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 this year’s&nbsp;<a href="https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-4811-2022">Global Carbon Budget</a>&nbsp;report, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-co2-emissions-reached-unprecedented-highs-in-2021/">global carbon dioxide emissions</a> from fossil fuels and cement have increased by one percent in 2022, hitting a new record high of 36.6 billion tons. 



The experts found that the current rise in fossil fuel emissions has been mainly driven by a strong increase in oil emissions as the travel industry has started to recover after the Covid-19 pandemic. Although coal and gas emissions grew more slowly, they both had record emissions too in 2022. 



Moreover, the scientists warned that, if global emissions remain at current levels, the remaining carbon budget maintaining global warming below 1.5°C will be gone in roughly nine years.&nbsp;



“This year we see yet another rise in global fossil CO2 emissions, when we need a rapid decline,” said report lead author Pierre Friedlingstein, an expert in the Mathematical Modelling of the Climate System at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. “There are some positive signs, but leaders meeting at COP27 will have to take meaningful action if we are to have any chance of limiting global warming close to 1.3°F (1.5°C).&nbsp;The Global Carbon Budget numbers monitor the progress on climate action and right now we are not seeing the action required.”



The researchers estimate that total global carbon dioxide emissions will reach 40.6 billion tons by the end of the year, which is not far from the highest annual total ever recorded (40.9 billion tons in 2021). While emissions in China and the European Union are expected to decrease by 0.9 and 0.8 percent, respectively, those from India and the United States will rise by 6 and 1.5 percent.



In order to reach zero net emissions by 2050, a decrease of 1.4 billion tons of CO2 is needed annually, which is the equivalent of the observed emissions fall in 2020 as a result of the worldwide Covid-related lockdowns.



&nbsp;“Our findings reveal turbulence in emissions patterns this year resulting from the pandemic and global energy crises,” said co-author Corinne Le Quéré, a research professor of Climate Change Science at the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>.



“If governments respond by turbo charging clean energy investments and planting, not cutting, trees, global emissions could rapidly start to fall. We are at a turning point and must not allow world events to distract us from the urgent and sustained need to cut our emissions to stabilize the global climate and reduce cascading risks,” she 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

Global CO2 emissions hit record levels in 2022

According to this year’s&nbsp;Global Carbon Budget&nbsp;report, global carbon dioxide emissions...

Thunderstorm,And,Lightning

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> has found that climate change could alter lightning patterns across Europe. By using state-of-the-art <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">Met Office</a> climate simulations with the highest local details in meteorological and topographic features down to two kilometers, the experts estimated that global warming could lead to more lightning over mountains and in Northern Europe and less lightning over Central Europe.



By taking into consideration an unmitigated climate change scenario (the so-called RCP.8 scenario), the researchers discovered that, in the future, Europe will face more frequent and powerful storms overall, but less lightning locally due to less cloud ice and frozen particles in storm clouds due to temperature rises. While at higher altitudes, such as the Alps, there will be more lightning, on the lower terrain in central Europe and over the sea, there will likely be less lighting.



These changes could lead to an increased risk of wildfires over the mountains and in Northern Europe. “While more frequent lightning strikes over mountains and in Northern Europe might trigger more wildfires in higher level forests, we are going to see relatively fewer lightning hazards over more populated areas of Central Europe,” said study lead author Abdullah Kahraman, a senior researcher in Severe Weather and Climate Change at Newcastle.



&nbsp;“These new very high-resolution climate projections, which have a resolution on a par with weather forecast models, are providing new insights into future changes in convective storms and their associated hazards - such as heavy downpours, lightning, hail and wind gusts,” added study co-author Lizzie Kendon, a science fellow at the Met Office. “Changes in lightning in this study are in contrast with previous studies. This shows us that representing the fundamental physical processes within storms themselves is important and can lead to future changes that are even of the opposite sign.”&nbsp;



According to the scientists, these findings highlight the need to re-evaluate lightning risks to wildfires, properties, and human life and wellbeing across the European continent. “This is just more bad news for critical national infrastructure in northern Europe, after the damning report ‘Readiness for storms ahead? Critical national infrastructure in an age of climate change’ by the Joint Committee on the National Security Strategy last week. Our paper has highlighted new risks from increases in lightning, previously unknown, which will require increased investment in climate adaptation measures. Further analysis is needed of the potential impact of these increases in lightning on energy and other critical infrastructure systems to enable policies and measures to be produced that are locally- and sector-relevant for adaptation planning,” concluded co-author Hayley Fowler, an expert in Climate Change Impacts at Newcastle.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1088/1748-9326/ac9b78">Environmental Research Letters</a>.&nbsp;&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

Climate change will alter lightning patterns

A new study led by the Newcastle University has found...

Plastic production and subsequent pollution are key drivers of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-climate-and-biodiversity-crises-should-be-tackled-together/">climate</a> change, the focus of discussion at COP27 in Egypt this week. At the upcoming Global Treaty to End Plastic Pollution, the United Nations must set a new target for plastic pollution. Researchers from the <a href="https://plasticspolicy.port.ac.uk/">Global Plastics Policy Centre</a> at the University of Portsmouth are urging for an aggressive target of zero for new plastic waste.&nbsp;&nbsp;



<a href="https://researchportal.port.ac.uk/en/persons/steve-fletcher">Professor Steve Fletcher</a> advised the United Nations Environment Programme, G20, and World Bank on plastic policy, including the possible global agreement to tackle plastic pollution.



“The treaty’s target must be ambitious and meaningful, we are calling for the UN to aim for a minimum goal of 0% new plastic pollution by 2040," said Professor Fletcher. "To achieve this, policymakers, businesses, researchers and wider society must go beyond the existing best available technology and practice and be radical in their thinking to develop a coordinated global strategy to tackle plastic pollution.”



The aim of the global treaty is to end plastic pollution, but a target is still needed and should be clearly defined with an agreed upon strategy.&nbsp;



There are nearly 200 nations committed to the development of the treaty. With each country working with different financial, social and political obstacles, the target must be clear, measurable, and based on a relevant timeframe.&nbsp;



The authors feel it is not realistic for countries to clear existing plastic waste. Instead, efforts should be focused on stopping new plastic pollution entering the environment.&nbsp;



Current policies only address a fraction of plastic pollution. These commitments are estimated to decrease plastic entering the environment by only seven percent between now and 2040.&nbsp;



“At best, country-specific policies, such as bans on specific plastic products, do not have the reach to meaningfully affect global drivers of plastic pollution. At worst, they create international legal and policy inconsistencies that push plastic waste to places with the least capacity to deal with it safely," said study lead author Antaya March.



Policies often fail to tackle the root cause of pollution. This is why the team is calling for a globally coordinated approach regulating the entire plastics value chain and confronting the environmental, economic and social impacts of misaligned plastic policies.



“Plastic is extremely useful, but mismanagement has led to a global pollution crisis that is exacerbating climate change. A complete transformation to a circular plastics economy is needed to radically reduce or eliminate plastic pollution while supporting necessary use," said March.



“It is a huge achievement that the development of a global legally binding treaty by the UN to end plastic pollution is underway. But to be effective, the global treaty requires new levels of transparency, disclosure and cooperation to support evidence-based policymaking that avoids the fragmented and reactionary policies of the past. A system change needs to arise that fundamentally alters the way we behave and interact with plastic," said Professor Fletcher.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43017-022-00361-1">Nature Reviews Earth &amp; Environment</a>.



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



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The world may put an end to plastic pollution by 2040

Plastic production and subsequent pollution are key drivers of climate...

Although climate change has attracted a lot of attention for its catastrophic consequences for the natural world, a new study published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abm9982">Science Advances</a> has argued that it is in fact the fourth driver of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-loss-weakens-ecosystem-functioning/">biodiversity loss</a>, after land/sea use change, direct exploitation of natural resources, and pollution.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“This major new study, published during the COP27 climate summit, demonstrates clearly that fighting climate change alone will not be enough to prevent the further loss of biodiversity, and with it our future,” said study co-author Nicolas Titeux, an expert in Climate, Environment, and Biodiversity at the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.list.lu/">Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology</a>. “The various direct drivers should be addressed with similar ambition as the climate crisis and as a whole.”&nbsp;



While greenhouse emissions have been known to be the leading causes of the current climate crisis, the researchers argued that just as important is understanding what is behind the massive and rapid decline in animal and plant species. Since ecosystems worldwide are changing away from their natural condition at an unprecedented pace, they are increasingly unable to provide crucial ecosystem services for human wellbeing.



Although, overall, climate change is only the fourth driver of biodiversity loss, it is the second driver of species loss in the oceans, after the human-led exploitation of fish stocks. Based on current developments, the scientists fear that the importance of climate change for species loss and the decline of ecosystem services will increase during the following years and move up in the top of direct drivers.



The researchers call for a more holistic approach to tackle the twin threats of climate and the biodiversity crises together. “Climate change and biodiversity loss have been tackled largely separately, by different policies that haven’t always considered the other problem. For example, biofuels are proposed as one way to get to net zero, but the expansion of plantations into natural forest that could result would be terrible for nature,” explained study senior author Andy Purvis, a researcher in Biodiversity and Conservation at the <a href="https://www.nhm.ac.uk/">Natural History Museum</a> in London.&nbsp;



Moreover, “nature-positive” solutions to tackle the two crises, such as the large-scale restoration of natural forests and the effective protection of coastal wetlands, are essential for solving the world’s most pressing problems. “I’d love for ‘nature-positive’ to get into the public consciousness as much as ‘net zero’ has. If future generations are going to have the same birthright we had of a livable, supportive planet, then all parts of society will have to transition as quickly as possible to being both net zero and nature-positive,” Purvis concluded.&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

The climate and biodiversity crises should be tackled together

Although climate change has attracted a lot of attention for...

While we are familiar with the ways in which human activities are currently threatening the abundance and diversity of wild species on land, information on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/marine-biodiversity-could-shift-rapidly-due-to-climate-change/">biodiversity</a> changes in the oceans is not as easy to obtain. It’s estimated that intense fishing across the planet’s oceans has led to roughly half of all commercially harvested fish and invertebrate stocks becoming overfished during the 20th&nbsp;century, and the effects of these fisheries on ocean biodiversity are poorly researched and understood.&nbsp;



In a new study, scientists from Spain, the U.S. and Canada, have used the risk categories and criteria of the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s ‘Red List of Threatened Species’ to help develop an understanding of changing biodiversity among 52 populations of oceanic tuna, billfish and sharks since1950. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) labels a species as critically endangered (CR), endangered (EN), or vulnerable (V) on the basis of how much its population has declined over the past three generations or 10 years, whichever period is longer. Other categories include near threatened (NT) and of least concern (LC).



Dr. Maria José&nbsp;Juan-Jordá from the Basque Research and Technology Alliance, and colleagues, built upon this classification system and developed a continuous Red List Index (RLI) of yearly changes in extinction risk for populations of seven tuna species, six billfish species, and five shark species over the past 70 years. This helped them to understand the health of oceanic biodiversity as well as the overall impacts of fishing mortality and conservation efforts on these populations of predatory fish.



The researchers found that, between 1950 and 2008, the global RLI trajectory of these fish populations grew worse by around 27 percent. This reflected an increasing extinction risk due to fishing pressure for these iconic oceanic predatory species. However, as calls for better monitoring and effective fisheries management strategies were heeded, mortality due to fishing declined and populations of tuna and billfish gradually recovered. For tunas, the RLI started to improve in the 1990s and end of the 2000s whereas the RLI for billfishes deteriorated until the early 2000s, improving only during the past decade.&nbsp;



In particular, since 2008, populations of southern bluefin tuna have improved from critical to vulnerable, while yellowfin tuna, swordfish, blue marlin, striped marlin, and black marlin have moved to the categories near threatened or of least concern. These findings suggest that effective ocean fisheries management has shifted the biodiversity loss curve for tunas and billfishes. These target species are now being more successfully managed to ensure maximum sustainable catches.



However, the same cannot be said for oceanic shark species. The extinction risk for sharks, which remain largely undermanaged, continues to rise. Sharks are often captured as bycatch in other fisheries, and their numbers and biodiversity continue to decline, leading to increasing risk of biodiversity loss. The researchers report that there seems to be high resistance to any measure that might meaningfully curb fishing mortality for sharks, and emphasize that unless effective management actions are adopted to reduce shark mortality for each fishery and shark species – including international trade regulation – their risk trajectories will continue worsening in the future.&nbsp;



The authors state: “Our study connects annual changes in fishing mortality and extinction risk globally over the past 70 years for oceanic tunas, billfishes, and sharks and reveals how effective management for highly valuable commercial species of tunas and billfishes has reversed the biodiversity loss curve while the extinction risk of undermanaged sharks continues to increase.”



In a related Perspective, Matthew Burgess and Sarah Becker write: “The conservation statuses of threatened target species can be improved by managing the fishing industry, which can benefit the industry economically in the long run while allowing the threatened species to recover. However, the protection of high-vulnerability bycatch and non-target species is expected to be more difficult because they will require fisheries to invest in better fishing gear and targeting practices, or reduce fishing efforts, without directly benefiting from these changes.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abj0211">Science</a>.



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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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Tunas, billfishes, and sharks are sentinels of global ocean health

While we are familiar with the ways in which human...

According to the 2018 United States Census, over 85 percent of Americans own <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-spend-nearly-5-hours-a-day-on-smartphones/">smartphones</a>. Since these phones are reportedly viewed 14 million times per day by their users, they can become potential receptacles for environmental hazards such as allergens. A new study presented at this year’s <a href="https://annualmeeting.acaai.org/">American College of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology (ACAAI) Annual Scientific Meeting</a> in Louisville has found that smartphone screens often contain elevated levels of cat and dog allergens, as well as β-D&nbsp;glucans&nbsp;(BDG) and endotoxin.



The scientists created phone models with a similar size and surface to real smartphones and wiped the models’ surface with electrostatic wipes in order to measure allergen levels. “Smartphones showed elevated and variable levels of BDG and endotoxin, and cat and dog allergens were found on smartphones of pet owners,” reported study lead author Hana Ruran, a research intern at <a href="https://www.childrenshospital.org/">Boston Children’s Hospital</a>.&nbsp;



“BDGs&nbsp;are found in fungal cell walls and have been found in many environments and surfaces causing chronic airway and irritant symptoms – making BDGs a consistent marker to study problematic mold.&nbsp;Endotoxin is a potent inflammatory agent and a marker of exposure to Gram negative bacteria.”



According to the researchers, the chemical from the mixture solutions that can be used for cleaning phone screens (chlorhexidine, cetylpyridinium chloride, tannic acid and benzyl&nbsp;benzoate) could be purchased through laboratory or chemical suppliers, but are not commercially available in similar concentrations used in the study.



“Combination chlorhexidine/cetylpyridinium was the most effective in reducing BDG and endotoxin and combination benzyl benzoate/tannic acid most effectively reduced cat and dog allergens on smartphones,” said co-author Peter Thorne, a professor of Public Health at the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a>.&nbsp;



“The study demonstrates exposure to inhalant allergens and molecules that trigger innate immune reactions from a source most people haven’t considered. If you have allergies or asthma, you may want to think about cleaning your smartphone more often to minimize exposure to these allergens and asthma triggers,” he 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

Smartphones can be reservoirs of allergens

According to the 2018 United States Census, over 85 percent...

The Devonian Period that occurred between 419 and 358 million years ago, prior to the evolution of terrestrial life, is well-known for mass extinction events during which an estimated 70 percent of life on Earth was decimated. Now, a team of scientists from <a href="https://www.iupui.edu/">Indiana University Purdue University-Indianapolis</a> has argued that the evolution of tree <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deeper-plant-roots-could-boost-soil-carbon-storage/">roots</a> may have triggered this series of catastrophic extinctions which rocked the Earth’s oceans during this period.



“Our analysis shows that the evolution of tree roots likely flooded past oceans with excess nutrients, causing massive algae growth,” said study co-author Gabriel Filippelli, a biogeochemist at IU. “These rapid and destructive algae blooms would have depleted most of the oceans’ oxygen, triggering catastrophic mass extinction events.”



The process described by the scientists – known as “eutrophication” – is remarkably similar to the modern, albeit smaller-scale phenomena currently fueling “dead zones” in the Great Lakes and the Gulf of Mexico, as excess nutrients from fertilizers and other agricultural runoff trigger massive algal blooms which consume most of the water’s oxygen. However, the past events were likely caused by tree roots instead, which pulled large amounts of nutrients during times of growth, and abruptly dumped them into water during times of decay.



By chemically analyzing stone deposits from ancient lake beds, the scientists confirmed previously identified cycles of higher and lower amounts of phosphorous (a chemical element found in all life on Earth), as well as wet and dry cycles based upon signs of “weathering” - or soil formation - caused by root growth, with greater weathering indicating wet cycles with more roots and less weathering dry ones with fewer roots. Most importantly, the researchers found that the dry cycles coincided with higher levels of phosphorous, suggesting that dying tree roots released their nutrients into the Earth’s waters during those periods. Thus, the decay of tree roots seems to be the main suspect behind the Devonian mass extinctions.



Fortunately, modern trees don’t cause similar destruction, since nature has evolved better mechanisms to balance out the impact of rotting wood, and the depth of contemporary soils can retain more nutrients than the thin layer of dirt which covered ancient Earth. However, current pollution from fertilizers, manure, and other organic waste, has now placed the Earth’s oceans once more on the edge of anoxia – a complete lack of oxygen that could have disastrous consequences for marine life.



“These new insights into the catastrophic results of natural events in the ancient world may serve as a warning about the consequences of similar conditions arising from human activity today,” Fillipelli concluded.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1130/GSAB.S.XXXX">Geological Society of America Bulletin</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

Tree roots may have driven mass extinctions

The Devonian Period that occurred between 419 and 358 million...

Greenland, the world’s largest island, is largely covered by a massive ice sheet that has existed for at least the last 18 million years. It has an average thickness of 1.5 km (0.9&nbsp;mi) but reaches over 3&nbsp;km (1.9&nbsp;mi) at its thickest. This ice cap has been thinning slowly for decades, but the process has accelerated in recent years under the influence of global warming. The Northeast Greenland Ice Stream (NEGIS) is a prominent ice-flow feature that drains the large central basin via several fast-flowing glaciers that terminate in the sea, and is the only ice stream that extends into the interior of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/melt-ponds-on-the-greenland-ice-sheet/">ice sheet</a>.&nbsp;



After a long period of stability, several of these large glaciers draining the region began thinning in 2000, which has given cause for concern. This thinning could result in increasing mass loss from the deep central portion of the Greenland ice sheet which would, in turn, affect sea levels and coastlines worldwide.&nbsp;



A recent study by researchers from Dartmouth College, the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and the University of California, Irvine, reports that the loss of ice from Greenland’s largest basin is occurring much faster than previously thought, and could contribute up to six times more to global sea-level rise by 2100 than current climate models project. The researchers say that ice loss from the Northeast Greenland Ice Stream alone could add half an inch or more of water to sea levels by the end of this century, which is equivalent to the contribution from the entire Greenland ice sheet during the past 50 years.



The study, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-022-05301-z">Nature</a>, made use of satellite data and numerical modeling with GPS data, collected from the harsh interior of Greenland over the past decade. In 2012, the intrusion of warm ocean currents caused the floating extension of the NEGIS to collapse, which has accelerated ice flow along the glaciers and triggered a wave of rapid ice thinning that has spread upstream. The researchers found that this thinning stretches inland from the Greenland coast as far as 200–300 kilometers (124–186 miles), and that other glaciers on Greenland may be suffering the same fate.



"Many glaciers have been accelerating and thinning near the margin in recent decades –&nbsp;GPS data helped us detect how far inland these changes, happening near the coast, propagate,” said co-author&nbsp;<a href="https://earthsciences.dartmouth.edu/people/mathieu-morlighem">Mathieu Morlighem</a>, the Evans Family Distinguished Professor of&nbsp;<a href="https://earthsciences.dartmouth.edu/">Earth Sciences</a>&nbsp;at Dartmouth. Morlighem led the development of the numerical models for the study that simulated the flow of ice from the interior of the ice sheet to the coast.



“The Greenland ice sheet is not necessarily more unstable than we thought, but it may be more sensitive to changes happening around the coast,” Morlighem said. “If this is correct, the contribution of ice dynamics to overall mass loss on Greenland will be larger than what current models suggest.”



The study hinges on data collected by a team led by first author Shfaqat Abbas Khan, a professor at DTU Space, using a network of GPS stations that stretch inland on the NEGIS to behind the Nioghalvfjerdsfjord Gletscher and Zachariae Isstrøm glaciers, one of Earth's most hostile and remote terrains.



Morlighem and coauthor Youngmin Choi, a former graduate student in Morlighem’s research group at UC Irvine, who is now at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, compared the GPS data collected from the ice sheet to numerical models they developed to capture the dynamic response of the NEGIS after the collapse of the Zachariae Isstrøm glacier’s floating extension in 2012. They tested their model against various friction laws until their results matched the field data from the ice sheet. They then ran the model into the future and found that the NEGIS could lose six times more ice than existing climate models estimate.



“We can see that the entire basin is thinning and the surface speed is accelerating,” Khan said. “Every year, the glaciers we’ve studied have retreated farther inland, and we predict that this will continue over the coming decades and centuries. Under present-day climate forcing, it is difficult to conceive how this retreat could stop.”



Though winter 2021 and summer 2022 were particularly cold, the NEGIS glaciers have kept retreating. This is partly because Northeastern Greenland is an Arctic desert where precipitation is as low as 25 mm (0.9 inches) per year in places, so low that the ice sheet does not regenerate enough to offset ice loss through melt. However, estimating how much ice is lost and how far into the ice sheet the process occurs is not easy. The ice sheet's interior – which moves less than one meter (3 feet) per year – is difficult to monitor, which limits the ability to make accurate projections.



“Models are mainly tuned to observations at the front of the ice sheet, which is easily accessible, and where, visibly, a lot is happening,” Khan said. “Our data show us that what we see happening at the front reaches far back into the heart of the ice sheet.”



Study co-author Eric Rignot, professor of Earth system science at UC Irvine, said that as more precise observations of the change in ice flow velocity are included in models, it is likely that estimates of global sea-level rise, such as the 22–98 centimeters (8–38 inches) by 2100 projected by the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, will need to be corrected upwards.



“We foresee profound changes in global sea levels, more than currently projected by existing models,” Rignot said. “Data collected in the vast interior of ice sheets, such as those described in our research, help us better represent the physical processes included in numerical models and in turn provide more realistic projections of global sea-level rise.”



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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

Greenland ice sheet is thinning six times faster than expected

Greenland, the world’s largest island, is largely covered by a...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bumble-bees-can-play-with-objects-for-fun/">Bumblebees</a> use several different cues to locate and identify suitable flowers from which to harvest pollen and nectar. They home in on flower scent and color, but are also sensitive to the electrical field around a flower. These tiny electric fields form from the imbalance of charge between the ground and the atmosphere, and are unique to each species, depending on the plant’s distance from the ground and the shape of the blooms. Flowers use electric fields as an additional means by which to advertise themselves to pollinators, but it seems that human activities can change these electrical cues and make it more difficult for pollinators to sense the presence of suitable flowers.



A study published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus">PNAS&nbsp;Nexus</a> has investigated the effects, on bumblebees, of spraying plants with fertilizers and pesticides. These chemical sprays cause alterations to the electric fields around flowers for up to 25 minutes after exposure, which is far longer than the fluctuations caused by natural phenomena, such as wind. The researchers found that bumblebees were less likely to land on flowers that had been sprayed with fertilizers or pesticides, and that this resulted in a reduction in bee feeding effort.



<a href="https://research-information.bris.ac.uk/en/persons/ellard-hunting">Dr. Ellard Hunting</a>&nbsp;of Bristol’s&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/biology/">School of Biological Sciences</a>,&nbsp;and his team, noted that fertilizers did not affect the bees’ vision or sense of smell, and so they set out to mimic the electrical changes caused by fertilizers and pesticides in the field by manipulating flowers electrically. The results of their experiments showed that bumblebees were able to detect and discriminate against the small and dynamic electric field alterations that are caused by the chemicals.



“We know that chemicals are toxic, but we know little about how they affect the immediate interaction between plants and pollinators. Flowers have a range of cues that attract bees to promote feeding and pollination. For instance, bees use cues like flower odor and color, but they also use electric fields to identify plants," explained Dr. Hunting. “A big issue is thus – agrochemical application can distort floral cues and modify behavior in pollinators like bees."



And it is not only bumblebees and sprays of fertilizer or pesticide that are involved here: various other airborne particles such as nanoparticles, exhaust gasses, nano-plastics, and viral particles may have similar impacts, affecting a wide array of organisms that use the electric fields that are virtually everywhere in the natural environment.



“What makes this study important is that it’s the first known example of anthropogenic ‘noise’ interfering with a terrestrial animal’s electrical sense. It’s much like motorboat noise that hinders the ability of fish to detect their predators, or artificial light at night that confuses moths; the fertilizers are a source of noise to bees trying to detect floral electrical cues," said study co-author Sam England.



“This widens our understanding of the multifaceted ways in which human activity is negatively impacting the natural world, which can seem quite depressing, but it will hopefully allow us to introduce or invent solutions to prevent the adverse effects that these chemicals may be having on bees."



“The fact that fertilizers affect pollinator behavior by interfering with the way an organism perceives its physical environment offers a new perspective on how human-made chemicals disturb the natural environment," concluded Dr. Hunting.



The project was funded by the European Research Council and the Swiss National Science Foundation.



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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

Fertilizers disrupt flower electrical fields and confuse bees

Bumblebees use several different cues to locate and identify suitable...

Plants reduce their pollen development under mild heat conditions in anticipation of potential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-activities-are-fueling-more-extreme-heatwaves/">heatwaves</a>, according to a new thesis paper by Stuart Jansma, a PhD candidate at Radboud University. This response to warm weather can have a negative impact on fruit and seed production, and may have serious consequences as heatwaves become more common due to climate change.&nbsp;



Heat can damage pollen, prevent fertilization, and ultimately halt the production of fruits and seeds. While previous studies focused on heat shock by exposing plants to extreme heat for several hours at a time, Jansma wanted to study the effect of mild heat on a longer timescale.



For a few days, tomato plants were placed in an environment of 30°C to 34°C, which is six degrees higher than the ideal temperature for a tomato plant. Jansma studied how the plants responded on a molecular level. The results showed that mild heat triggers a different response in plants than heat shock.



“Plants react slightly less strongly when exposed to mild temperatures. The interesting thing is that this reaction to mild heat is not really necessary for the plant’s survival. You could say that the plant is ‘overreacting’; it’s anticipating a scenario with even hotter days to follow,” explained Jansma.



The experiment revealed that longer periods of mild heat affected the production of plant hormones, the conversion of sugars, and the folding of proteins. The combination of these changes led to reduced pollen development.&nbsp;



“The plant no longer focuses on reproduction, but arms itself against external stress factors," explained Jansma. “In principle, you don’t need that much pollen to fertilise a plant, but when the percentage of living pollen is low, the dead pollen block access to the pistil, thus preventing fertilization.”



“Every day that a plant ‘expects’ the warm weather to last for another week, it won’t produce any fruit. With climate change, warm days are growing in number, which only exacerbates the problem. To counter this effect, we could switch off the plants’ active reaction using genetic modification. However, this would require adjusting current European legislation.”



Jansma will present his PhD thesis at Radboud University on September 15.



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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

Plants overreact to warmer weather and stop producing fruit

Plants reduce their pollen development under mild heat conditions in...

In a new study led by <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a>, experts report that up to 32 harlequin frog <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australians-are-unaware-of-their-most-endangered-species/">species</a> which were believed to be extinct have been rediscovered in the wild. The researchers say their work provides a “glimmer of hope” against a backdrop of grim narratives around biodiversity, especially for amphibians.&nbsp;



The scientists hope the research project, which involved a combination of literature review and field work, will create a sense of urgency to better protect and conserve these rediscovered species.



“I can’t tell you how special it is to hold something we never thought we’d see again,” said study lead author Kyle Jaynes. "We want people to walk away from this with a glimmer of hope that we can still address the problems of the biodiversity crisis.



“But rediscovery does not equal recovery. This story isn’t over for these frogs, and we’re not where we want to be in terms of conservation and protection. We still have a lot to learn and a lot to do.”



While harlequin frogs that were thought to be extinct have been reappearing over the last two decades, these discoveries were reported as isolated events. As part of the study, new genetic data has been collected that will help inform conservation efforts.&nbsp;



“This study opens up a lot of other questions,” said Professor Sarah Fitzpatrick. “For example, why are these frogs persisting? What we found points to the fact that there probably isn’t a single explanation. And now that we’ve described these frogs, how do we ensure their recovery?”



“We really want people to understand how important our partnerships are. We were invited into this work by our Ecuadorian colleagues. They’ve been working tirelessly on these challenges for decades. There are so many things that they bring to this work that make it possible.”



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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

Dozens of frog species rediscovered in Ecuador

In a new study led by Michigan State University, experts...

Mountain landscapes across the world are threatened by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/beaver-dams-mitigate-the-effects-of-climate-change-on-rivers/">climate</a> change. The evolution of these landscapes could lead to hazards and environmental risks affecting nearby communities.



On the eve of COP27, a scientist from the <a href="https://www.wits.ac.za/">University of the Witwatersrand</a> in Johannesburg highlights the sensitivity of mountains to global climate change in a <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/14253/">new study</a>. Professor Jasper Knight describes how complex mountain systems respond in different and unexpected ways to climate change. The study also reveals how these responses can affect mountain landscapes and communities.&nbsp;



Mountain glaciers across the world are retreating due to global warming, impacting mountain landforms and the ecosystems and people that rely on them. These impacts, however, are highly variable.&nbsp;



“The latest report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) treats all mountains as equally sensitive and responding in the same way to climate change. However, this approach is not correct,” said Professor Knight. “Mountains with snow and ice work completely differently to low-latitude mountains where snow and ice are generally absent. This determines how they respond to climate and what future patterns of mountain landscape evolution we can expect.”&nbsp;



Globally, mountain snow and ice provide water for hundreds of millions of people. This water supply is now under threat as changing weather patterns cause glaciers to get smaller. This is expected to get worse into the future, leading to a water crisis in dry continental areas of Asia, North America, South America and Europe.



The potential impacts of climate change and human activity on mountain landscapes include an increasing risk of hazards such as avalanches, river floods and landslides. These risks are further elevated by glacier retreat and the warming of permafrost.



Mountain slopes are also becoming greener as lowland forests spread to higher altitudes. This has already threatened Alpine ecosystems and species with local extinction.&nbsp;



“As snow and ice shrink, mountain land surfaces are getting darker and this dramatically changes their heat balance, meaning they are warming up faster than the areas around them. Therefore, climate change impacts are bigger on mountains than they are anywhere else. This is a real problem, not just for mountains but also for the areas around them,” said Professor Knight.&nbsp;



 Indigenous mountain communities and cultures are also affected by climate change. Livestock and traditional agriculture are dying out as grazing areas shrink and as water becomes scarcer. These traditional practices are also impacted by tourism, mining, urbanization and commercial forestry.&nbsp;



By demonstrating the connection between mountains and people, the study highlights the importance of protecting mountains against future change. “Understanding these connections can help us better protect them against the worst impacts of climate change,” said Professor Knight.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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

Mountain landscapes are being transformed by climate change

Mountain landscapes across the world are threatened by climate change....

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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



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.

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



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.

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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