California has become a vivid example of a global phenomenon known as “hydroclimate whiplash,” which involves sudden and dramatic swings between extreme wet and dry conditions.&nbsp;



These abrupt shifts are increasingly destabilizing ecosystems and communities, as shown in a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43017-024-00624-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Reviews Earth and Environment</a>.&nbsp;



The research highlights how climate change is intensifying these weather patterns and their associated risks, from destructive wildfires to devastating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/flood-fatalities-experts-reveal-the-hidden-health-impacts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">floods</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-state-in-constant-flux">A state in constant flux</h2>



The winters of 2022-23 and 2023-24 brought California unprecedented precipitation, fueled by dozens of atmospheric rivers.&nbsp;



Mountain towns were buried under snow, valleys were inundated with rain and snowmelt, and landslides occurred across the state.&nbsp;



However, these deluges were followed by record summer heat and a drought-ridden start to the 2025 rainy season. The resulting dry vegetation has provided ample fuel for a series of wildfires.



“This whiplash sequence in California has increased fire risk twofold,” explained lead author Daniel Swain, a climate scientist at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and UC Agriculture and Natural Resources.&nbsp;



“First, by greatly increasing the growth of flammable grass and brush in the months leading up to fire season, and then by drying it out to exceptionally high levels with the extreme dryness and warmth that followed.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-trends-in-climate-whiplash">Global trends in climate whiplash</h2>



California's situation mirrors a global trend. The study found that hydroclimate whiplash has increased worldwide by 31% to 66% since the mid-20th century - outpacing predictions made by climate models.&nbsp;



The trend is accelerating due to human-driven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-earth-energy-imbalance-temperature-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>, with projections suggesting that whiplash events could more than double if global temperatures rise by three degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.



A key driver of this intensification is the “expanding atmospheric sponge,” a phenomenon in which a warmer atmosphere absorbs and releases more water.&nbsp;



For every degree Celsius of warming, the atmosphere’s capacity to hold moisture increases by 7%, compounding the severity of both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-the-driving-force-behind-droughts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">droughts</a> and floods.



“The problem is that the sponge grows exponentially, like compound interest in a bank,” Swain said. “The rate of expansion increases with each fraction of a degree of warming.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beyond-rainfall-the-role-of-evaporation">Beyond rainfall: The role of evaporation</h2>



While many studies focus solely on precipitation patterns, this research emphasizes the role of increasing “evaporative demand.”&nbsp;



A warming atmosphere pulls more moisture from plants and soil, exacerbating drought conditions even when rainfall does not decrease.



“The expanding atmospheric sponge effect may offer a unifying explanation for some of the most visible, visceral impacts of climate change,” Swain noted.&nbsp;



This includes the rapid transitions between floods and droughts, landslides triggered by oversaturated soil, and cycles of vegetation growth and fire.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-for-water-management">Challenges for water management</h2>



The intensifying hydroclimate whiplash poses significant challenges for water resource management.&nbsp;



California’s traditional strategies, such as diverting flood waters to the ocean, need to be balanced with measures to retain water for prolonged dry spells. Swain emphasized the importance of a “co-management” approach that considers drought and flood risks together.



John Abatzoglou, a UC Merced climate scientist and co-author of the study, highlighted the strain on California’s infrastructure:&nbsp;



“Hydroclimate in California is reliably unreliable. Swings like we saw a couple years ago, going from one of the driest three-year periods in a century to the once-in-a-lifetime spring 2023 snowpack, both tested our water-infrastructure systems and furthered conversations about flood water management to ensure future water security in an increasingly variable hydroclimate.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-phenomenon-of-climate-whiplash-nbsp">Global phenomenon of climate whiplash&nbsp;</h2>



While California offers a stark example, hydroclimate whiplash is a global issue. 



Regions such as northern Africa, South Asia, and the tropical Pacific are projected to experience the most dramatic increases, but almost every region will face growing risks.



“Increasing hydroclimate whiplash may turn out to be one of the more universal global changes on a warming Earth,” Swain said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-southern-california-fire-season-s-extended-grip">Southern California: Fire season’s extended grip</h2>



Southern California’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-have-identified-the-key-driver-of-severe-wildfires-in-canada/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildfire</a> risks have been amplified by the lack of rain and the dry vegetation left behind by previous wet seasons.&nbsp;



While seasonal winds, such as the Santa Anas, play a role in spreading fires, Swain noted that “climate change is increasing the overlap between extremely dry vegetation conditions later in the season and the occurrence of these wind events.”&nbsp;



“This, ultimately, is the key climate change connection to Southern California wildfires.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slowing-the-intensification-of-climate-whiplash">Slowing the intensification of climate whiplash</h2>



The study highlights the urgent need to reduce global warming to slow the intensification of hydroclimate whiplash.&nbsp;



“The less warming there is, the less of an increase in hydroclimate whiplash we’re going to see,” Swain said.&nbsp; However, with the planet on track for two to three degrees Celsius of warming this century, substantial increases in variability are likely.



Adapting to these changes will require rethinking water management, infrastructure, and conservation strategies. By addressing both ends of the water spectrum - flood and drought - policymakers and communities can better prepare for the challenges of a warming world.



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"Hydroclimate whiplash" is wreaking havoc across the U.S.

California has become a vivid example of a global phenomenon known as “hydroclimate whiplash,” which involves sudden and dramatic swings between extreme wet and dry conditions.&nbsp; These abrupt shifts are increasingly destabilizing ecosystems and communities, as shown in a new study published in Nature Reviews Earth and Environment.&nbsp; The research highlights how climate change is intensifying these weather patterns and their associated risks, from destructive wildfires to devastating floods. A state in constant flux The winters of 2022-23 and 2023-24 brought California unprecedented precipitation, fueled by dozens...

At the beginning of 2021, a team of scientists from the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) has identified a new species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/killer-whales-have-close-friendships/">whales</a> in the Gulf of Mexico, which they called Rice’s whale or the Gulf of Mexico whale. This majestic animal can grow up 42 feet in length and weighs 60,000 pounds (roughly the weight of a firetruck). Unfortunately, these whales are at risk of extinction, the entire species currently consisting of just about 50 individuals.



On Thursday, October 13, 2022, more than 100 marine scientists signed an open letter to the Biden administration, pleading for more protective measures for what they called “one of the most endangered marine mammal species” on Earth.



“Some of us have been trying to raise the profile of this whale for many years now,” said Peter Corkeron, a senior scientist and whale researcher at the <a href="https://www.neaq.org/">New England Aquarium</a>. Despite such efforts, many people remain completely unaware of the dangers Rice’s whales currently face. “It is really just the forgotten whale at the moment.”



In their letter, the scientists argued that, as the Biden administration considers additional offshore oil and gas drilling over the next few years, it should pay close attention to the hazards such projects may pose to Rice’s whale. “Continued oil and gas development in the Gulf represents a clear, existential threat to the whale’s survival and recovery,”&nbsp;the scientists warned.



Exposures to seismic air gun blasts accompanying oil and gas exploitation, as well as to oil spills, can severely impact the whales’ health and disrupt “activities vital to feeding and reproduction over large ocean areas.” Moreover, collisions with vessels can also pose significant dangers to these whales since, at night, they usually rest in the upper reaches of the ocean.



“A number of shipping routes traverse the whale’s habitat along the northern Gulf, and the collision risk is likely to increase with new offshore oil and gas development. With abundance so low, the loss of even a single whale threatens the survival of the species,” the researchers warned.



Although these whales were already declared as endangered in 2019 – meaning the government is now forced to monitor their status, designate their “critical habitats,” and develop a clear recovery plan – additional measures are urgently needed to safeguard this threatened marine mammal.



“Do we want the oceans to be places where whales can live and thrive, or not? If we don’t care enough to save them, that speaks volumes about who we all are,” Corckeron 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

New whale species is already threatened with extinction

At the beginning of 2021, a team of scientists from...

Recently, Alaska officials cancelled several <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-create-sustainable-batteries-from-crab-shells/">crab</a> harvests in an unprecedented conservation effort which sent shock waves through the region’s crabbing industry. After canceling the fall Bristol Bay red king crab harvest, the authorities have now announced - for the first time on record - that they will be holding off the winter harvest of snow crab too.



This major decision comes after massive crab populations declines over the past few years. For instance, data from a recent eastern Bering Sea survey conducted by the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) has shown a 92 percent decline in overall snow crab abundance between 2018 and 2021. Although some small crab entered the population in 2022, lowering this number to 83 percent, the situation continues to be dire, calling for urgent action such as that taken by the Alaska officials.&nbsp;



According to experts, snow crab populations dropped substantially after a 2019 Bering Sea warming, and their numbers continue to decrease due to environmental stressors such as warmer waters and increased threats from predators. “Management of Bering Sea snow crab must now focus on conservation and rebuilding given the condition of the stock,” the <a href="https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/">Alaska Department of Fish and Game</a> (ADF&amp;G) wrote in a recent <a href="https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/static/applications/dcfnewsrelease/1441272349.pdf">statement</a>.&nbsp;



“Efforts to advance our science and understanding of crab population dynamics are underway. With crab industry input, ADF&amp;G will continue to evaluate options for rebuilding, including potential for sustainably fishing during periods of low abundance.”



Since Bering Sea crab harvests grossed $280 million by 2016, and a fleet of about 60 vessels from Alaska, Washington, and Oregon typically pursue the crab during the winter season, the cancelling of this year’s hunt can significantly affect a large number of people who depend on these activities for their subsistence.



“It’s going to be life-changing, if not career-ending, for people. A lot of these guys with families and kids, there’s no option other than getting out. That’s where the hammer is going to fall –&nbsp;on the crew,” warned Dean Gribble Sr., a crab boat captain who has fished for snow crab since the late 1970s.



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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

Alaska cancels snow crab season due to massive decline

Recently, Alaska officials cancelled several crab harvests in an unprecedented...

A Cambridge team has developed a new way to highlight the demise of nature – and people are listening. Driven by the observation that human activities are silencing nature, Dr. Matthew Agarwala is using sound to convey the enormity of biodiversity loss. The goal is to draw attention to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/non-native-species-can-have-unexpected-benefits/">species</a> recovery.



“Over the past century we have seen nearly a million species pushed to the brink of extinction – nature is going quiet,” said Agarwala, an economist at the University of Cambridge’s Bennett Institute for Public Policy.&nbsp;



The collaboration with composer Dr. Ewan Campbell is capturing the attention of new audiences. A piece of classical music, Mendelssohn’s ‘Hebrides Overture,' is linked to the loss of an iconic species: the North Atlantic humpback whale.



Inspired by his 1829 trip to a sea cave - Fingal’s Cave - Mendelssohn’s original music captures the vitality of the sea just before the introduction of mechanized industrial fishing.



The 30,000 notes in the original music score is the approximate number of humpback whales in 1829, when the piece was written. Extensive commercial whaling led to a dramatic decline in the whale population.&nbsp;



By 1920, two-thirds of all humpback whales were gone. The resulting piece, ‘Hebrides Redacted,' is a dramatically simple way for audiences to grasp the enormity of biodiversity loss over time.



Researchers have long been sounding the alarm on biodiversity loss, but the message isn’t landing. The project relies on the visceral and emotional response to music that grabs attention in ways that scientific papers do not.



A short film about the music and its impact on audiences has been<a href="https://climatechangefestival.zero.cam.ac.uk/events/world-premier-hebrides-redacted"> released online</a> as part of the Cambridge Zero Climate Change Festival. The audience response was overwhelmingly positive – and the piece received a standing ovation.



“It really was an uninitiated audience at the Wilderness Festival - people were there for a good time, not to be told that the world is falling apart through the medium of music from the 19th century. But somehow it worked,” said Dr. Campbell, Director of Music at Churchill College and Murray Edwards College, Cambridge.



The duo drew attention to policies needed to help humpback whale populations recover. The last part of the piece looks into the future, predicting an optimistic eight percent rise in whale population every decade. “We can see when the oceans are better managed, whale populations can start to rebound,” said Dr. Agarwala.



Marine protected areas could protect food chains, re-route maritime freight to reduce the number of whales struck by ships, and minimize ocean pollution to allow the humpback whale population to fully recover. And so their music does the same.



“But even in the face of devastating destruction, nature is resilient and always beautiful, and so even when two-thirds of the music is absent there’s still a delicate beauty, though a pale imitation of its once dramatic glory,” said Dr. Campbell. In this way, the piece shows how human activities have silenced nature.



Agarwala and Campbell are excited by the power of arts and sciences working together. The duo hopes that future projects will encourage policy-makers to take action.



The <a href="https://climatechangefestival.zero.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge Zero Climate Change Festival 2022</a> includes a focus on ensuring the conversation around climate change is accessible to the general public. It runs from Friday 14th to Sunday 16th October.



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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

Classical tune illustrates the loss of humpback whales

A Cambridge team has developed a new way to highlight...

According to a recently released assessment by the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund</a> (WWF), wild populations of monitored animal species have plummeted by nearly 70 percent over the past half a century – a “devastating” loss to nature caused mainly by human activities. Moreover, in biodiversity-rich areas such as Latin America or the Caribbean, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/losing-wildlife-will-be-very-costly-for-some-countries/">wildlife</a> population loss was found to be as high as 94 percent.&nbsp;



By examining data from 32,000 populations of over 5,000 species of mammals, fish, birds, amphibians, and reptiles, the scientists found "a devastating fall in wildlife populations, in particular in tropical regions that are home to some of the most biodiverse landscapes in the world," said Marco Lambertini, the director general of WWF International. The analyses revealed that freshwater species have declined more than those from any other habitat, with a staggering 83 percent population loss since 1970.



According to Mark Wright, the director of science at WWF, these findings are “truly frightening,” particularly in the case of Latin America. “Latin America is renowned for his biodiversity, and of course, it’s really important for lots of other things as well. It’s super important for regulating the climate. We estimate that currently there’s something like 150 to 200 billion metric tons of carbon wrapped up in the forests of the Amazon.” Thus, massive biodiversity loss in this region will likely have cascading consequences on the climate too.



The main drivers of wildlife loss are habitat degradation caused by development and farming, exploitation, pollution, climate change, disease, and the introduction of invasive species. To solve these problems, the world should urgently rethink its harmful and wasteful agricultural and industrial practices, before leading the global food chain to irremediable collapse.



“Food systems today are responsible for over 80 percent of deforestation on land, and if you look at the ocean and freshwater, they are also driving a collapse of fishery stocks and populations in those habitats,” Lambertini said.



Increasing conservation and restoration efforts, consuming food more sustainably, and quickly decarbonizing all sectors may alleviate the twin crises of biodiversity loss and climate change. Moreover, governments all over the world should properly factor into policymaking the value of the many services provided by nature, including food, water supplies, or medicines.



“We need to stress the fact that nature loss is not just a moral issue of our duty to protect the rest of the world. It is actually an issue of material value, an issue of security for humanity as well,” Lambertini concluded.



The Living Planet Report 2022 can be found <a href="https://livingplanet.panda.org/">here</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

Wildlife populations have declined dramatically in recent years

According to a recently released assessment by the World Wildlife...

According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>, “plant blindness” – or people’s lack of interest in and knowledge of the diversity of plants surrounding them – is caused by a lack of exposure to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nurturing-benefits-of-nature-are-crucial-for-human-well-being/">nature</a>. The researchers say this condition could be “cured” by close contact with flora through activities such as wild food foraging. 



The experts argue that a lack of awareness and appreciation for native flora is not innate, but stems from diminished time spent in the proximity of plants, leading to the common misperception that plants are “less alive” – and consequently less important – than humans. Thus, the key to breaking the cycle of plant awareness disparity lies in introducing people to biodiverse places and changing their perceptions of the utility of various plants.



By examining 326 scientific articles published between 1998 and 2020, the scientists found that people had more interest, paid more attention, and were more likely to remember information about animals rather than plants. However, there was no concrete evidence that this was an innate characteristic of humans. By contrast, its main cause seemed to be the diminished experience of nature in urbanized societies.&nbsp;



Although children in particular tended to see plants as inferior to animals and were not able to identify many species, this phenomenon was also reported in adults, such as primary teachers who had not graduated in a scientific subject. However, older people appeared to have better plant knowledge, suggesting they were more likely to have nature-related hobbies.



Several of the examined studies argued that modernization and urbanization had a negative impact on plant knowledge, with the increased reliance on urban services reducing the utility of plant foraging. Moreover, school attendance and work diminished the time available to spend in nature, as well as the time spent with family, where oral transmission of plant knowledge from older adults to children used to be more widespread before.



“People living in highly industrialized countries have a plant attention deficit due to a decline in relevant experience with plants, as opposed to a cognitive impediment to the visual perception of plants. People living in rural communities in low and middle-income countries were more likely to have high plant knowledge due to a dependence on natural resources. Interestingly, economic development does not necessarily lead to this knowledge being lost if communities still have access to the biodiverse environments,” explained study lead author Bethan Stagg, an expert in Biology Education at Exeter.



“The key is to demonstrate some direct benefits of plants to people, as opposed to the indirect benefits through their pharmaceutical and industrial applications, or their value to remote, traditional societies. The level of botanical knowledge in younger generations is shown to be directly related to their perceived usefulness of this knowledge. Wild plant foraging shows considerable promise in this respect, both as a way of introducing people to multiple species and connecting them with some ‘modern-day’ health, cultural, and recreational uses,” she concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/ppp3.10323">Plants People Planet</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

"Plant blindness" is caused by urbanization

According to a recent study led by the University of...

Bombus,Terrestrial,On,The,Flower,The,Buff,Tailed,Bumblebee,Or

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a> (QMUL) has found that bumblebees do not seem able to keep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/insomnia-may-lead-to-memory-loss-in-adults/">memories</a> for how sweet a particular flower was, but instead only remember if it was sweeter than other flowers.



The researchers first trained bumblebees on two flowers, making them learn that one flower was sweeter than the other. Later on, they also learned that a third flower was sweeter than a fourth one. Then, the insects were given the choice between two of the flowers they had not seen together before, such as the first and the third, or the second and the third.



During the experiments, the bumblebees’ preferences indicated that they could only retain very basic ranking memories for the flowers for an extended period of time. While they could remember that a flower had been better or worse during the training phase, they did not seem capable of remembering for more than a few minutes how sweet or rewarding the flowers were on their own, or even how much sweeter they were compared to other flowers.



While humans and other animals, such as starlings, are able to keep memories for both absolute information (e.g. how sweet something is) and comparisons (if something is sweeter than something else), bumblebees seem unable to memorize absolute information.



“Our results reveal an intriguing divergent mechanism for how bumblebees retain and use information about options, compared to humans and birds,” said study co-lead author Yonghe Zhou, a doctoral student in Biological and Behavioral Sciences at QMUL.&nbsp;



&nbsp;“It may be that the different strategies used by bumblebees and humans may have evolved because of their different diets,” added study senior author Fei Peng, a psychologist at <a href="http://portal.smu.edu.cn/en/">Southern Medical University</a> in China. “Maybe because bumblebees evolved to mostly only eat flower nectar, they never needed to remember the details and could survive and thrive simply using simple comparisons.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



“Despite what may seem to be a poor memory strategy, bumblebees do very well in finding the most profitable flowers. It’s fascinating to consider how different animals, in their own ecological niche, can be similarly successful using such different strategies,” Yonghe concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://elifesciences.org/articles/78525">eLife</a>.&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

How does the memory of bumblebees work?

A new study led by the Queen Mary University of...

Currently, many large-bodied mammals are endangered. By examining past evidence about large mammal extinctions, a team of researchers led by the <a href="http://www.unm.edu/">University of New Mexico</a> (UNM) has analyzed the potentially profound impacts of losing animals such as elephants, rhinoceros, or lions – known in the scientific community as “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/megafauna-in-new-guinea-outlived-their-australian-relatives/">megafauna</a>” – on the ecosystems in which they are embedded.



“Humans are having drastic effects on large mammals, both directly, such as hunting, and indirectly through land use and climate change,” said Sam Scheiner, a program director in the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/div/index.jsp?div=DEB">National Science Foundation’s Division of Environmental Biology</a>. “This study shows that these effects can have profound impacts on ecosystems.”



According to study lead author Felisa Smith, a biologist at UNM, the current conservation status of large-bodied mammals is “dire.” Their massive decline “has serious consequences because they have unique ecological roles.”



“But this sort of biodiversity loss has happened before,” Smith explained. “Humans entering the Americas at the terminal Pleistocene around 13,000 years ago caused a widespread extinction of the large-bodied mammals present then through some of the same activities that endanger mammals today.”



The scientists used the fossil records documenting this earlier extinction event to examine what happened to the surviving animals, by focusing on a mammal community in the Edwards Plateau of Texas. They characterized their diets by measuring stable isotopes in fossil bones, and estimated their body sizes by measuring their teeth and long bones, thus managing to reconstruct the ancient food web of the Pleistocene to better understand how it changed after extinction.



“We [found] significant reorganization of the community, particularly among carnivores, a loss of ecological complexity, and many vacant niches. The loss of complexity likely meant a reduction in ecosystem resilience,” the author reported.



Such ecosystem consequences are likely to emerge now too, with the decline of elephant, giraffe, rhinoceros, and other large-bodied mammal populations. Since these animals play a critical role in influencing ecological interactions and biochemical cycles, their loss would severely de-structure the ecosystems in which they currently live.



“It is critically important to understand how the decline or potential extinction of Earth’s last remaining large-bodied mammals might change ecosystems. We can’t afford to lose these large-bodied mammals,” Smith concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.2115015119">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> (PNAS).



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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

What will happen if modern large mammals become extinct?

Currently, many large-bodied mammals are endangered. By examining past evidence...

Glass,Globe,In,The,In,Nature,Concept,For,Environment,And

New research from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> has revealed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/low-oxygen-zone-is-expanding-in-the-arabian-gulf/">oxygen</a> levels in the Earth’s atmosphere “fluctuated wildly” one billion years ago, which could have accelerated the development of early animal life.



Atmospheric oxygen is believed to be developed in three stages, starting with the Great Oxidation Event around two billion years ago, when oxygen first appeared in the atmosphere. During the third stage, around 400 million years ago, atmospheric oxygen rose to levels that exist today. &nbsp;



The second stage remains uncertain. This stage occurred during the Neoproterozoic Era, which started about one billion years ago and lasted for around 500 million years. This was when early forms of animal life emerged.  &nbsp;



Scientists have been trying to identify what led to the development of oxygen levels during this time that played a pivotal role in early evolution.  Did oxygen levels suddenly rise or was there a gradual increase? &nbsp;



Early animals known as Ediacaran biota were multi-celled organisms that required oxygen. These organisms&nbsp; have been found fossilized in sedimentary rocks that are 541 to 635 million years old. &nbsp;



To investigate, the research team used measurements of carbon, or carbon isotopes, found in limestone rocks taken from shallow seas. Based on the different types of carbon found, the researchers calculated photosynthesis levels that existed millions of years ago to infer atmospheric oxygen levels. &nbsp;



The experts used the data to produce a record of oxygen levels in the atmosphere over the last 1.5 billion years. This historical detail tells us how much oxygen would have been diffusing into the ocean to support early marine life.&nbsp;



Dr. Alex Krause, lead scientist on the project, said the findings give a new perspective on how oxygen levels were changing on Earth. “The early Earth, for the first two billion years of its existence, was anoxic, devoid of atmospheric oxygen. Then oxygen levels started to rise, which is known as the Great Oxidation Event." &nbsp;



“Up until now, scientists had thought that after the Great Oxidation Event, oxygen levels were either low and then shot up just before we see the first animals evolve, or that oxygen levels were high for many millions of years before the animals came along," said Dr. Krause.



“But our study shows oxygen levels were far more dynamic. There was an oscillation between high and low levels of oxygen for a long time before early forms of animal life emerged. We are seeing periods where the ocean environment, where early animals lived, would have had abundant oxygen - and then periods where it does not." &nbsp;



This periodic change in environmental conditions would have produced evolutionary pressures where some life forms may have become extinct and new ones could emerge, explained Dr. Benjamin Mills, who supervised the project. He noted that the oxygenated periods expanded “habitable spaces” – parts of the ocean where oxygen levels would have been high enough to support early animal life forms. &nbsp;



“When oxygen levels decline, there is severe environmental pressure on some organisms which could drive extinctions. And when the oxygen-rich waters expand, the new space allows the survivors to rise to ecological dominance.”



These habitable spaces lasted for millions of years, which provided enough time for early ecosystems to develop.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/journal/sciadv">Science Advances</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

Animal evolution was accelerated by fluctuating oxygen levels

New research from the University of Leeds has revealed that...

Coral reefs are home to much of the biodiversity in the ocean, which is now suffering from the rise of marine heat waves. This has led to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shifting-ocean-conditions-influence-chago-whale-migrations/">migration</a>, where Atlantic species are now appearing more frequently in the Arctic. 



Understanding how biodiversity will adapt to a warming ocean is difficult to identify because of the nature of evolution. While evolution allows species to adapt to new conditions, it also takes place over centuries, making it difficult to capture in laboratory experiments.&nbsp;



With the help of fossils, researchers can look into the past to evaluate how biodiversity changed during comparable climate changes. In a new study, marine geologists and palaeontologists from the <a href="https://www.uni-bremen.de/">University of Bremen</a> and ecologists from the University of Oldenburg have analyzed fossil plankton species in the Atlantic Ocean after the last ice age.&nbsp;



As the oceans continued to warm, the experts found that many species migrated to higher latitudes, as expected. Surprisingly, new species groups also formed in the process, and these group changes did not occur entirely in step with ocean warming.



For the investigation, the researchers looked at species composition of fossil plankton from the North Atlantic during the last ice age 24,000 years ago to the present warm period. This allowed researchers to track how marine biodiversity changed throughout the North Atlantic with the onset of the last warming in Earth's history (after the last ice age).&nbsp;



Unexpected patterns were discovered: the species composition of plankton continued to change even after temperature stabilized in the warm period.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“It has long been known that species assemblages change when their environment changes. For instance, when ocean temperatures rise, species migrate to higher latitudes. We can also observe this migration to higher latitudes in our data from the North Atlantic. But the amazing thing is that the 'native' species have not migrated at the same rate,” explained study co-author Anne Strack.&nbsp;



According to the researchers, this asymmetry between immigration and emigration led to the formation of novel species groups that did not exist anywhere on Earth during the ice age. “Even more astonishing, these newly thrown-together communities were not a transient phenomenon, but persisted for several thousand years,” noted Professor Michal Kucera.



The results provide important clues of how marine ecosystems will fare under continued ocean warming. The results also support computer simulations which suggest that future warming will lead to the formation of novel species communities.&nbsp;



The establishment of plankton communities could implicate key ecosystem functions through new direct or indirect ecological interactions. “This study also contributes to how we understand today's rapid biodiversity change, because it shows us that we will not see the response of marine life to present-day environmental changes until far into the future,” said Professor Helmut Hillebrand.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01888-8">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</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

Marine biodiversity could shift rapidly due to climate change

Coral reefs are home to much of the biodiversity in...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.utu.fi/en">University of Turku</a> in Finland has found that Roundup, a widely used herbicide containing glyphosate, affects the learning and memory of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-in-low-quality-habitats-are-more-susceptible-to-disease/">bumblebees</a>. According to the experts, even after exposure to relatively small doses, bumblebees’ ability to learn and memorize connections between colors and tastes seemed to be impaired – a problem that could significantly diminish their foraging and nesting success.



The researchers exposed bumblebees to an acute dose of herbicide that pollinating bumblebees might be exposed to in a sprayed field. Afterwards, they tested their learning and memory capacities in a ten-color discrimination task, in which the bumblebees learned to associate five specific colors with a rewarding sugary solution, and other five colors with an aversive quinine solution.



While the bumblebees in the control group learned to distinguish colors associated with sweet sugar water from those associated with a bad-tasting compound and could remember what they learned even after three days, those exposed to the herbicide managed to learn significantly less and forgot almost everything they had learned in just a few days.



However, the herbicide treatment did not seem to affect bumblebees’ performance in an easier two-color discrimination task or a ten-odor discrimination task. These findings suggest that, although exposure to the herbicide does not make bumblebees completely color or odor blind, it does impair their fine color vision.



“We focused on the cognitive traits of the bees because these traits determine the successful foraging and social behavior of social insects and therefore their fitness. I am really worried. Even one very small acute dose had a harmful effect on the bumblebees,” said study lead author Marjo Helander, a biologist at the University of Turku. “The result is even more worrying when you take into account how much glyphosate-containing herbicides are used globally.”



“The results are quite worrying considering the importance of color vision for bumblebees. Even small disturbances in color vision can be catastrophic in terms of foraging and nesting success,” concluded study senior author Olli Loukola, a behavioral ecologist at the same university.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969722063975">Science of the Total Environment</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

Popular herbicide impairs bumblebee color vision

A new study led by the University of Turku in...

Sunny,Wheat,Field

According to a new study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.5194/esd-13-1377-2022">Earth System Dynamics</a>, although wheat yields in the United Kingdom have largely been resilient to changing weather patterns over the past three decades, the future security of these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollinators-stabilize-the-production-of-food-crops/">crops</a> is uncertain due to increasingly frequent extreme wet and dry conditions caused by climate change.



The researchers carried out an in-depth analysis of wheat yields and simultaneous meteorological conditions across the main agricultural regions of the UK since 1990, and investigated the potential effect of projected climate change scenarios on production over the next decades.



The analyses revealed that there has been a significant resilience of wheat yields to single extreme weather events such as low or high rainfall or temperatures, due to farmers’ effective crop management and wheat’s capacity to tolerate a wide range of climatic conditions.



However, when some combinations of extreme weather occurred during a growing season, there were significant negative impacts on production. For instance, in 2020, torrential autumn rains hampered the sowing of crops, an extremely dry spring affected plant growth, and heavy downpours in the summer created highly difficult harvesting conditions, resulting in UK’s poorest wheat yields in decades.



“Until now, farmers have largely been able to compensate for adverse weather conditions by changing when they sow or harvest crops, or by altering the timing and amount of fungicide, pesticide, or fertilizer that they apply to fields,” said study co-author Richard Pywell, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.ceh.ac.uk/">UK Center for Ecology &amp; Hydrology</a> (UKCEH).



“However, climate change will push the boundaries of what can be achieved though crop management, and it could become increasingly difficult for farmers to deal with the impacts of more frequent extreme weather events. This could affect the quality and quantity of crops, and therefore food production, in the UK.”



By using state-of-the-art high-resolution climate projections up to 2080, the scientists found that significantly warmer winter temperatures might offset the negative impacts of increasing rainfall between October and April, while warmer temperatures and drier conditions in June and July would be beneficial to wheat yields.



&nbsp;“Our research shows that, on average, warmer temperatures are likely to have generally positive impacts on yields in key UK wheat-growing regions. However, there may be multiple extreme weather events, such as intense thunderstorms or prolonged drought, occurring over the course of a year and therefore greater uncertainty over future wheat yields,” explained study lead author Louise Slater, an associate professor of Physical Geography at the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>.



“Over the past decade, we have already seen an increase in both extreme dry and wet spells, depending on the season, and this pattern is expected to continue further. Even with large reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, climate change will still generate weather conditions outside those in which our intensive agricultural systems have developed,” concluded co-author Chris Huntingford, a climate scientist at UKCEH.



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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 is testing the resilience of wheat yields

According to a new study published in the journal Earth...

A research team led by <a href="https://www.unsw.edu.au/">UNSW Sydney</a>, in collaboration with governmental and non-governmental organizations, has developed a way to classify the world's ecosystems. This development aids ecosystem typology, a relatively new approach to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-hotspots-for-soil-conservation-are-poorly-protected/">conservation</a>.



"For the first time, we have a common platform that identifies, defines and describes the full suite of the whole planet's ecosystems," said Professor David Keith, who led the team with Richard Kingsford and Emily Nicholson.



"It may seem rather odd that we haven't had this before, but historically scientists have forged advances by working somewhat separately in marine, freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. This is the first time that all of this detailed knowledge has been brought together into a single framework taking advantage of common theory across the disciplines."



The experts believe this research will aid conservation policy since it offers a clearer picture. "It's very hard to see the big picture on a jigsaw puzzle until you have all the pieces in place – and that's what we now have. We have a much more substantial foundation to move ahead with a new era of ecosystem conservation and management policy," said Professor Kingsford.



"Efforts on biodiversity conservation have largely centered at the species level, because it's seen to be more tangible," explained Professor Keith. "But a broader focus on both ecosystems and species is more likely to succeed in conserving all plants and animals, as well as the essential services that nature provides people."



Professor Keith noted that by using <a href="https://global-ecosystems.org/">global ecosystem typology</a>, conservationists are more likely to consider lesser-studied ecosystems. "We don't think often about what's in the deep oceans, for example. There's a tremendous variety of life down there and it's organised into a number of different ecosystems. And those ecosystems are beginning to feel the impact of human expansion."



Future analyses will focus on mapping and monitoring the world’s ecosystems. "Although many of the world's 110 ecosystem types are already served with high quality maps updatable with satellite technology, the data for some other types is still rudimentary,'' said Professor Keith.



"We can't plan effectively where to protect ecosystems or how to manage them sustainably unless we have reliable maps for the full range of ecosystem types, and integrate them into decision-making and monitoring systems."



This study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05318-4">Nature</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ecosystems classified for the first time across the entire planet

A research team led by UNSW Sydney, in collaboration with...

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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



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.

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 



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.

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



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.

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



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.

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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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