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Italy's Etna and Stromboli Volcanoes Erupt, Catania Airport Closed

A picture shows the eruption of the Mount Etna volcano on July 5, 2024 in Sicily. (Photo by Giuseppe Distefano / Etna Walk / AFP)
A picture shows the eruption of the Mount Etna volcano on July 5, 2024 in Sicily. (Photo by Giuseppe Distefano / Etna Walk / AFP)
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Italy's Etna and Stromboli Volcanoes Erupt, Catania Airport Closed

A picture shows the eruption of the Mount Etna volcano on July 5, 2024 in Sicily. (Photo by Giuseppe Distefano / Etna Walk / AFP)
A picture shows the eruption of the Mount Etna volcano on July 5, 2024 in Sicily. (Photo by Giuseppe Distefano / Etna Walk / AFP)

Eruptions at Italy's Mount Etna and the smaller Stromboli volcano spewed hot ash and lava, raising alert levels on the Mediterranean island of Sicily and forcing a temporary shutdown of Catania Airport on Friday.
Etna, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has seen intense activity in recent days, lighting up the sky near the city of Catania, while Stromboli off the northern Sicilian coast has spilled lava into the sea.
Italy's civil protection agency issued its top, red alert for Stromboli, warning the situation could deteriorate.
Civil Protection Minister Nello Musumeci said Stromboli was "under surveillance", adding that authorities were making sure evacuation plans were ready in case of emergency.
According to The Associated Press, the fire brigade said they had preemptively doubled the number of firefighters on the island.
Around Catania, on the eastern coast of Sicily, residents and authorities moved to clean up the city after streets and cars were left smothered in black volcanic ash, while the nearby airport was closed.
"The runway at Catania Airport is unusable due to the volcanic ash fall. Both arrivals and departures are suspended," the airport said in a statement, adding that operations were due to resume at 3:00 p.m. (1300 GMT).

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China: Scientists Identify Super Moss Able to 'Survive' in Mars

A man walks outside traditional alleyways Hutong at Qianmen in Beijing, China, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
A man walks outside traditional alleyways Hutong at Qianmen in Beijing, China, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
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China: Scientists Identify Super Moss Able to 'Survive' in Mars

A man walks outside traditional alleyways Hutong at Qianmen in Beijing, China, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)
A man walks outside traditional alleyways Hutong at Qianmen in Beijing, China, Sunday, July 7, 2024. (AP Photo/Vincent Thian)

Scientists have identified a super resilient desert moss species in China's western region of Xinjiang that could help sustain possible colonies on Mars, a study by the Chinese Academy of Sciences showed.
When subjected to conditions that simulate the environment on Mars, the moss - Syntrichia Caninervis - was found to be able to withstand extreme dryness, ultra-low temperatures and radiation, the academy said in a research paper published in The Innovation journal last week.
The moss could serve as the "basis for the establishment and maintenance of the ecosystem by contributing to oxygen production, carbon sequestration, and soil fertility", the researched said in the study, published on July 1.
"(It) can help drive the atmospheric, geological, and ecological processes required for other higher plants and animals while facilitating the creation of new habitable environments conducive to long-term human settlement," the paper added.
In the research, scientists found that even after losing more than 98% of its cellular water content, the moss was able to recover photosynthetic and physiological activities within seconds after it was hydrated.
When intact, the plant can also tolerate ultra-low temperatures and regenerate after being stored in a freezer at minus 80 degree Celsius (minus 112 Fahrenheit) for five years or in liquid nitrogen for a month, Reuters reported.
The moss is found in Xinjiang, Tibet, a Californian desert, the Middle East and polar regions.
The race to place a larger footprint in space has spurred China and the United States to launch exploration plans in recent years.
Chinese missions include launching near-Earth asteroid probe Tianwen-2 next year, and Tianwen-3 around 2030 to bring samples back from Mars. China last month retrieved samples from the far side of the moon.
In the United States, NASA has formulated a 20-year plan for Mars, seeking answers to whether the red planet is habitable for humans.