In an era characterized by rapid technological development and growing environmental concerns, photosynthesis stands as a remarkable example of nature's enduring efficiency and sustainability.



This fundamental process, which has powered life on Earth for billions of years, exemplifies a balance that modern science strives to emulate.



Consequently, the need for innovative and sustainable solutions has become more pressing than ever, driven by the urgency to combat climate change and reduce our reliance on finite resources. 



One potential answer lies in harnessing and replicating the natural processes that sustain ecosystems.



Mimicking photosynthesis may hold the key to transforming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-hydrogen-energy-production-just-got-a-lot-easier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">energy production</a>, creating renewable pathways, and promoting a cleaner, more resilient future for generations to come.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-artificial-photosynthesis-and-clean-energy">Artificial photosynthesis and clean energy</h2>



In a decisive step towards the future, a team of brilliant minds from the <a href="https://www.jaist.ac.jp/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology</a> (JAIST) and the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Tokyo</a> have taken a leaf out of nature's book. 



They have created an inventive new hydrogel that could drastically improve clean energy production by harnessing the power of natural processes.



This bioinspired hydrogel is capable of producing hydrogen and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dark-oxygen-discovery-deep-ocean-no-photosynthesis-baffles-scientists/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oxygen</a> through a process that closely mirrors photosynthesis, offering a unique method for energy generation. 



Sunlight, instead of electricity, is used to split water molecules, leading to the generation of hydrogen - a clean, renewable, and efficient source of energy that holds great potential for future energy systems.



This is a remarkable breakthrough, as explained by Professor Kosuke Okeyoshi, who led the research team. He emphasized the significance of this achievement in advancing renewable technologies.



"Hydrogen is a fantastic energy source because it is clean and renewable. Our hydrogels offer a way to produce hydrogen using sunlight, which could help sustainably reshape energy technologies," said Professor Okeyoshi.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-science-behind-the-sun-soaked-gel">Science behind the sun-soaked gel</h2>



The hydrogels were developed by Professor Okeyoshi, his doctoral student Reina Hagiwara at JAIST, and Professor Ryo Yoshida at the University of Tokyo. They function based on their meticulously planned polymer networks.



These networks govern the vital electron transfer required for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/removing-carbon-dioxide-from-seawater/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water-splitting</a>. Packed with functional molecules, like ruthenium complexes and platinum nanoparticles, the hydrogels replicate photosynthesis. 



"The biggest challenge was figuring out how to arrange these molecules so they could transfer electrons smoothly," noted Professor Okeyoshi. "By using a polymer network, we were able to prevent them from clumping together, which is a common issue in synthetic photosynthesis systems."



“What’s unique here is how the molecules are organized within the hydrogel," said Hagiwara. "By creating a structured environment, we’ve made the energy conversion process much more efficient.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bright-prospects-for-clean-energy">Bright prospects for clean energy</h2>



This innovative hydrogel tackles one of the key limitations of previous artificial photosynthesis systems - molecule aggregation. 



By averting this, the researchers were able to enhance the activity of the water-splitting process and produce more hydrogen than older methods.



This discovery has significant implications for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bronze-age-technology-is-a-modern-solution-for-clean-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clean energy</a>. The dawn of a future where renewable hydrogen could drive industries, transport, and energy storage systems is closer than ever.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-future-of-artificial-photosynthesis">The future of artificial photosynthesis</h2>



Nevertheless, there are still hurdles to overcome. “We have shown the potential, but now we need to refine the technology for industrial use. The possibilities are exciting, and we’re eager to continue pushing forward," said Professor Okeyoshi.



Going forward, the team aims to accomplish precise integration within the hydrogels to further increase their energy conversion efficiency. 



Their continued efforts will be pivotal in bringing this innovative technology closer to practical, sustainable energy solutions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scaling-up-and-potential-applications">Scaling up and potential applications</h2>



While this breakthrough marks an exciting step forward, the path to practical implementation still poses challenges. 



Transitioning this <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-hydrogel-can-extract-unlimited-amounts-of-water-from-the-air-even-in-deserts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hydrogel</a> technology from research to real-world applications will require further innovation and testing. 



Ensuring that the hydrogels can be produced at a larger scale and integrated into existing energy systems is key to unlocking their potential.



The promise of sunlight-driven hydrogen production could extend to various industries - powering vehicles, supporting energy storage, and fueling large-scale facilities.



If successfully adopted, this technology could significantly contribute to reducing dependence on fossil fuels and advancing global sustainability efforts.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2024/cc/d4cc04033c" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chemical Communications</a>.



Image Credit: Kosuke Okeyoshi from JAIST



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Artificial photosynthesis could transform power generation

In an era characterized by rapid technological development and growing environmental concerns, photosynthesis stands as a remarkable example of nature's enduring efficiency and sustainability. This fundamental process, which has powered life on Earth for billions of years, exemplifies a balance that modern science strives to emulate. Consequently, the need for innovative and sustainable solutions has become more pressing than ever, driven by the urgency to combat climate change and reduce our reliance on finite resources. One potential answer lies in harnessing and replicating the natural processes that...

As climate change triggers more frequent extreme weather events, some animal species are struggling to adapt, scientists claim.

"The growing frequency and intensity of extreme weather events such as cyclones, droughts and floods is causing unpredictable and immediate changes to ecosystems and obstructing existing management efforts," said Dr. Sean Maxwell of the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a>, who recently led a analysis of more than 70 years of research into how various species respond to such events.

As an example, he pointed to Austalia’s spectacled flying foxes, a species of megabat. During a heat wave that swept over Queensland in November, up to a third of the bats were killed, Maxwell said. 

That event shows the importance of research into how animals deal – or don’t – with extreme weather events, he said.

It’s not the only one, either.

"Some of the negative responses we found were quite concerning, including more than 100 cases of dramatic population declines and 31 cases of local population extinction following an extreme event,” he said. "Populations of critically endangered bird species in Hawaii, such as the palia, have been annihilated due to drought, and populations of lizard species have been wiped out due to cyclones in the Bahamas."

Cyclones top the list of most dangerous extreme weather events for animal species and plants, the researchers found. Birds, fish and reptiles struggled to survive the massive storms. 

For mammals and amphibians, though, heat waves and droughts are the most dangerous events. Drought was linked to 12 separate major declines of mammal populations, the researchers found, along with 13 cases of breeding declines among birds. 

Dr. James Watson, head of the university’s <a href="https://cbcs.centre.uq.edu.au/">Centre for Biodiversity and Conservation Science</a>, said the research by Maxwell’s team can help inform plans to protect species moving forward.

"The research clearly shows species will respond, often negatively, to extreme events," Watson said. "As climate change continues to ensure extreme climate and weather events are more and more common, we now need to act to ensure species have the best chance to survive.”

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ddi.12878">Diversity and Distributions</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Extreme weather events put wildlife, plants in danger

As climate change triggers more frequent extreme weather events, some...

If you’re looking for the “Greatest Snow on Earth,” Utah’s Wasatch Mountains have laid claim to that title. 

For now.

Dust deposits could soon threaten the famed destination of skiers and snowboarders, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a>. The problem is one of snowmelt. 

Rising dust levels have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dust-exposure-human-health/">caused issues throughout the U.S.</a> In Utah, as dark dust gathers on the surface of the snow on the Wasatch Mountains, it absorbs more heat from the sun, causing the snow to melt more quickly. 

 Researchers at a site in the Wasatch Mountains measured dust in the air and on the snow, using the data create a simulation to find where it was coming from. That computer model was able to pinpoint several “hot spots” in the Great Salt Lakes. 

"What's important about the Great Salt Lake is that there are no water rights, no policy to maintain lake levels. As the lake declines, dust events are projected to become more frequent," said Dr. McKenzie Skiles, the study’s lead author. "Anything that impacts snowmelt could have economic and hydrologic consequences. And now one of the dust source regions is right next door.”

Continued human activity that lowers the water levels in the Great Salt Lake are likely to contribute to the problem.

And that could hamstring the Wasatch Mountains’ claim to fame. A single dust storm on April 13, 2017 – measured and analyzed by the researchers – deposited half of the season’s dust in one go at the research site. The snow there melted a week earlier than normal.

Skiles and her team calculated how both snow coated with dust and clean snow absorbed energy. The found that dusty snow melted 25 percent faster than clean snow. 

If people don’t begin making an effort to curb their water use – and the resulting dust creation – then the Wasatch Mountains may see their title as the “Greatest Snow on Earth” melt away.

"In most people's minds, dust is a natural aerosol. But the magnitude and frequency of airborne dust is impacted by human activity, altering landscapes makes dust more likely to get picked up by wind," Skiles said. "We know that since settlement of the West, the amount of dust in the air has increased. And at the same time, due to upstream water withdrawals, lake levels are also declining, exposing even more dust."

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/erl">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Dust from Great Salt Lake threatens Wasatch Mountains

If you’re looking for the “Greatest Snow on Earth,” Utah’s...

A research team led by the <a href="https://www.nioz.nl/en">Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research</a> (NIOZ) has discovered large dust particles from the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sahara-desert-getting-bigger/">Sahara Desert</a> over 2,000 miles away in the Caribbean. The particles were almost 50 times bigger than what scientists thought could be carried over long distances by the wind. 

According to the researchers, the unexpected finding indicates that global climate models need to be reevaluated. Study co-author Giles Harrison is a professor of Atmospheric Physics at the University of Reading.

“These dust particles are whipped up from the Sahara Desert and carried between continents, and most people know them best when they end up settling on our cars or cause the kind of eerie orange skies we saw a year ago,” said Professor Harrison.

Dust particles are carried west from the Sahara over the Atlantic Ocean, which is where the researchers collected dust in floating buoys and underwater sediment traps between 2013 and 2016.

The particles in the Saharan dust cloud were thought to range in size from 0.01-0.02mm in diameter. However, the team found particles measuring 0.45mm in dust samples collected in the Caribbean.

The scientists are now speculating that the role of large dust particles, particularly quartz, has been underestimated in both cloud formation and the carbon cycle in the oceans. Particles were not thought to persist in the atmosphere, so they have been mostly unaccounted for in climate models. 

“However, existing ideas do not allow for such massive particles travelling in the atmosphere for such vast distances, suggesting that there is some as-yet-unknown atmospheric process or combination of processes keeping them airborne,” explained Professor Harrison.

“Charging of the particles and associated electric forces is one avenue being explored. This evidence of dust and ash being carried so far is significant because these particles influence radiation transfer around the Earth and carbon cycles in the oceans.” 

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Saharan dust particles discovered 2,000 miles away in the Caribbean

A research team led by the Royal Netherlands Institute for...

Every year, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-housing-demand/">global fires</a> release two billion tons of carbon into the atmosphere, along with other pollutants including ozone (O3) and aerosols such as fine particulate matter (PM2.5). A new investigation into the ecological consequences of fire air pollution has revealed that fires also have an impact on the photosynthesis of unburned forests, altering the land carbon budget. 

Rising levels of ozone and aerosols have the opposite influence on plant health. While ozone is phytotoxic and reduces plant photosynthesis, aerosols can promote photosynthesis by enhancing diffuse radiation. The research team set out to estimate the net impacts of these pollutants on gross primary productivity (GPP), which represents the total photosynthesis of forests.

The experts combined three state-of-the-art models and a full set of observations from ground sites, satellites, and literature. The study revealed that the net impact of fire air pollution is dominated by ozone, leaving an overall reduction of 0.6 percent in annual production.

On a regional scale, fire air pollution causes even more damage to forest productivity. For example, the 2006 large fire in Indonesia reduced the local GPP by 3.6 percent. 

In regions where there is already a high level of ozone from human activities, such as in eastern China or the United States, it only takes a small fire to have a substantial effect. Across these areas, just a minor increase in ozone can cause a notable decline in GPP.

“Such negative impacts may exacerbate in the future as fire activities are expected to escalate in a warming climate,” said study first author Xu Yue, who is a professor at the <a href="http://english.iap.cas.cn/">Institute of Atmospheric Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>. 

The research introduces a missing pathway of fire impacts on the global carbon cycle. The decline in ecosystem productivity not only occurs in the vicinity of the fire, but also in regions located downwind of the fire. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ozone pollution from fires negatively impacts forest productivity

Every year, global fires release two billion tons of carbon...

During droughts, states that use hydropower often have to turn to fossil fuel generated power as water resources run low. 

This in turn causes an increase in harmful emissions, according to researchers from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> who found that ten percent of yearly CO2 emissions were due to drought in four states including California and Washington between 2001 and 2015. 

The researchers detailed their findings in a new study published in the journal Environmental Research Letters. 

Along with CO2 emissions, the researchers also found that sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions increase during droughts because of the use of fossil fuels to compensate for lost hydropower. 

Utah, Washington, and Wyoming have experienced some of the largest increases in sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxide emissions during droughts.

“Water is used in electricity generation, both directly for hydropower and indirectly for cooling in thermoelectric power plants,” said Noah Diffenbaugh, the senior author of the study. “We find that in a number of western states where hydropower plays a key role in the clean energy portfolio, droughts cause an increase in emissions as natural gas or coal-fired power plants are brought online to pick up the slack when water for hydropower comes up short.”

One of the major challenges of reducing emissions and going carbon free is ensuring that renewable energy sources can meet demand.

For example, a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-happens-to-wind-power-when-theres-no-wind/">rare wind drought</a> early this summer caused wind farms in the UK to generate less than two percent of the country’s power as the lack of wind brought turbines to a standstill. 

Similarly with hydropower, when water resources run low during a drought, the power grid has to turn to alternative power generating methods to ensure that electricity demands are met. 

“To have reliable and clean electricity, you have to make sure you have an energy portfolio that's diverse, such that low-emissions electricity sources are able to kick in during a drought when hydropower cannot fully operate,” said Julio Herrera-Estrada, the lead author of the new study. Herrera-Estrada along with a team of researchers analyzed statistics from the<a href="https://www.eia.gov/"> U.S. Energy Information Administration</a> and the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
</a>

The results of their analysis showed that drought-induced energy shifts resulted in 100 million extra tons of carbon dioxide emitted across eleven states in the Western US from 2001 to 2015, the equivalent of putting 1.4 million more vehicles on the road every year. 

“For decades, people have been looking at the impacts of droughts on food security and agriculture,” said Herrera-Estrada. “We're less aware of exactly how droughts impact the energy sector and pollutant emissions in a quantitative and systematic way.”

While the increase in emissions is problematic enough, severe droughts are only expected to become more common which will put more pressure on renewables and fossil fuels.  

States like California have put in place mandates to be carbon-free by 2045. The increase in droughts will make meeting these targets difficult if the study’s trends continue. 

“For California, Oregon and Washington, which generate a lot of hydropower, the drought-induced increases in carbon dioxide emissions represent substantial fractions of their Clean Power Plan targets,” said Herrera-Estrada. 

The researchers say that understanding how droughts impact fossil fuel emissions and renewable energy is important because other countries may face similar problems. 

“Other parts of the world depend on hydropower even more than the western U.S.,” said Diffenbaugh. “Our results suggest that hydro-dependent regions may need to consider not only primary generation but also backup generation in order to meet emissions reduction targets, such as those in the UN Paris Agreement.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Paul Hames/California Department of Water Resources

Fossil fuel emissions increase during droughts as hydropower dries up

During droughts, states that use hydropower often have to turn...

A new report put out by the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> reveals that 59% of Europe’s network of marine protected areas (MPAs) are fished more than unprotected areas, therefore hurting the population of sensitive species within these MPAs. Currently, European MPAs only account for 29% of territorial waters.

These shocking findings prove there is a lack of MPA standards within the European Union, and therefore broader conservation goals are undermined. 

Obviously, simply designating certain marine areas as MPAs without any action or supervision is not enough to keep endangered species protected. In fact, as it stands, the E.U. does little to prevent commercial fishing activities within several MPAs.

Manuel Dureuil, from <a href="http://wormlab.biology.dal.ca/project/spatial-ecology-of-north-atlantic-shark-populations/">Worm at Dalhousie University</a> in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and colleagues, analyzed commercial fishing effects on biodiversity within 727 European MPAs, honing in specifically on the biodiversity of cartilaginous fishes like sharks and rays. 

The team found that trawling, the most common and most damaging commercial fishing practice in Europe, was 38% higher in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-beach-erosion-threatens-protected-marine-areas/">MPAs</a> than in unprotected areas.

Furthermore, Dureuil and his colleagues found that endangered and critically endangered species, including sharks and rays, were five times more abundant outside of MPAs than within them, suggesting that commercial fishing has driven species out of the MPAs.

These findings show that the E.U. must instate more guidelines, regulations, and supervision when designating MPAs in order for them to be effective. 

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some marine protected areas are fished more than unprotected areas

A new report put out by the American Association for...

A new study led by the <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> (WHOI) has revealed why some regions along the eastern coast of the United States have experienced <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/strategies-sea-level-rise-flooding/">sea level rise</a> at a faster rate than others. 

During the 20th century, the sea level rose by about a foot and a half near Cape Hatteras in North Carolina and along the Chesapeake Bay in Virginia. During the same time period, New York City and Miami experienced about a foot of sea level rise, and sea levels outside of Maine rose by only about half a foot.

Study lead author Chris Piecuch said that the fluctuating rates of sea level rise can be explained by a phenomenon called “post-glacial rebound.” 

When massive ice sheets covered the land during the last Ice Age, some regions of Canada and the northeastern United States were weighted down. In other regions along the mid-Atlantic coast, the land rose up. But then, as the ice sheets melted over 26,000 years ago, land that was weighted down began to rise up and vice versa in a type of seesaw effect that still continues today. 

To investigate why sea levels rose faster along the Outer Banks and near Virginia, the team collected tidal gauge measurements of sea levels, GPS satellite data that show how much the land has moved up and down over time, and fossils in sediment from salt marshes. To get a better look at sea levels changes starting in 1900, they combined this data with complex geophysical models.

The researchers determined that most of the variation in sea level rise along the East Coast was caused by post-glacial rebound. When this environmental factor was stripped away, the study authors found that “sea level trends increased steadily from Maine all the way down to Florida.”

“The cause for that could involve more recent melting of glaciers and ice sheets, groundwater extraction and damming over the last century,” said Piecuch. “Those effects move ice and water mass around at Earth's surface, and can impact the planet's crust, gravity field and sea level.”

“Post-glacial rebound is definitely the most important process causing spatial differences in sea level rise on the U.S. East Coast over the last century. And since that process plays out over millennia, we're confident projecting its influence centuries into the future. But regarding the mass redistribution piece of the puzzle, we're less certain how that's going to evolve into the future, which makes it much more difficult to predict sea level rise and its impact on coastal communities.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

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>

Why sea level is rising faster on some parts of the US east coast

A new study led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a> have found that artificial light is not just causing issues for humans at night, but is also having an impact on animals. This is particularly true for animals that live in and around streams and wetlands that are exposed to streetlights and other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-sleep-problems/">light sources</a> after the sun goes down. 

Study lead author Maleika Sullivan is the director of Ohio State's Schiermeier Olentangy River Wetland Research Park and an associate professor of Environment and Natural Resources.

“This is among the first studies to show that light at night has detrimental effects not just on individual organisms in the environment, but also on communities and ecosystems,” said Professor Sullivan. “Nighttime light is having profound impacts that extend to the entire ecosystem.”

Artificial light is essentially a type of pollution that changes the natural course of life for people, animals, and plants.

“We are experiencing this pollution that we don't think about, but it's all around us and it's chronic and it's happening everywhere - from newly lit villages in rural Africa to streams alongside the highway in Columbus, Ohio,” said Professor Sullivan. “It's also unprecedented in Earth's history.”

The investigation was focused on the effects of light pollution on streams and wetlands in and around Columbus. The researchers collected a variety of ubiquitous water-dwelling and land-dwelling invertebrate species, including mayflies, water bugs, ants and spiders from the various sites. 

The analysis revealed that species composition changed with increases in light intensity. The experts also found that the food chain length of the invertebrate communities shortened with more light.

“Decreases in food chain length are a pretty big deal, as it reflects not just changes in the architecture of an ecosystem - the numbers of various species - but also shifts in ecosystem stability and nutrient flows,” said Professor Sullivan. “Artificial light decreased food chain length in this study, which means the ecosystem is less complex.”

The researchers noted detrimental changes in how the nutrients cycled between aquatic and nearby ecosystems. In particular, invertebrates exposed to moderate light levels  became less reliant on food sources that originate in the water.

Previous studies have clearly demonstrated that individual species are impacted by artificial light.

“The classic example is hatchling sea turtles that became disoriented and instead of going toward the moonlit ocean at night, they were headed inland, toward coastal lighting,” said Professor Sullivan. “In that case, light-management tactics have helped address the problem.”

Until now, however, scientists have not fully explored the broader implications such as how light might affect species interactions, communities, and important ecosystem functions.

“One of the neatest parts about this research is that we scaled up and said, ‘What does it mean for the entire community and ecosystem?’” said Professor Sullivan.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19395582">Ecological Applications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The negative impacts of light pollution on streams and wetlands

Researchers at The Ohio State University have found that artificial...

As global warming continues to lengthen growing seasons, there are two possible scenarios for coniferous forests. First, additional tree cover could develop as a result of extended mild temperatures and help remove <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/extreme-weather-co2-emissions/">carbon dioxide emissions</a> from the atmosphere at a faster rate. On the other hand, the rate of growth could decrease as a result of less moisture or heat stress, and carbon absorption would decline. 

A large number of studies on the issue has produced contradictory results, and a team of experts at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> set out to investigate. Study lead author David Barnard is a researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey.

“Nobody can say for certain what a growing season 'is,' due to all the variation in how forest behave and how the start and end of the growing season is characterized,” said Barnard. “Even in winter, forests in warmer areas can still be growing. There's less of a distinct on/off switch.”

The research team examined data from eleven western sites in the AmeriFlux and Long-Term Ecological Research networks, a set of monitoring stations supported by the Department of Energy and National Science Foundation.

By applying different methods for characterizing growing season length to past studies, the researchers found that many previous datasets could be made to produce results that predicted both forest growth and forest decline. 

“This work shows how the result of any given study may be subject to methodological bias, especially in colder, more northerly ecosystems where climate is changing the fastest,” said Barnard. 

He added that it could still be years before there is a conclusive answer for whether a longer growing season is good, bad, or somewhere in-between for forests.

“Every forest behaves differently,” said Barnard. “There is still a good bit of uncertainty about what increasing growing seasons will do for forest growth, but we do know that they are crucial to understanding the global carbon cycle.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

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>

Longer growing seasons spell uncertainty for coniferous forests

As global warming continues to lengthen growing seasons, there are...

Around one million years ago, during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drop-co2-levels-ancient/">Mid-Pleistocene Transition</a> (MPT), the planet underwent a major climate shift, and temperatures dropped. Cycles of extreme cold were the norm during the MPT, but researchers have long looked for answers as to what caused the global cooling. 

Over the past 600,000 years, the Earth has been teetering between warm and cool periods. Often these periods are due to the Earth’s orbital position in relation to the Sun and the tilt of the Earth’s axis, but during the MPT there were no known changes in the Earth’s orbit around the sun which just further adds to the mystery behind the cause.

Now, researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have uncovered a key piece of the MPT puzzle in a new study. 

The results of the study, published in the journal Nature Communication, show that the freezing over of the Bering Strait during the MPT and the stratification of the North Pacific likely drove down temperatures.

“The subarctic North Pacific is composed of some of the oldest water on Earth, which has been separated from the atmosphere for such a long time that a high concentration of dissolved CO2 has built up at depth,” said Sev Kender, a co-author of the study. “When this water upwells to the surface, some of the CO2 is released. This is thought to be an important process in geological time, causing some of the global warming that followed past glaciations.” 

When the Bering Strait closed due to glaciation, it disrupted this natural upwelling of CO2, and instead, the oceans absorbed more CO2 from the atmosphere which perpetuated global cooling. 

“We discovered that the Bering Sea region became more stratified during the MPT with an expanded intermediate-depth watermass, such that one of the important contributors to global warming - the upwelling of the subarctic North Pacific - was effectively curtailed,” said Kender. 

The researchers collected sediment cores from deep below the Bering Sea and analyzed the chemical composition of the sediments and fossils within the samples. 

The researchers were then able to reconstruct water masses and plankton productivity during the MPT period of glaciation and found that many the changes in global climate happening at that time were related to changes happening in the Bering Strait, including the stratification of the Subarctic North Pacific. 

“As glaciers grew and sea levels fell around 1 million years ago, the Bering Strait would have closed, retaining colder water within the Bering Sea,” said Kender. “This expanded watermass appears to have stifled the upwelling of deep CO2-rich water and allowed the ocean to sequester more CO2 out of the atmosphere.”

--

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>

Bering Sea sediments hold clues to what caused past climate shift

Around one million years ago, during the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT),...

To match feature ANTARCTICA-BUGS/

Researchers have discovered that a non-native species of midge is a major threat to terrestrial ecosystems in Antarctica. The flightless midge, Eretmoptera murphyi, is thought to have arrived on Antarctica's Signy Island in the 1960s, when plants were brought in from South Georgia. Since that time, the insect has become so well-established that it outnumbers all native arthropods by two to three times at sites where it is found.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a> and the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a> are investigating how the midge is able to survive in extreme polar conditions and the impact it may have on the region. 

The preliminary results of the study suggest that this single “decomposer” species is responsible for releasing as much nitrogen as is released by seals. On Signy Island, this nitrogen release is three to four times greater compared to areas where the midge is not found.

The insect has no competition for feeding on dead organic matter, and is able to release large volumes of nutrients into the soil. This activity affects the structure of the soil and peat decomposition, impacting all levels of biodiversity.

“It is basically doing the job of an earthworm, but in an ecosystem that has never had earthworms,” said study co-author Jesamine Bartlett.

The team collected information on the abundance of E. murphyi and on other invertebrates and microbes. They also obtained data on environmental variables such as water content, organic carbon, soil nitrogen content, and substrate composition to be compared to locations on the island where the midge did not occur.


The experts noted that the midge was usually found where more soil and shallower moss banks were present, suggesting that the midge is eating its way through the peat in the moss banks and turning it into soil.

“This is concerning as Signy Island hosts some of the best examples of moss banks in the Antarctic region,” said Bartlett. “It is also home to Antarctica's only two flowering plant species, the hair grass and pearlwort.”


Rapid warming and human activities are increasing the threat of invasive species being introduced to the isolated ecosystems of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-linked-pathogens-antarctica/">Antarctica</a>.

“Visitors to Antarctica are subject to increasingly strict biosecurity measures but accidental introductions continue to occur,” said study co-author Professor Peter Convey. “Midge larvae, for instance, are tiny and cannot be seen easily with the naked eye. Tourists and researchers may be bringing them in from their stopovers in the sub-Antarctic and moving them around the continent in the mud on their boots.”

The research will be presented by Jesamine Bartlett at the annual meeting of the British Ecological Society on December 19, 2018.

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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

Non-native insect species become a major threat in Antarctica

Researchers have discovered that a non-native species of midge is...

Past research has claimed that the Earth went through a “global warming hiatus,” where for a period of time in the early 2000s, there was a slowdown in warming temperatures. By the end of 2017, over 200 published articles and studies revolved around this “pause.” 

However, two new studies published in the journal Environmental Research Letters disprove all evidence of a pause in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/island-nations-global-warming/">warming</a> and show that temperatures have in fact been steadily on the rise. 

“Many studies over the past decade have claimed to find a pause or slowdown in global warming and have typically posited this as evidence that is inconsistent with our understanding of global warming,” said James Risby, a lead author of one of the studies. “Global warming did not pause, but we need to understand how and why scientists came to believe it had, to avoid future episodes like this.”

Risby, part of the <a href="https://www.csiro.au/">Australian Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation</a> (CSIRO Australia), and a team of researchers reassessed the pause studies to help put the data and claims into a historical context. 

The researchers made a note of how a “pause” had been identified and what methods were used in the studies while testing out different past and present datasets of global mean surface temperature (GMST). 

“Our findings show there is little or no statistical evidence for a ‘pause’ in GMST rise,” said Risby. “Neither the current data nor the historical data support it. Moreover, updates to the GMST data through the period of 'pause' research have made this conclusion stronger. But, there was never enough evidence to reasonably draw any other conclusion.”

For the second study, a team of researchers reviewed climate models and observations to identify mismatches of global warming rates that would help explain why past studies came to the conclusions they did. 

The researchers compared temperatures and projections of GMST of past climate models that were used in the pause studies and found that errors and misinterpretations of the predictions and data were made because of biases.

“We found the impression of a divergence - i.e. a divergence between the rate of actual global warming and the model projections - was caused by various biases in the model interpretation and in the observations. It was unsupported by robust statistics,” said Stephan Lewandowsky, the lead author of the second study and a professor from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol.</a>

Once the researchers accounted for these biases and reviewed the data again, there was no evidence of a pause to be found. 

The two studies also provide some explanations for why so many past studies found evidence of a pause when in reality this was not the case, and the researchers note that perhaps data providers were not able to express the limitations of their data.

Another possible explanation could be that it takes time for researchers to correct a bias or inaccuracy in a study. 

“A final point to consider is why scientists put such emphasis on the ‘pause’ when the evidence for it was so scant,”  said Naomi Oreskes, a co-author of one of the studies from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>. “An explanation lies in the constant public and political pressure from climate contrarians. This may have caused scientists to feel the need to explain what was occurring, which led them inadvertently to accept and reinforce the contrarian framework.”

--

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>

There was never a “pause” in global warming, scientists confirm

Past research has claimed that the Earth went through a...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.igb.illinois.edu/">Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology</a> reveals how scientists can modify common crops like soybean, rice, and wheat to protect them from heat stress.



“We need to double crop production by 2050 to feed a growing global population, and not only are we not on track to do that, but climate change is further complicating things,” said Amanda Cavanagh, a lecturer at the University of Essex. 



The study is part of Realizing Increased Photosynthetic Efficiency (RIPE), an international research project that aims to develop food crops that turn the sun’s energy into food more efficiently.



“Using an engineering approach we designed multiple alternative metabolic pathways to photorespiration. Testing them in the field showed increases in productivity which led Amanda to significantly move the project forward by showing our engineered plants can withstand pretty extreme temperature stress,” said study co-author and RIPE researcher Paul South.&nbsp;



“As the climate changes and temperature stresses increase the pressure on our global food supply, farmers will need every tool available including engineering approaches like the synthetic biology used here to maintain safe and productive harvests.”



The experts tested plants modified to have more efficient photorespiration to see if they were better adapted to warmer temperatures.&nbsp;



The team found that the engineered plants produced 26 percent more biomass than the wild-type plants exposed to the same temperatures, and had 15 percent less yield loss under the higher temperatures.



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes the first comprehensive estimate of carbon density in the Saharan, Sahel, and Sudanian zones of Africa. In an effort to measure the amount of carbon stored across these drylands, a team of scientists used high-resolution satellite images and artificial intelligence to map nearly 10 billion individual trees. 



"The high spatial resolution (50 cm) combined with AI and field measurements used in this study is key to improving tree inventories in drylands," said Pierre Hiernaux, a French researcher working for NASA. "The ever-increasing availability of very high-resolution satellite imagery will make it possible to assess carbon pools and their dynamics at the individual tree level on a global scale."



"This study is exceptional because it is pioneering a type of approach that will revolutionize the monitoring of trees and forests on a global scale: in the short term, it will be possible to map the world's trees from the centre of the Amazon to our schoolyards," said <a href="https://www.inrae.fr/en">INRAE</a> researcher Jean-Pierre Wigneron.



"Many fields of application will become much more efficient and accurate, such as tracking carbon stocks, biodiversity, monitoring logging and protection against illegal forest degradation, in near real time.”



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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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

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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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