Global Freshwater Levels Decline, NASA-German Satellites Reveal
The Earth’s freshwater reserves experienced a sudden decline starting in May 2014 and have remained persistently low, according to findings by an international team of scientists utilising NASA-German satellites. Observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) mission revealed a significant reduction in freshwater stored on land, including lakes, rivers, and underground aquifers. The study, published in Surveys in Geophysics, suggests this shift may indicate a transition to drier conditions across the continents.
Freshwater Reduction Quantified
Between 2015 and 2023, terrestrial freshwater levels were found to be 290 cubic miles below the average recorded from 2002 to 2014, according to Matthew Rodell, a hydrologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. This equates to over twice the volume of Lake Erie. Contributing factors include droughts and increased reliance on groundwater for agriculture and urban needs, which depletes reserves faster than they can be replenished. A 2024 United Nations report on water stress highlighted the societal risks of diminished water supplies, including famine, poverty, and reliance on unsafe water sources.
Impact of Global Warming on Water Cycles
Research indicates that rising global temperatures may be exacerbating freshwater loss. Michael Bosilovich, a meteorologist at NASA Goddard, explained that warming intensifies evaporation and increases the atmosphere’s capacity to retain moisture, leading to extreme rainfall events. While total annual precipitation remains steady, prolonged dry spells between these events reduce soil absorption, worsening drought conditions.
Persistent Trends Raise Concerns
Satellite data showed that global freshwater did not recover after a significant El Niño event between 2014 and 2016, which had caused shifts in atmospheric patterns and widespread droughts. Rodell noted that 13 of the 30 most severe droughts since 2002 occurred after 2015. Although the link to climate change is not definitive, the concurrent timing with record-high global temperatures has raised concerns about the future stability of freshwater resources.
Hydrologist Susanna Werth from Virginia Tech, unaffiliated with the study, emphasised the challenges in predicting long-term outcomes due to uncertainties in climate models. However, the current trends are being closely monitored for further implications.
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.
A major development in stem cell science has been achieved with the creation of a bi-paternal mouse, marking a significant step in reproductive biology. Scientists have successfully engineered a mouse with two male biological parents, which managed to survive into adulthood. This research, conducted by a team of stem cell experts, has addressed longstanding barriers in unisexual mammalian reproduction by modifying specific imprinting genes. The findings, which could have implications for regenerative medicine, highlight the challenges and potential future applications of the technology.
Genetic Modifications Enable Bi-Paternal Development
According to the study published in Cell Stem Cell, led by Wei Li of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), the team focused on overcoming imprinting-related challenges that previously prevented embryos with same-sex genetic origins from developing fully. Modifications were made to 20 imprinting genes using techniques such as frameshift mutations, gene deletions, and regulatory region edits. These changes allowed some bi-paternal embryos to survive to birth and, in rare cases, reach adulthood.
Co-corresponding author Qi Zhou of CAS explained to phys.org, that imprinting genes have been identified as a key obstacle in unisexual reproduction. Despite previous attempts using ovarian organoids derived from male stem cells, imprinting abnormalities caused severe developmental defects. By directly editing these genes, the research team improved embryonic viability and the stability of pluripotent stem cells.
Survival and Reproductive Challenges Remain
As per reports, only 11.8 percent of the engineered embryos developed to birth, and those that survived exhibited developmental abnormalities, reduced lifespan, and sterility. Guan-Zheng Luo of Sun Yat-sen University, a co-corresponding author, stated that imprinting abnormalities have been confirmed as the primary factor preventing unisexual reproduction in mammals.
Despite the limitations, this approach has demonstrated the potential for refining stem cell-based therapies and improving cloning efficiency. Researchers plan to expand the study to larger mammals, though substantial challenges remain due to differences in imprinting gene patterns across species.
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.
An unidentified celestial object, estimated to be eight times the mass of Jupiter, may have significantly altered the orbits of four outer planets in the solar system. Reports suggest that this planetary-sized body entered the solar system billions of years ago, passing remarkably close to the Sun—near what is now Mars’ orbit. The event is believed to have modified the trajectories of Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, contributing to their current orbital patterns. Scientists have long debated the irregularities in the paths of these planets, and this theory presents a potential explanation.
Study Simulates Interstellar Flyby
According to the study published in the arXiv preprint database, a research team led by planetary scientist Renu Malhotra from the University of Arizona used computer simulations to investigate the possibility of a close flyby. A total of 50,000 simulations were conducted to analyse how an interstellar object’s passage could have affected planetary orbits over millions of years. The study focused on objects smaller than stars but larger than Jupiter, including brown dwarfs and planetary-mass bodies. The findings suggest that in about 1% of the cases, the visiting object influenced planetary movements in a way that closely matches current observations.
Close Encounter with the Inner Solar System
As reported by Live Science, Malhotra explained that previous models could not fully account for the slight deviations in planetary orbits. The simulations revealed that the most accurate representation involved a body nearly eight times Jupiter’s mass, approaching as close as 1.69 astronomical units (AU) from the Sun. Given that Mars orbits at around 1.5 AU, this suggests a dramatic interaction within the inner solar system.
Potential for More Such Events
Reports indicate that substellar objects are relatively common in the universe, making such flybys more likely than encounters with full-sized stars. The study has yet to undergo peer review, but the findings suggest that a single interstellar object could have been responsible for shaping the structure of the solar system as observed today.
For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who’sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.
Related Stories
-
Sports2 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports10 months agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports1 year agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports3 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike
-
Business2 years agoBank of England’s extraordinary response to government policy is almost unthinkable | Ed Conway