The scorching heatwaves we experience, the wildfires that rage across nations, and the invisible carbon dioxide that fills the air are severely impacting our planet.



In 2023, the world saw extreme heatwaves that fueled substantial wildfires and induced severe droughts across the globe. 



What's more, these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adverse conditions</a> significantly weakened the land's ability to absorb atmospheric carbon. 



The result? A notable surge in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, growing the scale of concern about accelerating climate change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-and-atmospheric-carbon">Heat and atmospheric carbon </h2>



Data from Hawaii's <a href="https://gml.noaa.gov/obop/mlo/aboutus/aboutus.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mauna Loa Observatory</a> showed that atmospheric carbon concentrations skyrocketed by an alarming 86% in 2023 compared to 2012. This increase sets a new record high since tracking of these levels began in 1958.



Interestingly, the rise in carbon dioxide levels cannot solely be pointed towards fossil fuel emissions. These, it seems, only rose by roughly 0.6 percent.



So, what's the primary culprit behind the spike in emissions? It's likely due to weakened <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-fire-risk-has-grown-exponentially-in-a-hotter-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon absorption</a> by natural ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weakened-carbon-sink">Weakened carbon sink </h2>



An international team of scientists backed by the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Extreme_heat_weakens_land_s_power_to_absorb_carbon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a> Science for Society Near-Realtime Carbon Extremes project - along with the Climate Change Initiative RECCAP-2 project - set out to investigate the root causes of this event.



The experts used global vegetation models and satellite data to expedite a carbon budget report for 2023.



Land typically absorbs about one-third of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions. However, in 2023, this absorption capacity fell to a mere one-fifth of its usual level, marking the weakest performance by land carbon sink in two decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extreme-heat-and-carbon-storage-capacity">Extreme heat and carbon storage capacity </h2>



“Our research shows that 30% of this decline was driven by the extreme heat of 2023, which fueled massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ultrafine-particles-in-wildfire-smoke-change-weather-patterns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildfires</a> that ravaged vast areas of Canadian forest and triggered severe drought across parts of the Amazon rainforest," said Philippe Ciais, a scientist from France’s Laboratory for Climate and Environmental Sciences.



"These fires and droughts led to substantial vegetation loss, weakening the land ecosystem’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide. This was further compounded by a particularly strong El Niño, which historically reduces the carbon absorption capacity in the Tropics." 



The situation was made worse by a particularly potent El Niño, which historically reduces carbon absorption capacity in the tropics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-emitted-from-wildfires">Carbon emitted from wildfires</h2>



Widespread wildfires across Canada and droughts in the Amazon in 2023 released nearly the same amount of carbon to the atmosphere as North America's total fossil fuel emissions. 



This finding highlights the severe impact of climate change on natural ecosystems.



The Amazon rainforest, one of the planet's most essential carbon sinks, is showing signs of long-term distress. Some regions of the Amazon that no longer absorb carbon have shifted into net sources of carbon emissions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-declining-capacity-to-absorb-carbon">Earth's declining capacity to absorb carbon </h2>



The declining capacity of Earth's land ecosystems to absorb carbon dioxide may signify that these natural carbon sinks are nearing their limits. 



They won't be able to continue to provide the mitigation service of absorbing half of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.



"Consequently, achieving safe global warming limits will require even more ambitious emission reductions than previously anticipated," Ciais adds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saving-earth-s-carbon-cycle">Saving Earth's carbon cycle</h2>



The study also highlights that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-models-underestimate-sea-ice-melt-and-global-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">current climate models</a> might be underestimating the pace and impact of extreme events such as droughts and fires on the degradation of these crucial carbon reservoirs.



"Understanding the knock-on effects of climate change on the carbon cycle is imperative, and the two ESA study projects demonstrate the importance of Earth observation in developing methodologies to provide rapid assessment of these impacts globally," said Stephen Plummer, <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a> Earth Observation Applications Scientist.



"These results are particularly alarming, especially considering the difficulty the world is having limiting warming to 1.5°C, as laid out in the Paris Agreement," noted Clement Albergel, ESA’s Acting Head of the Actionable Climate Information Section.



Given these alarming revelations, it's vital that we ask ourselves: how can we contribute to mitigating these effects? Can we consume less, recycle more, and seek out greener alternatives in our daily lives? The need for climate action could not be more urgent.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nsr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/nsr/nwae367/7831648?login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Science Review</a>.



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Extreme heat of 2023  weakened Earth's carbon storage capacity

The scorching heatwaves we experience, the wildfires that rage across nations, and the invisible carbon dioxide that fills the air are severely impacting our planet. In 2023, the world saw extreme heatwaves that fueled substantial wildfires and induced severe droughts across the globe. What's more, these adverse conditions significantly weakened the land's ability to absorb atmospheric carbon. The result? A notable surge in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, growing the scale of concern about accelerating climate change. Heat and atmospheric carbon Data from Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory showed...

A new study from <a href="https://pensoft.net/">Pensoft Publishers</a> highlights the destructive impacts of human development on wild <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/which-animals-perceive-time-the-fastest/">animal</a> populations. A team of researchers from Nanjing Forestry University set out to investigate how the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Ghana affected the common hippopotamus.



"Landscape changes resulting from human activities have resulted in range restrictions and substantial reductions in population sizes of most animals," wrote study lead author Godfred Bempah and colleagues. "The construction of hydroelectric dams has the same effect on species, but the study of their impact on semi-aquatic megafauna species is limited."&nbsp;



"We examined the response of a Hippopotamus amphibius population to the inundation of their habitat after the construction of a hydroelectric dam in Bui National Park, Ghana."



The study revealed that the hippopotamus population in Bui National Park declined by about 70 percent following dam construction, dropping from 209 to just 64 individuals by 2021.



Bui National Park is one of the only places in Ghana where the common hippopotamus can be found. The researchers noted that these semi-aquatic animals depend on areas with sufficient grass for grazing and water for thermoregulation.&nbsp;



An abundance of grasses combined with the convenience of the Black Volta River made the park a very suitable habitat for the hippopotamus. But in 2007, the Bui Dam Hydroelectricity Project was initiated in response to an ongoing energy crisis.



To investigate how the dam ultimately impacted the local hippopotamus population, the researchers conducted surveys over the course of 12 months. The study was designed to estimate the number of remaining hippos, and also to assess land cover changes in the area.



The experts determined that from 2003 to 2021, the number of hippos in Bui National Park decreased by 70 percent. The study also revealed noticeable changes in land cover after the dam construction, including a substantial decline in the grasslands that provided a home for the hippopotamus.



According to the study authors, increased water levels from the dam flooded and destroyed riparian grasses where the hippos once resided. As they left in search of more suitable habitats, some of the animals became victims of poaching.



The hippopotamus is listed as "Vulnerable" by the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. The researchers concluded that - if the threats of habitat destruction and poaching are removed - the hippopotamus could possibly survive for the long-term with effective management strategies.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/natureconservation.50.87411">Nature Conservation</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Hippopotamus population hit hard by habitat destruction

A new study from Pensoft Publishers highlights the destructive impacts...

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska–Lincoln</a> has found that over the course of one day, in the placid waters of a single pond, a million <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/viruses-have-eyes-and-ears-on-their-hosts/">virus</a> particles might enter a single-celled organism known for its minuscule hairs (called “cilia”) that helps it propel through the water. According to the experts, those virus particles are far from being just a source of infection: they may in fact be a crucial part of the nutrition of these microscopic ciliates.



By collecting and analyzing samples of water from a pond in Nebraska, the scientists discovered that a species of Halteria – a microscopic ciliate populating freshwater worldwide – can eat enormous numbers of infectious chloroviruses which share their aquatic habitats. Thus, a virus-only diet – dubbed by the researchers “virovory” – is often enough to fuel the physiological and even population growth of an organism.



Chloroviruses have long been known to infect microscopic green algae, bursting them like balloons and spilling carbon and other life-sustaining elements into the open water. That carbon, instead of going to the predators of these tiny creatures, gets vacuumed up by other microorganism, in a rather grim – and perpetual – recycling program.



“That’s really just keeping carbon down in this sort of microbial soup layer, keeping grazers from taking energy up the food chain,” said study lead author John DeLong, an associate professor of Biological Sciences at Nebraska.



However, if ciliates eat those same viruses, then virovory could be counterbalancing the carbon recycling which the viruses are known to perpetuate. Thus, virovory may be aiding and abetting carbon’s escape from the dregs of the food web, granting it an upward mobility that viruses otherwise suppress.



“If you multiply a crude estimate of how many viruses there are, how many ciliates there are and how much water there is, it comes out to this massive amount of energy movement (up the food chain). If this is happening at the scale that we think it could be, it should completely change our view on global carbon cycling,” DeLong explained.



Further research is needed to clarify how this fascinating process shapes the structure of aquatic food webs, which other species are involved in similar activities, and how virovory may help some species of microorganisms escape extinction.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2215000120">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer



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Some pond organisms feed solely on viruses

A team of researchers led by the University of Nebraska–Lincoln...

Although a nearly limitless supply of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/less-fresh-water/">fresh water</a> exists in the form of water vapor above Earth’s oceans, it currently remains untapped. According to a new study led by the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign</a>, an investment in new infrastructure capable of harvesting oceanic water vapor could be a feasible and sustainable solution to limited supplies of fresh water in various locations around the globe.



The scientists evaluated 14 water-stressed locations across the world for the feasibility of a hypothetical structure that could capture water vapor from above the ocean and condense it into fresh water.&nbsp;



“Water scarcity is a global problem and hits close to home here in the U.S. regarding the sinking water levels in the Colorado River basin, which affects the whole Western U.S.,” said study corresponding author Praveen Kumar, an expert in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Illinois. “However, in subtropical regions, like the Western U.S., nearby oceans are continuously evaporating water because there is enough solar radiation due to the very little cloud coverage throughout the year.”



Previous wastewater recycling, cloud seeding, and desalination methods were only partly successful. For instance, desalination plants face sustainability issues due to the brine and heavy metal-laden wastewater produced.&nbsp;



“Eventually, we will need to find a way to increase the supply of fresh water as conservation and recycled water from existing sources, albeit essential, will not be sufficient to meet human needs. We think our newly proposed method can do that at large scales,” Kumar said.



By performing atmospheric and economic analyses of the placement of hypothetical offshore structures 210 meters wide and 100 meters high, the researchers concluded that capturing moisture over ocean surfaces could be feasible for many water-stressed regions worldwide, and provide fresh water for large subtropical population centers.&nbsp;



“The climate projections show that the oceanic vapor flux will only increase over time, providing even more fresh water supply,” said study lead author Afeefa Rahman, a PhD student at the University of Illinois. “So, the idea we are proposing will be feasible under climate change. This provides a much needed and effective approach for adaptation to climate change, particularly to vulnerable populations living in arid and semi-arid regions of the world.”



Interestingly, one of the most elegant features of this proposed technique is that it works in a similar way to the natural water cycle. “The difference is that we can guide where the evaporated water from the ocean goes,” concluded senior author Francina Dominguez, an atmospheric scientist at the same university.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-24314-2">Nature Scientific Reports</a>.



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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer



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Could water vapor become a reliable source of fresh water?

Although a nearly limitless supply of fresh water exists in...

Collisions with glass windows on buildings, fences, transportation shelters, and noise barriers are currently a major cause of bird mortality in many parts of the world. Public awareness of bird-window collisions has increased in recent years, due to surveys for dead <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-parks-could-boost-bumblebee-populations/">birds</a> beneath windows. But since collision events are difficult to observe directly, there are still substantial gaps in understanding how and why birds fly into windows, and what happens to them afterwards.



A recent study published in the journal <a href="about:blank">PeerJ</a> has now provided a first glimpse of what happens immediately before a bird collides – or avoids impact – with a window, by analyzing audio and video recordings of 29 collisions and nine near-misses at a residential setting with bird feeders. According to the researchers, birds’ velocity and angle of approach predicted the outcomes following collisions, with faster flights at near-perpendicular angles of approach being the most dangerous for birds.



Of the 29 collisions that were recorded, very few resulted in an immediate fatality and were detected by building inhabitants. Thus, some birds may suffer injuries, but manage to fly away, only to die afterwards far from the window site. This finding has major implications for estimating population-level impacts of bird-window collisions, suggesting that the number of collisions may be highly underestimated by traditional survey methods.



“Bird-window collisions happen all over the world throughout the year, but the frequency and severity of collisions seem to be underestimated by the public, especially at residential settings,” said study lead author Brendon Samuels, a doctoral student in Biology at the <a href="https://www.uwo.ca/">University of Western Ontario</a> in Canada. “One reason is that collisions happen suddenly and are difficult for people to observe directly. When birds fly away afterwards, it’s unclear what ultimately happens to them. Our findings highlight how common collisions can be in residential settings, especially where there are bird attractants like feeders.”



Moreover, although previous studies of bird-windows collisions have tended to focus mostly on quantifying the incidence of fatal collisions at larger structures, residential buildings are the most abundant types of structures with windows, and could thus represent the greatest cumulative threat to birds. In addition, since backyard bird feeding has gained in popularity during the Covid-19 pandemic, more birds are now drawn into high-risk settings.



According to the experts, new buildings can be designed based on practices that limit the risk of collisions. Moreover, existing building windows could be retrofitted by using simple materials to add visual markers to the exterior of the glass. Further research is needed though to characterize how birds orient their eyes to detect and avoid collisions with windows, so that collision deterrents may be designed optimally to match bird vision.&nbsp;



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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer



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Window collisions are a leading cause of bird mortality

Collisions with glass windows on buildings, fences, transportation shelters, and...

In a special late-year event, all of the planets in our solar system will be visible together in the sky tonight. About half an hour after sunset, the planets will line up from the southwest to the eastern sky.



Venus, Mercury, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars can be viewed with the naked eye, (and in that order). Uranus and Neptune can be viewed with a telescope or binoculars.



Look for Uranus between Mars and Jupiter, while Neptune can be spotted between Saturn and Jupiter.



According to Space.com, the five planets visible with the naked eye will line up in the sky starting from the southwestern horizon.&nbsp;



With Mercury being the smallest planet in the solar system, it may require a telescope for viewing if the sky is not dark enough. Mercury is also located next to the ultra-vivid Venus, which is 70 times brighter. Look for Venus about 30 minutes after sunset, before it vanishes 40 minutes later.&nbsp;



According to The Guardian, Jupiter will appear brighter than all of the stars and will be high in the southern sky. Meanwhile, Saturn will glow with a golden color when it emerges in the southwest sky.&nbsp;



All eight planets will appear just 1.5 degrees apart, and are set to reach their closest point - or conjunction - on December 29 at 2100 GMT. This special event occurs about once every one to two years.&nbsp;



The moon will also join tonight's planet parade, appearing as a waxing crescent between Jupiter and Saturn.



Gianluca Masi, an astronomer with the Virtual Telescope Project, told Newsweek: "These nights, we can see all the planets of our solar system at a glance, soon after sunset. It happens from time to time, but it is always a spectacular sight.



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Spectacular "planet parade" will be visible tonight

In a special late-year event, all of the planets in...

Brown algae could remove up to half a billion tons of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-did-ancient-plants-affect-atmospheric-co2-levels/">carbon dioxide</a> from the atmosphere each year, storing it in the form of slime, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.mpi-bremen.de/en/Home.html">Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology</a>. The slimy mucus, known as fucoidan, is extremely hard to break down, which means that the carbon is securely stored for a long time.&nbsp;



“Fucoidan made up about half of the excretions of the brown algae species we studied, the so-called bladderwrack,” explained study first author Hagen Buck-Wiese.“The fucoidan is so complex that it is very hard for other organisms to use it. No one seems to like it.”&nbsp;



“This makes the brown algae particularly good helpers in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere in the long term - for hundreds to thousands of years.”



Once the algae absorb atmospheric carbon dioxide, up to a third of this carbon is released back into the ocean through sugary excretions. These excrements are either used by other organisms or sink to the bottom of the ocean.&nbsp;



“The excretions of brown algae are very complex and therefore incredibly complicated to measure,” said Buck-Wiese. “However, we have managed to develop a method to analyze them in detail.”&nbsp;



The researchers used this technique to examine many different substances, including fucoidan. The experts found that, on an annual basis, brown algae sequester the equivalent of 0.55 gigatons of carbon dioxide. To put this into perspective, carbon dioxide emissions from Germany reach about 0.74 gigatons per year.&nbsp;



“And even better: The fucoidan does not contain any nutrients such as nitrogen,” explained Buck-Wiese. This means that the carbon losses do not affect the growth of brown algae.&nbsp;



“Next we want to look into other brown algae species and other locations,” said Buck-Wiese. “The great potential of brown algae for climate protection definitely needs to be further researched and utilized.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Brown algae absorb half a billion tons of CO2 each year

Brown algae could remove up to half a billion tons...

Along,Way,At,Khardung,La,Pass,In,Ladakh,,India.,Khardung

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/temperatures-are-rising-unexpectedly-fast-on-the-tibetan-plateau/">Tibetan Plateau</a> has experienced significant warming and wetting since the mid-1990s, which has substantially altered the thermal properties of its frozen ground. A new study led by the <a href="https://english.cuit.edu.cn/index.jsp">Chengdu University of Information Technology</a> in China has found that the dual effect of this wetting and the projected increase in precipitation of the Plateau in the future is rapidly becoming a critical factor in determining the thermodynamics of the frozen ground.



“In the face of the greatest increase in the occurrence frequency of heavy precipitation over the entire Tibetan Plateau, we need to address how warming and wetting might be jointly influencing the thermal responses of the permafrost and seasonally frozen ground to climate change,” said study lead author Xuewei Fang, an expert in Atmospheric Sciences at Chengdu.



The scientists used the average annual precipitation as a criterion to divide the Tibetan Plateau into four different regions: an arid zone (with annual precipitation below 200 mm), a semi-arid zone (200–400 mm), a semi-humid zone (400–800 mm), and a humid zone (above 800 mm). The analysis revealed that, compared to the 1961–1990 period, the average annual air temperature and precipitation over the Tibetan Plateau between 1991 and 2010 increased by 0.72C and 75.64 mm, respectively, with the arid and semi-arid regions becoming warmer and wetter, and the humid and semi-humid zones becoming warmer but drier.



Moreover, by comparing the freezing and thawing durations of the ground surface in these two time frames, the researchers discovered that the wetting in drier areas before the 1990s prolonged the freezing duration of the frozen ground, while the continuous wetting after the 1990s reduced the thawing period. These findings suggest that the significant wetting in arid regions has exerted the opposite warming effect on the permafrost since the 1990s, shrinking the frozen area by 28 percent.



By contrast, the decline in precipitation in the humid zones has prolonged the thawing duration in seasonally frozen ground since the 1990s, due to the fact that the drying and warming environment enhances heat loss at the ground level, thereby decreasing the heat supply for the melting of ice and extending the thawing process.



“Next, we plan to investigate how energy and water fluxes in the frozen ground interact with wetting and warming conditions,” Dr. Feng concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00376-022-2109-z">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.&nbsp;



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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer



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How is frozen ground responding to climate change?

The Tibetan Plateau has experienced significant warming and wetting since...

A multi-institutional team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.uta.edu/">University of Texas at Arlington</a> (UTA) has recently received a $5 million research grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) through&nbsp;<a href="https://www.usda.gov/climate-solutions/climate-smart-commodities">Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities</a>. The goal is to establish climate-smart <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agricultural-diversity-has-a-positive-impact-on-food-security/">agricultural</a> practices to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase soybean production of small and underserved farmers in Texas, Arkansas, and Missouri.



“The agricultural industry will soon be a leader in the fight against climate change,” said principal investigator Woo-Suk Chang, a professor of Biology at UTA. “Within the last 20 years, advances in plant breeding and biological soil amendments have allowed sustainable and regenerative agriculture to take on a more pivotal role in aiding the fight against the destruction of our planet.”



To reinforce efficient and sustainable soybean production, the experts will collaborate with farmers to combine new methods and innovative project pilots, including: no-till agriculture, cover crops, climate-smart soybean varieties, crop rotation, bio-inoculants, and biochar.



For instance, since tillage can lead to soil degradation and nutrient loss, converting to no-till planting will help farmers preserve below- and above-ground carbon storage. At the same time, using cover-crop mixtures that are adapted to the appropriate soil type and moisture profile, while developing climate-smart soybean varieties tolerant to droughts or flooding would help farms thrive under inclement conditions.&nbsp;



Moreover, using crop rotation could achieve sustainable soil health, prevent soil erosion, and optimize biodiversity, while having drought-tolerant bio-inoculants as a part of a climate-smart commodity package could mitigate the negative impact on biological nitrogen fixation that drought events usually cause. Finally, due to its high surface area and porous structure, using biochar can enhance water-holding capacity and protect nutrients and organics from harsh abiotic conditions.



Until now, fourteen soybean producers from the three states have accepted to participate in the project. By providing them with climate-smart community packages, financial incentives, and the ability to accrue carbon credits, the scientists aim to accumulate a growing list of producers across all three and neighboring states.



“Expanding opportunities for small and underserved producers is a key goal of Partnerships for Climate-Smart Commodities,” said Robert Bonnie, USDA Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation. “Small and underserved producers, including those here in Texas, are facing the impacts of climate change head-on, with limited resources, and have the most to gain from leveraging the growing market demand for agricultural goods produced in a sustainable, climate-smart way. We look forward to working with The University of Texas at Arlington to expand markets for climate-smart commodities and ensure that small and underserved producers reap the benefits of these market opportunities.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



—



By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer



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Developing climate-smart agricultural practices

A multi-institutional team of researchers led by the University of...

Ryugu is a near-Earth <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-ryugu-may-be-a-leftover-from-the-suns-formation/">asteroid</a>, with a diameter of 900 meters, that was first discovered in 1999 and was named after the undersea palace of the Dragon God in Japanese mythology. In 2014, the <a href="https://global.jaxa.jp/">Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency</a> (JAXA) launched Hayabusa 2 – an asteroid sample-return mission – to collect material samples from the asteroid’s surface and sub-surface. The spacecraft returned to Earth in 2020, with a collection of samples that were distributed around the world for scientific study.&nbsp;



Now, an international team of researchers used UK’s national synchrotron facility <a href="https://www.diamond.ac.uk/Home.html;jsessionid=BCCB3D0FA685C2EFEF96DCAF3C0B6AF9">Diamond Light Source</a> to map out the chemical states of the elements collected from the asteroid and examine its composition in fine detail. Their findings could shed more light on the evolution of our solar system and the formation of the Earth.



The analysis revealed that the surface of Ryugu is dehydrated, most likely due to space weathering. This discovery led the scientists conclude that asteroids which appear dry on the surface may in fact be water-rich, a finding potentially requiring a significant revision of our understanding of the abundances of various asteroid types and the formation history of the asteroid belt.



According to the researchers, the building blocks of Ryugu are remnants of past interactions between water, minerals, and organic substances in the early solar system, prior to the formation of the Earth. Better understanding the composition of asteroids could thus help explain how the early solar system developed, and how the Earth formed afterwards. Moreover, since asteroids are believed to have delivered much of our planet’s water and organic compounds such as amino acids (which provide the building blocks of life), investigating the chemical composition of asteroids such as Ryugu could even clarify the origins of life on Earth.



“It’s important to build up experience in studying samples returned from asteroids, as in the Hayabusa2 mission, because soon there will be new samples from other asteroid types, the Moon and within the next 10 years Mars, returned to Earth,” concluded study co-author John Bridges, a professor of Planetary Science at the <a href="https://le.ac.uk/">University of Leicester</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41550-022-01841-6">Nature Astronomy</a>.



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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer



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Asteroid samples could reveal how Earth was formed

Ryugu is a near-Earth asteroid, with a diameter of 900...

When NASA’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traces-of-an-ancient-ocean-found-on-mars/">Mars</a> rovers discovered manganite oxides in the Gale and Endeavor craters on Mars in 2014, scientists suggested that the red planet might have had more oxygen in its atmosphere billions of years ago. However, a new experimental study conducted by the <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University in St. Louis</a> (WUSTL) found that, under Mars-like conditions, manganese oxides can be readily form without the presence of atmospheric oxygen.



Since Mars is rich in the halogen elements chlorine and bromine, the experts conducted laboratory experiments using these two substances to oxidize manganese in water samples that they made to replicate fluids from early Mars.



“We were inspired by reactions seen during chlorination of drinking water,” said study senior author Jeffrey Catalano, a professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences at WUSTL. “Understanding other planets sometimes requires us to apply knowledge gained from seemingly unrelated fields of science and engineering.”



The experiments revealed that halogens converted manganese dissolved in water into manganese oxide minerals thousands or even millions of times faster than oxygen could do this. Moreover, under the weakly acidic conditions thought to characterize early Mars’ surface, bromate produces manganese oxide minerals faster than any other known oxidant.



“Oxidation does not necessitate the involvement of oxygen by definition,” said study lead author Kaushik Mitra,&nbsp;a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="https://www.stonybrook.edu/">Stony Brook University</a>, who completed this research as a graduate student at WUSTL. “Earlier, we proposed viable oxidants on Mars, other than oxygen or via UV photooxidation, that help explain why the red planet is red. In the case of manganese, we just did not have a viable alternative to oxygen that could explain manganese oxides until now.”



However, although these findings suggest there was not much oxygen on ancient Mars, there is no particular reason to conclude that there was no life either. “There are several life forms even on Earth that do not require oxygen to survive. I don’t think of it as a ‘setback’ to habitability - only that there were probably no oxygen-based lifeforms,” Mitra explained.



“We need more experiments conducted in diverse geochemical conditions that are more relevant to specific planets like Mars, Venus, and ‘ocean worlds’ like Europa and Enceladus in order to have the correct and full understanding of the geochemical and geological environments on these planetary bodies. Every planet is unique in its own right, and we cannot extrapolate the observations made on one planet to exactly understand a different planet,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41561-022-01094-y">Nature Geoscience</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Ancient Mars had less oxygen than previously thought

When NASA’s Mars rovers discovered manganite oxides in the Gale...

With the holiday season fast approaching, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.etsmtl.ca/en/home">École de technologie supérieure</a> (ÉTS) and <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> has estimated the environmental footprint of a traditional Christmas meal in Canada. The experts found that meat-based meals have a much higher <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-fashion-carbon-footprint/">carbon footprint</a> than vegetarian or vegan ones, thus negatively contributing to the climate crisis our planet currently faces.



By using the Life Cycle Assessment Tool (LCA) – a technique that helps scientists estimate the potential impact of lifestyle choices on global warming, biodiversity loss, or water pollution - the researchers compared the environmental impact of typical holiday foods with other food with smaller ecological footprints.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that a typical Canadian Christmas meal consisting of a roast ham, pork pie, and a slice of fruit cake, consumes up to 70 percent of a person’s daily carbon budget, according to the targets set at the Paris Agreement, which aim to maintain global temperatures lower than 1.5C above pre-industrial levels. Thus, the large carbon footprint of such a meal leaves little room for other Christmas-related activities such as heating, transportation, or gift buying.



According to the researchers, ham roast and pork pie have a significantly higher impact than all the food consumed in a day by an average person in Canada on a typical omnivorous diet, confirming that the food usually consumed during holidays increases substantially our carbon footprint.&nbsp;



On the other hand, a meal consisting of a vegetable pie, vegan Wellington, and vegan cake would only use about 14 percent of an individual’s carbon budget, along with a very small parcel of land where these vegetables had to be cultivated.



These findings are quite sobering in a context in which we are strongly encouraged to limit our personal carbon footprint to 2.9 tons of CO2 equivalent per year in order to reach the 1.5C target set by the Paris Agreement, or about eight kilograms per day for all goods and services, including food.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Christmas dinner has a large environmental impact

With the holiday season fast approaching, a team of researchers...

On Monday, December 19, a mysterious shockwave in a gust of solar wind crashed into the Earth’s magnetic field, opening up a crack in the magnetosphere. According to <a href="https://spaceweather.com/index.php">Space Weather</a> – an organization keeping track of such events – the barrage of plasma that penetrated the magnetosphere has led to a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/geomagnetic-storm-auroras-sky/">geomagnetic storm</a>.



Although the shockwave’s origins are not exactly known, scientists believe it could have come from a coronal mass ejection (CME) launched by the sunspot AR3165, an area on the Sun’s surface which already released at least eight solar flares on December 14, causing a brief radio blackout over the Atlantic Ocean.&nbsp;



Sunspots are areas on the Sun’s surface where strong magnetic fields, created through the flow of electrical charges, entangle before suddenly snapping and releasing bursts of radiation called solar flares, or plumes of solar material called coronal mass ejections. Once launched, these CMEs can travel at extremely high speeds (often millions of miles per hour), sweeping up charged particles from the solar wind which, if pointed toward the Earth, can trigger geomagnetic storms.



These storms occur when solar debris consisting of electrons, protons, and alpha particles gets absorbed by the Earth’s magnetic field. If they are strong enough, they can create cracks in the magnetosphere which remain open for several hours, enabling some solar material to stream through and disrupt power systems, satellites, and radio communications.&nbsp;



Fortunately, the current storm was rather weak, causing only minor fluctuations in the power grids and impairing some satellite functions, such as those for mobile devices and GPS systems. However, scientists anticipate that in the following years, more powerful geomagnetic storms could warp our planet’s magnetic field to such an extent that satellites may tumble to Earth, electrical systems could be severely disrupted, and the Internet might stop working completely, thus causing trillions of dollars’ worth of damage, while triggering widespread blackouts and endangering thousands of lives.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Mysterious solar shockwave has cracked Earth’s magnetosphere

On Monday, December 19, a mysterious shockwave in a gust...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

Today’s Video of the Day from the University of Miami...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> is focused on the melt ponds that emerge during the spring and summer on the Greenland Ice Sheet, which is the largest ice mass in the northern hemisphere.



"Melt ponds are vast pools of open water that form on both sea ice and ice sheets and are visible as turquoise-blue pools of water in this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image," says ESA.



"When snow and ice melts atop glaciers, water flows in channels and streams and collects in depressions on the surface. These melt ponds can speed up the melting of the surrounding ice since they greatly reduce the ice’s ability to reflect sunlight."



"This can create a positive feedback where an increasing number of melt ponds absorb more heat which causes ice cover to melt even faster."



According to ESA, Greenland has been hit with a late-season heatwave that began in early September. This caused the type of melt event that usually occurs in the middle of summer.



"In a recent paper published in Nature Climate Change, scientists found that major sea-level rise from the melting of the Greenland ice cap is now ‘inevitable’ even if the burning of fossil fuels were to halt overnight," says ESA. "Using satellite observations of Greenland ice loss and ice cap from 2000 to 2019, the team found the losses will lead to a minimum rise of 27 cm regardless of climate change."



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



Overall, 96 percent of Earth's water is saltwater, and nearly all of freshwater is found in ice and groundwater. These sources of water are linked as it passes through solid, liquid and gas phases.



In a warmer climate, the water cycle will be transformed. It will be easier for water to evaporate and form clouds, and storms will become more frequent and intense. Some regions will get too much water, while others will be left without enough water. In addition, soil moisture will be lost - which threatens food security.



Scientists are using satellite data from over the last 40 years to track changes that are happening in the water cycle. This will ultimately help us prepare for extreme events and better manage our water resources, according to ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

[sendtonews key="gRpsplpwpe-2251464-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

[sendtonews key="sFFhiK9OOn-1720418-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

[sendtonews key="yPSXGZek1I-2312529-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Editor



Check us out on <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by Eric Ralls and Earth.com.

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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Aerial,Photo,Of,River,In,Amazon,Rainforest,Jungle,In,Peru

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists are using autonomous sound sensors to monitor deforestation in the Amazon. By recording soundscapes, the experts can determine which animals are present through their distinct sounds.&nbsp;



Using this method, sounds can be used as scientific measurements to analyze the effects of deforestation. The researchers will gain a better understanding of how the acoustics of a forest can be used to measure its health.&nbsp;



"From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look lush and green, like a place buzzing with activity and full of sounds. But inside the rainforest, the animal life may tell a different story, of a harsh environment and a quieter soundscape," says NASA.



Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center&nbsp;



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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

[sendtonews key="u0TYxxqfF7-2186404-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA’s...