The world watches as the Great Salt Lake, one of Earth's largest saline lakes, deteriorates. 



Over the past 30 years, the lake has lost a staggering 15 billion cubic yards (11.4 billion cubic meters) of water. It has grown shallower at the rate of 4 inches (10 cm) each year.



This rapid depletion isn't a natural mystery. Decades of unsustainable water diversion, combined with increasing demand and a changing climate, have pushed the lake to a breaking point.



Agriculture is a major contributor to this dire situation, particularly in the case of livestock feed crops.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rapid-depletion-of-great-salt-lake">Rapid depletion of Great Salt Lake </h2>



A recent study published in the journal Environmental Challenges reveals a shocking statistic. Approximately 62% of the river water heading towards Great Salt Lake gets diverted for human usage.



Agricultural activities are the primary culprits, accounting for nearly three-quarters of the water diverted.



“The research highlights the alarming role of water consumption for feeding livestock in driving the lake’s rapid depletion," explained William Ripple, a professor of ecology at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oregon State University</a> and co-author of the study.



Almost 80% of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agricultural-water-scarcity-is-about-to-get-much-worse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">agricultural water</a> use is for irrigating alfalfa and hay crops - the primary feed for livestock.



This level of diversion not only depletes the lake's vital inflows but also raises questions about the long-term sustainability of current agricultural practices in the region.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-significance-of-great-salt-lake">Significance of Great Salt Lake</h2>



The importance of Great Salt Lake extends far beyond its beauty or agricultural use.



As one of the world's largest saline lakes, it plays important ecological, economic, cultural, and spiritual roles - all of which are in grave danger due to the dramatic <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-great-salt-lake-has-reached-historically-low-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">decline in lake levels</a> during the past decades.



Data from the Utah Division of Water Resources shows a disturbing trend. From 1989 to 2022, consumption and evaporation consistently outpaced inflows from river water and precipitation.



This imbalance has created an annual deficit of approximately 500 million cubic yards (380 cubic meters), which has further accelerated the lake's decline.



The water budget has faced a persistent deficit for most of the past century. The situation has been exacerbated by the growing impacts of climate change and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-drought-has-caused-crisis-levels-of-food-and-water-scarcity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">prolonged drought</a>, according to the researchers.



“Abnormally large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snowmelt-changes-may-greatly-affect-farmers-in-western-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">snowmelt</a> inflow during the 1980s and 1990s served to temporarily obscure the long-term decline in lake levels, and the lake actually reached its highest level in more than a century in 1987,” explained Professor Ripple. “But it has been dropping by roughly 4 inches per year on average since then.”



Great Salt Lake is the largest saline lake in the Western Hemisphere and ranks eighth globally. Its 21,000-square-mile drainage basin, which includes the Wasatch Mountains, relies heavily on snowfall for water replenishment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-threats-from-declining-lake-levels">Threats from declining lake levels</h2>



Great Salt Lake is also a biodiversity hotspot, hosting over 10 million migrating birds and an estimated 350 different species of birds. These habitats are threatened by declining lake levels.



In addition, the lake creates $2.5 billion in annual economic activity. Recreation, mining, and the harvesting of brine shrimp support more than 9,000 jobs. As salinity levels increase, however, brine shrimp experience extreme stress.



Human health also suffers as the Lake shrinks, with wind-carried <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-salt-lake-drying-up-causing-major-dust-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">dust from the exposed saline lakebed</a> causing a range of pulmonary problems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saving-great-salt-lake">Saving Great Salt Lake</h2>



To halt this alarming trend and start refilling the lake, a 35% reduction of human water consumption in the Great Salt Lake watershed by 35% has been proposed.



This includes a significant cut in irrigated alfalfa production, a fallowing of much of the region’s irrigated grass hay fields, and taxpayer-funded compensation for affected farmers and ranchers.



Conservation measures such as crop shifting, reducing municipal and industrial use, and leasing water rights from irrigators have also been proposed.



The impacts of these changes will be significant, and will affect as many as 20,000 farmers and ranchers in the basin. However, the situation presents an opportunity to set a precedent for addressing water scarcity globally.



“The economic and cultural adjustments required are significant but not insurmountable. With the right policies and public support, we can secure a sustainable future for the Great Salt Lake and set a precedent for addressing water scarcity globally,” concluded Professor Ripple.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S2667010024002312" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Challenges</a>.



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Great Salt Lake: Agriculture is draining a natural wonder

The world watches as the Great Salt Lake, one of Earth's largest saline lakes, deteriorates. Over the past 30 years, the lake has lost a staggering 15 billion cubic yards (11.4 billion cubic meters) of water. It has grown shallower at the rate of 4 inches (10 cm) each year. This rapid depletion isn't a natural mystery. Decades of unsustainable water diversion, combined with increasing demand and a changing climate, have pushed the lake to a breaking point. Agriculture is a major contributor to this dire situation,...

According to UK <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">Met Office</a>’s annual global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greater-temperature-changes-linked-to-worse-extinction-events/">temperature</a> forecast, 2023 is likely to be one of the hottest on record, with average temperatures rising to 1.2C above pre-industrial levels. If these predictions turn out to be correct, this will be the tenth year in a row with global temperatures above 1C.&nbsp;



Until now, the hottest year on record - since scientists began keeping track of global temperatures in 1850 - was 2016, a year in which the ‘El Niño’ climate pattern in the Pacific played a major role in increasing temperatures all over the globe.



“Without a preceding El Niño to boost global temperature, 2023 may not be a record-breaking year, but with the background increase in global greenhouse gas emissions continuing apace it is likely that next year will be another notable year in the series,” said Adam Scaife, the head of long-range predictions at the Met Office.



“The global temperature over the last three years has been influenced by the effect of a prolonged La Nina – where cooler than average sea-surface temperatures occur in the tropical Pacific. La Nina has a temporary cooling effect on global average temperature,” added Nick Dunstone, the Met Office scientist who led the 2023 forecast.



&nbsp;“For next year our climate model is indicating an end to the three consecutive years with La Nina state, with a return to relative warmer conditions in parts of the tropical Pacific. This shift is likely to lead to global temperature in 2023 being warmer than 2022.”



However, scientists warn that the fact that global average temperatures are at or above 1C for a decade masks the significant temperature variation across the globe, with locations such as the Arctic having warmed by several degrees above pre-industrial times.



Thus, it is crucial to take swift action to keep global temperatures below 1.5C in order to avoid the worst impacts of climate change, by substantially reducing greenhouse gas emissions and rapidly transitioning to sustainable energy sources.



More details and statistics can be found on Met Office’s <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/about-us/press-office/news/weather-and-climate/2022/2023-global-temperature-forecast">website</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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Global temperature in 2023 expected to be among highest on record

According to UK Met Office’s annual global temperature forecast, 2023...

A team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> and the <a href="https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/">University of Nottingham</a> has found that the Earth’s atmosphere contained far less cardon dioxide than previously thought when <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diverse-forests-are-more-resilient-and-productive/">forests</a> first emerged on our planet about 385 million years ago. These findings have major implications for understanding how land plants affect the climate.



Before the Earth’s continents were colonized by tall trees and forests, shallow shrub-like plants with vascular tissue, stems, shallow roots, and no flowers had already invaded the land. Scientists have long thought that the atmosphere at that time had far higher CO2 levels than today - with an intense greenhouse effect leading to a warmer climate - and that only with the emergence of forests which assumedly promoted the removal of CO2 from the atmosphere, the Earth tipped into a colder state, with ice covers forming at the poles.



However, by using a cutting-edge method to calculate CO2 levels based on observations made from fossil plant material, the researchers discovered that, between 410 and 380 million years ago, the atmospheric CO2 levels were only 30 to 70 percent higher than today. Moreover, a paleoclimate model showed that the Earth was a temperate planet with average tropical surface air temperatures ranging from 24.1 to 24.6 degrees Celsius.



“We used a fully coupled atmosphere-ocean model to find that Earth had ice-covered poles when forests emerged. Yet, land plants could thrive in the tropical, subtropical and temperate zones,” said study co-author Georg Feulner, an expert in Climate Modelling at the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/home">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a> in Germany.&nbsp;&nbsp;



These findings suggest that trees may actually play an insignificant role on atmospheric CO2 levels over longer time scales, since early trees had deeper root systems and produced more developed soils that were linked to lower nutrient loss. Due to this more efficient nutrient recycling system, trees have a smaller weathering demand than the shallow shrub-like vegetation that came before them. This idea contradicts previous theories arguing that trees with deeper root systems promoted CO2 removal through enhanced chemical weathering and dissolution of silicate rocks.



The researchers concluded that primitive shrub-like vascular plants may have caused a massive decline in atmospheric CO2 levels earlier in history, when they first spread across the continents, while simultaneously leading to a rise in atmospheric oxygen levels.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35085-9">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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How did ancient plants affect atmospheric CO2 levels?

A team of scientists led by the University of Copenhagen...

Climate change doubled the likelihood of extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/how-the-ocean-and-climate-influence-each-other/">ocean</a> warming near Japan over the last two decades, according to new research from the <a href="https://www.nies.go.jp/index-e.html">National Institute for Environmental Studies</a>. The experts report that record heat in the northwestern Pacific in August 2020 would not have occurred without human-induced climate changes.



The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) documented record high sea surface temperatures again in July and October 2021 and from June to August 2022.



“Impacts of global warming is not uniform, rather show regional and seasonal differences,” said study co-author Hideo Shiogama. “A comprehensive analysis on regional SSTs for a long period may provide a quantitative understanding of how much ocean condition near Japan has been and will be affected by global warming. This better informs policymakers to plan climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies.”



The research was focused on ten monitoring areas operationally used by the JMA. The scientists confirmed that the observed sea surface temperature changes from 1982 to 2021 were well reproduced by 24 climate models in all but one of the monitored regions.&nbsp;



"In the present climate, every extreme ocean warming event is linked to global warming,” said co-lead author Michiya Hayashi. “We found that the occurrence probability of almost all the extreme ocean warming events has already at least doubled since the 2000s than the preindustrial era. It is increased more than tenfold in sizeable cases since the mid-2010s, especially in southern Japan.”



Using the 24 climate models, the researchers estimated the probability of exceeding the monthly record high sea surface temperatures around Japan at global warming levels from zero to two degrees Celsius.



“Once global warming reaches 2°C, all of nine monitoring areas are expected to experience SSTs warmer than the past highest levels at least every two years,” said study co-author Tomoo Ogura. “Limiting global warming below 1.5°C is necessary not to have the record warm conditions in Japan's marginal seas as the new normal climate.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2022GL100785">Geophysical Research Letters</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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Extreme ocean warming in Japan linked to human activities

Climate change doubled the likelihood of extreme ocean warming near...

December 21 marks this year’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-shortest-day-of-the-year-has-arrived/">winter solstice</a>, the longest night of the year and – since the skies will be particularly dark ahead of the new moon from Friday, December 23 - a perfect opportunity for passionate stargazers to see myriad stars from our galaxy, along with Mars, Jupiter, and Venus, as well as three meteor showers.



The winter solstice is an annual event occurring when the Earth’s North Pole is at its furthest tilt away from the Sun. This year, the best locations from which to enjoy this event are the British Isles, where people could get an amazing glimpse of the skies without needing telescopes or binoculars. For instance, across the Isle of Man, there are 26 official <a href="https://www.darkskydiscovery.org.uk/dark-sky-discovery-sites/map.html">Dark Sky Discovery sites</a> where there are very low levels of light pollution and, thus, the possibility to see the sky clearly.



“This year the solstice promises to be full of celestial wonders, with three of the brightest planets, meteor showers, and many constellations on show,” said Howard Parkin, the co-founder and vice chair of the <a href="http://www.iomastronomy.org/">Isle of Man Astronomical Society</a>.&nbsp;



“We are blessed in the northern hemisphere with a dramatic display of stars, and these sights in the night sky are best shared with others.&nbsp;Stargazing is an activity that the whole family can enjoy and involves nothing more than stepping outside and looking up.”



During this night, anyone in the northern hemisphere should be able to easily spot 12 out of the 30 brightest stars in the skies, including three closely located stars that make up the Belt of Orion. Further down, Sirius – the brightest star in our galaxy – should also be visible. Other constellations that stargazers can enjoy are Canis Major (also known as “the Big Dog”) and Taurus. In addition, planets such as Mars, Jupiter, and Venus will also be distinctly visible if the skies are clear.



Finally, during the following nights, stargazers can enjoy three meteor showers: the Geminid shower, which started a few weeks ago and peaked in mid-December, the Ursid shower, which will peak on December 2022, and the Quadrantids shower, which can be seen between the end of December and the beginning of January.



While the Isle of Man most likely remains the best spot on the planet to enjoy these celestial spectacles due to its low light pollution, even in busy cities people could take a moment to stop, look up, and enjoy these natural wonders.



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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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The winter solstice has arrived

December 21 marks this year’s winter solstice, the longest night...

A new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/2688-8319.12197">Ecological Solutions and Evidence</a> has found that UK forests could store nearly double the amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-ocean-floor/">carbon</a> than previous models estimated. These findings have major consequences for our understanding of carbon stocks and could more efficiently guide humanity’s response to climate change.



The scientists used a 3D scanning technique and analysis called “terrestrial laser scanning” (TLS) to assess the amount of aboveground biomass (AGB) - used to derive carbon storage - of 815 trees in a 1.4 ha section of Wytham Woods in Oxfordshire. The analysis revealed that UK woodlands could in fact store 77 percent more carbon than previously thought.



“Forests currently act as a carbon sink in the UK. However, whilst our finding that the carbon storage capacity of typical UK woodland could be nearly double what we previously thought might seem like a purely positive outcome, in practice this means that for every ha of woodland lost, we’re potentially losing almost twice the carbon sink capacity we thought,” said study senior author Mathias Disney, a professor of Remote Sensing at the <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL). “This has serious implications for our understanding of the benefits of protecting trees in terms of climate mitigation - and deforestation and afforestation targets more broadly.”



These findings bring into question the certainty of previous estimates of forest carbon storage across the UK, especially for the largest and most carbon-heavy trees, which are based on models estimating tree mass from the trunk diameter.



“Currently, most estimates of forest carbon stocks are based on simple allometric models that assume that a tree’s size and mass increase at a steady rate. Our findings show that relying on these models is problematic, as they are not representative of UK forests,” explained study lead author Kim Calders, a professor of Earth Observation and Terrestrial Ecology at <a href="https://www.ugent.be/en">Ghent University</a>.



“While the models work well for trees smaller than around 50 cm in diameter, which are fairly uniform in terms of their size and volume, this isn’t what we see for larger, heavier trees. These are far more complex when it comes to structure - and they vary hugely across place and species.”



“It’s vital that we’re able to reduce uncertainty in forest carbon estimates, given that land use, and forest protection and restoration in particular, constitute a quarter of countries’ current commitments to their Paris Agreement targets."



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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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Some forests store more carbon than previously thought

A new study published in the journal Ecological Solutions and...

By using a scientific model created by one of Europe’s most advanced computers, a research team led by <a href="https://www.flinders.edu.au/">Flinders University</a> in Australia has found that over a quarter of the world’s animals may go extinct by the end of the 21st century. According to the experts, ten percent of plants and animals will disappear by 2050 – a number rising up to 27 percent by 2100. Thus, the world could be facing a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-sixth-mass-extinction-is-currently-in-progress/">sixth mass extinction</a> event much earlier and more dramatically than previously thought.



While earlier models of extinction trajectories have largely focused on different aspects, such as the direct impact of climate change or habitat loss on the fate of various species, this is the first study to interconnect species on a global scale in order to clarify how much additional loss may take place through “co-extinctions.”



“Think of a predatory species that loses its prey to&nbsp;climate change. The loss of the prey species is a ‘primary extinction’ because it succumbed directly to a disturbance. But with nothing to eat, its predator will also go extinct, a co-extinction. Or, imagine a parasite losing its host to deforestation, or a flowering plant losing its pollinators because it has become too warm,” explained study senior author Corey Bradshaw, a professor of Global Ecology at Flinders.



By using a cutting-edge computer, the scientists created “synthetic Earths” complete with virtual species and over 15,000 food webs. Then, climate and land use change scenarios were applied to the system to inform future projections.



“Essentially, we have populated a virtual world from the ground up and mapped the resulting fate of thousands of species across the globe to determine the likelihood of real-world tipping points,” said study lead author Giovanni Strona, an expert in Macroecology at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a>.



“We can then assess adaptation to different climate scenarios and interlink with other factors to predict a pattern of coextinctions. By running many simulations over three main scenarios of climate until 2050 and 2100 — the so-called Shared Socioeconomic Pathways (SSP) from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), we show that there will be up to 34 percent more co-extinctions overall by 2100 than are predicted from direct effects alone.”



The analysis revealed an even more frightening possible outcome: co-extinctions may raise the overall extinction rate of the most vulnerable species by up to 184 percent by the end of the century.&nbsp;



“This study is unique, because it accounts also for the secondary effect on biodiversity, estimating the effect of species going extinct in local food webs beyond direct effects. The results demonstrate that interlinkages within food webs&nbsp;worsen biodiversity loss, to a predicted rate of up to 184 percent for the most susceptible species over the next 75 years,” Bradshaw explained.



“Children born today who live into their 70s can expect to witness the disappearance of literally thousands of plant and animal species, from the tiny orchids and the smallest insects, to iconic animals such as the elephant and the koala … all in one human lifetime.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abn4345">Science Advances</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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One quarter of Earth’s species may be extinct by 2100

By using a scientific model created by one of Europe’s...

Despite the crucial role earthworms and other soil invertebrates play for healthy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountain-ecosystems-are-in-urgent-need-of-protection/">ecosystems</a> and fertile soils, there has historically been a lack of monitoring of their populations. Now, by collecting nearly 100 years of scientific studies on soil invertebrate abundance, a team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.bto.org/">British Trust for Ornithology</a> (BTO) has found evidence that earthworm populations have significantly declined over the past decades.



&nbsp;“Changes in the UK countryside over the last century, such as extensive drainage, pesticide use, and inorganic fertilizer application, are likely to have negatively affected earthworm populations,” reported study lead author Ailidh Barnes, a research ecologist at BTO.



“Any large-scale decline in soil biodiversity - particularly the loss of earthworms - would sit alongside&nbsp;concerns about&nbsp;‘insectaggedon’ and the wider biodiversity crisis,” added James Pearce-Higgins, the Director of Science at the same organization. “We need to be concerned about what is happening to biodiversity below the ground in order to protect the biodiversity that we see above ground. We need to look after earthworms.”



According to the scientists, thrushes, starlings, and waders which rely on soil invertebrates are experiencing long-term declines, partly due to changes in the availability of their food sources. These declines appear to be greatest in southeast England, where hotter and drier summers are also likely to reduce the availability of earthworms to foraging birds.



&nbsp;“Whilst these data do not come from a proper monitoring scheme, our hope is that publishing this work will stimulate others to investigate what is happening to our soil invertebrates and establish proper monitoring. Given their importance, we need to monitor changes in the status of our soil invertebrates better than we have in the past,” Pearce-Higgins concluded.



The findings of this study will be presented by Professor Pearce-Higgins at the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/">British Ecological Society</a>’s annual meeting in Edinburgh on Monday 19th&nbsp;December.&nbsp;



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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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Scientists identify long-term declines in UK earthworms

Despite the crucial role earthworms and other soil invertebrates play...

The Arctic will soon receive more rain than snow, according to a new study published by the <a href="https://www.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a>. The experts report that as the planet heats up, the number of rainy days in the Arctic could double by the end of this century.



Study lead author Tingfeng Dou is a climate scientist at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. He explained that as Arctic rainfall events spread farther toward the center of the Arctic Ocean and inland Greenland, we can expect "the arrival of a new Arctic."



“In the past, rainfall was primarily limited to the edges of the Greenland ice sheet,” said Dou. “In the future, this will radically change because rainfall will expand further into inland locations and be a catalyst for further ablation of the ice sheet.”



The experts used climate models to predict future changes in rainfall frequency and intensity under a high level of greenhouse gas emissions from 2015 to 2100.



The projected increase in rainfall across the Arctic will trigger widespread permafrost melt. This will release huge amounts of greenhouse gases and accelerate the rate of sea ice loss. Under a high-emissions scenario, Antarctica may transition to the same rainier conditions. The consequences will widespread, with direct impacts on Arctic ecology and Indigenous peoples, and cascading effects on communities all over the planet.&nbsp;



“Even ordinary rainfall can be regarded as an extreme event in polar regions,” said Dou. He noted that the number of reindeer deaths caused by a single rain-on-snow event could range from several hundred to thousands, as their food becomes trapped under an icy layer.&nbsp;



Local warming rates in the Arctic are “two to three times that of the global average,” said study co-author Cunde Xiao. “This is a serious cause for alarm.”



“Once the transition from snow to rainfall becomes common, it will have a far-reaching impact on the Arctic ice and snow process and hydrological ecology,” said Xiao. “This will also strongly amplify the warming of the Arctic, making it a major issue worthy of global attention as it can have global consequences.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2021EF002378">Earth's Future</a>.



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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

Arctic rainfall could soon double, with dramatic consequences

The Arctic will soon receive more rain than snow, according...

He,Is,The,Champ,.,Mixed,Media

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/blueberries-grown-grass/">Grass</a> is an extremely resilient plant in general. But a particular species of turfgrass - Paspalum vaginatum (colloquially known as seashore paspalum) – which has been used to pad soccer fields recently built in Qatar for the World Cup, can tolerate stresses diverse and lethal enough to rival cactuses or camels. Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska-Lincoln</a> has argued that seashore paspalum may soon assist another goal – growing crops which yield more food with less of the fertilizer that imposes significant costs on farmers, ecosystems, and water resources.



Since mid-20th century, the application of fertilizers such as nitrogen and phosphorous has skyrocketed, in order to boost plant growth. However, the seashore paspalum does not seem to need much of these nutrients, a surprising feature which sets it apart from its close relatives such as corn and sorghum.



By analyzing this plant’s genes and gene expression, the scientists discovered that it responds to a lack of nutrients by nearly doubling its production of a sugary molecule called trehalose. Although corn and sorghum naturally churn out some of the same molecule, the researchers saw no change in its production among these two nutrient-starved crops.



Unfortunately, trying to increase trehalose in corn proved ineffective. “So I thought about it in the opposite way,” said study lead author Guangchao Sun, a bioinformatician at the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/">Mayo Clinic</a>. “If I cannot supply trehalose to the plants, what if I stopped its degradation in those plants?”



By using an antibiotic that can inhibit the enzyme responsible for degrading trehalose, the scientists finally succeeded in cranking up the trehalose levels in corn and, within days, the crops started growing more. According to Sun and his colleagues, these changes also relied on autophagy – a “recycling program” in plant cells that takes apart old or damaged proteins, then reassembles them into new, functioning ones.&nbsp;



Eventually, the team managed to develop a mutant of corn which lacked the ability to engage the final stage of recycling. Moreover, even with a surplus of trehalose, the mutant failed to thrive when deprived of essential nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorous, marking autophagy as an equally important facet of the resilience.



According to Sun, there are still other things to do before scientists will clearly understand seashore paspalum’s world-class tolerance. However, he hopes that very soon his team will manage to identify the genes that code for higher trehalose.



“And if you could (introduce) that genomic region into other elite corn varieties — say, some maize that has high yield but is really sensitive to nutrient stress — maybe now you get both a high yield and high resilience,” he concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35507-8">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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World Cup turfgrass may help make corn more resilient

Grass is an extremely resilient plant in general. But a...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a> has found that short-term, heavy feeding by adult spotted lanternflies on young maple <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-trees-are-vital-to-forest-survival/">trees</a> inhibits photosynthesis, and thus may impair the trees’ growth by up to 50 percent. These findings could help production nurseries and forest managers make better decisions on how to protect these types of trees.



“Spotted lanternfly will feed on important ornamental and forest trees such as silver and red maple, which are used to make products and are abundant across urban, suburban, and rural landscapes throughout Pennsylvania,” said study senior author Kelli Hoover, a professor of Entomology at Penn State.



This species of lanternfly, which originated in Asia, was first discovered in 2014 in the U.S. in Berks County and, since then, has spread to 45 Pennsylvania counties, as well as a few surrounding states. The pest uses its piercing-sucking mouth to feed on sap from over 100 plant species, with a strong preference for tree-of-heaven (which is also an invasive species), as well as both wild and cultivated grapes.



“While the spotted lanternfly likely co-evolved with its preferred host, tree-of-heaven, in its native range, the effects on the health and physiology of tree hosts native to the U.S. have not been investigated,” Hoover explained.



The scientists collected spotted lanternflies at two ages – adults and fourth instar nymphs (the last developmental stage before adulthood) – and placed them in different “densities” (number of insects per plant) on silver maple, red maple, tree-of-heaven, and black walnut saplings. Over a period of two years, they examined how insect density by life stage influenced physiological plant responses, such as photosynthesis.



“This process produces the nonstructural carbohydrates that trees need to grow and produce flowers or fruit,” Hoover said. “When plants are under stress, they use a variety of strategies to defend themselves; they may shift rates of photosynthesis and alter the allocation of carbon and nitrogen resources to growth or induced plant defenses.”



The analysis revealed that adult spotted lanternflies thwarted photosynthesis and reduced nitrogen concentrations in leaves, thus stunting the growth of the trees, while nymphs had less impact on tree development. These declines in tree growth were proportional to the density of the insects.



“The bottom line is that the older the insects, the more damaging they are. If spotted lanternfly is feeding on your rosebush, especially the nymphs, or if they are confined to the underside of the leaves of your maple trees, they’re probably not going to do much harm. But, when they are blanketing young trees, treatment with biopesticides or insecticides might be needed,” Hoover concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3389/finsc.2022.1080124">Frontiers in Insect Science</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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Spotted lanternflies damage young maple trees

A new study led by Pennsylvania State University has found...

Dinosaurs dominated the land habitats of Earth for over 100 million years during the Mesozoic era. At the peak of their success, they included species that were herbivorous, like the long-necked <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/giant-sauropods-walked-more-like-hippos-than-elephants/">sauropods</a>, and others that were dedicated carnivores like Tyrannosaurus rex&nbsp;and its relatives. However, they were not always the grand and impressive reptiles with which we are so familiar.&nbsp;&nbsp;



When dinosaurs first evolved, way back in the early Triassic Period (some 230 million years ago), they were not initially very successful or diverse. They were mostly small and lived in the shadow of the much more successful crocodile-like archosaurs. Scientists do not know how diverse they were in terms of their diets and ecology, but they do know that something happened during their early evolution in the Triassic, that enabled them to adapt to a wide range of habitats and lifestyles.&nbsp;



At the end of the Triassic Period, a mass extinction event occurred that wiped out the crocodile-like competitors, but most of the early dinosaurs survived. After this event, the dinosaurs were able to adapt and evolve into a diverse array of species that dominated the earth until their extinction, 66 million years ago.&nbsp;



Significant ways in which the early dinosaurs changed involved the shapes of their skulls and the morphology of their teeth. This is thought to indicate that they began to diversify their diets and eat different foods. By looking at the tooth shapes of the earliest dinosaurs and simulating their tooth function with computational modelling, a team of researchers has now been able to compare them to living reptiles and their diets. Their findings are published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</a>.



“Soon after their origin, dinosaurs start to show an interesting diversity of skull and tooth shapes. For decades, this has made paleontologists suspect that different species were already experimenting with different kinds of diets," explained study lead author&nbsp;Dr. Antonio Ballell&nbsp;from the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>.



The researchers compared the fossilized teeth of early dinosaurs to those of modern lizard species and tried to infer what the dinosaurs ate, based on the similarities with modern lizard species, for which the diets are known.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“We investigated this by applying a set of computational methods to quantify the shape and function of the teeth of early dinosaurs and compare them to living reptiles that have different diets," said Dr. Ballell. "This included mathematically modeling their tooth shapes and simulating their mechanical responses to biting forces with engineering software.”



“With this battery of methods, we were able to numerically quantify how similar early dinosaurs were to modern animals, providing solid evidence for our inferences of diets. Theropod dinosaurs have pointy, curved and blade-like teeth with tiny serrations, which behaved like those of modern monitor lizards," explained study co-author Professor Mike Benton. "In contrast, the denticulated teeth of ornithischians and sauropodomorphs are more similar to modern omnivores and herbivores, like iguanas.”



The innovative study used machine learning models to classify the earliest dinosaurs into the different diet categories, based on their tooth shape and mechanics. The researchers found that some of the species, such as Thecodontosaurus (one of the earliest and oldest known dinosaurs), had teeth that were perfectly adapted for a diet of plants. However, many groups that ended up being herbivorous actually had ancestors that were omnivorous. And the long-necked herbivores, such as Diplodocus, had ancestors that ate meat.&nbsp;



The researchers suggest that this ability to diversify their diets early in their evolution likely explains the evolutionary and ecological success of the dinosaurs.



“Our analyses reveal that ornithischians - the group that includes many plant-eating species like the horned dinosaurs, the armored ankylosaurs and the duck-billed dinosaurs - started off as omnivores. And another interesting finding is that the earliest sauropodomorphs, ancestors of the veggie long-necked sauropods like&nbsp;Diplodocus, were carnivores. This shows that herbivory was not ancestral for any of these two lineages, countering traditional hypotheses, and that the diets of early dinosaurs were quite diverse," said study co-author Professor Emily Rayfield.



Dr. Ballell concluded: “It seems that one of the things that made the first dinosaurs special is that they evolved different diets throughout the Triassic, and we think this might have been key for their evolutionary and ecological success.”



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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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Dinosaurs' ability to adapt to new diets may explain their success

Dinosaurs dominated the land habitats of Earth for over 100...

The food that we get on our table travels long distances and undergoes various modifications – from production to processing to distribution and, finally, consumption. Now, an international team of researchers have produced digital maps detailing the pressures that the global food system is exerting on the environment and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-whales-help-mitigate-climate-change/">climate</a>.



“The food system is the biggest threat to biological diversity and one of the worst drivers of the climate crisis,” said study co-author Daniel Moran, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a> (NTNU).



“There are lots of different foods on the planet and numerous ways to produce them. The environmental consequences are manifold and difficult to calculate. By gaining a better understanding of the negative impacts, we can achieve more environmentally efficient food production. Doing this will protect the environment and help ensure that we have enough food for the world's population.”



The scientists have gathered data on 99 percent of all food production in water and on land reported in 2017, while taking into account the main types of pressure that food production exerts on the environment, including CO2 emissions, water consumption, pollution, and habitat destruction. Moreover, they have also followed the entire “life cycle” of food – from the sowing of grain or birth of the piglet all the way to the bread and bacon on the consumers’ tables – in order to measure the total environmental impact.



The analysis revealed that five countries – China, India, the United States, Brazil, and Pakistan – account for nearly half of the global environmental impact from food production. In the current study, the countries with the smaller environmental footprint have not been “crowned,” since they are generally poor countries that live with severe food shortages and widespread hunger.&nbsp;



According to the scientists, 90 percent of all food production takes place on the ten percent of the Earth’s land area. Nevertheless, its environmental impact is highly variable according to the specific regions where processes related to food production occur. “In general, locally produced food is the most environmentally friendly option, but we were surprised at how much the production footprint of the same product varied in different countries,” Moran explained.



“A food product can be sustainable when it is produced in one country, but not in another. For example, it turned out that soy production in the USA is twice as environmentally efficient as in India.”



The researchers concluded that no particular diet can be considered best for protecting the environment, and can vary greatly from country to country. Moreover, they warned that, although local food is often sustainable, people should find a balance between their desire for self-sufficiency with all types of food and the most environmentally efficient production possible.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-00965-x">Nature Sustainability</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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Food production is one of the biggest drivers of climate change

The food that we get on our table travels long...

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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

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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

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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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

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