Dogs live with us, watch us, and often reflect our lives back at us. When routines shift, they shift. When stress builds, they sense it. 



Scientists wanted to know just how much these changes affect <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-puppy-day-2025-where-happiness-meets-responsibility/">dogs</a>, particularly during the upheaval of the pandemic. That curiosity led to one of the largest studies ever on canine behavior.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-dog-behavior-and-health">Tracking dog behavior and health</h2>



Researchers at Virginia Tech and the <a href="https://www.washington.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Washington</a> studied over 47,000 dogs between 2020 and 2023. 



The work was conducted as part of the Dog Aging Project, a massive effort that tracks the lives and health of dogs across the United States.



"Most importantly, with these data, we're excited to now have a starting point from which we can continue to follow changes in the behaviors of tens of thousands of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-may-respond-to-each-other-through-blinking/">dogs</a> as they age, which will ultimately help us understand how behavior and health are linked," said Courtney Sexton, lead researcher from Virginia Tech.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-detecting-changes-in-dogs">Detecting changes in dogs</h2>



Behavior in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-suffer-from-the-january-blues-just-like-humans/">dogs</a> is more than personality. A sudden change can point to illness, pain, or stress. Small shifts in aggression, fear, or trainability can signal bigger problems. 



By establishing a baseline, researchers now have a way to spot meaningful changes across time. 



The team relied on a widely used survey known as C-BARQ, in which owners reported on 14 aspects of their dogs’ behavior - from aggression to trainability. 



Researchers then organized these traits into four broad categories: Fear, Attention and Excitability, Aggression, and Trainability. This framework allowed them to track and compare behavior patterns over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strength-of-the-data">Strength of the data</h2>



The dataset was huge. It included dogs from every region of the United States. Nearly half of the dogs were mixed breeds, while the rest were single breeds. Ages ranged from puppies to seniors.



"When you have a data set this big, you really do have power in numbers," Sexton explained. "While we can't understand all the factors, when we find statistical significance, there is likely something there worth thinking about in its real-world context."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dog-behavior-during-the-pandemic">Dog behavior during the pandemic </h2>



The original goal was clear. Researchers wanted to see how the pandemic shaped dog behavior. People spent more time at home. Many adopted new pets, and social interactions declined.



Routines changed overnight. Did <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-are-evolving-to-fit-the-modern-lives-of-humans/">dogs</a> change too? Scientists hoped to uncover whether these new conditions led to lasting behavioral shifts, from training challenges to changes in aggression or fear. They wanted to know if dogs adapted or struggled alongside humans.



The data showed that dogs remained surprisingly consistent from 2020 through 2023. "We saw that certain factors, such as a dog's life stage, sex, and size had some influence on their behavior," Sexton said.



"Interestingly, we found that throughout the COVID-19 pandemic time period, there were not substantial changes in dogs' overall behavioral profiles from year to year despite what we might have expected given the changes in environment and routines that many were experiencing at that time."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pandemic-puppy-struggles">Pandemic puppy struggles</h2>



One behavior did shift: trainability. Dogs enrolled in 2020 scored higher than those added in later years. Scores dropped in 2021, 2022, and 2023. 



Researchers think the dip reflects “pandemic puppy” struggles. New owners often lacked time or access to training. Dogs had fewer chances to socialize. Stress in households added to the mix.



By 2023, trainability scores started to climb back toward earlier levels. That rebound suggests that as people regained stable routines, dogs did too.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-gender-breed-and-size">The role of gender, breed, and size</h2>



The study also revealed differences tied to breed and body size. Mixed-breed dogs scored higher on fear, attention-seeking, and aggression than purebred dogs. Shelter backgrounds and early trauma may play a role.



Small dogs were more fearful, more aggressive, and less trainable than larger dogs. 



Puppies needed more attention, were less fearful and less aggressive, but also harder to train. Males were more aggressive and less trainable than females.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dogs-and-owners-bounced-back">Dogs and owners bounced back</h2>



Owners in 2020 reported more aggression than those in 2023. That drop may reflect less household stress and more opportunities for dogs to interact as restrictions lifted.



“What was interesting was that the difference in reported trainability between the first year and the last year was the smallest of any in the averages,” Sexton noted. 



“It’s a small statistical significance but could show that dogs, or their owners, are bouncing back.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-on-dog-behavior">Future research on dog behavior</h2>



This is only the beginning. <a href="https://dogagingproject.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Dog Aging Project</a> will keep tracking these dogs as they grow older. Researchers want to see how location, health, and age shape behavior over time. 



The ultimate goal is to connect behavior with health so owners can better care for their pets.



Dogs adapted through the pandemic. They struggled in some ways, especially with training, but showed remarkable resilience. Their story mirrors ours. 



As life changed, dogs adjusted, and as routines returned, they found steadier ground. This study now offers the first large-scale baseline of canine behavior - a reference point that will guide both researchers and dog owners for years to come.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0330257" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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How the pandemic changed dog behavior over 3 years

Dogs live with us, watch us, and often reflect our lives back at us. When routines shift, they shift. When stress builds, they sense it. Scientists wanted to know just how much these changes affect dogs, particularly during the upheaval of the pandemic. That curiosity led to one of the largest studies ever on canine behavior. Tracking dog behavior and health Researchers at Virginia Tech and the University of Washington studied over 47,000 dogs between 2020 and 2023. The work was conducted as part of the Dog...

New research from the <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/apes/">Wits School of Animal Plant and Environmental Sciences</a> has identified a group of female pythons that nurture their offspring to a surprising degree. South African pythons not only incubate their eggs but also care for the babies after they have hatched.

“This is the first-ever report of maternal care of babies in an egg-laying snake,” said study author Graham Alexander.

For his investigation, Professor Alexander conducted intensive fieldwork for seven years at the Dinokeng Game Reserve, just north of Pretoria. He used radio transmitters to track the movement of 37 pythons.

Over the course of the study, eight of the pythons laid eggs. Professor Alexander recorded their breeding behavior using infrared video cameras which were carefully lowered into the nest chambers.

“I was amazed by the complex reproductive biology of this iconic snake,” said Professor Alexander.


He discovered that the female <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/first-proof-pythons-reproducing-florida/">pythons</a> make huge sacrifices to nurture their babies. During the six-month breeding cycle, the mothers do not eat at all, causing them to lose about 40 percent of their body mass.


The female snakes also turn black while breeding, which is an ability that has been adapted by the pythons to heat up faster while basking in the sun.

“Efficient basking is probably crucial for incubation,” explained Professor Alexander. “Unlike some other python species, southern African pythons are unable to warm their eggs by elevating their metabolism. Instead, our pythons bask near to the burrow entrance until their body temperature is almost 40 °C (within a few degrees of lethal temperatures), and they then coil around the eggs to warm them with their sun-derived body heat.”

The body temperatures of pregnant females observed in the study were at least 5 degrees Celsius warmer than non-reproductive females.

“All of this takes its toll on mother pythons: they take a long time to recover after breeding and so can only produce a clutch every second or third year, depending on how many meals they are able to catch in the months after leaving the nest. Some of them never recover.”

According to Professor Alexander, all of the pythons that were monitored during his research survived, but none of them bred the following year. This groundbreaking study sheds light on the fact that there is still so much this is unknown about the reproductive biology of snakes.

“Research is showing that snake reproductive biology is far more complex and sophisticated than we previously thought, and there is a range of behaviours that have been recorded in several species that can be classed as maternal care.” 

“For example, biologists are discovering that females of many types of rattlesnakes show maternal care of babies. In some species, mothers appear to even cooperate by taking shifts to look after young. But all these species are live bearing - our python is the first egg laying species that has been shown to care for its babies.”

The research is published in the <a href="http://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1469-7998/">Journal of Zoology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Graham Alexander/<a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/">Wits University</a>

Why female pythons make great moms

New research from the Wits School of Animal Plant and...

After the war in Angola had ended, wildlife ecologists had noted that the African savannah elephant population appeared to be recovering. Now, new research from <a href="http://elephantswithoutborders.org/">Elephants Without Borders</a> (EWB) and the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts Amherst</a> is reporting that this trend has now reversed.

“Our study shows that ending war is not necessarily sufficient for the long-term recovery of wildlife populations,” they say in the open access journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>. “Active protection of wildlife is also needed. Measures such as anti-poaching and limiting human encroachment in protected areas are now essential to saving Angola's elephants.”

Prior to the 1970s, Angola was home to as many as 70,000 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/interbreeding-survival-early-elephants/">elephants</a> – one of the largest populations in southern Africa. Unfortunately, war that raged from 1975 to 2002 led to a mass slaughter of elephants, along with a great loss of human life. In 2004 and 2005, the study’s authors Chase and Griffin conducted the first systematic survey in 25 years, and found a “small but apparently healthy and growing population estimated at 1,800 elephants.” Over the next 10 years, no elephant research was possible in Angola, but in 2015, the government gave EWB permission to resume research.

For this study, the researchers use aerial surveys and satellite monitoring of eight collared elephants to determine the status of populations in Angola and determine how humans may affect the elephants’ habitat. Their surveys showed a population of 3,395 elephants – a decrease of 21 percent from a subset of the 2015 study-area that was surveyed in 2005. 

The researchers observed a high number of elephant carcasses in 2015, approximately four carcasses for every 10 live elephants, whereas none were observed back in 2005. This observation may suggest that populations have increased after the 2005 survey, but were declining as of 2015. The number “suggests a much more rapid decline” than the 2 percent per year decrease indicated by the number of live elephants surveyed. The authors believe that their survey may have “substantially underestimated the current rate of decline for elephants in Angola.”

Another significant finding of this study is that human development is widespread in southeast Angola, and may be limiting elephant distributions. Satellite tracking has shown that elephants avoid areas that are within 6 kilometers of human indicators. Conservationists have proposed establishing the Kavango-Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area (KAZA TFCA) to protect core habitats and movement corridors for elephants between Angola, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. However, the results of this study suggest that increased poaching in these areas would threaten the integrity of the conservation areas and could harm the elephants’ ability to move around safely. 

Instead, the authors believe that if the government in Angola commits to active protection, “There may be time to reverse the ongoing decline of elephants in Angola and conserve this important population.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Elephant populations once thought to be rising are now in decline

After the war in Angola had ended, wildlife ecologists had...

Male birds may be better known for their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-teach-children-duets/">singing</a>, but female birds perform their own songs as well. Researchers are calling for more widespread documentation of the female birdsong, arguing that a better understanding of these vocalizations could lead to a better understanding of bird biology.

Karan Odom from Cornell<a href="https://www.cornell.edu/"> University</a> and Lauryn Benedict from the <a href="http://www.unco.edu/">University of Northern Colorado</a> have both independently studied female bird songs.

“I started studying California towhees 17 years ago, and I was fascinated by the duet vocalization given by females and males,” said Benedict. 

“That led me to start looking for female song in other North American bird species, and I was surprised to learn that it was much more common than I expected. The reports of female song are buried in odd corners of the literature, but when you put them all together, you start to see some interesting patterns.”


The ancestors of modern birds most likely had many more females that sang. According to the experts, today's female songs are not represented very well in collections of birdsong recordings and are also understudied. 

The researchers believe that additional documentation of the female birdsong with more detailed descriptions of song structure and output could improve our understanding of birds on many levels, including their comparative physiology, neurobiology, behavioral ecology, evolution, and even conservation. 

Endangered birds are frequently identified by their songs during surveys, but assumptions that all singing birds are male could misinform wildlife managers about the state of populations.

Odom and Benedict are asking both ornithologists and amateur bird lovers to share any resources they may have regarding the female birdsong. They have created a website where any birdwatcher can upload their observations. 

“If you hear a bird singing, do not assume it's a male,” said Odom. “If you observe a female bird singing, document it by uploading field notes, audio, or video to the collections on our website, <a href="http://femalebirdsong.org/">femalebirdsong.org</a>. Make sure to indicate how you recognized the bird was female.”

Zoology expert Katharina Riebel from <a href="https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en">Leiden University</a> formerly collaborated with Odom.

“Odom and Benedict have written an excellent appeal to document and record more female bird song,” said Riebel. 

“They rightly point out that the extent of female bird song has been starkly underestimated, as almost by default we assume that a singing bird must be the male of the species. As a consequence, we might have missed out many aspects and the dynamics of male and female vocal signaling in songbirds--clearly, there is still lots to discover! I am confident that ornithologists in the field can make substantial contributions toward these questions by sharing their observations and recordings, as I very much hope this article will encourage them to do.”

The study is published in in <a href="http://www.americanornithology.org/content/auk-ornithological-advances">The Auk: Ornithological Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: K. Thomas

Female bird songs have been underappreciated, study finds

Male birds may be better known for their singing, but...

Herd of African elephants. Amboseli National Park, Kenya.

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> are reporting that around half of plant and animal species in the world's most diverse regions, such as the Amazon and the Galapagos, will face extinction by the end of this century if human-induced climate change continues at the current rate. 

At this point, even if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/limit-global-warming/">global warming</a> is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, these regions are still likely to lose around 25 percent of their species.

“Our research quantifies the benefits of limiting global warming to 2°C for species in 35 of the world's most wildlife-rich areas,” said study lead author Rachel Warren. 

“We studied 80,000 species of plants, mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians and found that 50% of species could be lost from these areas without climate policy. However, if global warming is limited to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, this could be reduced to 25%. Limiting warming to within 1.5°C was not explored, but would be expected to protect even more wildlife.”

The study was focused on 35 of the world's most wildlife-rich areas. The researchers took into account a number of future climate scenarios that would result in a rise of global mean temperatures from 2 degrees Celsius to 4.5 degrees Celsius.

The experts identified the most vulnerable regions in the world, which include the Miombo Woodlands, southwest Australia, and the Amazon-Guianas. A global mean temperature rise of 4.5 degrees Celsius in these areas would make most habitats completely unsuitable to sustain life.

The study revealed that up to 90 percent of amphibians, 80 percent of mammals, and 86 percent of birds could become locally extinct in the Miombo Woodlands under these conditions. 

In southwest Australia, 89 percent of amphibians could disappear, while 69 percent of plant species in the Amazon would likely vanish.

“Within our children's lifetime, places like the Amazon and Galapagos Islands could become unrecognizable, with half the species that live there wiped out by human-caused climate change,” said WWF CEO Tanya Steele. 

“Around the world, beautiful iconic animals like Amur tigers or Javan rhinos are at risk of disappearing, as well as tens of thousands plants and smaller creatures that are the foundation of all life on earth. That is why this Earth Hour we are asking everyone to make a promise for the planet and make the everyday changes to protect our planet.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/journal/10584">Climatic Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: WWF

Half of plant and animal species in diverse places face extinction risk

Researchers at the University of East Anglia are reporting that...

A research team led by the <a href="http://www.bath.ac.uk/groups/milner-centre-for-evolution/">Milner Centre for Evolution</a> has discovered the fossils of seven new species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossilized-eggs-flying-reptiles/">pterosaurs</a>. An analysis of the remains revealed that there was still exceptional diversity among the ancient reptiles at the time they were driven to extinction.

Pterosaurs are the largest known creatures to ever have the ability to fly. It was previously believed that these reptiles were already in a state of decline when they became a casualty of a mass extinction event that struck at the end of the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago.

But now, hundreds of fossils found at dig sites in northern Morocco have been dated back to the end of the Cretaceous period. The researchers determined that the skeletal remains belonged to seven species of pterosaur from three different families.

The pterosaurs ranged in wingspan from 6 to 30 feet and weighed up to 440 pounds. The fossils from Morocco also contained evidence that the new species had distinguishable features from other groups, such as differences in beak shape, neck length, and wing proportions.

“To grow so large and still be able to fly, pterosaurs evolved incredibly lightweight skeletons, with the bones reduced to thin-walled, hollow tubes like the frame of a carbon-fiber racing bike,” explained lead author Dr. Nick Longrich. “But unfortunately, that means these bones are fragile, and so almost none survive as fossils.”

The newly discovered pterosaurs included Tethydraco, a family that was thought to have vanished fifteen million years earlier.

“Exciting discoveries are being made all the time, and sometimes, just the smallest of bones can radically change our perception of the history of life on Earth,” said study co-author David Martill.

Study co-author Dr. Brian Andres added: “The Moroccan fossils tell the last chapter of the pterosaurs' story - and they tell us pterosaurs dominated the skies over the land and sea, as they had for the previous 150 million years.”

Moroccan paleontologist Professor Nour-Eddine Jalil said that the research shows the amazing diversity of pterosaurs at a time they were thought to be in a state of decline.

“The Moroccan phosphates are an open window on a key moment in the history of the Earth, one that shortly preceded the global crisis that swept away, among others, dinosaurs and marine reptiles,” said Professor Jalil.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/">PLOS Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pterosaurs were still thriving just before mass extinction event

A research team led by the Milner Centre for Evolution...

Ravens may be able to identify the age, sex, and specific details of a nearby foraging opportunity just by listening to another raven’s call, according to a new study. 

Common ravens use calls to alert other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ravens-crows-corvid-intelligence/">ravens</a> of available food, but these calls serve a range of purposes. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> and the<a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/"> University of Cambridge</a> say these calls are used as calling cards and nearby ravens can assess the specifics of a feeding situation. 

Some feeding spots are dominated by competing ravens, or there may be predators nearby which poses an unnecessary risk. 

The study, published in the journal Frontiers in Zoology, is the first of its kind to examine how raven food calls are interpreted by ravens who aren’t familiar with each other. 

“The majority of previous research on call characteristics in ravens focused on recognition of known individuals,” said Markus Böckle, the corresponding author. “However, to our knowledge, no experiments have tested for features in food calls that might provide ravens with information about unknown individuals.”

The researchers studied a population of free-ranging common ravens that gathered for feedings on wild boar at the Cumberland Wildpark Grünau from 2009 to 2010. 

The feeding sessions were videotaped, and audio recordings of 418 calls made by 12 different ravens were also analyzed. 

The results showed that each raven’s call differed depending on age and sex, which could mean that the calls are a way to inform nearby strangers of more than just the specifics of foraging opportunities. 

“Our results suggest that ravens have the necessary variation in their food calls and the cognitive means to distinguish between specific classes of sex and age (class-recognition),” said Böckle. “This gives ravens the opportunity to use information about the caller in decision-making processes, such as whether to join or avoid foraging groups.” 

The calls could also be used to help ravens recruit allies to help them in tricky food situations such as dominant ravens competing for the same food source. 

According to the researchers, the different calls may determine age and sex because of several factors such as size differences between sexes and age groups as well and hormones that create different resonances and timbres. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A raven's call tells its age, sex, and foraging opportunities

Ravens may be able to identify the age, sex, and...

The Late Jurassic dinosaur bird Archaeopteryx is the oldest known flying member of the avian lineage, which also includes modern birds. While it is well known that modern-day birds extended from extinct <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-reveal-dinosaurs-moved/">dinosaurs</a>, scientists still have a lot to discover about their early evolution and the development of avian flight. One of the biggest remaining questions has been whether the Archaeopteryx was a feathered ground dweller, a glider, or an active flyer. Up until now, traditional research methods have been unable to answer this question. 

New research published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> by an international team of scientists shows how cutting-edge technology was used to answer this decades-old question. The researchers used synchrotron microtomography at the <a href="http://www.esrf.eu/">European Synchrotron</a> (ESRF) to look inside Archaeopteryx fossils, an important technological breakthrough, as these fossils are among the most valuable in the world, and this technique limits invasive probing. 

“Fortunately, today it is no longer necessary to damage precious fossils,” says Dr. Paul Tafforeau, beamline scientist at the <a href="http://www.esrf.eu/">ESRF</a>. “The exceptional sensitivity of X-ray imaging techniques for investigating large specimens that is available at the ESRF offers harmless microscopic insight into fossil bones and allows virtual 3D reconstructions of extraordinary quality.”

The scanning data showed that the wing bones of Archaeopteryx shares important adaptations with those of flying birds. These sections of bone contain necessary flight-related signals in birds, such as thinner bone walls. “Data analysis furthermore demonstrated that the bones of Archaeopteryx plot closest to those of birds like pheasants that occasionally use active flight to cross barriers or dodge predators, but not to those of gliding and soaring forms such as many birds of prey and some seabirds that are optimized for enduring flight,” explains lead author Dennis Voeten of the <a href="http://www.esrf.eu/">ESRF</a>. 

The fossils analyzed were found in the Late Jurassic sediments of southeastern Germany. “We know that the region around Solnhofen in southeastern Germany was a tropical archipelago, and such an environment appears highly suitable for island hopping or escape flight,” says Dr. Martin Röper, Archaeopteryx curator and co-author of the report.

These findings illustrate that Archaeopteryx is part of the first wave of dinosaurian flight strategies, which eventually went extinct, leaving behind the modern avian flight anatomy and physiology that we see in birds today. 

“Indeed, we now know that Archaeopteryx was already actively flying around 150 million years ago, which implies that active dinosaurian flight had evolved even earlier!” exclaims Stanislav Bureš of <a href="https://www.upol.cz/en/">Palacký University</a> in Olomouc. “However, because Archaeopteryx lacked the pectoral adaptations to fly like modern birds, the way it achieved powered flight must also have been different. We will need to return to the fossils to answer the question on exactly how this Bavarian icon of evolution used its wings.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: ESRF/Pascal Goetgheluck

Ancient fossil reveals first wave of dinosaur flight

The Late Jurassic dinosaur bird Archaeopteryx is the oldest known...

The illegal wildlife trade, which poses a major threat to biodiversity conservation, has now become more easily accessible through the use of social media. Some scientists believe that this illegal industry can be effectively monitored on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/social-media-heal-painful/">social media</a> platforms using artificial intelligence.

Dr. Enrico Di Minin is a conservation scientist at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> who leads a team in the school's Digital Geography Lab. The researchers are developing artificial intelligence methods to detect illegal wildlife trade activity on social media.

“Currently, the lack of tools for efficient monitoring of high-volume social media data limits the capability of law enforcement agencies to curb illegal wildlife trade,” said Dr. Di Minin.

“Processing such data manually is inefficient and time consuming, but methods from artificial intelligence, such as machine-learning algorithms, can be used to automatically identify relevant information.”

Dr. Di Minin pointed out that artificial intelligence methods are rarely used as tools to prevent biodiversity loss, despite their great potential to do so.

Many social media platforms have an interface that allows access to user-generated text, images, and videos. The researchers can also access information such as connections between the users and the time or date when specific content was uploaded.


The team is applying machine learning techniques to automatically identify content that relates to the illegal wildlife trade.


“Machine learning algorithms can be trained to detect which species or wildlife products, such as rhino horns, appear in an image or video contained in social media posts, while also classifying their setting, such as a natural habitat or a marketplace,” said co-author Christoph Fink.

According to study co-author Tuomo Hiippala, machine learning methods can be used to interpret the language of social media posts.

“Natural language processing can be used to infer the meaning of a sentence and to classify the sentiment of social media users towards illegal wildlife trade,” said Hiippala. “Most importantly, machine learning algorithms can process combinations of verbal, visual and audio-visual content.”

The study authors emphasized the importance of collaborating with law enforcement agencies and social media companies to further improve the effectiveness of their strategy.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1523-1739">Conservation Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Enrico Di Minin

AI machines can detect illegal wildlife trade on social media

The illegal wildlife trade, which poses a major threat to...

California’s Current Ecosystem, which includes marine life off the Pacific coast, is now just beginning to recover from a two-year marine heatwave that caused population declines in many species including salmon. 

The recent recovery rates were reported by the <a href="https://swfsc.noaa.gov/">Southwest Fisheries</a> and <a href="https://www.nwfsc.noaa.gov/">Northwest Fisheries Science Centers</a>, two marine laboratories that are part of the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA).

The annual <a href="https://www.pcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/F1a_NMFS_Rpt1_2018_IEA_SoCC_FINAL_main_Mar2018BB.pdf">"California Current Ecosystem Status Report</a>" is important to the <a href="https://www.pcouncil.org/">Pacific Fishery Management Council</a> for making informed decisions about ecosystem management and preservation.

“The report gives us an important glimpse at what the science is saying about the species and resources that we manage and rely on regarding our West Coast economy,” said Phil Anderson, the Council Chair. “The point is that we want to be as informed as we can be when we make decisions that affect those species, and this report helps us do that.”

The report discussed the two-year extreme heat wave that lasted from 2014 to 2016, starting with warm ocean temperatures called “the Blob” that covered a lot of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-wetlands/">west coast</a>. 

These temperatures combined with a strong El Nino pattern in 2015 caused many species to travel outside of their traditional range to feed. 

Although the report notes that some areas and species are recovering, the impact of “the Blob” will still be felt, particularly among salmon populations, in the coming years. 

Some of the other highlights of the report include improved feeding conditions for California sea lions and seabirds, and vital plankton species shifting back to fat-rich, cool-water species that help aid in the survival of salmon. 

The report also notes that even though areas are recovering, adult salmon populations will still be lower than normal for the next few years, and whale entanglements are becoming increasingly common as the whales have been forced closer to shore to follow prey. 

In 2017, parts of the west coast had low snowpack levels, indicating possible future drought conditions for 2018. This would pose further risk to salmon populations as they rely on river systems to spawn. 

All in all, the California Current Ecosystem is slowly recovering from the extreme rise in marine temperatures, but it will be a few years before some species’ populations, such as salmon, completely bounce back. 

“These changes occur gradually, and the effects appear only with time,”  said Chris Harvey, a d coauthor of the report. “The advantage of doing this monitoring and watching these indicators is that we can get a sense of what is likely to happen in the ecosystem and how that is likely to affect communities and economies that are closely tied to these waters.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Adam Obaza/West Coast Region/<a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">NOAA</a> Fisheries

West coast marine ecosystems recovering from 2 year heatwave

California’s Current Ecosystem, which includes marine life off the Pacific...

Midterms are right around the corner, and then the grind toward finals, summer classes, internships and more begins. Needless to say, it’s stress season for college students. Time to bust out the secret weapon against stress: therapy dogs.

A new study, led by Emma Ward-Griffin, a research assistant at the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a>, looked at how spending some facetime with a therapy dog affected students’ stress levels. 

"Therapy dog sessions are becoming more popular on university campuses, but there has been surprisingly little research on how much attending a single drop-in therapy dog session actually helps students," she said in a press release.

The team of psychology researchers surveyed more than 240 students who took advantage of drop-in sessions with therapy dogs. The students filled out questionnaires before, immediate after, and 10 hours after their sessions.

The study participants reported feeling happier and much less stressed after spending time with the therapy dogs, and reported higher levels of energy and happiness than a control group that didn’t visit with the dogs.

"Our findings suggest that therapy dog sessions have a measurable, positive effect on the wellbeing of university students, particularly on stress reduction and feelings of negativity,” Ward-Griffin said. 

The benefits didn’t appear to favor one gender or other group of students. Instead, the positive effects of pup therapy were pretty evenly spread among the participants, the researchers said.

Some effects of the sessions lasted, such as feeling less stress and more supported, but the happiness and life satisfaction faded after several hours.

"These sessions clearly provide benefits for students in the short-term, so we think universities should try to schedule them during particularly stressful times, such as around exam periods," senior author Dr. Frances Chen said. "Even having therapy dogs around while students are working on their out-of-class assignments could be helpful."

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1532-2998">Stress and Health</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="http://www.sshrc-crsh.gc.ca/home-accueil-eng.aspx">Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Study: therapy dogs help college students relieve stress

Midterms are right around the corner, and then the grind...

Researchers have found that owning a dog can make you appear happier, more attractive, and more approachable to others. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lonely-dogs-anxious-owners-can-help/">Dog owners</a> are also perceived as being more caring and empathetic, according to experts.

In particular, men are viewed by women as being more compassionate when they have a pet. Women take it as a positive sign of how a man would be as a partner when he has made the long-term commitment of caring for a dog.

Dr. Helen Fisher is a senior researcher at the <a href="https://www.kinseyinstitute.org/">Kinsey Institute</a> and a chief adviser to Match.com. She said that men who own dogs come across as more capable of nurturing others.

Dr. Fisher told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>:

“Having a dog really says something about you. It says you can care for a creature, that you can follow a schedule and get home to feed it, that you can walk it and love it and spend time with it.”

“That's the bottom line message that women get when they see a man with a dog: He's capable of nurturing, of giving without receiving a lot, of caring for another. He's made a commitment to this animal.”

Previous studies have revealed that the presence of a dog helps to promote social interactions. In one study, men were shown to be much more successful in getting the attention of women on the street when they had a dog.


Dr. Fisher also told the Times: “One thing women have needed for years and years is a partner who could share the load, be responsible, care for them if they're sick and show up on time.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@gmail.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dog owners perceived as more caring and attractive, study finds

Researchers have found that owning a dog can make you...

Pangolins: The most illegally trafficked mammal in the world. These animals have a day dedicated to them. They’re also really adorable and look like something from the last ice age or perhaps a mutant armadillo. But sadly, Pangolins are also the most illegally trafficked mammal on Earth.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pangolins-smuggled-ivory-trade/">Pangolins</a> are just now being recognized by the public, despite their fascinating appearance and the threat they face.  For most people, the most bizarre aspect of a pangolin is its status as the only mammal to have scales instead of normal hair.  The scaly pangolin has something primordially about its appearance, a look that seems more appropriate to a strange extinct beast than a living mammal and that may be part of its problems.      

There are eight species of Pangolin across the world.  Four species occur only in Africa and the other four Pangolin species are found in Asia.  Pangolins are little studied but they have only one offspring per year, born live and it seems that some species take a long time to mature; not reaching breeding age until as late as 7 years.  Recent research suggests that Pangolins may live as long as 20 years. Though pangolins are not closely related to the new world anteaters and sloths (Superorder Xenarthra) they share some striking similarities.  Pangolins eat only ants and termites and have no teeth, depending on a strong stomach and swallowed grit for digestion. Also like anteaters, pangolins have long tongues, tongues nearly as long as their bodies which with sticky saliva are used to extract ants and termites from burrows.  Pangolins closest relatives are dissimilar carnivores, as odd as it seems but genetics is a telling science, evolution can create the same body plan separately. 

Trapped and hunted in Africa and Asia, Pangolin body parts are used for traditional Chinese medicine, much like how snake oil was once used for cure-alls.  Tragically, the Pangolins natural defense of curling into a ball of impregnable scales makes it all too easy to be collected by humans. Pangolin fetuses are especially prized, considered a delicacy that enhances virility.  The Chinese government even permits designated hospitals to use pangolins for medicine while simultaneously outlawing Pangolin retail. Since the 1960s, the population of Pangolins in China and nearby areas has dropped by 96%.  This is bad news for Asian pangolins obvious but it also paints a bleak future for Pangolins in Africa. African pangolins are increasingly filling the demand for Pangolins in Asia. 

I’ve never seen a live Pangolin in the wild but I’ve encountered them in a bushmeat market in Equatorial Guinea in western Africa.  Stacked along tables as if they were nothing more than artichokes, pangolins shared space with monkeys, lizards and porcupines. Varanid lizards, such as monitor lizards were tied three to a net bag, panting, unable to move; monkeys were cooked on spits.  I’ve seen pictures of the same market with live monkeys in cages and so much more horror. This is a market spurred by a growing market built on capital of international workers, tourists and multinational businesses as well as Chinese ‘medicine’. Wildlife hurt by this industry includes not only pangolins and rhinos but tigers, apes, bats, and more, even narwhals are targeted.  

Conservation efforts have mainly focused on attacking the illegal Pangolin market, with some governments trying to legalize Pangolin trade to monitor and manage it.  The work involves busting smugglers and putting pressure on governments for additional laws or enforcement of anti-trafficking laws already on the books. Additionally, outreach and education efforts, trying to discourage consumers from eating pangolins are part of conservation efforts.  Researchers even tested Pangolin meat, concluding that it has no more nutritional benefit than chicken meat, which unsurprisingly it’s said to taste like. 

Zoos have recently stepped into the Pangolin fight.  Despite the fact that pangolins typically survive less than five years in captivity, some zoos have decided to try breeding programs.  Some worry that despite being unsuited to captivity zoos are buying wild pangolins, and thus further encouraging the illegal pangolin trade.  

On the other side of the issue, some pangolins have been born in captivity.  The problem is more complex than breeding in captivity can solve alone, though.  If Pangolins are hunted out in the wild, the best case scenario is a self-sustained population living solely in zoos, a proposition I find exceptionally depressing.   In the meantime, you can see a Tree Pangolin (Manis tricuspis) in the San Diego Zoo, before it dies.                    

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pangolins: The most illegally trafficked mammal in the world

Pangolins: The most illegally trafficked mammal in the world. These...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop and sunlight barely penetrates through the polar winter. It was here, however, that an international team of scientists found <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predatory-worms-were-terror-beasts-half-a-billion-years-ago/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">evidence of sea monsters</a> that would change our understanding of ocean life in the past.



This video captures the discovery of Timorebestia fossils that had been hidden for more than 500 million years in the Sirius Passet formation. The "terror beasts," as they are called, are a hidden chapter in the evolutionary history of <a href="https://www.earth.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth</a>, showing that sophisticated predator-prey interactions occurred much earlier than previously envisioned.



Dr. Jakob Vinther and his research team at the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Bristol</a>, in collaboration with researchers at the <a href="https://eng.kopri.re.kr/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Korean Polar Research Institute</a>, braved extreme weather conditions at 82.5 north latitude to locate these giant creatures. Using sophisticated electron microprobe analysis, they revealed the detailed anatomy of the animals, including their muscle and nerve tissues.



The find upsets the traditional timeline of sea predators. Although we've long appreciated that Cambrian oceans were at one time ruled by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jWI3-UgA3_o&amp;list=PL1QLQMW9MWDwpkFOnvgAmu7wT6rZmYqdJ&amp;index=19" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">arthropods</a>, these discoveries indicate that relatives of arrow worms were first to dominate the seas. These worms were building sophisticated food webs several million years before other predator groups arose.



Each fossil is a story of ancient hunger, with fossil stomach contents revealing these meter-long beasts dined on heavily armored arthropods regularly, cementing their place as the ocean's first apex predators.



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Worms dominated seas before dinosaurs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE On the unforgiving landscape of North Greenland, temperatures drop...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">New York is the site of the world's oldest forest.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-385-million-year-old-trees-discovered">385-million-year-old trees discovered</h2>



Scientists have uncovered something extraordinary just two hours north of New York City. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-oldest-forest-discovered-close-to-new-york-city/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">world's oldest forest</a>, dating back 385 million years, offers a window into how Earth's first complex forests shaped our planet's atmosphere.



Located near <a href="https://townofcairo.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cairo, New York</a>, in Greene County, these weren't merely primitive plants struggling to survive. These were sophisticated trees with root systems remarkably similar to modern forests. This ancient woodland predates dinosaurs by 140 million years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-cairo-forest-discovery">The Cairo forest discovery</h2>



385 million years ago, upstate New York was a tropical paradise near the equator. Thanks to continental drift, this ancient forest has traveled thousands of miles to its current location.



The fossil forest sits in an abandoned quarry, roughly half the size of a football field. This represents just a slice of what was likely a massive forest system stretching from New York into Pennsylvania.



Charles Ver Straeten, curator of sedimentary rocks at the <a href="https://www.nysm.nysed.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New York State Museum</a>, made the discovery in 2009. While scouting the former highway department property, his trained eye spotted wandering patterns in the stone that looked like marine features.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-age-and-preservation">Revolutionary age and preservation</h2>



The site contains 385-million-year-old rocks with fossilized woody roots forming horizontal patterns up to 18 feet (5.5 meters) wide. As Christopher Berry, a paleobotanist at Cardiff University, explains: "You are walking through the roots of ancient trees."



This discovery pushes back advanced tree evolution by millions of years. The research, published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Current Biology</a> in December 2019, fundamentally changes our understanding of when complex forests first emerged.



Researchers believe a massive flood buried the forest floor, creating perfect fossilization conditions. Over millions of years, sediment hardened into rock, preserving these root patterns like nature's time capsule.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meet-archaeopteris-the-first-modern-tree">Meet Archaeopteris: the first modern tree</h2>



The star of this ancient forest is Archaeopteris – not to be confused with the feathered dinosaur Archaeopteryx. This tree was far older and more revolutionary.



William Stein from <a href="https://www.binghamton.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Binghamton University</a> describes the roots as "strikingly modern, essentially what you'd see outside in my yard right now." These weren't simple root systems you'd expect from ancient plants.



Some fossilized roots are six inches (15 centimeters) in diameter, forming 36-foot-wide (11-meter) patterns. These giants grew up to 65 feet (20 meters) tall with five-foot-diameter (1.5-meter) trunks.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-changing-impact">Climate-changing impact</h2>



These trees fundamentally changed Earth's environment. Kevin Boyce, a Stanford University geoscientist, explains how their deep roots triggered "weathering," chemical reactions that pulled carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.



This process dropped atmospheric CO2 levels from 10-15 times higher than today to roughly modern concentrations. These ancient trees helped create atmospheric conditions that made complex life possible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-forest-ecosystem">Ancient forest ecosystem</h2>



The forest was remarkably diverse. Scientists identified Eospermatopteris, palm tree-like plants with short roots that reached 30 feet (9 meters) tall but lacked woody structure. The forest also housed cladoxylopsids and a mysterious third species still being studied.



All reproduced through spores rather than seeds – millions of years before seeds evolved. This tropical environment had no grass, flowers, or flying insects, just towering trees creating Earth's first complex forest canopy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-significance">Scientific significance</h2>



Before this finding, the Gilboa forest, located 25 miles (40 kilometers) away, held the "oldest forest" title. Cairo's trees are 2-3 million years older, showing that complex forest ecosystems developed much faster than scientists believed possible.



Patricia Gensel, a <a href="https://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of North Carolina</a> paleobotanist, notes: "The size of those root systems is really changing the picture. Even 20 years ago, researchers assumed trees with such complex root systems didn't evolve so early."



The Cairo site presents three unique root systems, suggesting Devonian period forests were diverse ecosystems with different trees occupying different environmental niches, much like today's forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-preservation-efforts">Modern preservation efforts</h2>



In 2022, New York State Senator Michelle Hinchey secured a $170,000 grant for the town of Cairo to construct specialized fencing around the fossil forest site. The town plans to conduct a feasibility study exploring the possibility of creating an educational center and working lab on-site.



Joe Hasenkopf, chair of the Cairo Planning Board, hopes to partner with educational institutions to create a research facility serving scientists, students, and the public.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-today-s-climate">Lessons for today's climate</h2>



Why does a 385-million-year-old forest matter today? It shows how dramatically forests can change Earth's climate. These ancient woodlands created the atmospheric conditions supporting complex life.



Understanding how prehistoric forests transformed the planet helps us appreciate modern forests' critical role in addressing climate change. Forests remain Earth's most effective carbon capture systems.



These prehistoric trees changed Earth's atmosphere by pulling massive amounts of carbon dioxide from the air. As we face modern climate challenges, this ancient forest reminds us of trees' incredible power to transform our planet's environment.



The next time you walk through a forest, remember you're experiencing an ecosystem whose blueprint was established 385 million years ago in upstate New York. These ancient pioneers didn't just survive – they thrived and changed the world forever.



The full study was published in the journal Current Biology.



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Earth's oldest forest found in the United States

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ow3JH03PqEQ New York is the site of the world's oldest...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Fresh,Radish,Harvest,On,Soil,In,Garden.

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Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving fall garden, and this guide lays out the best vegetables and herbs to plant now for a fruitful autumn harvest. 



Fast-growing leafy greens such as spinach, lettuce, kale, and arugula perform especially well in the waning summer heat, with harvests beginning as soon as 30 days. 



These cool-season crops relish the transition into fall, offering repeated yields with cut-and-come-again methods.



Root vegetables like radishes, carrots, and beets also excel during this period. Radishes deliver satisfaction in under a month, while carrots and beets mature in about two months. Employing succession planting ensures a continuous stream of produce deep into the cooler months. 



For a boost of fresh flavor, herbs like cilantro, basil, dill, and chervil are excellent picks. These heat-loving varieties flourish in July’s warmth and are harvest-ready in about 30 days, especially when sown continuously.



Gardeners in zones 6 through 9 can benefit from planting bush beans and snap peas, which don’t require trellising and are ideal for compact plots. 



Maturing in 50–60 days, they’re a smart choice for quick, protein-rich harvests. For those in hotter regions, heat-tolerant crops such as okra and southern peas provide reliable yields and thrive in scorching conditions.



This guide emphasizes more than crop selection—it highlights the importance of timing, soil preparation, and ongoing sowing techniques. 



With thoughtful planning and attention to regional climate needs, even late-summer gardeners can enjoy fresh salads, hearty stews, and the satisfaction of a robust, homegrown harvest well into fall.



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What to plant in your garden in mid-July

https://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex Mid-July is an opportune time to kick-start a thriving...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

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

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



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



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



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



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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

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

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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

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

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

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

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&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> Staff Writer 



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.

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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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

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

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features 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

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

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

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

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"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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