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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



This complexity highlights the challenge of forecasting future freshwater trends.



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



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



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



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



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Satellites reveal a sudden drop in global freshwater levels

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

The smartphone has become an essential tool for navigating everyday life, but it also contains some of the rarest elements on Earth to make it work. 

Mining for these precious metals creates huge quantities of toxic waste, and the serious environmental impacts of smartphones may not be something that most people consider when they flock to buy the latest model from Apple or Samsung. 

A new report in <a href="https://theconversation.com/three-ways-making-a-smartphone-can-harm-the-environment-102148">The Conversation</a> examines the harm that smartphone mining has on the environment and how it unfairly impacts people living near major mining operations in China, Africa, Russia, Brazil and Australia. 

As smartphones continue to become more and more accessible, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smartphone-harmful-environment/">their toll on the environment</a> will also grow.  

In their piece for The Conversation, researchers Patrick Byrne and Karen Hudson-Edwards highlighted the negative impacts of toxic waste spills from mining and the effects on the ecosystem that smartphone production causes. 

The biggest issues can be traced back to the mining operations for the rare and precious metals that are needed to make smartphones work.

Gold, iron, aluminum, copper, and lesser-known praseodymium are the elements that help make phone displays so colorful, glass screens crack resistant, and the metal frames so lightweight.  

Iron, aluminum, and copper mining create tons of solid and liquid waste (called mine tailings) which are contained in huge structures, but sometimes dam failures and devastating spills occur. 

In 2015, a dam collapse released 33 million cubic meters of iron ore mine tailings in Brazil. The collapse killed 19 people and the toxic waste later flowed into the Atlantic Ocean. 

“Recent catastrophic mine tailings spills highlight the danger of improper construction methods and lax safety monitoring,” Byrne and Hudson-Edwards wrote. “One thing is clear though – as our thirst for technology increases, mine tailings dams are increasing in number and size, and so is their risk of failure.” 

Gold and tin mining have largely contributed to deforestation in the Amazon and mining not only degrades important habitats, but toxic waste from mining like mercury can end up in drinking water and in fish. 

Mining for tin-rich sand has also destroyed coral reef ecosystems near Indonesia. 

However, all this pales in comparison to the pollution and waste created from mining rare earth elements in China, Russia, and Australia. 

In China, you will find a huge dumping ground for the toxic waste created from these sort of mining operations called the “World's tech waste lake.” 

Byrne and Hudson-Edwards say that although companies are working to improve their mining methods, in order to prevent mine tailing spills and further damage to the environment, both consumers and manufacturers need to be more aware of the environmental impacts of the technology that runs our lives. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Smartphone manufacturing is brutal on the environment

The smartphone has become an essential tool for navigating everyday...

It’s well understood that increasing temperatures due to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-arctic-seabird-populations/">climate change</a> will have a significant impact on crop growth around the world – mainly from drought-like conditions and desertification of arable land. But it may surprise you (and concern you) to know that rising temperatures could have additional effects on crops, this time related to insects.

A new study has found that crop losses for critical food grains will increase as the climate warms, due to rising temperatures increasing the metabolic rate and population growth of insect pests. Researchers estimate that just a 2-degree rise in global average temperature could lead to total crop losses of about 213 million tons of rice, wheat, and maize.

The study involved assessing how the insect pests that attack these three crops would respond to a variety of climate scenarios. The scenarios showed that rising global temperatures would cause increased crop loss due to insects – particularly in temperate regions. These losses were projected to rise by 10 to 25 percent per degree of warming.

Increased crop loss is projected as a result of increased insect metabolism and faster insect population growth rates. “When the temperature increases, the insects’ metabolism increases so they have to eat more,” says Scott Merrill, a researcher at the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>, and co-author of the study. “That’s not good for crops.”

Insects have an optimal temperature that is ideal for population growth. If the temperature of their environment is too cold or too hot, the population does not grow as quickly. Hence, the researchers’ results showing that crop losses will be more severe in the temperate regions – as temperatures could be too hot for insect population growth in tropical regions.

“Temperate regions are not at that optimal temperature, so if the temperature increases there, populations will grow faster,” Merrill explains. “But insects in the tropics are already close to their optimal temperature, so the populations will actually grow slower. It’s just too hot for them.”

The study – published in <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a> – also determined that of the three crops, wheat will face the biggest losses. This is because it is typically grown in cooler climates, where increases in temperature will have the most profound effect on insect populations. Unfortunately, this also means that the most significant yield declines are predicted to occur in some of the world’s most productive agriculture areas. “The overall picture is, if you’re growing a lot of food in a temperate region, you’re going to be hit hardest,” says Merrill.

Any reduced yield in these three crops is a major concern. Wheat, rice, and maize are global staple crops, and in total account for 42 percent of the direct calories consumed by humans around the world. Significant crop losses may result in increased food insecurity, and could lead to conflicts in areas where food is already scarce. In particular, poorer countries will likely be hit the hardest, as advanced farming strategies and products such as pesticides aren’t used nearly as frequently as in richer countries. 

<a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> professor and co-author of the study, Curtis Deutsch concludes, “I hope our results demonstrate the importance of collecting more data on how pests will impact crop losses in a warming world – because collectively, our choice now is not whether or not we will allow warming to occur, but how much warming we’re willing to tolerate.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Keith Ewing

As climate warms, more insects will result in major crop loss

It’s well understood that increasing temperatures due to climate change...

A new study has found a large earthquakes may be capable of removing significant amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. While investigating <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/big-earthquakes-tremors-earth/">earthquakes</a> along New Zealand's Alpine Fault, scientists discovered that the vegetation displaced as a result of seismic activity was buried along with millions of tons of carbon dioxide.

Study co-author Dr. Jamie Howarth is a lecture at <a href="https://www.victoria.ac.nz/">Victoria University of Wellington</a>'s School of Geography, Environment and Earth Sciences.

“According to our findings, large earthquakes along New Zealand's Alpine Fault both mobilize and bury large amounts of carbon and in doing so may remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” said Dr. Howarth.

The researchers analyzed sediments that have settled in the bottom of Lake Paringa in the Southern Alps to examine the relationship between large earthquakes and carbon dioxide levels“We measured the levels of carbon isotopes present in the sediment during and after earthquakes to show that earthquakes on the fault produced over 43 percent of the carbon in the biosphere released from the Alps,” said Dr. Howarth.

The team simulated landslides triggered by seismic activity along the Alpine Fault. Professor Sean Fitzsimons from the <a href="https://www.otago.ac.nz/">University of Otago</a> explained that the simulations demonstrated that around 14 million tons of carbon dioxide are released during each earthquake in the region. On the other hand, the research suggests that the earthquakes also take CO2 out of the atmosphere that is transferred to lake and ocean basins.


“Lush vegetation on the mountains draws carbon dioxide from the atmosphere,” said Dr. Howarth. “In an earthquake, this vegetation is caught up in landslides, which sends the vegetation and the carbon to rivers, which in turn transport it to lakes and ocean basins where it is rapidly buried, removing it from the atmosphere.”


“These findings tell us that the development of mountains plays a critical role in the global carbon cycle over millions of years and provide a piece of the puzzle in understanding how atmospheric carbon is regulated by earth surface processes,” said Professor Fitzsimons.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earthquakes can remove huge amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere

A new study has found a large earthquakes may be...

A <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/red-tide-kills-sea-life/">red tide algae bloom</a> along the coast of southwest Florida, which has persisted since November of last year, is not only having a devastating impact on marine life but is also killing tourism in the region. 

According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, business owners in the most affected counties have reported collective losses of nearly $90 million and have laid off about 300 workers. The economy is also taking a hard hit from a separate freshwater algae bloom in Lake Okeechobee, the state’s largest lake.

<a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/13/florida-gulf-coast-red-tide-toxic-algae-bloom-killing-florida-wildlife">The Guardian</a> reported earlier this month that the toxic red algae, Karenia brevis, have killed more than 267 tons of marine life since July. This summer, dead fish that have washed up on Florida’s beaches include thousands of small fish, 72 Goliath groupers, and even a 21-foot whale shark.

However, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a> has revealed that the casualties of the red tide have exploded even more - to over 2,000 tons of fish this month. The news outlet <a href="https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2018/08/22/us/red-tide-fishkill-costs-trnd/index.html">reports</a> that workers in Lee County alone have picked up over 1,700 tons of dead fish since August 2nd, which does not include fishkill collected by the county's Department of Parks and Recreation.

Agricultural runoff and pollution are major contributors to toxic algal blooms, as they support the growth of algae and cyanobacteria. In addition, algae thrive in warmer waters that have high levels of CO2, which means that climate change is most likely another factor that is causing the deadly outbreak. 

“I am so sick of hearing it’s a natural occurring phenomenon that I’m ready to puke,” Andy Mele of <a href="https://www.suncoastwaterkeeper.com/">Suncoast Waterkeeper</a> told the Washington Post. “Yeah, it’s naturally occurring, but what happens to it is man-made. It responds to nutrients - period. Really the dynamite that lights the explosion is nutrient pollution.”

Florida Governor Rick Scott has declared a state of emergency for the five hardest-hit counties, as business owners brace themselves for the upcoming slow season.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Red tide is crushing the economy in southwest Florida communities

A red tide algae bloom along the coast of southwest...

A new study published by the <a href="https://www.egu.eu/">European Geosciences Union</a> is warning that if governments do not take decisive action to mitigate <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a> by 2035, we are likely to reach a point where it will be impossible to limit global warming to 2°C by the end of this century. 

The research team, including scientists from the UK and the Netherlands, also found that the opportunity to limit warming to 1.5°C has already ended - unless radical action is taken.

Study co-author Henk Dijkstra is a professor of Dynamical Oceanography at <a href="https://www.uu.nl/en">Utrecht University</a> in the Netherlands.

“In our study we show that there are strict deadlines for taking climate action,” said Professor Dijkstra. “We conclude that very little time is left before the Paris targets (to limit global warming to 1.5°C or 2°C) become infeasible even given drastic emission reduction strategies.”

The researchers set out to find the “point of no return,” or the deadline for climate action, which they consider to be the latest possible year the world could begin significantly cutting greenhouse-gas emissions before dangerous climate change becomes inevitable. 

Matthias Aengenheyster is a doctoral researcher at the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a> and the study's lead author.

“The ‘point of no return’ concept has the advantage of containing time information, which we consider very useful to inform the debate on the urgency of taking climate action,” said Aengenheyster.

Based on data from climate models, the team determined that the deadline for starting climate action depends on how fast emissions are reduced by the use of more renewable energy. 

If renewable energy could be increased by two percent every year, this must begin by the year 2035. If emissions were reduced at a faster rate by increasing the share of renewable energy by five percent each year, the deadline could be pushed forward ten years to 2045.

The researchers emphasize, however, that even the more modest climate-action scenario is quite ambitious. 

“The share of renewable energy refers to the share of all energy consumed. This has risen over the course of over two decades from almost nothing in the late nineties to 3.6% in 2017 according to the BP Statistical Review, so the (yearly) increases in the share of renewables have been very small,” explained study co-author Rick van der Ploeg.  

“Considering the slow speed of large-scale political and economic transformations, decisive action is still warranted as the modest-action scenario is a large change compared to current emission rates.”

Professor Dijkstra concluded, “We hope that 'having a deadline' may stimulate the sense of urgency to act for politicians and policy makers. Very little time is left to achieve the Paris targets.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.earth-system-dynamics.net/">Earth System Dynamics</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Anita Di Chiara

Study reveals the final deadline for action on climate change

A new study published by the European Geosciences Union is...

As we’ve recently reported, air pollution has wide ranging physiological effects on the human body. Poor air quality can actually change the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-heart-structure/">heart’s structure</a>, harm cardiovascular health, increase the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-traffic-air-pollution-asthma/">asthma</a>, and has even been linked to 3.2 million cases of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-diabetes/">diabetes</a> in one year.

But now, a new study has found that air pollution even impacts cognitive function and causes a “huge reduction in intelligence.” 

The research was published this week in the <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> and linked long-term exposure to air pollution to poorer scores on math and verbal tests.

A collaborative team of researchers led by <a href="http://english.bnu.edu.cn/">Beijing Normal University </a>tracked the test scores of 20,000 people in China over the course of 4 years. The results showed that test scores, particularly the verbal scores, were impacted by air pollution levels.

“The damage on the aging brain by air pollution likely imposes substantial health and economic costs, considering that cognitive functioning is critical for the elderly for both running daily errands and making high-stake decisions," the study’s authors wrote.

According to the <a href="http://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO), over 90 percent of the world’s population breathe unsafe air and more than 4.2 million people die each year from exposure to air pollution.

"Polluted air can cause everyone to reduce their level of education by one year, which is huge," said Xi Chen of the <a href="https://publichealth.yale.edu/">Yale School of Public Health</a>, co-author of the report. “But we know the effect is worse for the elderly, especially those over 64, and for men, and for those with low education. If we calculate for those, it may be a few years of education.”

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By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution causes reduction of intelligence, study finds

As we’ve recently reported, air pollution has wide ranging physiological...

World Water Week held in Stockholm to address water crisis. From August 26th through the 31st, Stockholm is hosting <a href="http://www.worldwaterweek.org/">World Water Week</a>, an annual event organized by the Stockholm International Water Institute (<a href="http://www.siwi.org/">SIWI</a>). The event is taking place as Europe recovers from a brutally <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/europe-drought-regions-climate-change/">dry summer season</a>.

World Water Week provides a forum for thousands of leaders and experts from businesses and governments across the globe to learn more about how we can address the world's water crisis.

Over 40 percent of the world's population is affected by water scarcity. According to the United Nations, one in four people will live in a country that is suffering from freshwater shortages by the middle of the century in 2050.

The European Space Agency (ESA) recognizes the urgency of the water-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that have been set forward by the United Nations. As a participant in the World Water Week conference, the ESA will describe the Big Data and Earth observation for monitoring SDG 6, which is the sustainable goal of clean water and sanitation.

“World Water Week is the ideal occasion to share information about an increasingly scarce resource while we continue working with our satellite data users to develop sustainable water-use practices through innovative projects,” said ESA scientist Benjamin Koetz.

Satellites are critical for monitoring water bodies from space. Optical and radar instruments are used to identify changes in water distribution, while spectrometers measure water quality by applying algorithms to the color of water. 

The ESA’s Soil Moisture and Ocean Salinity (SMOS) mission is capable of mapping soil moisture for early warning signs of drought. GlobWetland has also been introduced by the ESA, utilizing the Global Wetlands Observing System and satellite-based information to measure the ecological state of wetlands in Africa.World Water Week held in Stockholm to address water crisis 

In addition, the ESA’s TIGER and Earth Observation for Sustainable Development (EO4SD) initiatives will inform national water authorities on how to use satellite data to manage water supplies.

“The wide range of ESA projects targeting the SDGs highlights the great potential of space technology to help resolve a variety of water issues in different sectors,” said Koetz. “ESA’s commitment in this area supports the broader effort to address the water crisis on multiple fronts, partnering with international stakeholders such as UN Environment, UNESCO and the World Bank.”

Individuals and organizations can learn more about engaging in World Water Week here: <a href="https://programme.worldwaterweek.org/Engage">https://programme.worldwaterweek.org/Engage</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: ESA

World Water Week held in Stockholm to address water crisis

World Water Week held in Stockholm to address water crisis....

At this point in our battle with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>, we would accept almost any potential solution that could reduce the warming of global temperatures. While some scientists are working hard to figure out ways to slow carbon emissions, others are studying ways to remove the carbon currently in our atmosphere. 

A new study from the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a>, reports low-tech ways to improve soil quality on farms worldwide, while also pulling significant amounts of carbon out of our atmosphere – thus slowing the pace of climate change.

In their study published in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, the researchers claim that well-established agricultural practices such as planting cover crops, optimizing grazing, and sowing legumes on rangelands could capture enough atmosphere and store it in soil to make a major contribution to international climate change targets – were these practices to be used worldwide. When these practices were paired with aggressive carbon emission reductions, it was determined that improved agricultural management could reduce global temperatures nearly half a degree Fahrenheit by 2100.

“As someone who has been working on carbon sequestration for a long time, I have always had this question in the back of my mind, ‘Will sequestration in soils make a difference with climate change at a global scale?’” says senior author of the study Whendee Silver, a professor of environmental science, policy and management at UC Berkeley. “We found that there are a wide range of practices deployable on a large scale that could have a detectable worldwide impact. A big take-home message is that we know how to do this, it is achievable.”

But the important point to note is that these results are only achievable if they are coupled with aggressive emissions reduction. If carbon concentrations in the atmosphere increase, sequestration becomes less effective at reducing temperature. 

The researchers used global data on agricultural management approaches known to increase soil carbon storage, and combined it with a climate model that determined the possible impacts on climate were these approaches to be widely used. Most of the sequestration would occur due to improvement of agricultural and grazing lands that are degraded and being used sub-optimally. Improved land management often increases the biomass of crops, grass, and their root systems by capturing carbon dioxide through photosynthesis, which then results in more carbon storage in the soil.

“These are very commonly used approaches, though people don’t use them to sequester carbon – they are doing it for other reasons. Anytime you increase the organic content of soils, you are generally increasing the fertility, water-holding capacity, sustainability, decreasing erosion and general resilience to climate change," says Silver. “Sequestering carbon is a side benefit."

Because these practices could be implemented around the world relatively quickly, there seems to be some legitimate promise for their utilization and effectiveness. “Agriculture is often portrayed as the villain in climate change,” Silver says. “What is exciting is that, not only can agriculture contribute to solving the problem, but it can do so in a way that actually improves agricultural soils.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Heather Dang, UC Berkeley

Paid for by <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a>

Global warming can be slowed by improving soil quality

At this point in our battle with climate change, we...

As we recently reported, a patch of extremely <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thickest-arctic-sea-ice-melting/">thick Arctic sea ice off the coast of Greenland</a> known as the “last ice area” has recently started to break up due to an increase in temperatures in the region. 

The reality that previously untouched ice in the Arctic is breaking up and ice cover is declining has many concerned that climate change has jump-started a vicious domino effect where open waters cause more and more sea ice to melt. 

Now, a new study has found that archived heat trapped below the Arctic could melt all of the Arctic sea ice if it were to make its way to the surface. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a> discovered that warmer waters to the south now exposed to solar heat due to declines in sea ice have made their way to the interior of the Arctic Ocean. 

If that water were to surface, it could spell disaster for Arctic sea ice cover and the global climate. 

The results were published in the journal Science Advances.

“We document a striking ocean warming in one of the main basins of the interior Arctic Ocean, the Canadian Basin,” said Mary-Louise Timmermans, the study’s lead author. 

Arctic winds are to blame, driving warmer, previously unexposed, southern waters hundreds of miles away deep into the Canadian Basin. Currently, the warm water is trapped below the surface, but if warming trends continue, the water could rise.

The findings are extremely worrying because it means that sea ice declines are not just impacting the areas nearby. 

“This means the effects of sea-ice loss are not limited to the ice-free regions themselves, but also lead to increased heat accumulation in the interior of the Arctic Ocean that can have climate effects well beyond the summer season,” said Timmermans. “Presently this heat is trapped below the surface layer. Should it be mixed up to the surface, there is enough heat to entirely melt the sea-ice pack that covers this region for most of the year.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.yale.edu/">Yale University</a>

Warm water trapped beneath the Arctic could melt entire ice cover

As we recently reported, a patch of extremely thick Arctic...

A new study suggests that the diets of people who dwell in rainforests promote a healthier gut with more diverse microbes in children. This type of diet, which is high in fiber and unprocessed foods, may have benefits for patients with conditions such as obesity and type 1 diabetes.

The study was focused on adults and children who normally lived in the city as they visited a remote Venezuelan village without electricity, soap, or other amenities for 16 days.

Among the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/conversations-kids-language-skills/">children</a>, their microbiomes became more diverse and accumulated more helpful bacteria. However, such changes were not found in the adults who visited the rainforest.


Study senior author Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello is a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology and Department of Anthropology at <a href="https://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers-New Brunswick</a>.

“The findings suggest dietary interventions to encourage a more diverse microbiome may best succeed in children, while the microbiome of adults may be more resistant to change,” said Professor Dominguez-Bello.

Professor Dominguez-Bello’s team had previously examined the connection between the microbiome and human health. The researchers discovered that the human microbiome in urbanized, modernized societies contains far less diversity compared to people living pre-modern lifestyles in the Amazon jungle of Venezuela and Peru.

The current study was developed to investigate how early impacts on the microbiome may contribute to conditions such as obesity and diabetes in developed countries. Study participants stayed in a rainforest village in southern Venezuela near the border of Brazil. 

The individuals had a daily diet that consisted of cassava, fish, a little meat, and a lot of fruit. They adapted to the local time zone with eight hours of sleep, and bathed in a river without soap.

The skin, nostrils, mouths, and feces of the participants were swabbed for microbes several times throughout the study. These samples were compared with samples from local villagers, which confirmed that the urban visitors arrived with a less diverse microbiome.

Over the course of 16 days, the urban children showed significant microbiome changes. The adults, on the other hand, did not. 

Professor Dominguez-Bello said that further research is needed to understand the “age window” during which the microbiome can change, and also to identify the health implications of such changes.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://msphere.asm.org/">mSphere</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rainforest diet may promote healthier digestion among children

A new study suggests that the diets of people who...

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a> are exploring innovative ideas for the disposal of biodegradable plastics. The study has demonstrated that certain bioplastics can decompose under a range of diverse conditions.

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/polar-bear-cubs-plastic-pollution/">Plastic waste</a> is a growing environmental issue, particularly when it enters into the ocean and threatens the lives of sea animals and birds who commonly mistake plastic debris for food and eat it.

Despite increasing efforts across many countries, most plastic waste still does not end up getting recycled. Different blends of biodegradable plastics have been developed, but these materials are often not as flexible and strong as conventional plastics.

While the goal of biodegradable plastics is that they will not persist as long in the environment, their fate is relatively uncertain. A team of experts including Tanja Narancic, Kevin O'Connor, and Ramesh Babu Padamati set out to examine the degradation of individual bioplastics under various conditions.

The study was focused on 15 different plastics or blends under managed conditions, including composting and anaerobic digestion. The team also investigated the fate of the same bioplastics in unmanaged environments, such as soil and various water bodies. 

Polylactic acid (PLA) is one of the best-selling biodegradable plastics on the market, but it requires high temperatures to be broken down. The researchers were surprised to find that a blend of PLA and polycaprolactone (PCL) degraded completely to carbon dioxide, biomass, and water under typical home-composting conditions. 

Many of the individual plastics were found to decompose under conditions of anaerobic digestion, a process that can produce biogas. Furthermore, all of the plastics and blends examined in the study degraded with industrial composting. 

According to the researchers, biodegradable plastic blends could create new possibilities for managing plastic waste. 

On the other hand, only two out of 15 plastics were found to break down completely in the unmanaged soil and water conditions. This means that biodegradable plastics are not a remedy for plastic pollution, and they must be managed carefully.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Can biodegradable plastics help slow plastic pollution?

Researchers from the American Chemical Society are exploring innovative ideas...

Mangrove forests may be able to adapt to rising sea levels brought on by climate change and provide a crucial natural defense against storm surges and hurricanes for coastal communities. 

Coastal communities are more and more at risk from rising sea levels and devastating storm damage as the impacts of climate change grow more extreme. 

Already, we have witnessed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricanes-stronger-climate-change/">record-breaking hurricanes</a> and floods in the past few years coupled with stark declines in natural coastal defenses like marshland and coral reefs. 

There is a growing interest in improving and preserving these coastal barriers by local governments, and a study shows that the warming temperatures brought on by climate change could prove beneficial to mangroves in subtropical wetlands. 

Biologists from <a href="https://www1.villanova.edu/university.html">Villanova University </a>conducted the study over a period of two years and the results were recently published in the Journal of Ecology. 

The researchers set up large warming chambers in the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge on Merritt Island which is part of the <a href="https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/">Kennedy Space Center</a> (KSC). 

Because of the KSC’s precarious low-lying position infrastructure near the coast, the researchers had the perfect opportunity to see how salt marshes and mangroves might protect KSC and the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration's</a> assets against rising sea levels. 

The researchers increased the temperatures in the marsh and mangrove ecosystems, and as temperatures increased, the marshy shrubs doubled in plant height and quickly transformed into woody mangrove forests. 

The mangrove forests kept up with the changes in temperature which led the researchers to conclude that subtropical wetlands might be able to adapt to climate change and better serve coastal communities. 

“Our study provides some evidence that the ongoing reshuffling of species on earth's surface could allow for some adaptation to the same global changes that are causing them,” said Samantha Chapman, a member of the research team. “Conserving and restoring our coastal wetlands can help humans adapt to climate change.”

The study emphasizes the roles wetlands play in protecting against storm surges, floods, and hurricanes, all of which have increased in severity in the past decade due to climate change. 

Investing in the preservation and management of mangrove forests and other natural barriers could help protect infrastructure and lower the costs of hurricane and storm damage. 

“Our experiment highlights the impact multiple interacting aspects of climate change, such as warming and sea level rise, can have on the outcome of species invasions resulting from climate change -- and on the capacity of those communities to protect shorelines,” said Glenn A. Coldren, the first author of the study. 

--

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>

Mangroves could provide a defense against rising sea levels

Mangrove forests may be able to adapt to rising sea...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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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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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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Aerial,Photo,Of,River,In,Amazon,Rainforest,Jungle,In,Peru

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists are using autonomous sound sensors to monitor deforestation in the Amazon. By recording soundscapes, the experts can determine which animals are present through their distinct sounds.&nbsp;



Using this method, sounds can be used as scientific measurements to analyze the effects of deforestation. The researchers will gain a better understanding of how the acoustics of a forest can be used to measure its health.&nbsp;



"From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look lush and green, like a place buzzing with activity and full of sounds. But inside the rainforest, the animal life may tell a different story, of a harsh environment and a quieter soundscape," says NASA.



Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center&nbsp;



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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