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...

The movement of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/recycling-carbon-emissions/">carbon</a> throughout our atmosphere and the environment is an important area of study and integral for scientists to monitor for a multitude of reasons. There has been a great deal of research on the cycling of carbon in the open ocean and on land, but studying coastal waters – which border the two areas – has not been prioritized. 

Now, a new study published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19449224">Global Biogeochemical Cycles</a> has found that coastal waters play a major role in the carbon cycle through transferring carbon to the open ocean and also burying it in wetland soils and ocean sediments.

“Coastal waters have a whole set of issues that are difficult to grapple with, such as the tides affecting certain areas twice a day, and this has made it difficult to incorporate this area into quantitative models,” says Raymond Najjar, a professor oceanography at <a href="http://www.psu.edu/">Penn State University</a>. “We recognized there was a gap there and thought we should develop a carbon budget so we could see what we know and don't know.”

The study involved constructing the first known carbon budget of the eastern coast of North America from the southern tip of Nova Scotia, Canada, to the southern tip of Florida. The researchers tracked the cycling of organic and inorganic carbon in and out of coastal waters. This new modeling helps establish how coastal waters affect atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, and thus influence the climate. 

The research team compiled data from dozens of studies to determine how much carbon enters, exits and is transformed within the coastal waters of eastern North America. Their results show that, of the carbon entering coastal waters from rivers and the atmosphere, roughly 20 percent is buried while 80 percent moves out into the open ocean. They found that tidal wetlands and estuaries buried the majority of the regions carbon, despite being the smallest ecosystems in the study domain. These ecosystems combine for just over 11 percent of the area; yet bury 80 percent of the carbon. Najjar believes this is a result of the relatively shallow depth of water in tidal wetlands and estuaries, as well as the contribution of life-sustaining nitrogen to these ecosystems from rivers.

“The way carbon gets buried usually starts with photosynthesis, through which carbon dioxide is converted to organic material in the form of plankton, marsh grass, mangroves, or sea grass,” Najjar says. “Eventually that material dies and settles to the bottom. But continental shelf waters are deeper than tidal wetlands and estuaries, so there is more time for bacteria and other animals to consume this dead matter before it can get buried.”

When it comes to predicting future atmospheric carbon dioxide levels, carbon burial is an important thing to measure. Once carbon is in sediment, it has the potential to remain there and stay away from contributing to the greenhouse effect. But according to the study’s authors, the fragility of these ecosystems is cause for concern. 

“As sea level continues to rise and disturb the coasts, some of the buried carbon could be respired and released to the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide,” Najjar explains.

This means that it’s even more important we find ways to combat climate change, as this research points towards the possibility of a positive feedback loop that compounds the effects of atmospheric carbon. Hopefully, our ability to protect these ecosystems improves as we move forward.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coastal waters bury vast amounts of carbon

The movement of carbon throughout our atmosphere and the environment...

A recent study led by Andreas Schaefer of <a href="https://www.kit.edu/english/">Karlsruhe Institute of Technology</a> (KIT) is giving new insight into the potential of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/japan-risk-tsunami/">tsunamis</a> to impact tourism revenue. The researchers found that tourist loss from tsunami risk is costing beach economies over $250 million dollars every year.

The research was focused on 24,000 prominent coastal tourist destinations around the world. In order to estimate how much these locations stood to lose in the event of a tsunami, the experts calculated the beach-related business value of each destination based on tourism data, which was collected for over 10,000 states, provinces, and counties globally in over 200 countries.

“In absolute terms, Hawaii is by far the highest risk area on the globe for tourism risk to tsunamis, as it can be affected by many possible tsunami sources from Japan, Alaska, South America and other regions,” said Schaefer. “Most of the loss would be monetary, however, due to significant investment in warnings." 

 Using the tsunami simulation model “TsuPy,” which was developed by Schaefer, the scientists simulated thousands of potential tsunamis for each of 24,000 beaches. This way, the researchers were able to calculate the impacts of tsunamis that are possible but have not actually happened.

The following were found to be the top 10 tourism locations in terms of possible losses of beach tourism due to tsunamis:

1. Hawaii, USA 
2. Lima, Peru 
3. Valparaiso, Chile 
4. Guerrero, México 
5. Bali, Indonesia 
6. Greater Los Angeles, USA 
7. Phuket, Thailand 
8. Southwest Turkey 
9. Bio-Bio, Chile 
10. Puntarenas, Costa Rica

“Every country is different, and it depends on the location and size of the country,” said Schaefer. “In some past events, such as in the Indian Ocean, significant numbers of tourists stayed away from the entire region and prices decreased, due to beach loss, hotel damage and infrastructure issues.”


“In comparison to the significant rewards beach tourism offers globally, tsunami risk seems small, however, for those locations that are hit, the losses can be devastating.”

Andreas Schaefer presented this research and released a global tourism destination risk index for tsunamis at the 2018 Annual Conference of the European Geosciences Union (EGU) in Vienna.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tsunami risk costing tourist destinations hundreds of millions

A recent study led by Andreas Schaefer of Karlsruhe Institute...

Living my whole life in Wyoming, western Colorado, South Dakota and now Arizona, it’s been hard for me to think of hunting as relatively unpopular.  Outside of larger cities in those states, I’ve always been in a small minority as a vegetarian, even among those who care for wild life. 

Working at a gunpowder factory, I heard everything from stories of deer hunting at the tragic poaching of a Big Horn sheep to threats of shooting crows settled on the buildings.  Growing up, I heard plenty of people in high school talk of plinking away at prairie dogs for fun and the moral rectitude of killing coyotes merely for being coyotes. 

But things have changed from my early childhood until now.  Vegetarian restaurants are more common and even in the most meat and potato bar and grills, it’s common to have a veggie burger on the menu. 

So it’s perhaps not entirely surprising that hunting is on decline. According to a 2010 report cited in the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>, the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service</a> has seen a decline in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hunting-pressure-bears-young/">hunting</a> in 33 states over two decades, the greatest being a decline of 50 percent in Massachusetts.  The decline was measured in sales of hunting licenses. The sale of hunting licenses is usually the main funding for state agencies that manage wildlife and many public lands.  According to <a href="https://www.npr.org/">NPR</a>, licenses and taxes on hunting and fishing equipment provide about 60 percent of funding for state wildlife agencies.  Hunters require land to hunt on that is also used by birders, hikers, mountain bikers, climbers and campers. 

Along with the continued decline in hunting outlined in the 2016 <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">US Fish &amp; Wildlife Service</a> report is an increase in fishing and wildlife viewing.  40 percent of Americans participated in some form of wildlife viewing in 2016.  There were 35.8 million anglers fishing in the US in 2016, with an increase of 8 percent from 2011 to 2016.  There were only 11.5 million hunters cited in the report but an amazing 86.0 million wildlife viewers. 

Beyond wildlife recreation, there are plenty of other nature related, outdoor activities.  Rock climbing, mountain biking, kayaking, casual hiking or even back packing aren’t necessarily wildlife related activities.  The numbers also don’t include people collecting wild mushrooms or flowers. 

Hunters are quick to point out their importance, especially how hunting revenue has paid for restoration of wildlife.  The other side of the story of course is that hunting decimated wildlife to begin with. Another complicating detail is that often hunters and advocate groups flex political muscle, making wildlife management what they want it to be.  Big Horn sheep were reintroduced into the Santa Catalina mountains north of Tucson, but when mountain lions preyed on the sheep, they were killed by Arizona Game and Fish. There are other places were sheep were introduced to places with little to no historical evidence of their previous existence.  Mountain Lions were again killed to protect populations of bighorns introduced largely because of hunter advocacy. Moose were introduced near my hometown of Grand Junction Colorado in a place they’d never lived before largely to satisfy the desire of locals to hunt moose. Of course, the idea is also to bring in outsiders and their money in moose hunts.  The overall effect is that when it comes to decisions over wildlife, hunters have a disproportionate sway on policy.

Ring Neck Pheasants are native to Asia but exist all over the United States due largely to the desire of hunters to kill them. According to the New York Times piece, a spending cut of $1 million on Pheasant repopulation was noted for the state of Pennsylvania.  It’s hard to imagine how a cut in money used to repopulate a non-native bird population will negatively hurt anyone besides hunters and the pheasant numbers.  

<a href="https://www.statista.com/">Statistica.com</a> shows an increase in Americans surveyed who said they went hiking or backpacking in the last 12 months.  In the spring of 2008, 29.23 million people said they went hiking, that number grew to 47.2 million people in 2017.  

A study done by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources in August 2014 showed that there is a statistically significant difference in attitudes between hunters and non-hunters on wolves.  Non-hunters had a significantly better view of wolves than hunters. In my experience, this difference in views also extends to mountain lions, deer and coyotes. 

As hunting declines in popularity, it seems that state wildlife management will become less necessary, or at the very least, it’s goals should change. With less pheasant hunters, there should be less spent on pheasant introduction (if it should ever have been spent to begin with).  With less deer hunters, wolves become more important to maintain deer in reasonable numbers, and if the Wisconsin survey is to be believed, attitudes may be more positive towards wolves. 

Hunting arguably does play an important role in environmentalism.  Hunters were some of the first and strongest advocates for wildlife and land conservation, but they also kept land as they wanted it, not necessarily as it was.  Hunting is also one of the few direct ways to interact with a landscape, to be part of a wild ecology.  Perhaps hunting should remain for those who want to participate, but that doesn’t mean they should set up the environment to favor them.  Hunting, if it remains, should be a matter of participating in a wilder environment and sharing it with birders, hikers, climbers and anglers.         

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The decline of hunting for sport

Living my whole life in Wyoming, western Colorado, South Dakota...

A British supermarket chain is the first in the UK to ban palm oil use in its products. Iceland Foods will replace palm oil in 130 food products with more environmentally safe oils and fats such as sunflower oil.

The company announced that, by the end of 2018, 100 percent of its own products will contain no palm oil. Iceland said that these efforts will reduce the demand for palm oil by more than 500 tons per year.

The retailer is taking a stand against palm oil in an effort to help stop deforestation and save endangered species.

On its <a href="http://www.iceland.co.uk/environment">website</a>, the company stated:

“The orangutan population has more than halved in the last 15 years and is now critically endangered with only 70,000 to 100,000 individuals remaining.”

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/palm-oil-increased-temperatures/">Palm oil</a> is estimated to be used in around half of all supermarket products, including everything from donuts and bread to cosmetics and laundry detergent.

As the worldwide demand for palm oil continues to rise, invaluable tropical rainforests are being cleared for its production. 

Iceland Foods managing director Richard Walker explained to the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> there is “no such thing” as sustainable palm oil.

“Certified sustainable palm oil does not currently limit deforestation and it does not currently limit the growth of palm oil plantations,” said Walker. “So until such a time as there is genuinely sustainable palm oil that contains zero deforestation, we are saying no to palm oil.”

Mr. Walker also told the BBC that making products with alternative ingredients will cost more, but that the added expense will not be passed along to customers. 

“There will be an extra cost but we think it's the right thing to do.”

The palm oil industry is not only linked to the issue of deforestation, but also to climate change, habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, indigenous rights abuse, and animal cruelty. In addition, the development of palm oil plantations is associated with air, water, and soil pollution.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Major UK retailer takes a stand against palm oil

A British supermarket chain is the first in the UK...

Cars at Rush Hour Driving Through Thick Smog

According to the largest-ever <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-traffic-air-pollution-asthma/">air pollution</a> study of its kind, exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) is associated with the development of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in young children. The link was found even when the elevation of PM2.5 was very short-lived.

The unprecedented investigation was focused on more than 100,000 patients. Dr. Benjamin Horne is the Director of Cardiovascular and Genetic Epidemiology at the <a href="https://intermountainhealthcare.org/locations/intermountain-medical-center/">Intermountain Medical Center</a> Heart Institute and the study's lead author.

“The most important finding of this study is that infectious processes of respiratory disease may be influenced by particulate matter pollution at various levels,” said Dr. Horne. “The exact biological implications of the study's findings require further investigation.”

The analysis included 146,397 individuals who were treated for ALRI between 1999 and 2016 at Intermountain Healthcare facilities across the Wasatch Front area of Utah.

Data from monitoring stations and also from secondary locations was used to estimate levels of PM2.5 in the Wasatch Front region, which is home to nearly 80 percent of the state’s population. The short-term incidents of PM2.5 elevation were compared with increases in healthcare visits for ALRI.


The researchers primarily wanted to establish if there was an association between PM 2.5 and ALRI in very young children, but they also looked for this connection in older children, adolescents, and adults. The link was found in both children and adults, while newborns and toddlers under the age of two accounted for 77 percent of the ALRI patients.


“The practical implications for prevention of ALRI and amelioration of symptoms include that when an acute increase in the level of PM2.5 occurs, people may be able to prevent infections or decrease ALRI symptom severity or duration by reducing their exposure to the air pollution,” said Dr. Horne. 

“Furthermore, a substantial elevation in PM2.5 may also serve as a nudge that reminds or alerts people to avoid areas and activities where other people may share an infection with them, to not touch their face with dirty hands, to be vigilant about washing their hands when reasonably possible or prudent, and to engage in other preventive behaviors that are known to reduce infection risk.”

This study is published in the <a href="https://www.atsjournals.org/journal/ajrccm">American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine</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: Intermountain Medical Center

Brief air pollution exposure gives kids respiratory infections

According to the largest-ever air pollution study of its kind,...

It’s been well-established that steep mountain ranges can draw carbon dioxide (CO2) out of the atmosphere. This is because erosion of the mountain exposes new rock, initiating a chemical reaction between the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/co2-emissions-energy-costs/">CO2</a> in the air and the minerals on the mountain face, weathering the rock and using CO2 to produce carbonate minerals such as calcite. But a new study published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a> has flipped this idea around. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> (WHOI) have found that the erosion process can also be a source of new CO2 gas, releasing it back to the atmosphere at a much higher rate than newly exposed rock can absorb it. 

“This goes against a long-standing hypothesis that more mountains mean more erosion and weathering, which means an added reduction of CO2,” says Jordon Hemingway, a postdoctoral fellow at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> and lead author of the paper. “It turns out it's much more complicated than that.”

The research team studied the central range in Taiwan, one of the most erosion-heavy mountain chains in the world. The steep mountain range is exposed to more than three significant typhoons every year, which erode the soil and rock through powerful winds and rain. They analyzed samples of soil, bedrock, and river sediments from these mountains, looking for signs of organic carbon in the rock. Their ensuing discovery was quite the shock.

“At the very bottom of the soil profile, you have basically unweathered rock,” explains Hemingway. “As soon as you hit the base of the soil, layer, though, you see rock that’s loose but not yet fully broken down, and at this point the organic carbon present in the bedrock seems to disappear entirely.” Around this point in the soil, the researchers also found an increased presence of lipids known to come from bacteria. The extra CO2 is actually a byproduct of microbes in the soil that “eat” ancient sources of organic carbon that are trapped in the rock. As the microbes metabolize these minerals, they release CO2.

The researchers don’t yet know exactly which bacteria are responsible for this action, but they note that determining this will be the “next step” in their research. They also note that the total level of CO2 released by the microbes isn’t significant enough to cause any immediate impact on climate change. These processes only have an impact on geological time scales. But this research may lead to a better understanding of how the lithospheric – or mountain-based – carbon cycles work. This in turn could help scientists determine how CO2 has been regulated since the Earth was first formed.

“Looking backwards, we’re most interested in how these processes managed to keep the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere more or less stable over millions of years. It allowed Earth to have the climate and conditions it’s had – one that has promoted the development of complex life forms,” says Hemingway. “Throughout our Earth’s history, CO2 has wobbled over time, but has remained in that stable zone. This is just an update of the mechanism of geological processes that allows that to happen.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Robert Hilton, Durham University

Erosion of steep mountains may be adding CO2 to our atmosphere

It’s been well-established that steep mountain ranges can draw carbon...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> (ESA) have discovered a second magnetic field surrounding the Earth using a trio of satellites, which are collectively known as the Swarm constellation. 

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/magnetic-field-solar-radiation/">magnetic field</a> is thought to be created by electrical currents in the planet's core as heat escapes. Ocean circulation leaves a magnetic signature as do liquids within the crust of the Earth itself. This barrier protects the planet from cosmic rays and solar wind.

The Swarm mission, which was launched by ESA in 2013, has been providing scientists with high-resolution details about the evolution and transformation of Earth's magnetic field. The satellites are so precise, in fact, that they have now revealed a second geomagnetic field.

As if the main shield is not mysterious enough, the second magnetic field is much smaller and even more elusive than the first.

“It's a really tiny magnetic field,” Olsen explained to <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a> reporter Jonathan Amos. “It's about 2 – 2.5 nanotesla at satellite altitude, which is about 20,000 times weaker than Earth's global magnetic field.”

The details tracked by the Swarm satellites deliver measurements that may help scientists understand both the past and future of the Earth's climate.

As ocean tides are influenced by the gravitational pull of the moon, their signals stand out. According to Olsen, the newly-discovered magnetic field provides “a truly global picture of how the ocean flows at all depths.”

“Since oceans absorb heat from the air, tracking how this heat is being distributed and stored, particularly at depth, is important for understanding our changing climate,” he explained.

Olsen presented this groundbreaking research at the <a href="https://www.egu2018.eu/">2018 European Geosciences Union General Assembly</a> (EGU2018) in Vienna.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists find a second magnetic field surrounding Earth

Researchers at the European Space Agency (ESA) have discovered a...

Droughts are predicted to become more frequent and more intense in many regions of the world, and researchers are reporting that droughts will have an increasing impact on bees. 

A field experiment conducted by scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> demonstrated that drought roughly halved the overall number of flowers. This is a substantial reduction in the amount of food available for bees and other pollinators.

“The plants we examined responded to drought in various ways, from producing fewer flowers to producing flowers that contained no nectar,” said lead researcher Ben Phillips.  

“But overall there was a very clear reduction in the number of flowers that were available - and obviously this means less food for flower-visiting insects such as bees.”


<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hive-bound-bees-pesticides/">Bees</a> are already facing a number of threats including the spread of diseases and alien species, habitat loss, and exposure to harmful pesticides.

“Not only are these insects vital as pollinators of crops and wild plants, but they also provide food for many birds and mammals,” said co-lead author Dr. Ros Shaw.

The study was focused on three species of flowering plants on chalk grassland, which is an important habitat for UK pollinator species.

“Previous studies of the impacts of drought on flowers and bees have looked at individual species, often in the laboratory, but we used an experiment with rain shelters to examine the effects on real communities of plant species living in chalk grassland,” said study co-author Dr Ellen Fry.

“The level of drought that we looked at was calculated to be a rare event, but with climate change such droughts are expected to become much more common.”


The researchers warned that the results of this investigation are most likely applicable to other regions and habitats in addition to chalk grasslands.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</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: University of Exeter

Droughts found to be a growing threat for bee populations

Droughts are predicted to become more frequent and more intense...

Researchers are reporting that the 100th meridian west, the longitude that forms an invisible boundary between the humid eastern United States and the arid western plains, is gradually shifting eastward due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/political-split-climate-change/">climate change.</a>

According to two recent studies, the dry climate of the West is expanding into the Midwest and will impact the future of farming and other pursuits. The experts have also established that this divide across North America is actually very real, with distinctive populations and agriculture on each side.

American geologist and explorer John Wesley Powell identified the 100th meridian in 1878. While the location of this longitudinal line is exact, the boundary that it represents is much more gradual.

In 1890, Powell wrote: “Passing from east to west across this belt a wonderful transformation is observed. On the east a luxuriant growth of grass is seen, and the gaudy flowers of the order Compositae make the prairie landscape beautiful.”

“Passing westward, species after species of luxuriant grass and brilliant flowering plants disappear; the ground gradually becomes naked, with bunch grasses her and there; now and then a thorny cactus is seen, and the yucca plant thrusts out its sharp bayonets.” 

Richard Seager is a climate scientist at Columbia University's <a href="http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/">Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory</a> and the lead author of both studies.

“Powell talked eloquently about the 100th meridian, and this concept of a boundary line has stayed with us down to the current day,” said Seager. “We wanted to ask whether there really is such a divide, and whether it's influenced human settlement." 

Global-scale wind patterns cause rainfall to sharply decline to the west of the divide, while rainfall significantly increases east of the line. Powell explained that the drier conditions of the western plains are primarily due to the proximity of the Rocky Mountains, which block the majority of the moisture coming in from the Pacific Ocean.

Seager's team has now identified two other contributing factors to the arid climate in the West. In the wintertime, Atlantic storms transfer an abundance of moisture into the eastern plains and into the Southeast, but this moisture does not travel far enough to reach the western plains. In addition, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico moves northward in the summer but then moves eastward.

According to the researchers, global warming appears to be shifting the 100th meridian west to the east. While rainfall has not changed much in the northern plains, temperatures are rising and increasing the evaporation process. Meanwhile, less rain is falling further south.

Data collected since 1980 indicates that the statistical divide between the humid and arid areas of the continent has now shifted closer to the 98th meridian, which is 140 miles east of the 100th meridian. 

Seager acknowledged that there are year-to-year variations, but he said that aridity will likely continue to move eastward over the course of this century and ultimately lead to large-scale changes. 

Farms in the East will have to consolidate, and farmers will need to find more suitable crops for the drier climate. Large regions of cropland will fail, and water shortages could become an issue for urban areas.

The studies are both published in the journal <a href="http://www.earthinteractions.org/">Earth Interactions</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: Modified from Seager et al. Earth Interactions, 2018

Global warming may be shifting U.S. climate boundaries

Researchers are reporting that the 100th meridian west, the longitude...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticides-bumblebees-buzzing/">Neonicotinoid pesticides</a> are toxic to bees and hinder their pollinating and harvesting abilities. 

Foragers, the bees that travel beyond the hive to collect pollen and nectar, are directly exposed to neonicotinoids and herbicides, but what happens when the exposed honeybees bring pesticide particles back to the hive? 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.uba.ar/">Universidad de Buenos Aires</a> in Argentina set out to examine how neonicotinoids affected worker bees in the hive who might come in contact with pesticides while brushing past foragers and handling contaminated honey and pollen. 

The results of the study, published in the <a href="http://jeb.biologists.org/content/221/7/jeb176644">Journal of Experimental Biology</a>, reveal the detrimental and stunting effects that a lifelong exposure to pesticides has on worker bees. 

The researchers tested the effects of neonicotinoids and glysophates, both of which are used to eradicate weeds and pests, on worker bees. 

Learning sweet flavors is a key part of the worker bee’s function and role within the colony. 

Once young worker bees emerged from the brood comb, the researchers fed them pollen and syrup that was dosed with imidacloprid (a neonicotinoid insecticide), glyphosate or a combination of the two. The concentrations of the doses were only what the bees would encounter in the wild. 

When the bees reached 5, 9 and 14 days of age, the researchers conducted experiments in order to assess the bees’ sense of taste and learning ability. 

Each bee in the study had to be gently restrained before the researchers touched its antenna with different sugar solutions ranging from .01 percent diluted solution to a thicker syrup. Data was collected on when the bee started tasting the solution and recognizing it as sweet. 

The researchers found that exposure to the pesticides had diminished the bees’ sense of taste. 

Bees that had come in contact with glyphosate and neonicotinoids were only able to recognize the sugar solution when it was in stronger concentrations, 30 percent or more. The unexposed bees could sense sweet in ten percent sugar solutions. 

As the bees got older, the researchers attempted to train them to stick out their tongues or proboscis when they smelled a sweet scent.

Those who had not been exposed to pesticides were immediately able to learn the trick, while those who had been given contaminated pollen and nectar had difficulty with the task no matter what age they were. 

Several other learning experiments had similar results. 

The study showed that even bees who aren’t in direct contact with pesticides are affected by neonicotinoids and this can place entire hives in jeopardy. 

“The presence of hive bees that are unable to taste the sweetness of food or discriminate between scents will worsen the efficiency of beehives as a whole, possibly reducing the efficiency of pollination and honey production,” said Walter Farina, a co-author of the study. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Even hive-bound bees get handicapped by pesticides

Neonicotinoid pesticides are toxic to bees and hinder their pollinating...

The discovery of two subglacial lakes in the Canadian Arctic could aid in the search for extraterrestrial life on ice-covered planets. 

The lakes are located underneath the Devon Ice Cap, one of the largest ice caps in Canada’s Arctic and may be the only isolated, hypersaline subglacial lakes in the world. 

There are more than 400 known freshwater subglacial lakes, but these are first found in Canada and the only ones that consist of saltwater. Their hypersalinity may explain why the lakes remain in a liquid state. 

First discovered by Anja Rutishauser, a Ph.D. student at the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/">University of Alberta</a>, it was initially thought that water underneath the Devon Ice Cap was an impossibility as temperatures are below -10 degrees Celsius. 

“We weren't looking for subglacial lakes,” said Rutishauser. “The ice is frozen to the ground underneath that part of the Devon Ice Cap, so we didn't expect to find liquid water.” 

Rutishauser was studying radar data from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> and the <a href="http://ic2.utexas.edu/">University of Texas Institute for Geophysics </a>in the hopes of better understanding the bedrock conditions beneath the Devon Ice Cap. 

The radar data indicated there was water 550 to 750 meters below the ice. In order to confirm these findings, Rutishauser teamed up with glaciologists Martin Sharp and geophysicist Don Blankenship.

The results pointed to the existence of the lakes which are about 8 and 5 kilometers squared with temperatures below freezing. 

The lakes are completely isolated, not connected to other marine water sources or surface meltwater inputs. The water is five times saltier than regular seawater and according to the study, salt-bearing, geologic outcrops underneath the ice are the source of the lakes’ salinity.  

The results also point to the possibility of other hypersaline lakes or networks beneath the Canadian Arctic. 

What makes the lakes particularly interesting is the potential for discovering microbial life which could aid in finding <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-viruses-extraterrestrial-life/">life</a> on other planets. 

Subglacial lakes are excellent models for ice-covered planets and moons in our solar-system, and if microbes are discovered in the Canadian lakes it could mean life is possible beyond Earth. 

“If there is microbial life in these lakes, it has likely been under the ice for at least 120,000 years, so it likely evolved in isolation,” said Rutishauser. “If we can collect a sample of the water, we may determine whether microbial life exists, how it evolved, and how it continues to live in this cold environment with no connection to the atmosphere.”

Further examination of the lakes are necessary and the researchers will partner with <a href="http://www.westonfoundation.org/">The W. Garfield Weston Foundation</a> and conduct a detailed geophysical survey of the Devon Ice Cap later this spring. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Anja Rutishauser

Subglacial lakes could help the search for extraterrestrial life

The discovery of two subglacial lakes in the Canadian Arctic...

A man-made oyster reef near Coffee Island in Mobile Bay, Alabama, a site of oyster reef restoration led by The Nature Conservancy. The Nature Conservancy’s Gulf of Mexico Program is a partnership among our five Gulf State Chapters to accomplish conserva

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/map-impact-climate-change/">climate change</a> increases the risk of flooding along the Gulf Coast of the United States, researchers have found that oyster reef and marsh restoration projects could cost effectively reduce this risk. The study revealed that these solutions could save over $50 billion in flood damages across the region.

Oyster reefs, coastal wetlands, barrier islands, and beach dunes provide coastal protection by weakening wave energy, trapping sediments, and reducing the force of storm surge.

The experts analyzed the cost effectiveness of nature-based and artificial solutions for flood reduction across the Gulf of Mexico. They established wetland and reef restoration could generate benefit-to-cost ratios greater than seven to one. In other words, the projects would produce more than $7 in flood-reduction benefits for every $1 spent on restoration.

Some of the other artificial solutions investigated, such home elevation or levees, have benefit-to-cost ratios near or below one-to-one. While these types of solutions can be very beneficial, they are expensive to implement.

The researchers estimated the flood risks to both people and property for the entire Gulf Coast under current and future climate scenarios and economic growth projections. They determined that future flood risks from coastal hazards will increase, and that coastal development is a major driver of risk along the Gulf of Mexico. As more people and property are exposed to coastal hazards, the flood risk grows.

The research team also found that events causing $100 billion dollars in damage could become three times as frequent in the coming decades.

Study lead author Michael Beck is a research professor at <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California Santa Cruz</a> and the lead marine scientist at the Nature Conservancy.

“We show that nature-based measures for flood reduction can be considered right alongside artificial or gray measures such as seawalls in industry-based benefit-cost models,” said Beck. “This removes a major impediment for engineers, insurers, and risk management agencies for building coastal resilience more naturally.”

According to the study, nature-based solutions alone could help prevent more than 45 percent of the climate risk over the course of twenty years with a savings of over $50 billion in flood damages.

The research team has developed software  that includes interactive maps showing the cost effectiveness of nature-based solutions under future climate and development scenarios. The open-source software is available at <a href="http://coastalresilience.org/">coastalresilience.org</a>.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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: The Nature Conservancy

Gulf coast restoration could avert $50 billion in flood damages

As climate change increases the risk of flooding along the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

[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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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