- Mysterious yellow glass found in African desert near Egypt traced to ‘extraterrestrial impact’ – & linked t… The Sun
- Strange Yellow Glass in African Desert Traced Back to Extraterrestrial Impact ScienceAlert
- Mysterious yellow glass discovered in African desert has extraterrestrial origins Study Finds
- Libyan desert’s yellow glass: How we discovered the origin of these rare and mysterious shards Phys.org
- Libyan desert’s yellow glass: how we discovered the origin of these rare and mysterious shards The Conversation
- View Full Coverage on Google News
Tag Archives: traced
A Fireball That Exploded Over Canada Has Been Traced to a Very Unexpected Origin : ScienceAlert
Earth is under constant bombardment from space. Dust, pebbles, and chunks of rock fall into our atmosphere on a daily basis, sometimes burning up spectacularly in a blazing streak across the sky.
These bolides, or fireballs, are typically larger pieces of asteroid or comet that have broken off their parent body and wound up falling into Earth’s gravity well.
But scientists have ascertained that one such fireball that exploded over Canada last year is not the usual kind of meteor. Based on its trajectory across the sky, a team has traced the object all the way through the Solar System to a starting point in the Oort Cloud – a vast sphere of icy objects far, far beyond the orbit of Pluto.
It’s not extremely unusual for material from the Oort Cloud to be ejected and sent inwards towards the Sun. However, this one burned up and exploded in a manner that said it was made of rock, not the chunk of frozen ammonia, methane, and water we might expect of an Oort Cloud object.
It’s a discovery that suggests our understanding of the Oort Cloud could use a little tweaking.
“This discovery supports an entirely different model of the formation of the Solar System, one which backs the idea that significant amounts of rocky material co-exist with icy objects within the Oort Cloud,” says physicist Denis Vida of the University of Western Ontario in Canada.
“This result is not explained by the currently favored Solar System formation models. It’s a complete game changer.”
Visitors from the Oort Cloud that we’ve identified to date are extremely icy. They’re sometimes known as long-period comets, on orbits around the Sun that take hundreds to tens of millions of years, at random inclinations, and highly elliptical.
They’re thought to have been kicked out of the Oort Cloud between 2,000 and 100,000 astronomical units from the Sun by gravitational influences, and flung inwards on their looping paths.
Because a good number of these long-period comets have been identified, scientists have a decent idea of the characteristics they (and their orbits) have in common.
This brings us to 22 February 2021, when a fireball streaked across the sky some 100 kilometers (62 miles) north of Edmonton, Canada. It was observed and recorded by multiple instruments, including satellites and two Global Fireball Observatory cameras here on Earth.
For 2.4 seconds, these cameras tracked the meteor over 148.5 kilometers, giving scientists detailed data on the object’s trajectory and disintegration. Fireballs are thought to heat up and explode as atmospheric gases seep into minute cracks in the rock, pressurizing it from the inside and causing it to go boom.
The object, Vida and his team found, was around 10 centimeters (4 inches) across, with a weight of around 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds). It was thought to have fallen deeper into the atmosphere than any icy object has ever been known to. In fact, its burn and disintegration were exactly consistent with a rocky fireball.
However, when the researchers used the data to calculate its inbound trajectory, the results they got were consistent not with the usual local meteor, but the orbit of a long-period comet.
“In 70 years of regular fireball observations, this is one of the most peculiar ever recorded. It validates the strategy of the Global Fireball Observatory established five years ago, which widened the ‘fishing net’ to 5 million square kilometers of skies, and brought together scientific experts from around the globe,” says astronomer Hadrien Devillepoix of Curtin University in Australia.
“It not only allows us to find and study precious meteorites, but it is the only way to have a chance of catching these rarer events that are essential to understanding our Solar System.”
From this one object, the researchers were also able to search the Meteorite Observation and Recovery Project database and published literature for possible Oort Cloud origins, and identified two other meteors: one that fell over Czechia in 1997, called the Karlštejn fireball, on an orbit similar to Halley’s Comet, and 1979 meteor MORP 441, which also had a comet-like trajectory.
This suggests that, rarely, rocky meteors might be winding up on Earth after a long journey from the Oort Cloud, thought to be primordial material left over from the formation of the Solar System. Figuring out how and why the objects remained rocky, and then ended up here, is the next step.
“We want to explain how this rocky meteoroid ended up so far away because we want to understand our own origins. The better we understand the conditions in which the Solar System was formed, the better we understand what was necessary to spark life,” says Vida.
“We want to paint a picture, as accurately as possible, of these early moments of the Solar System that were so critical for everything that happened after.”
The research has been published in Nature Astronomy.
These scientists traced a new coronavirus lineage to one office — through sewage
Virologist Dave O’Connor admits that he was getting desperate when he started asking dog owners for poo samples.
For much of 2022, O’Connor, at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, and his colleagues have been tracking a heavily mutated variant of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19. Early this year, they discovered the variant in Wisconsin waste water drawn from more than 100,000 people.
Following the sewer system to ever-smaller watersheds, they narrowed the variant’s source to one particular area. O’Connor and his team thought that the variant might be circulating in dogs, in part because they found canine genetic material in the same wastewater samples. So they headed to the local dog park. “It was the strangest request you’re ever going to hear: ‘Hey, we’re scientists. Can we just have that bag of dog poop that you’re throwing away?’”
The dogs turned out to be another red herring in the team’s months-long quest to trace the variant’s origin.
Similar-looking variants have turned up in people with compromised immune systems — and, increasingly, researchers think that variants from chronic infections in these people might give rise to pandemic-altering lineages, such as Omicron.
O’Connor and his team think that they’re searching for a person carrying the variant — there’s no evidence that the lineage has spread to anyone else. The researchers are working with public-health officials, who hope that by identifying the person — who has been infected for at least eight months — they can treat the infection and reduce the chances of it ever spreading.
No individual case stands much chance of brewing the next super-variant (likely to be dubbed Pi under the WHO’s variant-naming system). But tracing the source of one potential variant — among the thousands probably circulating globally — might help researchers to understand the biological factors that caused variants such as Omicron to emerge. Such infections could also act as a crystal ball into the virus’s future.
“This is where Pi is going to come from. I don’t think people realize how much it’s already here. A lot of the lineages we are finding make Omicron look pedestrian,” says Marc Johnson, a virologist at the University of Missouri in Columbia who, with O’Connor, is co-leading efforts to trace wastewater lineages in Wisconsin, and spearheading searches for similar variants in two dozen other places.
“It’s such smart detective work. It’s phenomenal,” adds Bill Hanage, an epidemiologist at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts. “We still don’t really know where variants come from.”
Cryptic lineages
Public-health investigators have been plumbing water for more than a century: in 1854, British epidemiologist John Snow traced a London cholera outbreak to a contaminated water pump. The global push to eradicate poliovirus, which is shed in faeces, relies on detecting viruses in waste water, because paralysis cases are so rare.
During the pandemic, researchers found that sewer-sampling can offer warning of COVID-19 surges. Most of these efforts focused on common SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the community that were picked up in routine testing. But in March last year, Johnson and his colleagues started noticing viral lineages in waste water that didn’t match anything in global databases containing millions of sequences.
These ‘cryptic lineages’ were laden with changes to the spike protein that SARS-CoV-2 uses to enter cells — and which the immune system targets. These changes would later turn up in immune-evading variants such as Omicron.
Wastewater sequencing for SARS-CoV-2 can be exquisitely sensitive. But when Omicron cases flooded the watersheds that Johnson was studying in late 2021, they drowned out the cryptic lineages that his team was hunting. To overcome this, Johnson developed a sequencing approach to identify rare, non-Omicron lineages that might have been infecting just a single person. “You’re really looking for a needle in the haystack,” he says.
With this method in place, Johnson put a call out for waste water, ultimately collecting samples from more than 600 areas served by wastewater collection systems, in 39 US states. “I wrote to everyone I knew. I posted it on Twitter: ‘I’m just like, send me your shit.’”
Martin Shafer, an environmental biogeochemist at Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene in Madison, provided samples from the state. O’Connor, whose lab was part of a Wisconsin-wide effort to track SARS-CoV-2 through wastewater and air sampling, mobilized a team to investigate the cryptic lineage that the researchers are now tracking. The variant, which first appeared in sewage collected in January 2022, shared numerous mutations with Omicron, but came from an entirely different part of the SARS-CoV-2 family tree.
“We didn’t stumble across this. I was hunting,” Johnson says. “I wanted to know what the source was.”
Sewer sleuths
To narrow down the variant’s origin, the researchers followed samples that had been collected from smaller and smaller watersheds in the sewer network (see ‘Hunting a cryptic lineage’). This required municipal workers to place dozens of specialized sampling devices beneath manhole covers during the depths of the Wisconsin winter. “People were doing work well outside their job descriptions,” says O’Connor.
Such help can’t be taken for granted, says Rose Kantor, a microbiologist at the University of California, Berkeley, who is working with Johnson to trace cryptic lineages in California waste water. Their investigations hit a dead end when they couldn’t convince officials to collect additional samples.
As the search for the Wisconsin variant narrowed, Johnson was perpetually worried that the variant would disappear. “This wasn’t the first time we tried to track a lineage, but often they fizzle out,” he says. “I was constantly flipping out.”
But at each fork in the sewer system, the lineage was found along only one path. After ruling out dogs, rats and deer — which can all carry SARS-CoV-2 — the researchers suspected that they were looking for a person with a chronic infection. In June, they traced the lineage to waste water from a single business with fewer than 30 employees (the researchers wish to keep the name and location of the business confidential to protect the community’s privacy). The researchers are preparing a preprint describing the investigation.
Evasion skills
While public-health officials involved in the investigation weighed their next moves, O’Connor and Johnson’s team continued tracking the variant and studying its properties.
Since its discovery, the lineage had gained extra mutations and its genetic diversity had grown — hallmarks of a virus evolving in a single person’s body without spreading. Experiments showed that the variant was even better than the Omicron lineage BA.1 at thwarting antibodies triggered by vaccination and previous infection.
But it wasn’t clear what risk the variant posed to anyone other than the person carrying it. “The vast majority of these lineages are not transmitting to the best of our knowledge,” says O’Connor.
Ryan Westergaard, the state epidemiologist for communicable diseases at the Wisconsin Department for Health and Safety in Madison, says that his team thought long and hard before asking the company and its employees whether they would be tested for SARS-CoV-2. “We didn’t want to cause panic and say there’s a dangerous new variant lurking in our community,” he says. But he wanted to help the person carrying the infection to get treatment — and reduce any risk of spread.
About 60% of the company’s employees have come forwards for nasal swab testing but none seems to carry the cryptic lineage. Westergaard’s team is now looking out for the variant in community SARS-CoV-2 testing, and in waste water from other Wisconsin sewers. The researchers are also going back to previously collected clinical specimens to see whether the variant has turned up already. “We’re remaining vigilant,” says Westergaard.
Gut instinct
Johnson, O’Connor and their team haven’t given up their search. They continue to detect the variant, and at quantities that Johnson has never seen before in waste water. At those levels — and combined with the employees’ negative nasal swabs — Johnson wonders whether the infected person is harbouring the virus mainly in their gut, rather than their airways. The team hopes to analyse stool samples from willing employees and is seeking ethical approval for such a study.
Smruthi Karthikeyan, a computational biologist at the University of California, San Diego, noticed something similar while conducting wastewater sequencing at university buildings. Some people shed large quantities of SARS-CoV-2 genetic material for weeks after their airway infections and symptoms disappeared.
Chronic gut infections are a strong candidate for the source of SARS-CoV-2 variants of concern such as Omicron, says Kristian Andersen, an evolutionary biologist at Scripps Research in La Jolla, California. Immune cells in the gut are more tolerant of microorganisms than are those elsewhere in the body, potentially allowing the virus to evolve in the presence of some — but not too much — immune pressure. In most cases, such gut infections will never transmit to others, Andersen says — unless something in the body changes and the virus moves back to the airways. “Then that gives the risk of an emergence event like Omicron,” he hypothesizes.
Identifying the person in Wisconsin might therefore help researchers to understand how variants such as Omicron emerge, Andersen adds. “What this shows you is the engine of variants,” he says. “The detective work they’ve done is unbelievable.”
Even if the researchers cannot identify a person carrying the Wisconsin lineage, studying cryptic lineages like it might help to predict SARS-CoV-2’s future, says O’Connor. Most of its standout mutations are in the spike protein, but his team has identified changes to key regions of another viral molecule, called membrane protein ectodomain, that might also be important to immunity (see ‘Cryptic comparison’).
Cryptic lineages might not turn out to be the “oracle of the toilet bowl”, says O’Connor, but if they can help to forecast broad trends in SARS-CoV-2 evolution, this could help researchers to test vaccines and treatments against potential future variants — which might already be bobbing around a sewer somewhere in the world. “If we see this in Wisconsin by shining a bright light on it,” says O’Connor, “you have to know that it’s happening everywhere.”
Mars’ oldest meteorite traced to strange double impact crater
Researchers have traced the oldest known Martian meteorite to its exact origin point using artificial intelligence (AI), and the findings could help reveal what conditions on our solar system‘s planets were like during their very first days.
The 11-ounce (320 grams) meteorite, officially dubbed Northwest Africa 7034 but commonly known as “Black Beauty,” is believed to have smashed into Earth roughly 5 million years ago. After being found in the Sahara Desert in 2011, its age was dated to just under 4.5 billion years old — making it the oldest Martian meteorite ever found on Earth.
Scientists believed the meteorite was launched to Earth after a powerful asteroid impact struck Mars, ripping up parts of the planet’s crust and sprayed them into space. Now, using a machine-learning algorithm to identify and catalog 94 million craters on Mars, researchers have traced Black Beauty’s origin to a small crater within a crater in the Martian southern hemisphere. The scientists named the crater Karratha after the Australian mining town where many of Earth’s oldest rocks have been found. They published their findings July 12 in the journal Nature Communications (opens in new tab).
Related: Giant reservoir of ‘hidden water’ discovered on Mars
“Finding the region where the ‘Black Beauty’ meteorite originates is critical because it contains the oldest Martian fragments ever found, aged at 4.48 billion years old, and it shows similarities between Mars’ very old crust, aged about 4.53 billion years old, and today’s Earth continents,” lead-author Anthony Lagain, a planetary scientist at Curtin University in Perth, Australia, said in a statement. “The region we identify as being the source of this unique Martian meteorite sample constitutes a true window into the earliest environment of the planets, including the Earth, which our planet lost because of plate tectonics and erosion.”
To identify the meteorite’s starting point, researchers fed images of 94 million Martian craters taken by Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter’s context camera into a machine-learning algorithm. The AI cross-referenced the size and distribution of the craters with the material properties of the stray meteorite — which has some of the highest concentrations of potassium and thorium of any Martian meteorite found on Earth, and is one of the most magnetized. This narrowed down the list of possible craters to 19, one of which stood out to the team because it closely matches the chronology of the Martian impact and the meteorite’s properties.
By studying the impact crater, the scientists found that Black Beauty was sent to Earth thanks to two asteroid impacts. The first — which slammed into Mars and formed the 25-mile-wide (40 kilometers) Khujirt crater roughly 1.5 billion years ago — violently ripped Black Beauty and other rocks from the Martian crust, sending them high into the atmosphere before they rained back down onto the Red Planet’s surface. Then, after 5 to 10 million years of respite, a second impact sent Black Beauty flying through space towards Earth and left behind the Karratha crater inside the Khujirt crater.
The findings suggest the rock was once part of Mars’ primordial crust — the Red Planet’s original crust that formed soon after its magma ocean cooled and solidified. As plate tectonics destroyed Earth’s primordial crust, and the original crust of the moon is buried under thousands of meters of moon dust, this makes the crater especially exciting to scientists who want to study how the bodies of our solar system first formed.
The algorithm could not only locate the ejection sites of other Martian meteorites, the researchers say they also want to adapt their algorithm to perform similar searches across the moon and Mercury.
“This will help to unravel their geological history and answer burning questions that will help future investigations of the Solar System such as the Artemis program to send humans on the Moon by the end of the decade or the BepiColombo mission, in orbit around Mercury in 2025,” co-author Gretchen Benedix, a planetary scientist at Curtin University said in the statement.
Originally published on Live Science.
Rise of the dinosaurs traced back to their adaptation to cold | Dinosaurs
Fossil hunters have traced the rise of the dinosaurs back to the freezing winters the beasts endured while roaming around the far north.
Footprints of the animals and stone deposits from north-west China suggest dinosaurs became adapted to the cold in polar regions before a mass extinction event paved the way for their reign at the end of the Triassic.
With a covering of fuzzy feathers to help keep them warm, the dinosaurs were better able to cope and to take advantage of new territories when brutal conditions wiped out great swaths of more vulnerable creatures.
“The key to their eventual dominance was very simple,” said Paul Olsen, the lead author on the study at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. “They were fundamentally cold-adapted animals. When it got cold everywhere, they were ready, and other animals weren’t.”
The first dinosaurs are thought to have emerged in the temperate south more than 230m years ago, when most of Earth’s land made up a supercontinent called Pangaea. The dinosaurs were initially a minority group, living mainly at high altitudes. Other species, including ancestors of modern crocodiles, dominated the tropics and subtropics.
But at the end of the Triassic, about 202m years ago, more than three-quarters of land and marine species were wiped out in a mysterious mass extinction event linked to vast volcanic eruptions that sent much of the world into cold and darkness. The devastation set the stage for the reign of the dinosaurs.
Writing in Science Advances, an international team of researchers explain how the mass extinction may have helped the dinosaurs rise to dominance. They began by examining dinosaur footprints from the Junggar Basin in Xinjiang, in China. These showed that dinosaurs lurked along shorelines at high latitudes. In the late Triassic, the basin lay well within the Arctic Circle, at about 71 degrees north.
But the scientists also found small pebbles in the normally fine sediments of the basin, which once held several shallow lakes. The pebbles were identified as “ice-rafted debris”, meaning they were carried away from the lakesides on sheets of ice before falling to the bottom when the ice melted.
Together, the evidence suggests dinosaurs not only lived in the polar region, but thrived despite freezing conditions. Having adapted to the cold, the dinosaurs were poised to take over new territories as dominant, cold-blooded species perished in the mass extinction.
Stephen Brusatte, a professor of palaeontology at the University of Edinburgh, who was not involved in the research, said dinosaurs were often typecast as beasts that lived in tropical jungles. The new research showed they would have been exposed to snow and ice at high latitudes, he said.
“Dinosaurs would have lived in these frigid, icy areas and would have had to cope with snow and frostbite and all the things that humans living in similar environments have to deal with today. So how were dinosaurs able to do it? Their secret was their feathers,” he said.
“The feathers of these first, primitive dinosaurs would have provided a downy coat for keeping them warm in the high-latitude chill. And it seems these feathers then came in handy when the world suddenly and unexpectedly changed, and giant volcanoes began to erupt at the end of the Triassic, plunging much of the world into cold and darkness during repeated volcanic-winter events.”
‘Ferocious’ Covid outbreak in Beijing traced to raucous bar | China
Authorities in Beijing are racing to contain a Covid outbreak traced to a 24-hour bar known for cheap liquor and big crowds, with millions of people facing mandatory testing and thousands under targeted lockdowns.
The outbreak of 228 cases linked to the Heaven Supermarket bar, which had just reopened as curbs in the Chinese capital eased last week, highlights how difficult it will be for China to make a success of its “zero Covid” policy as much of the rest of the world tries to live with the virus.
The re-emergence of infections is also raising fresh concerns about the outlook for the world’s second-largest economy. China is only just shaking off the economic impact of a two-month lockdown of Shanghai that caused disruption to global supply chains.
“Epidemic prevention and control is at a critical juncture,” said Liu Xiaofeng, a Beijing health official, at a news conference on Monday, adding that the outbreak linked to the bar in the city’s biggest district, Chaoyang, was “still developing”.
In a show of how seriously authorities are taking the situation, the Chinese vice-premier Sun Chunlan visited the bar and said Covid prevention measures would need to be strengthened, state media reported.
People infected in the outbreak live or work in 14 of the capital’s 16 districts, authorities have said.
Dine-in service at Beijing restaurants resumed on 6 June after more than a month in which the city of 22 million people enforced various coronavirus restrictions. Many shopping centres, gyms and other venues were closed, parts of the public transport system were suspended and millions of people were urged to work from home.
Chaoyang kicked off a three-day mass testing campaign among its roughly 3.5 million residents on Monday. About 10,000 close contacts of the bar’s patrons have been identified and their residential buildings put under lockdown. Some planned school reopenings in the district have been postponed.
Queues snaked around testing sites on Monday for more than 100 metres, according to Reuters witnesses. Large metal barriers had been installed around several residential compounds, with people in hazmat suits spraying disinfectant.
Other nearby businesses under lockdown included the Paradise Massage and Spa parlour. Police tape and security staff blocked the entrance to the parlour on Sunday and authorities said a handful of people would be locked in temporarily for checks.
Last week as dine-in curbs were lifted, Heaven Supermarket Bar, modelled as a large self-service liquor store with chairs, sofas and tables, reclaimed its popularity among young, noisy crowds starved of socialising and parties during Beijing’s Covid restrictions.
The bar, where patrons check aisles to grab anything from local heavy spirits to Belgian beer, is known among Beijing revellers for its tables littered with empty bottles, and customers falling asleep on sofas after midnight.
Sign up to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every weekday morning at 7am BST
Officials have not commented on the exact cause of the outbreak, nor explained why they are not yet reinstating the level of curbs seen last month.
The state-backed Beijing Evening News wrote on Monday that the outbreak had arisen from loopholes and complacency in epidemic prevention, and said that if it grew, “consequences could be serious, and would be such that nobody would want to see”.
Shanghai endured two months of lockdown, with restrictions lifted less than a fortnight ago. There was relief among its residents on Monday after mass testing for most of its 25 million people at the weekend showed only a small rise in daily cases.
But frustrations have continued to simmer about the damage the lockdown caused, especially to residents’ livelihoods. On Monday, shopkeepers in the city centre held up signs and shouted demands for rent refunds, according to videos widely posted on Chinese social media. The rare protest had dissipated by the time Reuters visited on Monday afternoon, and there was a heavy police presence in the area.
The Evolution of a Head Has Been Traced Back Surprisingly Far Back Our Ancestral Line
What’s in a head? According to new research, a little bit of our ancestors’ tails.
In the early days of complex, multicellular life on Earth, animals started out without any spines or brains. They only had a network of neurons spread throughout their body. Over the course of millions of years, however, that system somehow became concentrated on one end. But how?
Tunicates, or ‘sea squirts’, are the closest living relatives of vertebrates, and they don’t have a true head.
Their central nervous system is instead made up of clumps of neurons in the anterior and posterior parts of their body, with a dorsal strand connecting them both. As adults, these animals look like stagnant sponge-like blobs, with no clear head or tail. But as tadpole-like larvae, their cerebrum is easier to make out.
“Tunicates are like an evolutionary prototype for vertebrates,” explains zoologist Ute Rothbächer from the University of Innsbruck in Austria. “Our common ancestor was probably very similar to a tunicate larva.”
PIC Tunicate tadpole showing bipolar tail neurons (green). (The University of Innsbruck)
Not all evolutionary scientists agree with this: It’s a contentious area of research. But Rothbächer and his colleagues have recently found evidence to support their ideas.
Their research has found Hmx genes, which encode for a pair of neurons in a tunicate tadpole’s tail, are related to the genes that encode for clumps of neurons in a lamprey’s head.
Lampreys are considered ‘living fossils’ because they have been around for so long with little change to their species. These marine animals are some of the first vertebrates, and they look sort-of like eels.
The evolutionary jump from tunicate life to lamprey life was a big one, but the Hmx gene seems to have made it across the divide. Its effect is just slightly different among vertebrates.
When splicing the Hmx genes of a lamprey into a tunicate species called Ciona intestinalis, researchers found the gene helped drive the expression of bipolar tail neurons.
In lampreys, however, the same genes helped drive the expression of sensory neurons in the cranium.
Despite impacting nerves in different parts of the body, the similar function of Hmx genes in lampreys and tunicates suggests they have a common evolutionary origin and might have played a role in the centralization of the nervous system.
“Hmx has been shown to be a central gene that has been conserved across evolution,” says zoologist Alessandro Pennati, also from the University of Innsbruck.
“It has retained its original function and structure and was probably found in this form in the common ancestor of vertebrates and tunicates.”
The findings suggest vertebrate brains might have once been recycled from the apparatus of their ancestors millions of years ago. And now, here we are.
The study was published in Nature.
Odd Martian meteorites traced back to largest volcanic structure in the solar system
About a million years ago, an asteroid smacked into the normally tranquil surface of Mars. The impact released a fountain of debris, and some of the rocky fragments pierced the sky, escaping the planet’s gravity to journey through the dark.
Some of the rocks eventually found their way to Earth and survived the plunge through our planet’s atmosphere to thud into the surface–including a hefty 15-pound shard that crashed into Morocco in 2011. Now known to scientists as the depleted shergottites, this collection of more than a dozen space rocks makes up an intriguing portion of the 317 known Martian meteorites—the only material from Mars we have on Earth.
Determining what part of Mars these meteorites came from is a critical part of piecing together the planet’s history—but it’s proven to be a major scientific challenge. Now, with the assistance of a crater-counting machine learning program, a team of researchers studying the depleted shergottites may have finally cracked the case: They concluded that these geologic projectiles came from a single crater atop Tharsis, the largest volcanic feature in the solar system.
This ancient volcanic behemoth on Mars is adorned with thousands of individual volcanoes and extends three times the area of the continental United States. It was built over billions of years by countless magma injections and lava flows. It is so heavy that, as it formed, it effectively tipped the planet over by 20 degrees.
If these meteorites do come from Tharsis, as the analysis published in Nature Communications suggests, then scientists have their hands on meteorites that can help identify the infernal forces that fueled the construction of this world-tipping edifice.
“This could really change the game about how we understand Mars,” says Luke Daly, a meteorite expert at the University of Glasgow who was not involved with the study.
Meteoritic clues
Most Martian meteorites are in a category called the shergottites, named after the Indian town of Sherghati where one was seen falling from the heavens in 1865. The shergottites are all volcanic rocks with similar compositions, but a handful of them, the depleted shergottites, possess a strange chemical signature.
On Mars, certain elements such as neodymium and lanthanum don’t like to bond with minerals in the mantle, the solid-but-squidgy part of the planet below the crust. The depleted shergottites are lacking in these elements—hence the name “depleted”—suggesting they are from Mars’s mantle.
But how did these rocks get close enough to the surface to be ejected in an impact? On Earth, mantle rock can work its way to the surface in two ways: when two tectonic plates move apart and permit the mantle to ascend, or when a fountain of superhot mantle matter known as a plume rises from the deep. Mars doesn’t appear to have ever had plate tectonics, so a mantle plume is the most likely scenario.
Scientists also know the rocks all came from a relatively young volcanic site—perhaps a stack of lava flow deposits—based on the radioactive decay of specific elements in the meteorites.
If these spacefaring volcanic rocks all came from a single impact, then it must have been quite powerful, leaving a crater at least two miles across and potentially much bigger. And the crater would have to be about 1.1 million years old, as cosmic rays that bombarded and altered the meteorites’ surfaces over time reveal how long they were traveling through space after the impact.
Even with these clues, however, tracing these bits of Martian rock back to their original location has proven extremely difficult. They are like individual jigsaw pieces separated from the rest of the puzzle: Without knowing what their original environment looked like, it is almost impossible to place them in a specific part of the planet.
“As geologists, we record loads of information about where we collect rock samples from, because context matters,” says Áine O’Brien, a doctoral student studying Martian meteorites at the University of Glasgow who was not involved with the study. “With Martian meteorites, because we don’t know the context, we have to make a very well educated guess at what happened to it to form it.”
And to make that educated guess, scientists turned to a new tool in planetary science: machine learning.
One crater among millions
The only way to definitively determine the age of a planet’s surface is to take a physical sample and study its radioactive compounds. But until NASA and the European Space Agency’s Mars Sample Return campaign brings some pristine Martian rocks back to Earth in the 2030s, researchers need to rely on a technique to estimate surface ages known as crater counting.
On Earth, strong winds, flowing water, erupting lava, and a cornucopia of living things speedily erase craters from old impacts. Not so on Mars, a geologically comatose world with weak winds and no surface water. There, sizable craters remain intact for hundreds of millions or even billions of years. Assuming the rate of impacts over time is known, a surface on Mars with more craters would be older than one with fewer craters.
Scientists can use other tricks to deduce a crater’s age. “When an asteroid impacts the surface, a bunch of debris will be ejected,” says Anthony Lagain, a planetary geologist at Curtin University and the new study’s lead author. The bits that fall back to Mars impact the surface and make small, secondary craters around the original primary crater. Even on Mars, these secondary craters are eroded by wind within a few million years, so any large crater surrounded by secondary craters must have been made very recently in the planet’s history.
“In order to get a better idea of ages, you need to get to smaller and smaller craters,” says Gretchen Benedix, an astrogeologist at Curtin University and co-author of the study. Smaller impacts are more common than larger ones, so you can use minor differences in the number of smaller craters across two surfaces to work out more detailed timelines.
To figure out if a crater was exactly 1.1 million years old, the team had to catalog Mars’s small craters and use them to precisely date the surface. Doing this manually would have been torturous. Instead, they fed orbital imagery of Mars into a machine learning program and trained it to find craters less than two-thirds of a mile long.
It quickly found about 90 million, says Kosta Servis, a data scientist at Curtin University and co-author of the study. With that timeline of craters in hand, the team was able to start narrowing down the possible origins of the depleted shergottites.
Shards of a volcanic titan
After sifting through the data, the team identified 19 large craters in volcanic regions on Mars that were surrounded by multiple secondary craters—a sign that these planetary scars could be as young as the 1.1-million-year-old crater they sought. Using the catalog of 90 million small craters, the researchers were then able to precisely date the blankets of debris radiating from the larger craters, which revealed more accurate estimates of their ages.
Some of the craters were about the right age, but that wasn’t enough. The formation age of the surrounding terrain had to match the ages of the minerals found in the meteorites as well. To check, the team once again used its crater catalog to date the volcanic plains.
Out of those 19 craters, just two were excavated from youthful volcanic deposits by an impact event 1.1 million years ago: crater 09-00015 and Tooting crater. The latter (named after a district in London) looks to have been formed by a powerful oblique impact—the kind of collision that would propel a lot of Martian meteorites into space.
“Tooting crater has a special type of multi-layered ejecta deposit that suggests there was ice or water around at the time of the impact,” says Peter Grindrod, a planetary scientist at London’s Natural History Museum who was not involved with the study. Impact simulations show that ice and water can generate more debris, plenty of which can escape into space if given enough momentum.
With all this evidence, the team identified the 19-mile-long Tooting crater as the prime suspect for the source of the depleted shergottites. “It’s a really well put together argument,” Daly says. “Everything seems to fit.”
The scientists have not completely ruled out crater 09-00015, but the important thing is that both craters “lie in the Tharsis region, where a vast hotspot, or superplume, has long been thought to have produced the massive bulge on the surface of Mars,” Grindrod says. Regardless of which specific crater the meteorites came from, they can tell us about the history of the largest volcanic region on Mars.
Crater counting has previously revealed that some of Tharsis’s features were made over 3.7 billion years ago, but the younger depleted shergottite meteorites are just a few hundred million years old. That suggests the Tharsis superplume is almost as old as Mars itself, and it continued producing magma long after many other volcanic centers on the planet died out.
Like Earth’s plumes, Mars’s mantle plumes helped shape the evolution of the planet’s surface, erupting enormous volumes of atmosphere-altering gases while dramatically changing its topography. The Tharsis superplume may have had a near-continual influence on the red planet’s development.
Mars’s days of frequent and prolific eruptions are long gone. But Tharsis’s prolonged volcanism bolsters the notion that even small planets, those that should have lost their internal heat eons ago, can remain volcanically active for far longer than anyone originally suspected.
Decoding the craters of other worlds
Buoyed by their discovery, Lagain’s team is hoping to identify the source craters of other Martian meteorites—including some of the very oldest, which could reveal more about Mars’s waterlogged past.
But future success, as well as this study’s implications, depend on whether the machine learning program properly counted its craters. Crater counting is rife with difficulties: the rate of impacts over time is estimated, for example, and small circular structures on Mars that resemble craters could potentially fool a computer program.
Machine learning “is a really inventive way of trying to tackle this problem,” says Lauren Jozwiak, a planetary volcanologist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory not involved with the study. “Boy, I hope this method works,” she says, because if it does, “it would be really cool to take this and apply it to other planets.”
The study’s authors concur. “Mars is cool,” Benedix says. “But this algorithm and this methodology isn’t just applicable to Mars. It’s going to the moon. It’s going to Mercury.”
If machine learning really has solved this long-standing meteorite mystery, it opens the door to all sorts of undreamt-of possibilities. “We are arguably only just starting to see the implications of machine learning in planetary science,” Grindrod says.
Watch your inbox over the next few days for photos, stories, and special offers from us.
","header":"Thanks for signing up!"},"submitButton":"Sign Up","closeableGeos":{}}]}],"placement":"footer","chldOptns":{"bannerPlacement":"footer"}},{"placement":"footer","logoObj":{"key":"logoObj","alt":"National Geographic Logo - Home","href":"https://news.google.com/","title":null,"logo":{"image":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":3.4364261168384878,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white.png"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white.png","ext":"png"}},"mobileLogo":{"image":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":3.4364261168384878,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white.png"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white.png","ext":"png"}}},"id":"natgeo-footer","cmsType":"FooterFrame","mods":[{"mnu":[{"title":"Legal","links":[{"url":"https://disneytermsofuse.com/english/","isExternal":null,"title":"Terms of Use"},{"url":"https://privacy.thewaltdisneycompany.com/en/current-privacy-policy/","isExternal":null,"title":"Privacy Policy"},{"url":"https://disneyprivacycenter.com/notice-to-california-residents/","isExternal":null,"title":"Your California Privacy Rights"},{"url":"https://disneyprivacycenter.com/kids-privacy-policy/english/","isExternal":null,"title":"Children's Online Privacy Policy"},{"url":"http://preferences-mgr.trustarc.com/?pid=disney01&aid=natgeo01&type=natgeo","isExternal":null,"title":"Interest-Based Ads"},{"url":"http://www.nielsen.com/digitalprivacy","isExternal":null,"title":"About Nielsen Measurement"},{"url":"https://privacy.thewaltdisneycompany.com/en/dnsmi/","isExternal":null,"title":"Do Not Sell My Info","style":"ot-sdk-show-settings"}]},{"title":"Our Sites","links":[{"url":"https://news.google.com/","isExternal":null,"title":"Nat Geo Home"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/events/","isExternal":null,"title":"Attend a Live Event"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/?cmpid=int_org=ngp::int_mc=website::int_src=ngp::int_cmp=exp_hp::int_add=ngpexp201904-book-footer","isExternal":null,"title":"Book a Trip"},{"url":"https://www.natgeomaps.com","isExternal":null,"title":"Buy Maps"},{"url":"https://kids.nationalgeographic.com","isExternal":null,"title":"Inspire Your Kids"},{"url":"https://www.shopdisney.com/franchises/national-geographic/","isExternal":null,"title":"Shop Nat Geo"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.org/tickets/events/","isExternal":null,"title":"Visit the D.C. Museum"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/","isExternal":null,"title":"Watch TV"},{"url":"https://news.google.com/impact","isExternal":null,"title":"Learn About Our Impact"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.org/give/","isExternal":null,"title":"Support our Mission"},{"url":"https://nationalgeographicpartners.com/","isExternal":null,"title":"Nat Geo Partners"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/article/masthead","isExternal":null,"title":"Masthead"},{"url":"https://nationalgeographicpartners.com/press/","isExternal":null,"title":"Press Room"},{"url":"https://www.disneyadsales.com/our-brands/national-geographic/","isExternal":null,"title":"Advertise With Us"}]},{"title":"Join Us","links":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/subscribe/magazines?cmpid=int_org=ngp::int_mc=website::int_src=ngp::int_cmp=subs_ngm::int_add=navsubscribe_us","isExternal":false,"title":"Subscribe"},{"url":"https://help.nationalgeographic.com/s/","isExternal":false,"title":"Customer Service"},{"url":"https://ngmdomsubs.nationalgeographic.com/servlet/ECareGateway?cds_mag_code=NGM&cds_page_id=226717&cmpid=int_org=ngp::int_mc=website::int_src=ngp::int_cmp=subs_renew::int_add=ecare_nav_button","isExternal":false,"title":"Renew Subscription"},{"url":"https://w1.buysub.com/servlet/ECareGateway?cds_mag_code=NGM&cds_page_id=226717&cds_misc_1=NGM","isExternal":false,"title":"Manage Your Subscription"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographicpartners.com/careers/","isExternal":false,"title":"Work at Nat Geo"},{"url":"https://news.google.com/newsletters/signup?gblftr","isExternal":true,"title":"Sign up for Our Newsletters","target":"_blank"},{"url":"https://give.nationalgeographic.org/page/53299/donate/1?user_id=wb8em7wclp2gec8f8rj9f6lp88q9dftd","isExternal":true,"title":"Contribute to Protect the Planet","target":"_blank"},{"url":"https://news.google.com/pages/article/how-to-write-for-nat-geo","isExternal":true,"title":"Pitch a Story","target":"_blank"}]}]},{"edtnSltr":{"rgns":[{"title":"Europe","countries":[{"title":"Bulgaria","flag":{"icon":"flag__bulgaria","alt":"bu"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/bg","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.bg/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Croatia","flag":{"icon":"flag__croatia","alt":"cr"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/hr","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.adriamedia.hr/izdanja/national-geographic-hrvatska","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Czech Republic","flag":{"icon":"flag__czech-republic","alt":"cz"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/cz","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"https://www.national-geographic.cz","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Denmark","flag":{"icon":"flag__denmark","alt":"de"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/dk","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Estonia","flag":{"icon":"flag__estonia","alt":"es"},"links":[{"url":"http://www.nationalgeographic.ee","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Finland","flag":{"icon":"flag__finland","alt":"fi"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/fi","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"France","flag":{"icon":"flag__france","alt":"fr"},"links":"https://www.nationalgeographic.fr"},{"title":"Georgia","flag":{"icon":"flag__georgia","alt":"ge"},"links":[{"url":"http://www.nationalgeographic.ge","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Germany","flag":{"icon":"flag__germany","alt":"ge"},"links":"https://www.nationalgeographic.de"},{"title":"Greece","flag":{"icon":"flag__greece","alt":"gr"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/gr","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Hungary","flag":{"icon":"flag__hungary","alt":"hu"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/hu","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.ng.hu","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Israel","flag":{"icon":"flag__israel","alt":"is"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/il","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Italy","flag":{"icon":"flag__italy","alt":"it"},"links":"http://www.nationalgeographic.it"},{"title":"Kazakhstan","flag":{"icon":"flag__kazakhstan","alt":"ka"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.kz","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Lithuania","flag":{"icon":"flag__lithuania","alt":"li"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.lt","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Netherlands","flag":{"icon":"flag__netherlands","alt":"ne"},"links":"https://www.nationalgeographic.nl"},{"title":"Norway","flag":{"icon":"flag__norway","alt":"no"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/no","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Poland","flag":{"icon":"flag__poland","alt":"po"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/pl","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.national-geographic.pl","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Portugal","flag":{"icon":"flag__portugal","alt":"po"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/pt","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"https://nationalgeographic.sapo.pt","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Romania","flag":{"icon":"flag__romania","alt":"ro"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/ro","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"https://www.natgeo.ro/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Russia","flag":{"icon":"flag__russia","alt":"ru"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/ru","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.nat-geo.ru/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Serbia","flag":{"icon":"flag__serbia","alt":"se"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/rs","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.nationalgeographic.rs/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Slovenia","flag":{"icon":"flag__slovenia","alt":"sl"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/si","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.nationalgeographic.si/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Spain","flag":{"icon":"flag__spain","alt":"sp"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.es/","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com.es/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Sweden","flag":{"icon":"flag__sweden","alt":"sw"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/se","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Turkey","flag":{"icon":"flag__turkey","alt":"tu"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/tr","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.nationalgeographic.com.tr/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"United Kingdom","flag":{"icon":"flag__united-kingdom","alt":"uk"},"links":"https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/"}]},{"title":"The Americas","countries":[{"title":"Brazil","flag":{"icon":"flag__brazil","alt":"br"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographicbrasil.com/","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Canada","flag":{"icon":"flag__canada","alt":"ca"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/ca","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Mexico","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"mx"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.ngenespanol.com/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Pan-Regional Latin America (Spanish)","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"pa"},"links":"https://www.nationalgeographicla.com/"},{"title":"United States","flag":{"icon":"flag__united-states","alt":"us"},"links":"https://news.google.com/"}]},{"title":"Asia, Australia & Oceania","countries":[{"title":"Australia","flag":{"icon":"flag__australia","alt":"au"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com.au","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Mainland China","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"ch"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeo.com.cn/","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.ngchina.com.cn/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Hong Kong","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"ho"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/hk","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"India","flag":{"icon":"flag__india","alt":"in"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/in","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"https://www.amarchitrakatha.com/in/magazines/national-geographic/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Indonesia","flag":{"icon":"flag__indonesia","alt":"in"},"links":[{"url":"https://nationalgeographic.grid.id/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Japan","flag":{"icon":"flag__japan","alt":"ja"},"links":[{"url":"http://www.ngcjapan.com/tv/","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.nationalgeographic.jp","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Korea","flag":{"icon":"flag__south-korea","alt":"ko"},"links":[{"url":"http://www.ngckorea.com","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.co.kr/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Pan-Regional Asia (English)","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"pa"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/asia","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Taiwan","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"ta"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.fng.tw/ngc/","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"https://www.natgeomedia.com/","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Thailand","flag":{"icon":"flag__thailand","alt":"th"},"links":[{"url":"http://www.ngthai.com","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]}]},{"title":"Middle East & Africa","countries":[{"title":"Farsi","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"fa"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/farsi","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Persian","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"pe"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/persian","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"South Africa","flag":{"icon":"flag__south-africa","alt":"so"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/za","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Middle East (English)","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"mi"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/ae","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"}]},{"title":"Middle East (Arabic)","flag":{"icon":null,"alt":"mi"},"links":[{"url":"https://www.natgeotv.com/me","isExternal":false,"title":"Channel","target":"_self"},{"url":"http://www.ngalarabiya.com","isExternal":false,"title":"Magazine","target":"_self"}]}]}],"crnt":{"title":"United States","flag":{"icon":"flag__united-states","alt":"us"},"links":"https://news.google.com/"},"key":"edtnSltr"},"shrURLs":{"key":"shrURLs","fb":"https://www.facebook.com/natgeo","fbLabel":"natgeo.facebookShare.ariaLabel","fbButtonTracking":{"event_name":"share","share_method":"facebook","content_title":""},"twitter":"https://twitter.com/natgeo/","twitterLabel":"natgeo.twitterShare.ariaLabel","twitterButtonTracking":{"event_name":"share","share_method":"twitter","content_title":""},"instagram":"https://www.instagram.com/natgeo/","instagramLabel":"natgeo.instagramShare.ariaLabel","instagramButtonTracking":{"event_name":"share","share_method":"instagram","content_title":""}}}]},{"placement":"footer","id":"frame10","mods":[{"logoObj":{"key":"logoObj","alt":"National Geographic Logo - Home","href":"https://news.google.com/","title":null,"logo":{"image":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":3.4364261168384878,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white.png"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white.png","ext":"png"}},"mobileLogo":{"image":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":3.4364261168384878,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white.png"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4da26b5c-18ee-413f-96dd-4cf3fb4a68a0/2fl-white.png","ext":"png"}}},"cprt":{"key":"cprt","txt":["Copyright © 1996-2015 National Geographic Society","Copyright © 2015-2021 National Geographic Partners, LLC. All rights reserved"]}}],"cmsType":"CopyrightFrame"}]},"header":{"frms":[{"id":"natgeo-global-header-frame1","placement":"header","chldOptns":{"bannerPlacement":"header"}},{"placement":"header","id":"natgeo-nav","mods":[{"logoObj":{"key":"logoObj","alt":"National Geographic Logo - Home","href":"https://news.google.com/","title":"National Geographic","logo":{"image":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":3.404255319148936,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e76f5368-6797-4794-b7f6-8d757c79ea5c/ng-logo-2fl.png"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e76f5368-6797-4794-b7f6-8d757c79ea5c/ng-logo-2fl","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e76f5368-6797-4794-b7f6-8d757c79ea5c/ng-logo-2fl.png","ext":"png"}},"mobileLogo":{"image":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":0.7,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1852daf6-1c8d-4428-8ee2-d9a82bd0401c/ng-border.png"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1852daf6-1c8d-4428-8ee2-d9a82bd0401c/ng-border","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1852daf6-1c8d-4428-8ee2-d9a82bd0401c/ng-border.png","ext":"png"}}},"usr":{"key":"usr","links":[{"url":"#oneid-profile","title":"Account Settings"},{"url":"https://w1.buysub.com/servlet/ECareGateway?cds_mag_code=NGM&cds_page_id=226717&cds_misc_1=NGM","title":"Manage Your Subscription"},{"url":"/subscribe/link-subscription","title":"Link Your Subscription"},{"url":"https://help.nationalgeographic.com/s/","title":"Help","target":"_blank"},{"url":"#oneid-logout","title":"Sign Out"}],"lnk":{"url":"#oneid-login"}},"srch":{"title":null,"icon":null,"href":"https://news.google.com/search","key":"srch","shw":true},"rnw":{"key":"rnw","shw":true,"title":"Renew","url":"https://news.google.com/renew"},"sbcrb":{"key":"sbcrb","shw":true,"title":"Subscribe","url":"https://news.google.com/subscribe"},"mnu":{"undefined":{"title":"","links":[{"url":"https://news.google.com/subscribe","title":"Subscribe"},{"url":"https://news.google.com/renew","title":"Renew"}]},"prmMnu":{"key":"prmMnu","title":"Topics","links":[{"url":"/animals","title":"Animals"},{"url":"/environment","title":"Environment"},{"url":"/history","title":"History & Culture"},{"url":"/science","title":"Science"},{"url":"/travel","title":"Travel"}]},"secMnu":{"key":"secMnu","title":"Sites","links":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/tv/","title":"Watch TV!"},{"url":"https://news.google.com/magazine","title":"Read The Magazine"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/topic/planet-possible","title":"Planet Possible"},{"url":"/family","title":"Visit Nat Geo Family"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/expeditions/","title":"Book A Trip"},{"url":"https://kids.nationalgeographic.com","title":"Inspire your Kids"},{"url":"/podcasts/overheard","title":"Listen to Podcasts"},{"url":"https://www.shopdisney.com/franchises/national-geographic/","title":"Shop Nat Geo"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/events/","title":"Attend a Live Event"},{"url":"/impact/","title":"Learn About Our Impact"},{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.org/give/","title":"Support Our Mission"}]},"key":"mnu"},"cmsType":"NavModule"}],"cmsType":"NavFrame"},{"id":"e17aa8d2-d11b-4156-88f1-93b2a532cac9","className":"stickyFrame stickyFrame--bottom","placement":"header","chldOptns":{"bannerPlacement":"footer"}}]},"article":{"frms":[{"id":"natgeo-template1-frame-1","mods":[{"id":"natgeo-template1-frame-1-module-1","cmsType":"StackModule","align":"left","edgs":[{"dvdr":{"hideLogo":true},"cmsType":"ArticleBodyTile","id":"natgeo-template1-frame-1-module-1","bdy":[{"id":"html0","cntnt":{"mrkup":"About a million years ago, an asteroid smacked into the normally tranquil surface of Mars. The impact released a fountain of debris, and some of the rocky fragments pierced the sky, escaping the planet’s gravity to journey through the dark."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html1","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Some of the rocks eventually found their way to Earth and survived the plunge through our planet’s atmosphere to thud into the surface–including a hefty 15-pound shard that crashed into Morocco in 2011. Now known to scientists as the depleted shergottites, this collection of more than a dozen space rocks makes up an intriguing portion of the 317 known Martian meteorites—the only material from Mars we have on Earth."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html2","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Determining what part of Mars these meteorites came from is a critical part of piecing together the planet’s history—but it’s proven to be a major scientific challenge. Now, with the assistance of a crater-counting machine learning program, a team of researchers studying the depleted shergottites may have finally cracked the case: They concluded that these geologic projectiles came from a single crater atop Tharsis, the largest volcanic feature in the solar system."},"type":"p"},{"id":"Mars-Tharsis","cntnt":{"src":"https://interactives.natgeofe.com/high-touch/ngscience-2111-Mars-Tharsis-Map/builds/main/_graphic.html","cmsType":"source","ariaLabel":"source","align":"left","envNme":"prod","qryStr":"forceMode=fitt","mrkup":"","placement":"inline"},"type":"inline"},{"id":"html3","cntnt":{"mrkup":"This ancient volcanic behemoth on Mars is adorned with thousands of individual volcanoes and extends three times the area of the continental United States. It was built over billions of years by countless magma injections and lava flows. It is so heavy that, as it formed, it effectively tipped the planet over by 20 degrees."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html4","cntnt":{"mrkup":"If these meteorites do come from Tharsis, as the analysis published in Nature Communications suggests, then scientists have their hands on meteorites that can help identify the infernal forces that fueled the construction of this world-tipping edifice."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html5","cntnt":{"mrkup":"“This could really change the game about how we understand Mars,” says Luke Daly, a meteorite expert at the University of Glasgow who was not involved with the study."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html6","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Meteoritic clues"},"type":"h2"},{"id":"html7","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Most Martian meteorites are in a category called the shergottites, named after the Indian town of Sherghati where one was seen falling from the heavens in 1865. The shergottites are all volcanic rocks with similar compositions, but a handful of them, the depleted shergottites, possess a strange chemical signature."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html8","cntnt":{"mrkup":"On Mars, certain elements such as neodymium and lanthanum don’t like to bond with minerals in the mantle, the solid-but-squidgy part of the planet below the crust. The depleted shergottites are lacking in these elements—hence the name “depleted”—suggesting they are from Mars’s mantle."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html9","cntnt":{"mrkup":"But how did these rocks get close enough to the surface to be ejected in an impact? On Earth, mantle rock can work its way to the surface in two ways: when two tectonic plates move apart and permit the mantle to ascend, or when a fountain of superhot mantle matter known as a plume rises from the deep. Mars doesn’t appear to have ever had plate tectonics, so a mantle plume is the most likely scenario."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html10","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Scientists also know the rocks all came from a relatively young volcanic site—perhaps a stack of lava flow deposits—based on the radioactive decay of specific elements in the meteorites."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html11","cntnt":{"mrkup":"If these spacefaring volcanic rocks all came from a single impact, then it must have been quite powerful, leaving a crater at least two miles across and potentially much bigger. And the crater would have to be about 1.1 million years old, as cosmic rays that bombarded and altered the meteorites’ surfaces over time reveal how long they were traveling through space after the impact."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html12","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Even with these clues, however, tracing these bits of Martian rock back to their original location has proven extremely difficult. They are like individual jigsaw pieces separated from the rest of the puzzle: Without knowing what their original environment looked like, it is almost impossible to place them in a specific part of the planet."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html13","cntnt":{"mrkup":"“As geologists, we record loads of information about where we collect rock samples from, because context matters,” says Áine O’Brien, a doctoral student studying Martian meteorites at the University of Glasgow who was not involved with the study. “With Martian meteorites, because we don’t know the context, we have to make a very well educated guess at what happened to it to form it.”"},"type":"p"},{"id":"html14","cntnt":{"mrkup":"And to make that educated guess, scientists turned to a new tool in planetary science: machine learning."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html15","cntnt":{"mrkup":"One crater among millions"},"type":"h2"},{"id":"html16","cntnt":{"mrkup":"The only way to definitively determine the age of a planet’s surface is to take a physical sample and study its radioactive compounds. But until NASA and the European Space Agency’s Mars Sample Return campaign brings some pristine Martian rocks back to Earth in the 2030s, researchers need to rely on a technique to estimate surface ages known as crater counting."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html17","cntnt":{"mrkup":"On Earth, strong winds, flowing water, erupting lava, and a cornucopia of living things speedily erase craters from old impacts. Not so on Mars, a geologically comatose world with weak winds and no surface water. There, sizable craters remain intact for hundreds of millions or even billions of years. Assuming the rate of impacts over time is known, a surface on Mars with more craters would be older than one with fewer craters."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html18","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Scientists can use other tricks to deduce a crater’s age. “When an asteroid impacts the surface, a bunch of debris will be ejected,” says Anthony Lagain, a planetary geologist at Curtin University and the new study’s lead author. The bits that fall back to Mars impact the surface and make small, secondary craters around the original primary crater. Even on Mars, these secondary craters are eroded by wind within a few million years, so any large crater surrounded by secondary craters must have been made very recently in the planet’s history."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html19","cntnt":{"mrkup":"“In order to get a better idea of ages, you need to get to smaller and smaller craters,” says Gretchen Benedix, an astrogeologist at Curtin University and co-author of the study. Smaller impacts are more common than larger ones, so you can use minor differences in the number of smaller craters across two surfaces to work out more detailed timelines."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html20","cntnt":{"mrkup":"To figure out if a crater was exactly 1.1 million years old, the team had to catalog Mars’s small craters and use them to precisely date the surface. Doing this manually would have been torturous. Instead, they fed orbital imagery of Mars into a machine learning program and trained it to find craters less than two-thirds of a mile long."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html21","cntnt":{"mrkup":"It quickly found about 90 million, says Kosta Servis, a data scientist at Curtin University and co-author of the study. With that timeline of craters in hand, the team was able to start narrowing down the possible origins of the depleted shergottites."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html22","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Shards of a volcanic titan"},"type":"h2"},{"id":"html23","cntnt":{"mrkup":"After sifting through the data, the team identified 19 large craters in volcanic regions on Mars that were surrounded by multiple secondary craters—a sign that these planetary scars could be as young as the 1.1-million-year-old crater they sought. Using the catalog of 90 million small craters, the researchers were then able to precisely date the blankets of debris radiating from the larger craters, which revealed more accurate estimates of their ages."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html24","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Some of the craters were about the right age, but that wasn’t enough. The formation age of the surrounding terrain had to match the ages of the minerals found in the meteorites as well. To check, the team once again used its crater catalog to date the volcanic plains."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html25","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Out of those 19 craters, just two were excavated from youthful volcanic deposits by an impact event 1.1 million years ago: crater 09-00015 and Tooting crater. The latter (named after a district in London) looks to have been formed by a powerful oblique impact—the kind of collision that would propel a lot of Martian meteorites into space."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html26","cntnt":{"mrkup":"“Tooting crater has a special type of multi-layered ejecta deposit that suggests there was ice or water around at the time of the impact,” says Peter Grindrod, a planetary scientist at London’s Natural History Museum who was not involved with the study. Impact simulations show that ice and water can generate more debris, plenty of which can escape into space if given enough momentum."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html27","cntnt":{"mrkup":"With all this evidence, the team identified the 19-mile-long Tooting crater as the prime suspect for the source of the depleted shergottites. “It’s a really well put together argument,” Daly says. “Everything seems to fit.”"},"type":"p"},{"id":"html28","cntnt":{"mrkup":"The scientists have not completely ruled out crater 09-00015, but the important thing is that both craters “lie in the Tharsis region, where a vast hotspot, or superplume, has long been thought to have produced the massive bulge on the surface of Mars,” Grindrod says. Regardless of which specific crater the meteorites came from, they can tell us about the history of the largest volcanic region on Mars."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html29","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Crater counting has previously revealed that some of Tharsis’s features were made over 3.7 billion years ago, but the younger depleted shergottite meteorites are just a few hundred million years old. That suggests the Tharsis superplume is almost as old as Mars itself, and it continued producing magma long after many other volcanic centers on the planet died out."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html30","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Like Earth’s plumes, Mars’s mantle plumes helped shape the evolution of the planet’s surface, erupting enormous volumes of atmosphere-altering gases while dramatically changing its topography. The Tharsis superplume may have had a near-continual influence on the red planet’s development."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html31","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Mars’s days of frequent and prolific eruptions are long gone. But Tharsis’s prolonged volcanism bolsters the notion that even small planets, those that should have lost their internal heat eons ago, can remain volcanically active for far longer than anyone originally suspected."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html32","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Decoding the craters of other worlds"},"type":"h2"},{"id":"html33","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Buoyed by their discovery, Lagain’s team is hoping to identify the source craters of other Martian meteorites—including some of the very oldest, which could reveal more about Mars’s waterlogged past."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html34","cntnt":{"mrkup":"But future success, as well as this study’s implications, depend on whether the machine learning program properly counted its craters. Crater counting is rife with difficulties: the rate of impacts over time is estimated, for example, and small circular structures on Mars that resemble craters could potentially fool a computer program."},"type":"p"},{"id":"html35","cntnt":{"mrkup":"Machine learning “is a really inventive way of trying to tackle this problem,” says Lauren Jozwiak, a planetary volcanologist at Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory not involved with the study. “Boy, I hope this method works,” she says, because if it does, “it would be really cool to take this and apply it to other planets.”"},"type":"p"},{"id":"html36","cntnt":{"mrkup":"The study’s authors concur. “Mars is cool,” Benedix says. “But this algorithm and this methodology isn’t just applicable to Mars. It’s going to the moon. It’s going to Mercury.”"},"type":"p"},{"id":"html37","cntnt":{"mrkup":"If machine learning really has solved this long-standing meteorite mystery, it opens the door to all sorts of undreamt-of possibilities. “We are arguably only just starting to see the implications of machine learning in planetary science,” Grindrod says."},"type":"p"}],"cid":"drn:src:natgeo:unison::prod:f97b17d5-79f8-4e9f-8299-dde9cad73e46","cntrbGrp":[{"contributors":[{"displayName":"Robin George Andrews"}],"title":"By","rl":"Writer"}],"mode":"richtext","dscrptn":"The rocks were most likely ejected from Tooting crater more than a million years ago and are now helping scientists piece together the red planet's turbulent past.","enableAds":true,"endbug":true,"isMetered":true,"isUserAuthed":false,"ldMda":{"cmsType":"image","hasCopyright":true,"id":"90430532-f25b-49b3-8866-32ccafea21d4","lines":3,"positionMetaBottom":true,"showMore":true,"caption":"The colors on this global map of Mars represent areas with different crater sizes. By identifying about 90 million small impact craters, researchers were able to calculate the ages of different parts of Mars and then trace a group of meteorites back to one specific crater.","credit":"Photograph by Lagain et al. (2021), Nature Communications","image":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.8302055406613047,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic.jpg","altText":"Martian Meteorites","crdt":"Photograph by Lagain et al. (2021), Nature Communications","dsc":"Martian Meteorites","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Martian Meteorites"},"imageAlt":"Martian Meteorites","imageSrc":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_16x9.jpg?w=636&h=358","hideEndBug":true,"type":"imageLead","hideLine":true},"mdDt":"2021-11-19T16:34:47.407Z","readTime":"11 min read","schma":{"athrs":[{"name":"Robin George Andrews"}],"cnnicl":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/odd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system","kywrds":"tharsis, shergottites, depleted","lg":"https://assets-cdn.nationalgeographic.com/natgeo/static/default.NG.logo.dark.jpg","pblshr":"National Geographic","abt":"Space","sclDsc":"The rocks were most likely ejected from Tooting crater more than a million years ago and are now helping scientists piece together the red planet's turbulent past.","sclImg":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_16x9.jpg?w=1200","sclTtl":"Odd Martian meteorites traced back to largest volcanic structure in the solar system"},"sctn":"Science","sctnLbls":[{"name":"Science","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science"},{"name":"News","type":"genres"}],"shrURLs":{"fbIcon":"facebook","fb":"https://www.facebook.com/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fodd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system","fbAriaLabel":"article.facebookShare.ariaLabel","fbLabel":"article.facebookShare.label","fbButtonTracking":{"event_name":"share","share_content_type":"article","content_title":"odd martian meteorites traced back to largest volcanic structure in the solar system","share_method":"facebook"},"emailIcon":"email__filled","email":"mailto:?subject=Odd%20Martian%20meteorites%20traced%20back%20to%20largest%20volcanic%20structure%20in%20the%20solar%20system&body=The%20rocks%20were%20most%20likely%20ejected%20from%20Tooting%20crater%20more%20than%20a%20million%20years%20ago%20and%20are%20now%20helping%20scientists%20piece%20together%20the%20red%20planet's%20turbulent%20past.%0A%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fodd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system","emailLabel":"Email","emailButtonTracking":{"event_name":"share","share_content_type":"article","content_title":"odd martian meteorites traced back to largest volcanic structure in the solar system","share_method":"email"},"twitter":"https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nationalgeographic.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fodd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system&text=Odd%20Martian%20meteorites%20traced%20back%20to%20largest%20volcanic%20structure%20in%20the%20solar%20system&via=NatGeo","twitterLabel":"Tweet","twitterButtonTracking":{"event_name":"share","share_content_type":"article","content_title":"odd martian meteorites traced back to largest volcanic structure in the solar system","share_method":"twitter"}},"title":"Odd Martian meteorites traced back to largest volcanic structure in the solar system","wrdcnt":2073,"amplnk":"https://api.nationalgeographic.com/distribution/public/amp/science/article/odd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system","pbDt":"2021-11-19T16:00:19.285Z","dt":"2021-11-19T16:00:19.285Z"}]}],"cmsType":"ArticleBodyFrame"},{"id":"email-sticky-footer-frame1"},{"id":"paywall-meter-frame1"},{"id":"paywall-frame1"},{"id":"natgeo-web-template-readthisnext-frame","mods":[{"id":"natgeo-web-template-readthisnext-module","cmsType":"RecirculationGridModule","itemTruncate":{"description":4,"title":4},"contentList":[{"description":"We’re ready to explore again. Here are the best adventures for the year ahead.","img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.501466275659824,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969.jpg","altText":"A woman walks along a mountain trail","crdt":"Photograph by Jennifer Guyton","dsc":"The photographer, a member of a scientific expedition, walks along a mountain trail in the highlands of Chimanimani National Park, Mozambique, as seen from a drone. This photo was taken during a biodiversity survey in December 2019. In order to venture into the high - altitude alpine meadows, which held the prom ise of finding rare and endemic species, the scientists had set up a remote camp high in a mountain pass.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Chimanimani National Park","ratio":"3x2"},"isFeatured":true,"sections":[{"name":"Travel","id":"432c4f83-2d55-3974-b95f-a221c87c0fd1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel"},{"name":"Best of the World","id":"f0112538-c9b6-3962-9abd-82e01db87c42","type":"series"}],"headline":"25 amazing journeys for 2022","link":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/best-of-the-world-2022"},{"description":"There's still a risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus, but experts say tracking local transmission, getting vaccinated, and testing guests can minimize the odds.","img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5003663003663004,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111.jpg","altText":"A family prepares for their dinner prayers during a gathering in Los Angeles.","crdt":"Photograph by Brandon Bell, Getty Images","dsc":"A family prepares for their dinner prayers during a gathering on November 26, 2020 in Los Angeles.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Covid Thanksgiving"},"sections":[{"name":"Science","id":"2af51eeb-09a8-3bcf-8467-6b2a08edb76c","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science"},{"name":"Coronavirus Coverage","id":"a92c48ec-5e34-3b63-a1e1-2726bfc4c34e","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/topic/coronavirus-coverage"}],"headline":"How to have a COVID-safe Thanksgiving gathering","link":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-to-have-a-covid-safe-thanksgiving-gathering"},{"description":""We’ve become a destination," says the mayor of a small Indiana town transformed by migration.","img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.502982107355865,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/35ad457b-ab56-42ff-af21-60212af868ea/MM9772_210911_01468.jpg","crdt":"Photograph by Andrea Bruce","dsc":"Seymour, IN Jamie Vicente, Filipe Miguel and Diego Martin, who are part of an Illinois basketball team they call the Bulls, hang out during a basketball tournament that is held every three weeks among Coatanecos in the region. In the heart of a red state, an indigenous Guatemalan community is thriving. Seymour, Indiana, a town of 21,000 in the heart of southern IN, is home to several immigrant communities, the largest of whom are Chuj-speaking indigenous Guatemalans from the rural, remote department of Huehuetenango. Originally drawn to Seymour to work in the industries of poultry farms and auto parts manufacturing, these Coatanecos, as they refer to themselves, have not only peacefully integrated into many of Seymour�s institutions, such as schools and churches, but have also developed a highly organized infrastructure of self-sustenance, much of which is invisible to the town�s white residents.","ext":"jpg"},"sections":[{"name":"History & Culture","id":"b0c8dd52-23a8-34c0-a940-f46792bc9e70","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history"},{"name":"Stories of Migration","id":"10486db0-c0eb-313c-b983-785de6a42fb4","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/topic/stories-of-migration"}],"headline":"A Guatemalan town remakes itself in Indiana","link":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/a-guatemalan-town-remakes-itself-in-indiana"},{"description":"Researchers are racing to stop stony coral tissue loss disease, which is killing some of the region's oldest and largest corals.","img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX.jpg","crdt":"Photograph by Lucas Jackson/Reuters via Alamy","dsc":"A nail is used to mark the extent of tissue killed by Stony Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) underneath an antibiotic ointment applied to a large Orbicella faveolata (Mountainous Star Coral) colony on a dive near Key West, Florida, U.S. September 8, 2019.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"2CKX8WX.jpg"},"sections":[{"name":"Animals","id":"fa010584-7bbf-3e92-90f9-586bb27fce94","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals"}],"headline":"A deadly disease is wiping out Caribbean coral","link":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/researchers-race-to-stop-stony-coral-tissue-loss-disease-florida-caribbean"}],"headline":"Read This Next"}],"cmsType":"EnhancedFrame"},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-ad-frame1","mods":[{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-ad","cmsType":"StackModule","align":"left","edgs":[{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-ad-tile","cmsType":"AdTile","pos":"infinitefeed"}]}],"cmsType":"EnhancedFrame"},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1","fullWidth":true,"mods":[{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-headline","cmsType":"StackModule","align":"left","edgs":[{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-headline-tile","cmsType":"HeadlineTile","heading":"Go Further"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals","cmsType":"CarouselModule","centerHeading":true,"edgs":[{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile_fcd292b5-b809-4e27-adea-788ab81bc1f9","description":"For what was once considered an essential medicine, farmers spent decades extracting bile from captive bears. Now, farms are closing down—and consumers have mostly moved on.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/vietnams-bear-bile-ban-hasnt-increased-demand-for-wild-bears-study-shows","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5025678650036685,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4d8bb636-e321-4d4e-8b5d-2e64a6dd9c17/NationalGeographic_1311653.jpg","crdt":"Photograph by MARK LEONG, Nat Geo Image Collection","dsc":"Bears used for bile extraction for the traditional medicine market in Hanoi, Vietnam.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"NationalGeographic_1311653"},"abstract":"For what was once considered an essential medicine, farmers spent decades extracting bile from captive bears. Now, farms are closing down—and consumers have mostly moved on.","title":"As tastes change, Vietnam’s bear bile industry is fading","tags":[{"name":"Animals","id":"fa010584-7bbf-3e92-90f9-586bb27fce94","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals"},{"name":"Wildlife Watch","id":"8de8cc4e-e0d1-3b72-8c7a-dac037e03cb4","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/topic/wildlife-watch"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile_e5f0fe14-25e6-476f-a2bb-443b54b345e6","description":"A new film aims to illuminate the tiny plants and animals that produce much of the oxygen we breathe.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/microscopic-plankton-revealed-in-stunning-detail","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.4851341551849166,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/e62836de-4dc0-445b-a8f0-02b2bc5d7c88/20181214_132845_0001.jpg","crdt":"Photograph by Jan van IJken","dsc":"Planktonium – Short film and photo series about the unseen world of living microscopic plankton Colonial diatoms: Licmophora flabellata","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"A new film aims to illuminate the tiny plants and animals that produce much of the oxygen we breathe.","title":"See the microscopic world of plankton in stunning detail","tags":[{"name":"Animals","id":"fa010584-7bbf-3e92-90f9-586bb27fce94","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile_a87f6cc8-a6f1-436e-8aa8-1d06bc3f2b36","description":"The milestone image in National Geographic’s Photo Ark emphasizes reptiles, many of which are in danger of extinction.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/arabian-cobra-milestone-species-in-photo-ark","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5003663003663004,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/576febcd-206f-41b9-922a-b108b80761ab/NationalGeographic_2775025.jpg","altText":"an Arabian cobra on a black background","crdt":"JOEL SARTORE, NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTO ARK","dsc":"An Arabian cobra, Naja arabica, at the Arabian Wildlife Center.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"NationalGeographic_2775025"},"abstract":"The milestone image in National Geographic’s Photo Ark emphasizes reptiles, many of which are in danger of extinction.","title":"Photo Ark of at-risk species adds 12,000th animal","tags":[{"name":"Animals","id":"fa010584-7bbf-3e92-90f9-586bb27fce94","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals"},{"name":"Photo Ark","id":"f6bea7b6-cb31-35a5-b7b1-6c7a077455c9","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.org/projects/photo-ark/"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile_39cd764c-b03a-4fe4-82d1-4d1c1aa13254","description":"Researchers are racing to stop stony coral tissue loss disease, which is killing some of the region's oldest and largest corals.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/researchers-race-to-stop-stony-coral-tissue-loss-disease-florida-caribbean","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9989c042-cbb2-4531-9804-12b8e0d03965/2CKX8WX.jpg","crdt":"Photograph by Lucas Jackson/Reuters via Alamy","dsc":"A nail is used to mark the extent of tissue killed by Stony Tissue Loss Disease (SCTLD) underneath an antibiotic ointment applied to a large Orbicella faveolata (Mountainous Star Coral) colony on a dive near Key West, Florida, U.S. September 8, 2019.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"2CKX8WX.jpg"},"abstract":"Researchers are racing to stop stony coral tissue loss disease, which is killing some of the region's oldest and largest corals.","title":"A deadly disease is wiping out Caribbean coral","tags":[{"name":"Animals","id":"fa010584-7bbf-3e92-90f9-586bb27fce94","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile_854e3d04-b1b5-4d15-bdce-aa1347245206","description":"Decades of data finds shows tropical birds are evolving longer wings and smaller bodies.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/climate-change-is-shrinking-many-amazonian-birds","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.499267935578331,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d56b62b-c567-4b68-b27e-b175e21de73a/RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren.jpg","altText":"Picture of a Musician Wren from the side.","crdt":"Photograph courtesy Philip Stouffer, LSU","dsc":"This musician wren, known for its distinctive voice, is one of many resident bird species in the Amazon rainforest affected by climate change. Researchers analyzed 77 species spanning the four-decade period from 1979 to 2019. During that time, the average temperature in the region rose, and precipitation declined.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"RNR_Stouffer_MusicianWren"},"abstract":"Decades of data finds shows tropical birds are evolving longer wings and smaller bodies.","title":"Climate change is shrinking many Amazonian birds","tags":[{"name":"Animals","id":"fa010584-7bbf-3e92-90f9-586bb27fce94","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-animals-tile_aaf31c59-5f0c-4f05-9a65-a4dafa42de19","description":"Caracals have learned to hunt around the urban edges of Cape Town, though the predator faces many threats, such as getting hit by cars.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/this-wild-african-cat-is-adapting-to-life-in-a-big-city","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.499531396438613,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/83672583-6980-41bf-a375-d46c9697cff0/20200218_tmc33_hermes_jay_caboz_5.jpg","crdt":"Photograph by Jay Caboz","dsc":"Hermes","ext":"jpg","ttl":"caracal hermes"},"abstract":"Caracals have learned to hunt around the urban edges of Cape Town, though the predator faces many threats, such as getting hit by cars.","title":"This wild African cat has adapted to life in a big city","tags":[{"name":"Animals","id":"fa010584-7bbf-3e92-90f9-586bb27fce94","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals"},{"name":"Wild Cities","id":"d1804159-8829-3f5d-b3ca-6ddf38d96546","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/topic/wild-cities"}]}],"heading":"Animals","pageInfo":{"endCursor":"NTpSRmxPUVY4d0kwbEVPa1JTVG54a2NtNDZjM0pqT201aGRHZGxienAxYm1semIyNDZPbkJ5YjJRNllXRm1NekZqTlRrdE5XWXdZeTAwWmpBMUxUbGhOalV0WVRSa1lXWmhOREprWlRFNUkxTlBVbFE2YjNKcFoybHVZV3hRZFdKc2FYTm9aV1JFWVhSbGZERTJNelkyTXpreE5EQXlNelU9","hasNextPage":true},"templateContext":"eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6IlVuaXNvbkFydGljbGVDb250ZW50IiwidmFyaWFibGVzIjp7ImluY2x1ZGVNZWRpYUNvbnRlbnRzIjoidHJ1ZSIsImxvY2F0b3IiOiIvc2NpZW5jZS9hcnRpY2xlL29kZC1tYXJ0aWFuLW1ldGVvcml0ZXMtdHJhY2VkLWJhY2stdG8tbGFyZ2VzdC12b2xjYW5pYy1zdHJ1Y3R1cmUtaW4tdGhlLXNvbGFyLXN5c3RlbSIsInBvcnRmb2xpbyI6Im5hdGdlbyIsInF1ZXJ5VHlwZSI6IkxPQ0FUT1IifSwibW9kdWxlSWQiOm51bGx9"},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-environment","cmsType":"CarouselModule","centerHeading":true,"edgs":[{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_c6ea035f-5b04-4c55-b09e-647075cb624f","description":"The traditional building material is cooler, cheaper, and requires less energy to make. But convincing villagers in Burkina Faso to stick with mud isn't easy.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/why-these-west-african-architects-choose-mud-over-concrete","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.4981711777615216,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/3ddb670f-afba-4d7a-8d6c-2980ef5804c6/MM9645_210514_10172.jpg","altText":"A worker holds a ball of mud.","crdt":"Photograph by Moises Saman, National Geographic","dsc":"Kaya, Burkina Faso. May 14, 2021. At the Morija clinic in Kaya, to the north of Ouagadougou, workers craft a vault on what will be Burkina Faso’s largest Nubian vault structure. This type of building technique uses neither wood nor metal, and as a consequence is well suited to a country with limited natural resources such as Burkina Faso.","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"The traditional building material is cooler, cheaper, and requires less energy to make. But convincing villagers in Burkina Faso to stick with mud isn't easy.","title":"Why these West African architects are choosing mud over concrete","tags":[{"name":"Environment","id":"623ce370-3e67-3fb2-b9a5-070ceb9b2de5","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment"},{"name":"Planet Possible","id":"938b311e-8648-368e-8058-12100da9e069","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/topic/planet-possible"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_4cf95071-d924-4422-af61-b4b76584df67","description":"Industrial farms and abandoned ones are both bad for butterflies. Researchers in Spain are trying to combat the trend, one "micro-reserve" at a time.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/europe-butterflies-vanishing-along-with-small-farms","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/4802fc80-7459-4ce5-a2a6-39dcba48c785/good_meadows-8.jpg","altText":"a meadow filled with wildflowers and grasses","crdt":"Photograph Courtesy Paisatges Vius","dsc":"New meadows are created in Els Plaus, a private property where Paisatges Vius is transforming 4 ha of former cultivated fields into species-rich meadows. To do so, seeds from donnor sites are used.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"good-meadows"},"abstract":"Industrial farms and abandoned ones are both bad for butterflies. Researchers in Spain are trying to combat the trend, one "micro-reserve" at a time.","title":"Europe's butterflies are vanishing as small farms disappear","tags":[{"name":"Environment","id":"623ce370-3e67-3fb2-b9a5-070ceb9b2de5","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment"},{"name":"Planet Possible","id":"938b311e-8648-368e-8058-12100da9e069","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/topic/planet-possible"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_87a35ee4-8734-4076-9eb0-5c7be49be040","description":"Immersive technologies like virtual reality and 360-degree video connect us in new ways with the natural world―while advanced outerwear like the new National Geographic Apparel Collection can reduce our impact on it.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/paid-content-how-technology-can-help-protect-our-nature","text":"natgeo.ctaText.watch","icon":"play"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f2f2d909-fec9-4473-9022-b37c0b86d28f/0000017b-78e1-dc6f-ab7f-7bef003f0002.jpg","altText":"NG Apparel Sweden","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"Immersive technologies like virtual reality and 360-degree video connect us in new ways with the natural world―while advanced outerwear like the new National Geographic Apparel Collection can reduce our impact on it.","title":"How technology can bring us closer to nature and help protect it.","tags":["Paid Content"],"video":true},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_962407b8-7848-4ab2-8a09-436b596a2d62","description":"The glacial landscapes and coastal waters of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park are a rich repository of biodiversity. But action is needed now to preserve them.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/paid-content-the-future-of-kenai-fjords","text":"natgeo.ctaText.watch","icon":"play"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/52949a91-65d9-4669-9a70-4d9dfdc6a8ec/0000017b-78de-dbce-af7b-7edf44160000.jpg","altText":"NG Apparel Alaska","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"The glacial landscapes and coastal waters of Alaska’s Kenai Fjords National Park are a rich repository of biodiversity. But action is needed now to preserve them.","title":"The future of Kenai Fjords","tags":["Paid Content"],"video":true},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_55ea102c-677c-4e52-909f-cf3f18955d15","description":"A small farming community is racing to secure rights that will protect the centuries-old irrigation system they need to survive.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/small-farms-battle-speculators-over-centuries-old-water-rights-in-drought-stricken-colorado","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5003663003663004,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2f6f1c94-3498-4d82-95e9-f8d1eea39b8b/001_MM9711_210729_01437.jpg","dsc":"Devon Peña (206-228-4876) WHERE: 21667 County Road J.2, San Luis, CO WHAT/WHY: Devon Peña in his milpa (cultivated field) with a retablo (devotional painting) of San Isidro Labrador. San Isidro Labrador is the patron saint of the farmer. It is tradition to pray to San Isidro Labrador for health of the land and crops.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Devotional Painting"},"abstract":"A small farming community is racing to secure rights that will protect the centuries-old irrigation system they need to survive.","title":"Small farms fight for centuries-old water rights in Colorado","tags":[{"name":"Environment","id":"623ce370-3e67-3fb2-b9a5-070ceb9b2de5","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment"},{"name":"Planet Possible","id":"938b311e-8648-368e-8058-12100da9e069","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/topic/planet-possible"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_767b8622-cf88-4a75-83f2-1c69e7a7b634","description":"Damaged by decades of human activity, Hong Kong’s rich marine ecosystem requires concerted conservation efforts if it is to recover and flourish.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/environment/article/paid-content-experts-weigh-in-on-how-to-save-hong-kongs-marine-life","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark%20fins%20harvested.JPG"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark%20fins%20harvested_16x9.JPG"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark%20fins%20harvested_3x2.JPG"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark%20fins%20harvested_square.JPG"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark%20fins%20harvested_2x3.JPG"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark%20fins%20harvested_3x4.JPG"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark%20fins%20harvested_4x3.JPG"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark%20fins%20harvested_2x1.JPG"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark fins harvested","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/7ac1dd20-0c34-4b1c-8554-1b3ef6b1dd04/Shark fins harvested.JPG","altText":"Image of shark fins being harvested","crdt":"PHOTOGRAPH BY STAN SHEA/BLOOM HK","dsc":"Reducing shark fin consumption has been a major focus of Hong Kong’s marine conservation efforts in recent years.","ext":"JPG","ttl":"Shark fins harvested.JPG"},"abstract":"Damaged by decades of human activity, Hong Kong’s rich marine ecosystem requires concerted conservation efforts if it is to recover and flourish.","title":"Experts weigh in on how to save Hong Kong’s marine life","tags":["Paid Content"]}],"heading":"Environment","pageInfo":{"endCursor":"NTpSRmxPUVY4d0kwbEVPa1JTVG54a2NtNDZjM0pqT201aGRHZGxienAxYm1semIyNDZPbkJ5YjJRNk56WTNZamcyTWpJdFkyWTRPQzAwWVRjMUxUZ3paakl0TVdNMk9XVTNZVGRpTmpNMEkxTlBVbFE2YjNKcFoybHVZV3hRZFdKc2FYTm9aV1JFWVhSbGZERTJNelk1TmpRd09UTTRPVGM9","hasNextPage":true},"templateContext":"eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6IlVuaXNvbkFydGljbGVDb250ZW50IiwidmFyaWFibGVzIjp7ImluY2x1ZGVNZWRpYUNvbnRlbnRzIjoidHJ1ZSIsImxvY2F0b3IiOiIvc2NpZW5jZS9hcnRpY2xlL29kZC1tYXJ0aWFuLW1ldGVvcml0ZXMtdHJhY2VkLWJhY2stdG8tbGFyZ2VzdC12b2xjYW5pYy1zdHJ1Y3R1cmUtaW4tdGhlLXNvbGFyLXN5c3RlbSIsInBvcnRmb2xpbyI6Im5hdGdlbyIsInF1ZXJ5VHlwZSI6IkxPQ0FUT1IifSwibW9kdWxlSWQiOm51bGx9"},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history","cmsType":"CarouselModule","centerHeading":true,"edgs":[{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_d76f308c-58e8-4a39-bddb-a4160f0c2d58","description":"In 1890, U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of Lakota men, women, and children in an attempt to suppress a religious movement—and were awarded medals of honor for their acts of violence.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/what-really-happened-at-wounded-knee-the-site-of-a-historic-massacre","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.4996127033307514,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/caffee01-7237-4b1b-87c3-8b0c0767c67f/DH66XA.jpg","dsc":"DH66XA Return of Casey's scouts from the fight at Wounded Knee, 1890-91. Soldiers on horseback plod through the snow 531103","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Return of Casey's scouts from the fight at Wounded Knee, 1890-91. Soldiers on horseback plod through the snow 531103"},"abstract":"In 1890, U.S. soldiers killed hundreds of Lakota men, women, and children in an attempt to suppress a religious movement—and were awarded medals of honor for their acts of violence.","title":"What really happened at Wounded Knee, the site of a historic massacre","tags":[{"name":"History & Culture","id":"b0c8dd52-23a8-34c0-a940-f46792bc9e70","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_b48805b1-78e5-400b-8c2e-56985c1ddb69","description":"The ritual of drinking tea in Japan, known as chado, evolved over centuries into a codified practice, steeped in Zen thought, mindfulness, and simplicity.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/how-samurai-statesmen-and-scholars-shaped-the-japanese-tea-ceremony","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.7549271636675237,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/73665084-990d-47a2-a051-ad8bc8de71d0/RSTea2.jpg","altText":"Kimono-clad women participate in a Japanese tea ceremony in a late 19th-century illustration by Toshikata Mizuno.","crdt":"Bridgeman/ACI","dsc":"Influenced by Zen Buddhism, the Japanese tea ceremony became known as chado, 茶衟, the way of tea. The word do means “way” or “philosophy,” and is applied to several other Zen arts, such as kado, the way of flower arranging. In chado the act of preparing and drinking powdered green tea, or matcha, is a choreographed art involving traditional utensils. These include the kama, or kettle to boil water; the furo, or portable brazier if there is no permanent stove; the fukusa, a silk cloth to handle the hot kettle; the natsume, a container for the matcha; the chashaku, a tea scoop; a chawan, or bowl, in which the tea is prepared; and the chasen, a bamboo whisk to mix the matcha and hot water. Tea rooms are generally modeled on a hermit’s hut and usually fit only four or five people. Traditional kimonos for both women and men are still the preferred dress today, but conservative clothing often suffices. Kimono-clad women participate in a Japanese tea ceremony in this late 19th-century illustration by Toshikata Mizuno.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"The recipe for a Japanese tea ceremony"},"abstract":"The ritual of drinking tea in Japan, known as chado, evolved over centuries into a codified practice, steeped in Zen thought, mindfulness, and simplicity.","title":"The Japanese tea ceremony was shaped by samurai and scholars","tags":[{"name":"History Magazine","id":"9e8034f6-2e16-3b86-998b-56f8ff9dffb7","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/magazine"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_8022f0cf-3d3a-4075-a814-b1e97a83e89b","description":"In the 1960s, Jacques Cousteau envisioned a camera that would revolutionize underwater photography and take us to new depths of ocean exploration.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/how-a-legendary-camera-changed-our-ocean-view","text":"natgeo.ctaText.watch","icon":"play"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aece76c-0b21-408b-aa66-f379476d513d/nge-underwater-photography-2021.jpg","dsc":"New","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"In the 1960s, Jacques Cousteau envisioned a camera that would revolutionize underwater photography and take us to new depths of ocean exploration.","title":"How a legendary camera changed our ocean view","tags":[{"name":"History & Culture","id":"b0c8dd52-23a8-34c0-a940-f46792bc9e70","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history"},{"name":"Nat Geo Explores","id":"f24405ad-de67-3a63-8612-a8daa94c5c1b","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/pages/topic/nat-geo-explores-video-series"}],"video":true},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_2e02b250-6a30-49e1-a59c-59c903c5cbb9","description":"The Supreme Court’s infamous “separate but equal” ruling in 1896 stemmed from Homer Plessy’s pioneering act of civil disobedience.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/plessy-v-ferguson-aimed-to-end-segregation-but-codified-it-instead","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.4820056611403154,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d19f3417-2543-44c5-a327-dd9e988344f0/master-pnp-cph-3c20000-3c25000-3c25800-3c25806u.jpg","crdt":"Photograph by Jack Delano, Farm Security Administration/Library of Congress","dsc":"At the bus station in Durham, North Carolina","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Colored Waiting Room"},"abstract":"The Supreme Court’s infamous “separate but equal” ruling in 1896 stemmed from Homer Plessy’s pioneering act of civil disobedience.","title":"Plessy v. Ferguson aimed to end segregation—but codified it instead","tags":[{"name":"History & Culture","id":"b0c8dd52-23a8-34c0-a940-f46792bc9e70","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_59c3270b-45a0-49d7-9597-f29b88da1642","description":"Latin American migrants who made the grueling journey to the United States endure hate and loneliness as they wait for their asylum cases to be heard.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/these-lgbtq-migrants-imagined-a-better-life-in-the-us-did-they-find-it","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.499267935578331,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/2e12c853-1864-4f0e-a434-0fd21470442c/STOCK_TRANS_MIGRANTS_D.VILLASANA_20.jpg","crdt":"Photograph by Danielle Villasana, National Geographic","dsc":"On July 27, 2021, Kataleya Nativi Baca makes her way to a nearby laundromat in Leesburg, Virginia, where she rents a small room with a fellow transgender migrant from Honduras. At the end of the month, their landlord, who has hurled transphobic threats at them, is forcing them to leave.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Kataleya Nativi Baca in laundromat- Leesburg, Virginia"},"abstract":"Latin American migrants who made the grueling journey to the United States endure hate and loneliness as they wait for their asylum cases to be heard.","title":"These LGBTQ+ migrants hoped for a better life—did they find it?","tags":[{"name":"History & Culture","id":"b0c8dd52-23a8-34c0-a940-f46792bc9e70","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history"},{"name":"Stories of Migration","id":"10486db0-c0eb-313c-b983-785de6a42fb4","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/topic/stories-of-migration"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-history-tile_b470f445-7ff1-4b8d-be70-d43e08933191","description":"Cahokia was a robust economic and cultural center for the Mississippian people. They built hundreds of massive mounds but suddenly left the city in the 1300s.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/history-magazine/article/this-american-indian-metropolis-was-mysteriously-abandoned-archaeologists-want-to-know-why","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5003663003663004,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/9cea17d0-e49d-4a76-b766-929ff97ef0ef/RSCahokia13.jpg","altText":"Built from an estimated 22 million cubic feet of earth and standing about 100 feet high, Monks Mound is the tallest structure at the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.","crdt":"Ira Block/National Geographic Image Collection","dsc":"Built from an estimated 22 million cubic feet of earth and standing about 100 feet high, Monks Mound is the tallest structure at the Cahokia Mounds State Historic Site.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"High rise"},"abstract":"Cahokia was a robust economic and cultural center for the Mississippian people. They built hundreds of massive mounds but suddenly left the city in the 1300s.","title":"Abandoned in the 1300s, Cahokia was an American Indian metropolis","tags":[{"name":"History Magazine","id":"9e8034f6-2e16-3b86-998b-56f8ff9dffb7","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/magazine"}]}],"heading":"History & Culture","pageInfo":{"endCursor":"NTpSRmxPUVY4d0kwbEVPa1JTVG54a2NtNDZjM0pqT201aGRHZGxienAxYm1semIyNDZPbkJ5YjJRNllqUTNNR1kwTkRVdE4yWm1NUzAwWWpoa0xXSmxOekF0WkRRelpUQTRPVE16TVRreEkxTlBVbFE2YjNKcFoybHVZV3hRZFdKc2FYTm9aV1JFWVhSbGZERTJNelkyTkRRMk9UVTNNVGc9","hasNextPage":true},"templateContext":"eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6IlVuaXNvbkFydGljbGVDb250ZW50IiwidmFyaWFibGVzIjp7ImluY2x1ZGVNZWRpYUNvbnRlbnRzIjoidHJ1ZSIsImxvY2F0b3IiOiIvc2NpZW5jZS9hcnRpY2xlL29kZC1tYXJ0aWFuLW1ldGVvcml0ZXMtdHJhY2VkLWJhY2stdG8tbGFyZ2VzdC12b2xjYW5pYy1zdHJ1Y3R1cmUtaW4tdGhlLXNvbGFyLXN5c3RlbSIsInBvcnRmb2xpbyI6Im5hdGdlbyIsInF1ZXJ5VHlwZSI6IkxPQ0FUT1IifSwibW9kdWxlSWQiOm51bGx9"},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science","cmsType":"CarouselModule","centerHeading":true,"edgs":[{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile_f97b17d5-79f8-4e9f-8299-dde9cad73e46","description":"The rocks were most likely ejected from Tooting crater more than a million years ago and are now helping scientists piece together the red planet's turbulent past.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/odd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.8302055406613047,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic.jpg","altText":"Martian Meteorites","crdt":"Photograph by Lagain et al. (2021), Nature Communications","dsc":"Martian Meteorites","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Martian Meteorites"},"abstract":"The rocks were most likely ejected from Tooting crater more than a million years ago and are now helping scientists piece together the red planet's turbulent past.","title":"Meteorites from Mars traced back to a volcanic behemoth","tags":[{"name":"Science","id":"2af51eeb-09a8-3bcf-8467-6b2a08edb76c","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile_d77bb7e3-25fa-4bc8-bd90-fdda3855b329","description":"As more people apply for religious exemptions to vaccine mandates, experts explain how and why fetal cells are used in drug development, from vaccines to common pain medications.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/here-are-the-facts-about-fetal-cell-lines-and-covid-19-vaccines","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.499267935578331,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d6cf326e-0dcf-4b66-bfca-58d8400ef630/GettyImages-154214777_Cropped.jpg","altText":"Several clusters of human Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells in culture. These cells are a standard cell line used in biotechnology applications, for example to produce proteins. This view is as it appears through an inverted biological phase contrast microscope with 400x magnification.","crdt":"Image by GerMan101, Getty","dsc":"Several clusters of human Human Embryonic Kidney 293 cells in culture. These cells are a standard cell line used in biotechnology applications, for example to produce proteins. This view is as it appears through an inverted biological phase contrast microscope with 400x magnification.","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"As more people apply for religious exemptions to vaccine mandates, experts explain how and why fetal cells are used in drug development, from vaccines to common pain medications.","title":"The facts about fetal cell lines and COVID-19 vaccines","tags":[{"name":"Science","id":"2af51eeb-09a8-3bcf-8467-6b2a08edb76c","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science"},{"name":"Coronavirus Coverage","id":"a92c48ec-5e34-3b63-a1e1-2726bfc4c34e","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/topic/coronavirus-coverage"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile_04935680-91bf-44eb-86bc-46097d8c6455","description":"Jabs will be available to roll out as soon as this weekend.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/covid-vaccines-latest-updates","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1c2f908f-4fd7-4bb3-afa9-fe46e0241bf0/coronavirus_3x2.jpg","altText":"SARS-CoV-2 virion structure","crdt":"Illustration by Markos Kay","dsc":"SARS-CoV-2 virion structure","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"Jabs will be available to roll out as soon as this weekend.","title":"FDA authorizes COVID-19 vaccine boosters for all adults","tags":[{"name":"Science","id":"2af51eeb-09a8-3bcf-8467-6b2a08edb76c","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science"},{"name":"Coronavirus Coverage","id":"a92c48ec-5e34-3b63-a1e1-2726bfc4c34e","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/topic/coronavirus-coverage"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile_d3ba5f00-1b69-4f37-b6c5-5d3a2ca96cd9","description":"There's still a risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus, but experts say tracking local transmission, getting vaccinated, and testing guests can minimize the odds.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/how-to-have-a-covid-safe-thanksgiving-gathering","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5003663003663004,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a96d454c-6f65-424f-976f-f5a35f0065b0/GettyImages_1229809111.jpg","altText":"A family prepares for their dinner prayers during a gathering in Los Angeles.","crdt":"Photograph by Brandon Bell, Getty Images","dsc":"A family prepares for their dinner prayers during a gathering on November 26, 2020 in Los Angeles.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Covid Thanksgiving"},"abstract":"There's still a risk of transmitting the COVID-19 virus, but experts say tracking local transmission, getting vaccinated, and testing guests can minimize the odds.","title":"How to have a COVID-safe Thanksgiving gathering","tags":[{"name":"Science","id":"2af51eeb-09a8-3bcf-8467-6b2a08edb76c","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science"},{"name":"Coronavirus Coverage","id":"a92c48ec-5e34-3b63-a1e1-2726bfc4c34e","type":"series","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/topic/coronavirus-coverage"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile_e64642fc-98a2-41b6-9d44-efd75cfe203f","description":"An anti-satellite weapon test left a cloud of debris in orbit that is threatening the International Space Station and other vital satellites.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/russia-just-blew-up-a-satellite-heres-why-that-spells-trouble-for-spaceflight","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/97ece0c4-9504-46e5-b362-8604d1ff4057/44911459904_375bc02163_k.jpg","altText":"The ISS with the Earth in the background.","crdt":"Image from NASA","dsc":"In this image from October 2018, the fully completed station continues its mission to conduct microgravity research and experiments — ranging from human physiology to astronomy aboard humanity's only orbital laboratory.","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"An anti-satellite weapon test left a cloud of debris in orbit that is threatening the International Space Station and other vital satellites.","title":"Satellite-destroying missile spells trouble for spaceflight","tags":[{"name":"Science","id":"2af51eeb-09a8-3bcf-8467-6b2a08edb76c","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-science-tile_b2da8044-7416-492c-8830-4c0321d5dc1a","description":"The strange find is the earliest evidence of shrimp taking shelter in another animal's shell, a behavior they still exhibit today.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/rare-fossil-captures-ancient-shrimp-hiding-inside-a-clam","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.6828266228430566,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/059aac01-c208-456e-9fd2-6584cb710cae/Shrimp_3.jpg","altText":"Shrimp fossil","crdt":"Photograph by School of Environmental and Rural Science, University of New England","dsc":"Shrimp fossil","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Shrimp Fossil"},"abstract":"The strange find is the earliest evidence of shrimp taking shelter in another animal's shell, a behavior they still exhibit today.","title":"Rare fossil captures ancient shrimp hiding inside a clam","tags":[{"name":"Science","id":"2af51eeb-09a8-3bcf-8467-6b2a08edb76c","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science"}]}],"heading":"Science","pageInfo":{"endCursor":"NTpSRmxPUVY4d0kwbEVPa1JTVG54a2NtNDZjM0pqT201aGRHZGxienAxYm1semIyNDZPbkJ5YjJRNllqSmtZVGd3TkRRdE56UXhOaTAwT1RKakxUZzRNekF0TkdNd016SXhaRFZrWXpGaEkxTlBVbFE2YjNKcFoybHVZV3hRZFdKc2FYTm9aV1JFWVhSbGZERTJNelk1T0RRMU9EazFPVGM9","hasNextPage":true},"templateContext":"eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6IlVuaXNvbkFydGljbGVDb250ZW50IiwidmFyaWFibGVzIjp7ImluY2x1ZGVNZWRpYUNvbnRlbnRzIjoidHJ1ZSIsImxvY2F0b3IiOiIvc2NpZW5jZS9hcnRpY2xlL29kZC1tYXJ0aWFuLW1ldGVvcml0ZXMtdHJhY2VkLWJhY2stdG8tbGFyZ2VzdC12b2xjYW5pYy1zdHJ1Y3R1cmUtaW4tdGhlLXNvbGFyLXN5c3RlbSIsInBvcnRmb2xpbyI6Im5hdGdlbyIsInF1ZXJ5VHlwZSI6IkxPQ0FUT1IifSwibW9kdWxlSWQiOm51bGx9"},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel","cmsType":"CarouselModule","centerHeading":true,"edgs":[{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile_952bfae8-e526-4613-9a77-7acc19ec9150","description":"From Montana to Alberta, Indigenous communities are developing ecotourism tied to the keystone species’ restoration.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/how-the-return-of-bison-connects-travelers-with-native-cultures","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5003663003663004,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/f8542247-5592-4ea9-a756-eb85772ecc8f/Johns_Louise-64.jpg","altText":"herd of bison","crdt":"Photograph by Louise Johns","dsc":"Bison owned by Blackfeet Nation move as a herd across their pasture on the Blackfeet Reservation.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Johns_Louise-64"},"abstract":"From Montana to Alberta, Indigenous communities are developing ecotourism tied to the keystone species’ restoration.","title":"How bison are connecting travelers with Native cultures","tags":[{"name":"Travel","id":"432c4f83-2d55-3974-b95f-a221c87c0fd1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile_d1e4fe9d-e72c-4b71-9197-002d77a657f5","description":"We’re ready to explore again. Here are the best adventures for the year ahead.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/best-of-the-world-2022","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.501466275659824,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/1d40d456-3742-4e04-90da-ca6a050fa49b/DJI_0969.jpg","altText":"A woman walks along a mountain trail","crdt":"Photograph by Jennifer Guyton","dsc":"The photographer, a member of a scientific expedition, walks along a mountain trail in the highlands of Chimanimani National Park, Mozambique, as seen from a drone. This photo was taken during a biodiversity survey in December 2019. In order to venture into the high - altitude alpine meadows, which held the prom ise of finding rare and endemic species, the scientists had set up a remote camp high in a mountain pass.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Chimanimani National Park"},"abstract":"We’re ready to explore again. Here are the best adventures for the year ahead.","title":"25 amazing journeys for 2022","tags":[{"name":"Travel","id":"432c4f83-2d55-3974-b95f-a221c87c0fd1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel"},{"name":"Best of the World","id":"f0112538-c9b6-3962-9abd-82e01db87c42","type":"series"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile_47111968-f2de-4485-a005-46ee93ded6ae","description":"From hands-on museums to virtual-reality Van Gogh, here’s how travel can spark family creativity.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/these-trips-will-help-your-kids-appreciate-art","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.5003663003663004,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ.JPG"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ_16x9.JPG"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ_3x2.JPG"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ_square.JPG"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ_2x3.JPG"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ_3x4.JPG"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ_4x3.JPG"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ_2x1.JPG"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/44f6367e-b71e-46c8-ac54-6a3e968a2adb/M33DAJ.JPG","altText":"Mom wraps her arm around two kids as they all look at two paintings on the wall of the by Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg 9+, Alamy","crdt":"Photograph by Jeffrey Isaac Greenberg 9+, Alamy","dsc":"Pennsylvania Philadelphia Museum of Art","ext":"JPG","ttl":"Art with family"},"abstract":"From hands-on museums to virtual-reality Van Gogh, here’s how travel can spark family creativity.","title":"Unlock kids’ love of art on these colorful trips","tags":[{"name":"Travel","id":"432c4f83-2d55-3974-b95f-a221c87c0fd1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile_32491307-e46a-419c-bdd5-6af838e6d245","description":"The unique combination of soothing terrain and welcoming people contrast dramatically with the Borders' captivating history, creating a destination of fascinating contradictions.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/paid-content-slow-up-in-the-scottish-borders-living-history","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.499356735894137,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ba159593-c2ab-4178-ac60-18d70c9babee/MG310303.jpg","crdt":"Photograph by Michael George","dsc":"A peaceful loch at Bowhill House and Grounds.","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"The unique combination of soothing terrain and welcoming people contrast dramatically with the Borders' captivating history, creating a destination of fascinating contradictions.","title":"Slow up in the Scottish Borders’ living history","tags":["Paid Content"]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile_4c00b84b-6b57-4cb2-b90a-4e00766cf0e5","description":"Successful, troubled, revived, this former industrial hub remains the pride of Northern Ireland’s capital.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/why-the-shipyards-that-built-the-titanic-still-influence-belfast","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.28240450845335,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209.JPG"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209_16x9.JPG"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209_3x2.JPG"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209_square.JPG"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209_2x3.JPG"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209_3x4.JPG"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209_4x3.JPG"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209_2x1.JPG"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/20034d74-7670-415b-8344-0fbc90515778/h_3.00471209.JPG","altText":"Several men stand beneath the giant propellers of the theTitanic","crdt":"Photograph by ARCHIVIO GBB, CONTRASTO/Redux","dsc":"The British Ocean Liner RMS TITANIC propellers showcased before launch, Harland and Wolff shipyards, Belfast.","ext":"JPG","ttl":"Titanic Proportions"},"abstract":"Successful, troubled, revived, this former industrial hub remains the pride of Northern Ireland’s capital.","title":"Titanic shipyards still influence Belfast","tags":[{"name":"Travel","id":"432c4f83-2d55-3974-b95f-a221c87c0fd1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel"}]},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile","cmsType":"RegularStandardPrismTile","cId":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-travel-tile_a69d8869-fb00-46d5-a6ae-29f99defde24","description":"From Neolithic stone circles to monasteries clinging to cliffs, these awe-inspiring spiritual retreats stand the test of time.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/mystical-sites-europe","text":"natgeo.ctaText.seePhotos","icon":"gallery"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.4981711777615216,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/688708f1-2b76-41f7-af00-f92cd5a1e24e/mystic-sites-europe-08.jpg","altText":"Castle Peyrepertuse in Languedoc-Roussillon,France","crdt":"Photograph by Hartmut Krinitz, laif/Redux","dsc":"Perched on a limestone cliff in the French Pyrenees, the vantage point of the Peyrepertuse Castle allowed Cathars to control the mountain passes and send communication signals further south to the Château de Quéribus. These days, the 13th-century Château de Peyrepertuse hosts a contemporary art and music festival in the summer. Adult visitors must present proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a recent negative test to enter.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Peyrepertuse Castle"},"abstract":"From Neolithic stone circles to monasteries clinging to cliffs, these awe-inspiring spiritual retreats stand the test of time.","title":"These are some of Europe’s most sacred sites","tags":[{"name":"Travel","id":"432c4f83-2d55-3974-b95f-a221c87c0fd1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel"}]}],"heading":"Travel","pageInfo":{"endCursor":"NTpSRmxPUVY4d0kwbEVPa1JTVG54a2NtNDZjM0pqT201aGRHZGxienAxYm1semIyNDZPbkJ5YjJRNllUWTVaRGc0TmprdFptSXdNQzAwTm1RMUxXRTJZV1V0TWpsbU9UbGtaV1prWlRJMEkxTlBVbFE2YjNKcFoybHVZV3hRZFdKc2FYTm9aV1JFWVhSbGZERTJNelk1Tnprd01qWXdNREE9","hasNextPage":true},"templateContext":"eyJjb250ZW50VHlwZSI6IlVuaXNvbkFydGljbGVDb250ZW50IiwidmFyaWFibGVzIjp7ImluY2x1ZGVNZWRpYUNvbnRlbnRzIjoidHJ1ZSIsImxvY2F0b3IiOiIvc2NpZW5jZS9hcnRpY2xlL29kZC1tYXJ0aWFuLW1ldGVvcml0ZXMtdHJhY2VkLWJhY2stdG8tbGFyZ2VzdC12b2xjYW5pYy1zdHJ1Y3R1cmUtaW4tdGhlLXNvbGFyLXN5c3RlbSIsInBvcnRmb2xpbyI6Im5hdGdlbyIsInF1ZXJ5VHlwZSI6IkxPQ0FUT1IifSwibW9kdWxlSWQiOm51bGx9"},{"id":"natgeo-globalpromo-frame1-magazine","cmsType":"TileStackModule","trackImpression":false,"cardsDisplayed":5,"cta":{"text":"See More","url":"https://news.google.com/magazine","target":"_self"},"heading":"Subscriber Exclusive Content","cards":[{"id":"natgeo-default-tilestack-m1-t1","cmsType":"FeaturedContentTile","cId":"natgeo-default-tilestack-m1-t1_bb905f41-79ef-4145-bbdd-8cfb82dac97d","description":"COVID-19 is a reminder of their destructive power, but they’re crucial to humans’ development and survival.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/viruses-can-cause-great-harm-but-we-could-not-live-without-them-feature","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":0.9201940035273368,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/d26c9175-e810-4c0e-82fd-797fde842edc/viruses-embryo-og.jpg","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"COVID-19 is a reminder of their destructive power, but they’re crucial to humans’ development and survival.","theme":"dark","title":"How viruses shape our world","tags":[{"name":"Magazine","id":"9af83c1e-1fdc-3710-b252-c42eedb1b7c1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine"}]},{"id":"natgeo-default-tilestack-m1-t1","cmsType":"FeaturedContentTile","cId":"natgeo-default-tilestack-m1-t1_a49587fe-d0dd-487d-8237-7641b7d4747f","description":"Concerns about the dogs’ welfare and declining betting revenue have led tracks across the country to close in recent decades.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/greyhound-racing-decline-united-states","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.2503052503052503,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/a200a601-b86d-489b-95eb-8879487089bb/mm9423_200724_01291.jpg","altText":"the profile of a greyhound","crdt":"Photograph by Erika Larsen","dsc":"tktk","ext":"jpg","ttl":"greyhound-racing"},"abstract":"Concerns about the dogs’ welfare and declining betting revenue have led tracks across the country to close in recent decades.","theme":"dark","title":"The era of greyhound racing in the U.S. is coming to an end","tags":[{"name":"Animals","id":"fa010584-7bbf-3e92-90f9-586bb27fce94","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals"}]},{"id":"natgeo-default-tilestack-m1-t1","cmsType":"FeaturedContentTile","cId":"natgeo-default-tilestack-m1-t1_9a91c23a-7ebe-4783-be0e-509473b023d0","description":"Scheming invaders. Benevolent vegetarians. Climate refugees. As scientific exploration has advanced, so have creative interpretations of the red planet and its potential residents.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/see-how-people-have-imagined-life-on-mars-through-history-feature","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":0.7509765625,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0fa355b6-2da0-4f21-ab14-0c5f24305e96/mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures.jpg","altText":"tall preacher shaking hands with human.","crdt":"Photograph by CHRONICLE/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO","dsc":"1939 “The Man From Mars” Drawn by Frank R. Paul for Fantastic Adventures, this Martian is telepathic and can retract his eyes and nose to protect them from freezing.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"mars-rover-cameras-fantastic-adventures"},"abstract":"Scheming invaders. Benevolent vegetarians. Climate refugees. As scientific exploration has advanced, so have creative interpretations of the red planet and its potential residents.","theme":"dark","title":"See how people have imagined life on Mars through history","tags":[{"name":"Magazine","id":"9af83c1e-1fdc-3710-b252-c42eedb1b7c1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine"}]},{"id":"natgeo-default-tilestack-m1-t1","cmsType":"FeaturedContentTile","description":"Slated to land on Mars this month, the Perseverance rover will search for signs of past life and test new technologies for supporting future human missions.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/graphics/see-how-nasas-new-mars-rover-will-explore-the-red-planet-feature","text":"natgeo.ctaText.explore","icon":"interactive"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/881cfee1-85e1-49eb-8514-9944f56ef8d3/mars-rover-og.jpg","ext":"jpg"},"abstract":"Slated to land on Mars this month, the Perseverance rover will search for signs of past life and test new technologies for supporting future human missions.","theme":"dark","title":"See how NASA’s new Mars rover will explore the red planet","tags":[{"name":"Magazine","type":"sources"}]},{"id":"natgeo-default-tilestack-m1-t1","cmsType":"FeaturedContentTile","cId":"natgeo-default-tilestack-m1-t1_82e337a0-0b07-4560-b212-a97ccfe610a1","description":"The dusty red planet has fascinated us for centuries. Even as we learn more, its mysteries keep us in suspense.","ctas":[{"url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/why-are-people-so-dang-obsessed-with-mars-feature","text":"natgeo.ctaText.read","icon":"article"}],"img":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":0.92919921875,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/0aedd0ea-f5f8-45c1-a135-b092ef1e8d19/mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars.jpg","altText":"blurry photograph of Mars surface with dark spots.","crdt":"Photograph by E.C. Slipher, LOWELL OBSERVATORY ARCHIVES","dsc":"Early, blurry views of Mars inspired stories of canal-building aliens.","ext":"jpg","ttl":"mars-rover-cameras-early-photo-mars"},"abstract":"The dusty red planet has fascinated us for centuries. Even as we learn more, its mysteries keep us in suspense.","theme":"dark","title":"Why are people so dang obsessed with Mars?","tags":[{"name":"Magazine","id":"9af83c1e-1fdc-3710-b252-c42eedb1b7c1","type":"sources","uri":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine"}]}],"loop":true}],"theme":"dark","cmsType":"EnhancedFrame"}],"meta":{"cnnicl":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/odd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system","dsc":"The rocks were most likely ejected from Tooting crater more than a million years ago and are now helping scientists piece together the red planet's turbulent past.","id":"drn:src:natgeo:unison::prod:f97b17d5-79f8-4e9f-8299-dde9cad73e46","mdfdDt":"2021-11-19T16:34:47.407Z","ttl":"Odd Martian meteorites traced back to largest volcanic structure in the solar system","sctn":"Science","sclDsc":"The rocks were most likely ejected from Tooting crater more than a million years ago and are now helping scientists piece together the red planet's turbulent past.","sclImg":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_16x9.jpg?w=1200","sclImgHgt":675.1131221719456,"sclImgWdth":1200,"sclTtl":"Odd Martian meteorites traced back to largest volcanic structure in the solar system","adKvps":{"objid":"drn:src:natgeo:unison::prod:f97b17d5-79f8-4e9f-8299-dde9cad73e46"},"pgTxnmy":{"sources":["Science"],"genres":["News"],"subjects":["Space","Mars","Meteorites","Volcanoes"]},"hreflngs":[{"lcl":"en-us","url":"https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/odd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system"}]},"prtfloFlgs":{"hideSharing":false,"hideSource":false},"config":{"ads":{"enabled":true,"insertedAdLimit":null,"insertedAdSpacing":900,"pzn":{"mode":"ltd","extra":true},"refreshInterval":30},"logoIcon":"ng-border","numLines":3,"type":"default","IMAGE_CONFIGS":{"large":[{"cropName":"raw","width":374,"screenWidth":374},{"cropName":"raw","width":413,"screenWidth":413},{"cropName":"raw","width":767,"screenWidth":767},{"cropName":"raw","width":1024,"screenWidth":1024},{"cropName":"raw","width":1260,"screenWidth":1440},{"cropName":"raw","width":1440}],"immersiveLdBg":{"img":[{"cropName":"raw","width":374,"screenWidth":374},{"cropName":"raw","width":413,"screenWidth":413},{"cropName":"raw","width":767,"screenWidth":767},{"cropName":"raw","width":1024,"screenWidth":1024},{"cropName":"raw","width":1260,"screenWidth":1440},{"cropName":"raw","width":1440}],"default":[{"cropName":"2x3","width":374,"screenWidth":374},{"cropName":"2x3","width":413,"screenWidth":413},{"cropName":"2x3","width":767,"screenWidth":767},{"cropName":"raw","width":1024,"screenWidth":1024},{"cropName":"raw","width":1260,"screenWidth":1440},{"cropName":"raw","width":1440}]},"inline":{"x-small":[{"cropName":"raw","width":374,"screenWidth":374},{"cropName":"raw","width":413,"screenWidth":413},{"cropName":"raw","width":636,"screenWidth":767},{"cropName":"raw","width":300}],"small":[{"cropName":"raw","width":374,"screenWidth":374},{"cropName":"raw","width":413,"screenWidth":413},{"cropName":"raw","width":636}],"medium":[{"cropName":"raw","width":374,"screenWidth":374},{"cropName":"raw","width":413,"screenWidth":413},{"cropName":"raw","width":636,"screenWidth":767},{"cropName":"raw","width":636,"screenWidth":1024},{"cropName":"raw","width":1280}],"large":[{"cropName":"raw","width":374,"screenWidth":374},{"cropName":"raw","width":413,"screenWidth":413},{"cropName":"raw","width":767,"screenWidth":767},{"cropName":"raw","width":1024,"screenWidth":1024},{"cropName":"raw","width":1260,"screenWidth":1440},{"cropName":"raw","width":1440}],"default":[{"cropName":"raw","width":374,"screenWidth":374},{"cropName":"raw","width":413,"screenWidth":413},{"cropName":"raw","width":636}]},"playlist":{"player":[{"cropName":"raw","width":374,"screenWidth":374},{"cropName":"raw","width":413,"screenWidth":413},{"cropName":"raw","width":636}],"tile":[{"cropName":"raw","width":220,"screenWidth":767},{"cropName":"raw","width":300,"screenWidth":1119},{"cropName":"raw","width":195}]},"spnsrBanner":[{"cropName":"raw","height":32}],"tileStack":{"aspectRatio":0.75,"cropName":"3x4","width":400}}}}},"transition":{"hide":{"default":true,"rules":[{"priority":4,"retValue":false,"conditions":[{"type":"change","path":"pageType","val":false},{"type":"change","path":"section","val":false},{"type":"change","path":"subsection","val":false},{"type":"change","path":"subPageType","val":false},{"type":"change","path":"slug","val":false}]}]},"reload":{"default":true,"rules":[{"priority":4,"retValue":false,"conditions":[{"type":"change","path":"pageType","val":false},{"type":"change","path":"section","val":false},{"type":"change","path":"subsection","val":false},{"type":"change","path":"subPageType","val":false},{"type":"change","path":"slug","val":false}]}]}},"ads":{"kvps":[{"name":"pgtyp","value":"article"},{"name":"ed","value":"us"},{"name":"lang","value":"en"},{"name":"objid","value":"drn:src:natgeo:unison::prod:f97b17d5-79f8-4e9f-8299-dde9cad73e46"}]},"analytics":{"page_type":"article","page_url":"www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/odd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system","page_id":"drn:src:natgeo:unison::prod:f97b17d5-79f8-4e9f-8299-dde9cad73e46","page_taxonomy":{"srcs":"Science","frstSbj":"Space","othrSbjs":"Mars, Meteorites, Volcanoes","gnres":"News"},"cntrbGrp":[{"contributors":[{"displayName":"Robin George Andrews"}],"title":"By","rl":"Writer"}],"pbDt":"2021-11-19T16:00:19.285Z","ldMda":{"cmsType":"image","hasCopyright":true,"id":"90430532-f25b-49b3-8866-32ccafea21d4","lines":3,"positionMetaBottom":true,"showMore":true,"caption":"The colors on this global map of Mars represent areas with different crater sizes. By identifying about 90 million small impact craters, researchers were able to calculate the ages of different parts of Mars and then trace a group of meteorites back to one specific crater.","credit":"Photograph by Lagain et al. (2021), Nature Communications","image":{"crps":[{"nm":"raw","aspRto":1.8302055406613047,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic.jpg"},{"nm":"16x9","aspRto":1.7777777777777777,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_16x9.jpg"},{"nm":"3x2","aspRto":1.5,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_3x2.jpg"},{"nm":"square","aspRto":1,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_square.jpg"},{"nm":"2x3","aspRto":0.6666666666666666,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_2x3.jpg"},{"nm":"3x4","aspRto":0.75,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_3x4.jpg"},{"nm":"4x3","aspRto":1.3333333333333333,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_4x3.jpg"},{"nm":"2x1","aspRto":2,"url":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_2x1.jpg"}],"rt":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic","src":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic.jpg","altText":"Martian Meteorites","crdt":"Photograph by Lagain et al. (2021), Nature Communications","dsc":"Martian Meteorites","ext":"jpg","ttl":"Martian Meteorites"},"imageAlt":"Martian Meteorites","imageSrc":"https://i.natgeofe.com/n/ea216c00-89cd-4652-9bc6-a1a5d2f21338/CDA_Ngeographic_16x9.jpg?w=636&h=358","hideEndBug":true,"type":"imageLead","hideLine":true},"mdDt":"2021-11-19T16:34:47.407Z","wrdcnt":2073,"story_id":"drn:src:natgeo:unison::prod:f97b17d5-79f8-4e9f-8299-dde9cad73e46"}},"request":{"headers":{},"httpVersion":"1.1","method":"GET","url":"/science/article/odd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system","vary":{"cached":true,"device":"pc","host":"www.nationalgeographic.com","path":"/science/article/odd-martian-meteorites-traced-back-to-largest-volcanic-structure-in-the-solar-system","forwarded-proto":"https","country":"de","edition":"natgeo-en-us","edition-view":"natgeo-en-us","loggedin":"false"}},"viewport":{"width":1260,"height":0,"scrollX":0,"scrollY":0}};
Read original article here
Over a thousand cosmic explosions traced to repeating fast radio burst
Using China’s Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope, or FAST, researchers detected 1,652 bursts over the course of 47 days, between August 29 and October 29, 2019. This is the largest set of fast radio burst events so far.
A study detailing these findings published on Wednesday in the journal Nature.
Fast radio bursts, or FRBs, are millisecond-long emissions of radio waves in space, and astronomers have been able to trace some radio bursts back to their home galaxies. Scientists have yet to determine the actual cause of the flashes. But the short bursts can produce a year’s worth of our sun’s total energy output.
Individual radio bursts emit once and don’t repeat. But repeating fast radio bursts are known to send out short, energetic radio waves multiple times. FRB 121102 has been known as a repeating fast radio burst since 2016.
During testing of the FAST telescope as it was being commissioned, researchers noticed FRB 121102 was frequently flaring and sending out radio signals, with a varying cadence. A total of 122 bursts were recorded during the peak hour, making it the highest rate ever for any fast radio burst. The 1,652 individual bursts occurred over a total of 59.5 hours spread across 47 days.
“This was the first time that one FRB source was studied in such great detail,” said study coauthor Bing Zhang, an astrophysicist and distinguished professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, in a statement. “The large burst set helped our team hone in like never before on the characteristic energy and energy distribution of FRBs, which sheds new light on the engine that powers these mysterious phenomena.”
The energy of the signals “severely constrains the possibility that FRB 121102 comes from an isolated compact object,” said study coauthor Wang Pei, an assistant professor from the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a statement.
While some people favor the idea that aliens could be the source of these bursts, scientists are leaning toward black holes or hyper-magnetized neutron stars called magnetars.
Magnetars are dense stars, about the size of a city like Chicago or Atlanta, with the strongest magnetic fields found in the universe. Scientists think the bursts could originate from the magnetic field of magnetars.
FRB 121102 was the first repeating fast radio burst to be traced back to its source, linked back to a small dwarf galaxy more than 3 billion light-years away in 2017. Researchers also detected a pattern within the burst in 2020. During this cyclical pattern, radio bursts are emitted during a 90-day window, followed by a silent period of 67 days. This pattern repeats every 157 days.
Previous observations showed that usually when they repeat, it’s sporadic or in a cluster.
With this new impressive set of activity from FRB 121102, researchers can better understand the energy associated with these flashes. This could help scientists learn more about the potential source of fast radio bursts.
Fast radio bursts were only discovered in 2007, followed by the discovery that some of them can repeat in 2016. Now, researchers know they can have patterns as well.
The Commensal Radio Astronomy FAST Survey has helped find six new fast radio bursts, including a repeating one like FRB 121102.
“As the world’s largest antenna, FAST’s sensitivity proves to be conducive to revealing intricacies of cosmic transients, including FRBs,” said lead study author Li Di, a professor at the National Astronomical Observatories of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, in a statement.
Rise of cryptocurrencies can be traced to Nixon abandoning gold in 1971 | Larry Elliott
Few dates in economic history classify as turning points but one of them was 15 August 1971 when Richard Nixon went on TV to announce that the US would no longer exchange dollars held by foreign governments for gold.
Nixon’s announcement 50 years ago this week had lasting ramifications. It was a statement to the world that the US was too weak to continue anchoring the global monetary system as it had done for the past quarter of a century. It would remain the world’s biggest and most important economy, but the days when it was uniquely dominant were at an end.
Shock waves from Washington’s decision to break the link with gold have rippled down the decades. The creation of the euro, the hollowing out of US manufacturing, the arrival of cryptocurrencies and the ability of central banks to print seemingly unlimited quantities of money can all be traced back to August 1971.
In truth, Nixon had little choice because the system of international economic management established at Bretton Woods in 1944 was breaking down. Under the agreement, currencies such as the pound, the French franc and the German mark were linked to the dollar at a fixed exchange rate. To ensure the stability of the system, the dollar was fixed to gold at a rate of $35 an ounce. Any country that built up a stock of dollars by running a trade surplus with the US could exchange them for gold.
This was something foreign governments were increasingly keen to do by 1971 because confidence in the dollar had been knocked by rising US inflation and balance of payments deficits. Gold reserves held in the vault of Fort Knox were rapidly depleted and Nixon finally called time on the Bretton Woods system days after a French naval vessel arrived off Manhattan with orders from Georges Pompidou to repatriate the gold held by the Federal Reserve.
Nixon insisted that his decision to close the gold “window” was temporary, but it clearly wasn’t. It was as significant as Britain’s decision to break the pound’s link with gold 40 years earlier in August 1931. That signalled the end of the classic 19th-century gold standard. Nixon’s decision was evidence that time was up for its replacement.
Milton Friedman and other monetarist economists were delighted. They said the end of fixed exchange rates would usher in greater stability and low inflation because the value of currencies would be decided by the financial markets, introducing discipline that would keep governments honest.
Things didn’t quite work out that way. Without the dollar as the linchpin of the international system, the inflationary pressure that had been building in the late 1960s intensified. Oil trades in dollars, so one consequence of the devaluation of the US currency was that countries producing crude were receiving less for each barrel they pumped. Unsurprisingly, they raised their prices. Little more than two years after Nixon’s gold announcement the global economy was hit with a fourfold increase in the price of oil.
The US and other western countries struggled to cope with the inflationary shock. Corporate profitability suffered, encouraging firms to move their production plants to parts of the world where labour costs were cheaper. By the time the US started to take draconian steps to curb inflation at the end of the 1970s, Deng Xiaoping was launching the reforms that would turn China from an economic backwater into an industrial superpower. Fifty years after the collapse of the Bretton Woods system, China has emerged as a bigger threat to the US than the Soviet Union ever was.
It may take longer for China’s currency to challenge the dollar’s position as the world’s reserve currency, and it may be that it never will. Investors know they can always get their money out of the US but with China they are not so sure.
In 2019, when he was the governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney floated the idea of a global digital currency – backed by a number of central banks – as a replacement for the dollar. Carney said his plan would help stabilise financial markets unsettled by trade and currency disputes.
Were Carney’s plan ever to come to fruition it would mark the final stage in the shift from a system where currencies were backed by something tangible – gold – to one where they are virtual. It is not hard to see why there are those who feel uneasy about this.
Why? Well, for a start, events of half a century ago led to a rapid increase in currency trading. Foreign exchange markets can be wild and unpredictable places. Governments, as Carney pointed out, try to secure competitive advantage by manipulating their currencies and by protectionist trade policies.
Sign up to the daily Business Today email or follow Guardian Business on Twitter at @BusinessDesk
One way of doing this is through quantitative easing, the process by which central banks create money though the purchase of bonds. Trillions of dollars, euros, pounds and yen pumped into the global economy over the past decade.
Classical economic theory would suggest that an increase in the money supply of this magnitude should lead to a sharp rise in inflation but that has not happened. At least not yet. Before they became the ultimate speculative play for financial investors, the rationale for cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin was that they represented a hedge against the profligacy of central banks.
Tricky Dicky didn’t know it in 1971 but 50 years on his decision has led to a world of volatile financial markets, geopolitical tension, inflated asset prices underwritten by low interest rates and QE, and where trust in central banks is starting to wear a bit thin. In the circumstances, it is perhaps easy to understand why governments have decided to hold on to their remaining gold stocks.