Researchers from Japan and Thailand have found that microplastics are invading all three parts of coral anatomy - the exterior mucus, tissue, and skeleton. This alarming discovery may offer new clues about the "missing plastic problem."



A whopping 70% of the plastic litter that has entered the oceans has vanished without a trace. The researchers propose that corals may be the unsuspecting culprits, absorbing microplastics from the oceans, acting as a "plastic sink."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-enormous-issue-of-plastic-pollution">Enormous issue of plastic pollution</h2>



We can’t deny, plastics have made our lives easier. But <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-are-infiltrating-the-human-body-even-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">at what cost</a>? The repercussions of our reliance on plastics are becoming evident, damaging ecosystems in ways that are still being unearthed. 



Picture this - an estimated total of 4.8 to 12.7 million tons of plastics make their way into marine environments each year.



Study lead author Suppakarn Jandang is a professor at <a href="https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kyushu University</a>’s Research Institute for Applied Mechanics (<a href="https://www.riam.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/index-e.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RIAM</a>) in Japan.



“In Southeast Asia, plastic pollution has become a significant issue. Collectively, nearly 10 million tons of plastic waste are dumped annually, equivalent to 1/3 of the world’s total,” said Professor Jandang.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-extracting-microplastics-from-corals">Extracting microplastics from corals</h2>



To battle plastic pollution, RIAM partnered with Thailand's <a href="https://www.chula.ac.th/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chulalongkorn University</a> in 2022, initiating the Center for Ocean Plastic Studies. 



Led by Professor Atsuhiko Isobe from RIAM, the research team set out to explore the impact of microplastics on local coral reefs. The experts focused on the coast of Si Chang Island in the Gulf of Thailand, known for its reef flats and anthropological study potential.



Each coral has three anatomical parts: surface mucus on the outside, tissue on the inside, and a skeleton made of calcium carbonate deposits. The researchers developed a simple yet effective way to extract and identify microplastics from corals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identifying-microplastics-in-corals">Identifying microplastics in corals</h2>



The team collected 27 coral samples, discovering 174 microplastic particles which were mostly the width of a human hair.



Among these particles, 38% were found in the surface mucus, 25% in the tissue, and a shocking 37% in the coral skeleton. 



The most common microplastics were nylon, polyacetylene, and PET. The findings suggest that corals might be playing a role in the missing plastic problem. 



“Since coral skeletons remain intact after they die, these deposited microplastics can potentially be preserved for hundreds of years. Similar to mosquitos in amber,” explained Professor Jandang.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-threat-to-marine-life">Threat to marine life</h2>



The infiltration of microplastics into coral anatomy represents a grave threat to marine biodiversity. As primary ecosystems in tropical waters, coral reefs support a vast array of organisms. 



However, when microplastics invade these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-seeding-increases-resistance-to-extreme-heatwaves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">corals</a>, the repercussions ripple through the food chain. Fish that depend on coral for shelter and sustenance may inadvertently consume these plastics, leading to bioaccumulation. 



This process not only adversely affects marine health but also poses a threat to human populations reliant on seafood. The delicate balance of these ecosystems is at risk, highlighting the urgency for targeted interventions aimed at mitigating plastic pollution.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-action-is-needed">Global action is needed</h2>



Recognizing the profound implications of their findings, the research team advocates for stronger global initiatives to combat the proliferation of microplastics. 



Efforts to reduce plastic production and enhance waste management systems are imperative. On this front, international cooperation is essential for enacting regulations and fostering sustainable practices. 



Innovations in biodegradable materials and increased recycling rates could curtail further environmental degradation.



By emphasizing education and awareness campaigns, the scientific community can rally public support for policies aimed at <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-process-converts-microplastics-into-valuable-graphene-wonder-material/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preserving our oceans</a>. Continued research will be pivotal in devising sustainable solutions to safeguard marine biodiversity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-of-our-oceans">Future of our oceans</h2>



While the results are eye-opening, the team agrees that more global studies on an array of coral species are needed for a comprehensive understanding. 



“We also do not know the health effects of microplastics on coral and the larger reef community. There is still much to be done to accurately evaluate the impact of microplastics on our ecosystem,” said Professor Isobe.



The story of plastic's invasion in the oceans is still unfolding, and the role of corals in this narrative is just beginning to be understood.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0048969724063666?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of The Total Environment</a>.



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Microplastics found in the tissue and skeletons of corals

Researchers from Japan and Thailand have found that microplastics are invading all three parts of coral anatomy - the exterior mucus, tissue, and skeleton. This alarming discovery may offer new clues about the "missing plastic problem." A whopping 70% of the plastic litter that has entered the oceans has vanished without a trace. The researchers propose that corals may be the unsuspecting culprits, absorbing microplastics from the oceans, acting as a "plastic sink." Enormous issue of plastic pollution We can’t deny, plastics have made our lives easier....

A recent investigation into the genomes of yellow warblers in North America has revealed that some subpopulations are more "genetically vulnerable" to the challenges of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-humidity/">climate change</a> than others. The researchers also found that genes linked to migratory and exploratory behavior will play an important role in how successfully birds can adapt to their changing environments. 

Extreme changes in temperature and precipitation are altering habitats and dramatically impacting Earth’s biological diversity. Rachael Bay and other researchers set out to examine the potential ability of some species to adapt to these drastic changes.

Yellow warblers were ideal for this particular study because they live in a variety of habitats in North America, ranging from forests to marshes. The team analyzed genetic data from 229 birds.

The research revealed that yellow warbler populations vary genetically in different landscapes. The team closely examined the association between the genetic makeup of each subpopulation and its environment, and then compared this data to predictions of how future genetic variation may allow for future adaptation to changing habitats. 

Precipitation was determined to have the strongest relationship with specific genomic traits. The experts pointed out that this finding may explain why subpopulations classified as having the “highest genomic vulnerability” are located from the Rocky Mountains to Alaska, a region that has experienced a significant amount of drought recently. 

The team also discovered that two genes associated with migration, DRD4 and DEAF1, provide protection against the effects of climate change. The study authors pointed out that the dopamine receptor DRD4 has been extensively studied for its involvement in exploratory behavior in primates, fish, and birds. 

The experts were not surprised to find that genetic vulnerability increases as climate change projections become more severe. The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Some birds have genes that can help them adapt to climate change

A recent investigation into the genomes of yellow warblers in...

A new study from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> has unraveled the mystery of a rise in atmospheric methane over the last decade. The researchers managed to obtain a more accurate calculation of methane emissions from global fires which enabled them to balance out their methane math equation.

Since 2006, methane emissions have been on a steep incline. Methane emissions from the oil and gas industry and from bacteria found in tropical environments have been realistically estimated by experts. However, when researchers added these estimates together, the total was substantially higher than the amount of atmospheric methane being observed.

A team led by John Worden, a scientist at <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>, developed a study to pinpoint the cause of this huge discrepancy. The investigation was focused on methane emissions from fires because their numbers are constantly changing across the globe.

Using observations by NASA's Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectrometer, the researchers established that the total land area burned each year across the planet had dropped by about 12 percent between the early 2000s and 2014.

The team automatically expected that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/methane-emissions-measured-reported/">methane emissions</a> from fires had decreased by about the same percentage. Surprisingly, satellite measurements revealed that methane emissions has dropped by almost twice as much as the occurrence of fires. 

This unexpected figure was the missing piece of the puzzle that the experts were seeking. Once the new calculation of methane emissions from fires was accounted for and added to the estimates of methane from gas and microbial production, the overall atmospheric methane total balanced out.

“A fun thing about this study was combining all this different evidence to piece this puzzle together,” said Worden.

Carbon monoxide and methane data from NASA’s Measurements of Pollutants in the Troposphere instrument and Tropospheric Emission Spectrometer instrument enabled the team to quantify methane emissions from fires. The researchers found that these emissions have been dropping much more rapidly than what was previously realized.

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Credit: NASA/GSFC/SVS

Experts at NASA get down to the source of methane emissions

A new study from NASA has unraveled the mystery of...

“Oxygen is fundamental to life in the oceans,” says Denise Breitburg, a marine ecologist with the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center. Which is why she – along with an international team of scientists – have published a new paper that reveals the amount of water in the open ocean with zero oxygen has gone up more than fourfold in the last 50 years. Furthermore, in coast water bodies, low-oxygen sites have increased more than ten-fold in that same time period.

“The decline in ocean oxygen ranks among the most serious effects of human activities on the Earth's environment,” Breitburg says. Lisa Levin, a biological oceanographer at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the<a href="https://ucsd.edu/"> University of California San Diego</a> also teamed up on this project. “It’s a tremendous loss to all the support services that rely on recreation and tourism, hotels and restaurants and taxi drivers and everything else,” said Levin. “The reverberations of unhealthy ecosystems in the ocean can be extensive.”

This review paper is the first to take such a comprehensive look at the causes, consequences, and solutions to low oxygen around the world – in both open and coastal waters.

“Approximately half of the oxygen on Earth comes from the ocean,” says Vladimir Ryabinin, executive secretary of the <a href="http://www.ioc-unesco.org/">International Oceanographic Commission</a> that formed this group. “However, combined effects of nutrient loading and climate change are greatly increasing the number and size of ‘dead zones’ in the open ocean and coastal waters, where oxygen is too low to support most marine life.” As fish avoid these zones, their habitats shrink and they become more vulnerable to both fishing and predation.

However, it’s not just dead zones that are the problem. Even smaller declines can stunt growth, hinder reproduction, and lead to disease and even death. Other issues include the release of dangerous chemicals such as nitrous oxide – a greenhouse gas up to 300 times more powerful than carbon dioxide. 

In the open ocean, climate change is the driving factor. When surface waters warm, it becomes harder for oxygen to reach the ocean interior. Additionally, as the ocean as a whole gets warmer, it holds less <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-animals-evolved-oxygen/">oxygen</a>. In coastal waters, nutrient pollution from land results in algal blooms, which drain oxygen when they die and decompose. 

Along with the loss of biodiversity, people’s livelihoods are also on the line, especially in developing nations. Smaller fisheries may be unable to relocate when low oxygen ruins their harvests or causes fish to move somewhere else. Tourist attractions like coral reefs will also be destroyed by lack of O2. 

So what is the solution? The researchers offer a few potential strategies to combat this decrease in ocean oxygen. First, we need to address the nutrient pollution and climate change that are at the crux of the issue. This would include improving septic systems and sanitation, as well as cutting fossil fuel emissions. We also need to protect at-risk fisheries, which could mean creating more marine protected areas or no-catch zones. Furthermore, we need to improve low-oxygen tracking worldwide and enhance monitoring. “This is a problem we can solve,” Breitburg says. “Halting climate change requires a global effort, but even local actions can help with nutrient-driven oxygen decline.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ocean oxygen levels are declining, and it could be devastating

“Oxygen is fundamental to life in the oceans,” says Denise...

President Donald Trump has pledged to revive the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-coal-company-climate/">coal industry</a> through fewer regulations on coal mining and fossil fuel emissions in order to create more jobs. But aside from its serious environmental impact, coal isn't a sustainable industry. Even with lifted bans and coal subsidies, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/29/trump-promised-to-bring-back-coal-jobs-that-promise-will-not-be-kept-experts-say/?utm_term=.e4589a1b11cf">power plants are turning to natural gas</a>. 

By the numbers, coal is experiencing steep declines in employment while renewable energy is quickly moving to the head of the line in job growth. 

According to a new <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-10-24/health-care-stem-jobs-among-fastest-growing-u-s-occupations">Bloomberg</a> analysis of the <a href="https://www.bls.gov/">US Bureau of Labor of Statistics</a>’ biennial employment projections, solar panel installers and wind turbine technicians are slated be the fastest growing jobs in the country for the coming years. 

Solar photovoltaic installer jobs could see a growth rate of 105.3 percent and wind turbine technicians will see similar expansion with an increase of 96.1 percent. 

To put those numbers in perspective, <a href="https://qz.com/1111998/renewable-energy-is-creating-us-jobs-twice-as-fast-as-any-other-industry/">Quartz</a> reported that “solar &amp; wind jobs will grow twice as fast as any other US occupation.” This is due in large part to an increase in solar power capacity in the United States, having grown an average of 72% each year.

As much as utility companies would like to keep a monopoly on power, renewable energies are quickly becoming an economic force to reckon with. 

The Bloomberg report shows not only that the current administration's efforts to bring the coal industry back to its glory days is a largely futile endeavor, but also that solar and wind power will be strong investments in the coming years. 

Not only does renewable energy help the environment, but it may also be a dependable path for young people going into the workforce.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Renewable energy creating jobs faster than most other industries

President Donald Trump has pledged to revive the coal industry...

In an unprecedented study, a team of researchers measured the extent of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-bleaching-havoc-hawaiian/">coral bleaching</a> across tropical regions spanning over four decades. The experts established that these bleaching events are now occurring more frequently and are also significantly more widespread.

Professor Terry Hughes is the director of the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> and lead author of the research.

“The time between bleaching events at each location has diminished five-fold in the past 3-4 decades, from once every 25-30 years in the early 1980s to an average of just once every six years since 2010,” said Hughes.

The researchers are reporting that the current rate of coral bleaching is capable of completely wiping out coral reefs and threatens the livelihoods of millions of people.

“Before the 1980s, mass bleaching of corals was unheard of, even during strong El Niño conditions, but now repeated bouts of regional-scale bleaching and mass mortality of corals has become the new normal around the world as temperatures continue to rise,” said Hughes.

According to the study, coral bleaching only occurred locally before the 1980s. But now, global warming has triggered extraordinarily widespread bleaching events that coincide with El Nino Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycles.

The researchers found that tropical seawater temperatures are warmer today during cooler than average La Niña events than they were 40 years ago during the unusually warm El Niño conditions.

“Coral bleaching is a stress response caused by exposure of coral reefs to elevated ocean temperatures,” explained co-author Professor Andrew Baird. “When bleaching is severe and prolonged, many of the corals die. It takes at least a decade to replace even the fastest-growing species.”

Study co-author Dr. C. Mark Eakin of the National Oceanic &amp; Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) said that coral reefs have now entered into an era where human activities are dominant, known as the Anthropocene.

“The climate has warmed rapidly in the past 50 years, first making El Niños dangerous for corals, and now we're seeing the emergence of bleaching in every hot summer,” said Dr. Eaken.

The Great Barrier Reef has now bleached four times since 1998, including two consecutive bleaching events in 2016 and 2017, which caused severe damage.

"We hope our stark results will help spur on the stronger action needed to reduce greenhouse gases in Australia, the United States and elsewhere," said Professor Hughes.

The study is published today in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</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

Scientists urge action as mass coral bleaching becomes common

In an unprecedented study, a team of researchers measured the...

A study from <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> has found that winemakers may have to start using lesser-known varieties of grapes in response to climate change. The researchers say there is growing need for a better understanding of the wide diversity of grapes and how they adapt to changing environments.

“It's going to be very hard, given the amount of warming we've already committed to...for many regions to continue growing the exact varieties they've grown in the past,” said study co-author Elizabeth Wolkovich. “But what we're interested in talking about is how much more diversity of grape varieties do we have, and could we potentially be using that diversity to adapt to climate change.”

Wolkovich pointed out that Africa, Europe, and Asia have a huge assortment of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wine-glasses-bigger-drinking/">wine</a> grapes available, with over 1,000 varieties. The professor explained that some of these grapes are “better adapted to hotter climates and have higher drought tolerance than the 12 varieties now making up over 80 percent of the wine market in many countries.”

Despite the fact that the resilient varieties of grapes should be explored in preparation for climate change, Wolkovich said that most wine producers are unwilling to change the grapes they use. The professor said that the reason for this lies in the concept of terroir, which is the belief that a wine's flavor is a reflection of which grapes were used, where they were planted, and how they were grown. 

“There's a real issue in the premier wine-growing regions that historical terroir is what makes great wine, and if you acknowledge in any way that you have climate change, you acknowledge that your terroir is changing,” said Wolkovich. “So in many of those regions there is not much of an appetite to talk about changing varieties.”

Even if winemakers are willing to try new grapes, there is not yet enough conclusive evidence to show which particular varieties would thrive despite climate change.

“Part of what this paper sets up is the question of how much more do we need to know if we want to understand whether there is enough diversity in this crop to adapt wine regions to climate change in place,” said study co-author Ignacio Morales-Castilla. “Right now we know we have this diversity, but we have little information on how to use it. One of our other suggestions is for growers to start setting aside parts of vineyards to grow some other varieties to see which ones are working.”

Wolkovich said that proactively testing out new grapes could help to offset the negative consequences of climate change.

“With continued climate change, certain varieties in certain regions will start to fail - that's my expectation,” said Wolkovich. “The solution we're offering is how do you start thinking of varietal diversity. Maybe the grapes grown widely today were the ones that are easiest to grow and tasted the best in historical climates, but I think we're missing a lot of great grapes better suited for the future.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Winemakers might need to switch grapes in a changing climate

A study from Harvard University has found that winemakers may...

In one of the first studies to measure the sediment-water exchange that results from the variability of Arctic shelves, scientists found evidence that materials from the shelves are changing the composition of the water. The experts are reporting that the contribution of shelf-derived materials to the central <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pile-trash-arctic-ocean/">Arctic Ocean</a> has been increasing over the past decade.

The researchers warn that alteration of the seawater’s makeup could pose a threat to biological productivity and species collections. The findings of the study provide new insight into the flow of materials from the Arctic shelf and shed new light on the understudied transport processes of this region. 

Sediment-water exchange in the Arctic has several influences including shifts in permafrost thawing, river discharge, and coastal erosion. These factors are all greatly affected by the rising temperatures in the region. 

A research team led by Lauren E. Kipp of the <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> set out to determine sediment inputs from Arctic shelves. To do this, they measured the distribution of radium isotopes, which leave a unique isotopic imprint in seawater. 

In 2015, the team collected samples of surface water from 69 stations ranging from the Chukchi Shelf to the North Pole. The data was compared to a 2007 study by Rutgers van der Loeff et al. The analysis revealed that radium-228 (228RA) levels in the surface waters had risen significantly between 2007 and 2015. 

Based on these findings, the researchers derived that inputs of 228RA to Arctic surface waters are in a state of instability. They also determined that the balances of nutrients, carbon, and trace metals are increasing. 

While the two datasets cannot conclusively identify the mechanisms driving increased shelf inputs, this investigation can serve as a starting point for future research of the Arctic shelf-basin exchange. 

The research team pointed out that the continued monitoring of shelf inputs could give scientists insight into how the changing climate will influence the chemistry of the Arctic Ocean.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Arctic shelf sediment is changing the composition of the ocean

In one of the first studies to measure the sediment-water...

A team of geochemists at the <a href="http://berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a> have determined that the transition to complex life forms did not require high levels of oxygen. Simple, single-celled organisms evolved into more elaborate beings hundreds of millions of years before a steep rise in atmospheric oxygen occurred, according to the research.

“The oxygenation of the deep ocean and our interpretation of this as the result of a rise in atmospheric O2 was a pretty late event in the context of Earth history,” said study co-author Daniel Stolper. “This is significant because it provides new evidence that the origination of early animals, which required O2 for their metabolisms, may have gone on in a world with an atmosphere that had relatively low oxygen levels compared to today.”

The researchers found that the deep ocean became oxygenated between 540 and 420 million years ago, yet animals originated significantly earlier - between 700 and 800 million years ago.

Scientists believe that during the first two billion years of Earth's 4.5-billion-year history there was very little oxygen in the atmosphere of the ocean. When rocks on land started turning red around 2.5 billion years ago, this provided evidence that a significant amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-atmosphere-oxygen/">oxygen</a> was in the air, as the iron in the rocks reacted with oxygen to form iron oxides which changed their color.

Scientists estimate that this was the first time that atmospheric oxygen levels exceeded about one hundred thousandth of what they are today, but this amount was still too low to oxygenate the ocean.

For the current study, the experts wanted to identify the point in history when oxygen levels increased enough to oxygenate the deep ocean. They set out to examine the oxidation state of iron in igneous rocks formed by submarine volcanic eruptions, which produce  massive flows of basalt as the molten rock is ejected from ocean ridges.

After an eruption in an oxygenated ocean, seawater circulates through the rocks and oxidizes the iron in basalts. Before the deep oceans contained oxygen, however, there would have been little or no change in the oxidation state of iron in the basalts after underwater volcanic activity.

“Our idea was to study the history of the oxidation state of iron in these basalts and see if we could pinpoint when the iron began to show signs of oxidation and thus when the deep ocean first started to contain appreciable amounts of dissolved O2,” said Stolper.

The team analyzed over 1,000 published measurements of the oxidation state of iron from ancient submarine basalts. They found that the basaltic iron was first significantly oxidized between 540 and 420 million years ago, which is hundreds of millions of years after the evolution of complex life forms.

"This work indicates that an increase in atmospheric O2 to levels sufficient to oxygenate the deep ocean and create a world similar to that seen today was not necessary for the emergence of animals," said Stolper. "Additionally, the submarine basalt record provides a new, quantitative window into the geochemical state of the deep ocean hundreds of millions to billions of years ago."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Courtesy of the National Science Foundation

Early animals evolved without high levels of oxygen

A team of geochemists at the University of California, Berkeley...

Major cities deal with high levels of pollution from traffic, energy consumption, and carbon emissions. Often times, the more populated the city, the worse the pollution problem. 

China is well known for its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thick-haze-blanketing-china/">toxic haze</a> that blankets its populous cities in winter. In the United States, Los Angeles, and Bakersfield, California have some of the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/20/health/air-pollution-report-irpt/index.html">highest levels</a> of ozone pollution in the country.

There are mandates for recommended levels of pollution, and research has found that exposure to pollution can adversely affect cardiovascular and respiratory health. 

Sometimes geographic location aggravates haze and pollution, making prime conditions for smog to hover over an area without anywhere to go. 

This is commonly experienced in Phoenix, Arizona, which rang in the new year with dangerous air pollution levels and a pollution advisory still in effect. 

Air quality is hazardous if the air quality index goes higher than 301, and on New Year's Day in the Phoenix metro area it was 283.

As it stands in Phoenix, residents have been told to limit outdoor time and exposure to decrease health risks. 

Phoenix has dealt with high pollution advisories before, and its location is partly why the problem is so lingering. 

A meteorologist in Phoenix spoke with <a href="https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix-weather/2018/01/01/very-unhealthy-air-metro-phoenix-start-2018/994474001/">AZCentral News </a>explaining the causes of the pollution. 

“We set up this kind of situation where you can’t get pollution out of the valley,” said Mark O’Malley, a meteorologist with National Weather Service. “Being in the valley, it acts like a bowl, smoke just oscillates.” 

The holiday season also contributed to Phoenix's current pollution advisory as fires and wood burning are popular in the area during this time of year. 

The pollution will clear eventually, but it will take some time.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Phoenix starts 2018 with heavy air pollution

Major cities deal with high levels of pollution from traffic,...

A new study from researchers at the <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign</a> is contradicting what many experts believe about the cause of volcanic activity in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-eruptions-changed-planet/">Yellowstone</a>. 

The findings of the analysis indicate that a tectonic plate known as the Farallon Plate, which began descending below the continent of North America about 200 millions of years ago, may have triggered past volcanic eruptions in Yellowstone.

Scientists have long believed that a mantle plume, or abnormally hot rock that rises from the Earth's core, was responsible for this activity. 

“The heat needed to drive volcanism usually occurs in areas where tectonic plates meet and one slab of crust slides, or subducts, under another,” <a href="https://news.illinois.edu/view/6367/590721">said</a> study lead author Lijun Liu. 

“However, Yellowstone and other volcanic areas of the inland western U.S. are far away from the active plate boundaries along the West Coast. In these inland cases, a deep-seated heat source known as a mantle plume is suspected of driving crustal melting and surface volcanism.”

The “supervolcano” located beneath Yellowstone National Park last erupted 640,000 years ago, but the activity in this region dates back 17 million years. As the eruptions moved in a northeastern direction, records were left behind in the form of craters.

Because these tracks resemble the ones left behind from a mantle plume which developed the Hawaiian islands, many experts derived that a hotspot of rock in the Earth’s core must also be responsible for the past eruptions in Yellowstone National Park.

As a result of the current study, however, Liu and his colleagues have determined that the Farallon Plate is shifting the Earth’s mantle circulation. Computer simulations modeled by the team suggested that this interaction is the driving force behind the volcanic activity in Yellowstone.

“A robust result from these models is that the heat source behind the extensive inland volcanism actually originated from the shallow oceanic mantle to the west of the Pacific Northwest coast,” Liu told the <a href="https://news.illinois.edu/">Illinois News Bureau</a>. “This directly challenges the traditional view that most of the heat came from the plume below Yellowstone.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Could an ancient ocean plate be fueling Yellowstone supervolcano?

A new study from researchers at the University of Illinois...

With <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-megadroughts/">climate change</a> at the forefront of the world's attention, there is no better time than now to address how we can better protect our planet's tropical rainforests. These regions help to offset the consequences of harmful emissions by storing carbon dioxide, and release about 20 percent of the world's total oxygen. 

Rainforests are also home to invaluable natural resources such as fresh water, and contain over half of the world's species. The following is a list of the largest rainforests on the planet.

&nbsp;

The Amazon

Covering an area of over 1.2 billion acres, the Amazon rainforest is the largest in the world. This region is home to 10 percent of the world's known species and represents over half of the rainforest on the planet.

&nbsp;

The Congo Rainforest

This African rainforest stretches out over 1.5 million square miles. Deforestation has turned the region into one of the most endangered ecosystems in the world. There are five national parks in the Congo Rainforest which are designated as World Heritage Sites.

&nbsp;

Bosawas Biosphere Reserve

The Bosawas Biosphere Reserve in northern Nicaragua spans an area of over 5 million acres, making it one of the world's largest rainforests. The region was designated as a UNESCO biosphere reserve in 1997.

&nbsp;

Daintree Rainforest

This ancient rainforest, which was named after geologist and photographer Richard Daintree, is located on the coast of Queensland, Australia. At over 165 million years old, it is thought to be the oldest tropical rainforest in the world 

&nbsp;

Southeast Asian Rainforest

Stretching from India to Malaysia, these forests were once the most biodiverse regions of the world before much of the land was cleared for logging and farming. Most of Asia's tropical rainforests are scattered across the islands of Indonesia. Experts believe that the rainforests of Malaysia existed as far back as 100 million years ago.

&nbsp;

Tongass National Forest

Half of the Tongass National Forest is covered in rainforests, and the other half is made up of rock, ice, and water. The largest trees in Alaska are found here, and only about 25 percent of these trees are protected. This region covers 11,000 miles of coastline and is home to about 75,000 people in 32 communities.

&nbsp;

Kinabalu National Park

Kinabalu was the first national park in Malaysia, and was also the country's first World Heritage Site. The 130 million-year-old rainforest is considered to be one of the most important biological sites in the world with thousands of species of plants and animals.

&nbsp;

Monteverde Cloud Forest Reserve

Located in the mountains of Costa Rica, this region was designated as a reserve in 1972 to protect the forest from logging. The area is made up of rivers, rainforests, and cloud forests, and is said to have some of the best bird watching in the world.

&nbsp;

Sinharaja Forest Reserve

This national park in Sri Lanka was designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1978. 60 percent of the park's trees are endemic to the region and many are considered to be extremely rare.

&nbsp;

Valdivian temperate rain forest

Located on the west coast of South America, this ecoregion spans from Chile to Argentina. Four forest ecosystems exist within the Valdivian Temperate Rainforest, including the Patagonian Andean forests, the Northern Patagonian forests. deciduous forests, and laurel forests.

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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

The 10 largest rainforests in the world

With climate change at the forefront of the world's attention,...

Bitcoin has created quite a stir, with some people enthusiastic about the cryptocurrency while others doubt it is sustainable or even practical. Bitcoin millionaires are making headlines, but bitcoin’s value is anything but stable. 

The cryptocurrency works by offering digital tokens that people can trade for goods and services, but finding a record of any payments made is difficult because Bitcoin is not based in any bank or real world financial transaction.

You can get bitcoins as payment, buying them yourself and mining for them.

Mining is probably one of the most popular ways to get bitcoins, but the processing power needed for mining is massive, creating concerns that the energy consumption for bitcoin mining is detrimental to the environment. 

The concerns are not unfounded, as bitcoin miners need specialized hardware and software for their computers and fossil fuels are still a primary means of producing energy and electricity. 

Mining is an exhaustive process, and the specially designed software scours the internet for coins and solves complex puzzles to acquire them. The more coins available, the harder the puzzles are to solve. 

Both economists and environmentalists are now worried about the sustainability of bitcoin, as a form of reliable currency in the market and its impact on fossil fuel consumption. 

One <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/qa-growth-bitcoin-affecting-environment-52083850">ABC News</a> report found that bitcoin mining takes more energy than is needed to run a small country. 

Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/12/19/why-the-bitcoin-craze-is-using-up-so-much-energy/?utm_term=.f50e9c6871dc">Washington Post</a> reported that experts say bitcoin’s energy use is equal to that of one to three <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-nuclear-reactor-design/">nuclear reactors</a>. 

Measuring the energy consumption of bitcoin is no easy feat, and if bitcoin’s worth continues its upward trajectory, its energy impact will also increase. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Concerns arise over the environmental impact of Bitcoin

Bitcoin has created quite a stir, with some people enthusiastic...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

[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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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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...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

[sendtonews key="gRpsplpwpe-2251464-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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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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