Historical,House,With,Wind,Towers,In,Abarkuh,,Iran

Our buildings usually remain comfortable during warm days because of constant air conditioning, sealed windows, and an assumption that power never fails. But as large parts of the country have learned, blackouts can hit at the worst possible moment. 



When that happens, glass towers and sealed-off homes can quickly become stiflingly hot, showing why passive cooling methods are essential.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-builders-had-better-cooling-methods">Ancient builders had better cooling methods</h2>



Ancient builders had no electricity, yet they made structures that protected people from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2024-confirmed-as-earths-hottest-year-in-recorded-history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">worst heat</a>. Some devised thick walls that absorbed heat by day and released it at night.&nbsp;



Others planned entire neighborhoods to maximize shade. These time-tested ideas remain relevant for anyone who wants to stay cooler without cranking up the air conditioner.



This view is shared by Dr. Pablo La Roche, an architecture professor at <a href="https://www.cpp.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">California State Polytechnic University, Pomona</a>, and sustainable design director at <a href="https://www.arcadis.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arcadis</a>.&nbsp;



With decades of research on passive cooling systems and low-energy architecture, his work highlights how historical construction techniques effectively addressed the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2024-shatters-heat-records-earths-hottest-year-is-here/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">challenges of harsh climates</a> with intense summer heat.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-ancient-iraq-managed-scorching-heat">How ancient Iraq managed scorching heat</h2>



Archaeologists have <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=xpTkEAAAQBAJ&amp;oi=fnd&amp;pg=PA3#v=onepage&amp;q&amp;f=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">documented</a> the Sumerians’ buildings in what is now southern Iraq. Walls made of mud brick or adobe were thick and had only small windows. This design helped reduce heat inside during the sun’s intense hours. 



In some places, homes were built side by side, so fewer walls were directly hit by sunlight. The neighborhoods also included narrow streets that created cooling shade as people walked through the city.



That compact arrangement worked when indoor temperatures had to stay tolerable. Families gathered in inner courtyards where light and breezes could get in but the scorching rays had trouble reaching the seating areas.



Some of these principles might still be practical in hot, urban environments today.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-cities-can-learn-from-passive-cooling">Modern cities can learn from passive cooling</h2>



Major power failures can be disastrous during a heat wave. In <a href="https://www.insurancejournal.com/news/southcentral/2024/07/22/784992.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">July 2024</a>, the Houston area lost electricity for several days. When air conditioning shut off, many high-rises became uncomfortable in a hurry.&nbsp;



Some designers suggest that reintroducing features like operable windows, thicker walls, or rooftop shade structures might help with indoor temperature control and lower energy consumption at the same time.



Studies indicate that extremely hot summers are occurring more <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2822854" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">frequently</a>. Placing more emphasis on passive cooling could reduce the stress on power grids and keep people safer when the grid goes down.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-egypt-s-simple-but-clever-wind-catchers">Egypt’s simple but clever wind catchers</h2>



In ancient Egypt, builders knew that porous materials such as mud brick would block intense sunlight and slow the movement of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mapping-2024s-record-heat-unveiling-earths-climate-danger-zones/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heat</a> indoors. Residents also slept outdoors on rooftops at night, taking advantage of the cooler air.&nbsp;



One striking invention was the <a href="https://www.egyptianarch.com/post/mulqaf-origin-language-design-and-development" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mulqaf</a>, which used a tall opening to catch breezes and push them downward into a building. 



That airflow let hot indoor air escape through other vents. This system is still used in parts of the Middle East, where tall <a href="https://www.archdaily.com/971216/what-is-a-traditional-windcatcher" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wind catchers</a> provide fresh air without the need for electricity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-secrets-from-the-ancient-puebloans">Secrets from the ancient Puebloans</h2>



In the U.S. Southwest, the ancestral <a href="https://blog.nativehope.org/pueblo-native-americans-their-history-culture-and-traditions" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Puebloans</a> built with mud brick and stone for many centuries. They placed dwellings close together and used smaller windows to limit excessive heat. Cliffs provided natural shade in places like <a href="https://greenpassivesolar.com/2010/04/mesa-verde-cliff-dwellings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mesa Verde</a>.&nbsp;



The layout took advantage of the sun’s angle to block the harsh summer rays and let in lower winter sunlight that warmed the interior.



These older methods still guide some modern builders who adopt adobe for its ability to moderate indoor temperatures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preserving-water-for-passive-cooling">Preserving water for passive cooling</h2>



Many cities today send rainwater away as quickly as possible through storm drains. Old societies in arid regions did the opposite. 



During the eighth century, the Muslim caliphates in northern Africa and southern Spain put a high value on every drop of rain. Their structures often had <a href="https://www.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-38028-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">systems</a> that channeled water from rooftops and courtyards into underground cisterns. That water cooled patios and irrigated gardens during scorching months.



In other parts of the world, societies like the Mayans in Mexico built huge <a href="https://link.springer.com/book/9783031577307" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reservoirs</a> to store the wet-season rainfall. Modern <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0301479721002851?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">researchers</a> are exploring ways to adopt or improve rainwater harvesting, especially in places threatened by droughts or limited water supplies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adapting-passive-cooling-ideas-today">Adapting passive cooling ideas today</h2>



Some architects believe that new designs should rely more on passive cooling and water collection. Orienting buildings in the northern hemisphere to take advantage of south-facing windows can help regulate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scorching-summer-of-2024-could-make-it-the-hottest-year-on-record/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heat</a> gain and loss (International Association of Certified Home Inspectors). 



Rainwater captured onsite can be <a href="https://www.energy.gov/femp/rainwater-harvesting-systems-technology-review" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">reused</a> for landscape needs, thus reducing the burden on public water supplies.



Larger cities that hope to reduce their energy usage and keep people safe during emergencies could integrate these techniques into upcoming developments. Some methods might look old-fashioned compared to modern high-rises.&nbsp;



Yet people who live in the world’s driest and hottest places have been testing these approaches for a long time, and their successes can offer strong guidance.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-moving-forward-with-less-power-dependence">Moving forward with less power dependence</h2>



There is a growing call to learn from strategies that rely on local resources. Converting entire cities will take effort, but these ideas do not belong in the distant past.&nbsp;



There is a need to reconsider glassy towers and single-purpose rooftops, especially as blackouts become an increasing risk in regions experiencing more frequent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-added-41-extra-days-of-dangerous-heat-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heat waves</a>. 



Historical knowledge of staying cool in extreme heat could provide valuable solutions for maintaining comfort when air conditioning is not an option.



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Ancient buildings used passive cooling methods to reduce heat with out air conditioning

Our buildings usually remain comfortable during warm days because of constant air conditioning, sealed windows, and an assumption that power never fails. But as large parts of the country have learned, blackouts can hit at the worst possible moment. When that happens, glass towers and sealed-off homes can quickly become stiflingly hot, showing why passive cooling methods are essential. Ancient builders had better cooling methods Ancient builders had no electricity, yet they made structures that protected people from the worst heat. Some devised thick walls that absorbed...

A new study led by the <a href="https://publichealth.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health</a> has found that including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-products-need-environmental-impact-labels/">climate impact</a> labels on a sample fast food menu significantly influenced people’s food choices in favor of more climate-friendly items, such as vegetarian, chicken, or fish dishes.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The researchers enrolled over 5,000 online participants and presented them a sample menu resembling a fast food menu and asked them to choose a single item for a meal. While one group of participants received a menu with non-red meat items such as salads or chicken sandwiches labeled “low climate impact,” another one received a menu with red meat items, such as beef burgers, labeled “high climate impact.” Finally, a third control group received a menu with QR codes on all items but no climate labels.



The analysis revealed that both the high and low climate impact labels significantly reduced red meat selections compared to the control group. However, the high impact labels had a strong effect, increasing non-beef choices by 23 percent compared to just 10 percent in the case of menus including low climate impact labels.



“These results suggest that menu labeling, particularly labels warning that an item has high climate impact, can be an effective strategy for encouraging more sustainable food choices in a fast food setting,” said study lead author Julia Wolfson, an associate professor in the Department of International Health at the Bloomberg School.



In addition to being asked to choose an item, participants were also asked to rate how healthy they believed the item they ordered was. Regardless of what type of label was on the menu, those who selected a more sustainable item perceived their choice to be healthier compared to those who selected a red meat item.&nbsp;



Since red meat consumption has been linked to a variety of health issues, including colorectal cancer, type 2 diabetes, and stroke, the type of climate labeling analyzed in this study could prove highly effective in preventing illness. However, as the researchers warn, climate labels may also have the unwanted side effect of making a choice seem healthier than it actually is.



“An undeserved health halo conferred to unhealthy menu items could encourage their overconsumption. So we have to look for labeling strategies that create ‘win-wins’ for promoting both more sustainable and healthy choices,” Wolfson concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.48320">JAMA Network Open</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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Climate impact labeling has a strong influence on food selection

A new study led by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School...

As glaciers melt and lose mass, they will contribute to sea-level rise. It is already estimated that meltwater from all glacial land ice (excluding the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets) has contributed 21 percent of the sea-level rise recorded between 2000 and 2019. In addition, melting glaciers will change available water resources for around 1.9 billion people, altering annual and seasonal runoff for personal use and agriculture, and contributing to water insecurity.&nbsp;



Melting glaciers will also increase the frequency and magnitude of glacier-related hazards, such as landslides and outburst floods, over the next century. For all these reasons, it is critical to predict and understand the magnitude, spatial pattern, and timing of glacier mass loss.



In a new study that represents “a substantial step forward in predictive modeling”&nbsp;of glacier response to climate change, a team of international researchers has developed a model predicting the fate of all 215,547 of the world’s mountain glaciers (excluding those on the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets) under various different warming scenarios. Their findings emphasize that, even if warming is limited to the target 1.5oC, all glaciers will be under threat by the end of 2100.



The study uses new and more detailed data sets on glacier mass balance and rates of ablation, and represents glacier dynamics with a flowline model. The researchers also consider important physical processes that have not been incorporated in previous models, and provide model predictions for global warming at 1.5oC, 2oC, 3oC and 4oC above pre-industrial levels, all the way to the year 2100. In a related perspective of the research, a commentator referred to this model as the “most comprehensive so far.”



The findings, published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abo1324">Science</a>, predict that, globally, glaciers will lose between 26 percent (+1.5°C) and 41 percent (+4°C) of their mass by 2100, relative to a 2015 baseline. This mass loss would increase mean sea level by between 90 (+1.5°C) and 154 (+4°C) mm SLE, representing a 71 percent increase between the +1.5°C and +4°C scenarios.



The researchers report that, even in the most optimistic scenario of limiting global warming to 1.5 oC above pre-industrial levels, their model predicts that nearly 60 percent of the world’s glaciers will be lost by 2100. Within 2°C, the agreed warming limit of the Paris Agreement, about 70 percent of the smaller glaciers and 20 percent of the larger ones will melt completely. Considering that estimates from COP26 predict a global mean temperature increase of around 2.7°C by 2100, even the very largest glaciers in the Polar Regions will be under threat.&nbsp;



And the consequences do not stop at 2100. Even if temperature is stabilized at any level, the glaciers that remain will continue to lose mass beyond the model’s 2100 end point. These dire predictions highlight the need to act now in order to prevent substantial glacier loss.



“Every increase in temperature has significant consequences with respect to glacier contribution to sea level rise, the loss of glaciers around the world, and changes to hydrology, ecology, and natural hazards," wrote the study authors, led by David Rounce of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University and the Geophysical Institute at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.



In&nbsp;a related Perspective (also published in Science), Guðfinna Aðalgeirsdóttir and Timothy James say it is important to frame these findings in a positive light in order to motivate the public to support climate change policies. They say the authors of this study, “. . . while issuing a stark warning about the consequences of insufficient action, achieve this framing with an important message: Although it is too late to avoid losing many glaciers, any effort to limit global mean temperature rise will have a direct effect on reducing how many glaciers will be lost.”



The new model reveals a strong linear relationship between global mean temperature increase and glacier mass loss, meaning that, no matter how small the increase in global mean temperature, it will lead to increased glacier loss and added sea-level rise. And if temperatures were to increase by +2.7°C, as predicted at COP26, Earth will likely experience a near-complete deglaciation of entire mid-latitude regions by 2100, including Central Europe, Western Canada and United States, and New Zealand, which will add more to sea-level rise than is currently estimated.



In conclusion, the researchers stress the urgency of establishing more ambitious climate pledges to preserve the glaciers in the mountainous regions of the world. It may be too late to prevent the loss of many glaciers, but because of the linear relationship between temperature rise and ice mass loss, any action that is taken to limit warming will have a direct effect on reducing the number of glaciers lost.



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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

Half of the world’s glaciers will melt by 2100

As glaciers melt and lose mass, they will contribute to...

Drying soils will likely host an increasing number of pathogenic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-shed-their-flowers-quickly-for-protection-from-microbes/">microbes</a> which pose a threat to public health, according to a new study. The research will be presented at the 107th Annual Meeting of the <a href="https://www.esa.org/">Ecological Society of America</a>.



Previous studies have shown that soil microbes are vulnerable to environmental degradation and climate change. Soil bacterial communities are crucial for fertile soils and plant growth, and the expected loss of microbial diversity in drying soils could have severe consequences when it comes to global food security.



The new research reveals that soil-borne pathogens are resilient to stressful environmental conditions. This means that disease-causing bacteria are more likely than non-pathogenic microbes to survive the persistent droughts that are expected to coincide with climate change and global warming.&nbsp;



A team of researchers at New Mexico State University led by Professor Adriana Romero-Olivares investigated the complex relationships between global change and soil fungi. The study was focused on soil fungal communities in the southwestern United States.



In collaboration with experts at ETH Zürich and the U.S. Geological Survey, the researchers extracted fungal DNA from soils to compare the effects of local environmental conditions on microbial communities.



The results suggest that spore-producing fungi will thrive and become more prevalent in increasingly dry soils. Pathogenic fungi release spores that spread easily through airborne dispersal, and these species may be able to endure dust storms and droughts that non-pathogenic species are unable to tolerate, explained the study authors.



“It’s not only about the fungi that we know are pathogenic, but also about the fungi that have the potential to become pathogenic. We have no idea if global climate change may trigger pathogenicity and we really need to start looking into that to prevent future pandemics,” said Romero-Olivares.



The research will be used to inform policy makers on the public health threat potential that climate change has on soil fungal communities.



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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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Drying soils pose a major threat to public health

Drying soils will likely host an increasing number of pathogenic...

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health has identified two specific air pollutants that cause asthma attacks in urban <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-connect-with-the-environment-through-story-writing/">children</a>. The experts report that moderate levels of ozone and fine particulate matter are linked to asthma attacks among adolescents who live in low-income urban areas.



The research was focused on non-viral asthma attacks that are not caused by respiratory viruses. The team examined the relationship between air pollutant levels and non-viral asthma attacks among more than 200 children who lived in low-income neighborhoods in one of nine U.S. cities.&nbsp;



The researchers found that asthma attacks had a non-viral cause in nearly 30 percent of the urban children. This rate is two to three times higher than that of children who do not live in a city, according to previous evidence.&nbsp;



“The strong association this study demonstrates between specific air pollutants among children in impoverished urban communities and non-viral asthma attacks further augments the evidence that reducing air pollution would improve human health,” said Dr. Hugh Auchincloss, director of the <a href="https://www.niaid.nih.gov/">National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases</a> (NIAID).&nbsp;



The study also revealed that exposure to ozone and fine particulate matter is associated with molecular changes in the children’s airways during non-viral asthma attacks. These molecular changes could possibly be the underlying cause of the exacerbations.



"We identified that increased air quality index values, driven predominantly by increased PM2·5 and O3 concentrations, were significantly associated with asthma exacerbations and decreases in pulmonary function that occurred in the absence of a provoking viral infection," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Moreover, individual pollutants were significantly associated with altered gene expression in coordinated inflammatory pathways, including PM2·5 with increased epithelial induction of tissue kallikreins, mucus hypersecretion, and barrier functions and O3 with increased type-2 inflammation."



"Our findings suggest that air pollution is an important independent risk factor for asthma exacerbations in children living in urban areas and is potentially linked to exacerbations through specific inflammatory pathways in the airway. Further investigation of these potential mechanistic pathways could inform asthma prevention and management approaches."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(22)00302-3/fulltext">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.



Image Credit: UN Photo/Kibae Park



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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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Specific air pollutants linked to asthma attacks in urban children

A study funded by the National Institutes of Health has...

Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus)&nbsp;is a species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-breaking-macroalgae-blooms/">macroalgae</a> common to the Baltic Sea that is known to act as an important carbon sink, sequestering a major amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide. However, by measuring the fluxes of greenhouse gases between surface waters and the atmosphere over several seasons, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.su.se/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/infrastructure/ask%C3%B6-laboratory">Askö Laboratory</a> in Sweden has found that these algae also emit significant amounts of methane – a more potent greenhouse gas than CO2 - and thus potentially offset the uptake of atmospheric CO2.&nbsp;



“It was a bit surprising that methane was emitted from the bladderwrack, since this algae grows on hard substrates and not on soft sediments, where methane is produced normally,” said study co-author Christoph Humborg, the scientific director of the <a href="https://www.su.se/stockholm-university-baltic-sea-centre/infrastructure/ask%C3%B6-laboratory">Stockholm University Baltic Sea Center</a>. “But what we found was that these algae form pockets of sediment where methane forming microorganisms, archaea, could be detected. We found these archaea also on floating filamentous algae and organic matter debris associated with dense stands of bladderwrack.”



By&nbsp;continuously measuring greenhouse gas fluxes between the water surface and atmosphere outside the Askö Laboratory in Trosa during an entire year, the scientists confirmed that mixed vegetation and bladderwrack forests in coastal areas do take up significant amounts of atmospheric CO2. However, this uptake was offset by methane fluxes from the water to the atmosphere.



“Caring for and restoring macroalgae habitats could still be important from a climate perspective. Our study shows that these environments are net carbon sinks, just not as large as has sometimes been suggested,” Humborg explained.



According to the researchers, it is important to clarify whether methane production in the macroalgae habitats is influenced by their health status. “Our measurements were done in situ in the Baltic Sea, which is affected by eutrophication. A less eutrophic ecosystem with less organic matter accumulation and less filamentous algae growth could likely produce less methane. If so, taking measures to help the Baltic Sea recover from eutrophication would substantially improve the blue carbon potential of these habitats and contribute to mitigating climate change,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35673-9">Nature Communications</a>.



Image Credit: Stockholm University Baltic Sea Centre



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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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Methane emissions offset carbon uptake by macroalgae

Bladderwrack (Fucus vesiculosus)&nbsp;is a species of macroalgae common to the...

Wildlife bridges and tunnels not only protect animals from vehicle collisions but also assist in preventing inbreeding among small and fragile populations that are hemmed in by roadways or other human development by helping connect them with a wider pool of potential mates. However, whether the animals themselves feel safe while using such <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildlife-crossings-save-lives-and-money-in-washington-state/">wildlife crossings</a> is not yet well understood.



Now, by reviewing a set of nearly 600 animal-activated videos, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.ucla.edu/">University of California, Los Angeles</a> (UCLA) has investigated reactions of deer and elk around a wildlife tunnel beneath a four-lane highway in Alberta, Canada. The analysis revealed that the animals were less likely to use the undercrossing after they had displayed a vigilant or fearful response to passing vehicles. These findings suggest that wildlife managers should focus more on animals’ perceptions of their environments when designing wildlife crossing structures, in order to signal that a crossing area is safe.



“It’s only through studies like this that focus on how animals perceive and react to the stimuli in their environment — which can either attract them or repel them — that we’ll gain the necessary insights to develop effective wildlife crossings,” said study co-author Daniel Blumstein, a professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCLA. “Importantly, different species are likely to respond differently, and other external contextual cues might also influence how a given species responds.”&nbsp;



The video recordings showed that elk and deer on the roadside near the tunnel often shifted from foraging for food to becoming vigilant or even fleeing when vehicles passed on the highway above. Surprisingly, the animals appeared to react more strongly when vehicles passed infrequently than when the traffic flowed steadily.



“We are not certain why animals are more responsive to fewer vehicles,” said study senior author Erik Abelson, a research scientist at the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a>, who conducted this research during a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA. “It is possible that when there are many cars barreling down the road, they can be heard from farther away and don’t surprise the animals as much.”



These findings show that animals respond dynamically to human activities in ways which can affect if and how they use wildlife crossings. While some animals, such as racoons, are so accustomed to human activities that they don’t respond negatively at all, others may be much more cautious.&nbsp;



“If we can figure out ways to leverage wildlife behaviors, we may be able to make wildlife crossings more effective. For example, walls to dampen sound or to reduce the visual effects of passing headlights may encourage use of crossing structures. We hope that this study is just one of many that will examine different wildlife species and levels of traffic to better develop tools that increase the use of crossing structures by wildlife and, ultimately, protect the lives of humans and wildlife,” Abelson concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0269587">PLoS ONE</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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Do animals feel safe using wildlife crossings?

Wildlife bridges and tunnels not only protect animals from vehicle...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> has found that Twitter and online new articles could be used effectively to track the timing and location of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-is-the-origin-of-californias-latest-invasive-insect/">invasive insect</a> spread in the United States and globally. These findings suggest that such sources are promising for filling gaps when official data are not widely available.



“The idea was to explore if we could use this data to fill in some of the information gaps about pest spread, and ultimately, to support the development of better predictive models of where pest spread is happening, and when to use costly control measures,” said study lead author Laura Tateosian, an associate professor of Geospatial Analytics at NC State. “Even though these are not formal scientific sources, we found that we could clearly see some of the major events that were occurring about two invasive pests in the news, and on Twitter.”



The scientists tracked Tweets and online news articles (published between 2011 and 2021) about two invasive insects: the spotted lanternfly and the tomato leaf miner (Tuta absoluta). The former - first spotted in the U.S. in 2014 – is an insect native to Asia which can damage or even destroy grapes, cherries, hops, certain lumber trees, and other plants. The latter – often nicknamed the “tomato Ebola” – is native to South America, and was first discovered in Spain in 2006 before spreading to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.



“While some invasive insects have reached their global range, in both of these cases, the pests are actively spreading,” said study co-author Ariel Saffer, a graduate student in Geospatial Analytics at NC State. “We launched this as a proof-of-concept study to see if it would be scientifically reasonable to use these sources to track pest spread. We compared information in places where the insects were known to be present to see if these sources accurately captured existing knowledge.”



The analysis revealed that activity on Twitter and in news stories reflected some of the patterns in official surveys, such as the pests’ seasonal cycles, and major outbreaks. In Pennsylvania – where the spotted lanternfly was first found - news articles uncovered one county not listed in the official records.



“News media and social media have the potential to give you more immediate insight into what’s going on, especially if scientific information on insect spread is not immediately published in scientific literature, or not widely available to other scientists. Also, relying on data from scientific publications can sometimes offer a patchwork coverage of space and time, depending on when that study happened. It can be hard to get aggregated information in continuous time, especially at the global scale, as that information can be managed by multiple agencies,” Saffer concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compenvurbsys.2022.101922">Computers, Environment and Urban Systems</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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Tweets provide insights on how invasive insects spread

A new study led by North Carolina State University has...

Although the seafloor is considered the final sink for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-confirms-microplastics-have-entered-our-food-chain/">microplastics</a> floating on the sea surface, the historical evolution of this major source of pollution in the sediment compartment – and especially the sequestration and burial rate of smaller microplastics on the ocean floor – has been unknown until recently. Now, a new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.2c04264">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a> has found that the total amount of microplastics deposited on the seafloor has tripled over the past two decades, mimicking the progression of the global plastic production from 1965 to 2016.



“Specifically, the results show that, since 2000, the amount of plastic particles deposited on the seafloor has tripled and that, far from decreasing, the accumulation has not stopped growing mimicking the production and global use of these materials,” said study lead author Laura Simon-Sánchez, a researcher at the <a href="https://portalrecerca.uab.cat/en/organisations/institute-of-environmental-science-and-technology-icta-uab">Institute of Environmental Science and Technology of the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona</a> (ICTA-UAB).



The analysis of sediments obtained in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea has revealed that the microplastics that reached the seafloor have remained unaltered since they were deposited decades ago, most likely due to lack of erosion, oxygen, and light. “The process of fragmentation takes place mostly in the beach sediments, on the sea surface or in the water column. Once deposited, degradation is minimal, so plastics from the 1960s remain on the seabed, leaving the signature of human pollution there,” explained study senior author Patrizia Ziveri, a marine biologist at ICTA-UAB.



“Since the 1980s, but especially in the past two decades, the accumulation of polyethylene and polypropylene particles from packaging, bottles, and food films has increased, as well as polyester from synthetic fibers in clothing fabrics,” added study co-author Michael Grelaud, an oceanographer at the same institute.



According to the scientists, the amount of these three types of particles reached a critical level of 1.5mg per kilogram of sediment collected, with polypropylene being the most abundant, followed by polyethylene and polyester.&nbsp;



Regardless of the increasing number of awareness campaigns on the necessity of reducing single-use plastic, data from annual marine sediment analyses show that we are very far from achieving this goal. To solve this major problem, policies at the global level addressing this issue are urgently needed in order to protect the health and functioning of a vast number of currently endangered ecosystems.



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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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Microplastics have tripled on the seafloor in the past 20 years

Although the seafloor is considered the final sink for microplastics...

Some species of reef <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-can-lost-fish-get-back-on-track/">fish</a> struggle to recognize their competitors after coral bleaching events, according to a new study led by <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>.&nbsp;



The research was focused on reefs across five Indo-Pacific regions. The experts analyzed the behavior of 38 species of butterflyfish before and after a coral bleaching event, based on more than 3,700 observations.



The researchers discovered that after the widespread loss of coral, butterflyfish were less capable of identifying threats and responding appropriately. This led the fish to make poor decisions and to engage in unnecessary fights.&nbsp;



“By recognizing a competitor, individual fish can make decisions about whether to escalate, or retreat from, a contest - conserving valuable energy and avoiding injuries," explained study lead author Dr. Sally Keith.



“These rules of engagement evolved for a particular playing field, but that field is changing. Repeated disturbances, such as bleaching events, alter the abundance and identity of corals - the food source of butterflyfish. It’s not yet clear whether these fish have the capacity to update their rule book fast enough to recalibrate their decisions.”



The experts report that after widespread coral losses, signaling between fish of different species was less common. Encounters led to chases 90 percent of the time after bleaching, and the distance of the chases increased substantially. This caused butterflyfish to spend much more energy chasing potential competitors than they would have done previously, noted the researchers.



“By looking at how behavior responds to real-life changes in the environment, and by seeing that those changes are the same regardless of location, we can start to predict how ecological communities might change into the future. These relatively small miscalculations in where to best invest energy could ultimately push them over the edge," said Dr. Keith.&nbsp;



According to the study authors, the findings may have implications for species survival as global warming increases the likelihood of coral loss.



The research was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Australian Research Council, and the Villum Foundation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2022.2158">Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: Dr. Sally Keith



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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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Reef fish struggle to recognize competitors after coral bleaching

Some species of reef fish struggle to recognize their competitors...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a> has found that certain species of gut-dwelling <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-gut-bacteria-feed-on-complex-plant-sugars/">bacteria</a> activate nerves in the gut that promote the desire for mice to engage in physical activity. Through a series of controlled experiments, the experts identified the gut-to-brain pathway which explains why some bacteria boost exercise performance.



By recording the genome sequences, gut bacterial species, bloodstream metabolites, and other data for a large number of genetically diverse lab mice, the scientists found that differences in running performances were largely caused by the presence of certain gut bacterial species – particularly Eubacterium rectale&nbsp;and&nbsp;Coprococcus eutactus - in the higher-performing animals. These effects appeared to be triggered by small molecules called metabolites that the bacteria produce, which stimulate sensory nerves in the gut to increase activity in a motivation-controlling brain region during exercise.



The researchers analyzed the collected data using machine learning algorithms to identify attributes of the mice which could best explain the animals’ significant inter-individual differences in running performance. The investigation revealed that genetics accounted for only a surprisingly small portion of these performance differences, whereas differences in gut bacterial populations seemed to play a much larger role. In fact, they noticed that giving mice broad-spectrum antibiotics to annihilate their gut bacteria reduced their running performance by half.



Among the vast population of gut bacteria, two species - Eubacterium rectale&nbsp;and&nbsp;Coprococcus eutactus - stood out, which both produce metabolites known as fatty acid amines (FAAs) that stimulate the CB1 endocannabinoid receptors on gut-embedded sensory nerves connecting the brain via the spine. The stimulation of these receptors causes an increase in dopamine levels during exercise, in a brain area called the ventral striatum – a critical node in the brain’s reward and motivation network.



“This gut-to-brain motivation pathway might have evolved to connect nutrient availability and the state of the gut bacterial population to the readiness to engage in prolonged physical activity,” explained study co-author&nbsp;J. Nicholas Betley, an associate professor of Biology at the University of Pennsylvania. “This line of research could develop into a whole new branch of exercise physiology.”&nbsp;



“If we can confirm the presence of a similar pathway in humans, it could offer an effective way to boost people’s levels of exercise to improve public health generally,” added study senior author&nbsp;Christoph Thaiss, an assistant professor of Microbiology at the same university.



Besides offering cheap, safe, diet-based methods of getting people to exercise and optimizing elite athletes’ performance, further explorations of this pathway may help boost motivation and mood in psychological disturbances such as addiction or depression.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05525-z">Nature</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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Gut bacteria may boost your motivation to exercise

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

A team of researchers from <a href="https://www.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a> has recently received a $340,000 grant from the <a href="https://www.erdc.usace.army.mil/">U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center</a> (ERDC) to create new tools using sound waves to control the movements of invasive species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/asian-carp-lake-michigan/">Asian carp</a>. The ERDC is an organization which aims, among other things, to manage United States’ commercial waterway infrastructure, including locks and dams.



Asian carps were introduced into targeted waterways in the 1970s to control harmful agents on aquatic farms. However, over the past half a century, these invasive fish have moved beyond aquatic farms and currently threaten the balance of aquatic life in many lakes and rivers across the U.S, gobbling up food and resources needed by other animals, and thus threatening the fishing industry too. Moreover, one type of carp can leap out of the water at a distance of several feet, often endangering boaters.



According to the scientists, the continuous spread of the species is mostly related to human activities. For instance, transported young carp may accidentally be dumped into water from travelling boats, and then mature and breed in areas where they do not belong. In addition, carps take advantage of the movement of boats and water where lakes and rivers meet – intersections that are usually controlled by dams and locks.&nbsp;



In the case of locks, engineers construct small waterways between two larger waterways. When a boat enters, both sides of the lock are closed, and, when one waterway is higher than the other, the lock will either be flooded so the boat can travel “uphill,” or drained so the boat can move “downhill.” During that water movement, nearby carps can enter the lock and create a new habitat in the waterway. Thus, since the carp move most easily through the lock transition, the idea behind Virginia Tech’s new project is to keep them away from those areas.



While many previous technologies – such as combinations of nonlethal barriers at locks and dams to deter the fish, including electrical barriers or columns of bubbles – already exist, they are not focused specifically on carps, but affect instead a large variety of fish species. Now, the research team led by John Palmore (an expert in Computational Fluid Dynamics at Virginia Tech) aims to use sound to deter carp.



“Out of all those technologies, acoustic deterrents are potentially the best in the sense that they are the most customizable,” Palmore explained. “All fish are affected by bubble currents. Electric fences contain fish based on size but not species. For acoustic deterrents, each species hears within a different range. You have a selective mechanism to annoy specific species of fish.”&nbsp;



To keep carp at bay with sound, the researchers will combine different noises, such as predatorial sounds, boat noises, and other irritants. “The goal is to generate a model that can be applied widely to rivers and dams. Information such as the shape of the riverbed and the lock, how often barges enter, and how long it takes to fill the lock are important to our study,” Palmore concluded.



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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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Controlling invasive carp with sound waves

A team of researchers from Virginia Tech has recently received...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ozone-pollution-threatens-the-health-of-plants-and-pollinators/">Pollinators</a> have an essential function, helping numerous plants reproduce, and thus maintaining and protecting a variety of ecosystems. Moreover, since scientists estimate that over three quarters of the most important crops depend on pollinators, a loss of these plant visitors would lead to major economic losses. Unfortunately, human-related influences such as changes in climate and land use may negatively affect these essential creatures.



A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-022-01928-3">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution&nbsp; </a>has investigated changes in pollinator populations in the vicinity of Kittilä in Finland (a village located approximately 120 km north of the Arctic Circle). In this region, between 1895 and 1900, forester Frans Silén systematically recorded which insects visited which flowers and how often. Now, the scientists repeated a similar pollinator census at the same place in 2018 and 2019.



The analysis revealed that, although this region remained sparsely populated, with little changes in land use, it has unfortunately not escaped the consequences of climate change, leading to major changes in the types of pollinators present there.&nbsp;



“We have noticed drastic changes in the networks of pollinators,” said study lead author Leana Zoller, an ecologist at the <a href="https://www.uni-halle.de/?lang=en">Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenburg</a>. In fact, only seven percent of the flower visits observed involved the same species of insects and plants as at the end of the 19th century. “That is surprisingly little,” Zoller said.



For instance, hoverflies and moths – which are particularly effective pollinators - appear less frequently on flowers in the area than they previously used to. While these insects have become rarer, the flowers around Kittilä are currently getting considerably more visits from bumblebees and certain flies.&nbsp;



This aspect concerns the scientists, since there are now considerably fewer insects that are specialists for specific flower shapes. These have been largely replaced by “generalists” such as flies of the genus Thricorps, which visit many different plants. While such generalists are more resilient to environmental changes, they may provide less effective pollination services, since they usually carry the pollen of various other plant species onto a flower.



Although the pollinator network in the region still seems to be working well, this can change in the future if shifts in the insect communities continue. Moreover, while flies in this area seem to be coping quite well with rising temperatures, further north in the Arctic, fly populations are currently dwindling. “If this also happens in our study area, it could become a problem,” Zoller concluded.



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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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Pollinator populations have experienced dramatic changes

Pollinators have an essential function, helping numerous plants reproduce, and...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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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



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.

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



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.

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

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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



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.

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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