A study led by Tel Aviv University has revealed alarming insights into how microplastic particles are transformed within marine ecosystems, posing new challenges to the health of the ocean’s food web.&nbsp;



The research highlights how filter-feeding marine organisms alter the behavior and composition of microplastics, creating unforeseen risks for marine environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-investigating-microplastic-pollution">Investigating microplastic pollution</h2>



While previous research has documented the dangers of marine animals ingesting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-are-steadily-increasing-in-freshwater-environments/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microplastics</a>, this study goes a step further, exploring how these particles change after passing through the digestive systems of filter feeders.&nbsp;



Conducted by PhD student Eden Harel, Professor Noa Shenkar, and Professor Ines Zucker from <a href="https://english.tau.ac.il/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tel Aviv University</a>, the study focused on ascidians - marine animals that efficiently filter tiny particles from water.&nbsp;



The findings reveal how the interaction between filter feeders and microplastics contributes to the spread and transformation of these particles.



“We aimed to examine whether and how plastic changes after passing through the digestive system of a marine organism and how this process affects the presence of plastic and its availability to other organisms,” Shenkar explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-filter-feeders-transform-microplastics">How filter feeders transform microplastics</h2>



Using a controlled laboratory experiment, the researchers simulated seawater environments containing ascidians and introduced two types of microplastic particles.



These particles included polystyrene (PS), a common conventional plastic, and polylactic acid (PLA), a biodegradable bioplastic marketed as environmentally friendly. The team monitored the filtration, digestion, and excretion processes over 48 hours.



The results showed stark differences between the two types of plastic. Ascidians removed 90% of polystyrene particles from the water within two hours, but these particles were reintroduced to the water after 48 hours following digestion.



Polylactic acid particles, on the other hand, decreased significantly in concentration and remained at low levels. Larger PLA particles appeared to break down during digestion - likely returning to the water as smaller, undetectable nanoparticles.



These findings reveal that while some microplastics persist in their original form, others may fragment into smaller particles, potentially amplifying their environmental impact.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-disguised-as-organic-matter">Plastic disguised as organic matter</h2>



To understand the changes microplastics undergo during digestion, the team used Raman spectroscopy to analyze particles excreted by the ascidians.&nbsp;



The analysis revealed a surprising transformation: the plastic particles were no longer identifiable as plastics. Instead, they appeared to be organic matter due to a fecal coating acquired in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/healthy-humans-have-shockingly-different-digestive-systems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">digestive system</a>.



“Our findings revealed that microplastic particles are excreted from the ascidian’s digestive system coated with a fecal layer, and it is likely that the marine environment also identifies these particles as this organic material,” Harel said.



This transformation increases the likelihood of these particles being ingested by other marine animals that feed on feces, further embedding microplastics into the food web.&nbsp;



The fecal coating also facilitates bacterial colonization and the adhesion of pollutants like heavy metals and residual organic compounds, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-could-cause-a-health-crisis-globally/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">antibiotics</a>, making these particles even more hazardous.



According to Zucker, plastic particles undergo many transformations in the environment, from weathering to digestive processes, turning them into carriers of pollutants and diseases within the food web.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impacts-of-microplastics-on-feces">Impacts of microplastics on feces</h2>



In addition to examining how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/early-jawless-fish-rhinopteraspis-dunensis-filter-feeders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">filter feeders</a> transform microplastics, the study explored how these particles affect the physical properties of feces - a vital nutrient source for many marine organisms. Feces containing microplastics displayed significant changes in behavior.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rapid-sinking">Rapid sinking</h3>



Unlike normal feces, which sink slowly and provide sustenance to organisms along their descent, feces containing microplastics sank rapidly to the seafloor. This deprives marine organisms in the water column of a crucial food source.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-localized-accumulation">Localized accumulation</h3>



The faster sinking caused feces and microplastics to accumulate on the seafloor near the filter feeders, instead of dispersing evenly. This buildup can lead to increased carbon and nitrogen levels, fostering algal blooms that disrupt marine ecosystems.



“This accumulation can increase carbon and nitrogen levels on the seafloor and trigger algal blooms, representing another critical impact of microplastics on the balance of the marine food web,” Harel explained.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-complexity-of-microplastic-pollution-nbsp">Complexity of microplastic pollution&nbsp;</h2>



The study highlights the complexity of microplastic pollution, showing that the problem goes far beyond the particles themselves. Their transformation through biological processes and environmental exposure creates unexpected and far-reaching consequences.



“The most alarming conclusion is that the microplastic problem is far more complex than initially thought,” said the researchers.&nbsp;



“Plastic pollution in the marine environment has many unexpected dimensions, and its complexities continue to grow. Sometimes, neither we nor the environment can even recognize it as plastic.”



The findings emphasize the urgent need for better technologies and strategies to mitigate the spread and impact of microplastics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-microplastics-crisis">Addressing the microplastics crisis</h2>



As microplastic pollution continues to infiltrate marine ecosystems in unpredictable ways, this study reveals just how urgent the issue has become. With microplastics transforming into carriers of pollutants, altering the balance of marine food webs, and contributing to environmental degradation, addressing this crisis is essential.



“As time goes on, plastic continues to harm more and more marine ecosystems,” the researchers concluded. “It is our duty to develop new technologies to mitigate this dangerous phenomenon.”



This research provides a crucial step toward understanding the hidden dimensions of microplastic pollution and calls for global action to protect marine life and the delicate ecosystems that sustain it.



-----



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Filter feeders transform microplastics into a bigger threat 

A study led by Tel Aviv University has revealed alarming insights into how microplastic particles are transformed within marine ecosystems, posing new challenges to the health of the ocean’s food web.&nbsp; The research highlights how filter-feeding marine organisms alter the behavior and composition of microplastics, creating unforeseen risks for marine environments. Investigating microplastic pollution While previous research has documented the dangers of marine animals ingesting microplastics, this study goes a step further, exploring how these particles change after passing through the digestive systems of filter feeders.&nbsp; Conducted...

October 2017 brought with it all manner of extreme events from severe heat waves, to hurricanes, to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/northern-california-fires-containment/">forest fires</a>, and even snowstorms in the Northern Hemisphere. 

The <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration</a> has now released its <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/news/globe-had-3rd-warmest-year-to-date-and-4th-warmest-october-on-record">monthly analysis</a> for October, showing that it was one of the hottest Octobers on record, tied with 2003 as the fourth hottest in 138 years of recorded climate history. 

According to the NOAA, the average global temperature this October was 1.31 degree Fahrenheit above the 20th-century average of 57.1 degrees. 

The NOAA has a detailed record of climate dating back to 1880, and so far 2017 is shaping up to be the third warmest year so far. 

This October was also the 394th consecutive month where temperatures were above the norm based on averages from the 20th century. 

October 2017’s unusually warm days were caused by an increase in ocean temperatures, and temperatures are not the only thing that the NOAA took notice of during its monthly analysis. 

The coverage of Arctic sea ice was 19.6 percent below the averages set in the years 1981-2010. Ice coverage in both the Arctic and the Antarctic are diminishing, and satellite data show that ice coverage this October was the fifth smallest on record. 

These numbers provide further proof of climate change, as nine of the ten warmest years to date have been since 2005.  

Despite warm temperatures, the NOAA also showed that snow cover in the Northern Hemisphere in October was higher than average. According to the <a href="https://climate.rutgers.edu/snowcover/">Rutgers Global Snow Lab</a>, this October marked the ninth largest October Northern Hemisphere snow coverage in a 50 year period. 

Drastic global temperature changes, weather extremes, ice melt in the Arctic and Antarctic, and warming sea temperatures are all part of global climate change. 

The NOAA analysis proves that global temperatures are continuing to rise, and that policies to combat climate change and CO2 emissions are an increasing necessity.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

October 2017 was one of the hottest on record

October 2017 brought with it all manner of extreme events...

With its extreme temperatures, lack of resources, and spontaneous sandstorms, the desert can be a very unforgiving place. There is also not much shelter if you come face to face with some of the aggressive creatures that call the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/desert-ants-navigational-skills/">desert</a> home. The following are ten of the most dangerous animals that can be found in the desert.

&nbsp;

Saw Scaled Viper

Found across Africa, the Middle East, and south Asia, these snakes are among the most deadly in the world. They are aggressive by nature, produce extremely poisonous venom, and are known for having a lightning-fast strike.

&nbsp;

Gila Monster

Located in the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, the Gila monster is one of the only venomous lizards in the world. The Gila monster has a very strong, painful grip when it bites, but rarely causes death in humans.

&nbsp;

Wild Dogs

Dingoes are top predators in Australia that hunt down animals such as kangaroos, birds, and wallabies. Like dingoes, African wild dogs hunt large animals and run in packs. Both groups of wild dogs have been known to turn on humans and attack when hungry.

&nbsp;

Cougar

Also known as the mountain lion, panther, or puma, the cougar is often found in lowland or mountainous deserts. These solitary animals are strong and stealthy. There are around 30,000 cougars in the western United States, but only 20 fatal attacks on humans have been documented since 1890.

&nbsp;

Inland Taipan

Located in the Australian Outback, this snake is widely believed to have the deadliest venom of any snake. When this snake strikes, it bites several times in rapid succession, delivering enough venom in each bite to kill 100 people.

&nbsp;

Ostrich

This unlikely candidate is one of the most deadly animals in the deserts of Africa. The ostrich uses its strong legs to attack, particularly when the eggs are threatened, and can leave serious wounds with claws that grow up to 21 inches long.

&nbsp;

Western Diamondback Rattlesnake

This snake can be found in the southwestern United States and in Mexico, where it is to blame for the majority of fatal snakebites in both countries. Growing up to seven feet in length and weighing as much as 15 pounds, the western diamondback rattlesnake is the second largest venomous species of snakes in North America.

&nbsp;

Killer Bees

Africanized bees will swarm and attack when their hive is threatened, even if they are a quarter mile away. They are also disturbed by noises and traffic, and these bees cause the most suffering by stinging the head and face. They can be found in regions of North, Central, and South America, including the southwestern United States.

&nbsp;

Desert Horned Viper

With over 13 different kinds of toxins present in their venom, the bite of a desert horned viper can be fatal to humans. This is the most common venomous snake in the Sahara Desert, and is often encountered in sand dunes.

&nbsp;

Arizona Bark Scorpion

Particularly dangerous for small children and elderly people, the Arizona bark scorpion is found in western Mexico, the Baja Peninsula, and in the southwestern United States. These small scorpions are not typically aggressive, but their sting can be fatal.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The 10 most dangerous desert creatures

With its extreme temperatures, lack of resources, and spontaneous sandstorms,...

Antarctic zircons have given geologists a surprising glimpse at the workings of early volcanoes, according to a new study.

An international team of geologists and other scientists have analyzed the tiny minerals to discover their ages and chemical signatures. The analysis gave them an inside look at how carbon cycles from the Earth’s magma to the surface and back again.

That recycling data could help the team to create a model to depict how Earth transformed from a frozen planet to a more temperate world that supports life. It could also offer clues into the cycle of ice ages and warm periods, the scientists said.

"The geochemistry reflects a disequilibrium – and the Earth has to expel all of that to try to get back to equilibrium," said Dr. Chad Deering of <a href="http://www.mtu.edu/">Michigan Technical University</a>, a study co-author. "What we propose is that a series of events had to coincide to ultimately lead to the optimal conditions required to release an anomalous amount of carbon."

The scientists collected samples of Antarctic zircons, some as small as the diameter of a human hair, for their study. The trace elements found in each sample helped the team determine what type of rock the zircons formed in, and that offered clues as to what type of magma created the rocks.

Then, study scientists from the <a href="https://www.ethz.ch/en.html">ETH Zurich</a> used uranium-lead dating to find the age of each sample. That gave the team a partial picture of volcanic activity on Earth from 500 to 700 million years ago.

The chemicals even offer clues as to the types of fault lines the volcanic activity occurred along.

"What happens as subduction occurs is that the mantle becomes 'polluted' with volatile material from the Earth's surface – water, carbon, sulfur,” Deering said.

The new look at hundreds of millions of years of geological history offers new clues to how Earth’s continents – and life itself – formed.

"In essence, we discovered that throughout the Earth's history there was a particularly significant pulse of carbon emitted that immediately preceded the Cambrian explosion, the most important emergence of life that has yet to occur,” Deering said.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Shawn Appel, Unsplash

Antarctic zircons reveal clues about early volcanoes, continents

Antarctic zircons have given geologists a surprising glimpse at the...

Mount Agung sent clouds of ash into the sky in Bali as the volcano erupted multiple times this weekend. The eruptions prompted the evacuation of over 24,000 people and grounded many flights, stranding travelers.

According to <a href="https://www.bnpb.go.id/home/detail/3539/Gunung-Agung-Erupsi-Menerus,-Abu-Mengarah-ke-Timur">Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Authority</a>, the clouds of ash reached over 13,000 feet in height. 

“Bali is safe just keep away from disaster prone areas,” the agency <a href="https://twitter.com/BNPB_Indonesia/status/934687636286947330">said</a>. 

Indonesia issued a “red warning,” its highest alert to warn aviation to of the thick clouds of ash. Footage of the eruption can be seen <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WTg7mUQGqfM&amp;feature=youtu.be">here</a>.

Mount Agung last erupted in February 1963, when it spewed lava over surrounding villages and killing an estimated 1,500 people.

An Instagram user captured this stunning-but-ominous shot:
<blockquote class="instagram-media" style="background: #FFF; border: 0; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: 0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width: 658px; padding: 0; width: calc(100% - 2px);" data-instgrm-captioned="" data-instgrm-version="7">
<div style="padding: 8px;">
<div style="background: #F8F8F8; line-height: 0; margin-top: 40px; padding: 62.5% 0; text-align: center; width: 100%;"></div>
<a style="color: #000; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none; word-wrap: break-word;" href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bb8N86Mgt-C/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I’ve gotten up at 3am to shoot so many times, but I have never in my life seen anything quite as beautiful, formidable and scary as this. Bali has been home on and off for 2 years now and I hope that all the locals that live on or near mount Agung are ok 🙏🏽🌋 . . . . . . . . #wanderlust #exploreeverything #travelgram #bravogreatphoto #lifeofadventure #theadventureproject #peoplescreatives #theoutbound #folktravel #picoftheday #welltraveled #finditliveit #whatchthisinstagood #beautifuldestinations #bali #livefolkindonesia #livefolk #passionpassport #mytinyatlas #letsgosomewhere #wanderlust #instagood #igmasters #thewellcollective #verilymoment #mountagung #traveltagged #travelphotography</a>
<p style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px; margin-bottom: 0; margin-top: 8px; overflow: hidden; padding: 8px 0 7px; text-align: center; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">A post shared by Emilio Kuzma-Floyd (@eyes_of_a_nomad) on <time style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;" datetime="2017-11-26T02:00:14+00:00">Nov 25, 2017 at 6:00pm PST</time>

</div></blockquote>
<script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>

--

By <a href="mailto:rarnold@earth.com">Rory Arnold</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mount Agung erupts in Bali

Mount Agung sent clouds of ash into the sky in...

Scientists are examining the fate of fatty acids that are released from cooking into the atmosphere. A recent study suggests that frying food has the potential to change the weather and possibly even counteract global warming.

The experts believe that molecules emitted from cooking oil contribute to the formation of clouds that cool the planet, and their research will provide new insight on how aerosols affect temperatures in the long term. 

While it is known that aerosols significantly impact the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/immigration-america-climate-change/">climate</a>, their composition is not clearly understood. The researchers set out to establish how compounds are arranged within aerosol droplets.

Oleic acids are the primary fatty acids found in cooking oils. Using ultrasonic levitation, the researchers managed to hold individual droplets of brine and oleic acid in place so they could examine them with a laser beam and X-rays. 

The research team discovered that these fat molecules assemble into intricate 3D structures within aerosol droplets. These complex structures enable the aerosols to linger in the atmosphere longer.

Dr. Christian Pfrang is a professor of Physical &amp; Atmospheric Chemistry at the <a href="http://www.reading.ac.uk/">University of Reading</a> and lead author of the study.

Dr. Pfrang told <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news">BBC News</a>, "We found these drops could form these self-assembled phases which means these molecules can stay much longer in the atmosphere. These self-assembled structures are highly viscous so instead of having a water droplet you have something that behaves much more like honey, so processes inside the droplet will slow down.”

Dr. Pfrang explained that the structures are resistant to oxidation which allows them to persist longer, making cloud formation easier.

Dr. Adam Squires from the <a href="http://www.bath.ac.uk/">University of Bath</a> is the co-lead author of the study.

“We know that the complex structures we saw are formed by similar fatty acid molecules like soap in water,” said Dr. Squires."There, they dramatically affect whether the mixture is cloudy or transparent, solid or liquid, and how much it absorbs moisture from the atmosphere in a lab.”

Dr. Squires added, “The idea that this may also be happening in the air above our heads is exciting, and raises challenges in understanding what these cooking fats are really doing to the world around us."

The scientists hope this research will lead to further exploration of how fatty acids affect the atmosphere. The study is published in the journal <a href="http://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

Frying food can affect the weather and climate

Scientists are examining the fate of fatty acids that are...

Humans are exposed to radiation in some form or fashion every day. But a new study demonstrates that radiation is coming from an unexpected source - thunderstorms.

The researchers have discovered that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/summer-storms-severe/">thunderstorms</a> create radioactive particles in the atmosphere that are shot down to Earth as lightning strikes. They also found that gamma radiation is produced when lightning reacts with nitrogen in the atmosphere. 

Dr. Teruaki Enoto, a scientist at <a href="http://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en">Kyoto University</a>, is the study’s lead author.

“We already knew that thunderclouds and lightning emit gamma rays, and hypothesized that they would react in some way with the nuclei of environmental elements in the atmosphere,” said Dr. Enoto.

The team focused their study on Japan's western coast, which is ideal for viewing thunderstorms and lightning in the wintertime. In 2015, the experts started building small gamma-ray detectors and placed them in various locations along the coast.

During a storm in February, a gamma flash was recorded in Kashiwazaki city, Niigata. Immediately after lightning struck a few hundred feet away, detectors recorded the flash which had a duration of less than one millisecond. 

“It was the moment we realized we’re seeing a new, hidden face of lightning,” said the study authors. “When we analyzed the data, we found three distinct gamma-ray bursts.”

The first spike was followed by a second gamma-ray afterglow that lasted dozens of milliseconds, while a third flash lasted over a minute.

“We could tell that the first burst was from the lightning strike. Through our analysis and calculations, we eventually determined the origins of the second and third emissions as well,” Dr. Enoto. “The second afterglow, for example, was caused by lightning reacting with nitrogen in the atmosphere.”

He continued, “The gamma rays emitted in lightning have enough energy to knock a neutron out of atmospheric nitrogen, and it was the reabsorption of this neutron by particles in the atmosphere that produced the gamma-ray afterglow.”

According to Dr. Enoto, the final emission was from the breakdown of the unstable nitrogen atoms. The neutron-deprived atoms released positrons, “which subsequently collided with electrons in annihilation events releasing gamma rays.”

While these radioactive particles have been detected for decades by various forms of observation such as aircrafts and satellites, it was unclear whether the nuclear reactions were caused by lightning. 

The scientists say that the radiation is no more threatening to life on Earth than the radiation we are exposed to in everyday life.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://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

Thunderstorms can cause nuclear reactions

Humans are exposed to radiation in some form or fashion...

Rainfall plays a critical role in food security, and rain shortages or excessive rainfall can cause poverty and hunger, particularly in low income countries. A new study reveals that rainfall may also become key in planning strategies to eliminate food insecurity. 

The study is the first to examine the association between food insecurity, smallholder farms, and rainfall patterns on a large scale. The research may provide a range of interventions to address the issue of hunger.

Smallholder farms are farms with few resources that depend on the family for labor and on their own crops for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/food-cues-people-overeat/">food</a> or income. There are 460 to 500 million of these smallholder farms in the world. They grow approximately 80 percent of the food consumed in the world’s poorest countries.

The researchers investigated the conditions of 2,000 smallholder farms in Africa and Asia. Meredith Niles of the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/">University of Vermont</a>'s Department of Nutrition and Food Science is the lead author of the study. 

"The big picture is that one strategy is unlikely to work everywhere," said Niles. "Understanding the climate context is important in determining what interventions may be most effective.”.

The farms analyzed in the study were grouped into three categories including those that received less than average rainfall, those that received average rainfall, and those that received more rain than average.

The farms with less than average rainfall experienced more food insecurity. These operations saw an average of 3.81 months without enough productivity in the year of the study. The average farms experienced 3.67 less productive months, while the wetter farms had 2.86 months with less food. Every farm surveyed experienced significant food insecurity. 

"The study reaffirms what we know: that food insecurity is a widespread problem in these areas," said Niles.

The study found that whether or not various interventions resulted in improved food security was statistically linked with the amount of rain the farms had received in the previous year.

For farms with drier than average conditions, cash from other businesses, loans, and cash gifts were more frequently correlated with better food security. 

"Water is a fundamentally limiting factor," Niles said. "If you don't have it, then agricultural inputs likely don't matter. What you need, at least in the short term, is cash."

With wetter farms, the use of pesticides, fertilizer, and veterinary medicines led to increased food security. For the farms with average rainfall, both strategies worked.

"We don't see an effect that financial strategies in wetter than average households make a difference in the short-term," said Niles. "But these financial strategies seem to be especially important when drought or reduced rainfall impacts crop production and income sources."

Niles explained that establishing which interventions work and which do not is increasingly urgent because of climate change. 

"The majority of smallholder farms rely on rain-fed agriculture, so they are vulnerable to climate change, which is slated to likely increase rainfall variability,” said Niles. “Our work suggests that absent appropriate interventions, these future conditions may worsen food insecurity."

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Weather statistics could help eliminate world hunger

Rainfall plays a critical role in food security, and rain...

Carbon dioxide emissions have contributed more than any other driver to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-methane-bubbles/">global warming</a>. While most efforts to offset climate change from CO2 emissions are focused on slowing activities that release the gases, there is a lot of potential in the capacity of plants and soil to store carbon.

"We don't think about how much carbon is actually stored right in our own backyard," said Mia Vedel Sorensen from the <a href="https://www.ntnu.edu/">Norwegian University of Science and Technology</a> (NTNU).

Sorenson and her research team analyzed the different storage capacities of various types of vegetation in the alpine communities of Norway. The researchers compared three types of vegetation common in the Norwegian mountains: shrubs, heath, and meadow.

"I wanted to figure out how much carbon these three vegetation types store and release. My hypothesis was that shrubs store more carbon than heath and meadow vegetation because shrubs have more biomass, and thus have higher rates of photosynthesis," said Sorenson.

The investigation, however, demonstrated that the opposite was true. Even though the shrubs are the tallest, Sorenson’s team found that they store the least carbon.

"It surprised me that meadows actually store a lot more carbon than shrubs. The carbon in meadows is stored mostly below the ground, next to the roots," she explained.

Heath vegetation was found to store more carbon than shrubs yet less than meadow vegetation. The experts also discovered that heath vegetation can photosynthesize during the winter, because it is evergreen and typically grows in areas with little snow and sunlight is still able to reach the plants.

Climate change is modifying the variety of vegetation in alpine areas, particularly in Norway's mountains, where shrubs are expanding. Shrubs are now growing in higher elevations as global temperatures rise. The expansion of shrubs is also due to changing farming practices which have resulted in fewer animals in the mountains, allowing shrubs to grow in places where they were once eaten. 

"It is important to find out what happens to carbon capture and storage when shrubs and bushes take over areas that used to be covered by heath vegetation. How will carbon storage be affected in alpine and arctic regions when shrub communities expand at the expense of meadow and heaths?" said Sorenson.

Sorenson plans to continue her research by investigating why meadow vegetation stores more CO2. She also plans to examine what happens to the carbon budget as shrubs are expanding, and explore the potential of protective enclosure to protect carbon-storing plants from being eaten by animals.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Meadows are surprisingly great at storing carbon

Carbon dioxide emissions have contributed more than any other driver...

An exciting new development in the field of particle physics has revealed new information about neutrinos.

It has long been thought that neutrinos could pass through anything because of how small they are. For example, nearly 100 trillion neutrinos pass through your body every second.

But now, a new study discovered that the Earth stops high energy neutrinos in their tracks. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the<a href="http://www.lbl.gov/"> Department of Energy's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a> (Berkeley Lab) and the <a href="http://berkeley.edu/">University of California-Berkeley</a>.

The researchers used a collection of sensors located deep within a section of clear ice near the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/north-south-poles-warm/">South Pole</a> called the IceCube detector. 

The IceCube works by measuring flashes of blue light radiation which is emitted by muons (fast-moving charged particles). These flashes occur only when the neutrinos interact with the ice. 

For the study, the researchers observed the IceCube detector for one year and gathered data on approximately 10,800 neutrino-related interactions. The energy of the neutrinos was also a factor in the study’s analysis and the interactions that were used for the study had energies of at least one trillion electron volts.

The results showed that the higher the energy of the neutrinos, the less likely that they would make it all the way through the Earth to the IceCube detector.

This is the first-time researchers have been able to measure the Earth’s absorption of neutrinos. 

“IceCube was built to both explore the frontiers of physics and, in doing so, possibly challenge existing perceptions of the nature of the universe,” said James Whitmore, the program director in the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation's</a> physics division. “This new finding and others yet to come are in that spirit of scientific discovery.” 

The researchers are excited about their findings and hope to expand their work to examine neutrinos that have even higher energies. There is even talk of building a bigger IceCube detector in the future. 

“Neutrinos have quite a well-earned reputation of surprising us with their behavior," said Darren Grant, spokesperson for the IceCube Collaboration and a professor of physics at the <a href="https://www.ualberta.ca/">University of Alberta in Canada</a>. “It is incredibly exciting to see this first measurement and the potential it holds for future precision tests.” 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The Earth absorbs high-energy neutrinos

An exciting new development in the field of particle physics...

A recent study has found that the harmful health effects of living in a nuclear contaminated area are comparable to the health impacts of air pollution in some major cities. The authors of the study suggest that relocating from a nuclear disaster site may not even be necessary when staying in the area “would be no worse than living in London.”

Previous research has demonstrated that people who live in a nuclear contaminated area have a lower life expectancy by several months and an increased risk of developing cancer. The authors of the current study say that people who live in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-sperm-quality/">polluted</a> cities such as London have similar health risks.

A research team led by the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> set out to determine how many people would need to be relocated in the event of a nuclear accident in London. In order to do this, they simulated a hypothetical disaster in West Sussex based on data from the 2011 Fukushima incident in Japan. 

Using Public Health England’s emergency plans for a nuclear disaster, they predicted the safety measures that would need to be taken. The study revealed that 44,000 residents would be moved out of the area temporarily. In addition, 360,000 people would be provided with anti-radiation drugs, while 410,000 residents would be cautioned to stay indoors.

The experts estimated that the accident would cause 1,500 cases of cancer, 500 of which would be terminal. Despite the enormity of the theoretical disaster’s impacts, however, the researchers calculated that only 620 people would need to be permanently relocated. Furthermore, radiation levels would drop below what people in the United Kingdom are exposed to naturally within three months.

After applying this model to the Fukushima incident, the researchers found that it was unnecessary for Japanese authorities to relocate all 111,000 people that were moved. When the simulation was applied to the nuclear accident at Chernobyl, the experts estimated that at least 70,000 people who were relocated could have stayed. 

In an<a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nuclear-disaster-fallout-would-be-no-worse-than-living-in-london-706w9xc6h"> interview</a> with <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/">The Times</a>, study co-author Professor Philip Thomas said that Japanese and Soviet authorities overreacted after these events. He said, “Very few people are properly aware of just how relatively small the risks of nuclear power are, even after a big nuclear accident has happened, never mind how rare that event might be.”

According to the study, the 900 people faced with the greatest radiation threat in Chernobyl would have only risked three months of life expectancy by staying. To put this in perspective, the researchers determined that the average resident of London loses 4.5 months of life expectancy due to air pollution. In central London, average levels of fine particulate air pollution (PM2.5) are almost double what the World Health Organization recommends as safe.

Professor Thomas added, “Mass relocation is expensive and disruptive. But it is in danger of becoming established as the prime policy choice after a big nuclear accident. It should not be. Remediation should be the watchword for the decision maker, not relocation.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/process-safety-and-environmental-protection">Process Safety and Environmental Protection</a>.

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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

Heavy air pollution can be as harmful as nuclear contamination

A recent study has found that the harmful health effects...

Researchers from <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">Oxford University</a> are emphasizing that the value of water cannot be measured. The team has developed a new framework to value water for the Sustainable Development Goals, which they have published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>. Their report highlights the increasing need for water management both locally and globally, and proposes a plan for better policy and practices.

The urgent need to re-evaluate the importance of water is due to a number of reasons. 

The study authors write, “Water is not just about sustaining life, it plays a vital role in sustainable development. Water's value is evident in all of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals, from poverty alleviation and ending hunger, where the connection is long recognised - to sustainable cities and peace and justice, where the complex impacts of water are only now being fully appreciated.”

The researchers also point out that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hot-water-freezes-faster-cold-water/">water</a> security is now a global concern that is growing more serious. 

They explain, “The negative impacts of water shortages, flooding and pollution have placed water related risks among the top 5 global threats by the World Economic Forum for several years running. In 2015, Oxford-led research on water security quantified expected losses from water shortages, inadequate water supply and sanitation and flooding at approximately $500B USD annually.” 

According to the World Bank, “the cost of a drought in cities is four times greater than a flood, and a single drought in rural Africa can ignite a chain of deprivation and poverty across generations.”

The <a href="https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/HLPWater">UN High Level Panel on Water</a> has launched a new strategy on “Valuing Water,” and the growing consensus is that the profit of water is beyond monetary value. With this in mind, governments need to look at valuing water as a challenge that requires investment in better policies going forward.

The study authors suggest that water management must be focused on four priorities: measurement, valuation, trade-offs, and capable institutions for allocating and financing water. Dustin Garrick is the lead author of the study.

"Our paper responds to a global call to action: the cascading negative impacts of scarcity, shocks and inadequate water services underscore the need to value water better,” says Garrick. “There may not be any silver bullets, but there are clear steps to take. We argue that valuing water is fundamentally about navigating trade-offs. The objective of our research is to show why we need to rethink the value of water, and how to go about it, by leveraging technology, science and incentives to punch through stubborn governance barriers. Valuing water requires that we value institutions."

Study co-author Richard Damania explains,"Current water management policies are outdated and unsuited to addressing the water related challenges of the 21st century. Without policies to allocate finite supplies of water more efficiently, control the burgeoning demand for water and reduce wastage, water stress will intensify where water is already scarce and spread to regions of the world - with impacts on economic growth and the development of water-stressed nations."

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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

Experts warn that humans take water for granted

Researchers from Oxford University are emphasizing that the value of...

Sediment from the floor of the North Atlantic Ocean is giving scientists insight into hundreds of years of climate change in Europe. This unprecedented discovery is allowing researchers to assemble a climate record that dates back 3,000 years.

The research team analyzed the shells of plankton and grains buried deep in the sediment to build a model of past ocean conditions. They compared this data to records of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-europe-drought/">Europe’s</a> climate history, focusing on when the temperatures were above or below average. 

"Our study shows the importance of the ocean on our climate and how this has naturally varied in the past when ocean measurements were not available,” explained study co-author Ian Hall. “ We've been able to link our results to historical records and provide an explanation behind some of the significant effects that the climate has had on the European population."

Dr. Paola Moffa-Sanchez from <a href="https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/">Cardiff University</a>'s School of Earth and Ocean Sciences led the study.

"Seawater can hold more heat than the air, so it can act like a large storage heater,” explained Dr. Moffa-Sanchez. “As such, the oceans can store and transport vast amounts of heat and are hence key for modulating our climate. Interestingly, we find changes in the circulation and distribution of waters in the North Atlantic which would have impacted the transport of heat to Europe.” 

The research team discovered that icy cold waters which flowed into the North Atlantic from the Arctic Sea most likely altered circulation patterns and slowed down currents that bring heat to Europe. For example, the Little Ice Age, a time period from 1300-1850 that was notoriously cold, was linked to the slowing down of North Atlantic currents. 

The team found that reduced ocean currents caused exceptionally cold weather in the 6th century as well, which led to crop failures and famine worldwide.

"Recently, because of our human influenced warmer climate, the Atlantic is receiving more freshwater from melting Arctic ice, which is in turn affecting the movement of the waters in the North Atlantic,” said Professor Hall. “Future changes in ocean circulation are likely to be felt within the pattern of climate change in Europe."

The study is published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

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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

Europe’s secret climate change uncovered deep in the ocean

Sediment from the floor of the North Atlantic Ocean is...

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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 



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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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