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...

A peace treaty in Colombia may have ended decades of violence, but scientists are warning that the pact has also led to mass deforestation across some of the most biodiverse regions in the world.

For 52 years, civil war in Colombia displaced more than seven million people and claimed at least 220, 000 lives. This war ended with a peace deal in 2016, which was a formal agreement between the Colombian government and guerrilla groups including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). 

While the war was ongoing, a region of Colombia known as the Andes-Amazon “biodiversity bridge” was controlled by FARC soldiers and was essentially too dangerous to enter.


The region is referred to as a “bridge” because it links the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/taller-older-rainforests-drought/">Amazon rainforest</a> to the Andes and contains hugely significant ecosystems. The area, which spans three national parks, is home to thousands of exotic species. Some of these rare animals have existed here for as long as 22 million years.


After the FARC soldiers were disarmed, large landowners began clearing the forest at an alarming rate to make way for farms and for the illegal growth of coca crops. In 2017 alone, 219,973 hectares of forest were lost from the region, according to official Colombian sources.

Experts and conservationists from Colombia and the UK are urging the new government in Colombia to formally protect the area and to take immediate action to stop the deforestation and development.


Study co-author Chris Jiggins is a professor of Evolutionary Biology at <a href="https://www.sjc.edu/">St John's College</a>,

“This is a critical moment for Colombia - there are new threats to these areas but there's still some forest left,” said Professor Jiggins. 

“The systematic clearance of trees breaks an important link between the Andes and the Amazon that has played a vital role in the evolution of animals and plants. But if action is taken sooner rather than later we could preserve the area and maintain links between these irreplaceable ecosystems."

Study first author Dr. Nicola Clerici is an associate professor at the <a href="http://www.urosario.edu.co/">Universidad del Rosario</a> in Colombia.

“We are appealing for the attention of international conservation organizations and Governments to funnel both research and development funds and resources to promote and nourish projects focused on the preservation and sustainable management of this strategic Andes-Amazon bridge,” said Dr. Clerici.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1755263x">Conservation Letters</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: Chris Jiggins

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Colombian peace treaty ends violence but prompts deforestation

A peace treaty in Colombia may have ended decades of...

A team of scientists has been investigating the behavior of low-lying marine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-sunny-fire-danger/">clouds</a> over the southeast Atlantic Ocean. The experts have observed a large clearing in cloud coverage off the coast of subtropical Africa, which they believe is being caused by a type of wave mechanism and not just by the wind.

Study co-author David Mechem is an associate professor of Geography and Atmospheric Science at the <a href="https://ku.edu/">University of Kansas</a>.

“Low clouds are important because they help cool the climate,” said Professor Mechem. “These are huge sheets of white clouds that reflect sunlight back to space. When we try to do climate predictions for 50 years in the future, it's important to get these clouds right.”


The team, which also included lead author Sandra Yuter and colleagues from <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a>, has been collaborating on research for the past few years. 

The focus of the study recently shifted to solving the mystery of reduced cloud cover in the southeast Atlantic. Due to a lack of observations across this region, the analysis was based primarily on satellite data.

“This is what we stumbled into - dramatic clearing events,” said Professor Mechem. “We fixated on this because of its potential importance for climate models to represent this feature.”

“What we think is going on is that the air flow from land to ocean overnight is triggering atmospheric waves that then move west.”

During the day, the land along the southwest African coast heats up faster than the ocean, which causes wind to blow off the ocean toward land. When the land cools down at night, the wind blows back toward the ocean.

The researchers compared the wave movement to floating on a raft in the ocean far away from the shore, where you would bob up and down as the waves roll by.

“Air comes off the continent, interacts with the air over the ocean, and excites these waves, which move through the cloud field, promoting mixing and enhanced cloud evaporation,” said Professor Mechem.


Identifying the behavior across these low-lying marine clouds is important for the development of accurate climate models.


“We have to know how they will respond to a warming climate,” said Professor Metchum. “Will you have more or fewer? This itself is just a natural event, but we'll be trying to go back and see if there's any trend in the number of these events.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image: Example of a westward-moving cloudiness transition in the southeast Atlantic off the coast of Africa. (left) regional view and (right)showing detail of the sharp edge of the transition boundary.

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2018/explore-earth-your-way-with-worldview">NASA Worldview</a>

Wave movement may reduce cloud cover over the Atlantic Ocean

A team of scientists has been investigating the behavior of...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.med.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine</a> has found that greening vacant lots can have a positive impact on the mental health of people who live in the city. 

The researchers demonstrated that transforming abandoned <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-thrive-living-cities/">city</a> lots can reduce feelings of depression among residents.

Across the United States, 15 percent of urban land is classified as “vacant” and is often filled with trash and overgrown vegetation.

For the investigation, 541 vacant lots throughout Philadelphia were randomly assigned to one of three conditions including greening, a trash clean-up, or no intervention.

Before and after the trial, the research team assessed the mental health of 342 Philadelphia residents who lived within a quarter of a mile radius of the vacant lots.

The study revealed that people living close to the lots that were greened had a 41.5-percent decrease in feelings of depression compared to those who lived near the lots that had not been cleaned. In addition, individuals living near green lots reported a nearly 63-percent decrease in poor mental health compared to those living near lots that received no intervention.


“Dilapidated and vacant spaces are factors that put residents at an increased risk of depression and stress, and may explain why socioeconomic disparities in mental illness persist,”  said lead author Dr. Eugenia C. South.

“What these new data show us is that making structural changes, like greening lots, has a positive impact on the health of those living in these neighborhoods. And that it can be achieved in a cost-effective and scalable way - not only in Philadelphia but in other cities with the same harmful environmental surroundings.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen">JAMA Network Open</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Greening empty lots helps reduce depression for city residents

A new study from the University of Pennsylvania School of...

If you were asked which sectors and companies played the biggest role in increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reforestation-efforts-greenhouse-gas/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> and climate change, you would probably answer with fossil fuel companies like ExxonMobil or Shell. 

However, a new report has found that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cowspiracy-film-review/">meat and dairy industries</a> are quickly overtaking oil companies as the biggest polluters, and that carbon emission estimates from dairy and meat processing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/agriculture-higher-methane-emissions/">have been severely underestimated. </a>

The report was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.iatp.org/">Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy</a> in Minnesota and <a href="https://www.grain.org/">Grain</a>, a non-profit located in Barcelona. 

It’s well known that <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2014/04/11/301794415/gassy-cows-are-warming-the-planet-and-theyre-here-to-stay">methane from cows</a> accounts for a large portion of greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture. 

Unfortunately, gassy cows are a huge driver of emissions, and this new report shows that as much 80 percent of the world’s greenhouse gas budget could be taken over by livestock by 2050. 

Already, five major meat and dairy corporations produce more annual greenhouse gas emissions than ExxonMobil, Shell or BP, the researchers found.  

For the report, the researchers examined 35 of the biggest meat and dairy companies and found that many underreported their total emissions, purposely leaving out supply chain data. 

The researchers calculated total production of milk in liters and how many tons of beef and pork the meat was reported by each company in the last year and multiplied these number by meat and dairy emissions metrics. 

The results show that dairy and meat industries are some of the biggest culprits of greenhouse gas emissions and the researchers say that companies must decrease their production. 

“There's no other choice. Meat and dairy production in the countries where the top 35 companies dominate must be significantly reduced,” Devlin Kuyek, a researcher at Grain, told the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5967163/Meat-dairy-industry-course-contribute-global-pollution-levels-OIL.html">Daily Mail</a>. “These corporations are pushing for trade agreements that will increase exports and emissions, and they are undermining real climate solutions like agroecology that benefit farmers, workers, and consumers.”

Eight countries including the US, Canada, and New Zealand produce 60 percent of the world’s meat and dairy emissions, and companies in these countries must be the first to reduce production and control their emissions. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Meat and dairy production cause the most greenhouse gas emissions

If you were asked which sectors and companies played the...

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-happens-to-wind-power-when-theres-no-wind/">we reported recently</a>, difficulties can arise when long periods of “wind drought” cause energy-producing wind turbines to come to a standstill. At that time, the UK was dealing with a week of calm resulting in a two percent drop in power generation. 

Now, conditions in Britain have far from improved and the turbines have been still for the past six weeks due to wind shortages. 

According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5966121/Britains-turbines-producing-40-electricity-winds-disappear-six-weeks.html">Daily Mail</a>, the cause of the wind shortage is a large area of high pressure hovering over the UK. Coincidentally this is also what’s behind the unusually warm summer that Scotland, Ireland, and Britain are currently experiencing. 

“It's like a lid, it keeps everything still,” Graheme Madge, a spokesperson for the <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">Met Office</a>, told the Daily Mail. “From the forecast looking out over the next couple of weeks, there doesn't seem to be any significant change on the way.”

This month, generation of electricity dropped by 40 percent and was 30 percent lower compared to how much energy wind generated last year during this time, even with new wind farms and advancements in wind power technology in the UK. 

One good thing about the wind shortages is that it’s happening during the summer when electricity needs are relatively low. However, the wind drought and its low production has many concerned about switching all energy needs to renewables. 

If the UK and other countries are to become 100 percent dependent on renewables, then there must be strategies in place for periods like this, when low wind affects energy production. 

Although solar power was able to pick up some of the slack from the drop in energy from wind turbines, according to the Daily Mail, it simply is not enough to fully compensate for the energy wind turbines produce. 

Last year, wind energy provided 15 percent of Britain's power, twice as much as coal, but this year those numbers dropped to less 2 percent on June 2nd. 

Hopefully, as dependence on renewables increases and advancements continue, wind shortages like this will not have the same dire effect that they do currently. 

“The renewable energy family continues to perform well, powering over 30 percent of Britain's commercial and domestic needs over the last year, waste-to-energy, biomass plants, wind and solar are setting generation records and enjoy record levels of public support,” Frank Gordon from the <a href="https://www.r-e-a.net/">Renewable Energy Association</a> told the Daily Mail. “Advances in energy storage technologies ensure energy stability to the grid, storing excess energy produced by renewables such as wind and solar for periods when we experience less wind or sun.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

UK wind drought drastically reducing turbine energy production

As we reported recently, difficulties can arise when long periods...

The <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) has been in the news a lot lately, following the resignation of former EPA head Scott Pruitt earlier this month. Now the organization is making headlines again, as the Trump administration announced Wednesday that it is rolling back regulations formerly established by the Obama administration for the disposal of spent coal, which is used to fuel hundreds of power plants across the country.

Not surprisingly, environmental groups are saying that this move could have a disastrous effect on drinking water near dozens of sites. Dalal Aboulhosn, the deputy legislative director for land and water at Sierra Club, says legal action is being considered. “We are poring through the rule change see what our next steps might be.”

This relaxation of rules was petitioned for by the coal industry to the Trump administration, and was announced by Andrew Wheeler, current Acting Administrator of the EPA and former lobbyist for the coal industry. The EPA says that this rollback will save affected utility companies $28 to $31 million per year in regulatory costs.

“These amendments provide states and utilities much-needed flexibility in the management of coal ash, while ensuring human health and the environment are protected,” said Wheeler in a statement. “Our actions mark a significant departure from the one-size-fits-all policies of the past and save tens of millions of dollars in regulatory costs.”

<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-s-epa-rolls-back-obama-era-coal-ash-regulations-n892586">NBC News</a> reported that the EPA extended the time that the industry can use unlined coal ash ponds and groundwater-adjacent sites for dumping by 18 months. The regulations the Obama administration put in place in 2015 sought to phase out these sites by April 2019. Unlined ponds are considered by environmentalists to be the worst offenders when it comes to groundwater pollution. Testing standards for the amount of lead, cobalt, lithium, and molybdenum in adjacent waters were also weakened.

“The Trump administration is turning a blind eye to damage done to our drinking water,” says Lisa Evans, senior counsel for environmental group Earthjustice. “This is aimed at saving industry money instead of protecting the public.”

Coal ash is usually doused with water for quick cooling and dumping, but the sludge this produces is very toxic and can seep into aquifers. This sludge can include arsenic, lead, mercury, and chromium. Currently, the EPA says that there are 663 active ponds serving 321 plants, and 286 active coal landfills serving 204 power plants. There are also an additional 111 “inactive ponds” that no longer accept waste. About a half-dozen of these ponds are Superfund sites, while several others are just as polluted but are permitted because they’re in active use.

When the Obama administration first set these regulations in 2015, it was in response to a devastating 2008 coal ash spill in Kingston, Tennessee, where a containment dike burst at the Tennessee Valley Authority power plant and released 5.4 million cubic yards of ash. The accident destroyed homes and flooded waste into two nearby rivers. Now it seems that we’ll have to hold our breath and hope that this rollback of regulations doesn’t result in a similar disaster.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trump administration rolls back coal ash regulations

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has been in the news...

Increased <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warming-arctic-temperatures-ecosystem/">temperatures in the Arctic</a> due to climate change are causing earlier and earlier springs and negatively affecting the migratory birds that go to the Arctic to breed. 

A new study found that even though migratory barnacle geese have tried to adapt to the earlier arctic springs by speeding up their 3,000-kilometer migration and taking fewer stops along the way, the birds are still laying their eggs too late. 

Because the geese are speeding up their travel time to get to the Arctic breeding grounds quicker, they need more time to rest and refuel before laying eggs. This has led to the reduced survival rate of goose chicks. 

The chicks are not able to forage properly or survive long to migrate on their own. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://nioo.knaw.nl/en">Netherlands Institute of Ecology</a> and the <a href="http://www.uva.nl/">University of Amsterdam </a>used a combination of tracking and observational methods to follow barnacle geese as they traveled to their Arctic breeding grounds in order to see how climate change was impacting breeding times and migration. 

Every spring, barnacle geese travel from temperate wintering grounds along the North Sea to breeding grounds in the Russian Arctic. 

The researchers observed that during early springs in the Arctic, the geese who had tired themselves during their migration didn’t lay their eggs until after the snow started melting. This created a disparity between hatching times and peak food availability. 

The results were published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(18)30745-0">Current Biology</a> and show that unless migratory birds can learn to leave earlier as opposed to simply speeding up their travel time, geese populations could steadily decline. 

One problem is that the geese are sensitive to certain cues that signify it’s time to make their migratory trek such as a change in day length and vegetation greening, however these do not necessarily warn of warming temperatures in the Arctic. 

“The birds are leaping in the dark as they cannot predict, while being at the wintering grounds in temperate areas, whether it is going to be an early or late spring in the Arctic,” said Bart Nolet, a co-author of the study. 

“The weather systems in the temperate and Arctic regions are not linked, and on top of that, temperature rise is far stronger in the Arctic than in the temperate region. Only halfway through the migration, the geese are probably able to judge from environmental cues what spring will be like up in the Arctic, and they are apparently able to speed up if spring is early.”

The researchers say that the only hope for the birds lies in their ability to adapt to climate change and migrate earlier. 

There are instances of some barnacle geese making major adjustments to their migration patterns but it remains unknown whether or not if barnacle geese as a whole can change their migration cues. 

“Geese migrate in families, and young learn the route and timing from their parents,” said Nolet. “On the one hand, this leads to traditional patterns; on the other hand, it can lead to rapid adjustments when some birds experience that doing the migration differently--often induced by extreme weather events--pays off.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earlier Arctic springs are problematic for geese migrations

Increased temperatures in the Arctic due to climate change are...

The troposphere is the lowest region of our atmosphere, and is also the site of a newly identified human “fingerprint” on our planet’s atmosphere. Through using satellite data over recent decades, scientists have compiled evidence showing atmospheric changes due to manmade influences. In the troposphere, they have found that human-caused warming has significantly disturbed the season cycle of the temperature.

A new study from the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> led by Benjamin Santer details our influence on changes to the natural variability of local and seasonal cycles in our planet’s climate system. They do this through “fingerprint studies,” which are used to determine the anthropogenic effects on climate by isolating the effects of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-changed-walden-pond/">human activity</a> from external factors that also affect the climate.

Most fingerprint studies rely on annual or decadal averages, or focus on the drivers for climate change in individual seasons. But this recent study used satellite measurements to assess a continuous and near-global record of tropospheric temperature over a period of 40 years, with the goal of identifying potential human influences on the Earth’s seasonal cycles. Results of this analysis, suggesting a manmade influence on the troposphere, were duplicated in model simulations that only featured anthropogenic forcing. This provides further evidence for the human influence on climate effects.

These effects include an increase in the amplitude of seasonal variability in tropospheric temperature over most of the planet, and most drastically in the mid-latitudes. This effect was even more noticeable for the northern hemisphere, where warming in the summertime is greater than in the winter – potentially due to increased summer drying of the land surface. 

Along with these findings, the authors also highlight the importance of continuity and quality of satellite observations for understanding how we impact our climate moving forward.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human activity has altered the atmosphere’s seasonal cycles

The troposphere is the lowest region of our atmosphere, and...

The Earth’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-sea-level-rise/">coral reefs</a> are under serious threat from a multitude of factors. Almost 75 percent of the planet’s reefs are currently threatened by the impacts of overfishing, habitat destruction, water pollution, and climate change. 

These reefs provide us with an estimated several hundred billion dollars per year of goods and services, not counting the many benefits they provide that you can’t put a price on – whether that be natural beauty or their role as a buffer during tropical storms. But despite all of these concerns, very little is known about the threats that deep reefs face, the species they shelter, or the refuge they are believed to provide. 

However, a new study led by researchers from the <a href="https://www.calacademy.org/">California Academy of Science</a> suggests that these deep reefs are in dire need of protection. The researchers explored Pacific and western Atlantic reefs in order to test the widely-held hypothesis that climate-stressed species from shallow reefs are taking refuse at depths of 100-500 feet below the surface (known as mesophotic depths). 

The results of the study showed that deep and shallow reefs are actually entirely different ecosystems with their own species, and deep reefs are just as threatened by storms, pollution, and climate impacts as shallow reefs. This research – published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a> – signifies a significant shift in thinking for scientists, conservation managers, and the public at large.

“We have hope for coral reefs around the world,” says Dr. Luiz Rocha, Academy Ichthyology Curator and <a href="https://www.calacademy.org/major-initiatives/hope-for-reefs">Hope for Reefs</a> initiative co-leader. “Rather than take that hope away, these findings show us the critical importance of protecting twilight zone reefs in places we don’t normally look. We can’t ignore the deep while we throw our collective might behind protecting and restoring shallow coral reefs. Reefs – in the light and in the dark – need our urgent attention.”

The researchers conducted counts of reef species, determining which species appear at certain depths. Through this data and analysis of peer-reviewed literature, the study reports evidence that contradicts two major assumptions of the “refuge hypothesis.” One assumption has been that there is significant species overlap in deep and shallow reefs – the researchers found this was not the case. The other assumption was that deep reefs are protected from local and global threats. This new study has found that to be far from the truth.

Results of the study describe unique communities with many endemic species within these deep reefs. Even species that live in both shallow and deep reefs – which are typically top predators – do most of their feeding in the light of the shallow reefs and are not likely to seek refuge in the deep. There is a clear disconnect between shallow and deep reef ecosystems.

When several members of the research team chased Hurricane Matthew’s path through the Bahamas in 2016, they found that the storm had a major impact on the mesophotic depths. These storms can affect even the deepest reef ecosystems, choking live corals and harming marine life with sand, silt, and natural debris. Even trash was often seen at these depths.

“Deep reefs feel it all,” says Rocha. “Besides storm impacts, we saw the familiar signs of heavy fishing, sedimentation, coral bleaching, and invasive species in deep reefs. If real refuges for shallow reefs exist, we think they’re mostly far away from humans. Climate impacts can still reach them, but we’re really seeing the undersea consequences of human population expansion and increased demand for food and natural resources. Reef troubles don't stop at 100 feet deep.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="http://www.calacademy.org/">California Academy of Sciences</a>

Deep water coral reefs need protection from climate change

The Earth’s coral reefs are under serious threat from a...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/iceberg-larsen-c-antarctica/">Larsen C</a> and George VI are not the names of noble wooden ships or kings of old, rather, they are the identifiers of two Antarctic ice shelves that are currently at risk of collapsing. The Larsen C was in the news last summer due to its break-away from a trillion-ton iceberg, and its collapse would contribute roughly a few millimeters to sea-level rise. But the break-up of the smaller George VI Ice Shelf would actually have a much larger impact, according to new research published in the <a href="https://www.egu.eu/">European Geosciences Union</a> journal <a href="https://www.the-cryosphere.net/recent_papers.html">The Cryosphere</a>.

Because both of these large ice platforms are holding back inland glaciers, their collapse would mean that the ice carried by these glaciers could flow faster into the sea, contributing to sea-level rise. Using computer models to simulate the interactions between the Antarctic Peninsula ice sheet and ice shelves, the researchers have found that collapse of the Larsen C would result in inland ice contributing about 4 mm to sea level, while collapse of the George VI could potentially lead to 22 mm in global sea level rise due to glacial response.

“These numbers, while not enormous in themselves, are only one part of a larger sea-level budget including loss from other glaciers around the world and from the Greenland, East and West Antarctic ice sheets,” says study-author Nicholas Barrand, a glaciologist at the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a> in the UK. 

“Taken together with these other sources, the impacts could be significant to island nations and coastal populations. The Antarctic Peninsula may be seen as a bellwether for changes in the much larger East and West Antarctic ice sheets as climate warming extends south.”

In 2002, warming on the Antarctic Peninsula led to the collapse of the Larsen B – an ice shelf just north of Larsen C. After being stable for the last 10,000 years, this entire ice shelf broke up in a period of time just over two weeks. 

“Larsen C is the most northerly remaining large ice shelf, therefore subject to the warmest temperatures, and the likeliest candidate for future collapse,” says lead-author Clemens Schannwell, who conducted the work while at the University of Birmingham and the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a>. “George VI is further west and south, in a slightly cooler climate, but is still vulnerable to a warming atmosphere and ocean.”

Worth noting is the fact that the sea level rise predicted by the researchers’ models would not occur until around the year 2300. “In light of the increasing temperatures projected for the coming century, the Antarctic Peninsula provides an ideal laboratory to research changes in the integrity of floating ice shelves,” says Barrand. 

“This region can tell us about ice shelf processes and allow us to observe the response of inland ice to ice-shelf changes. We should view these dramatic changes in the Antarctic Peninsula as a warning signal for the much larger ice sheet-ice shelf systems elsewhere in Antarctica with even greater potential for global sea-level rise.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a>

Significant sea level rise expected after ice shelves collapse

The Larsen C and George VI are not the names...

A new survey based on satellite data from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> and the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">United States Geological Survey</a> has revealed that the world's beach shorelines have slightly increased on a global scale over the last three decades. In marine protected areas, however, shorelines have decreased in size due to erosion.

The findings of the study, which is the first of its kind, suggest that plant and animal species are threatened along the 50,000 miles of coastline where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-sea-levels-cliff-erosion/">erosion</a> was observed.

Researchers were able to gain a more accurate assessment of beaches using the data collected from space. They found that 31 percent of all ice-free shorelines are comprised of sand or gravel. Africa has the highest proportion of sandy beaches at 66 percent, while Europe has the lowest at 22 percent.


Using machine learning, a team of experts from the Netherlands trained software to accurately identify sandy beaches from images taken by Landsat satellites. This approach enabled the researchers to rapidly determine how many of the world's beaches are sandy and how these beaches have changed over the last 30 years.

Study co-author Arjen Luijendijk is a coastal development expert at Deltares, an independent research institute with studies focused on deltas, river basins, and coasts.


“It only took about two months' calculation time to generate this data set of annual shorelines between 1984 and 2016 for the entire world,” said Luijendijk. “The alternative of taking aerial images, placing the images in world coordinates, and sometimes manually detecting shorelines, takes weeks or months to capture a coast longer than 50 miles.”

The scientists found that many of the world's non-protected beaches are transforming, but in different ways. They determined that about 24 percent of Earth's sandy beaches are eroding, and 27 percent are expanding.

Furthermore, about 16 percent of all beaches are eroding at rates which are classified as “intense” or “extreme,” while 18 percent are growing at similar rates. Overall, there has been a small increase in the total amount of sandy beaches across the globe.

Because protected marine areas are not as influenced by human activities, these regions provide experts with insight on how natural processes may affect shorelines.

There are over 1,200 marine protected areas in the United States including sanctuaries and reserves, national parks, wildlife refuges, and national monuments. Many of these sites were designated to protect vulnerable plant and animal species, and losing land could disrupt the balance of the ecosystems and threaten their future.

“At this point we think the continental differences in beach erosion and accretion are largely influenced by human interventions along the coast,” said Luijendijk. “Our next steps will focus on distinguishing the human impact from the natural dynamics and trends.”

The research is published by <a href="https://www.springernature.com/gp/">Springer Nature</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a>, Spencer Kennard

Global beach erosion threatens protected marine areas

A new survey based on satellite data from NASA Goddard...

How much does the sun influence our daily or monthly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-activity-climate-change/">weather,</a> climate, and meteorological events like lightning? Surprisingly, a new study found the answers to this question in a set of diaries dating back to the 1700s. 

A collaborative research team from several universities in Japan and the <a href="http://www.nipr.ac.jp/english/">National Institute of Polar Research</a> set out to better understand the sun’s impact on terrestrial weather, and the results were published in the journal Annales Geophysicae. 

Solar activity, like the sun’s rotation, increases the number of ultraviolet rays on Earth, but it is not well understood how this activity impacts weather. 

“It is well known that long-term--centennial to millennial-scale--variations of solar activity influences terrestrial climate," said Hiroko Miyahara, first author on the paper. “However, it is not well established whether the sun influences the daily or monthly weather.”

Every 27 days, the sun rotates on its axis and when areas of high solar activity like sunspots turn to face the Earth, ultraviolet rays increase. The researchers examined a set of diaries that were kept for more 150 years to see if the sun’s rotation correlated with an increase in lightning and other weather events. 

The first diary, "Diary of Ishikawa Family,” was kept by a farm family in Hachioji, Japan and the second diary was kept by civil servants from Hirosaki. 

The researchers read through the daily logs to find any reference to thunder and lightning between May and September and found an increase in meteorological activity every 24 to 31 days. 

This time frame matches the rotational period of the sun’s axis and shows that sunspots and high solar activity influence lightning on Earth. 

“The cyclic behavior of the sun is playing a very important role in the changes of weather in Japan,” said Miyahara. 

The researchers plan to continue their research on solar influences on meteorological events and hope to one day find a way to include solar activity in weather forecasts. 

“It would improve the accuracy of the forecast, and it may even enable a longer-term weather forecast,” said Miyahara.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The rotation of the sun impacts lightning on Earth

How much does the sun influence our daily or monthly...

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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 



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



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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



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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