The Arctic has long symbolized extremes of nature. Its frozen landscapes transform briefly each year into rich feeding grounds, attracting migratory birds from across Europe and beyond. 



For these species, the region offers the narrow window of abundance necessary to raise their young. 



Yet, this delicate timing faces disruption. Climate change is speeding up the arrival of spring in the far north, challenging birds that rely on precision to survive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-birds-fuel-up-faster">Arctic birds fuel up faster</h2>



A new study explores how these birds are coping with the accelerating pace of Arctic thaw. 



Scientists from the <a href="https://www.uva.nl/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Amsterdam</a> and the <a href="https://nioo.knaw.nl/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Netherlands Institute of Ecology</a> combined high-tech tracking with decades of body mass data to reveal a picture of flexibility and risk.



The findings suggest that many waterfowl <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-may-follow-a-hidden-pattern-of-human-language/">species</a> can shorten their journeys by fueling more quickly, but this strategy will only remain viable for a limited time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-the-birds-are-adapting">How the birds are adapting</h2>



The team GPS-tracked more than 500 spring migrations, covering five species: brent geese, barnacle geese, greater white-fronted geese, pink-footed geese, and Bewick’s swans. 



By linking flight records to long-term observations of body condition, the researchers saw how birds adapt their journeys.



"Our results are both encouraging and concerning," said lead author Hans Linssen. "We show that these birds can migrate faster by adjusting their stopovers and feeding times." 



"But the clock is ticking if we look at the current rates of Arctic warming - this flexibility will only compensate for the advancing Arctic spring for a few more decades."



The discovery highlights a short-term advantage. Birds can cut their migration times by changing where and how long they stop. But this cannot continue indefinitely. The Arctic spring is advancing faster than many species can permanently adjust to.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-migration-timing-matters-for-birds">Migration timing matters for birds</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/birds-may-be-using-quantum-physics-for-migration/">Migration</a> is more than movement. For Arctic-breeding waterfowl, timing their arrival with precision determines whether their young survive. 



As snow melts, the land bursts into life. Insects, plants, and other food sources become abundant for only a few weeks. If birds miss this short peak, their chicks struggle to feed and grow.



Egg-laying and incubation must also occur within this fragile season. Chicks need to develop quickly before the Arctic cold returns. Even a slight delay in arrival can mean that young birds face migration southward without sufficient strength. 



Success or failure for entire populations comes down to arriving exactly when nature’s brief feast begins.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-making-journeys-shorter">Making journeys shorter</h2>



Although <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-bird-species-could-vanish-in-the-next-century/">flights</a> across continents seem daunting, much of migration is not about being in the air. Birds spend large portions of their trip resting and building energy at stopovers. 



The new research revealed that by shortening fueling stops, waterfowl could shave days or even weeks off their journeys.



Unlike many earlier studies, this research also considered fueling before departure. Barnacle and brent geese, for example, depend heavily on building fat stores before leaving. 



Accounting for this stage showed that birds had more flexibility than expected. Some individuals shortened their total fuelling time by nearly 30 percent. In practice, this meant reaching the Arctic weeks earlier than before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-responding-to-early-springs">Responding to early springs</h2>



Not all birds used the same strategies. White-fronted geese and Bewick’s swans adjusted more readily when the Arctic thawed early, reducing stopovers and speeding ahead. 



Pink-footed and brent geese were less responsive, likely due to the nature of their migration routes. With fewer suitable stopovers and longer flight segments, they had less room to adapt.



"<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/all-birds-one-tree-complete-evolutionary-map-reveals-hidden-links/">Birds</a> with more stopovers and shorter flights in between could better track spring conditions," said Linssen. "Those flying longer stretches or across the sea might have less opportunity to react to spring being early or late."



These differences reveal how some species may cope better than others in a warming world. Adaptability depends not just on instinct, but on geography and the availability of safe resting points.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-migration-limits-for-birds">Migration limits for birds</h2>



Despite this flexibility, speeding up migrations has costs. Birds that fuel too quickly need high-quality food and quiet environments free of disturbance, which may not always exist. 



Arriving sooner but in poorer condition could undermine their chances of breeding successfully. Migration, breeding, and survival are deeply connected, and trade-offs are inevitable.



The researchers estimated that waterfowl might keep pace with the Arctic spring for another 18 to 28 years. Beyond that window, the pace of climate change could outstrip their ability to adjust. Flexibility, impressive though it is, has a deadline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-future-demands">What the future demands</h2>



"These birds are showing remarkable adaptability," said Linssen. "But by mid-century, they may need to rely on other strategies - like shifting their wintering grounds or changing migration routes entirely - to avoid falling out of sync with the Arctic spring."



This warning reflects more than bird migration. It signals the pressures climate change places on ecosystems where timing is everything. Breeding success, food cycles, and survival depend on delicate synchrony. When even a few weeks are lost, generations can fail.



The Arctic has long been a sanctuary for migratory birds. But as warming reshapes its seasons, these ancient travelers may be forced to reinvent their journeys. Their struggle mirrors the wider story of wildlife adapting to a world changing faster than evolution’s usual pace.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02419-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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Arctic birds speed up migrations to match earlier springs

The Arctic has long symbolized extremes of nature. Its frozen landscapes transform briefly each year into rich feeding grounds, attracting migratory birds from across Europe and beyond. For these species, the region offers the narrow window of abundance necessary to raise their young. Yet, this delicate timing faces disruption. Climate change is speeding up the arrival of spring in the far north, challenging birds that rely on precision to survive. Arctic birds fuel up faster A new study explores how these birds are coping with the accelerating...

Climate change, habitat degradation, and anthropogenic interference, have all posed a threat to already dwindling species across the globe. Ecosystems depend on biodiversity, but as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/battling-climate-change-misinformation/">climate change</a> continues to progress unchecked, more and more species will suffer. 

But some species are simply rare by nature and are somehow able to persist through the years without large populations. 

What makes a species chronically rare and how do they continue to survive even in the wake of other species facing extinction? 

These are the questions answered in a new paper by Geerat Vermeij from the<a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/"> University of California, Davis</a> and published in the journal Ecology Letters. 

Rarity, according to Vermeij, is typically associated with endangered or threatened species, but chronically rare species might have characteristics that specifically allow them to withstand becoming extinct. 

Vermeij, in his paper co-authored by Rick Grosberg, a UC Davis evolution and ecology professor, examines some of the characteristics that could give rare species an advantage and guarantee continued survival. 

One of the reasons that rare species can persist has to do with their reproduction. According to the authors, a species can sustain smaller numbers based on several different reproduction methods.  

These methods include fertilization that occurs inside or close to an adult, if adults are highly mobile, if they have pollinators that deliver egg cells and sperm across long distances, or if they can attract mates from afar. 

“Not all species have to have many individuals close to each other for the species to survive,” said Grosberg. “The strategy for establishing viable populations is to consider how they reproduce.”

Species that don't use these kinds of reproduction methods would not be able to recover from major population declines by the very nature of their evolutionary and biological makeup. 

Grosberg and Vermeij’s work could help conservation efforts by shining a light on the little-discussed species that are chronically rare by nature. The research can also help manage and protect species who don’t have the same advantages as those that are rare. 

Not much is known about rare species, and the authors call for more research to better understand how they persist and survive even while other species face steep declines. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Flickr/prilfish

Why some rare species persist while others face extinction

Climate change, habitat degradation, and anthropogenic interference, have all posed...

Science could offer a new solution to city pest problems by genetically modifying rats to be infertile or only have male offspring. 

According to a new report from the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5148577/Researchers-reveal-plan-create-infertile-GM-rats.html">Daily Mail</a>, researchers from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh </a>have suggested make populations of rats infertile over the next two years. 

Researchers in Australia have already used gene-modifying technology to help combat malaria, which is carried by insects. Many mosquito populations are now almost entirely male in certain areas which means that breeding is practically an impossibility. 

Even though this has been successful with mosquitos, this is the first time that researchers will be using the method on mammals. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rats-major-cities-monitored/">Rats</a> are, of course, a nuisance in urban areas. They can spread disease and are difficult to deal with once they infest a home or area. Their population numbers also fluctuate dramatically, leading to periodic surges in city subways and streets.

The United Kingdom spends an estimated £1.2 billion each year on pest control, and in New York City,<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/25/nyregion/new-york-city-escalates-the-war-on-rats-once-again.html"> annual budgets have approved millions </a>of dollars to “wage war on rats.”

Instead of investing thousands of dollars in rat traps and other expensive pest control options, genetic modification is a much less traumatic way of controlling the species. 

“There are obvious benefits of this gene drive strategy compared to current control measures that are really quite brutal – shooting, poisoning, trapping, kind of 'bash over the head' techniques,” said Gus McFarlane, co-author of a study told the Daily Mail. “'It is more humane to cause a population decline with minimal animal suffering.”

The researchers suggest using CRISPR/Cas 9 which is a tool that allows scientists to edit DNA with exact precision. 

CRISPR has been likened to a pair of “molecular scissors, ” and in this case, the Edinburgh researchers would specifically target fertility genes or sex chromosomes in rats. 

The rats would then pass on their genes to other rats or only have male rats in the next generations which would drastically decrease rat populations. 

The researchers are hoping to start trial studies on lab rats in the next couple of years. 

CRISPR is not without its controversy, with some scientists urging for caution as the long-term risks of precision gene editing are still unknown. 

“'We have the makings of a technology that could reduce or eliminate a pest population in a humane and species-specific manner,”  Bruce Whitelaw, a principal investigator at the Roslin Institute, told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html">Daily Mail</a>. “We need more research to better understand the risks, and whether these can be mitigated, but we believe the potential benefits merit further investigation.”

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, Earth.com Staff Writer

Genetic modification could manage rat populations

Science could offer a new solution to city pest problems...

Last winter, the state of California experienced more rain from October to February than it had in over 100 years. Marine biologists from the <a href="https://serc.si.edu/">Smithsonian Environmental Research Center</a> have discovered that the record-breaking season took its toll on some marine species in the San Francisco Bay.

"As you get wetter and wetter, there are fewer and fewer [marine] species that can tolerate those conditions," said the study’s lead author, Andrew Chang. 

Chang has been observing invasive species in the San Francisco area since 2000. Chang is particularly interested in aquatic animals like tunicates and bryozoans that grow on boats, docks and fishing equipment. Though some of the creatures are visually stunning, they destroy fishing nets and clog gear.

Chang has noted that some species need the salty water of the bay to survive. When a wet winter sets in and brings large amounts of freshwater into the bay, these types of organisms suffer. 

Extreme changes in the climate like the years of drought in California leading up to the wet winter of 2016 are predicted to become more common with climate change. In the past, scientists have tracked how these shifting weather patterns affect certain species.

Chang and his team examined how San Francisco's fouling community as a whole changed over 13 years of wet, dry, and average weather. The team tracked the growth of these species in Richmond Marina, a mostly saltwater marina in northeastern San Francisco Bay, beginning in 2001. 

The study revealed that when bay waters remained salty during the dry years, the invasive tunicate Ciona robusta dominated. This translucent filter feeder from Asia has invaded five continents, including North America's West Coast. Due to its rapid growth, the species is known for crowding out other species.

When wetter winters occurred, however, the Ciona and similar tunicates were unable to withstand the massive influx of fresh water, and mat-like colonial tunicates and encrusting bryozoans took over in their place.

Chang says that freshwater years reset the system, which will work to the advantage of some invasive species.

"If you're a new invader arriving to San Francisco Bay, for example, what better time to come in than right after a wet winter has killed off most of your potential competitors?" he said.

Chang's team observed a couple of native species that thrived in wet years as well, indicating that wet seasons could be used to benefit native species.

The study is published in <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1111/(ISSN)1365-2486">Global Change Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rainy winters can shake up marine ecosystems

Last winter, the state of California experienced more rain from...

How do jaguars, hamburgers and border walls relate to each other?

Beef is usually not thought of as sustainable. Yet there has been some progress towards making beef a more sustainable enterprise.

In a world where ‘sustainable’ has become the gold standard of buzz words, we must ask, ‘Is sustainable enough?’ Is sustainable beef good for jaguars? Basically something being sustainable means that it can go on for the long term; however you define ‘long term’. Sustainable beef means it has only sustainable inputs, there aren’t finite resources being used for the creation of your hamburger. Sustainable resources are those like water and sun, resources that aren’t going to run out in the foreseeable future. Things get a little murky here though. If water is being pumped from an aquifer that fills at an extremely slow rate, it becomes a less sustainable source of water. If solar panels are made in an intensively fossil fuel dependent process, they’re less sustainable. Is sustainable enough?

Even in a truly sustainable beef production model, things don’t necessarily bode well for big predators. Long have predators been the bane of the rancher. Wolves were villainized throughout the US partly because they were blamed for cattle death. Wolves and their place in the western US is still incredibly contentious. The place of jaguars in the west is on even rockier terrain than that of wolves.

In 1963 a hunter shot a big cat which he thought was a big bob-cat; it turned out the man had killed a jaguar. The jaguar was heralded as the last jaguar in the US, the end of an era. Since that time, other jaguars have been seen crossing the US Mexico border but no evidence of a US breeding population has been found.

Some say, so what? Jaguars wander into the US occasionally and wander out. Their home is further south, not in most of North America. However, it’s hard to deny that historically the jaguar didn’t have a much larger home range, extending further into the US.

In Mexico as in the US, ranchers do not like jaguars. Jaguars have been poisoned and shot for as long as European cattle have been threatened by the big cats. One jaguar with a radio collar was burned to destroy evidence. Recently I saw hope of that changing. At a talk at a Tucson REI, the Northern Jaguar Project expounded on their relationship with ranchers. NJP has started paying ranchers for photos; photos of live predators. Jaguars caught with camera traps on ranchers land pay the most but there is also a reward for ocelots, bobcats and mountain lions. In the US the government and other organizations have offered reimbursement for predation by wolves and other protected predators. NJP however is the first example I know of with positive reinforcement. The project is small but it’s growing, trying to recruit and sign contracts with more ranchers even as they expand the size of a more traditional reserve.

North of the border there is no positive incentive for ranchers to abstain from killing jaguars. Then again, there aren’t a lot of jaguars in the US and making true of the threatened border wall won’t help anything. An almost negligible amount of beef in the US comes from Central and South America, so the hamburger you’re eating isn’t necessarily the problem. Beef isn’t the problem with the jaguar’s current situation. With climates trending warmer, there is the potential of more conflict between jaguars and American <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-start-regulating-gas-emissions-cows/">cattle ranchers</a>, then that burger becomes something else. It’s my view that we shouldn’t be happy with keeping the world as it is but should be involved in making things better; better for jaguars as well as humans.

--

By Zach Fitzner, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Earth.com exclusive: Beef, jaguars, and the border wall

How do jaguars, hamburgers and border walls relate to each...

A new species of marsupial lion that has been extinct for 19 million years was recently discovered in a remote part of Queensland, Australia. 

The discovery was made by scientists from the <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">University of New South Wales </a>who were excavating in the <a href="https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/parks/boodjamulla-riversleigh/about.html">Riversleigh World Heritage Area</a>.

The researchers found fossilized remains including part of the animal's skull, teeth, and upper arm bone. After analyzing the fossil pieces, the researchers concluded that it was a newly discovered species that lived 18 to 26 million years ago during the Oligocene and Miocene epochs.

The new species was named Wakaleo schouteni and would have been comparable to a dog in size and have hunted in Australia’s ancient rainforests. 

The findings were featured in the Journal of Systematic Paleontology.

According to the <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/">UNESCO World Heritage Organization</a>, Riversleigh is one of the world's top ten richest fossils sites.

This discovery follows another new <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marsupial-relative-powerful-bite/">marsupial lion</a> that was uncovered in the same site a year prior named Microleo attenboroughi. 

Wakaleo schouteni is now thought to be one of two marsupial lion species that lived during the late Oligocene epoch, the other species being Wakaleo pitikantensis, first discovered in South Australia in 1961.

The two species are extremely similar and are most likely the earliest members of their genus, according to the researchers. 

“The identification of these new species have brought to light a level of marsupial lion diversity that was quite unexpected and suggests even deeper origins for the family,” said Gillespie. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Illustration by Peter Schouten in the Journal of Systematic Palaeontology

Extinct species of marsupial lion found in Australia

A new species of marsupial lion that has been extinct...

An international research team is describing a new genus and bird-like species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-fossil-racist-nazi-science/">dinosaur</a> which is extremely unique. The discovery of the 75 million-year-old predator, Halszkaraptor escuilliei, is giving scientists new insight into the lifestyle of some raptorial dinosaurs. 

A well-preserved dinosaur skeleton from Mongolia has a unique combination of features that is helping experts to define the new group of semi-aquatic predators, which are related to Velociraptor. The species lived during the Campanian stage of the Cretaceous period.

The fossil, nicknamed Halszka, was found in area of southern Mongolia that is often targeted by poachers. 

"Illicit fossil trade presents a great challenge to modern palaeontology and accounts for a dramatic loss of Mongolian scientific heritage," explained study co-author Pascal Godefroit. "Illegally exported from Mongolia, Halszka resided in private collections around the world before it was acquired in 2015 and offered to palaeontologists for study and to prepare its return to Mongolia.”

For 160 million years during the Mesozoic Era, terrestrial carnivores like Tyrannosaurus and Velociraptor became the dominant predators on all continents, yet never conquered aquatic environments. 

Using detailed 3D synchrotron analysis, the researchers found that Halszka had a swan neck and flippers on its forelimbs. This indicates that these dinosaurs adopted a semi-aquatic lifestyle, which is an unanticipated find. Halszka also had sickle-shaped “killer claws” on its feet like Velociraptor.

"The first time I examined the specimen, I even questioned whether it was a genuine fossil" said lead author Andrea Cau of the <a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g187801-d2002758-Reviews-Museo_Geologico_Giovanni_Capellini-Bologna_Province_of_Bologna_Emilia_Romagna.html">Geological Museum Capellini in Bologna</a>. "This unexpected mix of traits makes it difficult to place Halszka within traditional classifications.”

While several significant groups of predatory dinosaurs have been uncovered in Mongolia, Halszka does not belong to any of them. Features identified on the fossil resemble those of reptilian and avian groups with semi-aquatic or aquatic lifestyles.

"Our first goal was to demonstrate that this bizarre and unexpected fossil is indeed a genuine animal: multi-resolution scanning confirmed that the skeleton is not a composite assembled from parts of different dinosaurs," explained Dennis Voeten of the <a href="http://www.esrf.eu/">European Synchrotron Radiation Facility</a>. 

"We implemented new methods for the acquisition and optimisation of tomographic scan data, which not only confirmed the integrity of the specimen, but also revealed additional palaeontological information," said co-author Vincent Fernandez.

The synchrotron was even able to show parts of the skeleton that have been preserved deep within the rock ever since the dinosaur got buried. 

"Our analysis demonstrated that numerous teeth, which are not visible externally, are still preserved inside the mouth," said co-author Vincent Beyrand. "We also identified a neurovascular mesh inside its snout that resembles those of modern crocodiles to a remarkable degree. These aspects suggest that Halszka was an aquatic predator."

"When we look beyond fossil dinosaurs, we find most of Halszkaraptor's unusual features among aquatic reptiles and swimming birds," explained Cau. "The peculiar morphology of Halszkaraptor fits best with that of an amphibious predator that was adapted to a combined terrestrial and aquatic ecology: a peculiar lifestyle that was previously unreported in these dinosaurs. Thanks to synchrotron tomography, we now demonstrate that raptorial dinosaurs not only ran and flew, but also swam!"

The findings of the study are published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Lukas Panzarin and Andrea Cau for scientific supervision

Newly discovered dinosaur displays surprising features

An international research team is describing a new genus and...

Already-endangered tigers in the Sumatran jungle could face steep population declines if their jungle habitats undergo any more deforestation, according to new research. 

Even though tigers in Sumatra had revived their populations over the last two decades thanks to anti-poaching efforts, their habitats are now decreasing and becoming more and more fragmented. 

17 percent of the Sumatran jungle forests were cleared between 2000 and 2012. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/remote-sensing-oil-palm-industry/">Oil palm</a> plantations are the biggest culprit for logging and habitat degradation in the area. 

A new study, published in the journal Nature, followed and tracked endangered tigers in Sumatra for a year. 

The team, led by Matthew Luskin, a research fellow with the <a href="https://www.si.edu/">Smithsonian Institution</a>, spent a year in remote jungle forests and mounted cameras that would take videos and pictures. 

After compiling all of the footage, the researchers were able to calculate the Sumatran Tiger’s home range, which is approximately 150 square miles. 

This is especially challenging because it means the tigers need large protected reserves to thrive. 

“The loss of key habitat is causing significant conservation challenges for Sumatra -- and in particular for this critically endangered species,” said Luskin. 

The researchers also discovered that tiger populations are 47 percent denser in forests that have not been degraded or logged. The degraded forests have caused Sumatran tiger populations to become more scattered and splintered. 

The results of the study show that there now remain only two areas large enough to support more than 30 breeding females, which is what is necessary for the continued survival of the species. 

According to Luskin, reforestation of Sumatra’s jungle forests is unlikely and protecting what little remains of the endangered tigers’ habitats should be a priority. 

“Safeguarding the remaining expanses of primary forests is now absolutely critical to ensuring tigers can persist indefinitely on Sumatra,” said Mathias Tobler, the study’s co-author.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Matthew Luskin

Sumatran tigers struggle in fragmented forests

Already-endangered tigers in the Sumatran jungle could face steep population...

A new study suggests that gorillas have an innate sense of how to clean their food. The researchers found that gorillas spontaneously learn food cleaning without having to observe the behavior in others.

Researchers developed a study to challenge the theory that wild gorillas learn food-cleaning habits by watching other gorillas. Their observation of captive gorillas, who had never witnessed food cleaning before, revealed that the behavior is not always learned and that animals can come up with the idea on their own.

Damien Neadle from the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/">University of Birmingham</a> led the study.

"In four of our five gorillas, at least one of the techniques for cleaning was similar to that observed in the wild.” said Neadle. “Given that these two groups are culturally unconnected, it suggests that social learning is not required for this behavior to emerge."

The researchers focused their investigation on a captive population of western lowland gorilla at the Wolfgang Kohler Primate Research Centre in Leipzig Zoo, Germany. The team provided the gorillas with both clean and dirty apples.

Over 75 percent of the time, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-com-film-review-koko-gorilla-talks/">gorillas</a> cleaned the dirty apples which were coated with sand. 

"This fact does not discount the importance of social learning, but simply emphasises the role of individual learning in the emergence of food cleaning behavior in western lowland gorillas,” explained Neadle. “Here, we argue that individual learning is responsible for the form of the behavior, whilst social learning possibly contributes to its frequency."

"Rather than being a binary consideration of either cultural learning or not, behaviors like food cleaning, which can be propagated by shared learning but are also capable of being learnt spontaneously by individuals, could be deemed to be 'soft culture'," said Neadle.

The research is published in <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLoS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gorillas have the natural instinct to clean their food

A new study suggests that gorillas have an innate sense...

The flight patterns of falcons could help researchers develop drones specifically designed to take down other rogue drones. 

A new study, conducted by researchers from <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford University</a>, found that contrary to popular belief, falcons followed similar flight trajectories to guided missiles while steering into an attack. 

Previously it was thought that peregrine falcons hunted using exclusively geometric rules while flying. However, the researchers found that falcons are quick to intercept moving targets. 

The results could pave the way for drones that are programmed to take down drones in airports or prisons. 

For the study, the researchers used GPS receivers to track falcons. The falcons were given dummy targets to attack that were thrown by a falconer or attached to a drone.

The researchers monitored the falcons using both the GPS receivers and on-board video footage that showed the falcon’s perspective during the attacks. 

Mathematical simulations were then later applied to mirror the falcon attack patterns better understand the guidance system employed by the falcon. 

The surprising results showed that falcons use the same law as visually guided missiles during terminal attack trajectories, called proportional navigation. 

The uptick of drones being used to smuggle contraband in prisons and fly near airports is a matter of growing concern. But with this new research, new drones could be designed with the falcon flight patterns to efficiently take out problem drones. 

“Our GPS tracks and on-board videos show how peregrine falcons intercept moving targets that don't want to be caught,” said Graham Taylor, the study’s principal investigator. “Our next step is to apply this research to designing a new kind of visually guided drone, able to remove rogue drones safely from the vicinity of airports, prisons, and other no-fly zones.” 

The research was funded by the US <a href="http://www.wpafb.af.mil/afrl/">Air Force Research Laboratory</a>, and could pave the way for future studies that examine the attack and pursuit trajectories of other predators, not just falcons.  

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Falcon attack strategies could help seize rogue drones

The flight patterns of falcons could help researchers develop drones...

The abstract concepts of space and time are something that we know we as humans are able to perceive, even without using tools such as a watch or a measuring stick. We have this ability due to the parietal cortex region of our brain, which is a combination of part of the cerebral cortex and the outermost layer of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-risky-decision-making/">brain</a>. Primates also use this region in order to comprehend space and time, and now new research points to another species that has the ability to discriminate the concepts of space and time – you guessed it, pigeons!

One interesting part of this research is that pigeons do not have a parietal cortex region of their brain. The researchers were curious what area of the pigeon’s brain is used to discriminate between space and time. 

Their study involved putting pigeons through a series of tasks called the “common magnitude” test. This consisted of the birds being shown a computer screen with a horizontal line of either 6 cm or 24 cm for either 2 seconds or 8 seconds. They could peck one of four visual symbols to “report” the length of duration of the line, and if they did so correctly they would receive food.

To progress the tests, the researchers introduced additional line lengths, adding increased variability in judging whether a line was short or long. They also showed the line to the birds for either a shorter or longer duration. “The task now forces pigeons to process time and space simultaneously because they cannot know on which dimension they’re going to be tested,” says Edward Wasserman, professor of experimental psychology at the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a>.

The results showed that the length of line affected the pigeons’ discrimination of line duration, and the duration of the line affected their discrimination of the line length. These findings parallel research done with humans and primates, although the lack of parietal cortex in the pigeon brain shows that it’s not necessary for comprehending space and time. “The cortex is not unique to judging space and time,” says Benjamin De Corte, a graduate student at the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> and first author on the paper. “The pigeons have other brain systems that allow them to perceive these dimensions.”

These findings are additional evidence in the growing argument that lower-order animal species – like birds, fish, and reptiles – are actually capable of upper-level thinking and abstract decision-making. “Indeed, the cognitive prowess of birds is now deemed to be ever closer to that of both human and nonhuman primates,” says Wasserman, who has also studied intelligence in pigeons, crows, baboons, and other animals for over 40 years. “Those avian nervous systems are capable of far greater achievements than the pejorative term ‘bird brain’ would suggest.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pigeons are smarter than you think and can sense space and time

The abstract concepts of space and time are something that...

Researchers have determined that medium-sized carnivores spend more time hunting for food than smaller and larger carnivores. This means that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/battling-climate-change-misinformation/">climate change</a> will have a bigger impact on medium-sized predators, as changes in the environment will affect the availability of their food.

It has been long assumed that foraging time decreased as animal size increased. But now, a study from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> and the <a href="https://www.zsl.org/">Zoological Society of London </a>demonstrates that this is not the case.

The researchers obtained data on land predators worldwide, from small predators to large predators. For their investigation, the team used tracking methods such as radio collars and GPS. Overall, they examined 73 land-based carnivore species.

The analysis revealed that medium-sized species of predators, such as the leopard cat and the crab-eating fox, spent the largest amount of time foraging. The researchers explained that the findings of the study provide a more accurate model to forecast the vulnerability of animals to habitat loss and climate change.

"We propose a simple mathematical model that predicts how foraging time depends on body size,” said study co-author Dr Samraat Pawar. “This can help predict potential risks to predators facing environmental change.”

"Habitat changes can mean that predators have to move more to find the same amount of food, causing them greater stress,” said Pawar. “This impacts the health of the individual, and therefore the health of the population.” 

Study co-author Matteo Rizzuto explained that the extent to which species are vulnerable will also depend on the kind of prey they feed on. "If they are able to adapt their diet and diversify their prey, they may fare better,” said Rizzuto.

The mathematical model developed by the researchers helped explain why medium-sized predators spend so much more time searching for food. This is because they tend to feed on animals that are small in relation to their own body size.

Study co-author Dr. Chris Carbone said, "Prey that are much smaller than a predator are hard to find and catch, and therefore do not easily satisfy the predator's energy needs and provide insufficient 'bang for the buck'."

The study is published today in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natecolevol/">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>.

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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

Medium-sized carnivores face biggest threat from climate change

Researchers have determined that medium-sized carnivores spend more time hunting...

Scientists have determined that humans likely descended from sponges that lived in early oceans 750 million years ago. According to the researchers, these creatures are the eldest ancestors of all animals.

This new discovery challenges the previous belief that comb jellies are the oldest members of the animal kingdom. Researchers from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> used a new method to statistically test evolutionary models for accuracy. They found that the more precise evolutionary models indicated that <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/dragon-blood-sponges-crabs-save-life/">sponges</a> are at the root our lineal descent.

Professor Davide Pisani is the lead author of the study.

“Phylogenomics, the use of genomic data in phylogenetics, is a relatively new science,” explained Professor Pisani. “Evidence for comb jellies as the earliest branching animal lineage first emerged in 2008, a decade ago, in the first, large-scale, phylogenomic analysis of the animal phyla. We have now better analytical tools and data and this study seriously challenges the accepted status quo.”

Professor Pisani pointed out that sponges and comb jellies represent completely different evolutionary backgrounds of animal organ systems such as the digestive and nervous systems. “Therefore, knowing the correct branching order at the root of the animal tree is fundamental to understanding our own evolution, and the origin of key features of the animal anatomy,” he explained.

The prehistoric sponge was a filter feeder with no complex organs. While it is not clear what the first-ever animals looked like, Professor Pisani said it was most likely a lot simpler than modern sponges and possibly resembled a blob.

“I found it pretty exciting to find that something as simple as a sponge might have kick-started modern ecosystems,” said Professor Pisani.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/current-biology/">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The earliest known relative of humans is… a sponge?

Scientists have determined that humans likely descended from sponges that...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Y4eLFNYrKE
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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.

<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://youtu.be/Fi2OeEwuzRM?si=vTyd2m9FMmtyWkex
</div></figure>







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

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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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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

The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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