Air pollution is a silent menace that can subtly worsen the heart conditions that many patients battle daily. Often, we are not aware of the full extent of this danger.



Unlike viruses or bacterial infections, which are more tangible and typically easier to detect and manage, this invisible threat arises from the very air we breathe, infiltrating our bodies with harmful particles that can exacerbate chronic heart issues.



A new study by heart researchers at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City finds that patients with heart disease, particularly those who have suffered heart failure, are especially vulnerable to the impacts of air pollution and poor air quality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-air-pollution-and-heart-health">Air pollution and heart health</h2>



The results of the study were presented at the American Heart Association's 2024 Scientific Sessions international conference in Chicago.



The experts found that two inflammatory markers - CL27 (C-C motif chemokine ligand 27) and IL-18 (interleukin 18) - were elevated in heart failure patients who were exposed to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/poor-air-quality-linked-to-cognitive-problems-in-infants/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">poor air quality</a>, but did not change in those without heart disease.



This suggests that air pollution places additional stress on the bodies of patients with pre-existing heart conditions.



“These biomarkers rose in response to air pollution in people who already had <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-research-proves-that-air-pollution-causes-heart-problems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heart disease</a>, but not in patients who were heart disease free, showing that heart failure patients are not as able to adapt to changes in the environment,” said Dr. Benjamin Horne, the study's principal investigator, is a professor of research at Intermountain Health.



The findings emphasize the unique vulnerability of individuals with heart problems, and highlight the need for targeted protective measures to mitigate the harmful effects of poor air quality.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unraveling-the-research-process">Unraveling the research process</h2>



The retrospective study involved collaboration between Intermountain Health researchers and scientists from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Stanford University</a> and the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard School of Public Health</a>. 



They analyzed blood samples from patients enrolled in the Intermountain INSPIRE registry, which collects blood, biological samples, medical information, and laboratory data from both healthy individuals and those with various medical conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identifying-air-pollution-peaks">Identifying air pollution peaks</h2>



The researchers examined blood for 115 different proteins that are indicative of increased inflammation.



The samples came from 44 heart failure patients and 35 individuals without heart disease. 



Blood was drawn on days with low air pollution (PM2.5 levels under 7 μg/m3) and days on which pollution spiked (PM2.5 levels of 20 μg/m3 or higher). This allowed the researchers to compare the samples and determine the effects of pollution spikes.



The spikes were due either to summer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preparing-for-disaster-raising-awareness-to-reduce-wildfire-risks/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildfire</a> smoke or winter inversions, where warm air traps pollution close to the ground.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-proactive-measures-for-heart-patients">Proactive measures for heart patients</h2>



“It’s important that individuals with known heart disease, including those diagnosed with heart failure, need to be especially cautious during periods of poor air quality," said Dr. Horne.



"This includes exercising indoors, making sure to take their prescribed medications, and avoiding areas like roadways and highways where there’s a lot more traffic and pollution."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-air-quality-matters">Why air quality matters </h2>



The&nbsp;results&nbsp;of&nbsp;this study highlight a pressing need for enhanced public education and prevention among heart patients during times of adverse&nbsp;air quality.



Air pollution is an increasingly common problem, in both developed and developing countries. This is due, in part, to&nbsp;urbanization, industrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-carbon-dioxide-emissions-hit-a-record-high-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> and climate change. 



Individuals with heart diseases, along with many others, have increased susceptibility. The study reiterates the need for improved air quality monitoring and public health interventions that are centered on heart patients' needs. In terms of healthcare professionals, these findings pave the way for more focused education for patients with a comorbid condition. Physicians may advise that the suggested strategies be implemented, such as having <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bioengineered-super-plant-acts-as-natural-indoor-air-purifier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">air purifiers</a> at home or not opening windows during days of poor air quality.



This proactive approach not only mitigates immediate health risks but also promotes long-term well-being for heart patients. In addition, policymakers may use research like this as the foundation for their advocacy of stronger air quality standards and environmentally conscious, sustainable urban planning that decreases pollution-emitting sources.



If&nbsp;stricter&nbsp;regulations&nbsp;on&nbsp;emissions&nbsp;are&nbsp;enacted,&nbsp;coupled&nbsp;with&nbsp;a focus on&nbsp;cleaner technologies, communities&nbsp;can&nbsp;protect&nbsp;more&nbsp;than&nbsp;just&nbsp;heart patients. The public in&nbsp;general&nbsp;will benefit by improving overall health, reducing healthcare burdens for governments.



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Heart disease patients have a unique vulnerability to air pollution

Air pollution is a silent menace that can subtly worsen the heart conditions that many patients battle daily. Often, we are not aware of the full extent of this danger. Unlike viruses or bacterial infections, which are more tangible and typically easier to detect and manage, this invisible threat arises from the very air we breathe, infiltrating our bodies with harmful particles that can exacerbate chronic heart issues. A new study by heart researchers at Intermountain Health in Salt Lake City finds that patients with heart disease,...

Summer temperatures in Swiss rivers are on track to jump four degrees Celsius by the end of this century. This is the conclusion of a new <a href="https://www.epfl.ch/en/">EPFL</a> study, which highlights the need for urgent action to reduce greenhouse gas <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lower-emissions-needed-to-save-the-winter-season/">emissions</a>.



“People tend to think that water is an unlimited resource in Switzerland,” said study lead author Adrien Michel. “But by the end of this century, we may well have to choose between using our rivers to water our crops and damming them up in order to produce electricity."



There are many uncertainties that come along with hotter river temperatures, especially when looking to the end of the century. For example, rising temperatures hinder reproduction and increase the risk of disease in fish.



“We’ll surely be able to grow oranges in this part of the world. But what about the rest of biodiversity?”&nbsp;



Michel focused on three possible scenarios that depend on low, moderate, or high greenhouse gas emissions. The results show that if no action is taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, summertime river temperatures can be expected to increase by 5.5°C in Alpine regions and by 4°C across the Swiss Plateau.&nbsp;



In this same high-emission scenario, average river discharge is predicted to decrease by 30 percent in the mountains and by 25 percent in lowland areas. By comparison, in the low-emission scenario, Alpine and Swiss Plateau rivers would only be 1°C warmer at the end of the century.



Furthermore, in the low-emission scenario, nearly half of all remaining glaciers would be preserved. In the high-emission scenario, they would all but disappear.



Under all three scenarios, winter and summer extremes will be greater in Plateau regions, according to the analysis.



“Our study of river discharge and temperatures shows, for one, that the impact of global warming is inevitable, and that we must begin making changes today, through energy and agriculture policies, for example. It’s also showing us that we can still save a part of our environmental heritage -&nbsp; but only if we act swiftly and aggressively," said Michel.



The research was funded by the Swiss Federal Office for the Environment, and is published in the journal <a href="https://www.hydrology-and-earth-system-sciences.net/">Hydrology and Earth System Sciences</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

Without urgent action, Swiss rivers are going to overheat

Summer temperatures in Swiss rivers are on track to jump...

While the impact of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-heat-increases-the-risk-of-heart-disease/">heat</a> on physical health is well documented, few studies have examined the impact of extreme heat on mental health. New research led by Boston University’s <a href="https://www.bu.edu/sph/">School of Public Health</a> has found that on extremely hot summer days, U.S. adults have an increased risk of visiting emergency rooms for mental health issues related to childhood-onset behavioral disorders, substance abuse, anxiety, stress, and mood disorders.



The researchers analyzed approximately 3.5 million visits to emergency rooms among 2.2 million adults during the warm season (May to September) from 2010 to 2019. They found that days of extreme heat were most strongly linked to ER visits for a large variety of mental disturbances. The impact of heat on mental health was similar across age groups, and evident in both genders and all regions of the country.



“These results show that heat can profoundly impact the mental health of people regardless of age, sex, or where they live,” says study senior author Dr. Gregory Wellenius, a professor of Environmental Health at Boston University (BU). “On days of extreme heat, it is important that we each take the precautions necessary to take care of ourselves and our loved ones.”



Dr. Wellenius and his colleagues found that the impact of heat was slightly higher in the Northeast, Midwest, and Northwest. According to study lead author Dr. Amruta Nori-Sarma, an assistant professor of Environmental Health at BU, the population in these areas are suffering more from heat because they are not as used to high temperatures as those living in the south.&nbsp;



“They don’t necessarily have the skills or resources in place to cope during times of extreme heat. Heat events will become even more extreme as the climate continues to warm, so it’s doubly important to identify the populations that are most vulnerable and to help them adapt to warmer summertime conditions.”



The researchers argue that, when heat waves are forecasted, clinicians and public health experts could use these findings to prepare for spikes in mental health issues, especially in patients with already existing mental health conditions.



Further research is needed to identify public health strategies that will help alert people to the risks posed by extreme heat and better protect the most vulnerable community members, including the uninsured, low-income, or racial and ethnic minorities. Moreover, the impact of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/omicron-is-still-circulating-widely-through-animal-populations/">COVID-19 pandemic</a> on mental health should also be taken into account.



“As we approach the upcoming summer season, it is important to keep in mind that the combination of stressors—pandemic and climate—might exacerbate existing mental health conditions. The mental healthcare system should plan accordingly,” Dr. Nori-Sarma concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2789481">JAMA Psychiatry</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

Extreme heat linked to mental health issues

While the impact of heat on physical health is well...

A new study led by Bird Ecology and Conservation Ontario (<a href="https://www.beco-birds.org/">BECO</a>) - a non-profit organization that uses ecological research to advance the conservation of birds – has found that 47 percent of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fight-or-flight-birds-are-not-equipped-for-both/">bird</a> species with currently unknown population trends are declining. Globally, the top predictor associated with bird declines was a severely fragmented population, with non-migratory birds in South American and Southeast Asian tropical and subtropical forests being the most vulnerable.



“Birds are crucial for the functioning of Earth’s ecosystems but bird population declines have been documented worldwide in recent decades. A global assessment of potential causes of population declines is needed,” wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



“Our goal here was to combine the power of big data and machine learning to identify predictors correlated with bird population declines and to predict population declines for species with unknown population trends on the IUCN Red List.”



Initially, in order to train and test the machine learning model that they had constructed, the researchers gathered detailed species-level data for 10,964 bird species from all around the globe with known population trends. Then, they used this artificial intelligence model to analyze 801 bird species with previously unknown population trends. The model estimated that almost half (47 percent) of these species are currently declining.



According to the researchers, the main causes of decline are habitat loss and fragmentation. “Populations experiencing habitat fragmentation are subject to greater demographic, environmental and genetic stochasticity, and hence higher extinction risk,” wrote the study authors.



“Previous studies have suggested that habitat loss and fragmentation are major drivers of bird population declines. Our results support this hypothesis, as severely fragmented populations emerged as the top predictor explaining bird population declines worldwide,” wrote the study authors.”



Since birds play important ecological roles such as pollination, seed dispersal, and nutrient cycling, their marked decline could have severe cascading impacts on a variety of ecosystems worldwide, and needs immediate attention from conservationists and policy makers.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/ibi.13045">Ibis</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

Bird populations are declining worldwide

A new study led by Bird Ecology and Conservation Ontario...

With the world’s population continuing to increase exponentially, efficient food production will become more and more important. Past modernization of farming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/groundbreaking-new-technology-helps-paraplegics-move-again/">technology</a> has achieved huge successes, but has come with certain unwelcome costs.&nbsp;



Looking to the future, widespread deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture is both expected and potentially very valuable, but scientists warn that we need to learn from past experiences in order to minimize risks when turning to agricultural expert systems and intelligent machines.&nbsp;



Although it is possible to imagine fields of crops being farmed to feed masses of people, with all the decisions relating to tilling planting, watering, fertilizing and harvesting being made by machines programmed with artificial intelligence, the inherent risks are enormous. Imagine the potential for hacking into systems and disrupting the production of vital food supplies.&nbsp;



A new risk analysis, published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.nature.com/natmachintell/">Nature Machine Intelligence</a>,&nbsp;warns that the future use of artificial intelligence in food production comes with substantial risks for farms, farmers and food security that are poorly understood and under-appreciated.



“The idea of intelligent machines running farms is not science fiction. Large companies are already pioneering the next generation of autonomous ag-bots and decision support systems that will replace humans in the field,” said study first author Dr. Asaf Tzachor of the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>.



“But so far no-one seems to have asked the question ‘are there any risks associated with a rapid deployment of agricultural AI?’” he added.



In the past, modernization of farming technology has introduced new risks, such as loss of employment opportunities, introduction of new pests, degradation of biodiversity and increasing pollution. The introduction of extensive expert systems and autonomous machines could improve the working conditions of farmers, relieving them of manual, routine tasks, but they would need to be implemented in a responsible and sensitive manner, bearing in mind the local conditions.&nbsp;



For example, the widespread use of AI is likely to raise concerns around the potential effects on farmers’ work, identity, agency and ownership rights. There are also risks that large and small farmers would profit unequally, or would have unequal access to the technology. According to the authors of the risk analysis, small-scale farmers, who cultivate 475 million of approximately 570 million farms worldwide and feed large swaths of the so-called Global South,&nbsp;are particularly likely to be excluded from AI-related benefits.&nbsp;



There are already many examples of advanced and intelligent machines being used in large-scale agriculture. For example, ag-bots such as drones and sensors are used to gather information on crops and support farmers’ decision-making. They can detect the presence of diseases or insufficient irrigation. And self-driving combine harvesters can bring in a crop without the need for a human operator. This minimizes labor costs and can lead to increasing profit for farmers.&nbsp;



In their research, the authors have discussed a catalogue of risks that must be considered and dealt with if AI is to be responsibly developed for use in agriculture. They raise the alarm about cyber-attackers potentially causing disruption to commercial farms using AI, by poisoning datasets or by shutting down sprayers, autonomous drones, and robotic harvesters. To guard against this, they suggest that ‘white hat hackers’ help companies uncover any security failings during the developmental phase, so that systems can be safeguarded against real hackers.



They also warn against the inherent consequences of pursuing maximum crop yield at all costs. For example, an AI system programmed only to deliver the best crop yield in the short term might overuse fertilizers and ignore the environmental impact, or apply too much pesticide that would pollute soils and affect food chains.&nbsp; The authors suggest involving applied ecologists in the technology design process to ensure these scenarios are avoided.



With an estimated two billion people afflicted by food insecurity, including some 690 million malnourished and 340 million children suffering micronutrient deficiencies, artificial intelligence technologies and precision agriculture promise substantial benefits for food and nutritional security in the face of climate change and a growing global population. However, a balanced approach towards the use of these innovations must be practiced, risks must be assessed and there needs to be responsible research and development in order to mitigate against the potentially devastating risks.



“AI is being hailed as the way to revolutionize agriculture," said study co-author Dr. Seán Ó hÉigeartaigh, Executive Director of CSER. "As we deploy this technology on a large scale, we should closely consider potential risks, and aim to mitigate those early on in the technology design,”&nbsp;



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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

Could artificially intelligent machines take over food production?

With the world’s population continuing to increase exponentially, efficient food...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/health-risks-to-children-rise-due-to-climate-change/">Children</a> living in areas with more PM2.5 particulate air pollution and little access to green space are 62 percent more likely to develop ADHD, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.isglobal.org/en">Barcelona Institute for Global Health</a> (ISGlobal). The research found that children in areas with less pollution and more green space are 50 percent less likely to develop ADHD. &nbsp; &nbsp;



“We observed that children living in greener neighborhoods with low air pollution had a substantially decreased risk of ADHD. This is an environmental inequality where, in turn, those children living in areas with higher pollution and less greenness face a disproportionally greater risk," said study lead author Matilda van den Bosch.&nbsp;



“These associations are particularly relevant because exposures take place in early life, a crucial period for brain development where children are especially vulnerable. Importantly, these exposures are modifiable, meaning that the findings should be taken into account for healthier urban planning."



The researchers investigated connections between noise, pollution, early exposure to green spaces, and development of ADHD later in childhood. ADHD is one of the more common neurodevelopmental disorders which impacts up to ten percent of children and adolescents.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The scientists analyzed administrative birth data in the Vancouver area from 2000 to 2001 and medical data on ADHD cases. Green space in the area was estimated using satellite imagery and exposure models were used to estimate pollution levels. Overall, four percent of the study population was found to have been diagnosed with ADHD.&nbsp;



The study showed that a 12 percent increase in vegetation corresponded with a 10 percent reduction in risk for ADHD. As for air pollution, a 2.1 µg increase in the levels of PM2.5 meant an 11 percent increase in the risk of ADHD.



“Our findings also show that the associations between PM2.5 and ADHD were attenuated by residential green space and vice versa, as if the beneficial effects of vegetation and the harmful effects of PM2.5 neutralized each other," said study first author Weiran Yuchi.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environment-international">Environment International</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Lack of green space linked to ADHD in children

Children living in areas with more PM2.5 particulate air pollution...

According to preliminary data from the <a href="https://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/charctic-interactive-sea-ice-graph/">National Snow and Ice Data Center</a> (NSIDC), Antarctica has set an alarming new record this year for the lowest sea ice extent in the past four decades since measurements began. The previous minimum of 810,000 square miles, set in March 2017, was recently surpassed, after sea ice extent dropped to 765,000 square miles on Wednesday, February 23, 2022. 



Scientists estimate that Antarctic sea ice is currently dwindling three times faster than in the 1990s, contributing to global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-study-pinpoints-the-causes-of-sea-level-rise/">sea-level rise</a>.



“What’s going on in the Antarctic is an extreme event,” said Ted Scambos, a glaciologist at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> and lead scientist at the NSIDC. “There’s a link between what's going on in Antarctica and the general warming trend around the rest of the world, but it’s different from what we see in mountain glaciers and what we see in the Arctic.”



While the rate of sea ice loss is rapidly increasing in the Arctic, the situation in Antarctica has been more variable, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-antarctic-sea-ice-has-fluctuated-over-the-past-century/">fluctuating</a> widely from record highs to record lows. Satellite data stretching back to 1978 shows that Antarctica was still producing record-high sea ice extent as recently as 2014 and 2015. After plunging in 2016 though, it remained consistently lower-than-average.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The trends have rearranged a little bit because fundamentally over the last four decades, Antarctica has just been pushed around by the changes in ocean temperature and wind,” said Scambos. “The thing about Antarctica and sea ice is it is very unconstrained, sort of at the mercy of wind patterns, storms, snowfall, and ocean temperatures - all these things have an impact.”



According to scientists, the increasing warming trends in the polar regions amplify the consequences of climate change globally. “Polar regions really have a way of making these small changes a bigger deal, either through sea-level rise, which is the main cause for concern from Antarctica, or through warmer climate generally, because the Arctic is sort of the air conditioner for the places where most of us live in the Northern Hemisphere.”



Although it may take another decade of a persistent downward trend in order to link the dwindling sea ice in the Antarctic with climate change, some alarming effects are already clearly visible on the continent. For instance, the critical ice shelf holding back the Thwaites&nbsp;glacier (also known as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-doomsday-glacier-is-heading-for-dramatic-change/">Doomsday glacier</a>) could shatter within the next three to five years, leading to devastating sea-level rise.



In order to stop the downward spiral in which climate change has thrown Antarctica and most other places on the globe, it is absolutely necessary to urgently curb the greenhouse emissions that are at the root of global warming.



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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

Antarctic sea ice levels are at their lowest on record

According to preliminary data from the National Snow and Ice...

You’ve likely watched a flock of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hummingbirds-are-experts-at-regulating-body-temperature/" data-type="news" data-id="1903233">birds</a> heading south in awe and wondered, how do they know which direction to go? And how do they stay on course for thousands of kilometers?&nbsp; This winter, neuroscientists and ecologists from <a href="https://www.doshisha.ac.jp/en/">Doshisha University</a> and Nagoya University conducted a study to answer this curiosity.



Studies have proven that migratory birds have magnetically sensitive proteins in their eyes and the magneto-receptive cells in their brain that allow them to perceive geomagnetic fields of the earth. This helps migratory birds navigate through new terrains, or travel over the ocean without the help of any landmarks.&nbsp;



To understand how birds know which direction to follow during long-distance flight, Professor Susumu Takahashi hypothesized that the directional and the magnetoreception senses in birds may share a few common neural players.



For the investigation, the team selected the streaked shearwater bird - a seabird that breeds on islands in Japan, Korea, and China and migrates to warmer regions such as Philippines, Indonesia, and northern Australia in the winter.&nbsp;



“Interestingly, during their first migratory flight, juvenile birds do not follow the easier detours along the coastline taken by their parents. Instead, they fly directly towards the destination through difficult mountain ranges. This suggests that the juvenile birds rely heavily on the orientation of their in-built compass, rather than the environmental cues followed by the adult ones,” said Professor Takahashi.



The researchers used a device that wirelessly records the electrophysiological activity of the brain. First, they housed chicks in light-shielding cages. Then, they used the device to record the electrophysiological activity from the medial pallium region of the brain. Next, they let the baby birds walk freely in a room&nbsp; in which the sun’s direction was not visible. The birds also were brought to walk around a sea-facing cliff, a far distance from where they were found.



This experiment revealed that head direction (HD) cells act as an internal compass to help the birds navigate during their initial migratory flight.



This was determined as 20 percent of the HD cells in the medial pallium region fired electrical pulses with higher frequency when the birds faced north. And when birds faced other directions, the cells became less active. The birds had a preference for the north, regardless of what study location they were placed in.&nbsp; This suggests that the location-independent geomagnetic field was used as a cue for head orientation.&nbsp;



The researchers are hopeful that these findings will open new doors in future studies. “Our findings suggest that the avian internal compass can be utilized to gain insights into the neuronal underpinning of animal migration patterns," said Professor Takahashi.



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

Birds rely on an inner compass to guide long migrations

You’ve likely watched a flock of birds heading south in...

According to the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a>’s (IPCC) intermediate <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/emissions-scenarios/">emissions scenario</a> RCP4.5, it is predicted that global average temperatures will rise by between 0.9 and 2.0&nbsp; degrees Celsius until mid-21st century. As a result, many species, particularly specialists with very specific food, habitat, and reproductive requirements, may not be able to adapt to these changes.



A research team led by <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> has recently investigated the impact of global warming on the fitness of insects and the wildflowers on which they depend for food, by simulating climate change on outdoor experimental plots at an agricultural research station in the UK.



According to study lead author Dr. Ellen Moss, a postdoctoral researcher in Entomology and Ecology at Newcastle University, a 1.5°C increase in temperature can drastically reduce food resources for pollinating insects, cause pollinators to visit a wider range of plants for food, and reduce seed production for some wildflowers, while increasing it for others.



Dr. Moss and her colleagues raised the ambient temperature of the experimental plots by a constant 1.5ºC with infrared heaters, and compared plant and insect biodiversity, as well as insects’ visiting patterns on the flowers, between these plots and unheated control plots during 2014 and 2015. Since climate change in northern Europe is predicted to lead to an increase in rainfall too, the scientists irrigated some of the experimental plots with extra water, both in combination with and separately from heating.



They found that the number of plant or insect species did not change significantly in the experimental plots, suggesting that heating by 1.5 ºC, with or without extra water, does not lead to immediate changes in species diversity. Instead, the immediate effects were more subtle. For instance, most of the plant species from the heated plots were “losers” in reproductive terms: they grew fewer flowers and produced fewer or lighter seeds.



“Our experiment showed that under an increase of 1.5°C there was almost a 40 percent reduction in the number of floral units throughout the season, which represents a significant decrease in available food for flower visitors,” the study authors reported.



Moreover, this reduction in available food caused subtle changes in insect foraging behavior too, with insect species tending to visit a greater number of plant species, and to return to each flower more times.&nbsp;



“Our results demonstrate that climate warming could have severe consequences for some species of wildflowers and their pollinators in agricultural systems, and shows that their community composition is likely to change in the future,” Dr. Moss concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2022.826205">Frontiers in Plant Science</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wildflower and pollinator communities are silently shifting

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) intermediate...

New research led by scientists at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) has Investigated how our water cycle is changing as a result of global warming. The water cycle is the cycling of water from rivers, streams, lakes and the ocean into clouds and back into precipitation. This cycle is extremely important in keeping Earth habitable. 



Unfortunately, scientists have known for a while that climate change is impacting the water cycle and making wet places wetter, while simultaneously making dry places even drier.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“We already knew from previous work that the global water cycle was intensifying,” said study lead author Dr. <a href="https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/dr-taimoor-sohail">Taimoor Sohail</a>. "We just didn't know by how much. The movement of freshwater from warm to cold areas forms the lion’s share of water transport. Our findings paint a picture of the larger changes happening in the global water cycle.”



The changes in the water cycle are also making an impact on the ocean, changing the salinity based on the temperature of different regions. In fact, with 80 percent of Earth’s evaporation happening over ocean, it was only through tracking the changes in salt that the researchers observed water cycle changes at all. 



The scientists found that somewhere between two and four times as much freshwater has moved through the cycle compared to what models anticipated. This shows that the whole system is speeding up.



"In warmer regions, evaporation removes fresh water from the ocean leaving salt behind, making the ocean saltier,” said study co-author Professor <a href="https://research.unsw.edu.au/people/dr-jan-david-zika">Jan Zika</a>. “The water cycle takes that fresh water to colder regions where it falls as rain, diluting the ocean and making it less salty.”



An unanticipated amount of water has moved from the equator to the poles. Compared to what was expected, about 46,000 to 77,000 cubic kilometers more water had shifted toward the poles. All of these changes must be identified for planning and preparation for what is to come. 



“Changes to the water cycle can have a critical impact on infrastructure, agriculture, and biodiversity,” said Dr. Sohail. “It’s therefore important to understand the way the climate change is impacting the water cycle now and into the future."



The research lays important groundwork for future studies on how Earth's climate has evolved. "In 10 or 20 years from now, scientists can use this reference to find out how much these patterns are further changing over time.” said Dr. Sohail. 



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



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth's water cycle is changing much faster than expected

New research led by scientists at the University of New...

New research shows Chicxulub, the meteoroid that smashed into the Yucatán and led to the extinction of the dinosaurs approximately 65 million years ago, hit in the springtime. To reach this conclusion, an international team of paleontologists from the Vrije Universiteit (VU) Amsterdam, Uppsala University, Vrije Universiteit Brussel and the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility studied fish that died after the impact. 



X-rays and analysis of carbon isotope records show that the fish died within 60 minutes after the meteoroid hit the Earth. The fish skeletons were immaculately preserved, with their bones showing very little geochemical alterations. Bones hold information about seasonal growth like tree rings do, so the team started by analyzing the bones. 



“The retrieved growth rings not only captured the life histories of the fishes but also recorded the latest Cretaceous seasonality and thus the season in which the catastrophic extinction occurred,” said study senior author Jeroen van der Lubbe.



Bone cell size, shape and distribution also vary depending on the season, and these features provided further evidence.



&nbsp;“In all studied fishes, bone cell density and volumes can be traced over multiple years. These were on the rise but had not yet peaked during the year of death,” said Dennis Voeten of <a href="https://www.uu.se/en">Uppsala University</a>.



A paddlefish that was part of the study was also analyzed for evidence of its diet. This fish prefers to feed upon zooplankton, which naturally fluctuate throughout the year depending on the season. The evidence shows that the zooplankton population was rising towards the summer climax when the fish died.   



“This temporary increase of ingested zooplankton enriched the skeleton of its predator with the heavier 13C carbon isotope relative to the lighter 12C carbon isotope,” explained Suzan Verdegaal-Warmerdam. 



“The carbon isotope signal across the growth record of this unfortunate paddlefish confirms that the feeding season had not yet climaxed – death came in spring,” said study lead author Melanie During.



The scientists hope their study will not only increase our understanding of the dinosaur extinction, but also help to explain why the ancestors of modern birds and mammals survived the extinction event.    



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The dinosaurs died in the springtime

New research shows Chicxulub, the meteoroid that smashed into the...

According to a new report by the UN Environment Programme (<a href="https://www.unep.org/">UNEP</a>) and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.grida.no/">GRID-Arendal</a>, climate change and land-use change will cause more frequent and intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fires-are-intensifying-with-an-increase-in-flammable-nights/">wildfires</a>, with a global increase of severe fires of up to 14 percent by 2030, 30 percent by 2050, and 50 percent by the end of the century.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Wildfires disproportionately affect the world’s poorest nations, which most of the times cannot afford to rebuild the areas struck by fire. These fires significantly affect people’s respiratory and cardiovascular health, damage watersheds, lead to soil erosion causing more problems for waterways, and leave highly contaminated waste behind. Moreover, wildlife and its natural habitats are not spared either: many animal species are pushed on the bring of extinction by severe and prolonged fires.



Wildfires and climate change are mutually exacerbating. Through rises in temperatures, increased frequency and duration of droughts, low relative humidity, lightning storms, and strong winds, climate change leads to hotter, drier, and longer fire seasons. At the same time, by ravaging carbon-rich ecosystems such as rainforests and peatlands, wildfires contribute to climate change.



Currently, direct responses to wildfires receive over half of related expenditures, while prevention and planning receive less than one percent. The new report calls on governments to adopt a “Fire Ready Formula,” with two thirds of funds devoted to planning, preparedness, prevention, and recovery, and only one third left for response.&nbsp;



“Current government responses to wildfires are often putting money in the wrong place. Those emergency service workers and firefighters on the frontlines who are risking their lives to fight forest wildfires need to be supported,” said Inger Andersen, the Executive Director of UNEP. “We have to minimize the risk of extreme wildfires by being better prepared: invest more in fire risk reduction, work with local communities, and strengthen global commitment to fight climate change.”



The restoration of ecosystems is highly important for mitigating the risk of wildfires before they occur and repairing what has been destroyed in their aftermath. Some of the essential investments into prevention, preparedness, and recovery should include wetlands and peatlands restoration, building at a distance from vegetation, and preserving open space buffers.



The report concludes with a call for stronger international standards for the safety and health of firefighters, including raising awareness of the risks of smoke inhalation, providing access to adequate hydration, nutrition, rest, and recovery, and minimizing the risks of life-threatening entrapments.



The full UNEP report is available for download <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/report/spreading-wildfire-rising-threat-extraordinary-landscape-fires">here</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Wildfires will increase by 50 percent by the end of the century

According to a new report by the UN Environment Programme...

Climate change has increased temperatures across the world, affecting the most ecologically important regions such as the Amazon <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-congo-forest-does-not-behave-like-other-rainforests/">rainforest</a>.&nbsp;



The International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report, highlights increasing concerns for the Amazonian forests. If greenhouse gasses (GHG) and CO2 emissions double by 2050, maximum temperatures in the Amazon will likely exceed 35 degrees Celsius at least 150 days a year by the end of the century.



A recent study published in the journal Nature Communications led by researchers at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> elaborates on how climate change impacts these ecosystems.&nbsp;



The study used measurements from terrestrial scanning LiDAR which allowed researchers to track how different layers of the forest are affected by the changing environmental conditions caused by climate and fragmentation.&nbsp;



Tall trees in Central Amazonia are impacted by maximum temperatures of the understory (the underlying layer of vegetation in a forest or wooded area)&nbsp; above 35 degrees. This is because the canopies of old-growth forests provide shade and buffer high temperatures.&nbsp;



When the temperatures in underlying layers reach 35 degrees, some trees are impacted by water stress, which reduces leaf development. As a result, the tall trees start to shed their leaves and branches. While 35 degrees (95 degrees fahrenheit) may seem like a reasonable climate for the Amazon, only the months of August and September usually reach that level of heat in normal conditions.



“If the number of days registering these very high temperatures inside the forests also increases, we might see that the tall trees will suffer considerably," explained study lead author Matheus Nunes.



The risks to the Amazon rainforest aren't limited to climate change, but are further exacerbated by deforestation. The study also revealed a feedback loop between deforestation and warming temperatures.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Reduced tree cover allows more light to penetrate the forest, leading to hotter temperatures in the understory. The hotter temperatures add further pressure on the tall trees, causing trees to shed their leaves and branches for a prolonged time.&nbsp;



More research is needed to better understand how tropical ecosystems respond to climate change. There remain uncertainties between&nbsp; the timing and causes of seasonal events, such as leaf shedding and burst.&nbsp;



Despite these uncertainties, the study demonstrates the complexity of climate variations on taller trees and highlights the effects of climate and human disturbance on the Amazonian rainforest. If deforestation continues and forests become more fragmented, severe consequences will follow, and we can expect to see a large-scale shift in the way tropical ecosystems breathe.



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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

Tall trees in the Amazon face an uncertain future

Climate change has increased temperatures across the world, affecting the...

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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

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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...

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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

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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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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