None of us can live without freshwater. It is, arguably, the most crucial natural resource we have. 



But recent findings have set off alarm bells around the world. Scientists are gravely concerned. Once abundant, our global freshwater levels are now at serious risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-total-freshwater-levels">Earth's total freshwater levels</h2>



An international group of scientists analyzed data from NASA-German satellites and discovered that Earth's total freshwater levels experienced a sudden drop beginning in May 2014, with no signs of recovery since.



The researchers propose that this decline might indicate that Earth's continents have shifted into an enduringly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hotter-drier-deadlier-how-much-can-forests-tolerate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">drier state</a>.



Matthew Rodell is a hydrologist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.



“The average amount of freshwater stored on land - that includes liquid surface water like lakes and rivers, plus water in aquifers underground - was 290 cubic miles (1,200 cubic km) lower than the average levels from 2002 through 2014,” said Rodell. 



"That’s two and a half times the volume of Lake Erie lost.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellite-data-exposed-water-loss">Satellite data exposed water loss</h2>



The team used observations from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites, a joint effort by NASA and the German Aerospace Center, to identify this significant global decrease in freshwater. 



The GRACE satellites, which operated from 2002 to 2017, measured changes in Earth's gravity monthly, unveiling the shifts in water mass on and beneath the surface. The mission was succeeded by the GRACE–Follow On (GRACE–FO) satellites, which have been operational since May 2018. 



These satellites revealed that the drop in freshwater began with a <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/severe-drought-in-portugal-has-left-reservoirs-at-extreme-lows/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">severe drought</a> in northern and central Brazil, quickly followed by major droughts in Australasia, South America, North America, Europe, and Africa. 



Warmer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-were-a-driving-force-behind-2023s-record-heat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean temperatures</a> in the tropical Pacific during the 2014–2016 El Niño, one of the most intense since 1950, played a critical role in shifting atmospheric jet streams and altering global weather and rainfall patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-freshwater-levels-did-not-rebound">Freshwater levels did not rebound </h2>



However, the most troubling finding came after the El Niño event subsided: global freshwater levels did not rebound. Rodell noted that 13 of the world’s 30 most intense droughts observed by GRACE occurred since January 2015. 



This pattern raises concerns about whether global warming could be contributing to the sustained freshwater depletion. 



“Warming temperatures increase both the evaporation of water from the surface to the atmosphere and the water-holding capacity of the atmosphere, increasing the frequency and intensity of drought conditions,” said NASA meteorologist Michael Bosilovich.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-freshwater-decline-and-global-warming">Freshwater decline and global warming</h2>



The relationship between global warming and freshwater loss becomes clearer when considering the impact of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-predicts-global-warmings-impact-on-extreme-weather/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extreme weather</a>. 



“Global warming leads the atmosphere to hold more water vapor, which results in more extreme precipitation,” Bosilovich explained. 



Although annual rain and snowfall totals may not change significantly, the time between these intense precipitation events can grow, causing the soil to dry out and become compact. 



“The problem when you have extreme precipitation is the water ends up running off,” Bosilovich added, meaning it doesn’t soak into the ground and replenish critical groundwater reserves.



This vicious cycle poses significant threats to agriculture, communities, and global stability. During prolonged droughts, the strain on water supplies forces cities and farms to rely heavily on groundwater, creating a loop of unsustainable extraction. 



The resulting depletion impacts farmers and communities, exacerbating poverty, health risks, and potential conflicts. 



A 2024 UN report on water stress highlights that people facing severe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-drought-has-caused-crisis-levels-of-food-and-water-scarcity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water shortages</a> may resort to contaminated water sources, increasing the risk of disease and famine.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-our-water-resources">The future of our water resources</h2>



While scientists suspect global warming plays a significant role in these shifts, definitive links remain complex due to uncertainties in climate predictions and models. 



Susanna Werth, a hydrologist and remote sensing scientist at Virginia Tech who was not involved in the study, noted: “There are uncertainties in climate predictions. Measurements and models always come with errors.” 



This complexity highlights the challenge of forecasting future freshwater trends.



The pressing question remains: will global freshwater levels recover, stabilize, or continue to decline? 



Nine of the warmest years in recorded history coincided with this sharp drop in freshwater. “We don’t think this is a coincidence, and it could be a harbinger of what’s to come," said Rodell.



The data emphasizes the urgent need for action and adaptation strategies as we face a potentially drier future.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10712-024-09860-w" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Surveys in Geophysics</a>.



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Satellites reveal a sudden drop in global freshwater levels

None of us can live without freshwater. It is, arguably, the most crucial natural resource we have. But recent findings have set off alarm bells around the world. Scientists are gravely concerned. Once abundant, our global freshwater levels are now at serious risk. Earth's total freshwater levels An international group of scientists analyzed data from NASA-German satellites and discovered that Earth's total freshwater levels experienced a sudden drop beginning in May 2014, with no signs of recovery since. The researchers propose that this decline might indicate that...

Heatwaves pose a significant health risk depending on their intensity and exposure time. While such problems have long been known to affect urban areas, a new study led by the <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/">University of Surrey</a> has found that these extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/severe-weather-will-increase-violence-against-women/">weather</a> phenomena are increasingly affecting rural areas too. According to the experts, heatwaves are making more people in rural areas of England severely ill today than they were in the 1980s.



“Heatwaves are getting deadlier, even in Britain,” said study co-author Prashant Kumar, director of the University of Surrey’s <a href="https://www.surrey.ac.uk/global-centre-clean-air-research">Global Center for Clean Air Research</a> (GCARE). “We already knew that the urban heat island effect exacerbates the problem in cities, but now we also have proof that people living in less built-up areas are also threatened.”



Professor Kumar and his colleagues examined the relation between mortality rates and maximum daily temperatures over a period of 38 years (from 1981 to 2018) in Southeast England and Aberdeenshire. They discovered that, when temperatures rise significantly above 26.5°C, people living in the Southeast of England are now seven percent more likely to die prematurely, while for those in Aberdeenshire, the chance of dying prematurely increases by four percent when temperatures rise by just two degrees, from 24.5 to 26.7°C.



“The problem of rising temperatures is pronounced in southern England, but it’s probably only a matter of time before northern areas experience the same. More needs to be done to prepare for hot weather, and leaders in government – whether national, devolved, or local – need to update their heat action plans and identify how to protect vulnerable people during heatwaves,” said Professor Kumar.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to the researchers, further research is needed to consider the impact of other environmental conditions such as black carbon, which is known to intensify and prolong the impact of heatwaves. Local and national policy initiatives - such as the promotion of sustainable modes of transportation, and the implementation of strict emission standards from both the transport and non-transport sectors - are urgently needed to mitigate the impact of emissions on the severity of heatwaves.



“Cutting&nbsp;carbon emissions&nbsp;remains vital to protect people from the fast-rising risks of the climate crisis, in particular deadly heatwaves,” concluded the authors.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2210670722000890?via%3Dihub#sec0017">Sustainable Cities and Societies</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Heatwaves are threatening the health of people in the UK

Heatwaves pose a significant health risk depending on their intensity...

According to state officials, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-events-are-becoming-increasingly-common/">extreme heat</a> and humidity killed thousands of cattle in Kansas recently, and high temperatures will continue to threaten livestock this summer. Facilities contacted the <a href="https://www.kdhe.ks.gov/">Kansas Department of Health and Environment</a> for help disposing the carcasses of over 2,000 cattle as of Tuesday, June 14, 2022. 



After producers reduced herds due to droughts and struggled with food costs which climbed as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine tightened global grain supplies, this massive number of casualties added pain to an already strained cattle industry.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Kansas is the third largest U.S. cattle state (after Texas and Nebraska), with over 2.4 million cattle currently in feedlots. According to Scarlett Hagins, a spokesperson for the <a href="https://www.kla.org/">Kansas Livestock Association</a>, as temperatures and humidity spiked over the weekend in western Kansas and cooling winds disappeared, cattle began suffering extreme heat stress and could not acclimate to the sudden change.&nbsp;



“It was essentially a perfect storm,” added AJ Tarpoff, a professor of Animal Science at <a href="https://www.k-state.edu/">Kansas State University</a>. A relatively mild spring may have prevented the cattle from properly adapting to the massive heatwave that hit Kansas recently. “Some cattle may not have fully shed their winter coats by now, which would interfere with their ability to dissipate heat,” explained Professor Tarpoff.



By Monday, temperatures reached 108 degrees Fahrenheit (42 degrees Celsius) in northwest Kansas, and this weekend weather experts predict an increase to over 110 degrees. “It’s going to be oppressively hot and stressful for the animals,” said Drew Lerner, the president of <a href="https://worldweather.cc/">World Weather Inc</a>. However, stronger winds and lower humidity rates may help minimize cattle deaths.&nbsp;



In order to help them survive, ranchers are providing cattle with more water and checking their health regularly. “You can’t say, ‘Oh I checked them three days ago,’” said Brenda Masek, the president of the industry association Nebraska Cattlemen. “When it gets hot, you’ve got be to out every day and making sure that their water is maintained,” 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

Massive heatwave killed over 2,000 cattle in Kansas

According to state officials, extreme heat and humidity killed thousands...

Crowded streets, drab grey buildings, and noise pollution are well-documented causes of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/turn-stress-productive-energy/">stress</a> and fatigue. Thus, urban spaces can negatively impact health and emotional well-being. However, a possible antidote may lie in nature, which is known to have calming and restorative effects. 



By employing virtual reality (VR) simulations, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.univ-lille.fr/">University of Lille</a> in France has found that one way to make cities more hospitable may be to introduce patches of vegetation and colorful patterns.



Since installing plants or covering city buildings in paint to test such approaches is expensive and inconvenient, the scientists used state-of-the-art computer technology to provide a virtual testing ground for this hypothesis.&nbsp;



“Measuring pleasure and motivation in natural settings is difficult,” explained study senior author Yvonne Delevoye-Turrell, a professor of Cognitive Psychology at the University of Lille. “Human reactions are sensitive to environmental changes, such as weather or traffic, and measurement biases. Consequently, we used virtual reality as a proof of concept to measure reactions to these interventions in a simulated urban space.”&nbsp;



By using groundbreaking VR technology, Professor Delevoye-Turrell and her colleagues created an immersive urban environment with either no vegetation or some green vegetation. Moreover, they introduced colorful patterns in one of this virtual environment’s paths. Student volunteers from the University of Lille were asked to wear a VR headset containing an eye tracker and explore this virtual space.



The researchers found that green vegetation caused volunteers to walk slower, and increased their heartrate, features indicating that they have a pleasurable experience. At the same time, the colorful patterns increased their alertness, fascination, and curiosity. Overall, the participants spent less time looking at the ground and more time observing their surroundings, similarly to when people spend time near green spaces in the real world.



Besides offering proof that vegetation and colorful patterns can reduce the stress that more drab urban environments cause, while increasing well-being, this study also shows that virtual reality could be a highly useful tool for urban planners, allowing them to test the impact of various interventions virtually.



In future studies, the scientists aim to make the VR experience even more immersive to reach more accurate results. “Odors and sounds could be the next step for VR to truly test the impact of colors on the pleasure of walking,” concluded Professor Delevoye-Turrell.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frvir.2022.819597/full">Frontiers in Virtual Reality</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

Colorful urban environments promote well-being

Crowded streets, drab grey buildings, and noise pollution are well-documented...

Oil slicks are microscopically thin layers of oil that float on the surface of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/whiskers-help-seals-hunt-in-the-darkness-of-the-deep-ocean/">ocean</a> and are a form of marine pollution. They are the result of oil spills from ships or oil and gas platforms, and from natural seeps that occur at the bottom of the ocean. Oil slicks also emerge when industrial runoff is channeled to the sea. In previous research, around 50 percent of ocean oil slicks were said to be attributable to human activities, but new research has found that this is an underestimate.&nbsp;



A team of U.S. and Chinese scientists has used satellite imagery to map oil pollution across the Earth’s oceans. Since oil slicks are continuously being shifted around by winds and currents, and broken up by wave action, it is not easy to identify their source or origin. The scientists used artificial intelligence to examine more than 560,000 satellite radar images collected between 2014 and 2019 to determine the location, extent and probable sources of the ocean’s oil slicks.&nbsp;



Their findings, published today in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>,&nbsp;indicate that up to 90 percent of the oil slicks in the ocean derive from human activities. Study co-author Ian MacDonald is a professor in the Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science at <a href="https://www.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a>.



“What’s compelling about these results is just how frequently we detected these floating oil slicks – from small releases, from ships, from pipelines, from natural sources such as seeps in the ocean floor and then also from areas where industry or populations are producing runoff that contains floating oil,” said Professor MacDonald.



Oil slicks are dangerous for marine life, from large mammals like whales down to microscopic plankton. Air-breathing organisms such as whales, porpoises and turtles can be affected when they surface in the oil and attempt to breathe. Sea birds get coated in oil and are unable to swim or forage, which leads to their rapid demise. For these reasons, it is imperative to be able to monitor the extent of oil spills in the ocean and try to limit their effects.



“Satellite technology offers a way to better monitor ocean oil pollution, especially in waters where human surveillance is difficult,” said study co-author Professor Yongxue Liu of Nanjing University. “A global picture can help focus regulation and enforcement to reduce oil pollution.”



Using this technology, the researchers found that most oil slicks occur close to the coast. About half of them were located within 25 miles of the coast, and 90 percent were within 100 miles. This indicates an anthropogenic origin for most of them.&nbsp;



Interestingly, the researchers found relatively fewer oil slicks in the Gulf of Mexico compared to elsewhere on the globe, suggesting that government regulation and enforcement, as well as compliance from oil platform operators in U.S. waters, reduces leakage.



“If we can take those lessons and apply them to places globally, where we have seen high concentrations of oil slicks, we could improve the situation,” MacDonald said.



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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

Majority of the world’s oil slicks caused by human activity

Oil slicks are microscopically thin layers of oil that float...

To preserve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-pass-on-gut-microbes-to-urban-wildlife/">wildlife</a>, habitat and mitigate climate change effects, protecting land and water is essential. Many countries, as well as the U.S. federal government and state of California, have pledged to protect 30 percent of all land and water by 2030, also known as the “30x30” initiative.



Achieving this target at the global level will require most countries to rapidly expand protected areas.&nbsp; A team of researchers at the <a href="https://spia.princeton.edu/">Princeton School of Public and International Affairs</a> and the National University of Singapore investigated how this ambitious target will benefit conservation and reduce climate change effects.



The researchers modeled several scenarios by which the 30x30 target can be achieved. Using a “scenario analysis” model, different ways of protecting lands were compared, factoring in conservation, climate change, and nutrient regulation.



Their research found that protecting 30 percent of global lands by 2030 will yield huge environmental benefits:



<ul><li>Protection of 2.8 million hectares (equal to nearly 7 million acres of land)&nbsp;</li><li>1,000 animal species will be safeguarded because they inhabit these spaces.</li><li>Half of these species are considered critically endangered, endangered, vulnerable, or near-threatened by wildlife experts.</li></ul>



However, the researchers state that while 30 percent is already an ambitious target, 50 percent would be even better.



“We show the environmental benefits nearly double if 50% of global lands are protected. With careful planning, this can also achieve multiple targets across important global policies found in the Paris Agreement and other frameworks," said Yiwen Zeng.



“For decision makers concerned about the climate crisis, the biodiversity crisis, and sustainability, the single best tool they have to address these issues is to protect nature," said Professor David S. Wilcove.



To reach this goal, establishing new protected areas will be driven by differing goals and objectives across the world. However, the researchers state that creating protected areas is key to maximizing multiple goals at once.&nbsp;



This research was supported by the National Research Foundation (NRF) Singapore under its NRF Returning Singaporean Scientists Scheme (NRF-RSS2019-007).



The paper 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

Protecting land is the best tool to address the climate crisis

To preserve wildlife, habitat and mitigate climate change effects, protecting...

Feral cats are pushing the critically endangered Kangaroo Island dunnart to the brink of extinction, according to a new study published by <a href="https://www.springer.com/">Springer</a>. The small, mouse-sized marsupial is found exclusively on Kangaroo Island off the coast of South Australia.



The study authors say their research highlights the urgent need to protect vulnerable species from feral cat predation, particularly following natural disasters such as bushfires.



Scientists estimate that there are only around 500 Kangaroo Island dunnarts remaining.



Kangaroo island was heavily damaged during the 2019-20 bushfires. Around 38 percent of the island was burned, 83 percent of which was burned at levels classified as high to very high severity. Overall, 98 percent of the dunnart’s habitat was severely burned.&nbsp;



Feral cats are known to threaten the future of many native Australian species. However, this study is the first to investigate and confirm the impacts that feral cats are having on Kangaroo Island dunnarts.&nbsp;&nbsp;



For the investigation, a team of researchers led by Louis Lignereux assessed the stomach contents and digestive tracts of 86 feral cats. These cats had been captured in specially designated conservation areas on the island between February and August 2020.



According to the researchers, the cats were captured as part of the national feral cat control program, and were euthanized in accordance with South Australia animal welfare laws.&nbsp;



In the digestive systems of seven different cats, the experts found the remains of eight individual Kangaroo Island dunnarts. These results indicate that the cats are very efficient hunters of this species, given the small numbers of dunnarts that remain following the bushfires, explained the researchers.



The experts say that the combined pressures of a small, isolated population, natural disasters like bushfires, and predation from introduced predators such as feral cats could lead to the extinction of this vulnerable species.&nbsp;



The study highlights the urgent need for controlling feral cat populations, particularly those in close proximity to endangered and threatened animals.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.



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

Feral cats are wiping out endangered marsupials

Feral cats are pushing the critically endangered Kangaroo Island dunnart...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/digging-sea-otters-promote-eelgrass-genetic-diversity/">Eelgrass</a> is a coastal species of seagrass that is vital as a habitat for a diversity of fish and other aquatic creatures. Moreover, it provides shoreline protection and carbon sequestration. By combining ecological field methods and cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI), a research team from <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> has detected eelgrass wasting disease – caused by a pathogen called Labyrinthula zosterae – at nearly three dozen sites along a 1,700-mile area of the West Coast, from San Diego to southern Alaska. According to the experts, eelgrass wasting is linked to warmer-than-normal water temperatures, especially in early summer.



The researchers developed an AI system called Eelgrass Lesion Image Segmentation Application (EeLISA) which, when properly trained, can quickly analyze thousands of pictures of eelgrass leaves and reliably distinguish between diseased and healthy tissue. This computer program works 5,000 times faster than human experts, with comparable accuracy. As the application is fed more data, it gets increasingly “smarter” and can produce more consistent results.



“That’s really a key component,” said study co-lead author Brendan Rappazzo, a doctoral student in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence at Cornell. “If you give the same eelgrass scan to four different people to label, they’ll all give variable measurements of disease. You have all this variation, but with EeLISA, it’s not only faster but it’s consistently labeled.”



“In traditional machine learning, you need large amounts of labeled data up front,” added study co-senior author Carla Gomes, a professor of Computing and Information Science at the same university. “But with EeLISA, we’re getting feedback from the scientists providing the images, and the system improves very rapidly. So, in the end, it doesn’t require that many labeled examples.”



The study involved a network of 32 sites along the Pacific coast, allowing scientists to investigate eelgrass wasting disease in different climates and environments. The findings suggest that warm-water anomalies were the key drivers of the disease, regardless of what normal temperatures were for each particular location. This proves that studying the complex connection between disease and climate change is necessary for all conditions, instead of only for eelgrass meadows located in warm regions.



“We have invested a decade developing the disease recognition tools to monitor these outbreaks at a large spatial scale because our early studies suggested eelgrass could be sensitive to warming-induced outbreaks,” said study co-senior author Drew Harvell, a professor emeritus of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. “Eelgrass is an essential marine habitat, and a critical link in the chain of survival for fishes such as salmon and herring.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/lno.12152">Limnology and Oceanography</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

Warming water is driving eelgrass wasting disease

Eelgrass is a coastal species of seagrass that is vital...

Children all over the world are being affected by air pollution and the consequences of climate change. This is the finding of a review article published today in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nejm.org/">New England Journal of Medicine</a>.&nbsp;



The article, written by Frederica Perera&nbsp;of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and&nbsp;Kari Nadeau&nbsp;of the <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> School of Medicine, looks at evidence of the multiple different ways in which air pollution and fossil fuel-driven climate change harm the health of children.&nbsp;



The experts cite dozens of research studies that find children’s health to be compromised by the consequences of air pollution and climate change. They state that all children are particularly vulnerable to health impacts from these sources as they are still in developmental stages. This applies to the fetus, infant, and child.&nbsp;



In addition, although all children are at risk, the greatest burden falls on those who are socially and economically disadvantaged. The authors allude to the existence of significant inequities between different income groups and races. As one example, risks from heatwaves are greatest in low-income communities of color where discriminatory policies such as redlining created urban heat islands (characterized by heat-trapping asphalt, few trees, dense buildings, traffic, industry and highways), and where resources to protect children from heat are fewer.



Some examples of instances where climate changes have been linked to negative outcomes for the physical and mental health of children are as follows:



<ul><li>Extreme Heat.&nbsp;Exposure to heatwaves in utero is associated with increased risk for preterm birth and low birth weight, hyperthermia and death in infants, heat stress, kidney disease, and other illnesses in children.</li><li>Climate-Intensified Extreme Events.&nbsp;Globally, climate-related events have already contributed to more than 50 million children being forced to leave their homes. In the U.S. over 900,000 displacements, many of them involving children, occurred in 2020 as a result of disasters.&nbsp;</li><li>Air Quality.&nbsp;An estimated 7.4 million children in the U.S. were exposed to lung-damaging wildfire smoke every year between 2008 and 2012. This number has risen in recent years as large forest fires have become more frequent.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Food and Water Supply and Safety.&nbsp;In developing countries, climate-change-related food insecurity has led to a sharp increase in malnutrition, resulting in stunting of physical and mental development. Infection risk from waterborne pathogens like Salmonella is also exacerbated.</li></ul>



<ul><li>Change in Disease Vector Ecology.&nbsp;Infection with Zika virus in pregnancy can cause microcephaly, severe brain malformations, and other birth defects. The U.S. has also experienced a marked increase in Lyme disease, with the highest rates in children.</li><li>Air Pollution.&nbsp;One billion children worldwide are exposed to very high levels of air pollution. Air pollution is strongly associated with increased risks of infant mortality, adverse birth outcomes, asthma and other respiratory illness, developmental disorders, and lifelong health problems, including reduced cognition, mental health problems, and autism.</li></ul>



Action on two fronts is required in order to deal with the alarming health impacts on children, according to the authors. Firstly, children need to be protected from climate hazards, a strategy that the authors term “adaptation.” This could involve measures such as providing clean water to children and families facing drought and water contamination, early warning systems for flooding and air pollution, training and evacuation planning for families and children, shaded areas where children play, live and go to school, and mosquito nets to protect children from insect-borne pathogens such as malaria and dengue.



Secondly, the root problem of high greenhouse gas emissions and dwindling natural carbon sinks needs to be addressed. The authors term this aspect of dealing with children’s health problems “mitigation.” They stress that solutions are available and being implemented by governments around the world to address air pollution and mitigate climate change, and that these will hopefully reduce the harms to children’s health in the future.



The experts also suggest that clinicians are in a position to help identify and guide individuals who are at particular risk from the effects of climate change or air pollution. Identification of vulnerable individuals may be based on the presence of an underlying illness (e.g., asthma), on geographic location (e.g., proximity to air pollution, urban heat island or flooding), and on mental health burdens (e.g., anxiety after being forced to relocate after a wildfire). Guidance could be in terms of how to manage or change the situation for a vulnerable child, and the clinician could be the source of advice, education and information in such circumstances.&nbsp;



Given the cumulative impacts of fossil fuel on children’s physical and mental health, the researchers are calling upon health professionals to use their power to protect children "by screening to identify those at high risk for associated health consequences; educating them and their families about these risks and effective interventions; and by advocating for strong mitigation and adaptation strategies.”



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

Children’s health is increasingly affected by climate and pollution

Children all over the world are being affected by air...

The future of coastal wetlands surviving sea-level rise by migrating inland is hotly debated.  A new study using elevation maps of the Chesapeake Bay region shows that human barriers will do little to slow this marsh migration. As salty water creeps upward into rural areas that are now <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cherry-blossom-emblems-could-unite-people-to-save-forests/">forests</a> and farmland, coastal marshes could persist or even expand.



Study lead author Grace Molino is a Ph.D. student at William &amp; Mary’s <a href="https://www.vims.edu/">Virginia Institute of Marine Science</a>. The research team also included experts from the USGS Eastern Ecological Science Center and the Woods Hole Science Center.



“The numbers are striking. Baywide, we expect more than 600 square miles of inundated land in the Chesapeake region by 2100.” Four times the area that has been converted since observations began in the 1840s. More than 75% of this area will be rural - mainly forests, forested wetlands, and farm fields," said Molino.&nbsp;



“As far as I know, this is the first projection of inundated land in the Bay area, and one of the few and most high-resolution predictions in the U.S.” said study co-author Dr. Matt Kirwan. “Our analysis shows that marsh migration is constrained more by natural topography than by human development.”



The Chesapeake region and North American coastal plain are resilient to sea-level rise, and are considered global outliers. Urbanized coasts of Europe and Asia are more likely to experience the “coastal squeeze," which refers to the loss of coastal wetlands as rising saltwater floods their seaward edge while natural or human barriers block their landward migration.



“Despite a perception that urban centers will block marsh migration, our predictions suggest that the most vulnerable land in the Chesapeake Bay remains largely undeveloped, even in what are typically thought of as urban watersheds,” said Dr. Kirwan.



“We found that developed lands generally occupy less than 10% of predicted migration areas within individual watersheds even under our high scenarios of sea-level rise, despite more extensive development in the watershed overall," said Molino.&nbsp;



The Elizabeth River in Chesapeake Bay is highly developed, yet developed surfaces occupy only 16 percent of the potential marsh-migration area under 1 meter of sea-level rise, compared to 31 percent of developed land across the entire watershed.



The Bay’s other major urban areas lie in more elevated watersheds with only small areas of potential marsh migration. The challenge for landowners and governments will be to equitably manage the conversion of what is now privately owned, income-producing rural land into coastal wetland habitats that provide publicly valued ecosystem services such as flood protection and the nurture of fish and bird populations.



The team began their analysis by using more than 200,000 GIS data points to map the present-day boundary between forest and marsh around the Bay. They also measured the area of land within each watershed that would be flooded under each sea-level-rise scenario. This determined whether it is currently covered by forest, forested wetlands, turf grass, farm fields, or development such as roads, parking lots, and buildings.



The results found that “potential marsh migration areas” will increase over the coming decades and with the magnitude of sea-level rise, from 405 square miles by 2100 under their low scenario to 1,447 square miles under their high scenario.&nbsp;



What was unexpected within the increasingly developed Chesapeake Bay watershed is that the marsh-migration areas are dominated by upland and wetland forests, and not urban or suburban land.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://aslopubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/23782242">Limnology and Oceanography Letters</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

Rural areas will be hardest hit by sea-level rise in the U.S.

The future of coastal wetlands surviving sea-level rise by migrating...

An international team of scientists has pioneered a new method to determine where prehistoric warm-water coral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-coral-reefs-crackle-with-the-sounds-of-busy-inhabitants/">reefs</a> existed. The results of the analysis show that climate can significantly affect where corals grow.&nbsp;



Study co-author Dr. Alex Farnsworth of the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> explained why this was not an easy topic to explore. "Climate has changed significantly throughout geological time, however understanding how it has impacted coral reef ecosystems has been difficult due to a lack of quantifiable data which has significant gaps."



Some of these gaps can be attributed to an incomplete fossil record, while other gaps can be attributed to biased research practices - since most previous coral studies have occurred near wealthy nations.&nbsp;



However, researchers from Spain and the UK found a way to fill in these gaps. By modeling habitats and reconstructing past climates, the researchers were able to predict where corals lived from 250 million to 35 million years ago. They found that corals extended farther from the equator in warmer periods.&nbsp;



"Our work demonstrates that warm-water coral reefs track tropical-to-subtropical climatic conditions over geological timescales. In warmer intervals, coral reefs expanded poleward. However, in colder intervals, they became constrained to tropical and subtropical latitudes," explained study first author Dr. Lewis Jones.



This information may cause some people to assume that global warming benefits warm-water corals, but this is not necessarily the case. "Current anthropogenic climate change will result in the poleward expansion of suitable habitat for coral reefs," said Dr. Jones. "In fact, we are already witnessing the expansion of some tropical reef corals. However, whether coral reef ecosystems – and all the biodiversity they support – can keep pace with the current rapid rate of anthropogenic climate change is another question."&nbsp;



Based on their findings, the researchers believe it is possible that decreasing the acceleration of global warming is more necessary for tropical coral systems than preventing global warming.&nbsp;



The findings are clear evidence that climate and corals have been linked for millions of years. The researchers hope this knowledge will guide further learning.&nbsp;



"Using this new combined data-model approach we can start to better understand reef ecosystems evolution and behavior," said study co-author Dr. Alex Farnsworth.&nbsp;



We can also expect that this research will play a role in preserving these magical rainforests of the ocean.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</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

Climate played a key role in shifting ancient coral reefs

An international team of scientists has pioneered a new method...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-meadows-remove-plastic-debris-from-the-ocean/">Seagrass meadows</a> are often used as a fishing habitat across the Indo-Pacific region, sustaining millions of households. A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S096456912200223X?via%3Dihub#!">Ocean &amp; Coastal Management</a> has found that seagrass fisheries provide a reliable safety-net for the poor since they are characterized by a high abundance of fish and other animals and provide large catches for fishermen.&nbsp;



The scientists conducted interviews with people relying on fishing from 147 villages across Cambodia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, and were surprised to find that the majority of the persons they spoke to preferred seagrass meadows as fishing habitats.&nbsp;



“Seagrass was the most common habitat used for fishing. Nearly half of all households we talked to preferred fishing in seagrass over other habitats such as coral, mangroves, open ocean, mud and rock for example,” said study lead author Benjamin Jones, a doctoral student at the <a href="https://www.su.se/cmlink/stockholm-university">University of Stockholm</a> and director of <a href="http://www.projectseagrass.org/">Project Seagrass</a>, a nonprofit organization focused on the conservation of seagrass ecosystems.&nbsp;



“This was surprising because most people think of reef fisheries as the key tropical small-scale fishery, but we show that its actually engagement in seagrass fisheries that are much more characteristic of households.”



When asked why they preferred seagrass, most fishermen expressed a general feeling of reliability: due to the major ecological role seagrass meadows play by providing valuable nursery habitats with many places for fish to hide and grow, there is always an abundance of fish present there. However, reliance on seagrass appeared to be also influenced by household income.



“Household income had two different effects. On one hand, poorer households were less likely to own&nbsp;motorboats. These were reliant on seagrass as they were unable to fish elsewhere, seagrass is close to shore and easy to access without a motor. On the other hand, wealthier households were more likely to own certain types of fishing gear that incentivized them to use seagrass due to high rewards and low effort requirements. These were static fishing fences that don’t require a fisherman to be present,” explained Jones.



“Our results highlight the need for empirical household scale data for management of seagrass meadows,” added study senior author Leanne Cullen-Unsworth, the Director of Research and Resources at Project Seagrass. “People use and value seagrass for many different reasons so safeguarding seagrass is vital to ensure that all people, all of the time, have equitable and equal access to the resources seagrass provides,” 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

Seagrass meadows are very reliable fishing grounds

Seagrass meadows are often used as a fishing habitat across...

A study published in <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/home">The Lancet Planetary Health</a> argues that as our weather becomes more severe due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-did-not-impact-dinosaur-abundance-in-the-triassic/">climate</a> change, women, girls, and sexual and gender minorities will be increasingly and disproportionally affected by violence.



Extreme weather events often increase food insecurity, mental stress, and economic uncertainty for all those affected. They can also lead to a deterioration in safety programs for women, including law enforcement. Moreover, long-term effects can include unwanted births and exposure to STIs including HIV.&nbsp;



Study co-author Kim Van Daalen is a Gates Cambridge Scholar in the Department of Public Health and Primary Care at the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>.



“Extreme events don’t themselves cause gender-based violence, but rather they exacerbate the drivers of violence or create environments that enable this type of behavior,” said Van Daalen.



It’s important to note that Van Daalen is not claiming that the source of violence is due to climate change. The reality is much uglier, she explained.&nbsp;



“At the root of this behavior are systematic social and patriarchal structures that enable and normalize such violence. Existing social roles and norms, combined with inequalities leading to marginalisation, discrimination, and dispossession make women, girls, and sexual and gender minorities disproportionately vulnerable to the adverse impacts of extreme events.”



The researchers identified 41 severe weather events across all six inhabited continents to explore the relationship between climate events and gender-based violence. These events included floods, droughts, and wildfires. Gender-based violence included sexual violence, physical violence, emotional violence, forced marriage, and ‘witch’ killing.



Van Daalen pointed out two case studies to lend credence to her argument. The first case study was Hurricane Katrina in the United States. Researchers found that violence, including sexual violence against women, increased after the hurricane. Furthermore, transgender and LGBTQI individuals experienced physical violence and discrimination at post-disaster shelters.&nbsp;



In Bangladesh, early marriages spiked after flood events in 1998 and 2004. The researchers believe this was due to increased poverty after the floods because marrying off a daughter reduces the financial burden of a family.&nbsp;



Van Daalen says that disaster relief plans need to include infrastructure for women, transgender, and LGBTQI people so they can have safe access to aid. Moreover, she advocates for relief programs that empower women and allows them to be decision-makers.&nbsp;



“Disaster management needs to focus on preventing, mitigating, and adapting to drivers of gender-based violence. It’s crucial that it’s informed by the women, girls, and sexual and gender minority populations affected and takes into account local sexual and gender cultures and local norms, traditions, and social attitudes.”



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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

Severe weather will increase violence against women

A study published in The Lancet Planetary Health argues that...

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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



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.

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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

[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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