Middle East Tensions, Martian Water, and Granny Influencers

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Middle East on Alert

A potential Iranian attack on Israel is expected as soon as this week, US and Israeli intelligence reported yesterday. The attack would come in retaliation for the July 31 assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, which Iran attributes to Israel.

Iran's missile and drone units are especially active, according to US and Israeli assessments, similar to activity seen before Iran launched over 300 projectiles into Israel in April. In response to the heightened threat, the Pentagon has deployed a guided missile submarine to the region and is working to expedite the arrival of an aircraft carrier to help defend Israel. Israel says it has put its military on high alert and has begun offensive and defensive military preparations. 

France, Germany, Italy, and the UK have issued a joint statement calling on Iran to refrain from attacks and for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas. Those talks are scheduled for Thursday, though it is unclear if Hamas will participate.

Mars Water Discovery 

An ocean's worth of water may be hidden underneath the surface of Mars, according to research published yesterday. The findings alter hypotheses about Mars' geological evolution and offer a new place to search for possible signs of microbial life, if the reservoir can be accessed.  

The research is based on seismic measurements captured by NASA's Mars InSight lander in 2018-22, which suggest the underground reservoir is trapped roughly 7 to 13 miles beneath the red planet's outer crust (see illustration). Geophysicists estimate the amount of possible groundwater could cover all of Mars to a depth of roughly a mile. However, accessing the liquid water could be challenging, as drilling a hole even half a mile deep on Earth is difficult.     

Mars was wet roughly 3 billion years ago—as evidenced by ancient lakes and river channels—until its atmosphere thinned. Scientists previously believed the thinning atmosphere caused much of the water to freeze, escape into space, or be absorbed into minerals. Watch an overview of Mars here.

Athens Wildfire Evacuations

A wildfire near Athens, Greece, has forced thousands to evacuate, including patients and staff from a children’s hospital, a military hospital, and two monasteries. At least one person has died from the fire, which ignited Sunday about 20 miles northeast of the capital and remains largely uncontained. The fire has expanded to nearly 20 miles across, with some flames reaching over 80 feet in height. Strong winds, extreme heat, and drought, combined with challenging terrain, have fueled the fire’s spread.

The fire is the most severe so far this year in Greece, which has seen dozens of fires this summer amid the country's hottest June and July on record. As of yesterday, over 700 firefighters, supported by aerial units and volunteers, have been deployed to combat the blaze. Several EU countries have also offered assistance in tackling the fire. See photos here.

In the US, firefighters continued to battle the massive Park Fire, which is currently more than 429,000 acres in size and is 39% contained as of this writing.

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