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For the most part, we know ocean waves to be calm, serene and even therapeutic, while simultaneously, powerful, destructive and highly unpredictable.



A new study has made an intriguing discovery -- an aspect of ocean waves that we haven't yet fully comprehended.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-swell-and-surge-of-ocean-waves">Swell and surge of ocean waves</h2>



According to this research, ocean waves can grow four times steeper under certain conditions than what was earlier believed to be their limit.



So, if you thought ocean <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pfas-forever-chemicals-sent-to-land-ocean-waves/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">waves</a> were all about their two-dimensional swaying motion, prepare to be stunned. The truth is, things are rarely as simple as they seem.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diving-deeper-in-ocean-waves">Diving deeper in ocean waves</h2>



Contrary to common belief, waves aren't always two-dimensional. 



The researchers, including Dr. Samuel Draycott from <a href="https://www.manchester.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The University of Manchester</a> and Dr. Mark McAllister from the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Oxford</a>, discovered that in the open ocean, waves can travel in various directions and don't always fit into the simplified two-dimensional model.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-3-d-ocean-waves">3-D ocean waves</h2>



Much to their surprise, the researchers found that three-dimensional <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-warming-is-subtly-changing-the-tides/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">waves</a> can grow twice as steep before they break compared to the conventional two-dimensional waves. 



Even more surprisingly, they continue to grow steeper even after breaking.



The implications of this revelation could reach far and wide. From redesigning offshore structures to revamping weather forecasting models, this discovery will make us rethink our approach to understanding the ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-redefining-ocean-waves">Redefining ocean waves </h2>



"We show that in these directional conditions, waves can far exceed the commonly assumed upper limit before they break," explained Dr. Draycott. "Unlike unidirectional (2D) waves, multidirectional waves can become twice as large before they break."



In 2018, <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07886-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a research project</a> attempted to recreate and study the famous Draupner freak wave for the first time ever at the FloWave Ocean Energy Research Facility at the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Edinburgh</a>. 



Building on that work, the team has now developed a new 3D wave measurement technique that allows a closer study of breaking waves.



"The three-dimensionality of waves is often overlooked in the design of offshore wind turbines and other marine structures in general, our findings suggest that this could lead to underestimation of extreme wave heights and potentially designs that are less reliable," noted Dr. McAllister.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-marine-safety">Implications for marine safety</h2>



The understanding of three-dimensional waves is not just an academic concern but has critical ramifications for marine safety. 



Navigational routes and deployment strategies for ships could be seriously impacted by these newly understood wave dynamics.



With the capacity for waves to grow steeper and larger, mariners must be more cautious in their operations, especially under unpredictable oceanic conditions. 



Consequently, this new knowledge encourages the development of advanced predictive models and safety measures to mitigate potential hazards for boats and ships navigating treacherous seas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-engineering-and-design-practices">Engineering and design practices</h2>



This insight into ocean wave behavior is poised to transform engineering and design practices across various sectors. 



Engineers must rethink the construction and resilience of offshore structures, including oil platforms and coastal defenses, to accommodate these newer, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ringwoodite-mineral-confirms-vast-ocean-exists-400-miles-under-earths-crust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">complex wave dynamics</a>.



The three-dimensional wave model presents a challenge but also an opportunity for innovation in materials science and structural design. 



By tailoring infrastructure to better withstand the amplified forces of these waves, we can protect valuable assets and reduce the risk of catastrophic failures. 



Additionally, this paradigm shift compels educational institutions to adapt their curricula, equipping future engineers with the necessary skills to address these challenges.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-summing-up-the-tsunami-of-information">"Summing Up the Tsunami of Information"</h2>



Who knew that the calm, serene ocean waves could offer such a complex picture! 



"Whether we want it or not, water waves are more often three-dimensional than two-dimensional in the&nbsp;real world. In 3D, there are more ways in which waves can break," said Professor Frederic Dias of University College Dublin (<a href="https://www.google.com/search?client=safari&amp;rls=en&amp;q=University+College+Dublin&amp;ie=UTF-8&amp;oe=UTF-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UCD</a>) and <a href="https://ens-paris-saclay.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ENS Paris-Saclay</a>.



With this new light on ocean wave behavior, it's clear that our understanding of the world around us still has room for surprises. So the next time you catch sight of a wave, remember -- there's a lot more than meets the eye.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-07886-z" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Ocean waves can get much bigger and taller than we ever imagined

For the most part, we know ocean waves to be calm, serene and even therapeutic, while simultaneously, powerful, destructive and highly unpredictable. A new study has made an intriguing discovery -- an aspect of ocean waves that we haven't yet fully comprehended. Swell and surge of ocean waves According to this research, ocean waves can grow four times steeper under certain conditions than what was earlier believed to be their limit. So, if you thought ocean waves were all about their two-dimensional swaying motion, prepare to be...

Climate change could facilitate the spread of diseases. New research by the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a> finds that the impact of climate change on how infectious diseases spread and affect populations could be greater than previously thought. This study – published in Scientific Reports, is the first large-scale assessment of the effects of climate on viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens that cause disease in humans or animals in Europe.

The data used in the study was compiled using the Enhanced Infectious Disease Database (EID2), a “Big Data” record that contains over 60 million scientific papers, electronic sources, and textbooks related to infectious diseases.

The researchers used this database to review published literature on 100 human and 100 domestic animal pathogens that have the most significant impact on public health in Europe. Out of the pathogens examined, almost two-thirds were found to be climate-sensitive, the majority of which were discovered to have more than one climate driver – meaning the impact of climate change on them will be even more complex.

"Currently, most models examining climate effects only consider a single or at most two climate drivers, so our results suggest that this should change if we really want to understand future impacts of climate change on health,” says Marie McIntyre, who headed the study for the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a>.

Diseases spread by ticks and other insects were found to be the most sensitive to climate, with diseases transmitted through soil, water, and food following closely behind. Pathogens spread from animals to humans (zoonotic pathogens) were more climate sensitive than those that exclusively affect just humans or animals. Currently, 75% of emerging diseases are zoonotic, which is concerning given how likely they are to be influenced by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alter-lifestyle-fight-climate-change/">climate change</a>.

The results of this study may help policymakers decide which pathogens to focus their attention on given that climate change may increase the change of some diseases emerging or spreading. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change could facilitate the spread of diseases

Climate change could facilitate the spread of diseases. New research...

Taming nanoquakes could lead to protection against earthquakes. Researchers from the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> have developed a structure that can be used to direct high frequency sound waves. Until now, scientists have had difficulty controlling the sound waves, despite the fact they are commonly found in devices such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rational-choices-smartphones-computers/">cell phones</a>. Surface acoustic waves (SAWs) move along the surface of solid materials. Also known as nanoquakes, these extreme frequency waves travel in a similar way to earthquake tremors running across land. 

Professor Geoff Nash led a research team in creating a new type of structure called a “phononic crystal,” which can be integrated into a device to control and direct the nanoquakes. 

“Our new phononic crystal design is able to control the nanoquakes with just a handful of crystal elements, making it much easier to produce than those previously demonstrated,” explained Nash.

Professor Nash pointed out that SAW devices are already found in many different technologies such as radar systems, “but are increasingly being developed for applications such as lab-on-a-chip.”

A lab-on-a-chip shrinks down a conventional laboratory to the size of a few millimeters. SAWs can be used in these tiny “labs” to perform tasks such as mixing chemicals or sorting cells. 

According to Nash, “it has been extremely hard” to create a structure that can be used to easily direct surface acoustic waves.

A detailed report on this study is published today in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>. The researchers are excited to see the future of their innovation. 

"We are confident that these results will pave the way for the next generation of novel SAW device concepts, such as lab-on-a-chip biosensors, that rely on the control and manipulation of SAW nanoquakes,” said Nash. 

“Even more remarkably, it has also been proposed that these structures could be scaled-up to provide protection from earthquakes."

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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

Taming nanoquakes could lead to protection against earthquakes

Taming nanoquakes could lead to protection against earthquakes. Researchers from...

Rising CO2 emissions could mean a protein deficiency for millions. A new study reveals that elevated levels carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are lowering the nutritional value of rice, wheat, potatoes, and other crops. If CO2 emissions continue to rise, 18 countries will lose over 5 percent of their dietary protein by 2050. Another 150 million people will be at risk of protein deficiency, and the world's most vulnerable regions will be impacted.

76 percent of the global population gets the majority of their protein from plants. Researchers from <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> set out to calculate the overall risk of protein deficiency caused by carbon dioxide emissions. Samuel Myers is senior research scientist in the Department of Environmental Health. 

"This study highlights the need for countries that are most at risk to actively monitor their populations' nutritional sufficiency, and, more fundamentally, the need for countries to curb human-caused CO2 emissions," said Myers.

The research team analyzed the results of studies where crops had been exposed to high levels of CO2. They used this data alongside dietary information accumulated by the United Nations, and factored in statistics on income inequality and demographics. 

The study established that elevated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/removing-co2-atmosphere-necessary/">CO2</a> concentrations significantly decreased the protein content of major crops. Rice contained 7.6 percent less protein, while barley lost 14.1 percent of its protein content.

The results of the study indicate that existing protein deficiencies in sub-Saharan Africa will worsen. New challenges will arise in South Asian countries such as India, where a decline in protein is projected by as much as 5.3 percent. This level of protein reduction is enough to put 53 million people at risk of protein deficiency.

Myers also found iron and zinc content is suffering as a result of rising CO2 emissions. Iron deficiency could impact over a billion people in South Asia and North Africa, and 200 million people are at risk of a zinc deficiency.

The study, published today in <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a>, is the first assessment of dietary risk resulting from human-caused carbon dioxide emissions.

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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

Rising CO2 emissions could mean a protein deficiency for millions

Rising CO2 emissions could mean a protein deficiency for millions....

It was supposed to be great stuff. A very effective insulating material that wouldn’t burn or melt, so builders loved it. So did shipbuilders, and manufacturers of automotive and airplane parts and even the makers of such everyday consumer products as toasters and hair dryers. The stuff was incredibly popular in America in numerous industries between the 1930s and the late ‘70s, when it was finally banned in most applications. The stuff was magnesium-silicate mineral fibers. Better known as asbestos.

A Lethal Substance

Today, we know all kinds of reasons not to appreciate this material that was -- and still is -- so prevalent in older homes, factories, warehouses and commercial buildings of all kinds. Namely, it’s deadly.

Long-term asbestos exposure kills some 10,000 Americans annually. The most common and deadly of these asbestos-related diseases is <a href="https://mesothelioma.net/mesothelioma/">mesothelioma</a>. The median survival rate of this cancer of the lung and inner cavity membrane (the mesothelium) is just one year from diagnosis. 

While it kills quickly, the disease manifests slowly over time. From the point of exposure it could take 20 to 40 years or even longer before it develops into mesothelioma. Cigarette smoking compounds the risk of developing asbestos-related diseases. In fact, smoking roughly doubles the odds of contracting mesothelioma. 

Exposure victims can also contract lung cancer and a debilitating respiratory condition called asbestosis. This disease is the result of scarring of the lining of the lungs and can be a precursor to mesothelioma.

The longer a person was exposed and the intensity of that exposure increases the risk of developing an asbestos-related disease.

It’s the durability of this known carcinogen that was so appealing to industry that’s also behind its deadly nature. Asbestos fibers are microscopic, but when they’re breathed in they cling to the respiratory system, including the lining of the lungs -- and literally stick around. For years. For decades. Until symptoms appear. 

The Contractor’s Dream Becomes Our Nightmare

Its excellent heat resistance got asbestos used in roofing shingles, floor tiles, ceiling materials, textile products and automotive parts. Shipbuilders used it (in fact, U.S. Navy vets from the World War II and Korean War era are the highest at-risk group), and the substance was popular at oil refinery plants, railroad yards, power plants and construction sites of all kinds. 

While no exposure to the substance is safe, the most dangerous form of asbestos is an airborne particle. If <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/house-bill-to-update-chemical-regulation-approved-2/">asbestos</a> is anchored to a stable product it’s relatively safe. But if it’s loose -- floating in the air -- it can be breathed in. 

That’s why those at highest risk of exposure today are workers tasked with maintaining or rehabbing older buildings that contain asbestos. The act of carelessly ripping out the material can free the particles. That’s why, today, only licensed and trained removal contractors with protective suits and breathing gear can legally remove and dispose of asbestos from old buildings.

Full Ban Considered

Surprisingly, asbestos is still being used in the United States, though in narrow applications where its used is considered to be comparatively safe. 

The substance is no longer mined domestically, but we imported 340 metric tons of raw asbestos in 2016, according to the EPA. The government agency is considering a full ban on asbestos and other dangerous chemicals under the Frank R. Lautenberg Chemical Safety for the 21st Century Act. 

If you’d like to know more about asbestos and the health risks associated with this deadly substance, or learn how you can get assistance for yourself or loved ones who’ve been exposed, visit <a href="https://mesothelioma.net/">Mesothelioma.net</a> or the <a href="https://www.mesothelioma.com/">Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance</a>.

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Original Feature by <a href="mailto:dsearls@earth.com">David Searls</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Why asbestos exposure continues to be a serious threat

It was supposed to be great stuff. A very effective...

Just how deadly is climate change? If it isn’t addressed, air pollution alone could cause 60,000 deaths around the world each year within the next 12 years, and 260,000 per year by 2100, according to a new study.

The research, led by Dr. Jason West and former graduate student Dr. Raquel Silva of the <a href="http://www.unc.edu/">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill</a>, is the most comprehensive study to date on the effects of climate change on air pollution and human health.

"As climate change affects air pollutant concentrations, it can have a significant impact on health worldwide, adding to the millions of people who die from air pollution each year, " West said.

Hotter temperatures can speed up the chemical reactions that lead to pollution, and dry weather means that rain is not helping to clear the air. Trees release pollutants they’ve stored when weather turns hot, too, the researchers said. 

The pair examined data and maps from several of the world’s top climate change and air pollution researchers. Their goal was to estimate how many premature deaths might result from more polluted air.

They found that air pollution-linked deaths are expected to rise all over the world, except for in Africa. 

West and Silva’s research adds to a growing body of work that projects the negative potential health effects caused by climate change.

Other potential effects of climate change, such as heat stress, more frequent and severe storms, drought and famine, and the spread of diseases, will negatively affect public health.

"Our finding that most models show a likely increase in deaths is the clearest signal yet that climate change will be detrimental to air quality and health," West said in a press release.

The study will be published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="https://www.niehs.nih.gov/">National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences</a>, the <a href="https://energy.gov/">U.S. Department of Energy</a> and the <a href="http://www.nersc.gov/">National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Air pollution deaths could rise as climate changes

Just how deadly is climate change? If it isn’t addressed,...

In the unlikely event that all greenhouse gas emissions stopped immediately, Earth would continue to warm by two degrees Fahrenheit over the remainder of the century. That figure spikes up another degree if the current rate of emissions continues for 15 more years, according to a recent investigation.  

Study co-author Robert Pincus is a scientist at the <a href="http://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> and <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">NOAA</a>'s Physical Sciences Division. 

“This 'committed warming' is critical to understand because it can tell us and policy makers how long we have, at current emission rates, before the planet will warm to certain thresholds," said Pincus.

Climate commitment, the global warming that would still take place without any further human intervention, is typically calculated using climate models. This particular study is unique in that it was based on observations of actual occurrences in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alter-lifestyle-fight-climate-change/">climate</a> system. 

The analysis accounted for factors such as the changing capacity of the oceans to absorb carbon, Earth's energy imbalance, and the impact of climate on the behavior of atmospheric particulate matter.

Pincus and lead author Thorsten Mauritsen from the <a href="https://www.mpimet.mpg.de/en/mpimet-homepage/">Max Planck Institute for Meteorology</a> concluded that even if all fossil fuel emissions stopped in 2017, warming from now until 2100 is very likely to reach about 2.3 Fahrenheit, or 1.3 degrees Celsius. This estimate, however, could be offset by the natural capacity of the ocean to capture and store carbon. According to the study, the planet's oceans could curb warming by up to 0.4 degrees Fahrenheit.

The goal agreed upon by world leaders at the Paris Climate meeting was to limit global warming this century to 1.5 degrees Celsius beyond pre-industrial temperatures. The results of the study showed a 13 percent chance we are already committed to 1.5-Celsius warming by 2100.

"Our estimates are based on things that have already happened, things we can observe, and they point to the part of future warming that is already committed to by past emissions," said Mauritsen. "Future carbon dioxide emissions will then add extra warming on top of that commitment."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth already locked into at least two degrees of warming

In the unlikely event that all greenhouse gas emissions stopped...

A team of geologists have unearthed new clues as to the cause of the Earth’s largest ever mass extinction event, at the end of the Permian close to 252 million years ago.

The researchers have found evidence that suggests the initial formation of the Siberian Traps, a large region of volcanic rock, may have triggered the extinction event – a theory supported by a large number of scientists who study the Permian and Triassic periods.

But the researchers’ new model shows that it likely wasn’t the eruption itself that led to the disappearance of 95 percent of Earth’s marine species and 70 percent of land species. 

“Our model is based on new, high-resolution age data that suggests surface lava flows erupted too early to drive mass extinction” Dr. James Muirhead of <a href="https://www.syracuse.edu/">Syracuse University</a> said in a <a href="http://asnews.syr.edu/newsevents_2017/releases/james_muirhead_geology.html">press release</a>. “Instead, there was a subinterval of magmatism — a shorter, particular part of the [large igneous province] — that triggered a cascade of events causing mass extinction.”

Or, in other words, the extreme heat generated by magma as it formed the SIberian Traps sills may have triggered events that soon became catastrophic to life on Earth.

The Siberian Traps span more than 500,000 square miles, and may have been caused by a plume of the Earth’s mantle rising close to the surface. The flat location was the site of numerous eruptions over the course of over a million years. 

The heat generated by the eruptions over such a broad swath of land appears to have spurred metamorphism of rocks and minerals in the area to form the sills – intrusions of igneous rock into existing limestone, coal and other rock formations, Muirhead and his colleagues said.

That would have released massive amounts of greenhouse gases, warming the Earth’s climate and leading to mass extinction.  

“By reexamining the timing and connection between magmatism [the movement of magma], climate change and extinction, we've created a model that explains what triggered the end-Permian mass extinction," said Dr. Seth Burgess, the study’s lead author and a geologist with the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a>. 

The new model will be published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>. 

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

New clues surface about Permian mass extinction

A team of geologists have unearthed new clues as to...

If you feel like you’ve been living through some hotter summers lately, you’re not wrong. Summer temperatures have been heating up, according to recent research.

The <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> records temperatures around the globe, and provides a monthly snapshot of recently conditions in its <a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/climate-monitoring/">Global Climate Report</a>.

In June, global surface air and water temperatures rose across the globe. Parts of the world – including the U.S. East Coast – saw temperatures that were as much as 3.6 degrees Fahrenheit higher than average. 

“June 2017 was characterized by warmer to much-warmer-than-average conditions across much of the world's land and ocean surface,” NOAA climate scientists wrote. In fact, it was the third hottest June for the oceans and the fourth hottest June on land since records began, the agency reported.

Western and central Europe, central Asia and most of Africa struggled with heat waves in June. South America had warmer days than usual, and Australia experienced abnormally dry weather. North America saw its 10th highest June temperature since 1910, and Arizona had its second-hottest June temperature on record. 

“No land or ocean areas had record cold June temperatures,” NOAA reported.

The hotter summers have had a negative effect on sea ice in both the Arctic and Antarctic, the agency reported. Arctic sea ice was 7.5 percent the 1981-2010 average. In the Southern Hemisphere, sea ice was 6.3 percent below that average, the second lowest amount on record for June.

Shrinking sea ice <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrinking-polar-ice-2016/">captured the world’s attention</a> last year, as scientists connected it to weather phenomena such as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-vortex-linked-loss-arctic-sea-ice/">Polar Vortex</a>. Just this month, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/iceberg-larsen-c-antarctica/">largest iceberg on record</a> split off of an ice shelf in Antarctica, though that event has not been linked to climate change.

The warm June is just the latest in a warming trend that has been recorded for decades. 

Using the years 1951 to 1980 as a base period, Dr. James Hansen of <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> and colleagues from <a href="http://trinnovim.com/">Trinnovim LLC</a> and NASA’s <a href="https://www.giss.nasa.gov/">Goddard Institute for Space Studies</a> have noted a clear rise in global average temperatures in recent years.

They discovered that temperatures in 2015 were about 1.6 degrees Fahrenheit higher than the average during the base period, and more than 2 degrees hotter than the average temperature from 1880 to 1920. 

Despite a few hiccups in which cooler temperatures prevailed, global average temperatures have been on the rise for decades, Hansen’s team found during their <a href="http://csas.ei.columbia.edu/2016/01/19/global-temperature-in-2015/">analysis of temperature data</a>.

“The updated global temperature record makes it clear that there was no global warming ‘hiatus,’” they wrote in their study.

However, the hotter summers on a global scale don’t always translate to warmer temperatures in every location, they noted.

“Local temperatures are much less predictable, especially on the seasonal and shorter time scales that people care about most,” they wrote.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

It's not your imagination – hotter summers are reality

If you feel like you’ve been living through some hotter...

Science is continually on the hunt for alternative fuel sources that won’t also contribute to accumulating greenhouse gas emissions. Now, exciting results from a study out of <a href="http://www.lbl.gov/">Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a> and <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">Nanyang Technological University</a> in Singapore marks a big step in finding alternate fuel sources that don’t add harmful byproducts to our atmosphere. 

A research team was comprised of scientists from Berkeley and Singapore, with one of the corresponding authors being Haimei Zheng, a staff scientist in Berkeley Lab's Materials Sciences Division. The team found a way to convert carbon dioxide using a solar powered catalyst into carbon monoxide with no unnecessary byproducts or gasses.  

The study was published in the journal Science Advances and documents the researchers’ use of a “spongy”, nickel organic crystalline structure, that when exposed to solar energy, converted carbon dioxide into carbon monoxide. This process can in turn produce other liquids, solvents, and fuels and all with promising real world implications. 

In just one hour at room temperature, the catalyst (nickel) could create 400 milliliters of carbon monoxide. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/splitting-carbon-dioxide-cheaper/">Carbon dioxide</a> has to have catalysts to break up the bonds of molecule, and there has been increased interest in finding solar powered methods to convert CO2.

“Complete suppression of the competing hydrogen evolution during a photocatalytic CO2-to-CO conversion had not been achieved before our work,” said Haimei Zheng of the study’s phenomenal findings.

This exciting discovery brings us steps closer to finding renewable sources of energy and the race to help staunch the rising carbon dioxide levels in Earth’s atmosphere.

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By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New catalyst converts carbon dioxide with no harmful byproducts

Science is continually on the hunt for alternative fuel sources...

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence of manmade climate change, the topic somehow continues to be up for political debate. But even amongst those who believe that climate change is a very real problem, there seems to be little drive to adopt any change in regular routines to help conserve and create a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fun-ways-families-act-green/">greener</a> lifestyle. 

<a href="https://today.yougov.com/news/2017/07/24/climate-change-believers-havent-changed-lifestyles/">YouGov</a>, a market research firm specializing in online polls, created a survey that specifically looked at individual “footprints on the environment." A recent YouGov article by Gregory McCarriston outlines the survey taken to determine if Americans who were adamantly in support of measures to reduce climate change were, in fact, making changes in their own lifestyles at home. 

According to the survey, a lot of us are talking the talk but not actually following through on any ways to alter our lifestyle to help reduce emissions and counter climate change. The survey found that over 50% of Americans agree that both human activity and natural causes contribute to climate change. And even more people (over 60%) felt that working together on a global scale was necessary to help the environment. 

But in terms of those who are actually taking steps on a micro level within their own homes to reduce their carbon footprint, the results of the survey found that just agreeing that climate change is a problem isn’t necessarily going to be the catalyst to change one’s habits. Simply agreeing or knowing something is a problem isn’t enough to motivate change it would appear.

The questions were personal, asking individuals about their own impact on the environment. As McCarriston writes, “We asked respondents about their consumption of fossil fuels and red meat, both of which have been noted for their impact on Earth’s ecosystems.” 

Hopefully, as we finally move past the debate of whether or not climate change is real, studies and surveys like this one can find ways to help individuals make even small changes to their daily routine to help reduce carbon footprints. 

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By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Survey: Many unwilling to alter lifestyle to fight climate change

Despite overwhelming scientific evidence of manmade climate change, the topic...

One of the many consequences of climate change may be increased inclement weather, and thus an intensifying of the water cycle. New research analyzes the effect of this change on the levels of nitrogen runoff that are occurring within the U.S. – which could increase almost 20% by 2100.

Nitrogen runoff refers to excess nitrogen that is carried from agricultural areas in particular into rivers and estuaries by rainwater and snowmelt. Excessive nitrogen in bodies of water can result in large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-lasers-phytoplankton-blooms/">algal blooms</a>, which dramatically harm the surrounding ecosystem and can have negative effects on human health as well.

Most analyses of climate change’s influence on nitrogen runoff have been limited to local regions, and only use a small number of climate models. In a new study by the <a href="https://carnegiescience.edu/">Carnegie Institution for Science</a>, Eva Sinha and her colleagues used 21 different climate models to anticipate changes in precipitation in the future. Each of these models was run for three climate scenarios and two time periods (2031-2060 and 2071-2100).

Their findings show that across the entire country, climate models consistently project a significant increase in nitrogen runoff in both time periods. The mean projected increase in nitrogen loading within the continental United States for the least dramatic scenario shows an increase of 19%.

This result is rather worrying, as currently the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> recommends reducing nitrogen runoff into the Mississippi Atchafalaya River Basin by 20% relative to 1980-1996 levels, thus reducing the negative impact of nitrogen flowing into the Gulf of Mexico. But with these new projections, that number would have to be raised to 62%.

Nitrogen run off is a problem in almost every region of the United States, and with this new research, it doesn’t look like it’s improving any time soon.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory image by Joshua Stevens

Climate change to hurt water quality, increase nitrogen runoff

One of the many consequences of climate change may be...

Researchers at <a href="https://med.nyu.edu/">NYU School of Medicine</a> have determined that exposure to air pollution during the early stages of pregnancy may lead to preterm birth and low birth weight. The study found that susceptibility to air pollution during the first or second trimester increases the risk of negative birth outcomes.

Researchers studied the effects of fine particulate air pollution, which comes from car exhaust and various industrial processes. Exposure to fine particulate air pollution, or PM2.5, has been found to increase the risk of asthma and heart disease.

Previous studies linked PM2.5 inhalation during pregnancy to low birth weight, but the research did not establish which stages of pregnancy are the most vulnerable. The authors of the current study have found that exposure during the first two trimesters can cause the most harm. 

For the study, the researchers exposed one group of pregnant mice to PM2.5 levels comparable to those found in highly-polluted urban environments, while a second group was exposed to filtered air. The mice who were ingesting air pollution were at four varying gestational stages which represented the different trimesters of human pregnancy. 

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-premature-death-elderly/">Air pollution</a> inhalation during period one resulted in preterm birth for approximately 83 percent of the mouse litters. In addition, exposure to PM2.5 from conception to the end of the second trimester resulted in an 11.4 percent decrease in birth weight for half of the litters. 

Dr. Jason Blum is an assistant professor in the Department of Environmental Medicine at NYU School of Medicine and lead author of the study. 

"This first study of this problem in mice adds to the growing body of evidence that inhalation of particulate matter from implantation through the second trimester of pregnancy is potentially dangerous," said Dr. Blum.

Susceptibility to PM2.5 during the first and second trimester also caused decreased body length, decreased placental weight, and decreased anogenital distance in the mouse litters.

"These findings could lead physicians to advise women to avoid high pollution areas or use air filtration systems during the early stages of pregnancy," said senior author Judith Zelikoff, PhD. "With preterm birth and low birth weight having such serious health consequences, the need for further research in this area is greater than ever."

The study is published today in <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</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

Air pollution exposure during pregnancy linked to birth problems

Researchers at NYU School of Medicine have determined that exposure...

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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

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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

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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 



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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

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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

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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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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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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

[sendtonews key="u0TYxxqfF7-2186404-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA’s...