, seeds, and sprouts on bare ground. As fire activity increases due to climate change, aspen may expand naturally in some places.



However, that is not guaranteed. Land use, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-now-emit-more-carbon-than-they-store-due-to-wildfires/">fire</a> suppression, and conifer growth have reduced aspen in many areas. Interventions like prescribed fire or planting may help restore it.



Aspen forests also bring more than fire resistance. They boost soil moisture and provide habitats for birds and mammals. They offer high aesthetic and ecological value, making them ideal for landscape-scale planning.



Fire managers might now see aspen as more than just a background species. In fire-prone areas, these trees can help slow or stop wildfires. While more research is needed to investigate the costs and effectiveness, this study makes a clear case.



Aspen forests may not replace traditional fire treatments, but they offer a natural option that blends beauty, biodiversity, and fire resistance. In a drier, hotter future, that combination could become invaluable.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/eap.70061" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ecological Applications</a>.



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How aspen forests can help stop wildfires in their tracks

Aspen trees, long admired for their beauty, may also be...

Recognition,Of,Odor,Traces,By,Police,Dog,On,Location

A pair of specially trained dogs has shown that Parkinson’s disease leaves a telltale scent on human skin. This scent is strong enough for a canine nose to detect with remarkable accuracy.



This discovery could open the door to faster, cheaper, and entirely non‑invasive screening for a condition that currently lacks an early diagnostic test.



The study brought together <a href="https://www.medicaldetectiondogs.org.uk/">Medical Detection Dogs</a> in Milton Keynes with scientists from the Universities of <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/%C3%B9">Bristol</a> and <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/">Manchester</a>.



Over several months, the charity’s trainers conditioned two retriever-type dogs to recognize the odor that clings to sebum. This oily substance, which our skin naturally produces, changes when <a href="https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/disorders/parkinsons-disease" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Parkinson’s disease</a> (PD) is present.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-training-dogs-to-detect-disease">Training dogs to detect disease</h2>



During training, the canines encountered more than 200 gauze swabs. Some were taken from recently <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-that-dogs-can-alert-humans-to-valley-fever-disease/">diagnosed patients</a>, others from volunteers with no neurological illness, and a few from people living with different conditions.



Each pad was clipped to a stand. When a dog paused and pointed at a positive sample, the handler quietly clicked and offered a reward.



In the final double-blind trial - where neither the dog handler nor the overseeing scientist knew which positions held a patient’s swab - the dogs showed sensitivity of up to 80 percent and specificity of up to 98 percent.



Moreover, they were also able to detect Parkinson’s in swabs from people with multiple health conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-scent-of-parkinson-s">The scent of Parkinson’s</h2>



Dog noses are legendary, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cancer-immunotherapy-drug-also-works-to-slow-progression-of-parkinsons-disease/">Parkinson’s</a> researchers turned to them for a very specific reason. Excess sebum and a change in body odor often precede the familiar motor symptoms - shaking, slowed movement, and rigid muscles - by years.



A Scottish nurse named Joy Milne famously noticed a musky shift in her husband’s scent long before his diagnosis. Her observation inspired scientists to hunt for molecular fingerprints in skin oil.



A laboratory method based on mass‑spectrometry is inching forward, yet requires expensive instruments and trained personnel. Canines offer a shortcut.



“We are extremely proud to say that once again, dogs can very accurately detect disease," said Claire Guest, CEO and Chief Scientific Officer at Medical Detection Dogs.



“There is currently no early test for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cancer-immunotherapy-drug-also-works-to-slow-progression-of-parkinsons-disease/">Parkinson’s disease</a> and symptoms may start up to 20 years before they become visible and persistent leading to a confirmed diagnosis."



"Timely diagnosis is key as subsequent treatment could slow down the progression of the disease, and reduce the intensity of symptoms.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detection-rates-that-rival-medical-tests">Detection rates that rival medical tests</h2>



Even seasoned neurologists can misclassify early Parkinson’s, and imaging scans or spinal fluid assays are costly. By contrast, the gold-coated sensitivity and specificity reported here exceed those of many existing point-of-care tests in medical use.



“Identifying diagnostic biomarkers of PD - particularly those that may predict development or help diagnose disease earlier - is the subject of much ongoing research,” said lead author Nicola Rooney, an animal behavior specialist at the University of Bristol.



Rooney noted that the dogs in the study achieved high sensitivity and specificity and showed there is an olfactory signature distinct to patients with the disease.



“Sensitivity levels of 70 percent and 80 percent are well above chance, and I believe that dogs could help us develop a quick, noninvasive, and cost-effective method to identify patients with Parkinson’s disease.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-blinded-trials-confirm-the-results">Blinded trials confirm the results</h2>



To guard against subconscious cues or handler bias, the researchers also presented every testing line in reverse order.



A computer kept track of which sample sat where, and only after the dog’s choice did researchers learn whether to dispense a treat. 



This rigorous protocol mirrors clinical trial standards and boosts confidence that the animals relied on smell alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dogs-help-build-smell-sensors">Dogs help build smell sensors</h2>



Dogs will never replace neurologists, but the findings give chemists a shortlist of volatile molecules to capture with sensors.



"This study adds to the growing body of evidence showing that simple, noninvasive skin swabs can be used to diagnose Parkinson’s disease," said Perdita Barran, a professor of analytical chemistry at the University of Manchester.



Professor Barran's lab is already dissecting the swab chemistry; the canine results confirm those molecules belong on the diagnostic radar.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dogs-and-other-neurological-diseases">Dogs and other neurological diseases</h2>



Researchers and dog trainers are beginning to explore how these animals can detect other neurological diseases like Alzheimer’s, multiple sclerosis, and even conditions like migraines or autism-related sensory episodes. 



In the case of Alzheimer’s, for example, people in early stages of the disease may emit subtle changes in body odor - things a human nose would never catch, but a dog’s nose picks up with ease. 



These scent cues could one day help in screening or early detection, well before symptoms become obvious.



There are also stories of dogs acting differently before their owners have a migraine or during MS flare-ups - becoming restless or unusually attentive - as if they sense something’s coming. 



Some families of children with autism even report that service dogs notice sensory overload before it escalates, helping calm things down before a meltdown.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-expanding-the-science-of-scent">Expanding the science of scent</h2>



Future trials aim to include people with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sleep-disruptions-could-signal-the-onset-of-alzheimers/">REM sleep behavior disorder</a> - a risk state for Parkinson’s - to see whether dogs can spot the disease before a neurologist could.



Parallel chemical analyses will hunt for the exact compounds responsible for the odor. If those molecules prove consistent worldwide, engineers could embed them in low‑cost sensor chips.



For now the message is hopeful: a straightforward skin swab carries hidden information about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coffee-grounds-could-help-prevent-neurodegenerative-diseases/">neurodegeneration</a>, and a dog’s nose can read it.



That knowledge could accelerate the quest for a rapid, painless test. It would offer one more tool to bring Parkinson’s onto clinicians’ radar while there is still time to slow its march.



The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1877718X251342485" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Parkinson’s Disease</a>.



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Dogs can detect some neurological diseases, like Parkinson's, years before symptoms appear

A pair of specially trained dogs has shown that Parkinson’s...

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