In India, snakebites kill more people than anywhere else in the world. Estimates range between 46,000 and 60,000 deaths each year. Most victims live in villages, far from hospitals, and work outdoors in fields. For them, a bite often turns fatal before help arrives.



Now, scientists say this danger is likely to spread. A study led by Imon Abedin from the Dibru-Saikhowa Conservation Society in Tinsukia shows how climate change could shift where snakes live. 



Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns may push <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/man-is-bitten-over-100-times-by-cobras-and-mambas-leading-to-the-creation-of-a-universal-antidote/">venomous species</a> into new regions, exposing communities that have little experience with snakebites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-threats-from-venomous-snakes">New threats from venomous snakes</h2>



Four species cause most serious bites in India. Farmers and doctors know them well: the spectacled cobra, common krait, Russell’s viper, and saw-scaled viper. 



Together, they are called the Big Four. Their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-snake-day-2025-protecting-natures-silent-guardians/">venom</a> is deadly, and their wide reach makes them responsible for the bulk of human cases. These snakes thrive in varied environments, from crowded villages to farmlands and forests, increasing the chance of human encounters almost everywhere.



Researchers wanted to know what happens when the climate reshapes where these snakes can survive. They built models to predict future ranges and combined them with social data, like poverty levels and access to hospitals. 



The outcome is a risk index that shows which districts could face higher dangers in the coming decades, highlighting how environmental shifts and human vulnerability together create new threats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-change-is-pushing-snakes-north">Climate change is pushing snakes north</h2>



The models suggest a major shift. Northern and Northeastern states may see more of the Big Four in the future. 



Central and southern areas may see less, but that doesn’t mean the problem disappears. Dense populations and weak healthcare still keep risk high there.



“Climate change is altering snake species' geographic ranges, resulting in expansions, contractions, or shifting ranges. Such changes may increase human-<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/universal-antivenom-to-heal-all-snakebites-is-closer-to-reality/">snake</a> interactions across rural and urban areas, presenting new challenges for public health and medical management,” the authors note.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rising-risk-of-snakebites">Rising risk of snakebites</h2>



The study points to Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh as likely trouble spots. These regions already face challenges like poverty, large rural populations, and limited medical facilities. 



If snakes expand into new areas here, deaths could climb sharply. Even a small rise in bites becomes deadly when hospitals lack antivenom or trained staff.



This overlap of biology and social weakness creates hotspots. It’s not only about where snakes go. It’s about how well people can respond once they arrive.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-of-the-study">Limitations of the study</h2>



The researchers acknowledge that their predictions aren’t perfect. Data on snake sightings is patchy, especially in remote rural areas. 



Land use changes, deforestation, and growing cities add more uncertainty. All of this makes it hard to predict exact future ranges.



Still, the warning stands. Climate is shifting, and with it, the likelihood of humans and snakes crossing paths. For rural families, this means a danger they already know too well could spread further.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-snakebites-as-public-health-crisis">Snakebites as public health crisis</h2>



Snakebites are already listed as a neglected tropical disease, and the new findings show why the problem cannot stay ignored.



“This is the first study in India to integrate climate-based species distribution models with socioeconomic vulnerability and healthcare capacity,” the authors said. “It shows that climate change is not just an environmental crisis but it’s also a looming public health crisis.”



The researchers argue that preparation must begin now. India needs more reliable antivenom, better supply chains, and stronger rural healthcare. 



Education can also help farmers avoid dangerous encounters. Training health workers, improving local clinics, and spreading awareness through schools and communities are equally important.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-snakebites-in-a-changing-climate">Snakebites in a changing climate</h2>



Quick access to treatment can save lives, but only if hospitals are equipped and medicine is available. Rural regions, where most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cobra-venom-just-became-less-deadly-thanks-to-a-common-drug/">bites</a> occur, need special attention because distance and poverty often delay treatment. 



Without such steps, climate change could turn an existing crisis into something far worse.



The lesson is clear: snakebites are not just about snakes. They are about people who farm, children who play outside, and families who live close to fields and forests. They are about poverty that limits options and health systems already stretched thin. 



As the climate changes, those cracks will only widen, leaving millions more exposed to needless suffering unless action is taken quickly and decisively.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosntds/article?id=10.1371/journal.pntd.0013464" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS Neglected Tropical Diseases</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Climate change is pushing venomous snakes into new regions

In India, snakebites kill more people than anywhere else in the world. Estimates range between 46,000 and 60,000 deaths each year. Most victims live in villages, far from hospitals, and work outdoors in fields. For them, a bite often turns fatal before help arrives. Now, scientists say this danger is likely to spread. A study led by Imon Abedin from the Dibru-Saikhowa Conservation Society in Tinsukia shows how climate change could shift where snakes live. Rising temperatures and changing rainfall patterns may push venomous species into new...

In a story out of everyone’s worst nightmares, scientists have discovered a link between wild boars and vampire <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bats-avoid-collision-quieting-crowd/">bats</a>. In short, the tiny winged blood suckers may be transmitting rabies to wild boars that only come out at night. 

Frightened yet? 

If wild pigs and boars sound unpleasant to you, they’re even more upsetting to farmers in Brazil and the Americas, where the study took place. There, feral pigs cause a huge amount of damage to crops and pose a rabies threat to cattle. 

It’s the rabies part of the equation that’s particularly concerning to ranchers. About 1.4% of vampire bats, or D. rotundus, in Brazil’s Atlantic Forest biome carry the disease, with rates running as high as 10% among vampire bats in the Peruvian Amazon. 

The bats can transmit the rabies virus through their saliva, and they regularly feed on the blood of feral pigs and boars. Scientists used video monitoring to determine that on any given night, the incidence of vampire bat attacks on feral pigs runs as high as 10%. Although ranchers typically vaccinate their cattle, wild animals like pigs aren’t vaccinated and can potentially spread the deadly disease. 

Rabies isn’t the only concern, according to Ivan Sazima of the <a href="http://www.internationaloffice.unicamp.br/english/international-visitors/the-university/">University of Campinas</a>. ”The rabies virus is transmitted through the saliva of infected bats. D. rotundus is a reservoir for other viruses with epidemiological potential, including hantavirus and coronavirus,” he said. 

Another member of the research team, Alexine Keuroghlian, is a biologist with the<a href="https://programs.wcs.org/brazil/"> Wildlife Conservation Society</a> in Brazil. He explained that these diseases may also be transmitted to the other wild animals on which vampire bats feed. 

"Other viral diseases carried by boars and feral pigs may be transmitted to native animals that are bitten by vampire bats,” he said. These animals include tapirs, deer, and capybaras. 

Researchers brought this problem to light in a study in the journal<a href="http://www.frontiersinecology.org/fron/"> Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment</a>. Sweet dreams! 

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: Ivan Sazima,<a href="http://www.internationaloffice.unicamp.br/english/international-visitors/the-university/"> University of Campinas</a>

Alexine Keruoghlian,<a href="https://programs.wcs.org/brazil/"> Wildlife Conservation Society</a>

Wild boars, vampire bats, and rabies – oh my!

In a story out of everyone’s worst nightmares, scientists have...

What causes otherwise healthy marine animals to beach themselves? It’s a question that has had biologists puzzled for years. A new study by NASA and two other agencies is looking at a potential explanation for whale and dolphin strandings: solar storms.

The study was launched to find out why marine mammals wash up on beaches around the world. Some strandings involve only one or two animals. Other times, dozens or even hundreds of animals beach themselves. 

In June 2015, 337 sei whales stranded themselves in Chile in what is believed to be the largest mass stranding ever recorded. That followed a nearby stranding of about 30 of the endangered sei whales in April 2015.

About 170 pilot whales were stranded in New Zealand in February 2015. Volunteers worked to rescue as many as possible, but more than 100 died.

To get to the bottom of the strange phenomenon, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> teamed up with the <a href="https://www.boem.gov/">Bureau of Ocean Energy Management</a> and the <a href="http://www.ifaw.org/united-states">International Fund for Animal Welfare</a>. 

Scientists have developed several working theories about the cause of whale and dolphin strandings over the years. Human causes such as sonar equipment, underwater oil drilling, naval exercises, and noise pollution have undergone intense scrutiny.

“However, these human-made influences do not explain most of the strandings,” NASA heliophysicist Dr. Antti Pulkkinen said in a <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2017/nasa-scientist-studies-whether-solar-storms-cause-animal-beachings">press release</a>. “Theories as to the cause include magnetic anomalies and meteorological events, such as extreme tides during a new moon and coastal storms, which are thought to disorient the animals.”

In other words, the weather in space – specifically, events like solar storms – may be throwing a wrench in sea creatures’ ability to navigate the ocean. 

Biologists have speculated that some marine mammals use magnetic fields to orient themselves, and solar storms would throw that ability off, Pulkkinen added.

Now, scientists from the three agencies are mining data about space weather and whale and dolphin strandings to see if there’s a link between the two. Using decades of data from NASA, BOEM and IFAW, they plan to study whether strandings correlate with solar storms and other space weather phenomena. 

“What we’re going to do is throw cold, hard data at this. It’s a long-standing mystery and it’s important that we figure out what’s going on,” Pulkkinen said.

Pulkkinen and his team hope to complete the study by September. If they can link solar storms and whale and dolphin strandings, the data could be used to predict stranding events in the future, they said. 

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Scientists eye solar storms as cause of whale and dolphin strandings

What causes otherwise healthy marine animals to beach themselves? It’s...

In China and parts of Southeast Asia, traditional medicine has created a demand for lion bones. Now, officials worry that lion bone market could be driving poaching at an African wildlife park.

At <a href="http://www.mozambique.co.za/Mozambique_Wildlife-travel/niassa-game-reserve.html">Niassa National Reserve</a> in Mozambique, park staff report that wildlife traffickers are offering rewards for intact lion carcasses. 

South African farms already sell skeletons from captive-bred lions for use in traditional medicine in Southeast Asia and China. That legal trade may be fueling increased demand, and leading poachers to enter the lion bone market, officials said.

The legal trade itself has spawned debate. South Africa has taken steps toward establishing a yearly quota on legal lion skeletons to ensure better regulation.

“Well-regulated trade will enable the department to monitor a number of issues, including the possible impact on the wild populations,” Albi Modise, a spokesman for the country’s <a href="https://www.environment.gov.za/content/home">Department of Environmental Affairs</a>, told <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com">Bloomberg News</a>.

In the United Nations, a recent push to ban the sale of lion parts outright fell short.

A compromise agreement banned the trade of body parts from wild lions. However, it allows the trade of parts from captive-bred lions to continue. Lion bones have replaced tiger bones in the traditional medicine market, after countries cracked down on the trade of body parts from endangered tigers.

The big cat conservation group <a href="https://www.panthera.org/panthera-statement-cites-compromise-global-trade-africa-s-lions">Panthera</a> praised the ban on wild lion parts in a statement. However, it doesn’t go far enough, the group said.

“The legal trade in bones from captive-bred lions perpetuates the demand for big cat parts – including from wild lions, leopards, and exceedingly rare wild tigers – and is notoriously difficult to enforce,” Dr. Luke Hunter, the group’s president, said. “As we have seen from failed experiments to allow legal ivory sales, legalised trade also creates pathways to sell the products from illegally killed wildlife.”

Other conservation organizations, such as <a href="http://www.four-paws.org.za/">Four Paws South Africa</a> and the <a href="http://www.bornfree.org.uk/">Born Free Foundation</a>, have backed a ban in the lion parts trade.

“The captive lion-breeding industry is extremely controversial, and the South African government admits it has little or no conservation value. Animals are intensively bred for the sole purpose of generating money, through bogus ‘conservation tourism’ such as cub petting and walking with lions, by supplying lions for the abhorrent ‘canned hunting’ industry, and to generate body parts and products for trade,” the Born Free Foundation wrote in a statement. The foundation was named for the classic movie about returning Elsa, an African lioness, to the wild. 

At least one expert, Dr. Vivienne Williams of the <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/">University of Witwatersrand</a> in Johannesburg, questioned whether poaching was driven by the international trade. Traditional religions practiced locally could also encourage the illegal trade, she said. Williams was the lead author on a 2015 study of the problem. 

But the International Union for Conservation of Nature, which maintains the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/15951/0">Red List</a> of globally endangered and threatened species, reports that lion bones are becoming increasingly popular commodities in China, Vietnam and Laos. 

According to estimates, the number of lions in the wild has dropped by about 40 percent in 20 years. 

Niassa National Reserve is home to about 2,700 of the remaining 20,000 wild lions in Africa. Staff at the Mozambique park have heard reports of middlemen offering huge rewards – $1,500 or motorcycles – in exchange for lion carcasses. The illegal trade has been going on for about a year and a half, park officials said.

There’s very little local demand for wild lion parts, officials said. If it’s happening in Niassa, it’s supplying the Asian lion bone market, they said.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Experts: Asian lion bone market may fuel African poaching

In China and parts of Southeast Asia, traditional medicine has...

Recycle, recycle, recycle. We hear it all the time, but rarely note the repercussions of simply tossing items in the trash. Unfortunately, throwing away items like <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/beach-plastic-shampoo-bottles/">plastic</a> bags can have unintended consequences. Such was the case off the coast of Norway, where zoologists report finding a dying whale with a stomach full of plastic bags and other plastic waste. They believe that the contents of its digestive system were “probably the reason” the 2-ton goose-beaked whale fell ill. 

Plastic bags are an ecological nightmare – particularly for marine life. Sandwich bags and plastic food film are problematic, but marine biologists are alarmed over the danger that plastic shopping bags pose to a wide variety of sea creatures like the poor dying whale.

These thin, disposable bags are everywhere. Stores first started using them in the 1970s and today, more than 1 billion of them are used every day. According to the <a href="http://www.latimes.com/">Los Angeles Times</a>, they’re the most common piece of trash found littering California’s beaches.

Why is this a problem for marine creatures? A free-floating plastic bag is easily mistaken for food. In particular, the bags resemble jellyfish to hungry sea turtles. It’s an issue for more than just sea turtles, however – seabirds and whales such as the unfortunate one found in Norway are also affected. 

As plastic fills up the stomachs of sea turtles and other creatures, it leaves no room for food, causing the animal to slowly starve to death.

Terje Lislevand of the <a href="http://www.uib.no/en/node/36362">University of Bergen</a> told the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a> that the whale "had no food, only some remnants of a squid's head in addition to a thin fat layer” in its intestine. The whale was suffering, beyond medical help, and had to be euthanized. 

In a report from the World Economic Forum, scientists warned that by 2050 there will be more plastic floating in our oceans than there is sea life. 

--
By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Dying whale found with 30 plastic bags in its stomach

Recycle, recycle, recycle. We hear it all the time, but...

Officials insist that it’s necessary to prevent wild bison from spreading disease. Wildlife advocates decry it as misguided and unnecessary. As the two sides face off, a plan to slaughter hundreds of wild bison in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/obama-moves-block-new-mining-near-yellowstone-national-park/">Yellowstone National Park </a>is moving forward. 

After two weeks of negotiations between the state of Montana, Yellowstone, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, all parties agreed to allow the plan, which will involve the slaughter of up to 1,300 of the 5,500 Yellowstone bison. The agreement spares 25 bison earmarked for the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, where conservationists are working to establish new herds. 

Proponents of the slaughter say that it’s a necessary part of a 16-year program developed to prevent bison from spreading brucellosis to cattle. Brucellosis, a disease that causes abortion in pregnant animals, only currently exists in among the wildlife in the Yellowstone area. It’s been eradicated throughout the rest of the nation. 

The bull bison selected for the repopulation program at Fort Peck will be quarantined and watched for disease for a year. Jody Lyle, a spokeswoman for Yellowstone, says that this is an important step in a program designed to choose disease-free bison for conservation efforts. 

Critics of the slaughter disagree. "Stop the slaughter, let them roam and manage them just like we do with elk, just like we do with deer, just like we do with other wildlife,” Stephany Seay of the Buffalo Field Campaign told the<a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/"> Associated Press</a>. She suggests giving the Montana wildlife agency jurisdiction over wild bison. Currently, that power rests with the state’s livestock department. 

According to research, there have been no recorded instances of wild bison transmitting brucellosis to livestock. This is partly due to hunters shooting bison as the animals leave the park in search of food at lower elevations. More than 300 bison were killed this winter, and over 5,000 have been killed or captured since 1985. 

--
By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Yellowstone wild bison slaughter causes outcry

Officials insist that it’s necessary to prevent wild bison from...

Much like YouTube users today, the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats. But could it be that the ancients also worshipped a much less refined animal – the shrieking, smelly <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/baboons-math-abilities-par-kids/">baboon</a>? 

Archaeologist believe so, based on a discovery of a tomb decorated with a hoard of the hairy beasts. The tomb is the resting place of Khonsu, a “true renowned scribe” during the Ramesside period around 1200 B.C. They discovered it while exploring another tomb – that of Userhat, a high official under Amenhotep III. 

The north wall of Khonsu’s tomb featured a scene depicting four baboons worshiping Ra, the ancient Egyptian sun god. Why would baboons take such a prominent place on the tomb of an important scribe? Historians believe that ancient Egyptians revered the primates for their perceived wisdom. 

Jiro Kondo, a professor in Egyptology at Japan’s <a href="https://www.waseda.jp/top/en">Waseda University</a>, led the excavation team that found the tomb. They discovered it in Luxor among the ruins of the necropolis of Thebes.

The archaeologists were stunned to come upon the tomb of Khonsu. They found it by chance while removing rubble from the forecourt of Userhat’s tomb. 

In addition to the sun god scene, the team noted a depiction of Khonsu and his wife worshipping Osiris and Isis, the god of the underworld and his wife, the goddess of motherhood and magic. Behind them stand two figures that experts believe are Khnum or Khnum-Re, deities that had the heads of rams. 

The tomb also features hieroglyphics indicating that Khonsu was regarded as a “true renowned scribe.” The ceiling is decorated in complex and colorful patterns.

These findings are from the outer chamber of the tomb; archaeologists have yet to excavate the inner chamber. With the discovery of Khonsu’s tomb, Kondo is hopeful that there may be tombs of other scribes lying undiscovered nearby. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Move over, cats: ancient Egyptians also worshipped baboons

Much like YouTube users today, the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats....

It seems that we all could have been here 2 billion years sooner if not for pesky simple lifeforms that held everything up. Complex life forms like plants and animals need <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/scientists-seek-solve-mystery-cambrian-oxygen-spike/">oxygen</a> to survive, but scientists have found that 2.4 billion years ago, organisms were caught in a bizarre, low-oxygen cycle after the “great oxidation event” in which oxygen developed on the planet. Oxygen levels were so low, in fact, that it delayed evolution for 2 billion years. 

Wouldn’t the appearance of oxygen encourage evolution, rather than holding it back? One would think so, but the truth is more complex. Scientists at the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk">University of Exeter</a> say that the dead bodies of simple lifeforms created a layer of organic material in the earth’s sedimentary rocks. The Great Oxidation provided oxygen in the earth’s atmosphere before a shifting in tectonic plates brought this material up to the surface.

Once there, the material reacted with the newfound oxygen, behaving like a giant oxygen sponge. In fact, the organic material consumed the oxygen as fast as it was produced – effectively keeping oxygen levels so low that more complex plant life couldn’t form. Without more complex plant life to produce additional oxygen, the oxygen levels remained too low to create complex plant life which significantly delayed evolution.

Eventually, land plants did arrive and provide the oxygen necessary to support other complex life forms like animals and eventually, mankind. 

Professor Tim Lenton, one of the authors of the study, said, ”The history of life on Earth is closely intertwined with the physical and chemical mechanisms of our planet. It is clear that life has had a profound role in creating the world we are used to, and the planet has similarly affected the trajectory of life. I think it's important people acknowledge the miracle of their own existence and recognize what an amazing planet this is.”

The team’s findings were published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: Tim Lenton, <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk">University of Exeter</a>

Low oxygen levels delayed evolution by 2 billion years

It seems that we all could have been here 2...

As the old saying goes: “An elephant never forgets.” Well, neither do red-footed tortoises – at least not for about a year and a half.

Scientists have found that red-footed tortoises are able to remember where they stashed their food for up to 18 months. In addition to remember where they hid their food, they can recall which stashes are their favorite ones. 

Of course, it’s key for animals in the wild to be able to locate their food sources. However, this study proved that these turtles can remember information for much longer than scientists originally thought possible. 

It also showed that beyond getting back to their food, tortoises are able to make decisions about which stash is the tastiest. This is the first time scientists realized that these reptiles can retain information and exercise judgment about the quality and quantity of their food.  

Why are these skills important? Anna Wilkinson from the <a href="https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/">University of Lincoln</a> was part of the research team. She explained that such behavior is essential because of the lifespan of a tortoise, as well as its natural habitat. 

"Long-term memory is an important characteristic for animals which live for a long time, particularly if they inhabit environments where resources are patchily distributed like forests," she said. “A long-term memory enables them to retain information that is crucial for survival, such as the appearance and location of key resources.”

To study the tortoises, scientists did not spend time following the creatures around on their hands and knees, tortoise-style, from one forest food stash to another. Rather, they trained the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fossilized-footprints-show-reptiles-rise/">reptiles</a> to associate certain colored sheets with specific quantities and flavors of food. The tortoises were able to use the cues to choose their favorite foods. They were also able to remember this information 18 months later. 

The findings of the study were published in the Royal Society journal<a href="http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org"> Biology Letters</a>. 

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Source: Anna Wilkinson, <a href="https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/home/">University of Lincoln</a>

Red-footed tortoises have tremendous long-term memories

As the old saying goes: “An elephant never forgets.” Well,...

In some species, the males evolved beauty. Male peacocks have blue feathers and brightly colored, elaborate tails, while male quetzals are green and gold with red chests. Females of both species are drab. Many other bird species follow the same pattern. 

Outside of the bird world, male male lions have large, bushy manes, and males and females of some lizard species change to different colors when they reach maturity.

But in most species where males develop ornamentation, it serves no purpose other than to attract a mate – deer who do battle with their antlers being among the few exceptions.

When the females of a species where the ones who evolved beauty, on the other hand, attracting a mate is rarely the only reason. Sometimes it’s not the reason at all.

A new study has found that in many species, females may have evolved beauty as a means of self-defense. In other cases, a female’s ornamentation helps them to gain social status, and not just among males. 

“We develop a population genetic model to … demonstrate that, contrary to common inferences, male mate choice, variation in male quality (in the form of a direct fecundity benefit to females), and female ornamentation can coexist in a population without any sexual selection on female ornamentation taking place at all,” wrote the researchers from the <a href="http://www.unc.edu/">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill</a>. 

In other words, male ornamentation is often the result of social selection, while female ornamentation can evolve due to one or two out of any number of reasons. 

To test their theory, Dr. Courtney Fitzpatrick and Dr. Maria Servedio tracked how traits from “attractive” females were passed down among animal species. They noticed a few interesting trends:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">In species where males choose mates and females are mate-limited, “attractive” females tend to attract higher quality males. However, the rate at which “attractive” traits are passed on don’t seem to correlate with this sexual selection, Fitzpatrick and Servedio discovered.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">In species such as primates where receptive females can always find a mate, it’s been assumed that some traits such as swellings evolved to attract a mate. However, when females can find a quality mate regardless of these features, that explanation doesn’t fit, the researchers said.</li>
</ul>
The biologists’ research seems to show that in many cases, male animals’ preference for a female trait was not the reason that trait evolved. The attraction may even have come later, they said.

“[O]ur model is a formal reminder that to conflate male mate choice with sexual selection on females is to draw a false equivalency, particularly in species with traditional mating systems,” the researchers wrote.

Instead, some of the female traits may have evolved to help compete for resources such as food, or to raise the female’s social status, Fitzpatrick and Servedio said. Like species where females prefer larger or stronger males, these traits may have become “attractive” to males because they indicate a female is stronger, healthier, and a better provider or protector, they said. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/evo.13107/full">Evolution</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Females evolved beauty as tool for defense, status symbol

In some species, the males evolved beauty. Male peacocks have...

New animal testing method saves lab mouse lives. According to PETA, over 100 million mice are killed in laboratory experiments each year – and that’s in the U.S. alone. Japanese scientists are hoping to lessen <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/animal-cruelty-video-sparks-boycott/">animal suffering</a> and mortality by creating a new animal testing method for human drug trials.

Associate Professor Noriyuki Yanaka from<a href="https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en"> Hiroshima University</a> worked with a team to develop a non-invasive method of testing the anti-inflammatory properties of fortified health foods and medications on mice. Their hope is that this procedure will change the way scientists conduct animal testing.

The research, published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/srep38697">Nature</a>, involved looking at inflammation of fatty tissues inside the body. Metabolic disorders such as cancer, Type-2 diabetes, and cardiovascular doses result in over-nutrition. The body fights this by releasing white blood cells. While this is meant to be a good thing, it can be problematic for obese fatty tissue, which becomes inflamed and damaged. 

In order to study these tissues, scientists had to euthanize a large number of mice as they progressed through their research. Yanaka and his team have discovered a gene called Serum Amyloid A3 (Saa3) that can be detected when fatty tissue is inflamed. 

They injected this gene into fertilized mouse eggs and created a batch of mice that could be examined in a non-invasive fashion to determine if their fatty tissue exhibited signs of inflammation. Scientists then divided the mice into two groups – feeding the first group a high-fat diet and the others a natural-wild diet. They were able to use bioluminescence to examine the fatty tissues of the mice, noting that the ones on the high-fat diet showed signs of inflammation, while the ones on the natural-wild diet did not. 

Yanka said that the new method does not completely eliminate the need to euthanize lab mice, but hopes that it will cut known on the number of deaths. "What we are proposing is a way to reduce not only the number of animals which are used in experiments, but also animal experiments themselves,” he said.

--

By Dawn Henderson, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 
Source: Noriyuki Yanaka, <a href="https://www.hiroshima-u.ac.jp/en">Hiroshima University</a>

New animal testing method saves lab mouse lives

New animal testing method saves lab mouse lives. According to...

In the “X-Men” comics and movies, Wolverine has the unique ability to heal wounds within seconds. Sharks aren’t quite so fast, but their speedy healing abilities recently led scientists to study shark DNA in search of a cure for cancer. 

Scientists have known for a while that cancer rates are incredibly low among sharks. The ocean predators also heal quickly. An open wound can heal in a matter of hours on a healthy shark.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>, <a href="http://www.clemson.edu/">Clemson University</a>, and <a href="http://www.nova.edu/">Nova Southeastern University</a> thought the two unique aspects of shark health might be related. They teamed up to study shark DNA and see what, if any, clues they could find.

“In addition to their ancient history and fundamental position in vertebrate systematics, chondrichthyans possess a wide variety of biological characteristics of note,” the researchers wrote in their study. 

Chondrichthyans include sharks, rays, skates, and related fish. 

Over hundreds of millions of years, the DNA of chondrichthyans has undergone unique changes that may grant them accelerated healing abilities, the researchers found. 

“Such traits include, but are not limited to, the presence of a primitive adaptive immune system, efficient wound healing, and the evolution of regional endothermy in several species,” the scientists wrote.

When a shark is injured, a layer of new cells rapidly grows to fill in the wound, much more quickly than in mammals. 

Two genes particularly stood out to the researchers. Both are linked to higher rates of cancer in humans. In sharks, however, they act to prevent cancer. 

“Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is a process that eliminates dysfunctional cells and one of the hallmarks of cancer is the ability of malignant cells to evade apoptosis,” they wrote. 

In humans, the two genes seem to work together to shut off cell death in some cells, which encourages formation of cancerous tumors. In sharks, however, those genes seem to induce death in cancerous cells, the researchers said.

Now, the scientists are studying tissues from those species using genomics, which focuses on the structure, function, and mapping of genomes. Little genetic mapping of shark DNA has been completed.

They hope that they can pinpoint how sharks developed their healing superpowers, the scientists said. They also hope to find out if those abilities can be used to help humans who are ill or injured.

Maybe Wolverine’s nickname should have been “Shark Boy.”

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://bmcgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12864-016-3411-x">BMC Genomics</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey / Earth.com staff writer

Scientists: shark DNA may hold the key to curing cancer

In the “X-Men” comics and movies, Wolverine has the unique...

Next winter, you may not be the only one heading to the doctor for your annual flu shot. According to new research, your <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/negotiating-world-dog-walking/">dog</a> may need to get a similar flu vaccine.

Soon, this will be easier than ever, thanks to Luis Martinez-Sobrido and his team at the<a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd.aspx"> University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry</a>. They’re in the process of developing a canine influenza vaccine that can be given intranasally. Their new study was published in the<a href="http://jvi.asm.org"> Journal of Virology</a>.

Unlike the canine flu vaccine injection that’s currently available, the nasal vaccine will be made with a live form of the virus. This makes it more effective than the injectable form, which is made of an inactive flu virus and requires two separate shots over a period of several weeks.

While canine flu isn’t as well known as the human form of the virus, it causes similar symptoms. Dogs infected with canine influenza often experience lethargy, loss of appetite, sneezing, and coughing. While dogs tend to pass the illness to each other and not to humans, scientists say dog-to-human flu transmission is possible.  

“Dogs are great companion animals, and we’re in much closer contact with them than we are with birds or swines,” Martinez-Sobrido said to<a href="http://www.time.com"> Time</a> magazine. “It could be a matter of time before a dog’s virus is able to transmit to humans.”

This is why experts are recommending that dogs get flu shots along with their owners. They compare dogs passing flu to human owners with swine and avian flu outbreaks that have occurred in the past. Like the human flu vaccine, the doggy version would need to be given annually in order to remain current and outpace virus mutations. 

So next winter, when you stop by to get your yearly flu shot, keep your fine furry friend in mind, too – they don’t like the sniffles any more than you do! 

--

By Dawn Henderson,<a href="http://earth.com"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: Luis Martinez-Sobrido,<a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/smd.aspx"> University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry</a>

Scientists suggest a new flu vaccine for your dog

Next winter, you may not be the only one heading...

<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=3Y4eLFNYrKE
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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>



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by <a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



-----

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.

<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/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter 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/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3upvlAaHgO-2256633-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="X0f6OHYoI4-2310561-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JRaP49ISmm-2357509-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="e4ZG0Jawp3-2374785-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qjvhBOBnY8-2426650-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" type="single"]</div>



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)



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

News coming your way