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,...

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> has found that toxic chemicals in ocean algae may be causing neurodegeneration in dolphins. The toxic algal blooms contain a neurotoxin called BMAA, which has previously been linked to a protein involved in Alzheimer’s among nonhuman primates. 

Evidence of BMAA has also been found in the brains of deceased Alzheimer’s patients and in those who suffered from another neurodegenerative condition called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

“The findings of protein-bound BMAA in brain tissues from patients with Alzheimer’s disease has advanced the hypothesis that BMAA may be linked to dementia. Since dolphins are apex predators and consume prey containing high amounts of BMAA, we examined necropsy specimens to determine if dietary and environmental exposures may result in the accumulation of BMAA in the brains of dolphins,” wrote the researchers. 

The investigation was focused on 14 <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/captive-dolphins-kept-healthy/">dolphins</a> that washed up in Florida and Massachusetts. Using two analytical methods of liquid chromatography, the experts found significant levels of BMAA in all but one of the dolphins. The animals also showed neurodegenerative changes that resembled those seen in patients with Alzheimer's.

The study revealed that the amount of BMAA found in the dolphins’ brains was 1.4 times greater than levels observed in the brains of human patients with Alzheimer’s and ALS. 

The experts noted that the findings do not confirm that BMAA is the direct cause of neurodegeneration in dolphins, but the research indicates that there is a correlation. 

Study lead author David Davis is a neuropathologist at the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Miller School of Medicine. “Not to be too political, but it goes to show the health of marine animals and water quality,” Davis told the <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/">Miami Herald</a>. “Everything’s directly related.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Toxic algae may be linked to neurodegenerative disease in dolphins

A team of researchers led by the University of Miami...

The bodies of hundreds of people who died while climbing Mt. Everest have been preserved for years and even decades under the ice. But now, as the ice retreats due to global warming, the buried bodies are starting to emerge. 

“Because of global warming, the ice sheet and glaciers are fast melting and the dead bodies that remained buried all these years are now becoming exposed,” said Ang Tshering Sherpa, the former head of Nepal Mountaineering Association.

“We have brought down dead bodies of some mountaineers who died in recent years, but the old ones that remained buried are now coming out.”

Nearly 300 people are estimated to have lost their lives while trekking up the 29,000-foot mountain. In 2014 and 2015, avalanches became the deadliest events in the history of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/2015-quake-mount-everest-shorter/">Mt. Everest</a>, killing dozens of people.

“Hands and legs of dead bodies have appeared at the base camp as well in the last few years,” a non-government official told the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a>. “We have noticed that the ice level at and around the base camp has been going down, and that is why the bodies are becoming exposed.”

On the Chinese side of Mt. Everest, some of the bodies are being removed. Beijing said that clean-up efforts would include the recovery of the bodies located more than 26,246 feet up the mountain. However, some people believe that the bodies should be left where they are buried.

“Most climbers like to be left on the mountains if they died,” Alan Arnette told BBC. “So it would be deemed disrespectful to just remove them unless they need to be moved from the climbing route or their families want them.”

According to the British Mountaineering Council, more than 4,000 people have climbed Mt. Everest. Earlier this year, China announced that the number of climbers allowed to enter the mountain from the north will be cut back by a third.

A 2015 study published in the journal <a href="https://www.the-cryosphere.net/">The Cryosphere</a> revealed that up to 99 percent of glaciers could vanish in the Everest region by the end of this century. The researchers found that, even with a significant drop in CO2 emissions, there will still be a 70 percent reduction in ice on Everest. 

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Melting ice on Mt. Everest is exposing the dead bodies of past climbers

The bodies of hundreds of people who died while climbing...

OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

According to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> and the <a href="https://nsidc.org/">National Snow and Ice Data Center</a>, the Arctic sea ice has reached its wintertime extent after building up over the fall and winter months. And perhaps unsurprisingly, the 2019 Arctic ice extent is tied with 2007’s as the 7th smallest extent of all time.

The 2019 maximum extent peaked at 5.71 million square miles — a measure 332,000 square miles below the 1981 to 2010 average maximum. Scientists note that the missing area of ice is an area a bit larger than the entire state of Texas.

The yearly extent of sea ice in the Arctic is usually measured between late February and early April. The final measurement is taken after the ice has spent the fall and winter months freezing, thickening, and expanding across the Arctic Ocean. This measurement has been dropping steadily over the past 40 years. Although 2019’s maximum sea ice extent isn’t as dismal as the near-record lows that we saw earlier in this decade, it’s not a sure sign that the Arctic is rebuilding.

"While this year wasn't a record low, the maximum extent still points to there being a sustained decline in winter sea ice," said Melinda Webster, a sea ice scientist at <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center</a>. "The temperatures in the Arctic were a bit higher than average and we saw a lot of ice loss in the Bering Sea, but nothing this winter was as extreme or dramatic compared to recent years and the record lows."

In 2018, Ron Kwok, a sea ice researcher with <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>, found that the sea ice pack, the layers of older ice that have held up and remained frozen over the years, is now 70% seasonal ice, the ice that grows during the winter and melts completely in the summer.

"The large changes in ice coverage associated with the loss of the multiyear ice pack have already occurred," Kwok said. "The seasonal ice now represents a larger fraction of the Arctic sea ice cover. Because this young ice is thinner and grows faster in the winter, it is more responsive to weather and makes the sea ice cover respond differently than before. “

“It's not that we won't see new wintertime or summertime record lows in the next years — it's just that the variability is going to be higher,” Kwok concluded.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA/Joe MacGrego

2019’s Arctic sea ice extent is at its the seventh lowest ever

According to NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data...

A recent <a href="https://www.airvisual.com/world-most-polluted-cities?continent=&amp;country=&amp;state=&amp;page=1&amp;perPage=50&amp;cities=">report</a> from <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/">Greenpeace</a> and <a href="https://www.airvisual.com/">IQ Air AirVisual</a> ranked the world’s most polluted cities, and the top 20 most polluted urban centers are all in India, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and China. 

The report is just one among many that highlight Asia’s struggles with heavy, prolonged air pollution and the significant health risks posed to citizens through repeated exposure. 

In many Asian cities, air pollution levels are well above recommended limits and officials are often criticized for not handling the pollution problem seriously or taking any real measures to limit fossil fuel emissions. 

92 percent of people in the Asia Pacific Region are exposed to dangerous levels of air pollution, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization.</a>

Exposure to air pollution poses the biggest health risks to young children and infants, and pollutants decrease health and wellbeing as city residents in smog-ridden neighborhoods attempt to go about their day to day lives. 

From 2017 to 2018, PM 2.5 pollutant levels, which are small enough to enter the bloodstream and aggravate the lungs, stayed mostly the same in India. 

Some of the methods that countries are using to combat the smog include <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/china-south-korea-artificial-rain-pollution/#.XJT9rChKhPY">cloud seeding</a> and deploying helicopters and drones to spray water throughout the city as water sticks to pollutants and can helps draw the contaminants to the ground and out of the air. 

In China, cities are trying outdoor air purifiers and fans to help reduce pollution, but these measures are looked on by some as just a quick fix that won’t do anything to help limit emissions. 

Some residents are even going so far as to buy bottles of canned air. During the winter, when pollution is at its peak, many people escape to tourist destinations like New Zealand and Japan, returning when the pollution and smog has cleared. 

The problem is that not everyone has the luxury of leaving the country when pollution is unbearable, and as infrastructure and economies continue to grow in developing countries, the health risks of air pollution will also increase and cause more early deaths.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Asian countries are scrambling to combat persistent air pollution

A recent report from Greenpeace and IQ Air AirVisual ranked...

March 22nd is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clean-water-goal/#.XJUPcChKhPY">World Water Day</a>. Over two billion people in the world still lack access to safe drinking water, and 4.5 billion don’t have access to proper sanitation, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-07-2017-2-1-billion-people-lack-safe-drinking-water-at-home-more-than-twice-as-many-lack-safe-sanitation">World Health Organization</a>. 

The <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> (UN) is working to achieve it's Sustainable Development Goal 6, the goal of which is to ensure that everyone has access to clean water by 2030. 

Great strides have been made in improving access to clean drinking water and better sanitation management in developing nations. However, these successes have been overshadowed by increasing water shortages and projected water demands. 

Population growth coupled with climate change will have major impacts on water availability in the future. This is where the<a href="https://www.esa.int/"> European Space Union (ESA)</a> and other satellite monitoring programs come into play. 

Less than three percent of all water on Earth is freshwater, and of this, less than one percent is accessible for drinking and agriculture. Most of the world’s freshwater is frozen in glaciers and icecaps. 

With so little accessible freshwater and rising demands, it has never been more crucial to monitor the world’s freshwater sources.

ESA satellites like the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/SMOS">SMOS mission</a> and the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Overview4">Copernicus Sentinel satellites</a> are currently being used to track water availability and changes, bring attention to receding lakes and reservoirs, and even calculate soil moisture. 

Satellite monitoring will play an increasingly important role in conserving and managing our natural resources, especially as climate change and expanding infrastructure threaten to degrade many key coastal, woodland, and freshwater habitats. 

The Copernicus Sentinel-1 and Sentinel-2 satellites, as well as ESA’s CryoSat, are also being used to monitor changes in glaciers which is important for regions like the Himalayas where ice fields provide freshwater to nearly 20 percent of the world's population. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: ESA/Belspo – produced by VITO

Satellite monitoring plays a key role in managing water resources

March 22nd is World Water Day. Over two billion people...

The Himalayan balsam, which was introduced to the UK in 1839, is more frequently reported than some native plants, according to an annual survey of wild plants in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

The <a href="https://www.npms.org.uk/">National Plant Monitoring Scheme</a> is the UK’s biggest wild plant survey and hundreds of volunteers study local wildflower patches across 30 different habitats from woodlands to heathlands starting in March and ending in September.

Conservation charity <a href="https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/about-us/news/is-himalayan-balsam-now-more-common-in-british-woodlands-than-native-wild-flowers">Plantlife</a> is one of the many enterprises that help run the NPMS, and recently the organization raised the alarm after analyzing four years of past NPMS data about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-plants-change-environment/#.XJPyNihKhPY">invasive</a> Himalayan balsam. 

The plant has spread rapidly and is forcing out native wild plants in the process. Part of the reason it’s thriving is because of nitrogen emissions from diesel cars. The balsam absorbs these emissions and grows extremely fast. 

Himalayan balsam is more abundant in surveyed woodlands that bugle, woodruff, and wild garlic and it can grow as tall as ten feet. The plant also catapults its many seeds at distances up to 22 feet away from the parent plant. 

If Himalayan balsams are clustered together, surveys have recorded seed densities of 5,000 to 6,000 seeds per square meter. 

“It’s a very high nitrogen-demanding species, and it’s a great big thuggish thing, and it can flatten vegetation around it,” said Dr. Trevor Dines of Plantlife.

Nitrogen pollution isn’t just driving Himalayan balsam growth, as the NPMS data also showed that nettles, brambles, cleavers, hogweed, and cow parsley account for nearly half of all woodland plant sightings. 

Other favorite wildflowers are having a hard time competing and are declining. 

“These early data show a strong correlation between species frequency and soil fertility and are a stark reminder that more than 95% of the UK’s broadleaved woodlands are affected by excessive nitrogen deposition,” said Dines. “The biodiversity of our woodlands is at stake whilst this ‘invisible pollution’ singles out species unable to cope with excessive nitrogen deposition.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Invasive Himalayan balsam feeds on air pollution, chokes native flowers

The Himalayan balsam, which was introduced to the UK in...

Andrew Wheeler, the head of the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> and former coal lobbyist, spoke to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epa-administrator-andrew-wheeler-exclusive-interview/">CBS News</a> about what he considers to be the most pressing environmental issues that need to be addressed. 

Wheeler told CBS News chief correspondent Major Garrett that first and foremost is the matter of water and ensuring that people have access to safe and clean drinking water. 

“We have 1,000 children die everyday worldwide because they don't have safe drinking water," said Wheeler. “It takes resources, it takes infrastructure and the United States is working on that. But I really would like to see maybe the United Nations, the World Bank focus more on those problems today to try to save those children.” 

Around three in ten people worldwide do not have access to a safe source of drinking water and six out of ten lack proper sanitation, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-07-2017-2-1-billion-people-lack-safe-drinking-water-at-home-more-than-twice-as-many-lack-safe-sanitation">World Health Organization</a>. 

Without safe water or sanitation, the risk of diseases like cholera and diarrhea increase drastically, and in some cases, these diseases can be life-threatening especially for younger people.   

For Wheeler and the Trump administration, clean drinking water “is the biggest environmental threat” currently facing the world right now, but when Garrett pressed the issue of climate change, the EPA head took a decidedly looser stance. 

When Garret asked Wheeler if climate change was human-made, Wheeler responded that we as humans “definitely contribute” to climate change but that in the United States, CO2 emissions are decreasing. 

Wheeler said that “most of the threats from climate change are 50 to 70 years out,” and that 2020 Democratic candidates are unreasonably focusing so much of their platform on the issue. 

While it’s true that the most significant impacts of climate change may not be felt until later in this century, climate scientists agree that the window of opportunity to limit emissions and prevent catastrophic sea level rise, drought, and climate extremes is closing quickly. 

If we wait to address climate change using Wheeler’s frame of thinking, it will be well past the point of no return. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Trump’s EPA head doesn’t consider climate change to be an urgent threat

Andrew Wheeler, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency and...

A federal judge is demanding that the government take climate change into account when opening up public lands for oil and gas leasing. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras has blocked drilling across 500 square miles of federal land in Wyoming after ruling that laws were violated when the land was auctioned off.

Contreras said that when the <a href="https://www.blm.gov/">U.S. Bureau of Land Management</a> (BLM) auctions public lands for oil and gas leasing, officials must consider emissions from the past, present, and the foreseeable future. The judge explained in a written statement that, since greenhouse gas emissions are driving <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nyc-mayor-plans-climate-change/">climate change</a>, policymakers and the public have not been provided with a sufficient understanding of the drilling’s potential impact, which is required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

“Given the national, cumulative nature of climate change, considering each individual drilling project in a vacuum deprives the agency and the public of the context necessary to evaluate oil and gas drilling on federal land,” wrote Contreras.

This week’s ruling is the latest of many recent court decisions which suggest that the government is disregarding gas emissions while approving energy exploration projects on federal land. While previous rulings called out individual sales or leases, the current judgment involves hundreds of projects in Wyoming.

According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, Contreras did not directly void the leases, but instead ordered the BLM to re-examine the extent of harmful greenhouse gas emissions that would be associated with the projects.

Jeremy Nichols is the director of the climate and energy program for <a href="https://wildearthguardians.org/">WildEarth Guardians</a>, one of the environmental advocacy groups that initiated the case.

“This is the Holy Grail ruling we’ve been after, especially with oil and gas,” said Nichols. “It calls into question the legality of oil and gas leasing that’s happening everywhere.”

Nichols told the Washington Post that the decision would force the Trump administration to reveal how its policies are helping to fuel climate change.

“It calls into question the legality of the Trump administration’s entire oil and gas program,” Nichols said on Twitter. “This forces them to pull their head out of the sand and look at the bigger picture.”

A recent report from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">USGS</a> revealed that 1.4 billion tons of CO2 emissions are generated by the extraction and burning of fossil fuels from federal land each year, which equals almost one quarter of the country's total annual CO2 emissions.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Federal judge halts new drilling until climate change is considered

A federal judge is demanding that the government take climate...

An ecosystem is like a game of Jenga, where the more pieces you change or take out, the less stable and sustainable it becomes. The far-reaching impacts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/invasive-species-plants-animals/">nonnative lake trout</a> in Yellowstone Lake is the perfect example of how one species can upset an entire ecosystem. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a>, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/index.htm">National Park Services</a> and <a href="http://www.montana.edu/">Montana State University</a> analyzed more than four decades of data on species abundance, diet, and behavior collected from around Yellowstone Lake from 1972 to 2017. 

The data showed troubling declines in native cutthroat trout populations directly linked to the illegal introduction of invasive lake trout in the 1980s. From zooplankton to bald eagles, many of the species native to the area have been impacted by the lake trout. 

The new research was published in the journal Science Advances. 

“Our study illustrates the potential impact of a single, invasive predatory species on otherwise pristine ecosystems," the researchers wrote, providing further support for Yellowstone National Park's efforts to suppress the lake trout population in Yellowstone Lake.

Lake trout prey on cutthroat trout and declines in cutthroat trout populations has caused an increase in zooplankton in the lake. Osprey populations have sharply declined due to the lack of cutthroat trout, which are an essential food source for both osprey and bald eagles.

Bald eagles have changed their diet somewhat to compensate for the loss of cutthroat trout, but there are still fewer eagles now compared to before the lake trout were introduced. 

Otters have also had to adapt and make changes to their diets and river otter populations appear to be lower than ever before. 

Black bears and grizzly bears have also lost an important food source due to cutthroat trout declines, but luckily, bear populations in the area have remained stable. 

“Grizzly and black bear frequency of occurrence on spawning tributaries and use of cutthroat trout as a food resource were greatly reduced following the lake trout invasion,” the researchers wrote. “However, this was localized displacement, and their populations were not otherwise affected, because only bears with home ranges neighboring Yellowstone Lake lost spawning cutthroat trout as a food resource. Since bears are omnivore generalists, they could make use of other foods.”

The team also considered other environmental factors that might explain the rippling effects of cutthroat trout declines, such as a major wildfire that tore through Yellowstone in 1988 or the reintroduction of wolves in 1995. 

However, neither of these could have caused the same dramatic, long-reaching impacts that Yellowstone Lake is currently experiencing. 

Gill-netting lake trout is helping cutthroat trout slowly recover, according to the researchers, which is hopeful news for the many species that depend on lake trout for food. 

“After being absent for many years, spawning adult cutthroat trout are returning to some of the smaller tributaries, and bear use of these streams has increased as a result,” the researchers wrote. “Ospreys, however, have not yet responded to the recent increases in cutthroat trout prey. The outcome of restoration efforts to trophic levels with and across ecosystems in the Yellowstone Lake watershed remains uncertain.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Invasive lake trout are impacting an entire Yellowstone lake ecosystem

An ecosystem is like a game of Jenga, where the...

The <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association</a> (NOAA) has announced that the first two months of 2019 are the latest in a steady global warming trend that has lasted for 410 consecutive months. The two-month period of January and February was the fourth warmest that it has been since record-keeping began 140 years ago. 

In a recent monthly report, NOAA revealed that the global average land and ocean surface temperature in February reached 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 1.42 degrees above the 20th century average. There were some areas in the Northern Hemisphere, however, that were not feeling the heat.

“The most notable cool temperature departures from average were present across parts of the Northern Hemisphere, specifically across Canada and the contiguous U.S. as well as parts of central Asia, where temperatures were 5.4°F below average or cooler,” NOAA stated. 

“Meanwhile, much of Alaska, Europe, central Russia and the Far East had temperatures that were 7.2°F above average or higher. Additional areas with record warm February temperatures include parts of Alaska, Central America, the Barents Sea, the Southern Ocean off Australia's southeastern coast, the Indian Ocean, the East China Sea as well as parts of northeastern Brazil.”

Global <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/2018-hottest-ocean-temperatures/">ocean temperatures</a> reached their second highest temperature on record in February at 60.6°F. As a result of warming on both land and at sea, NOAA said there is a persistent decline in the amount of sea ice.

The impacts of rising temperatures can be seen the most clearly in the Arctic. According to a recent report from the U.N., even if global warming was successfully limited to the target set by the Paris Agreement, temperatures in the Arctic will still rise an additional three to five degrees Celsius by the year 2050. This will result in sea-level rise that could affect as many as four million people across the globe.

“What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic,” said Joyce Msuya, UN Environment’s Acting Executive Director. “We have the science; now more urgent climate action is needed to steer away from tipping points that could be even worse for our planet than we first thought.”
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

A global warming trend has now lasted 410 straight months

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has announced that...

Ocean currents play an important role in regulating water temperature and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-currents-rainfall/">climate</a>. In the Atlantic Ocean, water from the tropics is carried into the North Atlantic as if it is riding on a massive conveyor belt, and the warmer water sinks to the deep ocean as it makes its way south again. 

This circulation of water in and out of the deep ocean impacts weather patterns in the Arctic and Europe. But unfortunately, the conveyor belt seems to be slowing down, which could have major consequences including causing more severe hurricanes. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>, in collaboration with the <a href="https://www.norceresearch.no/en/">Norwegian Research Centre</a>, conducted a study examining how past changes in ocean current patterns in the Atlantic impacted or preceded major climate shifts. 

The research shows that between ocean current changes and noticeable temperature shifts in the past there was a lag, and the researchers were able to accurately calculate the length of these lags which could improve ocean current and climate modeling in the future.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. 

To determine past changes in the Atlantic’s conveyor belt system, the researchers focused on a section of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) where water from the tropics sinks to the bottom. 

The team analyzed data from sediment cores taken from the Norwegian Sea and a lake in Southern Scandinavia as well as ice cores from Greenland.

[caption id="attachment_1870035" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/atlantic.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1870035" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/atlantic.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="631" /></a> Diagram of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, Image Credit: Muschitiello et al., Nature Communications, 2019[/caption]

Using both lake sediments and marine sediments was key because it allowed the researchers to accurately calculate how long it took for water from the surface to make its way to the bottom by dating carbon 14 in the lake sediments first and comparing these to marine sediment cores. 

The ice cores from Greenland helped link climate changes in the area to the changes in circulation patterns identified in the sediment cores. 

The researchers discovered a pattern where the weakening of the AMOC preceded climate shifts by about 400 years. For instance, the sediment cores showed that the AMOC weakened around 400 years before a major cold snap called the Younger Dryas, which occurred approximately 13,000 years ago. 

At the end of the cold snap, the researchers found that changes in the AMOC again preceded a major warming period by about 400 years. 

“Our reconstructions indicate that there are clear climate precursors provided by the ocean state — like warning signs, so to speak,” said Francesco Muschitiello, the lead author of the study. 

Why these 400 year-long lags preceded climate changes is still unclear, and the researchers are not sure how current changes will impact future climate, but given past trends, these patterns should not be ignored. 

“It is clear that there are some precursors in the ocean, so we should be watching the ocean,” said Muschitiello. “The mere fact that AMOC has been slowing down, that should be a concern based on what we have found.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

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Atlantic Ocean’s circulation ‘conveyor belt’ is slowing down

Ocean currents play an important role in regulating water temperature...

Forests provide almost innumerable benefits for our species – as well as many others that inhabit this planet. From producing oxygen to providing shelter, it’s hard to imagine how we would ever have survived without our arboreal pals. Forests are also known to reflect less sunlight and have higher evapotranspiration than open vegetation, which is why <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/amazon-new-deforestation-threats/">deforestation</a> could lead to even higher temperatures.

A recent study published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> details a new model that quantifies how forest change affects local surface temperatures by changing sunlight-reflection and evapotranspiration properties. The study uses this model to predict that Brazilian deforestation could result in a 1.45°C increase by 2050.

By using a global dataset from 2000-2010 to quantify the impacts of forest change on local temperatures, researchers from <a href="http://www.uerj.br/">Rio de Janeiro State University</a> in Brazil built a model to detail the relationship between forest cover, evapotranspiration rates, sunlight-reflection, and land-surface temperatures for tropical, temperate, and boreal regions. They found that deforestation and forestation have opposite effects of similar significance on local temperature. 

However, the type of effect and the magnitude of the temperature change depended on latitude. In both tropical and temperate regions, deforestation led to warming, while forestation had cooling effects. In the boreal regions, deforestation was followed by slight cooling. The model showed that the magnitude of forest change effects was greatest in tropical regions.

[caption id="attachment_1870029" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/deforestation.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1870029" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/deforestation.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="493" /></a> Image Credit: Prevedello et al, 2019[/caption]

This model was used by the study’s authors to predict local temperature change in Brazil between 2010 and 2050, assuming the current rate of illegal deforestation is maintained. The results showed an annual land surface temperature rise of up to 1.45°C in some regions. 

Given the amount of deforestation occurring in these areas, this finding is certainly a cause for concern. However, the authors point out that “forestation has the potential to reverse deforestation impacts on local climate, especially in tropical and temperate regions.” 

Clearly, there is a way to reverse the negative effects of deforestation, as long as we act quickly.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Deforestation in Brazil could increase local temperatures

Forests provide almost innumerable benefits for our species – as...

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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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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features northwest Lesotho in South Africa.



According to ESA, Lesotho is the only nation in the world that lies completely above 1,000 m in elevation. The country is famous for its tall mountains and narrow valleys, and is known as Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky."



Out of a population of around two million people, about 80 percent live in rural areas. More than 75 percent of these people are engaged in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agriculture</a>, including rainfed cereal production and animal grazing.&nbsp;



ESA reports that the country’s agricultural system faces a growing number of issues, with climate-related vulnerabilities such as drought, floods and extreme temperatures occurring more frequently. 



Diamonds are amongst the minerals found in the mountains. Indeed, Lesotho can truly be called the Kingdom in the Sky. Beautiful, culturally rich, safe, affordable, and easily accessible from Durban and Johannesburg, mountainous Lesotho is a vastly underrated travel destination. the Kingdom of Lesotho (Sotho: 'Muso oa Lesotho) is an enclaved country in southern Africa. It is just over 30,000 km2 (11,583 sq mi) in size and has a population of around 2 million.



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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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

[sendtonews key="yPSXGZek1I-2312529-12187" 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>&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

[sendtonews key="u0TYxxqfF7-2186404-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA’s...