Human litter has now infiltrated the deepest parts of Earth's oceans and seas. Debris and trash produced by human activity was spotted at a depth of 5,112 meters (3.2 miles) in the Mediterranean Sea. 



The site, which is the deepest point in the Mediterranean, is known as Calypso Deep, and is located off the south-western coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea.



In a new study, researchers have identified 167 objects at the bottom. Of these, 148 were clearly marine debris, while 19 were believed to be of human origin, though less definitively.



According to the authors, this represents one of the highest concentrations of litter documented at great depths in any sea.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-debris-in-the-bottom-of-the-sea">Debris in the bottom of the sea </h2>



To investigate the Calypso Deep, scientists used a crewed submersible called the Limiting Factor, a deep-submergence vehicle capable of withstanding extreme pressure.



Images captured by the Limiting Factor confirm that besides accumulating on coasts, surface waters and shallower bottoms, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-it-still-possible-to-save-the-ocean-from-plastic-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine waste</a> also reaches the deepest, most remote points of the Mediterranean Sea.&nbsp;



Given the heavy impact of human activities on this nearly enclosed sea, the discovery emphasizes the urgency of global actions to reduce marine debris and a need for lifestyle changes that cut waste and protect marine environments worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-calypso-deep-as-a-debris-trap">The Calypso Deep as a debris trap</h2>



Located about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south west of the Peloponnese coast in Greece, the Calypso Deep is a depression within the Hellenic Trench system. 



Surrounded by steep terrain in an area with active faults, it has slopes measuring thousands of meters and a mostly flat floor at its lowest point. 



Its deeper, kidney-shaped portion extends over approximately 20 by 5 kilometers (12 by 3 miles) at depths surpassing 5,000 meters (3 miles).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-litter-s-journey-to-the-bottom">Litter's journey to the bottom</h2>



But how does rubbish collect so far down?



According to Miquel Canals from the University of Barcelona’s <a href="https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/earth-sciences" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Faculty of Earth Sciences</a>, the debris comes from various sources, both terrestrial and marine. 



It could have arrived by various routes, including both long-distance transport by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weakening-ocean-currents-could-cost-trillions-of-dollars/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean currents</a> and direct dumping. 



Canals explains that plastic items, for instance, can drift from coastal waters. 



Some light waste, such as plastics, comes from the coast, from where it escapes to the Calypso Deep, just 60 kilometers [37 miles] away. 



Some plastics, such as bags, drift just above the bottom until they are partially or completely buried, or disintegrate into smaller fragments.



“We have also found evidence of the boats’ dumping of bags full of rubbish, as revealed by the pile-up of different types of waste followed by an almost rectilinear furrow," Canals continued.



"Unfortunately, as far as the Mediterranean is concerned, it would not be wrong to say that ‘not a single inch of it is clean.'"



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-debris-transport-across-the-sea">Debris transport across the sea</h2>



Canals noted that the Calypso Deep is a closed depression, which favors the accumulation of debris inside it. He pointed out that the weak currents in the trench also facilitate the deposition of light debris at the bottom.



Floating debris originates mostly in the southern Ionian Sea or further south, and drifting eddies bring it toward the Calypso Deep.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-litter-debris_bottom-seafloor_Mediterranean-Sea_montage_credit-Caladan-Oceanic_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-litter-debris_bottom-seafloor_Mediterranean-Sea_montage_credit-Caladan-Oceanic_1s.webp" alt="The debris identified by the international team in the Calypso Deep warns of the need to implement global policy actions to reduce ocean waste, as well as to encourage changes in citizens’ consumption habits and waste reduction in order to protect seas and oceans around the world. Credit: Caladan Oceanic" class="wp-image-1962233"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The debris identified by the international team in the Calypso Deep warns of the need to implement global policy actions to reduce ocean waste, as well as to encourage changes in citizens’ consumption habits and waste reduction in order to protect seas and oceans around the world. Credit: Caladan Oceanic</figcaption></figure>



“When these eddies are located over the Calypso Trench, some debris tends to fall slowly to the bottom, aided by degradation mechanisms and ballasting processes that increase its density," explained Canals 



"Surface currents can also transport debris from the Adriatic Sea to the north, through the Strait of Otranto, and from the waters off north-western Greece."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-technology-to-explore-the-abyss">Technology to explore the abyss</h2>



Investigating such extreme depths demands cutting-edge tools. In this case, the Limiting Factor submarine, built by Triton Submarines, allowed a small crew of two to descend. 



Moving at about 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) per hour to obtain clear images, the Limiting Factor covered roughly 650 meters (0.4 miles) in a straight line over a 43-minute window on the bottom.&nbsp;



“On each dive, more time is usually spent descending and ascending the vehicle back to the surface than inspecting the bottom. Each complete dive usually takes a few hours,” Canals noted.



The expedition revealed no substantial impact on local marine life, likely due to the area’s low biodiversity. 



Only a few species - namely, the fish Coryphaenoides mediterraneus and the crustacean Acanthephyra eximia - appeared in the footage. 



“However, in places with more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-ocean-day-a-unified-approach-to-protect-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a>, there are different types of interaction between the debris deposited on the bottom and the organisms, such as ghost fishing, burial, hooking or ingestion, but also the use of debris as a substrate where animals can grow, hide or lay their eggs,” Canals said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mediterranean-s-pollution-problem">Mediterranean’s pollution problem</h2>



Scientists first documented trash on the ocean floor in 1975, in the North Atlantic’s Skagerrak Strait. Areas like canyons and seamounts are especially prone to accumulating garbage, either from settling, burial, or erosion processes. 



Now, the Mediterranean ranks among the worst-affected seas. In 2021, research identified the Strait of Messina as the global hot spot for seafloor litter. 



This highlights broader concerns about intensifying human influence on an enclosed region subject to heavy maritime traffic and fishing.



“The Mediterranean is an enclosed sea, surrounded by humanity, with intense maritime traffic and widespread fishing activity," noted Canals. 



"The evidence provided by our research should shake up global efforts, and in particular in the Mediterranean, to mitigate waste dumping, especially plastics, in the natural environment and ultimately in the sea, in line with the <a href="https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UN Global Plastics Treaty</a> against plastic pollution, which is still pending approval."



Canals emphasized that the ocean floor is still largely unknown to society as a whole, which makes it difficult to raise social and political awareness about the conservation of these spaces. 



"It is necessary to make a joint effort between scientists, communicators, journalists, the media, influencers and other people with social impact. The problem is there, and it has an enormous scope, even if it is not directly visible. We should not forget about it."



Details of the study are published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25000852?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marine Pollution Bulletin</a>.



Image Credit: Caladan Oceanic



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Human trash has found its way to the deepest parts of Earth's seas and oceans

Human litter has now infiltrated the deepest parts of Earth's oceans and seas. Debris and trash produced by human activity was spotted at a depth of 5,112 meters (3.2 miles) in the Mediterranean Sea. The site, which is the deepest point in the Mediterranean, is known as Calypso Deep, and is located off the south-western coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea. In a new study, researchers have identified 167 objects at the bottom. Of these, 148 were clearly marine debris, while 19 were believed to be...

It’s hard to imagine that the continents are on a collision course millions of years in the making, but the Earth’s tectonic plates have been playing an endless game of bumper cars since the crust of the globe first formed. 

Tectonic plates move around the Earth at speeds of a few centimeters per year, and throughout the Earth’s history, there have been instances where the plates came together and formed a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australia-north-america-supercontinent/">supercontinent</a>. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/australia-north-america-supercontinent/">
</a>

A supercontinent can last for hundreds of millions of years before breaking up again, and the last and most well-known supercontinent was called Pangea which first formed 310 million years ago 

The earliest known supercontinent, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Pangea">Rodinia</a>, formed during the Precambrian period and Pannotia, another supercontinent that preceded Pangea, formed 600 million years ago. 

The cycle of supercontinents is ongoing, and although researchers cannot say for sure what the next supercontinent will look like, by studying plate movement and past supercontinent formations, it’s possible to come up with potential scenarios for what Earth will like millions of years in the future. 

Writing for <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-planet-earth-might-look-like-when-the-next-supercontinent-forms-four-scenarios-107454">The Conversation</a>, researchers Mattias Green, Hannah Sophia Davies, and Joao Duarte describe the four most likely scenarios for the formation of the next supercontinent. 

Each scenario depends on a range of factors, but Pangea’s break up lends some key clues to what may happen with the next supercontinent. 

The four supercontinents scenarios are Novopangea, Pangea Ultima, Aurica and Amasia. 

Green, Davies, and Duarte note that Pangea’s breakup formed the Atlantic Ocean and that the Atlantic is getting wider while Pacific Ocean is getting narrower. 

This widening and narrowing of the world’s oceans along with seismic activity along subduction zones will play a large role in determining the next supercontinent formation. 

Novopangea follows the collision of North and South America with Antarctica which will then latch onto Africa and Eurasia.

[caption id="attachment_1863176" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Novopangea.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1863176" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Novopangea.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="342" /></a> Novopangea, Image Credit: The Conversation[/caption]

With Pangea Ultima, the researchers say that a huge Pacific ocean would surround the newly formed continent as the Atlantic ocean narrowed.

[caption id="attachment_1863177" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Pangea-Ultima.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1863177" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Pangea-Ultima.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="342" /></a> Pangea Ultima, Image Credit: The Conversation[/caption]

The Aurica supercontinent would occur if the Atlantic developed a new subduction zone and Australia would be at the heart of the supercontinent, surrounded by East Asia and the Americas. 

Amasia is perhaps the most unusual formation as it relies on the northward trajectory of several major tectonic plates including Africa and Australia. All the continents then, except Antarctica would congregate around the North Pole with a wide open ocean separating Amasia and Antarctica.

[caption id="attachment_1863178" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/amasia.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1863178" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/amasia.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="342" /></a> Amasia, Image Credit: The Conversation[/caption]

Novopangea is the most likely scenario according to Green, Davies, and Duarte but the researchers say that exploring different scenarios  helps push the boundaries of what is possible. 

“Investigating the Earth's tectonic future forces us to push the boundaries of our knowledge, and to think about the processes that shape our planet over long time scales,” the three researchers conclude. “It also leads us to think about the Earth system as a whole, and raises a series of other questions – what will the climate of the next supercontinent be? How will the ocean circulation adjust? How will life evolve and adapt?” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Earth may once again have a supercontinent in 200 million years

It’s hard to imagine that the continents are on a...

As the Trump administration continues to push back against the latest congressionally mandated Climate Assessment with claims that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-denies-federal-climate-report/">it’s inaccurate and not fact-based</a>, the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations (UN)</a> has now released a report documenting a rise in global emissions after a four-year lag.  

The report finds that the world is nowhere near where it should be regarding carbon emission reductions. In fact, we are woefully behind target goals first set in place by the 2016 Paris Climate Agreement.

If countries want to prevent catastrophic warming, sea level rise, coastal flooding, and an increase in weather extremes, then efforts to cut emissions must triple in the coming years.

2017 marked the first time in four years that global emissions increased following economic growth. 

It was believed that because emissions had stayed stagnant for three years that CO2 and greenhouse gas emissions had reached their peak levels, but the report found that this was not the case. 

Global greenhouse emissions in 2017 reached 53.5 billion tons, a new record high, according to the report. 

Emissions are a long way from peaking, and we may not even see a peak by 2030 unless more is done to curb emissions. The gap between where we are and where we should be concerning climate mitigation is only getting bigger. 

The Paris Accord’s mission to limit global warming to below two degrees Celsius has been its goal from the beginning, but this latest report states that unless emissions peak by 2020 and the emissions gap closes by 2030, we will not be able to meet the Paris Accord’s targets.

“The science is clear; for all the ambitious climate action we've seen – governments need to move faster and with greater urgency,” said Joyce Msuya, the UN Environmental Deputy Executive Director . “We're feeding this fire while the means to extinguish it are within reach.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Carbon emissions hit record high in 2017, UN report warns

As the Trump administration continues to push back against the...

A new report from the <a href="https://ciat.cgiar.org/">Center for Tropical Agriculture</a> (CIAT), a global research organization based in Colombia, had found that many of the plants most commonly used for food, medicine, shelter, fuel, and other valuable purposes are at risk. 

These include wild populations of firs used for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/environmentally-friendly-christmas-tree/">Christmas trees</a>, kitchen-cupboard staples like vanilla, chamomile, cacao, and cinnamon, and non-cultivated plants used by bees to make honey. The indicator finds that less than three percent of the 7,000 evaluated species are presently classified as “low priority” or “sufficiently conserved.”

“This indicator underscores the urgency to protect the world's useful wild plants,” said study lead author Colin Khoury. “The indicator not only helps us measure where countries and the world stand with regard to safeguarding this natural and cultural heritage, but it provides actual information per species that can be used to take action to improve their conservation status.”

The Useful Plants Indicator was developed by CIAT in collaboration with the Global Crop Diversity Trust, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and also with several universities and conservation organizations.
The scale ranks around 7,000 useful plants from 220 countries on a scale of 1-100, with 100 meaning fully protected.

Although the researchers expected lower results for plants in natural settings, they warned that relying on plant preservation strictly in natural protected areas is no longer a safe bet. According to the study authors, rapid climate change can force species to shift out of their ranges, and the edges of many protected areas are subjected to unchecked habitat destruction.

"The indicator shows that the network of protected areas around the world is doing something significant for useful plants," said Khoury. “But if we want to get serious about protecting these species, especially the ones that are vulnerable, we have a long way to go before they are fully protected.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecological-indicators">Ecological Indicators</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Christmas trees and other valuable plants aren’t protected globally

A new report from the Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT),...

Populations of Atlantic cod and Polar cod, both species of fish that spawn in extremely cold temperatures, could drastically decrease if climate change continues unchecked. 

A new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute</a> found that an increase in ocean temperatures and ocean acidification could force Polar and Atlantic Cod farther north, a move that could endanger populations and collapse an important link in the Arctic food web. 

If the cod die off, the Arctic seals and seabirds that depend on cod as a major food source will suffer, as will fishing operations that primarily catch Atlantic cod. 

The study was published in the journal Science Advances and the results highlight the necessity of limiting global warming and meeting the targets set by the Paris Climate Agreement. 

Both Atlantic cod and Polar cod thrive and spawn in cold waters, and increases in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/warming-waters-marine-ecosystems/">ocean temperature</a> could threaten the health and development of the cod eggs. 

To see just how much of a risk climate change poses to Atlantic and Polar Cod, researchers Flemming Dahlke and Daniela Storch used climate models and lab experiment data to show how increases in temperature and ocean acidification will impact embryo development. 

When cod larvae hatch, they are especially vulnerable to environmental changes, and even a small increase in water temperature can cause the larvae to die or become deformed according to the study. 

The researchers also found that ocean pH levels of 7.7 decrease the chance of survival by 20 to 30 percent. 

“We've observed that the young Atlantic cod not only react adversely to warmer temperatures, but also to especially cold ones,” said Storch. “The acidification amplifies this effect." In other words: the added burden of acidification reduces the suitable temperature range for Atlantic cod and polar cod to spawn.”

For the study, the researchers reviewed three climate scenarios, a business-as-usual scenario, a moderate warming scenario, and a scenario where the goals of the Paris Accord are met. 

“They show that, for the business-as-usual scenario, conditions for the young Atlantic cod will especially deteriorate in the North Atlantic near the end of this century,” said Dahlke. “In the regions around Iceland and Norway, up to 60 percent fewer cod larvae will hatch from their eggs.”

The team also found that if emissions are not reduced, Atlantic cod will be forced farther north and may encroach on the territory of Polar cod. 

“If the Atlantic cod populations and their spawning grounds shift to the northeast in the future, the fish will most likely spawn in completely different systems of currents,” said Dahlke. “If that happens, we can't yet begin to gauge the effects.”

The researchers say that if emissions are reduced and the goals of the Paris Accord achieved, it could have a drastic impact in reducing the threats climate change poses to Atlantic and Polar cod populations. 

--

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>

Warming waters will push Atlantic cod north and threaten populations

Populations of Atlantic cod and Polar cod, both species of...

Climate change isn’t a regional problem – it’s a global one. That’s why 130 national academies of science and medicine have now united in an effort to urge policy-makers to take immediate action on climate change to improve the sustainability of global food systems. 

The report is called “Opportunities for future research and innovation on food and nutrition security and agriculture: The InterAcademy Partnership’s global perspective,” and calls for an end to business as usual, urging leaders to use science to guide policy and innovation.

“It is not only the environment that is at stake, but health, nutrition, trade, jobs and the economy,” explains Joachim von Braun, co-chair of the InterAcademy Partnership (IAP) project on Food and Nutrition Security and Agriculture. “Agriculture and consumer choices are major factors driving disastrous climate change. We need a robust and ambitious policy response to address the climate impacts of agriculture and consumer choices – and scientists have a major role to play. Our new report is a wake-up call to leaders.”

Not only does it show that food transport and other agriculture processes contribute between 20 to 25 percent of global annual emissions, but this past year has shown how vulnerable food systems are to extreme weather and climate change. Furthermore, the absolute number of undernourished people continued to increase in 2018. 

The report details how climate change is exacerbating food and nutrition insecurity and inequalities, as the drive for calories in food production has caused health problems such as obesity. “In addition to climate change, our current food systems are negatively impacting people’s health around the globe,” says Volker ter Meulen, M.D., Co-Chair of the IAP project on Food and Nutrition Security and Agriculture, as well as president of the IAP. “High-calorie diets have become cheaper, and this has serious implications for public health, obesity, and malnutrition. Science is critical to tackling the Sustainable Development Goals, in particular, hunger and health.”

It is clear that there is an urgent need for strengthening evidence-based policies and programs, and investing in solving the most dire challenges of our times: mitigating climate change through changes to food production and consumption, and ensuring that people globally have access to nutritious, affordable and environmentally sustainable food. These issues also have a trickle-down effect on the global economy, trade, and jobs. 

The IAP is calling for a shift to climate-smart food systems, and stresses that limiting agriculture’s <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-higher-methane-emissions/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> would still be insufficient in addressing food systems’ impact on climate change. There is a need for incentives to encourage people to improve their diets both for public health and for the environment – so it’s imperative policymakers find ways to motivate this improved consumer behavior.

The group believes that creating an international advisory panel on food and nutrition security and agriculture that involves established academies would be a good first step, as this could help strengthen the necessary international governance changes.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Inefficient global food systems are a catalyst of climate change

Climate change isn’t a regional problem – it’s a global...

An international team of scientists based at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> have recorded a two-part communication between Earth’s polar regions. Now known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the communicative process consists of one fast-moving atmospheric channel and another slow-paced oceanic one. AMOC was responsible for the rapid climate change during the most recent ice age about 60,000 to 12,000 years ago, and scientists warn that it may cause an environmental upset again.

The scientists’ study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, started with an examination of the layers of volcanic ash embedded in ice cores from various locations around the world. The team then measured temperature shifts by analyzing ratios of water isotopes and then matched their findings with the "Dansgaard-Oeschger" events in Greenland ice cores to figure out the connection between the hemispheres. 

The team’s findings map out how AMOC caused a strengthening and weakening of an oceanic current responsible for warming Greenland and Europe. It did so by bringing warm water through the Gulf Stream and into the North Atlantic about 25 times.

According to the lead author of the study, Christo Buizert, an OSU climate change specialist, “The North Atlantic is sending messages to Antarctica on two different time scales. The atmospheric connection is like a text message that arrives right away, while the oceanic one is more like a postcard that takes its time getting there — in this case, 200 years, which makes the postal service look pretty good by comparison.”

When the strengthening of AMOC causes the North Atlantic to warm, Antarctica eventually cools due to the stronger winds, and later, oceanic changes. However, during the last ice age, AMOC currents were weak, which caused the North Atlantic to chill. But every now and again, it would strengthen, rapidly warming <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/impact-crater-greenland-ice-sheet/">Greenland</a>, and causing massive climate shifts in Antarctica — some parts cooled, whereas others warmed.

“This is the first time that you can so clearly see the nuts and bolts of how the climate works on time scales much longer than our meteorological observations," co-author of the study, Justin Wettstein, an Oregon State atmospheric scientist Justin Wettstein, said. "It allows us to see how Greenland and Antarctica have been connected — spatially and temporally — long before people were running around with thermometers to measure the temperature."

The team’s modern observations show that the AMOC current is weakening, which is bad news based on the fact that this happened before the last ice age. Scientists predict that during the weakened AMOC, Asian monsoons will lessen in severity, changing wind patterns may lessen the amount of carbon dioxide the ocean can hold, and therefore, the greenhouse effect may worsen.

“The findings also may have implications for the future," Buizert concluded. "The AMOC is weakening now because of global warming and meltwater from Greenland. The 'text message' is being sent and atmospheric conditions are changing. The 'postcard' is on the way."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth’s polar regions communicate via atmospheric ‘text messages’

An international team of scientists based at Oregon State University...

The environmental impact of everyday crops is something more and more people are aware of, and the rise of organic produce is proof of that.  What fewer people may consider, though, is the environmental impact of crops such as marijuana and how legalization may change that impact. 

A recent report in <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161019173110.htm">Science Daily</a> emphasizes how little consideration is given to things like water usage for marijuana agriculture.  This is especially a problem in states like California, already mired in water troubles. Research has shown that placement of some marijuana grow sights may have a negative impact on fish populations.  A piece in <a href="https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/8qpg8z/growing-weed-is-pretty-bad-for-the-environment-weedweek2017">Vice</a> is even more straight forward titled, ‘Growing Weed is Pretty Bad for the Environment’. In addition to impacting fish populations, the amount of electricity used for grow lights to cultivate marijuana is substantial. 

 Of course, pesticides, herbicides and fertilizers that leak into the environment are a problem for any agriculture.  At this point it’s unclear whether legalizing and regulating a growing marijuana industry is a good thing or a bad thing for the environment.  It seems inevitable that environmental regulators will need to grapple with problems associated with marijuana agriculture and distribution, even if few of us ever think of those problems.  Even less considered than agriculture, though, is the impact of illegal drugs when dumped into the environment. 

For a long time, it’s been obvious that drugs such as hormonal birth control pills, leached into natural water sources through sewer treatment facilities have an impact on fish and other animals living in freshwater.  It’s been shown that fish exposed to estrogen, which is a contaminant that often shows up in the process of treating wastewater, are reproductively damaged. A study summarized by <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/03/160304092230.htm">Science Daily</a> from 2016 shows that estrogen from birth control can actually alter fish genetics.  The study shows that fish exposed to estrogen have a harder time catching food as well as reproducing.  The overall impact from estrogen is that some fish populations can be entirely wiped out. Recently another drug has shown itself to be dangerous to a specific type of fish: the eel.  

In Europe, researchers have exposed European Eels (Anguilla anguilla) to cocaine in their tanks and found that it is indeed damaging to the fish.  Eels exposed to cocaine show significant musculature problems caused by the drug.  <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/06/european-eels-on-cocaine-polluted-rivers-science-environment-animals/">National Geographic</a> reports that wild populations of the eel are critically endangered.  European Eels, similar to salmon, have complex life histories involving both fresh water and sea water.  The eels live for about 15 or 20 years in freshwater streams or brackish water before heading out to sea.  Damming, overfishing and importantly water pollution have all contributed to the status of critically endangered for these eels. 

A <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29879672">study</a> in The Science of Total Environment shows that cocaine in even small environmental amounts causes hyperactivity in exposed eels.  The long term problems caused by cocaine also affect skeletal muscles in eels, especially if exposure is early in development. Eels may also have a harder time reaching sexual maturity when exposed to cocaine.  

The upshot is that cocaine may actually negatively impact the survival of the European Eel in the wild.  How cocaine affects other organisms is largely unknown but it seems unreasonable to think that only one eel has a sensitivity to cocaine.  How cocaine gets into water supplies in the first place isn’t part of the recent study, but the levels of exposure are comparable to levels found in rivers near larger cities in Europe.

A 2014 report by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2014/oct/13/drugs-flushed-into-the-environment-could-be-cause-of-wildlife-decline">The Guardian</a>  emphasizes that exposure to drugs is a worldwide problem for wildlife, not something limited to European Eels.  The problem isn’t just about illegal drugs either, it seems that prescription drug problems aren’t limited to humans.  Just as estrogen from birth control is flushed into natural water sources through sewage, so too are a whole host of other pharmaceuticals used for a rage of problems.  Where drug residues are most common, research has found that up to 75% of freshwater animals are wiped out. In one of the studies cited by The Guardian, Tom Bean of the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a> and other researchers found that Starlings, a very common bird, eat less when exposed to a common antidepressant.  The problem is a global one as well.

According to research cited by <a href="https://www.dualdiagnosis.org/the-environmental-impact-of-growing-drugs/">DualDiagnosis.org</a>, scientists have found more than 150 human and veterinary medicines in the environment as far away from large human population densities as the Arctic.  According to statistics listed on <a href="https://talbottcampus.com/prescription-drug-abuse-statistics/">Talbottcampus.com</a>, roughly 1 in 10 people struggle from some type of substance abuse, including addiction to prescription drugs such as opioids.  There are an estimated 54 million people in the US over 12 years old that have used prescription drugs for non-medical uses at some point.  The use of these combined with outright illegal substances and even drugs used properly have an impact on the environment and the animals we share it with.  Even drugs such as caffeine can have an impact. It’s well known that some types of coffee agriculture are unsustainable and destructive to the rainforest and the lives of coffee plantation workers.  

What isn’t as well known is the impact of the caffeine being flushed down the toilet and out into lakes and streams every day. <a href="https://www.newsdeeply.com/water/articles/2017/06/05/your-caffeine-habit-may-be-harming-waterways-wildlife">News Deeply</a> reports that caffeine is expelled in urine and makes its way to natural water sources.  In North America, there are no natural sources of caffeine and yet it has been found in some level in even remote waterways throughout the continent.  Caffeine probably evolved as a natural pesticide for plants such as tea and coffee, so the possible consequences of it in water sources are great. Still, little is known about the impact of low levels of caffeine as found in the environment on wildlife and more research needs to be done.  Clearly with the growth of human populations and widespread use of a whole host of drugs, we need to start thinking more deeply about the environmental impact of our actions. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Drugs used by humans are increasingly impacting the environment

The environmental impact of everyday crops is something more and...

The Arctic is turning brown, as a new study has found that periods of extreme warming and snowmelt across large areas of the Arctic are causing vegetation to die off. 

The study’s findings, published in the journal Global Change Biology, contradicts previous research indicating that climate change in the Arctic is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-arctic-taller-climate-change/">driving plant growth</a> and helping mitigate warming. 

Instead, researchers from the <a href="https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/">University of Sheffield</a> and the <a href="https://www.nina.no/english">Norwegian Institute for Nature Research</a> discovered that evergreen vegetation in the Arctic heathlands is under extreme stress with some plants even succumbing to drought due to climate warming. 

Rachael Treharne, a member of the research team, discussed the study and its implications in an article for <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-arctic-is-turning-brown-because-of-weird-weather-and-it-could-accelerate-climate-change-107590">The Conversation</a>.

As warming in the Arctic is happening twice as fast as in other regions of the globe, it’s crucial to study how increases in temperatures are impacting Arctic ecosystems. 

The Arctic is a major carbon sink and able to store twice as much C02 as the atmosphere, but the researchers found that climate change is degrading the Arctic’s carbon storage abilities. 

“Now, our study has shown that extreme climatic events can significantly reduce the ability of Arctic ecosystems to take up carbon – with implications for whether the Arctic will help combat climate change, or accelerate it,” Treharne wrote in The Conversation.

[caption id="attachment_1863126" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/melting.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1863126" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/melting-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="467" /></a> Image Credit: Wyatt Rivard/Shutterstock[/caption]

In order to understand how climate change is impacting carbon storage in the Arctic, the researchers focused on Arctic heathlands in northern Norway. 

Treharne and colleagues found that climate change was driving two major winter weather extremes, frost drought and extreme winter warming, in the heathlands they studied. 

It might seem contradictory that plants often surrounded by snow would have to deal with drought. However, the researchers found that frost drought occurred when an insulating layer of snow melted. The newly exposed plants, not able to take up water from the soil and bombarded with frigid winds, suffer from water loss. 

According to Treharne, extreme winter warming describes how Arctic evergreen plants are tricked by “sudden bursts” of high temperatures into thinking it’s time to get ready for spring. 

When the warm snap ends, the plants are unable to adapt to the cold. The researchers found that extreme winter warming placed a lot of stress on heathland plants in the Arctic. 

After measuring carbon intake across plants that had been killed by frost drought, stressed and damaged plants impacted by extreme winter warming, and plants that were seemingly unfazed by either of the two extreme events, the researchers were able to calculate how much winter extremes affected carbon uptake. 

“We found that these extreme winter conditions reduced how much carbon was absorbed in heathland ecosystems by up to 50% across the entire growing season,” Treharne wrote. “This is a huge reduction in the ability of a widespread Arctic ecosystem to remove carbon from the atmosphere.”

The study shows how climate change is impacting Arctic vegetation and the large patches of brown in the Arctic are an indicator of the severity. 

“The impact of extreme weather events in the Arctic has global consequences,” Treharne concludes. “It is clear that our current efforts to tackle climate change are dangerously inadequate, but ambitious action now could cut how much the Arctic is expected to warm by as much as 7°C.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: Rachael Treharne

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The Arctic is turning brown due to extreme weather and melting

The Arctic is turning brown, as a new study has...

By the end of this century, storms with heavy flooding are expected to triple in frequency in North America and Europe, according to a new study. 

Projecting the future impacts of climate change is no easy task, and modeling current climate trends to predict future weather extremes involves working around a lot of uncertainty and unknowns. 

However, climate models are a key part of understanding how increases in greenhouse gas emissions will impact future climate extremes. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> analyzed Northern Hemisphere storms in (extratropical cyclones) to project future changes in storms and precipitation for Europe and North America. 

The results, published in the journal Environmental Research Letters, show that it is possible to create consistent climate projections by studying specific storm behaviors. 

“Due to the complexity of the circulation response to warming, there is much uncertainty in regional patterns of climate change,” Matt Hawcroft, the lead author of the study told <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6430803/Devastating-storms-TRIPLE-frequency-thanks-climate-change-study-warns.html">the Daily Mail</a>. “Given this uncertainty, it is important to be able to distill clear information where that is available. Here we show that in spite of these complexities, we are still able to provide large and consistent projections of change in these highly impactful events.”

The researchers used advanced storm tracking and modeling technology to study storm patterns and precipitation. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-activity-deadly-flooding/">Heavy flooding</a> and storm frequency are both predicted to increase by the end of the 21st century which could cause widespread devastation and severe economic losses unless greenhouse gas emissions are reduced. 

“It is expected that precipitation extremes will increase in intensity and frequency in a warmer climate,” said Hawcroft. “In this work, we have attributed those changes to the events which bring much of our large-scale rainfall and flooding.”

Reliable storm data and projection could help with informing climate change mitigation strategies according to the researchers.

“This additional information, on the dynamical nature of changes, is important since it provides clear information on the nature and impact of the changes in precipitation that can be used, for example, in policymaking and adaptation planning.”

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

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Major storm flooding to triple in frequency in North America, Europe

By the end of this century, storms with heavy flooding...

New species of microbes discovered in the Guaymas Basin in the Gulf of California could play an essential role in reducing greenhouse gas concentrations in the ocean.

The discovery, which was published in the journal Nature Communications, shows that there is much to be learned from microbes and that there are whole worlds of new species waiting to be explored and identified. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://utmsi.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin’s Marine Science Institute</a> explored microbial communities living in deep-sea sediments in the Guaymas Basin 2,000 meters below the surface. 

Water temperature at those depths is extremely hot, measuring around 200 degrees Celsius in some areas due to undersea volcanic activity. 

The researchers collected and analyzed sediment samples and were able to identify and map 551 microbes, some of which were wholly new discoveries and represent new branches on the tree of life. 

Nearly two dozen new types of microbes were discovered within the sediments, and like other microbial communities living in harsh and extreme environments, the Guaymas Basin microbes depend on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cave-organisms-methane-gas/">methane and butane as energy sources</a>. 

Because of these pollutant-eating abilities, the researchers think that the newly discovered microbes could one day help clean up oil spills.

[caption id="attachment_1863117" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/deep-sea.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1863117" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/deep-sea-1024x768.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="525" /></a> Image Credit: Brett Baker/University of Texas at Austin[/caption]

“This shows the deep oceans contain expansive unexplored biodiversity, and microscopic organisms there are capable of degrading oil and other harmful chemicals,” said Brett Baker, the lead researcher for the study. “Beneath the ocean floor huge reservoirs of hydrocarbon gases--including methane, propane, butane and others--exist now, and these microbes prevent greenhouse gases from being released into the atmosphere.”

Baker and his team have so far conducted the largest ever genomic sampling of the Guaymas Basin, but there are likely many more new microbes yet to be discovered. 

“We think that this is probably just the tip of the iceberg in terms of diversity in the Guaymas Basin,” said Baker. “So, we're doing a lot more DNA sequencing to try to get a handle on how much more there is. This paper is really just our first hint at what these things are and what they are doing.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Brett Baker/University of Texas at Austin

Newly discovered deep-sea microbes feed on greenhouse gasses

New species of microbes discovered in the Guaymas Basin in...

The <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">Met Office</a> just released its UK Climate Projections 2018 (UKCP18) report, which is providing an unprecedented account of how climate change could affect Britain. If global warming is not urgently addressed, the UK could face “devastating impacts” in the coming decades, including a dramatic rise in summer heat and winter flooding.

The comprehensive report follows the latest installment of the U.S. National Climate Assessment, which projects an increasing risk to the health and well-being of Americans if human-induced <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-american-economy/">climate change</a> continues at the current rate. 

The forecast from UKCP18 is equally grim, warning that average summer temperatures in the UK will be up to 5.4 degrees Celsius hotter by 2070 if harmful emissions remain high. In addition, the winter season will be up to 4.2 degrees Celsius warmer. The experts also found that the likelihood of heatwaves that compare to summer 2018 could reach 50 percent by 2050.

The researchers estimate that by 2070 the average summer rainfall will decline across the UK by as much as 47 percent, while winter precipitation will increase by up to 35 percent. Sea-level rise is also extremely threatening under a high-emission scenario, with the potential to increase by 3.7 feet within this century. 


“These projections from leading UK scientists build on last month's report from climate experts, highlighting the stark reality that we must do more to tackle climate change in order to avoid devastating impacts on our health and prosperity,” said Claire Perry, who is the Minister for Energy and Clean Growth.

“We are already leading the world in the fight against climate change but we cannot be complacent. As we look towards crucial global climate talks in Poland next week, it is clear that now, more than ever, is the time for collective and ambitious action to tackle this urgent challenge."

Environment Secretary Michael Gove spoke during the official launch of UKCP18 at the Science Museum.

“There is perhaps no area of public policy where scientific rigor is required in shaping policy making than in dealing with the challenge of climate change,” said Gove. “Today, as we launch the fourth generation of our UK Climate Projections, it is clear that the planet and its weather patterns are changing before our eyes.” 

“Just since 2000, sea levels have risen around six centimeters, based on a global-average rise of 3.2mm a year. Our seas are storing increasing amounts of heat - around half of all ocean warming has occurred since 1997. Even as we take action to slow carbon dioxide pollution now, physics dictates that the climate will keep heating up for decades to come.”

Gove said that climate change is causing increasing threats to food security, water security, and national security. He explained that governments have a responsibility to plan for the worst case scenarios.

“It is, of course, impossible for anyone to predict the future with absolute certainty,” said Gove. “But we in the UK are fortunate to have climate scientists whose knowledge and experience are world-leading.” 

“In producing this first major update of climate projections for nearly 10 years, they have given governments, local authorities, land managers, national infrastructure bodies and other businesses an invaluable set of tools with which to assess the nature and scale of challenges, and make decisions accordingly…” 

“It is because we know further climate changes are inevitable - notwithstanding strenuous international efforts to limit their extent - that we are planning for a wide range of possible futures. It would be irresponsible in the circumstances to do otherwise.”

--

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>

UK climate projections show dramatic summer heat, winter flooding

The Met Office just released its UK Climate Projections 2018...

As we <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-american-economy/">reported</a> last week, the fourth installment of the <a href="https://nca2018.globalchange.gov/chapter/1/">National Climate Assessment</a> was released on Friday, and the conclusion is that climate change will increasingly alter life as we know it in the United States. Major disturbances associated with climate change such as wildfires and flooding will continue to threaten the well-being of Americans.

“Earth’s climate is now changing faster than at any point in the history of modern civilization, primarily as a result of human activities,” wrote the researchers. “The impacts of global climate change are already being felt in the United States and are projected to intensify in the future - but the severity of future impacts will depend largely on actions taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the changes that will occur.”

Despite the fact that the federal report is the result of a collaboration among more than 300 of the nation's top scientists and 13 federal agencies, some members of the Trump administration are downplaying the findings by insisting that the models used for the assessment were not accurate enough. 

Outside of the White House on Monday, President Trump commented on the assessment, “I’ve seen it, I’ve read some of it, and... it’s fine.” When a reporter asked him about the finding that the economic impact of climate change could be devastating for the country, Trump added, “Yeah, I don’t believe it.”

According to <a href="http://time.com/">Time Magazine</a>, the Trump administration may have even purposefully interfered with the timing of the document's release, which was originally scheduled for the middle of December. The decision to publish the report on Black Friday, a busy shopping day when many Americans are oblivious to the news, seems to have been a premeditated move, but officials refused to comment.

Local communities are already witnessing firsthand the devastation that can be caused by global warming, and the federal report finds that future climate change will cost the American economy hundreds of billions of dollars a year without immediate action. The experts explain that the decisions we make today “determine risk exposure for current and future generations and will either broaden or limit options to reduce the negative consequences of climate change.”

Regardless of the urgency conveyed in the report, however, President Trump blatantly refuses to give any credibility to climate science. In addition to understating the issues, the Trump administration is even challenging many of the most important policies designed to address climate change such as the Clean Air Act.

Nathaniel Keohane of the Environmental Defense Fund told <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/">USA Today</a>, “It is worth nothing that the report was released by an administration that has persistently ignored the warnings of scientists, economists, businesses and community leaders that corroborate the report’s findings.”

“As long as government leaders sit on their hands, Americans will suffer for generations to come. The evidence is clear: the Trump administration is failing to protect the American people.”
--
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>

Trump publicly denies the findings of a federal climate report

As we reported last week, the fourth installment of the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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

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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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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

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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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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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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



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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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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



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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



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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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