The year 2024 has been marked by a series of extreme weather events that forced billions of people to face the harsh reality of a changing climate.



Persistent droughts gripped southern Africa and Central America, while devastating floods swept through Spain. In the Southeast U.S., Hurricane Helene unleashed its fury.



An international team of scientists led by Dr. Wenxia Zhang analyzed these events as part of a study published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.



The study highlights the year's notable extremes - rainfall, flooding, tropical cyclones, and droughts. The researchers examined their causes, the role of global warming, and the challenges of building a climate-resilient future.



“Most extreme events have a large random element,” said Dr. James Risbey of CSIRO. “Some extremes are more likely when larger-scale drivers such as ENSO influence weather patterns.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-role-of-el-nino-and-climate-change">Role of El Niño and climate change</h2>



El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon, influenced many of 2024's extreme rainfall and drought events, particularly during the winter of 2023/24. 



However, El Niño alone does not explain the severity of these events. Attribution science has revealed that human-induced climate change has amplified the impacts of such natural patterns, making extreme weather more intense and destructive.



“The climate change influence can be direct through physical processes causing the extreme, or indirect in influencing the weather, large scale drivers, and key baselines,” explained Dr. Risbey.



Dr. Zhang, an expert at the <a href="http://www.cas.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>, noted that anthropogenic warming enhances atmospheric moisture and evaporation, intensifying rainfall and droughts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-in-understanding-climate-extremes">Challenges in understanding climate extremes</h2>



Attribution science, which studies the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-added-41-extra-days-of-dangerous-heat-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">role of climate change</a> in specific extreme weather events, has made significant progress. 



However, challenges remain, particularly when observed weather extremes do not match predictions from climate models. These inconsistencies reduce confidence in the results and make it harder to draw precise conclusions about the role of human-induced climate change in individual events.



Dr. Michael Brody of <a href="https://www.gmu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">George Mason University</a> emphasizes that improving our ability to attribute extreme events to climate change requires a deeper understanding of how climate systems work. 



Enhanced attribution methods can provide more reliable insights, which are crucial for shaping recovery efforts after disasters and creating better preparedness plans for the future. 



Accurate attribution enables decision-makers to allocate resources effectively, minimize risks, and build resilience in vulnerable communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forecasting-and-warning-systems">Forecasting and warning systems</h2>



Forecasting and effective warnings can save lives. While Hurricane Helene was well-predicted, its impact exposed vulnerabilities in underprepared communities.



“Increasing the quality of forecasts is important, but acting upon them to reduce vulnerabilities is crucial," said Dr. Piotr Wolski of the <a href="https://uct.ac.za" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cape Town</a>.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/valencia-floods-a-tragedy-fueled-by-extreme-weather/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">devastating floods</a> in Spain during October <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2024-confirmed-as-earths-hottest-year-in-recorded-history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024</a> highlight the critical need to reduce the impacts of extreme weather and strengthen community resilience towards climate change. 



Such disasters often result in widespread frustration and anger, especially when people feel unprepared or unsupported.



Dr. Wolski stresses that simply issuing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scorching-summer-of-2024-could-make-it-the-hottest-year-on-record/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warnings</a> is not enough. It is essential to ensure that these warnings are communicated clearly, reach those at risk, and are acted upon effectively. By taking these steps, we can address vulnerabilities, reduce harm, and help communities recover more quickly.



The events in Spain serve as a reminder that better preparation and response systems are vital to managing the challenges of a changing climate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preparing-for-climate-extremes">Preparing for climate extremes</h2>



The events of 2024 highlight the growing urgency to understand and address the causes of extreme weather.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-are-wreaking-havoc-on-the-global-water-cycle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Climate change</a> has made such events more intense and frequent, impacting millions of lives and communities. To reduce these effects, it is crucial to develop better systems for predicting extreme weather, ensuring that warnings reach people effectively and on time.



Clear communication and quick action can make a significant difference in saving lives and minimizing damage when disasters strike. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-embracing-climate-resilience">Embracing climate resilience</h2>



Additionally, adopting climate resilience - measures that help communities prepare for and adapt to changing climate conditions - offers a proactive way to reduce vulnerabilities and build safer, more sustainable futures.



As extreme climate events grow more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-ocean-warming-in-2024-is-a-warning-for-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unpredictable and severe</a>, our ability to predict and respond quickly will determine how well we can protect lives and adapt to these challenges. 



Embracing climate resilience means not just responding to disasters but preparing for them in ways that safeguard people and their livelihoods in an increasingly unstable world.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00376-025-4540-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.



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Climate extremes in 2024: What have we learned?

The year 2024 has been marked by a series of extreme weather events that forced billions of people to face the harsh reality of a changing climate. Persistent droughts gripped southern Africa and Central America, while devastating floods swept through Spain. In the Southeast U.S., Hurricane Helene unleashed its fury. An international team of scientists led by Dr. Wenxia Zhang analyzed these events as part of a study published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. The study highlights the year's notable extremes - rainfall, flooding, tropical...

As Earth’s atmosphere traps more heat under the influence of greenhouse gases, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dinosaur-killing-asteroid-scoured-the-worlds-oceans/">oceans</a> become warmer. This means that, ideally, if we wish to understand how much Earth’s climate has changed, we need to look at the warming of the oceans. The oceans have a massive thermal inertia (are slow to heat up) and have been able to absorb around 90 percent of the Earth’s increasing heat load, but they have been warming inexorably for many decades. The implications of this change in ocean heat content, which is unlikely to stop any time soon, are likely to be devastating to natural systems and to all living creatures.&nbsp;



In a new review published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00345-1">Nature Reviews Earth &amp; Environment</a>, an international team of scientists has analyzed temperature data from the world’s oceans in order to put together a clear picture of the extent of global ocean heat change since the 1950s. Using this information, the researchers are able to predict likely trends in ocean warming going forward, and to assess the potential consequences. This study is important because it motivates us to take actions to mitigate and respond to climate change. It shows what will happen if we don't take urgent action to slow global warming.



The study involved scientists from leading institutions in France, USA, Australia, the UK, and China, including the <a href="http://english.iap.cas.cn/">Institute of Atmospheric Physics</a>. The team collected temperature information from past studies of the world’s oceans that made use of a variety of different temperature sensors. Some of these sensors are manually placed in the oceans by researchers, others are deployed by cargo vessels, and many are autonomous devices that float in the ocean or are tethered, like a buoy or mooring. By combining many thousands of temperature measurements spread across the globe and over the years, the scientists were able to piece together a clear picture of global ocean heat content change back to the 1950s.



Analysis of the data showed that the upper 2000m of ocean began warming, unequivocally, at least in the 1950s. The warming has continued since then and has been driven, mostly by the heat uptake at the ocean surface, and the transport of this warmed water by currents, mixing and stirring in the ocean interior.&nbsp;This has meant that heat has not been equally distributed between the world’s oceans; some, such as the southern Atlantic and Southern Oceans, have warmed more than others due to the effects of current movements.



Now, the upper 2000m of ocean is warming at a rapidly accelerating rate that has more than doubled (from &lt;5 to 10 ZJ per year.&nbsp; A ZJ is 1021 Joules of energy, or 1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 Joules) between the 1960s and the 2010s. To put this in perspective, the annual energy consumption for the USA is approximately 0.1 ZJ. In addition, this overall warming pattern is now driven less by ocean current mixing, and more by the passive uptake of added heat by surface waters, as the Earth becomes warmer and warmer.&nbsp;



A massive temperature data set like the one used in the current review is key to understanding both our past and our future, in terms of ocean heat content. The researchers describe the heat content changes between 1950 and 2019 in all the world’s oceans and this enables them to predict what will happen to the oceans in the coming decades. The most important finding is that the future of the oceans is in our hands.&nbsp;



The authors stress that if significant cuts in greenhouse gas emissions are made (i.e., if the target of the Paris Agreement of limiting global surface temperature increase to 2°C above the pre-industrial level can be achieved), the acceleration of ocean warming will stop at around 2030. However, if we don’t take action, the predictions are quite dire. The rate of warming will skyrocket throughout the 21st&nbsp;century: by the 2090s, the rate of ocean warming is projected to be four times larger than the current level.



Some of the potential consequences of this unabated ocean warming are described by the researchers. By 2100, all regions of the ocean will exhibit warming, although the Southern and Atlantic Oceans will have warmed the most. This will lead to continued melting of ice sheets and glaciers and a consequent increase in sea levels worldwide. This, in turn, will cause coastal erosion, displacement of people, flooding and damage to coastal infrastructures. Ocean warming also affects the cycling of carbon, oxygen and nutrients in the ocean, affecting food chains that support the ocean’s living creatures.&nbsp;



In addition, ocean warming intensifies tropical cyclones and changes the paths of storms. It leads to marine heat waves that bleach corals, change phytoplankton blooms and kill kelp forests and sea grasses. This can lead to the mass mortality of benthic organisms, declines in fish and seabird populations and a shortage of food for humans. Weather patterns also change as a consequence of a warm ocean, with some areas receiving more rain and flooding while others become drier with more heat waves and droughts.&nbsp;



Continued monitoring of ocean temperatures is critical, say the authors, along with enhanced understanding and adaptation to the effects of warmer waters. However, they stress that the future of ocean warming is in our hands. Low greenhouse gas emissions would be likely to lead to a detectable and lasting reduction in ocean warming rate, with noticeable reductions in climate-change impacts. But if these emissions continue unabated, the consequences will be very severe. We have already experienced a wide range of climate disasters during 2022: heat waves, flooding, heavy rainfalls, and strong hurricanes. If the current weather is wild, just wait for the coming decades … we haven't seen anything yet.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Ocean warming could be devastating to all living creatures

As Earth’s atmosphere traps more heat under the influence of...

Each year, the United States spends almost a trillion dollars attempting to combat metallic corrosion, an electrochemical reaction which occurs when metals oxidize and begin to rust. Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University</a> (OSU) has estimated how much corrosion is gradually worsening global carbon <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-roots-will-increase-arctic-co2-emissions-by-40-billion-tons/">emissions</a>.&nbsp;



Although previous research has already estimated the economic cost of corrosion to be about three to four percent of United States’ gross domestic product, this is the first study to quantify the environmental impact associated with steel corrosion.



Global steel production has increased steadily for decades and, since steel has poor resistance to corrosion, part of that demand is to replace steel from construction materials that have become corroded over time. According to the experts, reducing the amount of steel which needs to be replaced due to corrosion could have significant effects on the amount of greenhouse gases produced to make steel.



“Given society’s reliance on coal fuel, iron and steel production is one of the largest greenhouse gases emitters of any industry. But most of the costs associated with the industry actually stem from the energy that goes into creating steel, and that energy is lost as the steel reverts to rust, which is similar to its original form of iron ore,” explained study senior author Gerald Frankel, a professor of Materials Science and Engineering at OSU.&nbsp;&nbsp;



By using historical carbon dioxide intensity data in order to estimate CO2 levels per year starting from 1960, the scientists found that, in 2021, steel production accounted for 27 percent of the carbon emissions of the global manufacturing sector, and approximately 10.5 percent of the total carbon emissions worldwide, while corroded steel emissions accounted for about 1.6 to 3.4 percent of emissions.



Fortunately, due to regulations placed on the steel industry, technological advancements in the steel industry have resulted in a 61 percent reduction in energy consumption over the past half a century. Nonetheless, policy makers and industry officials should still act urgently to amend and coordinate international policy concerning steel production and corrosion management.



“Coordinated international strategies, as well as decreasing global steel demand, by using best practices for corrosion mitigation, could better improve global corrosion management strategies and drastically reduce the rise in greenhouse gas emissions we’re seeing due to repeatedly replacing corroded steel,” Frankel said.



If such actions are not undertaken soon, greenhouse emissions caused by the steel industry could spike to 27.5 percent of the global carbon emissions by as early as 2030, with corroded steel representing four to nine percent of that number. This could have dire impacts on the Earth’s climate.



“Global warming is a societal challenge that takes coordination of a lot of multidisciplinary approaches. Our work is bringing to light an issue that seems to have gone under the radar in terms of the importance of adding to the problem,” Frankel concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41529-022-00318-1">npj Materials Degradation</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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Steel corrosion is a major contributor to climate change

Each year, the United States spends almost a trillion dollars...

According to a new study led by an international team of scientists, China is currently a nighttime “hotspot” for the production of nitrate radicals (PNO3) that may have a significant impact on health-threatening levels of ozone and fine particulates (PM2.5) in the atmosphere. 



While the United States and Europe experienced a decline in nocturnal production of NO3, China has recently experienced a rapid increase in these pollutants. The experts believe that this may have serious implications not only for China, but also for other developing countries such as India.



“Nitrogen oxides derived from combustion and natural sources are reactive gases that regulate the formation of key air pollutants including both ozone (O3) and PM2.5. Nocturnal oxidation driven by nitrate radicals is an important, but poorly understood, process in atmospheric chemistry – we must understand this better, if we are to formulate effective global pollution mitigation strategies and understand the influence of nitrogen oxides on air quality and climate,” said study co-author Zongbo Shi, an expert in Aerosol Chemistry and Physics at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a>.



The analysis revealed that the current production of NO3&nbsp;radicals increased significantly in three megacity clusters (the North China Plain, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta), while in eight major Chinese cities - Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Xi’an, Jinan, Zhengzhou and Shijiazhuang – it is currently comparable to that in Los Angeles in the 1990s, and keeps increasing. Moreover, if ozone <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-linked-to-a-higher-risk-of-stroke/">pollution</a> keeps rising, nighttime oxidation in China will most likely increase further, even if NO3&nbsp;emissions are curbed.



Considering the fact that much lower levels of NO3&nbsp;radicals in both U.S. and Europe have been shown to exert significant impacts on particulate nitrate and organic aerosol formation in those regions, the scientists believe that NO3&nbsp;radical chemistry may play a more critical role in atmospheric oxidation and thus aggravate both O3&nbsp;and PM2.5&nbsp;pollution in China very soon, posing public health problems in this country, as well as abroad.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-022-01122-x">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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Nocturnal pollution is a rising public health threat in China

According to a new study led by an international team...

A new study led by&nbsp;the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nord.no/en/Pages/default.aspx">Nord University</a> in Norway in collaboration with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.icm.csic.es/es">Institut de Ciències del Mar</a>&nbsp;(ICM-CSIC) in Spain has found that the rise in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-temperatures-rise-when-plants-stop-breathing/">temperature</a> in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions caused by global warming are promoting the settlement in these areas of species that previously lived in warmer, southern regions. These findings suggest that climate change is leading to a redistribution of species not only in the much more studied warmer areas of our planet, but also in colder regions which are warming at a much faster rate than the rest of the planet.



The scientists collected data from over 20,000 trawl surveys in the Norwegian and Barents Seas between 1994 and 2020. “In 1994, an average of eight fish species were caught in each trawl in the Norwegian and Barents Seas, while in 2020 the number rises to more than 13, which represents an increase of 66 percent. The results of the study also shown increases, albeit less significant, in the richness of adjacent areas,” said study lead author&nbsp;Cesc Gordó-Vilaseca, a doctoral student in Biosciences at the Nord University.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed that, of the 193 species included, 71 relatively warm-water species are now more common in the Arctic and sub-Arctic regions, while 23 species which were previously more common in the north are now occurring there less frequently. However, the study also documented the expansion of some Arctic species that seem to adapt well to rising temperatures, such as the commercially valuable common cod (Gadus morhua).&nbsp;



“The shift in frequency of species, sometimes favored by high temperatures and sometimes not, could lead to a reconfiguration of ecological interactions and, therefore, could cause changes in the structure and functioning of the entire ecosystem,” warned co-author Marta Coll, a researcher at the ICM-CSIC.



These findings could contribute to the design of more effective conservation and management strategies. In future research, the scientists aim to analyze in more detail the changes at the level of the entire ecosystem that may be caused by rising temperatures in the Arctic, as well as the effects on fisheries management and protection measures such changes may cause.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2120869120">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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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Arctic biodiversity will get a boost from rising temperatures

A new study led by&nbsp;the&nbsp;Nord University in Norway in collaboration...

Mountains host about half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, and action is urgently needed to protect these ecosystems. According to Professor Robert Marchant at the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>, these critically important <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-turtle-recovery-greatly-depends-on-foraging-habitats/">habitats</a> should be prioritized in biodiversity policies.



Professor Marchant is calling on national governments to focus on mountain ecosystems while addressing the climate and biodiversity crises. He says that national policy simply isn’t keeping pace with land use change, development, population growth and the impacts of climate change on global mountain systems.



“Government environmental and business policies are rarely joined up and we are seeing continued widespread land degradation in mountain habitats. This includes uncontrolled grazing, deforestation, or overdevelopment - and much of it is resulting from weak policies and changing tenure laws," explained Professor Marchant.



Even though mountain ecosystems are particularly vulnerable to climate change and human development, they do not receive the necessary attention and investment from their governments.&nbsp;



In Kenya, for example, the area around Mount Kilimanjaro has endured a major increase in population density and agriculture over the last two decades. Companies have bought land to drill boreholes and extract water from the mountain’s aquifer.



“Once you’ve paid for that borehole, that water is a free resource to you. But these services are provided by nature – and no one is presently paying for either the water resources or for stewardship of that land. Asking companies to pay for this kind of service, by issuing controllable permits for example,&nbsp; would be a step towards treating our mountain resources with more respect.”



Professor Marchant is calling on countries to invest more in mountain ecosystem restoration activities, and to develop effective climate change policies. His policy brief will be presented later this month at the United Nations Biodiversity Conference (COP15) in Montreal, Canada.



"We are hoping for some progress at COP15, but what is really needed is an international treaty or code of practice that accepts the value of our mountain ecosystems, and I suspect that is some way off.”



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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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Mountain ecosystems are in urgent need of protection

Mountains host about half of the world’s biodiversity hotspots, and...

Party,Table,Setting,With,Various,Veggie,Snacks,,Top,Down,View

In order to produce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-production-affects-earths-natural-processes/">food</a> for humanity, we have appropriated roughly 50 percent of all habitable land and 70 percent of the available fresh water. We harvest aquatic food from nearly every river, lake and ocean, pollute watersheds and coastal seas with excess nutrients and generate around 30 percent of all anthropogenic greenhouse gases. Like it or not, feeding humans puts enormous environmental pressure on our planet.&nbsp;



In past studies, researchers have attempted to calculate the environmental impact of producing various different types of foods. By considering such factors as greenhouse gasses emitted during production, or the extent of water pollution, they have made some headway in quantifying the environmental consequences of food production per pound or kilogram. However, with industrialized farming and complex supply chains, it is difficult to assess the true environmental pressures of our global food system.&nbsp;



“Everyone eats food, and more and more people are paying attention to the planetary consequences of what they eat,” said <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">UC Santa Barbara</a> marine ecologist&nbsp;<a href="https://bren.ucsb.edu/people/ben-halpern">Ben Halpern</a>. However, as the world’s population increases decisions will need to be made about how to reduce the environmental footprint of food production in order to keep it sustainable, and this will necessitate a more comprehensive understanding of the various types of impacts. This proves to be a gargantuan task as there are so many different types of foods, produced in various ways and leading to a range of environmental pressures depending on the location of production.&nbsp;



“The individual choice of eight billion people adds up,” said Halpern, “and we need to know the overall impact of&nbsp;total&nbsp;food production – not just per pound – especially when setting food policy.”



In a new study, Halpern and colleagues at UC Santa Barbara’s&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nceas.ucsb.edu/">National Center for Ecological Analysis &amp; Synthesis (NCEAS)</a>&nbsp;have analyzed the greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater use, habitat disturbance and nutrient pollution (e.g., fertilizer runoff) generated by the production of 99 percent of all foods on Earth, including both aquatic and terrestrial foods. In addition, they combine these four pressures to map the estimated cumulative pressure, or ‘footprint,’ of food production globally, as well as in individual countries. Their research is published in the journal Nature Sustainability.



For Halpern, executive director at NCEAS and a professor at UCSB’s Bren School of Environmental Science &amp; Management, understanding the impacts of food production along with the local context of these impacts has been a longstanding interest. By taking detailed data about greenhouse gas emissions, freshwater use, habitat disturbance and nutrient pollution generated by 99 percent of total reported production of aquatic and terrestrial foods in 2017, and mapping those impacts at high resolution, the researchers were able to create a more nuanced geospatial picture of the pressures – the inputs, processes and outputs – of global food production.



It turns out that the impacts of food production vary between countries, depending on the farming methods used and on environmental conditions prevalent at each locality. This leads to the unexpected situation that five countries contribute almost half of all environmental pressures arising from food production; these are India, China, the United States, Brazil and Pakistan.



In addition, the large proportion of the environmental footprint arising from terrestrial food production is generated from agricultural activities that take place over only 10 percent of the Earth’s surface. This means that, when looking at the cumulative pressure per unit of food production (efficiency), there are enormous variations between countries and it is not correct to assume, as has been the case previously, that the environmental footprint of production for any one food is the same in all locations.&nbsp;



For example, thanks to technology that reduces greenhouse gases and increases yields, the United States – the world’s number one producer of soy – is more than twice as efficient as India (the fifth largest producer) at producing the crop, making American soy the more environmentally friendly choice.



“The environmental efficiency of producing a particular food type varies spatially, such that rankings of foods by efficiency differ sharply among countries, and this matters for guiding which foods we eat and from where,” said&nbsp;<a href="https://www.eemb.ucsb.edu/people/faculty/froehlich">Halley Froehlich</a>, assistant professor in environmental studies at UCSB and a co-author of the study.



The research also uncovers connections between land and sea that get missed when looking only at one or the other, and that result in significant environmental impacts. In some countries, raising pigs and chicken gives rise to an ocean footprint because they are fed meal made from marine fish such as herrings, anchovies and sardines. The converse is true for mariculture farms that make use of crop-based feeds and thus extend the environmental pressure caused by fish farms onto the land.



Assessing cumulative pressures can bring to light results that could not have been predicted by examining individual pressures alone. For instance, while raising cattle uses by far the most land for grazing, farming pigs produces a lot of pollution and uses more water. When comparing the two types of food production, the cumulative environmental pressures end up being slightly greater when raising pigs than when raising cattle. Measured by cumulative pressures, the five foods with the most severe environmental impacts are pigs, cows, rice, wheat and oil crops.



It is crucial to consider the cumulative effects on the environment of producing food to feed a growing global population. If we wish to reduce environmental degradation while still ensuring food security, we may need to rethink the way in which we produce food in general, say the researchers. In some cases, farming might need to improve efficiency; in other cases, consumers might need to change their food choices. Understanding the different environmental costs of food production in different countries will help to steer consumption towards lower-impact foods and ultimately to restructuring the food system such that we will be able to feed humanity in a sustainable manner.&nbsp;



“We need this comprehensive information to make more accurate decisions about what we eat,” said Halpern, who modified his own food choices based on the results of this study.



“I became a pescatarian years ago because of wanting to reduce the environmental footprint of what I eat,” he said. “But then I thought, I’m a scientist, I should really use science to inform my decisions about what I eat. That’s actually why I started this research project. And now that we have the results, I see that from an environmental perspective, chicken is actually better than some seafood. And so I’ve shifted my diet to start including chicken again, while eliminating some high-pressure seafoods like bottom-trawl caught cod and haddock. I am actually eating my words.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Our dietary choices have enormous environmental impacts

In order to produce food for humanity, we have appropriated...

The Late <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permian-mass-extinction/">Permian Mass Extinction</a> (LPME) was the largest such in event in the Earth’s history, decimating between 80 and 90 percent of life on our planet. However, the causes of this devastating event and the ways in which it unfolded are not yet fully understood. By analyzing mercury from Siberian volcanoes that ended up in sediments in Australia and South Africa, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://uconn.edu/">University of Connecticut</a> (UConn) has managed to shed more light on this mass extinction’s causes and timeline.&nbsp;



Although scientists have long argued that the rapid warming associated to this event was linked to massive volcanism occurring at a large deposit of lava called the Siberian Traps Large Igneous Province (STLIP), clear evidence for this was still lacking. While volcanoes leave helpful clues in the geological record – such as traces of carbon dioxide and methane launched into the atmosphere and deposited around the globe – it is hard to directly link something like that to the extinction event. 



“As geologists, we’re looking for a signature of some kind - a smoking gun - so that we can absolutely point to the cause,” said study co-author Tracy Frank, an expert in Earth Sciences at UConn.



However, the researchers believe that they finally might have found such a “smoking gun” – mercury, one of the heavy metals associated with volcanic eruptions, analyzed from sediments from the Sydney Basin in Eastern Australia and the Karoo Basin in South Africa.&nbsp;



“It turns out that volcanic emissions of mercury have a very specific isotopic composition of the mercury that accumulated at the extinction horizon. Knowing the age of these deposits, we can more definitively tie the timing of the extinction to this massive eruption in Siberia. What is different about this paper is we looked not only at mercury, but the isotopic composition of the mercury from samples in the high southern latitudes, both for the first time,” explained study lead author Jun Shen, an expert in volcanism at the <a href="https://en.cug.edu.cn/">China University of Geosciences</a> in Wuhan.



“As a starting point, geologists have pinpointed the timing of the major extinction event at 251.9 million years with a high degree of precision from radiogenic isotope dating methods. Researchers know that is when the major extinction event happened in the marine environment and it was just assumed that the terrestrial extinction event happened at the same time,” added co-author Christopher Fielding, a professor of Earth Sciences at UConn.



According to Fielding’s previous research though, the extinction event on land happened about 200,000 to 600,000 years earlier. “That suggests that the event itself wasn’t just one big whammy that happened instantaneously. It wasn’t just one very bad day on Earth, so to speak, it took some time to build and this feeds in well into the new results because it suggests the volcanism was the root cause,” he explained. “That’s just the first impact of the biotic crisis that happened on land, and it happened early. It took time to be transmitted into the oceans. The event 251.9 million years ago was the major tipping point in environmental conditions in the ocean that had deteriorated over some time.”&nbsp;



“The main point is that we now have a chemical signature in the form of mercury isotope signatures, that definitively ties the extinction horizon in these terrestrial sections that provide a record of what was happening on land due to Siberian Traps volcanism.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-35272-8">Nature Communications</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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New clues about Earth's largest mass extinction event

The Late Permian Mass Extinction (LPME) was the largest such...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> has revealed that some of Asia’s largest animals are thriving near humans. The experts say that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tigers-are-threatened-by-road-and-railway-development/">tigers</a>, elephants, and other animals are essentially defying 12,000 years of extinction trends.



Based on paleontological records, the researchers established the historic distribution of Asia’s 14 largest species. The experts compared this data with the present-day distribution of the same species in tropical forests.



According to study lead author and PhD student Zachary Amir, four species showed increased populations in areas with human infrastructure, including tigers, Asian elephants, wild boars, and clouded leopards.



“These results show that, under the right conditions, some large animals can live nearby humans and avoid extinction,” said Amir. “These results challenge the narrative within some conservation circles that humans and megafauna are incompatible."



“Globally there is a trend towards ‘trophic downgrading,' a term referring to the disproportionate loss of the world’s largest animals. Trophic downgrading is usually worst near humans because hunters target larger species."



“But in the case of tigers, elephants, wild boars and clouded leopards, their Asian populations are higher near humans. This may be the outcome of tougher anti-poaching efforts in the national parks that are closer to human settlements and are more frequently visited by tourists.”



On the other hand, the results showed that deforestation is still impacting species - with clouded leopards taking the hardest hit in deforested areas.&nbsp;



Even still, Amir said the research suggests that if the large animal species were not hunted, they could live in relatively small habitats and near humans.



“Previously, there have only been a few examples of large Asian species thriving in small habitats near humans, notably in Mumbai, India where leopards in an urban park prey on stray dogs,” said Amir. “Thankfully, we found that a wider range of animals can coexist with humans.”



At one particular study site in Singapore, poaching has been eliminated and forest restoration efforts are underway. Here, the researchers found that two large animal species are thriving again.



“Singapore has actually experienced the natural re-wilding of sambar deer and wild boars, which are now frequently observed in an urban forest, the Bukit Timah Nature Reserve,” said Amir. “If we replicate those protection efforts in larger forests and other counties, we may see positive impacts right around the world. But before this can happen, humans need to get our act together and limit poaching.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abq2307">Science Advances</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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Large Asian animals are successfully coexisting with humans

A new study led by the University of Queensland has...

Expanding global seaweed farming could address food security, biodiversity loss and climate change challenges. A new study from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> finds that seaweed offers a sustainable alternative to meet the world’s growing need for food and materials.



“Seaweed has great commercial and environmental potential as a nutritious food and a building block for commercial products including animal feed, plastics, fibres, diesel and ethanol,” said study lead author Scott Spillias.



“Our study found that expanding seaweed farming could help reduce demand for terrestrial crops and reduce global agricultural greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) by up to 2.6 billion tons of CO2-equivalent per year.”



The study mapped the potential of farming 34 commercially important seaweed species using the Global Biosphere Management Model. Environmental benefits of a range of scenarios were estimated based on land-use changes, GHG emissions, water and fertilizer use, and projected changes in species presence by 2050.



One scenario that substituted 10 percent of human diets with seaweed products could prevent the development of 110 million hectares of land for farming.&nbsp;



The researchers also identified the availability of millions of hectares of ocean where farming could be developed. These were mostly found within global exclusive economic zones - EEZ’s. EEZ’s are an area of the sea in which a sovereign state has rights regarding the exploration and use of marine resources.



The largest share of suitable ocean for seaweed farming was found in the Indonesian EEZ, and the Australian EEZ showed the greatest potential and species diversity.&nbsp;



“The way I like to look at this is to think about ancestral versions of everyday crops - like corn and wheat - which were uninspiring, weedy things,” said Spillias.



“Through thousands of years of breeding we have developed the staple crops that underpin modern societies and seaweed could very well hold similar potential in the future.”



To avoid displacing agriculture problems from land to ocean, Professor Eve McDonald-Madden said farming seawood would have to be carried out with care.



“Our study points out what could be done to address some of the mounting problems of global sustainability facing us, but it can’t be implemented without exercising extreme caution."



This research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01043-y">Nature Sustainability</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:katherinebucko@gmail.com">Katherine Bucko</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Seaweed farming could boost food security, yet preserve nature

Expanding global seaweed farming could address food security, biodiversity loss...

Concern for the status of the Amazon rainforest usually centers on understanding the extent of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-covid-19-pandemic-did-not-reduce-deforestation/">deforestation</a> and its devastating consequences. But this may only be part of the story. The authors of a new review article, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abp8622">Science</a>, say that about 2.5 million square kilometers of the Amazon (that is almost 40 percent of remaining rainforest), is degraded by the impacts of human activities.&nbsp;



The review used data from previously published scientific studies and satellite imagery to identify the changes in the Amazon region between 2001 and 2018. Thirty-five researchers were involved, from institutions&nbsp;such as Brazil’s University of Campinas (Unicamp), the Amazon Environmental Research&nbsp;Institute (IPAM), National Institute for Space Research (INPE), and UK’s Lancaster&nbsp;University. The work is the result of the AIMES (Analysis, Integration and Modelling of the Earth&nbsp;System) project, linked to the <a href="https://futureearth.org/">Future Earth</a> international initiative, which brings together&nbsp;scientists and researchers who study sustainability.



The authors define the concept of degradation as transient or&nbsp;long-term changes in forest conditions, caused by humans. Degradation is different from&nbsp;deforestation, where the forest is removed altogether and a new land use, such as agriculture,&nbsp;is established in its place. Although highly degraded forests can lose almost all of the trees and animal species,&nbsp;the land use itself does not change.



In addition, the activities that lead to the degradation of forests can also generate carbon emissions; these are equivalent to or even greater than the emissions arising from deforestation itself. The authors identify four key disturbances driving forest degradation: forest fires, edge effects (changes that occur in forests adjacent to deforested areas), selective logging (such as illegal logging) and extreme drought. They also consider the effects of other, less well-studied factors such as habitat fragmentation. Different forest areas can be affected by one or more of these disturbances.



“Despite uncertainty about the total effect of these disturbances, it is clear that their cumulative effect can be as important as deforestation, for carbon emissions and biodiversity loss,” said study co-author Jos Barlow, a professor of conservation science at Lancaster University.



The Amazon rainforest is a vital, yet vulnerable, major ecosystem on Earth. It provides crucial global ecosystem services that help maintain the planet’s carbon and water cycles, and is home to a staggering one-third of all known species. Modern agricultural and industrial practices, along with changes brought about by global warming, are degrading Amazonian environments at a very rapid pace.&nbsp;



The scientists assess that the degradation of the Amazon also has significant socioeconomic impacts, which should be further investigated in the future.



“Degradation benefits the few, but places important burdens on many,” said Dr. Rachel Carmenta, a co-author based at the University of East Anglia. “Few people profit from the degradation processes, yet many lose out across all dimensions of human well-being – including health, nutrition and the place attachments held for the forest landscapes where they live. Furthermore, many of these burdens are hidden at present; recognizing them will help enable better governance with social justice at the center.”



According to the researchers, these degradation factors will continue to produce carbon emissions that will affect the atmosphere, irrespective of whether deforestation is halted in the Amazon.&nbsp;



“Even in an optimistic scenario, when there is no more deforestation, the effects of climate change will see degradation of the forest continue, leading to further carbon emissions,” said Dr. David Lapola, leader of the study and researcher at the Centre for Meteorological and Climatic Research Applied to Agriculture at Unicamp. However, “… preventing the advance of deforestation remains vital, and could also allow more attention to be directed to other drivers of forest degradation.”



The authors propose creating a monitoring system for forest degradation, as well as prevention and curbing of illegal logging and controlling the use of fire. One suggestion is the concept of “smart forests” which, like the idea of “smart cities,” would use different types of technologies and sensors to collect useful data in order to improve the quality of the environment.



Dr. Lapola and colleagues emphasize that policies to halt deforestation will not necessarily address the factors that cause degradation to remaining forest. These policies must therefore be complemented by other approaches to curb the disturbances that degrade the remaining forest ecosystems.&nbsp;



“Public and private actions and policies to curb deforestation will not necessarily address degradation as well,” said Dr. Lapola. “It is necessary to invest in innovative strategies.”



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Humans are destroying what's left of the Amazon

Concern for the status of the Amazon rainforest usually centers...

Recently, there has been an increasing number of reports of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/toxic-algae-blooms-dogs/">toxic algae</a> – also known as blue-green algae or cyanobacteria – in many lakes around the world, mainly due to global warming and rises in nutrient inputs. By examining DNA from sediments of a lake in Germany, a team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/">GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences</a> has discovered that humans have not only had an influence on the development of blue-green algae since modern times, but already since the Bronze Age (approximately 2,000 years BCE).&nbsp;



Blue-green algae are among the oldest organisms capable of photosynthesis and are considered some of the main ancestors of today’s land plants, which have inherited from cyanobacteria the ability to produce oxygen and sequester carbon dioxide. These algae have proliferated in many bodies of water in recent decades, mainly due to anthropogenic factors such as increased nutrient output and climate change. Since some of them are toxic, mass blooms in bathing waters can be dangerous, causing allergies if they come into contact with our skin, infections in case of small wounds, or even liver cancer if they get into drinking water. Moreover, since – unlike other types of algae – they can absorb nitrogen from the atmosphere and use it as a nutrient, they can frequently outcompete and displace other aquatic organisms.



To better understand the evolution of these algae over the past millennia, the scientists collected sediments from the Lake Tiefer See in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania in Germany and inferred the number, composition, and diversity of blue-green algae species by analyzing DNA from various organisms found in the sediments.



The analysis revealed that cyanobacteria were already present in the oldest samples examined – dating 11,000 years ago, shortly after the lake was formed – although the number and diversity of species were very low and, thus, they probably did not play a major role in the lake’s early ecosystems. However, with the appearance of the first Bronze Age burial finds near the lake around 2,000 BCE, the number and species communities of these algae increased significantly. “This suggests that even early cultures had an impact on the nutrient balance of the lake through agricultural activities,” said study lead author Ebuka Nwosu, an expert in Geomicrobiology at GFZ.



Afterwards, with each subsequent settlement phase – and mainly during warmer climatic conditions – blue-green algae continued to proliferate in Lake Tiefer See. Moreover, since industrial agriculture started with greatly increased nutrient inputs, this development accelerated even more and will most likely be further favored by the increasingly warmer future climatic conditions.



“Our study provides evidence that humans began to locally impact lake ecology much earlier than previously assumed. Consequently, managing aquatic systems today requires awareness of the legacy of human influence dating back potentially several millennia,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04430-z">Nature Communications Biology</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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Humans have caused toxic algae blooms since the Bronze Age

Recently, there has been an increasing number of reports of...

Mothers-to-be know that, in order to give their child the best start in life, they need to follow some basic guidelines while pregnant. Eating a healthy diet is important, along with avoiding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-than-2300-genes-can-predict-alcohol-use/">alcohol</a>, caffeine and fish that may be contaminated with mercury. They should also keep hydrated and get enough sleep.&nbsp;



Now, a new study, led by scientists from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado, Boulder</a> has added another word of caution; expectant mothers should also avoid exposure to air pollution during the later stages of pregnancy. Previous research has shown that exposure to high levels of ambient air pollution during pregnancy is associated with impaired neurodevelopment in pre-schoolers and school-aged children. This latest research, however, investigates whether this link also applies to brain development during a child’s earliest years.&nbsp;



In the study, data were collected from 161 healthy Latino mother-infant pairs from the Southern California Mother’s Milk Study. Participants provided detailed histories of where they had lived during the pregnancy, and the researchers then used the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Quality System, which records data from ambient monitoring stations around the country, to calculate the mothers’ likely exposure to pollutants from roadside traffic, industry, wildfire smoke and other sources.&nbsp;



The scientists considered exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter smaller than 2.5 and 10 microns in diameter (PM2.5&nbsp;and PM10, respectively). They also divided the gestation period into early, mid and late, which aligned with the first, second and third trimester of pregnancy. At the age to two, the toddlers’ neurodevelopment was assessed using the Bayley-III Scales of Infant and Toddler Development, which measured cognitive, motor and language skills.



The results of the analysis, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s12940-022-00951-y">Environmental Health</a>, showed that two-year-olds who had been exposed prenatally to higher levels of inhalable particulate matter (both PM2.5&nbsp;and PM10) scored significantly lower on cognitive tests. This was after taking into consideration differences in socioeconomic status, number of times the baby was breastfed per day, whether the infant was early, late or on time, the mother’s weight, the baby’s birthweight and other factors that could influence the results.&nbsp;



For those infants exposed to PM10 levels at the 75th percentile compared to the 25th percentile, the scores were about 3 points lower on the cognitive tests. Put another way, 16 percent of participants had a composite cognitive score that indicated some degree of impairment. If all participants had been exposed to as much pollution as the 75th percentile, the prevalence of cognitive impairment at age two would be 22 percent.



Furthermore, exposure to higher PM10 levels during mid- and late-pregnancy was also correlated with lower scores on language and motor tests in the children, when they were two years of age.



“Our findings suggest that pollution exposure, particularly during mid- to late-pregnancy, may negatively impact neurodevelopment in early life,” said senior author Professor Tanya Alderete.



The study is among the first to assess the link between prenatal pollution exposure and brain development in infancy, and it adds to a growing body of evidence suggesting that exposure to dirty air during critical windows of development can have potentially lasting impacts on children's health. This study found that prenatal exposure to air pollution was particularly detrimental to brain development if it occurred in the latter half of the pregnancy.



“The brain develops differently at different stages of pregnancy and when you have a disruption at a critical window, that can affect the trajectory of that development,” said first author Zach Morgan. He explained that during mid- to late-pregnancy, key circuits within the brain form to support sensory, communication and motor systems.



While it is not yet understood just how pollution impacts the developing brain, some previous research has suggested that inhaled pollutants may come into direct contact with the fetus, causing systemic inflammation and oxidative stress that can interfere with neurodevelopment. Other studies have found associations between prenatal exposure to pollutants and reductions in white matter, cortex thickness and blood flow in the brain as well as lower IQ scores.



The World Health Organization estimates that more than 90 percent of the world’s population is exposed to particulate matter levels that exceed its recommended levels for healthy air, and this raises concern about the health of children all over the world, and their future functional impairment.&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to Professor Alderete, the burden of exposure is often higher among racial and ethnic minorities and low-income populations. (One EPA study found that racial minorities are exposed to as much as 1.5 times more airborne pollutants than their white counterparts). Additionally, other research by Professor Alderete has shown that Latinos in Southern California tend to live in adverse environmental conditions, including those that have been linked with poor neurodevelopmental outcomes.



“Our findings highlight the importance of addressing the impact of pollution on disadvantaged communities and point to additional steps all families can take to protect their health."



Although Professor Alderete stresses that prenatal exposure to high levels of pollution does not automatically mean the child will have lasting cognitive deficits, she does recommend that pregnant women avoid contact with airborne pollutants whenever possible, particularly in the second and third trimesters. For example, they should not exercise outdoors on high-pollution days, and should invest in an air filtration system for inside the home. Opening the windows and steering clear of secondhand smoke are also actions that will help lower the unborn child’s exposure to air pollutants.&nbsp;



“This is just one of the many things parents-to-be should be aware of to give their child the best start possible," said Professor Alderete.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Prenatal pollution exposure linked to cognitive impairment

Mothers-to-be know that, in order to give their child the...

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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

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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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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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

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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

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,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



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.

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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

[sendtonews key="eAVLRk51oJ-1826888-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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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



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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



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Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

[sendtonews key="EPdZexVR30-1731237-12187" 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> 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



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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...