The scorching heatwaves we experience, the wildfires that rage across nations, and the invisible carbon dioxide that fills the air are severely impacting our planet.



In 2023, the world saw extreme heatwaves that fueled substantial wildfires and induced severe droughts across the globe. 



What's more, these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fast-wildfires-are-gaining-even-more-speed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">adverse conditions</a> significantly weakened the land's ability to absorb atmospheric carbon. 



The result? A notable surge in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, growing the scale of concern about accelerating climate change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-and-atmospheric-carbon">Heat and atmospheric carbon </h2>



Data from Hawaii's <a href="https://gml.noaa.gov/obop/mlo/aboutus/aboutus.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mauna Loa Observatory</a> showed that atmospheric carbon concentrations skyrocketed by an alarming 86% in 2023 compared to 2012. This increase sets a new record high since tracking of these levels began in 1958.



Interestingly, the rise in carbon dioxide levels cannot solely be pointed towards fossil fuel emissions. These, it seems, only rose by roughly 0.6 percent.



So, what's the primary culprit behind the spike in emissions? It's likely due to weakened <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-fire-risk-has-grown-exponentially-in-a-hotter-climate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon absorption</a> by natural ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-weakened-carbon-sink">Weakened carbon sink </h2>



An international team of scientists backed by the <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Extreme_heat_weakens_land_s_power_to_absorb_carbon" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a> Science for Society Near-Realtime Carbon Extremes project - along with the Climate Change Initiative RECCAP-2 project - set out to investigate the root causes of this event.



The experts used global vegetation models and satellite data to expedite a carbon budget report for 2023.



Land typically absorbs about one-third of human-generated carbon dioxide emissions. However, in 2023, this absorption capacity fell to a mere one-fifth of its usual level, marking the weakest performance by land carbon sink in two decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extreme-heat-and-carbon-storage-capacity">Extreme heat and carbon storage capacity </h2>



“Our research shows that 30% of this decline was driven by the extreme heat of 2023, which fueled massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ultrafine-particles-in-wildfire-smoke-change-weather-patterns/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildfires</a> that ravaged vast areas of Canadian forest and triggered severe drought across parts of the Amazon rainforest," said Philippe Ciais, a scientist from France’s Laboratory for Climate and Environmental Sciences.



"These fires and droughts led to substantial vegetation loss, weakening the land ecosystem’s ability to absorb carbon dioxide. This was further compounded by a particularly strong El Niño, which historically reduces the carbon absorption capacity in the Tropics." 



The situation was made worse by a particularly potent El Niño, which historically reduces carbon absorption capacity in the tropics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-emitted-from-wildfires">Carbon emitted from wildfires</h2>



Widespread wildfires across Canada and droughts in the Amazon in 2023 released nearly the same amount of carbon to the atmosphere as North America's total fossil fuel emissions. 



This finding highlights the severe impact of climate change on natural ecosystems.



The Amazon rainforest, one of the planet's most essential carbon sinks, is showing signs of long-term distress. Some regions of the Amazon that no longer absorb carbon have shifted into net sources of carbon emissions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-declining-capacity-to-absorb-carbon">Earth's declining capacity to absorb carbon </h2>



The declining capacity of Earth's land ecosystems to absorb carbon dioxide may signify that these natural carbon sinks are nearing their limits. 



They won't be able to continue to provide the mitigation service of absorbing half of human-induced carbon dioxide emissions.



"Consequently, achieving safe global warming limits will require even more ambitious emission reductions than previously anticipated," Ciais adds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saving-earth-s-carbon-cycle">Saving Earth's carbon cycle</h2>



The study also highlights that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-models-underestimate-sea-ice-melt-and-global-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">current climate models</a> might be underestimating the pace and impact of extreme events such as droughts and fires on the degradation of these crucial carbon reservoirs.



"Understanding the knock-on effects of climate change on the carbon cycle is imperative, and the two ESA study projects demonstrate the importance of Earth observation in developing methodologies to provide rapid assessment of these impacts globally," said Stephen Plummer, <a href="https://www.esa.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESA</a> Earth Observation Applications Scientist.



"These results are particularly alarming, especially considering the difficulty the world is having limiting warming to 1.5°C, as laid out in the Paris Agreement," noted Clement Albergel, ESA’s Acting Head of the Actionable Climate Information Section.



Given these alarming revelations, it's vital that we ask ourselves: how can we contribute to mitigating these effects? Can we consume less, recycle more, and seek out greener alternatives in our daily lives? The need for climate action could not be more urgent.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nsr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/nsr/nwae367/7831648?login=false" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Science Review</a>.



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Extreme heat of 2023  weakened Earth's carbon storage capacity

The scorching heatwaves we experience, the wildfires that rage across nations, and the invisible carbon dioxide that fills the air are severely impacting our planet. In 2023, the world saw extreme heatwaves that fueled substantial wildfires and induced severe droughts across the globe. What's more, these adverse conditions significantly weakened the land's ability to absorb atmospheric carbon. The result? A notable surge in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, growing the scale of concern about accelerating climate change. Heat and atmospheric carbon Data from Hawaii's Mauna Loa Observatory showed...

Last summer, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gulf-mexico-dead-zone/">dead zone</a> in the Gulf of Mexico, an area with low oxygen due to nutrient runoff, was the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/media-release/gulf-of-mexico-dead-zone-is-largest-ever-measured">largest it’s ever been</a> in recorded history. 

The dead zone reached the size of the New Jersey and since the low oxygen levels can kill fish and marine life, it's staggering size remains a major cause for concern.  

It was primarily caused by an increase in agriculture along the Mississippi River as nutrients from the fertilizers used by farmers seeped into rivers and streams and eventually the ocean. 

But a new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a> has found that freshwater ecosystems can filter out both carbon and phosphorous before the water reaches the ocean. 

The study was published in the journal L&amp;O Letters and examines the input and output of nutrients and carbon in freshwater systems. 

The researchers found that not all carbon and nutrient runoff make their way to the way ocean, and instead, the“freshwater pipe” filters out a good deal of pollution.

“This is the first study to examine what happens in the 'freshwater pipe' from the land to the oceans with respect to nitrogen and phosphorus,” said Jim Cotner, the lead author of the study.

Understanding how carbon is stored, released, and emitted is a crucial part of climate studies, and oceans and freshwater systems can act as carbon sinks. 

The concept of a “pipe model” for freshwater systems has helped shed insight on the global carbon cycle and carbon storage in freshwater.

However, this study tackles nutrients as well as carbon to see if the freshwater pipe is an effective filtering system. 

The researchers found that freshwater plants and algae process carbon that enters the watershed using photosynthesis. Freshwater systems can release carbon and nitrogen into the atmosphere if too much carbon builds up. 

The results also showed that excess phosphorus is stored in lake beds and at the bottom of reservoirs. 

Freshwater systems then filter out both carbon and nutrients so that not all fertilizer runoff ends up in the oceans. The longer it takes for nutrients to reach the ocean, the more effective freshwater systems are at filtering them out. 

“Through this study, we also learned that the fate of terrestrial carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in freshwaters is very strongly influenced by the amount of time water spends in freshwaters,” aid Roxanne Marange, a co-author of the study. “This is important because humans are continually manipulating water flows by building dams, draining wetlands and moving water around on the landscape.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Freshwater ecosystems can filter out pollution

Last summer, the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico,...

The Earth’s atmosphere has been experiencing an increase in the levels of greenhouse gases for years, and it’s not stopping anytime soon. This issue comes with a whole host of other problems, and scientists may have found yet another. Researchers from the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a>, used climate models to predict that an increase in greenhouse gases will dry out the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazon-rainforest-back-deforestation/">Amazon rainforest</a>, while also resulting in wetter conditions in the woodlands of Indonesia and Africa. 

According to the researchers, there is an unexpected and significant factor in this global precipitation shift: the direct response of the forests to higher carbon dioxide levels.

“People tend to think that most of the disruption will come from heat going into the oceans, which, in turn, will alter wind patterns,” says James Randerson, UCI's Ralph J. &amp; Carol M. Cicerone Chair in Earth System Science. “We have found that large-scale changes in rainfall can, in part, be attributed to the way tropical forests respond to the overabundance of carbon dioxide humans are emitting into the atmosphere, particularly over dense forests in the Amazon and across Asia.”

The study, led by former UCI postdoctoral scholar Gabriel Kooperman and published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>, finds that the interactions between rainforests and the rising CO2 levels will lead to an asymmetrical pattern of rainfall change occurring across the tropics. 

This cascade of effects begins with stomata – the small structures on the underside of leaves that open and close, allowing plants to take in CO2 when they need it to grow, while also releasing water vapor. When more CO2 is present, the stomata do not open as widely, reducing the amount of water evaporated into the atmosphere. 

The researchers believe that this effect, extended across all the plants and trees in the rainforest, will cause noticeable changes in the atmosphere, changing the way winds blow and the flow of moisture coming from the ocean.

“In many tropical forest regions, the moisture supplied by transpiration, which connects water underground at the root level directly to the atmosphere as it is pulled up to the leaves, can contribute as much as moisture evaporated from the ocean that rains back down at a given location – which is normal rainforest recycling,” explains Kooperman, now an assistant professor of geography and atmospheric sciences at the <a href="http://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a>. “But with higher CO2, trees and forests evaporate less moisture into the air, so fewer clouds are formed above the Amazon.”

Rather than joining with the clouds and raining over the forest, water vapor from the Atlantic moves across South America to the Andes mountain range. There, it falls as rain onto the mountain slopes, and thus does little to benefit the rainforest in the Amazon. This could lead to drought in the Amazon and warming over the forests on islands such as Borneo, Java, and Sumatra. 

The researchers also mention that the resulting droughts and forest mortality in the Amazon, along with a potential increase in flooding in other rainforests, could have a major effect on biodiversity, freshwater availability, and food supplies for the local populations.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Drying in the Amazon could lead to a wetter Indonesia

The Earth’s atmosphere has been experiencing an increase in the...

Biodegradable water bottle

An entirely biodegradable water bottle might sound too good to be true, but thanks to the innovations of an Edinburgh-based company, plastic-free biodegradable water bottles could soon be a reality and ready for consumers. 

James Longcroft invented the plastic-free bottle after launching a non-profit water bottle company, <a href="https://choosewater.org/">Choose Water</a>, as a means to provide clean drinking water to countries in Africa two years ago. 

Longcroft saw the growing problem with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-oceans-triple/">plastic pollution</a> filling up landfills and ending up in the oceans and decided to go plastic-free. 

After experimenting with different materials and techniques, Longcroft designed an effective replacement bottle that didn’t use any fossil fuels in the production process.

The paper bottle surrounds a waterproof seal made of entirely sustainably-sourced natural ingredients and can break down in salt-water in just three weeks. 

“The outside is made from recycled paper, but the inside had to be waterproof, provide strength so the bottle would retain its structure, and keep the water fresh – just like plastic,” Longcroft told the <a href="https://www.scotsman.com/news/environment/edinburgh-inventor-creates-biodegradable-water-bottle-to-fight-plastic-problem-1-4731899">Scotsman</a>. “We've managed to do all that, which is pretty exciting. It's made with a combination of natural, sustainable materials. I've just mixed some stuff together from trees and plants – they're all natural.” 

The bottle costs just a little more to make than the average price of just one plastic single-use bottle. After use, the new bottle starts to break down almost immediately and takes only a few weeks to completely biodegrade. 

The steel cap is the only part of the bottle that doesn’t break down quickly but still begins to decompose within a year. 

Plastic pollution is increasing and while researchers, engineers, and policymakers are scrambling to find ways to reduce the amount of plastic waste that ends up in landfills and oceans, plastic production is projected to exceed 500 million metric tons by 2050. 

Choose Water’s plastic-free bottle could be a major step in reducing plastic pollution and creating new ways to package and sell products that are sustainably sourced. 

 “Changing an industry will be a massive uphill battle but with the public's support we will change the way we look at bottled water',” Longcroft was quoted as saying in the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5678023/The-paper-bottle-disintegrates-saltwater-just-THREE-WEEKS.html">Daily Mail</a>. “We really want to get our bottles on shelves and into people's hands as soon as possible, if we can stop even one plastic bottle ending up in the environment it will be worth it.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: John Stillwell/PA Wire

Plastic-free water bottles could soon hit the shelves

An entirely biodegradable water bottle might sound too good to...

According to a new report by the <a href="http://who.int/">World Health Organization (WHO)</a>, over 90 percent of humans on Earth are breathing in highly polluted air. In addition, 90 percent of deaths caused by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-americans-air-pollution/">air pollution</a> occur in developing countries.

The WHO collected data from over 4,300 cities in 108 countries, adding more than 1,000 cities to its ambient air quality database since the WHO’s last report two years ago. The WHO now has the world’s biggest database of outdoor air pollution.

Air pollution has been linked to cardiovascular disease, lung cancers, stroke, and respiratory issues. 

“Air pollution threatens us all, but the poorest and most marginalized people bear the brunt of the burden,” said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, a chief of the WHO in <a href="http://www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-05-2018-9-out-of-10-people-worldwide-breathe-polluted-air-but-more-countries-are-taking-action">a statement</a>.

In 2016 the WHO estimated that air pollution was responsible for the deaths of 4.2 million people, that number has now increased to seven million annually. 

The gap in air quality between affluent and developing countries is only made worse by the fact that more than 40 percent of the world’s population doesn’t have access to clean cooking fuels, which is one of the biggest contributors to household pollution. 

“It is unacceptable that over three billion people -- most of them women and children -- are still breathing deadly smoke every day from using polluting stoves and fuels in their homes,” said Tedros. 

Besides cooking fuels, exposure to outdoor pollution from public transportation, industrial operations, and motor vehicles reportedly kills 4.2 million people every year. 

The majority of these deaths occur in what the WHO calls the Eastern Mediterranean Region, which encompasses the Middle East and North Africa as well as Southeast Asia. 

Air pollution in cities in these regions is sometimes five times more than the WHO’s pollution limits. 

Even though people are gaining access to cleaner fuels and more is being done to reduce pollution, the WHO says it is not enough to keep up with the growing population. 

“Many of the world’s megacities exceed WHO’s guideline levels for air quality by more than 5 times, representing a major risk to people’s health,” said Maria Neira, Director of the Department of Public Health, Social and Environmental Determinants of Health at the WHO. “We are seeing an acceleration of political interest in this global public health challenge. The increase in cities recording air pollution data reflects a commitment to air quality assessment and monitoring. Most of this increase has occurred in high-income countries, but we hope to see a similar scale-up of monitoring efforts worldwide.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

WHO report: 90 percent of people breathe highly polluted air

According to a new report by the World Health Organization...

Conservationists often focus habitat management efforts on one particular high-profile species, known as an “umbrella species,” with the aim of indirectly supporting other species that share the same ecological community, but a new study has revealed that this is not always the best strategy.

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a> focused an analysis on the Greater-Sage Grouse and its neighboring songbird species. Shrub mowing is a strategy used to protect sage-grouse, which require less shrubs and more grass and flowering plants during chick-rearing season. 

The team tracked the numbers and nesting success rates of three <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-deforestation-songbird-populations/">songbird</a> species before and after shrub mowing in central Wyoming. They collected data in sites that had not been mowed for comparison.

Two of the species which use shrubs for nesting, Brewer's Sparrows and Sage Thrashers, had no nests where shrubs had been mowed. In these areas, it could be decades before shrubs have recovered enough for nesting. In addition, the overall abundance of Sage Thrashers was reduced by 50 percent after shrub mowing.

The third species examined in the study, Vesper Sparrows, were found to be more abundant in areas that were mowed extensively.

"The umbrella species concept is an appealing shortcut," said study lead author Jason Carlisle. “However, when conservation practitioners go beyond protecting the umbrella species' habitat and start manipulating habitat conditions to meet the needs of the umbrella species, they risk harm to other species that also rely on those areas.”

Because shrub mowing only covered a region of about five square kilometers in this particular case, the researchers explained that the benefits would likely outweigh the costs. However, the study authors highlighted a need for improved overall monitoring of umbrella-species management.

Russell Norvell is an Avian Conservation Program Coordinator at the <a href="https://wildlife.utah.gov/">Utah Division of Wildlife Resources</a> who was not involved in the study.

“It is clear that the observed effects on ‘background’ species are not consistent across the range of potential beneficiaries, and that the assumed benefits do not accrue to many,” said Norvell. 

“It is likely these effects will persist, given the relatively slow growth rates in this arid system. While the conservation of Greater Sage-Grouse habitats across its range is likely to encompass much good, local habitat manipulations driven by unexamined assumptions or uninformed by landscape context have much to prove.”

The research is published in <a href="http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/loi/cond">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</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: J. Carlisle

Umbrella species management may have unforeseen consequences

Conservationists often focus habitat management efforts on one particular high-profile...

Cutting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reforestation-efforts-greenhouse-gas/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> is a major area of focus for a number of U.S. states and cities. Most places are attempting to do this through cap-and-trade programs, building-efficiency regulations, and increasing public transit and renewable energy resources. But there are countless other ways to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, some of which are explored in a new article published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/page/esthag/about.html">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Researchers have found additional measures cities could utilize in order to further shrink their carbon footprint, all of which are related to reducing emissions stemming from food consumption and waste. Previous studies have shown that feeding urban populations accounts for 20 to 30 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. These emissions come from producing and transporting food, as well as refrigeration, cooking, and food waste. 

In the past, much of the conversation around this idea has focused on the agricultural production side of things, but researcher Eugene Mohareb and his colleagues wanted to see what would happen if they reassessed this topic from the standpoint of urban consumption.

A member of the research team had previously conducted a review of diet-related emissions, which the researchers built off of for this current study. They pooled data from numerous sources to estimate emissions related to various components of the U.S. food system, including transportation, processing, and waste disposal methods. The team them estimated how changes in certain urban consumption practices could potentially reduce these emissions.

The results showed that increasing urban agriculture to occupy half of the vacant land in cities would only reduce food-related emissions by about 1 percent. However, switching from fossil fuel-based electricity to carbon-free energy sources could cut food-related emissions by 18 percent or more. They also found that reducing retail and consumer food waste by half would drop emissions by 11 percent, and replacing just a quarter of total beef consumption with chicken instead would decrease emissions by 6 percent. 

In short, it would be more effective for cities to focus on converting to carbon-free energy sources and look for ways to reduce waste than it would to focus on utilizing urban space for agriculture. In the meantime, we can all individually reduce our own carbon footprints by buying locally, growing food in gardens at home, and attempting to limit food waste as much as possible. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cities can change food systems to reduce their carbon footprint

Cutting greenhouse gas emissions is a major area of focus...

A report in the <a href="http://www.sun-sentinel.com/">Sun Sentinel</a> found that the destructive flooding that struck Kauai, Hawaii, in mid-April has been linked to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>. According to the <a href="https://www.weather.gov/">National Weather Service</a>, nearly 50 inches of rain fell in a matter of 24 hours, triggering landslides and flash flooding.

Animals and vehicles were swept away by the flood waters and houses were wiped off of their foundations. Hundreds of people were rescued and evacuated by buses, boats, jet skis, and helicopters. Remarkably, no one was killed or seriously injured during the storm.

A total of eight landslides blocked the main highway on the island’s north shore, and authorities say it is not yet clear when people will be able to return.

Kawika Winter is a natural resource manager who is studying how communities respond to the extreme weather events that are linked to climate change. He pointed out to the Sun Sentinel that this is the most severe rainfall event to strike Hawaii since weather was first recorded in 1905.

While some are referring to it as a 100-year-flood, Winter predicts that an event of this magnitude will happen again in the next few years, as weather patterns are rapidly shifting with climate change.

“In the Pacific Islands, we don’t have the luxury of debating whether climate change is real,” Winter told the Sun Sentinel. 

“Climate change is affecting us, and has been for some time. There are striking similarities with the flooding that we experienced on Kauai and the recent flooding in California. The warmer atmosphere is holding more moisture and that builds up until it meets with cold dry air, creating this massive unstable system, which causes what some meteorologists are now referring to as a ‘rain bomb.’”

The record for a 24-hour period of rainfall in Hanalei was set in 2012 at 28.54 inches. Meteorologist Chevy Chevalier says that it is “highly likely” that this storm broke the record, but the gauge stopped working at 28.1 inches.

Dr. Charles “Chip” Fletcher is a climate science expert and a professor of Geology and Geophysics at the University of Hawaii's <a href="https://www.soest.hawaii.edu/soestwp/">School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology</a> (SOEST). 

According to the Sun Sentinel, Dr. Fletcher said that the extreme rainfall on the island of Kauai is what can be now be expected with a warmer atmosphere.

“Just recognize that we're moving into a new climate, and our communities are scaled and built for a climate that no longer exists,” said Dr. Fletcher.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Petty Officer 3rd Class Brandon Verdura/U.S. Coast Guard via AP

Severe April flooding in Hawaii linked to climate change

A report in the Sun Sentinel found that the destructive flooding...

A study led by researchers at the <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> has found that there are clear geological signs that provide ample warning before a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earthquakes-yellowstone-supervolcano/">supervolcano</a> eruption. Models developed by the team could help inform authorities of what to expect before the explosion of a supervolcano.

“Traditionally, it is thought that eruptions occur when the pressure caused by hot magma overtakes the strength of a volcano's roof rock,” said study co-author Professor Patricia Gregg. “But super volcanoes tend to occur in areas of significant tectonic stress, where plates are moving toward, past or away from each other. That plate motion will affect model calculations.”

Professor Gregg teamed up with graduate student Haley Cabaniss and fellow Geology Professor Eric Grosfils to create a model of regional-scale tectonic stress based on the Taupo Volcanic Zone in northern New Zealand. They discovered that any type of tectonic stress impacts the stability of supervolcanoes.

“It does not matter if it is extensional, compressional or shear stress,” said Cabaniss. “Any tectonic stress will help destabilize rock and trigger eruptions, just on slightly different timescales. The remarkable thing we found is that the timing seems to depend not only on tectonic stress, but also on whether magma is being actively supplied to the volcano.”


The team analyzed conditions with different amounts of magma supply, stress, and tectonic plate movement. With any given scenario, magma chambers remained stable for hundreds to thousands of years while new magma was being supplied to the reservoir.

“We were initially surprised by this very short timeframe of hundreds to thousands of years,” said Professor Gregg. “But it is important to realize that supervolcanoes can lay dormant for a very long time, sometimes a million years or more. In other words, they may remain stable, doing almost nothing for 999,000 years, then start a period of rejuvenation leading to a large-scale eruption.”

The results of the study suggest that geological evidence to warn of an impending eruption will occur far in advance of a catastrophic event and will be unmistakable.


"When new magma starts to rejuvenate a supervolcano system, we can expect to see massive uplift, faulting and earthquake activity,” said Professor Gregg. “Far greater than the meter-scale events we have seen in recent time. We are talking on the range of tens to hundreds of meters of uplift. Even then, our models predict that the system would inflate for hundreds to thousands of years before we witness catastrophic eruption.”

“People need to keep in mind that sites like Yellowstone are very well-monitored,” said Cabaniss. “It is also important to note that our research suggests that the whole rejuvenation-to-eruption process will take place over several or more human lifetimes. Our models indicate that there should be plenty of warning.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Supervolcano eruptions are preceded by clear warning signs

A study led by researchers at the University of Illinois...

Fracking involves injecting millions of gallons of pressurized water mixed with chemicals deep into the Earth in order to break up rocks and extract trapped oil and gas. Studies have shown how hydraulic fracking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbird-nests-struggling-fracking/">negatively impacts</a> the environment, but what about the effect that fracking has on health? 

We may soon be in the midst of another U.S. fracking boom and understanding just how the process affects both the environment and people who live near fracking sites will be crucial for future policies. 

A new study has identified the first evidence that fracking chemicals found in groundwater are hazardous to the immune system and could pose a risk to pregnant women and increase susceptibility to diseases in infants. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/">University of Rochester Medical Center</a> and published in the journal<a href="https://academic.oup.com/toxsci"> Toxicological Sciences</a>. 

Around 200 chemicals from fracking water have been found in groundwater and there is a strong potential that the chemicals may end up in drinking water for people who live near fracking sites. There have also been higher reports of disease near fracking sites. 

For this study, the researchers exposed mice to the chemicals present in groundwater from fracking and found that fracking chemicals can target the immune system. 

“Our study reveals that there are links between early life exposure to fracking-associated chemicals and damage to the immune system in mice," said Paige Lawrence, the leader of the study. “This discovery opens up new avenues of research to identify, and someday prevent, possible adverse health effects in people living near fracking sites.”

The researchers classified 23 of the 200 chemicals as endocrine disruptors. Endocrine disruptors can interfere with hormones and negatively affect the body’s systems that are linked to hormones. 

“Our goal is to figure out if these chemicals in our water impact human health,” said Lawrence, “but we first need to know what specific aspects of health to look at, so this was a good place to start.” 

Hormones play a big role in the immune system and so the researchers tested the 23 endocrine disruptors on mice by adding them to the drinking water of pregnant mice. 

The team found that the mouse pups whose mothers drank the chemical-laden water had abnormal immune responses to some diseases and were more susceptible to a disease similar to multiple sclerosis than those who weren’t exposed to the chemicals. 

The chemicals used in fracking inhibited the natural immune system’s ability to fight infections in mice and the results of the study point to the possibility that fracking negatively impacts immune health in humans. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Fracking can be harmful to human immune system health

Fracking involves injecting millions of gallons of pressurized water mixed...

Istanbul, Foto: G. Kwiatek, GFZ

An international team of researchers has made significant progress in assessing the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-predict-earthquakes/">earthquakes</a> in Istanbul. Through their investigation, the experts have discovered that many small earthquakes in 2011 were the result of rising natural gas, and not the result of tectonic force.

Istanbul is a city that is well-known for its susceptibility to earthquakes due to its location on the volatile North Anatolian Fault. With nearly 15 million residents, a severe earthquake here could be catastrophic.

The team, led by Louis Geli of the French research center <a href="https://wwz.ifremer.fr/en/">Ifremer</a>, analyzed seismic data recorded in July 2011 after an earthquake occurred in the Marmara Sea with a magnitude of 5.1. 

Study co-author Marco Bohnhoff is an expert in seismotectonics at the <a href="https://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/home/">GFZ German Research Center for Geosciences</a>.

“A stronger earthquake changes the stress in the underground. This results in further shocks - so-called aftershocks - in which the stress changes are then compensated again,” explained Bohnhoff. 

The researchers found that the earthquake in the summer of 2011 did not produce many aftershocks in the area where the main earthquake took place.

“Instead, we recorded a lot of tremors at very shallow depths below the seafloor,” said Bohnhoff. “This was quite surprising, because these layers consist of soft sediment that typically deforms aseismically under tectonic stress and does not make abrupt movements typical for earthquakes."

The scientists discovered that the initial earthquake had disrupted the stress field in such a way that a nearby natural gas reservoir gained pressure and then released gas, which migrated upward and triggered aftershocks.


“Different processes come into question. Small shear fractures may have been activated, or the outgassing may have caused oscillations of water-filled cavities, a process also known from volcanoes or gas leaks.”

According to Bohnhoff, identifying the exact processes taking place below the Marmara Sea would require data from seismographs closer to the source of the event.


The team has now installed seismic instruments that can precisely detect vibrations and tensions in the Earth's crust. This will allow the scientists to analyze the risk of a major earthquake in Istanbul with more accuracy. 

“The seismic hazard and risk for the metropolitan region of Istanbul does not necessarily change as a result of the new findings. But they must be included in various earthquake scenarios to make them more realistic,” said Bohnhoff. 

“In this way, we also highlight an aspect hitherto completely ignored by the public, i.e. that the spatial proximity of the North Anatolian Fault Zone and the gas deposit poses an additional hazard potential.” 

Bohnhoff explained that the presence of large gas tanks comes along with the risk of gas leaks and explosions in the event of a strong earthquake.

Scientists have warned that there is a 35 to 70 percent likelihood of an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 or higher in Istanbul by the year 2040.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</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: G. Kwiatek, GFZ

Movement of natural gas found to cause earthquake aftershocks

An international team of researchers has made significant progress in...

The wine industry is a large and complex machine, containing a delicate ecosystem that balances the contributions of a multitude of actors, from the growers all the way to the sommelier – who just conveniently suggested you buy the most expensive wine on the menu. In short, this industry is a little more complicated than just making wine for consumers to buy, which is why wine distributors look to researchers such as M. Hakan Hekimoglu of <a href="https://www.rpi.edu/">Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute</a> (RPI) to determine how to price their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grape-waste-wine-antioxidants/">wines</a>.

Hekimoglu is an assistant professor of supply chain management at the Lally School of Management at RPI, and his publications on wine analytics are revered as highly influential by wine distributors. Along with Burak Kazaz of the Whitman School of Management at <a href="https://www.syracuse.edu/">Syracuse University</a>, he recently published a report outlining a new approach to predicting the release prices of Bordeaux wines (known as En Primeur prices). This approach uses weather information and the Liv-ex 100 index, and predicts a slight price increase this year for the 2017 vintage wines. 

“Our goal in this report is to provide insights regarding the impact of weather and market fluctuations in the release prices of fine wines and explain how analytical models can be used to determine and/or predict those prices,” says Hekimoglu.

The authors believe that this research will increase transparency in price dynamics, and help winemakers make important decisions on determining what prices to charge. This report should also assist buyers in knowing whether or not the En Primeur prices are appropriate. 

The report used data from the London International Vintners Exchange (Liv-ex), which is an international exchange for fine wine trade based in London. It predicts a 2.02 percent increase for the First Growth and a 1.47 percent increase for the Left Bank winemakers in Bordeaux — who are undoubtedly happy with this news. So if you’re looking to invest in some Bordeaux wines, it might make sense to do it sooner rather than later.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

How weather and climate impact the price of wine

The wine industry is a large and complex machine, containing...

Researchers are reporting that chemical emissions from personal care products are contributing to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/half-americans-air-pollution/">air pollution</a>, according to a new study out of Boulder, Colorado. During rush hour, the magnitude of emissions from personal care products was found to be comparable to emissions from automobiles.

Study lead author Matthew Coggon is a CIRES scientist at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> working in the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory.

“We detected a pattern of emissions that coincides with human activity: people apply these products in the morning, leave their homes, and drive to work or school. So emissions spike during commuting hours,” said Coggon.

Decamethylcyclopentasiloxane (D5 Siloxane) belongs to a class of chemicals called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) which evaporate quickly. Once in the air, however, sunlight can trigger VOCs to react with nitrogen oxides and other compounds to form ozone and particulate matter.

The researchers measured levels of VOCs such as siloxane, which is commonly added to shampoo and lotion for a silky texture, as well as emissions of benzene and other chemicals emitted by vehicles. Measurements were conducted in 2015 and 2017 from the roof of NOAA's Earth System Research Laboratory, and in 2016 from a mobile lab on the ground in Boulder.

“We were surveying the air, monitoring every species our instrument was sensitive to - about 150 compounds,” said Coggon. “We found a big peak in the data but we didn't know what it was.”


Study co-author Patrick Veres suggested it may be siloxane. Because the siloxane emissions correlated with the benzene emissions from traffic, they expected to find it in vehicle exhaust. 

When they established that siloxane was not present in vehicle exhaust, they discovered that the common denominator between benzene and siloxane was commuting. Both siloxane and benzene emissions peaked when people set out for their morning work commute, and then decreased during the day.

Because the skin care and hair products were not as potent at the end of the day, the evening peak of siloxane emissions was lower compared to the morning peak.

A recent study led by CIRES and NOAA's Brian McDonald found that personal care products, household cleaners, paints, and pesticides produced around half of the VOC emissions in Los Angeles during the research period.


“This study provides further evidence that as transportation emissions of VOCs have declined, other sources of VOCs, including from personal care products, are emerging as important contributors to urban air pollution,” said McDonald.

“In this changing landscape, emissions from personal care products are becoming important,” said Coggon. “We all have a personal plume, from our cars and our personal care products. It's likely that emissions from personal care product also affect the air quality in other cities besides Boulder and L.A. Our team wants to learn more about these understudied sources of pollution.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/toc/esthag/52/1">Environmental Science and Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Chemicals in skin and hair products contribute to air pollution

Researchers are reporting that chemical emissions from personal care products...

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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

[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



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.

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



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.

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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.

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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