From coastlines to capital cities, healthcare workers are warning about the immediate need for a treaty to end plastic pollution.



The danger of a global health disaster is at its highest level as United Nations-led negotiations to form a plastic treaty continue to remain dead-locked due to ongoing disputes.



Plastic pollution not only endangers human health, but threatens to harm our planet itself. Without decisive action, the consequences could be irreversible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-treaty-negotiations">Plastic treaty negotiations</h2>



At the forefront of this urgent plea for action are researchers from the Revolution Plastics Institute at the <a href="https://www.port.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Portsmouth</a>.



The experts recently spotlighted the matter in an article published by the British Medical Journal, following their participation in the plastic treaty negotiations in Busan last December.



The negotiations concluded without any agreement being reached, and this pushed further discussions into 2025.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-skyrocketing-plastic-production">Skyrocketing plastic production</h2>



With global annual <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-production-increases-create-identical-plastic-pollution-increase/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plastic production</a> currently at an alarming 400 million tonnes and expected to double by 2040, the scientists see health care professionals playing an increasingly crucial role.



The need of the hour, they say, is for more robust scientific evidence showing the impact of plastic pollution on human health. 



Such data will fortify the treaty process and guide the creation of targeted policies to reduce human exposure to plastic pollution.



"The treaty to end plastic pollution represents a historic opportunity to protect human health. If the treaty is to meet this challenge, its text must include specific measures to mitigate the health effects of plastic pollution, human health targets and metrics to measure progress towards improved health outcomes," noted Professor Steve Fletcher, the director of the Revolution Plastics Institute.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-human-health-versus-plastic-pollution">Human health versus plastic pollution</h2>



The article focuses on two critical health concerns linked to plastic pollution. 



First, there are the omnipresent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-are-infiltrating-the-human-body-even-the-brain/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microplastics</a> - tiny particles found in the air we breathe, waterways, polar ice, soil, and in our food.



Humans are constantly ingesting, inhaling, and absorbing these particles. They have been detected in numerous organs and tissues, from the brain and blood to the placenta and liver. Microplastics have even been found in breast milk and semen.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-open-burning-of-plastic-waste">Open burning of plastic waste</h2>



The other critical issue is the harmful health effects of inhaled <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-can-make-other-pollutants-more-toxic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">toxic pollutants</a> that are released from the open burning of plastic waste. This danger is particularly acute in areas with deficient waste management systems.



The emissions from such open burns, which are loaded with toxic chemicals, particulate matter, and microplastics, are associated with serious health conditions. These include respiratory infections, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/steep-rise-in-cardiovascular-disease-expected-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cardiovascular diseases</a>, and chronic conditions like COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease).



Dr. Cressida Bowyer, the Deputy Director of the Revolution Plastics Institute, has extensively studied the perils of open burning of plastic waste. 



"With 16% of global municipal waste burned openly, rising to 40–65% in low-and middle-income countries, vulnerable populations bear the brunt of this crisis. The toxic fumes from burning plastic are a silent but deadly contributor to global health burdens. Urgent action is needed to eliminate this dangerous practice and protect public health," she warned.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vulnerable-populations-are-affected-the-most">Vulnerable populations are affected the most</h2>



The longer the world waits to finalize a binding plastic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-plastics-treaty-countries-with-nothing-to-lose-delayed-progress/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">treaty</a>, the more devastating the health impacts of plastic pollution will become.



Studies show that vulnerable populations, particularly in low- and middle-income countries, are disproportionately exposed to the harmful effects of plastics. 



This disparity is most apparent in regions with inadequate waste management systems, where open burning of plastic waste is rampant and environmental contamination intensifies daily.



Beyond its environmental toll, plastic pollution worsens global health inequalities. Microplastics and toxic chemicals from mismanaged plastic waste seep into the food chain, water sources, and also into the air.



Toxic emissions, especially in urban areas, have been linked to respiratory diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disorders.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-treaty-needed-to-end-plastic-pollution">Treaty needed to end plastic pollution</h2>



Health experts warn that without the necessary steps of action, these health crises will intensify and spread aggressively, straining health systems and threatening the health of future generations.



But dealing with plastic pollution is not just an environmental issue; it is an important step to ensuring the global public's health.



The message is clear. As responsible stewards of the planet and protectors of human health, it's time for all health professionals to take a determined stand against the harms of plastic pollution.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/388/bmj.q2890" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Medical Journal</a>.



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Plastic treaty is a 'historic opportunity' to stop a human health crisis

From coastlines to capital cities, healthcare workers are warning about the immediate need for a treaty to end plastic pollution. The danger of a global health disaster is at its highest level as United Nations-led negotiations to form a plastic treaty continue to remain dead-locked due to ongoing disputes. Plastic pollution not only endangers human health, but threatens to harm our planet itself. Without decisive action, the consequences could be irreversible. Plastic treaty negotiations At the forefront of this urgent plea for action are researchers from the...

Deep portions of Earth's mantle may be as hot now as they were more than 2.5 billion years ago, a new study found.

Researchers studied a set of rocks from the 90 million-year-old Tortugal Suite in Costa Rica and found magnesium concentrations as high as those in “komatiites” from The Archean Eon 2.5 to 4 billion years ago.

“Komatiites are basically superhot versions of Hawaiian-style <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/lava-flow-from-the-kilauea-volcano-in-hawaii/">lava flows</a>," said Esteban Gazel, <a href="https://www.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a> Assistant Professor of Geosciences, who led the study. "You can imagine a Hawaiian lava flow, only komatiites were so hot that they glowed white instead of red, and they flowed on a planetary surface with very different atmospheric conditions, more similar to Venus than the planet we live on today."

The study suggests that Earth may still be capable of producing komatiite-like melts. Tortugal lavas most likely originated from the hot core of the Galapagos mantle plume that started producing melts nearly 90 million years ago and has remained active ever since, the study said.

"What is really fascinating about this study is that we show that the planet is still capable of producing lavas as hot as during Archean time period," Gazel said. "Based on our results from Tortugal lavas, we think that mantle plumes are 'tapping' a deep, hot region of the mantle that hasn't cooled very much since the Archean. We think that this region is probably being sustained by heat from the crystallizing core of the planet."

Although the Tortugal Suite was discovered and documented more than 20 years ago, “It wasn't until now that we have the technology and experimental support to better understand the global implications of this location,” said Virginia Tech doctoral student Jarek Trela, first author of the study.

The new data, “offers tremendous opportunity to answer key questions regarding the accretion of the Earth, its thermal evolution, and the geochemical messages that mantle plumes bring to the surface of the planet,” Gazel added.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.vt.edu/">Virginia Tech</a>

Image Credit: Professor Claude Herzberg of Rutgers University

Deep Earth may now be as hot as billions of years ago

Deep portions of Earth's mantle may be as hot now...

Coastal flooding will double in frequency over coming decades even with moderate amounts of sea-level rise, a new study says.

With only four to eight inches of sea level rise expected between now and 2050, coastal flooding will more than double, according to the study by from scientists from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> (USGS), the <a href="http://www.uic.edu/">University of Illinois at Chicago</a> and the <a href="http://www.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii</a>.

In most coastal regions, the amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-sea-levels-inland/">sea level</a> rise occurring in the coming decades is small, yet even gradual sea level rise can rapidly increase the frequency and severity of coastal flooding, according to the new study.

Previous studies of flooding caused by sea level rise focused on tide gauges and did not consider elevated water levels from waves leading to an underestimation of potential impact.

“Using models rather than individual tide gauges provides a comprehensive picture of the widespread vulnerability rather than at sparse points where observed data exist,” said lead author of the study, Sean Vitousek, who was a post-doctoral fellow at the USGS when he began this study. Vitousek is now a professor in the Department of Civil &amp; Materials Engineering at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

Tropical regions will see the greatest increase in flooding, according to the study.

The economies of in low-lying Pacific island nations will be damaged, along with many of the world's largest populated low-lying deltas (such as the Ganges, Indus, Yangtze, Mekong and Irrawaddy Rivers), the study found.

“In the Tropics, today’s 50-year water level event will occur every 5 years with just 10 cm of sea level rise,” said USGS geologist and study coauthor, Patrick Barnard.

Most tropical atoll islands are on average only 1-2 meters above present sea level, the study said.

“And even in the high tropical islands such as Hawaii, Guam, American Samoa, U.S. Virgin Islands, Indonesia, and others, the majority of the population and critical infrastructure is located on a narrow coastal fringe at low elevations (1-2 m above present sea level) and thus susceptible to this increased flood frequency,” said USGS geologist and coauthor, Curt Storlazzi.

The study, published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Nature Scientific Reports</a>, can help government climate adaptation efforts in Hawaii and other U.S. affiliated Pacific islands, said coauthor Chip Fletcher, Associate Dean and Professor at the School of Ocean and Earth Science and Technology at the University of Hawaii.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a>

Rising sea levels will double coastal flooding

Coastal flooding will double in frequency over coming decades even...

Having trouble getting a good night’s sleep? The culprit could be air pollution, according to a new study.

Researchers who had studied the effects of air pollution on heart and lung health wondered whether it could also affect sleep. 

"We thought an effect was likely given that air pollution causes upper airway irritation, swelling and congestion, and may also affect the central nervous system and brain areas that control breathing patterns and sleep,” said lead author Dr. Martha E. Billings of the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>.

So they analyzed the sleep data of more than 1,800 participants in a sleep study run by MESA – the <a href="https://www.mesa-nhlbi.org/">Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis</a>. Study subjects had an average age of 68 and were divided into quarters ranging from lowest to highest air pollution at their home locations.

Researchers looked at traffic-related pollutants, particularly nitrous dioxide, and particulate matter such as soot, smoke and pollen, at various points in time during the sleep studies.

Then, they used measurements of movement during sleep to track participants’ “sleep efficiency” – the amount of time they actually spend asleep while in bed.

What they found was that sleepers exposed to pollution were unlikely to actually get a good night’s sleep. 

Those exposed to nitrous dioxide while they slept were 60 percent more likely to have low sleep efficiency. Particulate matter gave sleepers a 50 percent chance of lower sleep efficiency.

"These new findings indicate the possibility that commonly experienced levels of air pollution not only affect heart and lung disease, but also sleep quality. Improving air quality may be one way to enhance sleep health and perhaps reduce health disparities," Billings said.

More research is needed, the team of scientists said. Their study looked at the effects of chronic exposure to pollution, not short-term, acute sleep disruptions. The study also didn’t look into whether traffic noise could be altering sleep efficiency as well.

The research was presented at the <a href="http://www.thoracic.org/">American Thoracic Society’s</a> ATS 2017 International Conference. It was sponsored by the <a href="https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/">National Heart Lung and Blood Institute</a> of the <a href="https://www.nih.gov/">National Institutes of Health</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Could air pollution be robbing you of a good night's sleep?

Having trouble getting a good night’s sleep? The culprit could...

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault started life as an abandoned coal mine a little more than 800 miles from the North Pole. In 1984, it found new live as a secure seed bank. 

Owned and operated by the Norwegian government, the coal mine has been converted into a top of the line facility holding more than 10,000 seed samples from all over the world. 

The concept behind the $9 million vault? To protect those seeds, whether it be from a global disaster like a nuclear war or simply as “backup” in case of accidents at other seed banks around the world.


But the <a href="https://www.croptrust.org/our-work/svalbard-global-seed-vault/">Global Seed Vault</a> has been breached by floodwaters, and scientists say global warming is to blame.

One trait that drew the Norwegian government to the vault’s current location was a thick layer of permafrost. That permafrost was supposed to add an extra layer of protection to keep the seeds frozen until and unless they were needed.

Instead, high temperatures and late rainfall in the Arctic caused the permafrost to melt and flood the vault’s entryway. Fortunately, the water froze once it entered the access tunnel and was removed.

“After 9 years of operation, Svalbard Global Seed Vault is facing technical improvements in connection with water intrusion in the outer part of the access tunnel because the permafrost has not established itself as projected,” the vault’s administrators said in a <a href="https://www.croptrust.org/press-release/press-statement-seed-vault/">press release</a>. 

Officials were quick to provide reassurance that the seeds stored by the vault are safe.

“The seeds in the seed vault have never been threatened and will remain safe during implementation of the measures,” the press release stated.

However, the melting permafrost is just one danger of climate change at the Global Seed Vault, and officials have taken steps to protect against future issues. 

For example, pumps within the seed vault keep water out, but new drainage ditches and a waterproof wall will help to keep water away from the vault and protect the seeds if another flood occurs. Officials are also considering a new access tunnel to the vault.

The goal is to make the Global Seed Vault “self-sufficient” – able to run with minimal maintenance from humans.

“The effect of the measures will be continuously assessed in the coming years. If they are not sufficient, further and more extensive measures will be implemented,” the press release said.

—

By Kyla Cathey, Earth.com staff writer

Image Source: Bjoertvedt, <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/">Wikimedia Commons</a>

Svalbard Global Seed Vault flooded by melting permafrost

The Svalbard Global Seed Vault started life as an abandoned...

Japan and China have successfully extracted a frozen fossil fuel called “combustible ice” from the seafloor off their coastlines, moving commercial development of the material closer to reality.

The official Chinese news agency Xinhua reported that the fossil fuel was successfully mined by a drilling rig operating in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-storm-aere-drifting-in-the-south-china-sea/">South China Sea</a> on Thursday. Chinese Minister of Land and Resources Jiang Daming declared the event a breakthrough moment for a potential  "global energy revolution."

Two weeks earlier, a drilling crew in Japan reported a similar successful operation off the Shima Peninsula.

However, experts warned that large-scale production could be many years away - and if not done properly could flood the atmosphere with climate-changing greenhouse gases.

Methane hydrate offers Japan the chance to reduce its reliance on imported fuels. It could also serve as a cleaner substitute for coal-burning power plants and steel factories China that have polluted much of the country with smog.

The South China Sea has become a focal point of regional political tensions as China has claimed huge swaths of disputed territory as its own. Previous sea oil exploration efforts by China met resistance, especially from Vietnam, but its methane hydrate operation was described as being outside the most hotly contested areas.

Methane hydrate has been found beneath seafloors and buried inside Arctic permafrost and beneath Antarctic ice. The United States and India are also researching technologies to capture the fuel.

Estimates of worldwide reserves range from 280 trillion cubic meters (10,000 trillion cubic feet) up to 2,800 trillion cubic meters (100,000 trillion cubic feet), according to the <a href="https://www.eia.gov/">U.S. Energy Information Administration</a>. 

By comparison, total worldwide production of natural gas was 3.5 billion cubic meters (124 billion cubic feet) in 2015, the most recent year available.

Methane hydrate reserves could meet global gas demands for 80 to 800 years at current consumption rates.

For decades, however, private and state-owned energy companies have been unable to extract the fuel at a profit. Extraction techniques, which can use large amounts of water or carbon dioxide, are expensive.

The industry consensus is that commercial development won't happen until at least 2030. Smaller scale output could happen as early as 2020, said Tim Collett, a scientist with the U.S. Geological Survey.

"The path to understanding when or if gas hydrates will be commercially produced will need many similar and more extended testing efforts," Collett told the <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_JAPAN_COMBUSTIBLE_ICE?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2017-05-19-05-48-55">AP.</a>

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/AS_CHINA_JAPAN_COMBUSTIBLE_ICE?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2017-05-19-05-48-55">AP</a>

Japan and China extract frozen fossil fuel from the sea floor

Japan and China have successfully extracted a frozen fossil fuel...

Friday May 19th is Bike to Work Day, and in honor of the occasion, we’ve accumulated a few stories of the success of biking as an alternative to CO2-spewing road vehicles. 

Cykelhuset

Cykelhuset is a thing, apparently. The word means “bicycle house” in Swedish, and it refers to a new seven-story apartment building in Malmö that comes with everything but parking spaces. 

“The strategy is to look at why people have to use cars, and substitute bikes for the cars,” Cykelhuset’s architect, Cord Siegel, told Fast Company for an article that ran last August.

Among reasons for a car culture to exist anywhere is the need to drive to and from work. So Cykelhuset was built close to the city center and train station.  Shoppers must also drive in order to carry cumbersome packages. So Cykelhuset residents get oversize mail delivery boxes for ease of online shopping. And the complex offers the use of cargo bikes for transporting kids or larger packages.

For convenience’ sake, the building’s elevators are wide and the doors open at both ends for the easy on-off maneuvering of bikes to apartments. In short, just about every detail has been addressed to make it easier for residents to make bikes their main mode of transportation.  

Cykelhuset might not be that unusual today. Many areas of the world -- including significant portions of the U.S. -- have discovered the benefits of biking in terms of not only personal health, but its contribution to the health of the planet.

Cars vs. Bikes

According to a publication released by the Clean Air Council, motor vehicle emissions represent 31 percent of total carbon dioxide, 81 percent of carbon monoxide and 49 percent of nitrogen oxides released in the United States. 

Sure, vehicular emissions aren’t healthy, but what’s the alternative? Actually, it’s easier than you might think.

From the Nationwide Personal Transportation Survey, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Transportation, comes the fact that half of the working population commutes five miles to work, or less. Twenty-five percent of all trips are made within a mile of the house, and more than 82 percent of trips of five miles or less are made by motor vehicle. See the opportunity? 

Then there’s this from the Environmental Students Organization at the University of California, Sacramento: “Between 70 and 100 bicycles can be built with the resources to build one car.” The group also points out that a typical road can accommodate three times more bikes than cars, and, well, you can just about park anywhere -- for free. 

The bottom line is that bike riding reduces harmful gases into the atmosphere, uses far less natural resources in production and take up less space on the road and in parking. 

Urban appeal

Believe it or not, some of the largest and most famously congested American cities -- Chicago, New York and San Francisco -- are among the nation’s most bike-friendly metros, according to Bicycling Magazine’s bi-annual ranking of 50 Best Bike Cities. Or maybe it makes a lot of sense. Bicyclists whizz by idling drivers in most of our major cities.

The high ranking of The Big Apple is the result of significant bicycle infrastructure investments, states Bicycling Magazine: “Across the city, (bicycle) ridership increased by 83 percent between 2010 and 2014, according to a recent report from the NYDOT. Additionally, data from Citi Bike, the country’s largest and most popular bike-share system, shows that in Midtown bicycle speeds now outpace cabs by 2 mph.”

The number-three position in the 2016 bike-friendly city ranking was taken by Portland, Oregon.  The West Coast city is so into biking that the annual Pedalpalooza is a major tourist attraction. The nearly month-long celebration of biking starts June 1 and features 239 riding events for bicyclists of all ages and skill levels. The most famous event is the World Naked Bike Ride -- but never fear -- most events are not clothing optional, and some are even costumed rides. 

Biking for everyone

Those crazy Scandinavians. In addition to Cykelhuset, the region has adopted a small fleet of pedal-powered school buses for transporting kids as young as four. A bike bus is pretty much what it sounds like. It’s a pedal-powered mass transit vehicle that looks like a kid-friendly school bus and is powered by an adult operator and nearly a dozen riders who actually ride -- they don’t just sit there.

When there aren’t enought pedal-pushers to provide power or the terrain’s too steep, there’s an electric motor for added oomph. Each bike bus, currently available in parts of the Netherlands, Belgium and Germany, only costs $15,000. This is, as TreeHugger points out <a href="https://www.treehugger.com/bikes/netherlands-kids-take-bicycle-bus-school.html">in this article</a>, “just over twice the cost of fuel consumed by each regular school bus per year in the United States.” (Of course, it should also be pointed out that conventional school buses carry many more passengers than the bike buses, so most school districts would have to expand their fleet sizes in converting to the kid-powered vehicles.) 

The Tempo is right

Sure, biking is great, but you’ve got to cut residents of such famously hilly cities as San Francisco or Pittsburgh a little slack -- right? And how about those who live too far away for convenient pedaling? A long bike ride would leave them sweaty and exhausted before they even showed up for work…late, no doubt.  Surely they can’t enjoy the benefits of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eco-friendly-hipsters/">bicycle</a> commute.

“My goal is to get more butts on bikes,” Van Nguyen, the owner of <a href="http://tempobicycles.com/">Tempo Bicycles</a>, told <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>.

Nguyen’s hybrid electric “ebikes” democratize the act of bicycling by assisting the rider with a rechargeable electric motor that’s employed only when needed.

“All you have to do as a rider is control how much assist you want,” she said. “If you want to work out you decrease assist,” and pedal your way to your destination. 

Nguyen described a scenario in which a Tempo bicyclist uses assist power on the way to work in order to arrive looking her best, and then pedals home for a go-for-broke end of day workout. She also sees her bikes as ideal vehicles for seniors who want to stay active but aren’t as physically capable as they once were.

“It’s about mobility as well as sustainability,” Nguyen said about bicycling in general and her Tempo Bikes solution for all.

Calculate your savings

Thinking about at least giving biking a try? Bike-to-Work Day is a great time to grab a little motivation. Get psyched by considering the possible bottom-line benefits. Use this <a href="http://www.kiplinger.com/tool/spending/T061-S001-how-much-can-i-save-biking-to-work/index.php">savings calculator by Kiplinger</a> to plug in your current car commuting costs and see how much you could save by even occasionally pedaling your way to a healthier you and a slightly greener planet. You could also use this <a href="http://www.bikingexpert.com/bike-mileage-calculator-tool/">bike mileage calculator tool</a> from BikingExpert to monitor miles biked and real time speed.

--

Original Feature by <a href="mailto:DSearls@earth.com">David Searls</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth.com celebrates Bike To Work Day

Friday May 19th is Bike to Work Day, and in...

Scientists have discovered a refuge for coral reefs protected by the environment from climate change, according to a new study.

These “reefs of hope” are in northern Mozambique and the Quirimbas Islands, according to a study by the environmental group <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">WCS</a>.

“Northern Mozambique Quirimbas reefs have a variety of refugia, environmental variability, and high diversity that give these reefs a high potential to adapt to rapid climate change,” said Tim McClanahan, WCS Senior Conservation Zoologist and lead author of the study.

The first refuge is an environment that has enough variability for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hawaii-ban-sunscreens-reefs/">corals</a> to adapt but lacks temperature extremes that would kill them, the study said. A second is deeper, cooler water but with the full spectrum of light that allows many species to thrive and avoid heat stress.

The bad news is that the reefs are showing signs of overfishing, according to the study, published in journal <a href="https://eco-sphere.com/">Ecosphere</a>.

Many nearby reefs were not fished sustainably and fishers were therefore migrating to the second refuge to find profitable fishing, the research found.

Weak compliance with local fisheries laws needs to be reversed to maintain the fish that help to keep reefs healthy, the study said.

Sea urchins can damage corals if not controlled by predators such as triggerfish, while algae can suffocate corals unless kept in check by grazing fish species, WCS said.

The report recommends closing certain areas to fishing and enforcing regulations in the Quirimbas National Park, which was established many years ago, but has failed to implement restrictions. 

Research is showing that properly managing marine protected areas (MPAs) continues to remain a challenge due to insufficient personnel and expenditures needed to enforce management. Another recent<a href="https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/9933/Lack-of-Staffing-Funds-Prevent-Marine-Protected-Areas-from-Realizing-Full-Potential.aspx"> WCS-co-authored study</a> said widespread lack of personnel and funds are preventing MPAs from reaching their full potential.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">WCS</a>

Study: “Reefs of hope’ adapt to climate change

Scientists have discovered a refuge for coral reefs protected by...

Scientists have tapped into a massive geothermal source in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-zealand-whale-stranding/">New Zealand</a> that could transform the area’s economy.

The discovery was part of the Deep Fault Drilling Project by<a href="http://www.victoria.ac.nz/"> Victoria University of Wellington</a>, <a href="https://www.gns.cri.nz/">GNS Science </a>and the <a href="http://www.otago.ac.nz/">University of Otago</a>, in Westland, north of Franz Josef Glacier.

Scientists drilled nearly 900 meters into the South Island's Alpine Fault, revealing surprisingly high temperatures and the potential for large geothermal resources in the area,” Victorian University said.

The team discovered water 630 meters deep that was hot enough to boil. Similar geothermal temperatures are normally found at depths greater than three kilometers, the university said.

The geothermal conditions discovered are extreme by global standards and comparable to those in major volcanic centers but there are no volcanoes in Westland, said lead scientist Rupert Sutherland of Victoria University.

"Nobody on our team, or any of the scientists who reviewed our plans, predicted that it would be so hot down there,” Sutherland said. “This geothermal activity may sound alarming but it is a wonderful scientific finding that could be commercially very significant for New Zealand."

The discovery could transform the economy of Westland, providing  a “significant and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/game-changing-invention-converts-both-co2-and-plastic-waste-into-renewable-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sustainable clean energy resource</a>,” said Warren Gilbertson, Chief Operating Officer of Development, West Coast.

Additional exploration and drilling will be needed to assess the economic potential, Sutherland said.

The site was drilled by a team of more than 100 scientists from 12 countries, who were working to understand how earthquakes occur on geological faults.

The Alpine Fault is known to rupture in magnitude 8 earthquakes approximately every 300 years, plus or minus 90 years.

The study, published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature">Nature</a>, discusses the site’s geothermal gradient—a measure of how fast the temperature increases going deeper beneath the Earth's surface.

"In scientific research, unexpected is just another word for really interesting,” saids Victoria Professor John Townend, a co-leader of the project. “The findings reinforce the need for the international science community to better understand conditions that prevail around earthquake-generating geological faults."

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By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.victoria.ac.nz/">Victoria University of Wellington</a>

Researchers discover geothermal motherlode in New Zealand

Scientists have tapped into a massive geothermal source in New...

There is limited terrestrial life in Antarctica - plants only exist on approximately 0.3 percent of the continent. Moss, however, is part of the region's year-round landscape. Weather patterns in Antarctica are rapidly changing, and moss banks are predicted to make the continent much greener if the temperatures continue to climb. 

Temperatures are warming in Antarctica faster than almost anywhere else on the planet, and the ecosystem is changing as a result. Moss in Antarctica has expanded very quickly with the rising  temperatures. Scientists from the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> set out to get a more detailed account of this phenomenon.

The team studied the cores of moss from approximately 400 miles of land. 

The cores are well-preserved in the cold conditions of the region. An analysis of the last 150 years - recorded in moss cores from 3 different sites - revealed that major biological activity has taken place over the last 50 years.

"Temperature increases over roughly the past half century on the Antarctic Peninsula have had a dramatic effect on moss banks growing in the region," explained Dr Matt Amesbury of the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. "If this continues, and with increasing amounts of ice-free land from continued glacier retreat, the Antarctic Peninsula will be a much greener place in the future."

The change in weather patterns on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-antarctic-peninsula-has-been-cooling-since-the-ozone-repair/">Antarctic Peninsula</a> has been recorded in great detail, particularly since the 1950’s. The samples collected from this project, however, provide an even more extensive historical view of the climate change that has taken place here. 

In 2013, the same research team recorded similar findings from a single site in Antarctica. As a result of the current study, the scientists learned that the rapid biological response to climate change was more widespread than previously thought, and could be applied to a much larger region.  

"Although there was variability within our data, the consistency of what we found across different sites was striking,” said Professor Dan Charman, who led the study.

The research is published in the journal Current Biology. The team plans to expand this project by analyzing moss samples that are thousands of years old. By doing so, they hope to view how climate change affected ecosystems before human-induced global warming. 

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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 

Source: <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>

Image Credit: Matt Amesbury

Climate change is turning Antarctica green

There is limited terrestrial life in Antarctica - plants only...

The <a href="https://www.wmo.int/">World Meteorological Organization</a> (WMO) has released a list of the world’s most deadly extreme weather events, from a tropical cyclone that killed an estimated 300,000 people in Bangladesh, to a lightning-caused oil tank fire in Egypt that killed 69 people.

"Knowing exactly how bad various types of weather have been in the past has been an integral part of preparing for the future," said Randy Cerveny, an <a href="http://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> Professor of Geographical Science and Urban Planning and Chief Rapporteur of Climate and Weather Extremes for WMO. "This type of extreme (mortality totals) provides a very useful set of baseline numbers against which future disasters can be compared.”

The numbers can also help dispel incorrect beliefs about weather disasters, said Cerveny.

"For example, I have often heard since 2005 that Hurricane Katrina was the deadliest tropical cyclone/hurricane to have ever occurred,” he said. “While Katrina was bad (more than 2,000 died), it pales in comparison to the tropical cyclone that hit the area of present-day Bangladesh in 1970, that killed an estimated 300,000 people."

Cerveny convened an international WMO committee of 19 experts that conducted an in-depth investigation of mortality records for five specific weather-related events. The committee found:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The most deaths associated with a tropical cyclone were an estimated 300,000 people killed directly as result of the passage of a tropical cyclone through Bangladesh (then  East Pakistan) on Nov. 12-13, 1970.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The deadliest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/six-tornadoes-southeast-louisiana/">tornado</a> killed 1,300 people on April 26, 1989 in the Manikganj district of Bangladesh. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The deadliest indirect strike from lightning killed 469 people when lightning caused an oil tank fire in Dronka, Egypt, on Nov. 2, 1994.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The worst single lightning strike killed 21 people in a hut in Manyika Tribal Trust Lands in Zimbabwe (at the time of incident, Rhodesia) on Dec. 23, 1975.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The worst hail storm killed 246 people near Moradabad, India, on April 30, 1888, with hailstones as large as "goose eggs and oranges and cricket balls."</li>
</ul>
Detailed knowledge of these extreme weather events "confirm our continuing responsibilities to not only forecast and monitor weather and climate but to utilize that information to save lives around the world so disasters of these types are lessened or even eliminated in the future,” Cerveny said.

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By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a>

WMO releases list of the deadliest weather events

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has released a list of...

When plants decompose, organic carbon that was created through the process of photosynthesis returns to the Earth's atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Rivers help remove carbon-containing plant debris and flush it into the ocean. An emerging study finds that man-made dams have a large impact on this carbon exchange, an impact that is also making a global contribution to climate change. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a> set out to observe the fate of organic carbon traveling in the world's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-learn-how-greenhouse-gases-enter-streams-and-rivers/">rivers</a>. They also wanted to analyze how much dams disrupt the flow of these organic materials. The study, which is published in Nature Communications, reveals that 20 percent of the organic carbon moving downstream is trapped by man-made dam reservoirs. 

The team used a new model for their research that linked the movement of organic carbon in the river with physical characteristics of the dam, such as water flow and the size of the reservoir. The model allowed the experts to examine the impact of over 70 percent of the world's reservoirs by volume. 

Philippe Van Cappellen is a professor in the University of Waterloo's Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and the study's co-author. He explained, "With the model used in this study, we can better quantify and predict how dams affect carbon exchanges on a global scale.”

There are 70,000 large dams in the world. This level of interference in the natural progression of rivers causes  considerable environmental changes. Over the next 15 years, 90 percent of the Earth’s rivers will contain at least one dam. Despite the influence that these reservoirs have on the planet's carbon exchange, they are barely depicted in climate change models. 

"Dams don't just have local environmental impacts. It's clear they play a key role in the global carbon cycle and therefore the Earth's climate,” said Van Cappellen. “For more accurate climate predictions, we need to better understand the impact of reservoirs."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="https://uwaterloo.ca/">University of Waterloo</a>

How man-made dams affect climate change globally

When plants decompose, organic carbon that was created through the...

Land height could be a "game changer" in explaining why temperatures are rising much faster in the Arctic compared to the Antarctic, a new study says.

A possible cause for the accelerated <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/idea-tackle-arctic-ice-melt/">Arctic</a> warming is the melting of the region's sea ice, which reduces the icy, bright area that can reflect sunlight back out into space. This results in more solar radiation being absorbed by the dark Arctic waters, said the study, published in <a href="http://www.earth-system-dynamics.net/">Earth System Dynamics</a>. 

But that may not be the only contributing factor, the study said.

Scientists believe this is an important contribution to warming in the region, but land height could be another.

With an average elevation of about 2,500 m, Antarctica is the highest continent on Earth, due to a thick layer of ice covering the bedrock. Antarctica also has high mountains, such as Mount Vinson, which rises almost 4,900 m above sea level.

"I thought that land height could be a game changer that might help explain why the Arctic has thus far warmed faster than Antarctica," said Marc Salzmann, a researcher at the Institute for Meteorology, <a href="http://www.uni-leipzig.de/en.html">University of Leipzig </a>in Germany.

Salzmann used a computer model of the Earth system to find out how the climate would react to a doubling of the atmospheric carbon-dioxide concentration. He also ran the same experiment in a flat-Antarctica world, where he artificially decreased the land height over the entire southern continent to one metre, similar to the surface height in the Arctic.

The experiments showed that if Antarctica's land height is reduced, temperatures in the region respond more strongly to a rise in the concentration of greenhouse gases over the continent, contributing to an increase in Antarctic warming.

In the real world, Antarctica’s elevation over centuries could be reduced as ice melts from warmer temperatures due to increased greenhouse-gas emissions, the study said. This, in turn, would contribute to even more warming as Antarctica loses the height advantage.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.earth-system-dynamics.net/">Earth System Dynamics</a>

Land height could explain slower warming in Antarctica

Land height could be a "game changer" in explaining why...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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