Secret NASA audio captures 'alien base' comment during moon mission debrief

By CHRIS MELORE, US DEPUTY SCIENCE EDITOR

A third batch of UFO files was released by the Pentagon on Friday morning.

The document drop included recorded NASA briefings after Apollo 16, which referred to an 'alien starbase' on the dark side of the moon. The comments were not included in the official transcript from the 1972 mission.

Among the most bizarre releases was a 1958 CIA memorandum discussing a phone conversation with a scientist regarding concerns about a destroyed 'space message and its transmitter.'

The scientist, Dr Leon Davidson, was a chemical engineer who worked on the Manhattan Project and at Los Alamos, and studied UFOs.

The third set of documents was quietly uploaded to the Department of War's website on the same day as the release of the Hollywood blockbuster Disclosure Day.

According to the Pentagon, there have been 'unprecedented levels of interest' in the UFO files, with the website receiving more than 1.7 billion hits worldwide since it launched in May.

The latest trove adds dozens of documents, photographs and videos to the government's rapidly expanding public archive of unexplained sightings.

Follow along for the latest updates.

20:42

NASA audio hidden for decades reveals discussion about an 'alien base' on the moon

Audio from a secret NASA meeting following the Apollo 16 mission has been released as part of the third batch of UFO files, revealing a discussion about a possible 'alien base' on the moon.

Apollo 16 flew from April 16 to April 27, 1972, and saw astronauts John Young and Charles Duke become the first humans to explore the moon's rugged highlands while Thomas 'Ken' Mattingly remained in lunar orbit.

Buried within the 55-minute discussion is a brief exchange about unusual gravity readings, laser measurements and unexplained anomalies detected on the moon's far side.

The speakers focus on what one participant describes as a 'great big hole' near the Van de Graaff crater, a distinctive lunar formation known for unusual magnetic and geochemical characteristics.

'In the backside of the moon around Fendi graph, that's where we get our big hole,' one speaker says.

The discussion then takes an unexpected turn.

'It could be an alien star base or something. Anyway, the next slide shows the front side of the moon.'

The remark appears amid a broader technical discussion of lunar data and anomalies, although the context of the comment remains unclear from the audio alone.

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21:55

UFO over airport in Zimbabwe triggered CIA alarm

A newly released CIA cable shows that intelligence assets in Zimbabwe were placed on high alert after a UFO was reported hovering over the country's main airport in the summer of 2008.

The document details an incident that unfolded on July 2 and drew the attention of both US intelligence and military officials.

According to the cable, the object 'hovered at an undetermined altitude directly over the Harare airport,' prompting concerns that it could represent hostile foreign activity.

At one point during observation, ‘beams’ were observed emanating from the object,' read the cable.

It also quoted witnesses describing the UFO as 'disc-like in shape with a hollow center, [with] a series of rotating lights on the underside of the airframe.'

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19:23

Navy issued urgent message about 'flying discs,' warning new wave is 'imminent'

A newly released memo from the US Navy revealed how the military branch was issuing urgent orders after spotting a wave of 'flying discs' in 1948.

In a three-page memo, the Navy issued instructions asking all of its personnel, commands and offices to carefully observe and immediately report any sightings of 'flying discs' - a term at the time for UFOs.

The order was given after a large number of reports of strange disc-shaped objects in the sky, pushing the military to collect all reliable information to figure out what they were.

Moreover, the memo revealed how the Air Force warned the Navy that those UFO sightings were the first of many the US believed were about to take place.

'The Director of Intelligence, US Air Force has informed the Navy Department that a cycle of reappearance of "Flying Discs" is becoming apparent, and that the beginning of a new interval is imminent.'

In recent years, Naval personnel have testified to seeing UFOs not only in the skies above Earth's oceans, but also diving into the sea at extreme speed without disrupting their course - something that is believed to still be beyond human capabilities today.

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17:54

'Plasma sun' orbs seen in American's backyard

A 2026 FBI report revealed an interview with a homeowner in the Northeastern US who had a striking sighting one evening around 9.15pm local time.

While pulling into his driveway in July 2025, the man noticed a bright red glowing orb about three feet in diameter hovering silently below the tree line in his backyard.

Inside the red sphere was a brilliant white 'plasma sun' the size of a basketball.

His spouse, watching from inside on their security camera, also saw the orb, according to the FBI.

A second identical red orb soon appeared above the house. The couple watched as both orbs moved together, changed direction and flew westward above the trees.

They eventually merged into what looked like a single orb before disappearing. The witness and his spouse recorded a short video of the orbs as they moved away, which was included in the latest Pentagon file dump on Friday.

A few weeks later, the witness claimed to have seen several smaller white orbs flying higher overhead from west to east.

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17:24

US law enforcement officers have shocking encounter with UFO orbs

A group of trained federal agents described encountering glowing orbs that 'hatched' red lights, silent hovering objects that mimicked vehicles and intelligent light formations seen flying over a remote portion of the western US over two nights in October 2023.

The special agents reported seeing glowing orange orbs near hills or ridgelines. They hovered motionless, pulsed between bright orange and clear and sometimes moved quickly across the sky.

Some orbs suddenly released three to four smaller red lights that flew out in straight lines, in vertical or clustered formations or downward like flares.

The agents also saw rows or clusters of red lights, sometimes in groups of nine or more, hovering in perfect patterns like squares over airfields or ridgelines.

The officers also described the UFOs imitating car headlights or taillights on the road ahead. When approached, the 'vehicles' hovered silently 15 to 20 feet off the ground without touching the dirt or kicking up dust, then drifted away over rough terrain.

While the reports submitted to the Pentagon did not reveal if pictures or videos of the incidents were taken, artist recreations were attached to the latest files.

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16:46

'Potato' shaped UFO seen over key military facility

A witness interview in Friday's UFO files revealed an encounter with a 'potato' shaped craft over one of America's more highly secure underground military facilities.

The 2024 FBI report documented the sighting by a US Army intelligence officer and four other members of his unit.

In February 2022, as they left their office building in Colorado Springs, they saw the strange UFO hovering over the Cheyenne Mountains.

The object was described as creamy or whitish, somewhat translucent with a slight shimmer and made of irregular, non-overlapping panels like 'articulating fish scales.'

The UFO stayed perfectly still, but the panels on its surface shifted slowly in waves. After about two minutes, the object suddenly vanished as if it cloaked itself in mid air.

Cheyenne Mountain is a heavily protected underground military complex in Colorado. It is famous for being the former home of NORAD, North American Aerospace Defense Command.

Built deep inside the mountain during the Cold War, it was designed to survive a nuclear attack and continuously monitor North American airspace for missiles, aircraft and space threats.

The report included an artist's impression of the incident.

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15:51

'Plasma-like sphere' spotted hovering above a pond in the US

One video released on Friday shows what officials described as a 'plasma-like sphere' hovering above a pond at an undisclosed location in the US, appearing to shift shape and brightness as it moved.

15:48

Trump releases THIRD bombshell tranche of UFO files

The Trump administration has released a third tranche of previously classified UAP files, adding dozens of new documents, photographs and videos to the government's rapidly expanding archive of unexplained sightings.

The materials were quietly uploaded to the Department of War's website on Friday morning and include a series of cases that investigators were unable to definitively explain, leaving the nature of the phenomena unresolved.

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Trump releases THIRD bombshell tranche of UFO files

The Trump administration on Friday opened another chapter in its UFO disclosure campaign, releasing a third wave of previously hidden files.

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15:46

CIA destroyed a 'message from space'

A one-page memo in the third tranche of UFO files released on Friday revealed a 1958 phone conversation between the CIA and a scientist about an alleged 'space message' which had been destroyed after its reception on Earth.

The scientist, Dr Leon Davidson, was a chemical engineer and UFO researcher who worked on the Manhattan Project, the mission to create the world's first atomic bomb in World War II.

The memo stated that Davidson was told by the CIA that the agency 'cannot resolve his problem concerning the space message and its transmitter because records on the matter have been destroyed by the evaluating agency.'

The memo then acknowledged that two agents from the CIA had been in contact with Davidson before the scientist reached out to the agency regarding the mysterious transmission.

The memo admitted that agents 'Walker and Skakich' attempted to conceal their identity from Davidson while speaking to him about the message from space.

'Referenced telephone conversation disclosed that there is nothing in the record to show that Davidson knew he was dealing with the Agency in his contacts with Walker and Skakich, that in fact, an effort had been made to to conceal their CIA identity from him.'

'But the answer was hardly fair to Davidson, and one not likely to be fully accepted by him,' the memo continued, noting that Davidson was given no answers on how or why the transmission was destroyed.

It is unclear when and where Davidson allegedly received his message from space.

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UFO leakers expose disturbing government tactics used to keep America's alien cover-up a secret

By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR

Americans have been told that anyone with knowledge of secret UFO programs should come forward.

Members of Congress have urged witnesses to testify, government agencies have established official reporting channels and advocacy groups have promised support and protection. Public interest in UFOs has surged to levels not seen in decades.

Yet behind the growing push for disclosure, a very different story is emerging from the people who say they answered the call to step forward.

A trio of whistleblowers and witnesses recently took the stage at Contact in the Desert, the world's largest UFO-themed gathering, claiming they have paid a devastating personal price for sharing what they know.

Air Force veteran Dylan Borland, who testified before Congress last year about encountering a 100-foot triangular craft near Langley Air Force Base, painted a troubling picture of life after coming forward.

'Somebody... falsified classified information and lied to the government to persuade the government and is threatening me with treason,' Borland said.

'You want to know how my life is? The rest of my life that will be hung over my head. Statute of limitations for treason is life.'

Former national security official Matthew Brown described a disturbing home intrusion that he believes was meant as intimidation, while US Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Alexandro Wiggins said he fears his involvement in the UFO issue could jeopardize his retirement and future career prospects. 

A trio of whistleblowers and witnesses recently took the stage at Contact in the Desert, the world's largest UFO-themed gathering, claiming they have paid a devastating personal price for sharing what they know

The Daily Mail has not independently verified the allegations made by Borland, Brown or Wiggins. 

The Pentagon has repeatedly stated that service members and government employees can report UFO incidents through official channels, while the All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) has said it is committed to gathering information from witnesses and whistleblowers. 

Investigative journalist Jeremy Corbell, who joined the three men on stage last weekend, told the Daily Mail: 'You heard Senior Chief Wiggins. He is an active-duty Navy servicemember, a single father and just one year away from retirement.

They pressured him, saying they would get the Secretary of Defense to force him to sit for a deposition, even though he had already publicly stated that he respectfully declined,' Corbell said. 

'Borland, threatened with treason, Brown, threatened with counter-espionage against American assets. It is character assassination.'

Borland said he initially reported his concerns through congressional channels and later met with officials from the government's UFO investigation offices. 

He said he never intended to become a public figure and only came forward after exhausting official avenues. 

Since then, Borland claimed his family has also been targeted.

Air Force veteran Dylan Borland testified before Congress in 2025 about encountering a 100-foot triangular craft near Langley Air Force Base in Virginia while stationed there 

'My wife has been threatened disgustingly,' he said. 'I have been doxxed. They have shown pictures of the inside of my house. I've been threatened with treason.'

He added that both he and his wife are now unemployed, saying: 'It's been miserable.'

When asked if he regretted coming forward, Borland told the Daily Mail: 'I do not wish I had stayed quiet as I swore an oath to protect the US Constitution. 

'I fulfilled that oath by becoming a whistleblower. Unfortunately, upon doing so, I was put into the position where I needed to become public. 

'If the truth is known and people and agencies are held accountable, then I can justify my actions. Without that, I am another sacrifice in the coverup.'

Brown said at the conference that he also never intended to become a public whistleblower.

Matthew Brown is a former US national security official who told investigative journalists Jeremy Corbell and George Knapp about an alleged UFO program named 'Immaculate Constellation'

He initially came forward through official channels after discovering information related to an alleged program known as 'Immaculate Constellation.' 

The program is described as a secret, unauthorized Pentagon program created to collect and hide UFO evidence, which allegedly acts as an unacknowledged special access program designed to quarantine high-quality UFO imagery and testimonies from congressional oversight. 

The Department of Defense (DoD) officially denies the existence of Immaculate Constellation. A DoD spokesperson has stated that there is no historical or present record of any such Unacknowledged Special Access Program (USAP).

 'I was a UAP whistleblower to Congress,' he explained at the conference, saying he responded after lawmakers invited intelligence personnel to provide information behind closed doors.

According to Brown, the consequences have been severe. 'I have lost my career,' he said. 'I spent over a decade building it.'

Brown said the fallout has affected every aspect of his life, including plans he and his wife once had for the future.

'I'm 35,' he said. 'This started for me five years ago. My wife and I wanted a family. Seems very remote now. It's very difficult to imagine a future at this moment. It has been hell.'

He also described a disturbing incident in which someone allegedly entered his home while he and his wife were sleeping.

According to Brown, nothing of value was stolen despite expensive electronics being left untouched. Instead, personal items were moved around the house and his grandfather's ashes were allegedly removed and left outside.

'The only thing taken out of the house is, as you said, my grandfather's ashes,' Brown said. 'They took away from me and left as a message in the street next to the garbage.'

US Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Alexandro Wiggins said he fears his involvement in the UFO issue could jeopardize his retirement and future career prospects.

Brown believes the incident was intended as intimidation, saying: 'It's meant to mess with your brain. It's meant to mess with your life.'

Even though he said his life has fallen apart since coming forward, Brown told the Daily Mail that he does not wish he had stayed silent.

'There was a clear moral imperative then, just as there is now, to disclose the truth about UAP to the public,' he continued.

'I do wish my government had protected the whistleblowers. I do wish there had been help for the people who told the truth. I do wish I had never been forced to go public. 

'Most of all, I wish there were a way to protect our families from the pain caused by our sacrifices.'

Wiggins' story is different from the two whistleblowers, as he is still on active duty.

The 23-year veteran testified alongside Borland last year, describing a strange encounter while aboard the USS Jackson off the Southern California coast on February 15, 2023.

Wiggins said he witnessed a Tic-Tac craft emerge from the Pacific and join three other Tic-Tacs in a flying formation over the Navy vessel.

Leaked military video from 2012 revealed three orbs captured flying over the Persian Gulf

All of the Tic-Tacs shot off at the same time with incredible speed, without creating a sonic boom or making the typical engine trails of a plane or drone.

Wiggins explained what he viewed as pressure from government investigators after he had already shared his account with Congress.

He testified that representatives from the All-Domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) repeatedly contacted him and eventually reached out to his chain of command.

After declining further interviews, Wiggins said he was surprised by the response.

'They said, "Well, we're gonna let you know that we'd like to push back and tell you that if we have to get Pete Hegseth ... to get him to come in, that's what we're going to have to do,"' Wiggins stated. 'I was surprised to hear that.'

As an active-duty service member nearing retirement, Wiggins said he worried about the potential impact on his career.

'I can see this becoming an issue for my retirement,' he said. 'I can see this being an issue as a father retiring and attempting to get jobs and such.'

Wiggins told the Daily Mail that he wrestled with telling the public about what he witnessed in 2023.

'I knew back then, just like I know now, that staying silent wasn't the answer. I am proud of my service to the US armed forces, and I am proud of my decision I made,' he said.

Corbell argued that such stories explain why many potential whistleblowers remain reluctant to come forward despite public calls for transparency.

'None of these guys asked to testify,' Corbell said. 'They did everything right. Reported up the chain of command.'

He described what he sees as a pattern of retaliation against individuals connected to the UFO issue.

'Our wives get threatened, our moms get threatened, we lose jobs,' Corbell said.

New UAP footage and questions about government accountability | Backscroll

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Is the Gulf Stream about to collapse? Mysterious 'cold blob' in the Atlantic suggests key current is weakening, scientists warn

• READ MORE: This year's super El Niño to be the strongest EVER recorded

By WILIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

A mysterious 'cold blob' has emerged in the North Atlantic – and scientists say it indicates a critical ocean current is on the verge of collapsing.

While the rest of the Earth's oceans have grown warmer amid the building El Niño, one patch of sea southeast of Greenland has remained stubbornly chilly.

For decades, scientists have been baffled over why this 'hole' is cooling down while everywhere else heats up.

Now, a group of researchers argue that it is because the critical Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is slowing down.

AMOC is a vast network of ocean currents carrying warmth from the tropics to Europe, of which the Gulf Stream is one small part.

However, recent data suggests that human–caused climate change could be driving this system to a tipping point that could trigger its total collapse.

Were AMOC to collapse, it would plunge northern Europe into a 'new Ice Age' and trigger famines by disrupting crucial monsoon rains in Africa and Asia.

Lead author Professor Stefan Rahmstorf, of Potsdam University, told New Scientist: 'Even if, in some modelling approaches, it seems possible that the cold blob is caused by the atmosphere, in fact, the data show it is caused by the ocean.' 

A 'cold blob' in the North Atlantic could be a sign that the crucial Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) is slowing down 

AMOC plays a crucial role in keeping the planet's current climate stable by moving heat, nutrients, and carbon around the world.

The 'engine' driving this global conveyor belt is the cold, salty waters that form in the North Atlantic around Greenland.

As this dense water sinks towards the bottom of the ocean, warm water from the Tropics is pulled northwards, and the cycle keeps the current moving.

However, scientists are concerned that fresh water from Greenland's melting glaciers is disrupting this process by diluting the water and making it less dense.

Studies have shown that AMOC has already slowed by about 15 per cent since the mid–20th century due to climate change, and could be driven into total collapse in the future.

Since a slowing AMOC would result in less warm water arriving in the North Atlantic, scientists had suggested that it could be part of the explanation for the cold blob.

However, our direct observations of AMOC only date back around 20 years, which makes drawing a strong connection challenging.

Likewise, other researchers have proposed a competing theory, arguing that the cold blob is actually being caused by changing wind conditions.

The North Atlantic 'cold blob' or 'warming hole' is a region of ocean that has been getting cooler even while the rest of the planet gets hotter 

In 2022, scientists claimed that the rapid warming in the Arctic has shifted the jet stream over the cold blob region and that these strong westerly winds are drawing more heat out of the ocean.

However, a group of researchers led by Professor Rahmstorf now say they have found strong evidence linking the cold blob to AMOC's decline.

Instead of using computer–based climate models, the researchers used 'climate reanalyses', which are based on direct measurements from satellites, buoys and ships.

They found that surface heat loss has actually decreased in the cold blob since 1995, meaning that the wind is not taking more heat away.

Likewise, they discovered that the cold blob is not just cooling at the surface, but also at 3,280 feet (1,000 m) below the waves.

According to the researchers, this clearly shows that the warming hole is being caused by a change in the way ocean currents distribute heat and not by the wind.

This is vitally important because it would make the North Atlantic cold blob one of the 'early warning signals' that AMOC is weakening.

In their paper, published in Geophysical Research Letters, the researchers conclude: 'Our analysis supports the interpretation of the observed "cold blob" as a sign of a weakening AMOC.'

Scientists found that the amount of heat being lost from the surface has actually decreased over time (illustrated), meaning that it is not wind–driven heat loss causing the cooling 

Researchers found that the cool spot is also getting colder beneath the surface, which suggests that it is being driven by changes in ocean currents, such as the AMOC 

More immediately, this means that the cold blob could also threaten the 'subpolar gyre', a massive swirling current that surrounds the North Atlantic.

This current helps to bring salty water to the surface to feed the process of cooling and sinking that drives AMOC.

However, if the subpolar gyre failed, it would actually cool the UK and northern Europe even faster than a full AMOC collapse.

A recent Parliamentary report warned that the collapse of the subpolar gyre could create 2°C (3.6°F) and 3°C (5.4°F) of cooling over the North Atlantic, threatening the viability of agriculture in the UK.

Professor Rahmstorf warns: 'The subpolar gyre passing this tipping point could already lead to serious climate impacts in western Europe as early as in the 2040s'

ATLANTIC OCEAN CIRCULATION PLAYS A KEY ROLE IN REGULATING THE GLOBAL CLIMATE

When it comes to regulating global climate, the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean plays a key role.

This is due to a constantly moving system of deep-water circulation often referred to as the Global Ocean Conveyor Belt which sends warm, salty Gulf Stream water to the North Atlantic where it releases heat to the atmosphere and warms Western Europe.

The cooler water then sinks to great depths and travels all the way to Antarctica and eventually circulates back up to the Gulf Stream.

When it comes to regulating global climate, the circulation of the Atlantic Ocean plays a key role

This motion is fuelled by thermohaline currents – a combination of temperature and salt.

It takes thousands of years for water to complete a continuous journey around the world.

Researchers believe that as the North Atlantic began to warm near the end of the Little Ice Age, freshwater disrupted the system, called the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).

Arctic sea ice, and ice sheets and glaciers surrounding the Arctic began to melt, forming a huge natural tap of fresh water that gushed into the North Atlantic.

This huge influx of freshwater diluted the surface seawater, making it lighter and less able to sink deep, slowing down the AMOC system.

Researchers found the AMOC has been weakening more rapidly since 1950 in response to recent global warming.

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Atlantic 'cold blob' caused by weakening ocean current system that's likely nearing a tipping point, reanalysis finds

by Krystal Kasal, Phys.org

A part of the Atlantic Ocean, just south of Greenland and Iceland, has been cooling off while the rest of the world gets hotter. This enigmatic patch is often referred to as the "cold blob" and scientists have been trying to figure out the mechanisms behind its cooling. While some studies have blamed increased heat loss at the sea surface, others suggest weaker currents are bringing less heat to the area. Now, a new study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, provides additional support for the latter—now using reanalysis data based on direct weather observations instead of just modeling.

"A further weakening of the AMOC could have major repercussions for future climate for millennia, given that the AMOC is known to have a tipping point beyond which it is likely to shut down," the study authors write.

Still, some think that the cold blob is caused by surface heat loss and atmospheric effects, but models and proxies have not reached consensus.

Not just a surface-level problem

The research team decided to back up modeling with observational data to attempt to settle the debate. They used observation-based reanalysis data for ocean heat content and surface fluxes, including satellite and temperature measurements and combined this with climate models. They also conducted a heat budget analysis, which quantified the balance between incoming and outgoing heat in the cold blob region. The data for quality reanalysis goes back to 1955 and the satellite data goes back to 1993, allowing the team to determine changes over many decades.

Their results indicated that the cooling in the "cold blob" is a deep ocean phenomenon, driven by changes in ocean heat transport, not just surface temperature changes. The data indicated that surface heat loss has actually decreased in the cold blob area, contradicting the idea that increased surface cooling is responsible.

The team writes, "To explain a cooling trend in the cold blob region by surface heat loss while the AMOC is steady, this heat loss would need to increase to outcompete the AMOC's heat supply. The opposite is seen in the ERA5 data: surface heat loss has in fact decreased (since 1993 significantly, since 1955 slightly) over the cold blob. The latter is to be expected when the AMOC supplies less heat to the region and thus less is released to the atmosphere."

An approaching tipping point

Further weakening of this crucial current system could have far-reaching effects on weather, sea level and ecosystems, according to many climate models. The researchers urge policymakers to think of risk management strategies to lessen the impact that the AMOC tipping point might bring.

They write, "Given the well‐established existence of a tipping point of the AMOC, as well as recent studies finding a range of different 'early warning signals' of the ocean circulation approaching such a tipping point, the strong evidence for a weakening AMOC is a serious concern for society and policy. While large uncertainty remains over how close Earth is to this tipping point, standard CMIP6 simulations of future global warming scenarios suggest it is crossed in a substantial subset of these model simulations around the middle of this century."

• Correction note (June 8, 2026): An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated the year as 1933; this was a typographical error, and the correct year is 1993. The text has been updated to reflect this correction.

{ https://phys.org/earth-news/earth-sciences/ }

Mysterious ‘cold blob’ in the Atlantic suggests the AMOC is weakening

A patch of ocean south-east of Greenland is the only place on Earth that is cooling, and it could be a sign that the warm water "conveyor belt" in the Atlantic is slowing down

By Alec Luhn

Over the past 150 years, Earth’s entire surface has been warming, except for one patch of the north Atlantic. Located south-east of Greenland, this area has cooled by as much as 1°C and is known as the “warming hole” or the “cold blob”.

The swath of ocean — dubbed the “cold blob” or “warming hole” — has cooled by nearly 1 degree Celsius (1.8 Fahrenheit) since 1900.

Scientists have long debated whether this anomaly is driven by heat loss from the ocean surface due to changes to winds and clouds, or whether it’s a signal of the weakening of a critical system of ocean currents, which transports heat. The new research concludes it’s the latter, and the finding points to a worrying future.

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, works like a vast ocean conveyor belt, pulling warm water from the tropics to the Northern Hemisphere, where it cools, sinks and flows back south.

A raft of research suggests this system is weakening as human-driven global warming melts ice and causes a surge of freshwater into the ocean, disrupting the AMOC’s delicate balance of heat and salinity. Some scientists warn the AMOC is heading toward a tipping point, potentially as early at this century, which would mean a future collapse is locked in.

An AMOC shutdown would be a global catastrophe, causing accelerated sea level rise on the US East Coast, plunging Europe into a winter deep freeze and shifting the monsoon in Africa, driving prolonged droughts.

The cold blob has been interpreted by some as a fingerprint of AMOC change, because it’s the region to which the AMOC brings much of its heat.

To better unravel what’s happening in this part of the Atlantic, the study scientists combined real-world ocean heat data from instruments and satellites with climate models.

They found that cooling in the cold blob was not just happening on the surface but also deep in the ocean, where atmospheric conditions like winds and clouds have a much weaker influence.

All signs point to the influence of the AMOC, the study found. “It is changing ocean heat transport” which is driving the cooling of the cold blob, said Stefan Rahmstorf, a study author and a physics and oceans professor at Potsdam University, Germany.

There is also plenty of other evidence the AMOC is weakening, independent of the cold blob, he added, with some studies suggesting it’s at the weakest it’s been in around 1,000 years.

Previous studies have demonstrated it’s possible to generate a cold blob through atmospheric conditions alone, said René van Westen, a marine and atmospheric researcher at Utrecht University, who was not involved in the research. But the fact the new study found consistent results across different datasets “strengthens the robustness of the conclusions,” he said.

David Thornally, a professor of ocean and climate science at University College London, also not involved in the research, said that the study bolsters evidence of a link between the cold blob and a weakening AMOC, but cautioned that the sparseness of real-world data means the available datasets “are best viewed as good approximations rather than perfect representations of reality.”

Uncertainties remain, he told CNN, and “I don’t think (this study) will be the final word on the issue.”

Jonathan Baker, a senior climate scientist at the UK Met Office, agreed, telling CNN “I would view this study as adding evidence for an AMOC contribution to the cold blob, rather than definitively settling the question.”

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New UFO files describe spinning discs, glowing orbs and one object shaped like a potato

By ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) - One was a rotating disc that sent out beams of light. Another was a shining red orb of a hue the observer had never seen before. Then there was the one compared to a potato, and also a bean, but with a coat of shimmering, fish-like scales.

Those were some of the UFOs described in documents released Friday by the Pentagon, the third release since President Donald Trump directed his administration to give the public full disclosure around what it knows about alien life and mysterious objects in the sky.

The 72 files released on Friday don´t include the kind of blockbuster revelation that Trump has teased. There´s no conclusive evidence of alien life or government cover-ups. But the files reveal new details about some recent sightings, along with the government's efforts to explain what many find inexplicable.

Take, for instance, the potato.

It happened in 2022, on a brisk February morning in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Five U.S. Army members at Fort Carson walked out of an office building and saw something strange hovering over Cheyenne Mountain, a few miles to the west.

"The object was `potato´ shaped with distinct edges and appeared to look painted in a creamy/whitish opalescent color," according to an account in an FBI document. It was made up of "articulating fish scales or panels that were non-symmetrical, non-overlapping and irregular shaped."

FILE - A patron passes a painting inside the International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, N.M., on June 10, 1997.

(AP Photo/Eric Draper, File)

It stayed motionless, shimmering, for about two minutes, the men recounted to the FBI. Then it vanished in the blink of an eye. None of the men had phones on them. There's no video, no photos.

Authorities tasked with investigating the episode said they couldn't explain it easily. Their report found - with "low confidence" - that it may have been "backscattering of sunlight." Low light from the rising sun could have reflected off the mountain's snow and illuminated low clouds above, it said.

The men insisted it was a clear, cloudless day. No aircraft or balloons were believed to be in the area. The four-page report, heavily redacted and attributed only to an "intelligence community partner," said it didn't appear to be technology from a foreign adversary. An FBI rendering looks just like one might imagine - like a scaly, pale potato above a low mountain.

The case remains unsolved.

A similarly inclusive report examined a series of sightings in October 2023, this time by six federal law enforcement agents. Multiple times, the agents said, they saw a bright orange orb appear above a ridgeline and spawn two to four smaller red orbs.

The orbs disappeared quickly most of the time, but in one instance, the agents said an orb hovered motionless in the sky for several hours. There's no video or photo evidence of the sightings, the report said.

An analysis dated this month goes through a series of possible explanations. Military aircraft were conducting exercises in the area, and some deployed flares. There could have been other testing of developmental U.S. technology nearby, the report said. It listed those as "plausible" but not conclusive explanations.

Yet it didn't rule out the possibility that it was some "unrecognized technology." With relatively little evidence to work from, it called for more investigation into the case.

The analysis was conducted by the Pentagon´s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, which Congress created in 2022 to investigate reports of unidentified anomalous phenomena, also known as UAP. Previous reports from the agency say it has not found any evidence of extraterrestrial life.

Among the most recent files is an FBI report from February detailing a sighting in an undisclosed part of the Northeast United States. A person whose name is blacked out reported coming home and seeing an intense light hovering below the trees in their backyard. It was described as a sphere of a "brilliant and beautiful" red, which the person had never seen.

"Inside the red sphere, at the center, there appeared to be what (redacted) described as a `white plasma sun´ about the size of a basketball," according to the FBI file.

A second sphere appeared, and both silently flew out of sight, the file says. Cellphone footage shows two glowing red orbs floating across the sky. The White House shared the video on social media on Friday with no message beyond the file´s name: "`NORTHEASTERN ORB SIGHTING,´ 2025."

So far, the Trump administration's transparency campaign has led to the release of about 300 files dating to the 1940s, some brand-new to the public and some adding detail on previously known cases.

The newest batch includes a 2008 CIA report from Zimbabwe labeled as "never before released." On a July day above the country´s main airport, observers reportedly saw something straight out of a Hollywood movie: It was "disc-like in shape with a hollow center, and had a series of rotating lights on the underside of the airframe."

"At one point during observation, `beams´ were observed emanating from the object," the CIA report said.

The lights changed colors, and the aircraft ascended high out of view, the report says. There was debate about where it came from, according to the report, with some suggesting a foreign government and some positing "extraterrestrial origins."

The Pentagon is pictured in Washington, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)

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A new picture of the missing Air Force general allegedly tied to UFO secrets has opened up an even greater mystery about the final hours before he vanished. 

The photo captured retired Major General William Neil McCasland exiting a local sporting goods store in New Mexico with a mysterious parcel just a day before he walked out of his Albuquerque home on February 27.

The new clue was released by the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office after a Freedom of Information Act request by Lauren Conlin, a reporter at Los Angeles Magazine.

McCasland was seen during the day wearing sunglasses and appearing alert and composed as he walked out of REI with the large white shipping bag and another smaller item tucked under his left arm.

It is not known what was in the mystery package, although such soft and malleable bags are often used for mailing clothing. The smaller, yellow item in McCasland's hand has been theorized to be a lightweight first aid kit by viewers online.

According to McCasland's wife, Susan Wilkerson, the Air Force veteran left behind his phone, wallet, wearable devices and prescription glasses when he left their home around 11am local time. She also claimed her husband 'planned not to be found.'

McCasland had also changed his clothes, leaving his normal attire behind, and only took a pair of boots and his .38-caliber revolver with him.

The general's disappearance has become a national talking point after it was revealed that he possessed both US nuclear and UFO-related secrets and his career allegedly connected him to several other scientists and nuclear workers who died or disappeared.

A new surveillance image shows retired Air Force general William Neil McCasland the day before he vanished without a trace on February 27

The item seen in McCasland's hand on February 26 has been compared to a waterproof first aid kit by viewers on social media

In a post on X, revealing the newly obtained photo, Conlin speculated that McCasland may have been picking up previously ordered items from the camping and hiking store.  

'McCasland doesn't appear to be carrying a traditional REI shopping bag. However, REI does allow customers to place orders online and pick them up in-store, leaving open the possibility that what he's carrying may have been retrieved rather than purchased during that visit,' she explained Friday. 

In May, chilling bodycam and 911 recordings seemed to suggest that the general had a set of clothes his wife did not know about when he vanished.

Wilkerson was heard telling a 911 dispatcher in February: 'He's left his phone, he changed his clothes into I don't know what. I think he's on foot.'

Those recently released recordings also seemed to dispute Wilkerson's claims on social media that her husband did not possess any up-to-date classified information.

Police were seen speaking to an unidentified female witness on the phone who claimed she and members of the US Space Force had dinner with McCasland the night before he vanished.

The unnamed caller claimed she worked with McCasland, who was still a member of the Kirtland Partnership, a nonprofit working to protect and expand Kirtland Air Force Base, a major military research facility and nuclear weapons lab in New Mexico.

The retired general reportedly met with the group at a restaurant in Albuquerque around 6pm local time, possibly minutes or hours after the photo in REI was taken.

William Neil McCasland, 68, was last seen around 11am on Friday, February 27 near Quail Run Court NE in Albuquerque, the Bernalillo County Sheriff's Office said

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'He was the head of Air Force Research Lab to the point the man's names are in the UFO documents that are fixed to be released,' the witness claimed. 'He's in that depth, so he has a very high security clearance.'

The new photo of McCasland also appeared to show the general, known to be an avid hiker, in good health and active at the time of his disappearance.

However, the woman who allegedly met with McCasland said something seemed wrong during the meeting with Space Force and the retired general was not acting like himself that night.

'I was shocked this morning when I saw the alert because what I noticed Thursday evening [February 26] is that he wasn't his usual self. He was kind of spacey and quiet and you know that that happens with people.'

According to Wilkerson's statement to police, McCasland was just prescribed a new medication hours before he vanished, which was supposed to battle several symptoms he was allegedly having that the couple feared were signs of cognitive decline.

McCasland was reportedly seeing doctors for his physical and mental difficulties, including brain fog and trouble sleeping.

Before police arrived at the home, Wilkerson had told 911 dispatchers the military veteran feared his brain was 'deteriorating.'

Despite his wife's claims of potential mental decline, government officials have revealed that McCasland was still being looked at as a key witness in the ongoing effort to declassify decades-old secrets related to UFOs and extraterrestrials.

In early May, Air Force veteran and UFO whistleblower David Grusch specifically named McCasland as one of the officers who had been in charge of classified programs related to non-human craft recovery and reverse-engineering.

Grusch alleged that the general had not been cooperative with recent efforts by lawmakers looking to interview him over his knowledge of America's suspected contact with extraterrestrials.

Meanwhile, intelligence experts have specifically mentioned McCasland's disappearance as a key concern tied to alleged foreign espionage.

Former FBI Assistant Director Chris Swecker has told the Daily Mail that there is enough evidence to suspect foul play in several of the disappearances and deaths, especially among those individuals tied to nuclear research and rocket technology.

Swecker said: 'I think there's enough of a pattern, even if it's a small group, I think there's a smaller group of missing people that warrant an investigation by the FBI, which is the lead agency in counter-espionage, counterintelligence. I would be looking for that, unless we show something points to another direction.'

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The Trump administration has released a third tranche of previously classified UAP files, adding dozens of new documents, photographs and videos to the government's rapidly expanding archive of unexplained sightings.

The materials were uploaded to the Department of War's website on Friday morning and include a series of cases that investigators were unable to explain, leaving the nature of the phenomena unresolved definitively.

Among the newly released records is a 2025 FBI report describing a video captured by a citizen in the northeastern US.

According to the witness, a bright object hovered over their backyard as a 'brilliant red sphere' roughly the size of a basketball.

Another never-before-seen video shows what officials described as a 'plasma-like sphere' hovering above a pond at an undisclosed location in the US, appearing to shift shape and brightness as it moved.

Friday's release also includes dozens of long-hidden CIA files about mysterious sightings, revealing that the agency assembled a panel of top scientists to investigate 'flying saucers' amid fears the reports could clog military warning systems and spark mass hysteria. 

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth said in a statement: 'The Department of War is in lockstep with President Trump to bring unprecedented transparency regarding our government’s understanding of Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP). 

'These files, hidden behind classifications, have long fueled justified speculation, and it’s time the American people see it for themselves. This release of declassified documents demonstrates the Trump Administration’s earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency.'

One video released on Friday shows what officials described as a 'plasma-like sphere' hovering above a pond at an undisclosed location in the US, appearing to shift shape and brightness as it moved. The incident was captured in 2025

Another video released on Friday, was taken by Americans in 2024. The footage shows glowing lights hanging over a pond in the northeastern region of the US

According to the Pentagon, there have been 'unprecedented levels of interest' in the UFO files, and the Department of War's website has received over 1.7 billion hits worldwide since its launch on May 8.

A second release took place two weeks later. 

Many of the images and videos in today's release were submitted by American citizens, with officials noting that footage was captured using iPhones.

The FBI report describes the July 2025 sighting from a witness who parked their car after returning from work.

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'The light was hovering approximately 25 feet off the ground, below a tree line near the center of their backyard, at an estimated distance of 90 feet,' officials stated. 

The witness briefly stepped out of their vehicle before grabbing their phone to record the strange sight. Their spouse soon joined them outside to see what was happening. 

'The spouse also witnessed the light, describing it as a “brilliant red sphere” about one meter in diameter. The center of the red sphere appeared to be a white plasma “sun” about the size of a basketball,' the report continued.

The FBI assessment explained that the object slowly rose into the air and drifted left, prompting both witnesses to notice a second identical orb hovering directly above it.

The witness then pulled out an iPhone 14 Pro Max and began recording as the two glowing objects moved westward over a nearby tree line. According to the report, the orbs traveled silently and smoothly, appearing to move in lockstep as if flying in formation or connected to one another.

As they disappeared from view, both witnesses said the objects appeared to merge into a single orb. They estimated the phenomenon traveled roughly 75 yards from its original position before vanishing.

The materials were quietly uploaded to the Department of War's website on Friday morning and include a series of cases that investigators were unable to definitively explain, leaving the nature of the phenomena unresolved

This image is an artistic interpretation of a reported incident near a sensitive national security site in the western US involving unidentified anomalous phenomena (UAP) over a period of two days in October 2023

Above is an artistic interpretation of a sighting described by law enforcement in the western US three years ago

The sighting occurred within 25 miles of several other unexplained encounters, including the so-called 'Triangle Orbs,' 'Red Orb Rotation' and 'Orbs Over the Pond' incidents, in a sparsely populated area familiar to both witnesses.

The other unresolved video, also filmed in the northeastern US, is reported as showing a light source hovering over a pond at an estimated distance of 2,700 feet. 

'The luminous object resembled a “plasma-like sphere” intermittently changing shape and luminosity,' the FBI description stated.

'At times, the primary light source appeared to separate into smaller luminous points.'

A smaller luminous object could be seen hovering just above the water beneath the primary light source, appearing distinct from any reflection on the surface.

Pictured is an artistic interpretation of a 2022 incident potentially involving a UFO reported near Colorado Springs, Colorado

Above is another artistic impression of a UFO sighting in 2023 submitted to the FBI from law enfrocement

According to the report, the object remained largely stationary for about 45 minutes before suddenly disappearing. The witness reported hearing no sound at any point during the encounter.

The footage was captured by a private citizen using an iPhone and was later analyzed and authenticated by the US government. Officials said the video was cropped to protect the witness's identity, but stressed that no other edits, enhancements or alterations were made to the footage.

Officials had previously indicated that the next UFO file release would include newly declassified CIA records, an agency that some whistleblowers have accused of playing a central role in concealing evidence of extraterrestrial activity. 

However, the documents released Friday do not substantiate those allegations. 

In one newly released CIA file labeled 'Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects, Report, 1952-1953,' officials warned that growing public fascination with flying saucers could become a national security risk by overwhelming military reporting channels and distracting personnel from genuine threats. 

Among the cases discussed by the panel were the so-called 'Foo Fighters,' mysterious glowing objects reported by Allied pilots during World War II that appeared to fly alongside aircraft and perform unusual maneuvers. 

The batch also includes a 1958 CIA memorandum detailing a conversation with Dr Leon Davidson about the alleged destruction of a mysterious 'space message,' and the device said to have transmitted it. 

A censored version of the memo has long been publicly available. 

Another newly released CIA record details a far more recent incident that reportedly triggered alarm within the intelligence community.

According to a cable dated July 2, 2008, CIA assets in Zimbabwe were placed on high alert after an unidentified object was spotted hovering above the country's main airport in Harare.

The cable, which was circulated throughout the US government and military during the final months of the George W. Bush administration, described a craft that 'hovered at an undetermined altitude directly over the Harare airport.'

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Washington — The Pentagon on Friday released a new group of documents and videos related to UFOs, or UAPs, the third release since the government began a wave of new disclosures last month.

The latest batch includes 53 documents and 10 images from the CIA, FBI, NASA, the Department of Defense and other unspecified agencies, along with six videos and three NASA audio recordings. The videos show orb-like objects in the sky, while a set of images and clips offer "artistic interpretations" of reported sightings.

Several of the documents detail encounters reported by federal law enforcement officers in 2023, in which five agents reported seeing strange orbs on the horizon. One agent recounted their partner asking, "Are you seeing this?" as a glowing orb lit up the sky.

What's in the latest files?

The Pentagon uploaded the files to its UFO website. Four of the videos show eyewitness footage of strange encounters, a shift from previous releases, which were dominated by military footage. The new videos, which were collected by the FBI, include details from interviews with the witnesses.

One encounter happened in July 2025. The video, titled "Northeastern Orb Sighting," shows two bright lights moving through the sky. 

"The witnesses described the orbs' motion as silent and smooth, and as moving in tandem as though they were flying in formation or tethered together," the video description said, citing the FBI's interviews.

Another video, called "Orbs Over the Pond," shows an encounter from October 2024, which occurred within 25 miles of the Northeastern Orb Sighting. The footage shows "a light source below the horizon, hovering above a pond at an estimated distance of 2,700 feet," the Pentagon's description said.

"The luminous object resembled a 'plasma-like sphere' intermittently changing shape and luminosity. At times, the primary light source appeared to separate into smaller luminous points," the Pentagon said. "A luminous point below the primary source hovered just above the water and did not appear consistent with a surface reflection. The object remained generally stationary for approximately 45 minutes before disappearing."

One of the files includes documents from a panel convened by the CIA in 1952 and 1953, dubbed the "Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects." The panel concluded that flying saucers did not pose a physical threat, but recommended an official policy of "debunking" the issue to "strip the UFO subject of its mystery." The group warned that a "morbid national psychology" around UFOs could be exploited by adversaries.

Another intriguing disclosure centers around a series of strange events in the Western U.S. that occurred over the course of two days in October 2023. Five "federal law enforcement special agents" provided their accounts to the Pentagon's All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office, and each narrative is included in the files.

One agent said the sightings began with "weird lights moving along in groups miles away." Another said red lights "accelerated instantly and maneuvered with perfect, smooth coordination into a horizontal formation." A person identified as Witness 4 described smaller orbs "being hatched from the larger very bright orange light" multiple times, losing count "after five occurrences." Witness 3 said the discharged orbs were like "grapes being expelled from a basketball," and recalled their partner saying, "Are you seeing this?"

The FBI produced digital renderings of the agents' accounts to recreate the sightings. The Pentagon said that the renderings were prepared in 2026:

The files also include a July 2008 CIA report of a UFO sighting above the Harare International Airport in Zimbabwe that was transmitted to the White House Situation Room and the intelligence community. Individuals aware of the incident didn't know if the hovering object, which appeared to emanate "beams," was a reconnaissance device of a foreign government or extraterrestrial in nature.

According to observers, "the object was disc-like in shape with a hollow center, and had a series of rotating lights on the underside of the airframe." Its presence put the area on high alert.

A more recent sighting in 2022 near Colorado Springs, Colorado, describes a "potato"-shaped object that appeared painted in a "creamy/whitish opalescent color" that was "somewhat translucent with a slight shimmer." The FBI created an artistic interpretation based on the description:

After the object was reported to the Defense Department, an intelligence partner conducted an analysis that assessed with "low confidence" the sighting could have been attributed to "sunlight backscattering," where sunlight reflecting from snow on Cheyenne Mountain illuminated the underside of low-altitude clouds. Even with that analysis, the case remains unresolved as of this month.

The recent releases of files were prompted by an executive order President Trump signed earlier this year mandating the Pentagon to disclose more documents related to UFOs. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the move "demonstrates the Trump Administration's earnest commitment to unprecedented transparency."

{ https://www.cbsnews.com/ }

The fungal network hidden beneath our feet: Secret web of fungi could circle Earth 2.7 TRILLION times

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By WILLIAM HUNTER, SENIOR SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY REPORTER

It might sound like something out of The Last of Us, but scientists have uncovered a hidden fungal network lurking beneath our feet.

Almost every part of the Earth's surface is criss–crossed by tiny living threads known as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi.

Now, a study has calculated just how colossal this secret web really is.

Placed end–to–end, scientists say Earth's fungi network stretches over 68.35 quadrillion miles (110 quadrillion km).

That's long enough to circle the planet 2.7 trillion times, or to cover the distance from the Earth to the sun one billion times over.

Researchers also found that the network contains approximately 300 megatonnes of carbon – about five times the weight of all living humans on Earth put together.

Lead author Dr Justin Stewart, with the Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (SPUN), says: 'It is hard to overstate the importance and enormity of these fungi.

'There could be up to 10 meters (33 feet) of mycorrhizal network in just a teaspoon of soil.'

Scientists have mapped a vast hidden network of fungi beneath our feet, which could stretch 2.7 trillion times around the Earth 

Stretched end to end, these complex networks would cover the distance from the Earth to the sun over one billion times over 

Besides frozen ice caps, AM fungi can be found in almost every corner of the world.

They live among plant roots and thrive in the first 15 inches (40 cm) of soil, but can be found even in the deepest soil layers up to 26 feet (eight metres) beneath the surface.

These networks might be totally invisible to the naked eye, but they are one of the most important aspects of the world's ecosystem.

Threadlike structures called hyphae fill the soil, connecting to plants via their roots and creating complex symbiotic relationships.

Scientists estimate that these fungi form 'trade relationships' with 70 per cent of all plant species on Earth, exchanging nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus for carbon.

Studies have shown that plants get up to 80 per cent of their phosphorus from these relationships, as well as 20 per cent of their nitrogen.

To see exactly where these fungal threads can be found, scientists from SPUN attempted to calculate the biomass of the entire world–spanning network.

They started by gathering over 1,600 soil samples from 4,000 sites around the world, measuring the length of all the hyphae in a given amount of soil.

AM fungi consist of thread–like structures called hyphae, which burrow into plant roots to establish complex 'trading relationships', exchanging nutrients for carbon 

Researchers found that the network contains approximately 300 megatonnes of carbon – about five times the weight of all living humans on Earth put together

This information was combined with global data on climate, soil chemistry, and vegetation and used to train machine learning models to predict fungal density across every terrestrial ecosystem.

To work out how much biomass this translates to, the team also needed to work out the radius of the tubular hyphae strands.

This was done by using a robotic imaging system to measure over 300,000 living hyphae across fungal systems grown in the lab.

The result is an interactive map that reveals the incredibly dense networks of fungi thriving right beneath your feet, which you can find on the SPUN website.

Dr Stewart compares these findings to discovering a vast web of 'transport infrastructure' beneath the soil.

He says: 'Roads may not cover most of Earth’s surface, but they enable the movement of people, food, energy, and materials that society depends on.

'Mycorrhizal fungi do something similar underground, as they build hyper–efficient supply chains that move carbon and nutrients between plants and soils.'

Farmland had mycorrhizal densities that were approximately half as high as in wild ecosystems.

Tiny living threads known as arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi can be found in almost every environment on Earth. This map is the first attempt to work out just how big their network really is 

Grasslands such as the Tibetan Plateau are home to 40 per cent of the world's AM fungi, despite being some of the least protected ecosystems on Earth 

Wild grassland ecosystems such as the Sud Wetlands in South Sudan and the Tibetan Plateau were home to 40 per cent of the world's AM fungi.

Dr Stewart says: 'Wild grasses in particular appear to support very high densities of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal networks.

'In some observational studies, more than 100 metres of fungal hyphae were found in a single gram of soil.'

That is a particularly important finding because grasslands are some of the world's least protected ecosystems, being converted into farms four times faster than woodlands.

If the network of mycorrhizal fungi in the soil were degraded or lost, it could have enormous consequences for the world above ground.

Co–author Dr Toby Kiers, executive director of SPUN, told the Daily Mail: 'Without these fungi, we lose the living infrastructure that holds ecosystems together.

'Degraded soils lose their ability to recover because the fungal workforce that rebuilds them is gone.

'These fungal communities are a foundation for ecosystem resilience. Lose the fungi, and much of what grows above ground becomes far more fragile.'

WHAT ARE THE OLDEST FUNGI EVER DISCOVERED?

For many years, fungi were grouped with, or mistaken for plants. 

Not until 1969 were they officially granted their own 'kingdom', alongside animals and plants, though their distinct characteristics had been recognised long before that.

Yeast, mildew and molds are all fungi, as are many forms of large, mushroom-looking organisms that grow in moist forest environments and absorb nutrients from dead or living organic matter. 

Unlike plants, fungi do not photosynthesise, and their cell walls are devoid of cellulose.

Geologists studying lava samples taken from a drill site in South Africa discovered fossilised gas bubbles, which contained what could be the first fossil traces (pictured) of the branch of life to which humans belong ever unearthed

Geologists studying lava samples taken from a drill site in South Africa discovered fossilised gas bubbles 800 metres (2,600 feet) underground.

In April 2017, they revealed that they are believed to contain the oldest fungi ever found.

Researchers were examining samples taken from drill-holes of rocks buried deep underground, when they found the 2.4 billion-year-old microscopic creatures. 

They are believed to be the oldest fungi ever found by around 1.2 billion years.

Earth itself is about 4.6 billion years old.

Earth itself is about 4.6 billion years old and the previous earliest examples of eukaryotes - the 'superkingdom' of life that includes plants, animals and fungi, but not bacteria - dates to 1.9 billion years ago. The fossils have slender filaments bundled together like brooms (pictured)

They could be the earliest evidence of eukaryotes - the 'superkingdom' of life that includes plants, animals and fungi, but not bacteria.

The previous earliest examples of eukaryotes - the 'superkingdom' of life that includes plants, animals and fungi, but not bacteria - dates to 1.9 billion years ago. That makes this sample 500 million years older.

It was believed that fungi first emerged on land, but the newly-found organisms lived and thrived under an ancient ocean seabed.

And the dating of the find suggests that not only did these fungus-like creatures live in a dark and cavernous world devoid of light, but they also lacked oxygen.

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