Human litter has now infiltrated the deepest parts of Earth's oceans and seas. Debris and trash produced by human activity was spotted at a depth of 5,112 meters (3.2 miles) in the Mediterranean Sea. 



The site, which is the deepest point in the Mediterranean, is known as Calypso Deep, and is located off the south-western coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea.



In a new study, researchers have identified 167 objects at the bottom. Of these, 148 were clearly marine debris, while 19 were believed to be of human origin, though less definitively.



According to the authors, this represents one of the highest concentrations of litter documented at great depths in any sea.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-debris-in-the-bottom-of-the-sea">Debris in the bottom of the sea </h2>



To investigate the Calypso Deep, scientists used a crewed submersible called the Limiting Factor, a deep-submergence vehicle capable of withstanding extreme pressure.



Images captured by the Limiting Factor confirm that besides accumulating on coasts, surface waters and shallower bottoms, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-it-still-possible-to-save-the-ocean-from-plastic-pollution/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine waste</a> also reaches the deepest, most remote points of the Mediterranean Sea.&nbsp;



Given the heavy impact of human activities on this nearly enclosed sea, the discovery emphasizes the urgency of global actions to reduce marine debris and a need for lifestyle changes that cut waste and protect marine environments worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-calypso-deep-as-a-debris-trap">The Calypso Deep as a debris trap</h2>



Located about 60 kilometers (37 miles) south west of the Peloponnese coast in Greece, the Calypso Deep is a depression within the Hellenic Trench system. 



Surrounded by steep terrain in an area with active faults, it has slopes measuring thousands of meters and a mostly flat floor at its lowest point. 



Its deeper, kidney-shaped portion extends over approximately 20 by 5 kilometers (12 by 3 miles) at depths surpassing 5,000 meters (3 miles).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-litter-s-journey-to-the-bottom">Litter's journey to the bottom</h2>



But how does rubbish collect so far down?



According to Miquel Canals from the University of Barcelona’s <a href="https://www.ub.edu/portal/web/earth-sciences" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Faculty of Earth Sciences</a>, the debris comes from various sources, both terrestrial and marine. 



It could have arrived by various routes, including both long-distance transport by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weakening-ocean-currents-could-cost-trillions-of-dollars/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean currents</a> and direct dumping. 



Canals explains that plastic items, for instance, can drift from coastal waters. 



Some light waste, such as plastics, comes from the coast, from where it escapes to the Calypso Deep, just 60 kilometers [37 miles] away. 



Some plastics, such as bags, drift just above the bottom until they are partially or completely buried, or disintegrate into smaller fragments.



“We have also found evidence of the boats’ dumping of bags full of rubbish, as revealed by the pile-up of different types of waste followed by an almost rectilinear furrow," Canals continued.



"Unfortunately, as far as the Mediterranean is concerned, it would not be wrong to say that ‘not a single inch of it is clean.'"



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-debris-transport-across-the-sea">Debris transport across the sea</h2>



Canals noted that the Calypso Deep is a closed depression, which favors the accumulation of debris inside it. He pointed out that the weak currents in the trench also facilitate the deposition of light debris at the bottom.



Floating debris originates mostly in the southern Ionian Sea or further south, and drifting eddies bring it toward the Calypso Deep.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-litter-debris_bottom-seafloor_Mediterranean-Sea_montage_credit-Caladan-Oceanic_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-litter-debris_bottom-seafloor_Mediterranean-Sea_montage_credit-Caladan-Oceanic_1s.webp" alt="The debris identified by the international team in the Calypso Deep warns of the need to implement global policy actions to reduce ocean waste, as well as to encourage changes in citizens’ consumption habits and waste reduction in order to protect seas and oceans around the world. Credit: Caladan Oceanic" class="wp-image-1962233"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The debris identified by the international team in the Calypso Deep warns of the need to implement global policy actions to reduce ocean waste, as well as to encourage changes in citizens’ consumption habits and waste reduction in order to protect seas and oceans around the world. Credit: Caladan Oceanic</figcaption></figure>



“When these eddies are located over the Calypso Trench, some debris tends to fall slowly to the bottom, aided by degradation mechanisms and ballasting processes that increase its density," explained Canals 



"Surface currents can also transport debris from the Adriatic Sea to the north, through the Strait of Otranto, and from the waters off north-western Greece."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-technology-to-explore-the-abyss">Technology to explore the abyss</h2>



Investigating such extreme depths demands cutting-edge tools. In this case, the Limiting Factor submarine, built by Triton Submarines, allowed a small crew of two to descend. 



Moving at about 1.8 kilometers (1.1 miles) per hour to obtain clear images, the Limiting Factor covered roughly 650 meters (0.4 miles) in a straight line over a 43-minute window on the bottom.&nbsp;



“On each dive, more time is usually spent descending and ascending the vehicle back to the surface than inspecting the bottom. Each complete dive usually takes a few hours,” Canals noted.



The expedition revealed no substantial impact on local marine life, likely due to the area’s low biodiversity. 



Only a few species - namely, the fish Coryphaenoides mediterraneus and the crustacean Acanthephyra eximia - appeared in the footage. 



“However, in places with more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-ocean-day-a-unified-approach-to-protect-biodiversity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a>, there are different types of interaction between the debris deposited on the bottom and the organisms, such as ghost fishing, burial, hooking or ingestion, but also the use of debris as a substrate where animals can grow, hide or lay their eggs,” Canals said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mediterranean-s-pollution-problem">Mediterranean’s pollution problem</h2>



Scientists first documented trash on the ocean floor in 1975, in the North Atlantic’s Skagerrak Strait. Areas like canyons and seamounts are especially prone to accumulating garbage, either from settling, burial, or erosion processes. 



Now, the Mediterranean ranks among the worst-affected seas. In 2021, research identified the Strait of Messina as the global hot spot for seafloor litter. 



This highlights broader concerns about intensifying human influence on an enclosed region subject to heavy maritime traffic and fishing.



“The Mediterranean is an enclosed sea, surrounded by humanity, with intense maritime traffic and widespread fishing activity," noted Canals. 



"The evidence provided by our research should shake up global efforts, and in particular in the Mediterranean, to mitigate waste dumping, especially plastics, in the natural environment and ultimately in the sea, in line with the <a href="https://www.unep.org/inc-plastic-pollution" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UN Global Plastics Treaty</a> against plastic pollution, which is still pending approval."



Canals emphasized that the ocean floor is still largely unknown to society as a whole, which makes it difficult to raise social and political awareness about the conservation of these spaces. 



"It is necessary to make a joint effort between scientists, communicators, journalists, the media, influencers and other people with social impact. The problem is there, and it has an enormous scope, even if it is not directly visible. We should not forget about it."



Details of the study are published in the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25000852?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marine Pollution Bulletin</a>.



Image Credit: Caladan Oceanic



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Human trash has found its way to the deepest parts of Earth's seas and oceans

Human litter has now infiltrated the deepest parts of Earth's oceans and seas. Debris and trash produced by human activity was spotted at a depth of 5,112 meters (3.2 miles) in the Mediterranean Sea. The site, which is the deepest point in the Mediterranean, is known as Calypso Deep, and is located off the south-western coast of Greece in the Ionian Sea. In a new study, researchers have identified 167 objects at the bottom. Of these, 148 were clearly marine debris, while 19 were believed to be...

The natural level of lead in the air is essentially zero, contrary to common assumptions, according to a study of historical and ice core data.

The authors challenge assumptions that widespread environmental pollution began with the Industrial Revolution in the 1700s and 1800s.

The research shows that lead from mining and smelting — which has occurred for thousands of years — was detectable well before the Industrial Revolution, and that only when those activities were essentially halted by the plague did lead pollution decline to natural levels.

When the plague swept over Europe in the 14th century, it halted lead smelting and other commercial activities, the <a href="http://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> and <a href="https://umaine.edu/">University of Maine</a> study said.

The study matched new high-resolution measurements of ice core lead taken from a glacier in the Swiss-Italian Alps with highly detailed historical records showing that lead mining and smelting plummeted to nearly zero during the plague years of 1349 to 1353. Lead was widely used in the preindustrial word in construction, pipes, currency, and everyday utensils, the authors said.

Only once, during the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-unleashing-viruses/">plague</a> pandemic from 1349 to 1353 did lead levels drop dramatically, the researchers found. 

The new data show that “human activity has polluted European air almost uninterruptedly for the last [about] 2,000 years,” the study’s authors say. “Only a devastating collapse in population and economic activity caused by pandemic disease reduced atmospheric pollution to what can now more accurately be termed background or natural levels.”

The researchers used a cutting-edge laser facility to analyze ultrathin layers of ice. The facility is designed and operated at the University of Maine’s <a href="http://climatechange.umaine.edu/">Climate Change Institute</a>, and can analyze layers thin enough to coincide with sub-annual time periods, even in highly compressed ice.

“This research represents the convergence of two very different disciplines, history and ice core glaciology, that together provide the perspective needed to understand how a toxic substance like lead has varied in the atmosphere and, more importantly, to understand that the true natural level is in fact very close to zero,” said Paul Mayewski, a co-author of the new study and director of the Climate Change Institute.

The researchers focused on lead not only because it is a hazardous pollutant, but also because it serves as a proxy for economic activity, ramping up when the economy is growing and tapering when it declines, said Alexander More, a postdoctoral fellow in Harvard and first author of the study.

“Lead is one of the most dangerous pollutants in the air, and one we’ve mined for a very, very long time,” he said.

--

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.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a>

Study: Humans to blame for lead pollution

The natural level of lead in the air is essentially...

image description

The Arctic Ocean floor is host to many ice-like, solid mixtures of gas and water, known as “hydrates.” These hydrates are stable under cold temperatures and high pressure, so the arctic ice sheet is able to provide ideal conditions for these subglacial hydrate formations – which are generally full of methane.

But scientists have found that in the past, about 2000 meters of ice pressed upon what is now the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-sea-creatures-ocean-floor/">ocean floor</a>. Under this ice, methane gas from deep hydrocarbon reservoirs traveled upwards, but was unable to escape. This methane was stored as gas hydrate in the sediment. Over time, it was fed by gas from below, creating over-pressured conditions.

“As the ice sheet rapidly retreated, the hydrates concentrated in mounds, and eventually started to melt, expand and cause over-pressure,” explains Karin Andreassen, first author of the study and professor <a href="https://cage.uit.no/">at CAGE Centre for Artic Gas Hydrate, Environment, and Climate</a>. “The principle is the same as in a pressure cooker: if you do not control the release of the pressure, it will continue to build up until there is a disaster in your kitchen. These mounds were over-pressured for thousands of years, and then the lid came off. They just collapsed releasing methane into the water column.”

These explosions formed craters – some 12,000 years old – where methane still leaks from today. With methane being a major greenhouse gas, this is a significant concern in our warming climate. Scientists have identified roughly 600 of these “flares” in and around the craters, which are releasing methane into the water column. “But that is nothing compared to the blow-outs of the greenhouse gas that followed the deglaciation,” says Andreassen. “The amounts of methane that were released must have been quite impressive.”

New imaging technology shows that these craters currently cover an area much larger than previously thought. The new technology also allows scientists to study the craters in more detail, some of which are up to 1 kilometer wide. 

This study provided a closer examination of past disruptive ice glaciation events, and also used new imaging technology that will provide a better source of examination. “Our study provides the scientific community with a good past analogue for what may happen to future methane releases in front of contemporary, retreating ice sheets,” concludes Andreassen.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://cage.uit.no/">CAGE – Center for Artic Gas Hydrate, Climate, and Environment</a>
Illustration: Andreia Plaza Faverola/CAGE

Past methane blowouts in Arctic sea floor created massive craters

The Arctic Ocean floor is host to many ice-like, solid...

A type of stony coral common in the Indo-Pacific region is more resistant to ocean acidification than previously thought, according to a new study.

"For stony corals, we're fairly confident that the acidification issue is exaggerated,"  said Paul G. Falkowski, professor at <a href="http://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University-New Brunswick</a>. "They're more resilient than we give them credit for." 

The corals use protein to create rock hard skeletons, Falowski said. 

“They will probably make rock even as the ocean becomes slightly acidic from the burning of fossil fuels,” the professor said.

Researchers used several high-tech imaging methods to show that stony coral use acid-rich proteins to build rock-hard skeletons made of calcium carbonate minerals

“What we're showing is that the decades-old general model for how corals make rock is wrong," Falkowski said. "This very careful study very precisely shows that corals will secrete proteins, and the proteins are what really forms the mineral and the proteins are very acidic, which will surprise a lot of people."

The researchers found that random nanoparticles are deposited in coral microenvironments enriched in organic material. The nanoparticles accumulate and form stony structures made of calcium carbonate - known as aragonite - by growing crystals. Imaging results show that coral acid-rich proteins are the main drivers.

The proteins function at a pH (a measure of acidity and alkalinity) of about 8.5 to 7, and "that environment, to them, is still perfectly fine," Falkowski said.

The ocean normally has a pH of 8.1 or 8.2, and in the coming century or so that may drop to 7.8, but stony corals will still be able to make rock.

However, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-coral-loss-worse/">corals</a> overall face several environmental threats over the long-run: potentially deadly bleaching from global warming and rapid temperature changes; nutrient pollution; the physical destruction of coral reefs; and ocean acidification linked to carbon dioxide emissions, Falkowski said.

Ocean acidification is reducing levels of calcium carbonate minerals in many areas, which will likely hamper the ability of some organisms to create and maintain their shells, he added.

--

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://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University-New Brunswick</a>

Image: Kevin Wyman/Rutgers University

Why stony coral are more resilient to climate change

A type of stony coral common in the Indo-Pacific region...

Researchers have discovered a new form of uranium, the radioactive element that fuels nuclear power plants.

Scientists have long believed uranium, mined from typically mined from large sandstone deposits deep underground, forms over millions of years via chemical reactions of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/icelands-bardarbunga-volcano-emit-more-gas-than-europes-factories-2/">sulfur</a> and other non-biological compounds.

Conventional wisdom was that uranium within ore deposits is mostly found in the form of uraninite, a crystalline mineral.

But <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> researchers offer evidence for a new origin story for the uranium trapped underground in sandstone deposits known as “roll fronts”.

The team analyzed samples from the Wyoming roll front using new techniques including synchrotron radiation-based spectroscopy and isotope fingerprinting. They found that up to 89 percent of the uranium from their 650-foot-deep samples wasn't crystalline uraninite at all, but rather, a non-crystalline uranium that was bound to organic matter or inorganic carbonate. 

Most of what they found in that unmined site is estimated to be 3 million years old, and formed by a reduction by microorganisms ­- microbes that respire not on oxygen, but on uranium.

"You know you might have a big story when you discover something that will result in people having to rewrite textbooks," said Thomas Borch, Colorado State professor of Soil and Crop Sciences and one of the study’s authors. "Our results may introduce a paradigm shift in the way we think about ore genesis and mining - from implications for human health, to restoration practices, to how mining companies calculate how much they can earn from a given site."

Most states require spent mines to be restored to pre-mining conditions. 

"In order to get back to pre-mining conditions, we had better understand those pre-mining conditions," Borch said. "The baseline may not be what we thought it was."

It’s less clear whether the microbes making uranium today are the same as those that formed it in the Earth's crust 3 million years ago.

 "But we do know through isotopic fingerprinting that the uranium formed via microbial reduction," Borch said.

The study is published in the journal Nature Communications.

--

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.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a>

Image Credit: Amrita Bhattacharyya

Study reveals a new form of uranium

Researchers have discovered a new form of uranium, the radioactive...

In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The plan laid out 17 visionary ideas such as tackling climate change and achieving equality. Goal number 14 is to conserve and sustainably use the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-million-years-recover/">oceans</a> and marine resources. A report published today by the <a href="http://www.nereusprogram.org/">Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program</a> finds that achieving ocean sustainability will also help end poverty and improve the health of millions of global citizens. 

"A healthy ocean can also mean the difference between malnourishment and a steady supply of high quality protein for vulnerable communities," says Andrés Cisneros-Montemayor, Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program Manager. "The oceans are connected to our lives in many ways. Restoring the oceans isn't just an environmentalist's dream but is vital for employment, well being, livelihoods, and health around the world."

The report establishes seven issues that are plaguing the Earth’s oceans and identifies the ways these problems will be tackled globally. The goals include reducing ocean acidification, ending overfishing, and creating marine reserves. The report, which is the first comprehensive outline of Sustainable Development Goal 14, finds that healthy oceans will have far-reaching benefits. 

"If fish stocks recover and are effectively managed, fisheries are more likely to provide sustainable livelihoods and food, and be more resilient to climate change" explains William Cheung, Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program Director of Science. "Sustainable fisheries can help reduce poverty, limit hunger, and contribute to decent work and sustained economic growth by providing employment opportunities and productive fish stocks."

The report acknowledges ways that climate change complicates efforts to renew the planet's oceans. Social issues such as unequal accessibility to resources are also addressed in the publication. Additionally, the document establishes unexpected connections between ocean sustainability and some of the other goals laid out by the UN.


"The results may seem surprising, but a healthy ocean can contribute to achieving gender equality," says Yoshitaka Ota, Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program Director of Policy. "Fisheries activities are quite gendered -- women typically do unrecognized and unrewarded work. Men will go on boats to capture fish that are sent to markets. But women are often collecting the subsistence food."


Ota urges that regardless of the success that will come from healing our world's oceans, we are running out of other options.

"The challenges--both environmental and socioeconomic--that confront our oceans have reached a critical level,” says Ota. “This report demonstrates how ocean sustainability holds the key not only to our future prosperity but also for our survival from a comprehensive science-based perspective."

[caption id="attachment_451001" align="aligncenter" width="300"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/141736.png"><img class="size-medium wp-image-451001" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/141736-300x203.png" alt="" width="300" height="203" /></a> Image Credit: Lindsay Lafreniere[/caption]

--

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="http://www.nereusprogram.org/">Nippon Foundation-Nereus Program</a>

Image Credit: Lindsay Lafreniere

Renewing the ocean could help end poverty and world hunger

In 2015, the UN General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda...

As humans continue to reshape the planet to our advantage, it is difficult to realize the extent of the damage we are causing in the process. Our actions are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diesel-fuel-pollution-heart-damage/">polluting</a> the land we live on and the air that we breathe. We are displacing the plants and animals we depend upon for survival, and threatening biodiversity as a whole. While the repercussions of human activities could be catastrophic, researchers from around the globe are offering insight to help reduce the impact of human destruction before it is too late to be repaired.  

Forest Isbell of University of Minnesota’s College of Biological Sciences and biologist Andrew Gonzalez of <a href="http://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a> are teaming up with colleagues from around the world to report on human-induced biodiversity loss. The report will be published this week in a special biodiversity  issue of the scientific journal Nature.

The researchers outlined human activities that negatively affect biodiversity, such as habitat destruction and overhunting. They also documented what we still need to learn about the loss of diversity within ecosystems. The authors of the publication express an urgent need for people to take an active interest in conserving biodiversity before it is too late. 

“Human activities are driving the sixth mass extinction in the history of life on Earth, despite the fact that diversity of life enhances many benefits people reap from nature, such as wood from forests, livestock forage from grasslands, and fish from oceans and streams," said Isbell, who served as lead author the paper. "It would be wise to invest much more in conserving biodiversity."

The report also addresses the benefits of nature that many of us take for granted,  and how biodiversity loss can revoke these benefits. For example, a recent study shows that fewer tree species in a forest is a direct cause of less wood production in that region. The team estimated that the value of biodiversity to humans is 10 times greater than the amount of money spent on conservation efforts globally. 

According to Gonzalez, the Sustainable Development Goals adopted by the UN “aim to ensure human well-being in the long term.” Gonzalez points out that biodiversity is a big part of this global campaign. He also explains that, "Attaining the UN Sustainable Development Goals will require action to conserve and restore biodiversity from local to global scales.”
--
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="http://www.mcgill.ca/">McGill University</a>

Image Credit: Susan Barrott, UMinn

Conserving biodiversity could save us from mass extinction

As humans continue to reshape the planet to our advantage,...

Spotted owls live under the canopy of full-grown forests and benefit from many features of mature woods. However, the landscapes of western forests are shifting due to climate change and decades of fire suppression. A new study reveals that wildfire can benefit spotted owls by reshaping the land to their advantage.

Fire plays an important role in forest ecosystems. In many cases, forest fire improves wildlife habitats. A new study from <a href="http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/loi/cond">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</a> analyzes the foraging patterns of the California Spotted Owl in Yosemite National Park, and reveals that fire is an integral part of their habitat use. 

Stephanie Eyes of the Yosemite National Park Service teamed up with her colleagues in an effort to discover how the California Spotted Owl responded to an environment impacted by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/preparing-new-era-wildfires/">wildfire</a>. Between 2010 and 2012, the researchers tracked 13 owls on eight territories of the park using radio transmitters. The team wanted to observe how foraging patterns changed in the aftermath of wildfire.

The study showed that the owls primarily foraged near their roosts and along the edges of patches of burned forest. The owls preferred the fire-induced edge habitats, and chose the largest burned patches available. On the other hand, they dodged the interiors of the most severely burned patches. 

"Maintaining a complex mosaic of forest patches with smaller patches of high severity fire can help sustain California Spotted Owls in the greater landscape," said Eyes. "What's unique about our study is that we investigated fires that burned within the natural range of variation, so it paints a picture of how owls used a burned landscape before the onset of today's large stand-replacing fires." 

The team hopes the study can be used as a reference for future forest management programs that may focus on prescribed burns and fuel reduction efforts. More research will be conducted to determine how habitat fragmentation caused by forest fires impacts the livelihood of spotted owls. 

"This paper provides new radio telemetry data on how owls use home ranges that have had recent wildfires," explained R.J. Gutiérrez, an expert on the habitat use of spotted owls. 

"Eyes and her colleagues provide a new piece of the puzzle about how owls respond, and they show that this response can be complex. More importantly, because their work occurred within a national park, it will serve as a 'natural control' that can be compared with other owl-fire studies occurring on managed forests," concluded Gutiérrez.

--

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="http://www.americanornithologypubs.org/loi/cond">The Condor: Ornithological Applications</a>

Image Credit: S. Eyes

How forest fires create beneficial habitats for spotted owls

Spotted owls live under the canopy of full-grown forests and...

Overheated cities can fight the “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-green-facades-cool-urban-heat-islands/">urban heat island</a>" effect by painting roofs white, installing “cool” reflective pavement, and planting more vegetation, a new study says.

Changing 20 percent of a city's roofs and half of its pavements to 'cool' forms could save up to 12 times what they cost to install and maintain, and reduce air temperatures by about 0.8 degrees, the <a href="http://www.essex.ac.uk/">University of Essex </a>study said. 

"It is clear that we have until now underestimated the dramatic impact that local policies could make in reducing urban warming,” said Richard S.J. Tol, Professor of Economics at the University of Sussex. 

Researchers from the Sussex in the UK, <a href="https://www.unam.mx/">Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México</a> and <a href="https://www.vu.nl/en/">Vrije University Amsterdam</a> say their new research is significant because so much emphasis is placed on tackling global climate change, while local interventions can be as important if not more so. 

The analysis of 1,692 cities, published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>, shows that the total economic costs of climate change for cities this century could be 2.6 times higher when heat island effects are taken into account than when they are not.

The urban heat island occurs when natural surfaces, such as vegetation and water, are replaced by heat-trapping concrete and asphalt, and is exacerbated by heat from cars, air conditioners and other sources. This effect is expected to add a further two degrees to global warming estimates for the most populated cities by 2050.

Higher temperatures damage the economy in numerous  ways. More energy is used for cooling, air is more polluted, water quality decreases, and workers are less productive, the study said.

City-level changes to fight global warming go hand-in-in hna with global efforts, the authors added.

“In fact, the largest benefits for reducing the impacts of climate change are attained when both global and local measures are implemented together,” Tol said. “ And even when global efforts fail, we show that local policies can still have a positive impact, making them at least a useful insurance for bad climate outcomes on the international stage."

--

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.essex.ac.uk/">University of Essex</a>

Cities can fight global warming with reflective roofs, pavement

Overheated cities can fight the “urban heat island" effect by...

An estimated 29 percent of shallow water corals in the Great Barrier Reef off the coast of <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/record-rainfall-queensland-australia/">Australia</a> died from bleaching in 2016, scientists announced.

That is up from original estimates of  22 percent loss in mid-2016. The most severe mortality was confined to the area north of Port Douglas, where an estimated 70 percent of shallow water corals died.

Further coral loss is expected in 2017 from the second consecutive year of bleaching and the impacts of tropical cyclone Debbie, the <a href="http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/">Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority</a> said.

“As has been the case with reefs across the world, the Great Barrier Reef has experienced significant and widespread impacts over the last two years,” said authority chairman Russell Reichelt,  “We’re very concerned about what this means for the Great Barrier Reef itself and what it means for the communities and industries that depend on it.”

The <a href="http://www.gbrmpa.gov.au/">Marine Park Authority</a>,<a href="https://www.npsr.qld.gov.au/contactus/regionalqpws.html"> Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service</a>, <a href="http://www.aims.gov.au/">Australian Institute of Marine Science</a> (AIMS) and the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> conducted extensive surveys of the mass bleaching throughout 2016. 

Both aerial and in-water surveys confirmed a “pronounced gradation in impacts” from north to south.

AIMS has been tracking coral cover in the Great Barrier Reef since 1985. While varying from year-to-year, AIMS data shows a declining trend in coral cover.

Cyclones and coral-eating crown-of-thorns starfish were responsible for the greatest coral loss before 2016, the Marine Park Authority said.

Combined with coral bleaching — which is predicted to become more frequent and more severe as a result of steadily rising ocean temperature — the long-term trend of coral decline is expected to continue and accelerate. Recovery from bleaching is also likely to be slower than from other impacts, the authority said.

--

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.gbrmpa.gov.au/">Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority</a>

Great Barrier Reef coral loss even worse than predicted

An estimated 29 percent of shallow water corals in the...

Hundreds of springs, that lingered despite long dry spells, allowed early humans to migrate north out of Africa, a new study found.

The research by <a href="http://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University-New Brunswick </a>and other institutions shows climate may not have played as much of a primary role in human evolution as previously asserted.

"This has very important implications for human evolution," said Gail M. Ashley, a professor in the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences at Rutgers. "We're not saying anything about why early humans left Africa. We're only saying it was possible to leave Africa by going from one spring to the next and they could travel during dry periods."

The study, which focused on the key role of "hydro-refugia," or water refuges, in East African early human evolution and dispersal, was published in the online journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>. Hydro-refugia, a new term coined by the scientists, include springs, wetlands, groundwater-fed perennial streams and groundwater-fed rivers.

The importance of <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/irrigation-groundwater-depletion/">groundwater</a> for the survival of our hominin ancestors during dramatic climate swings could inspire and inform strategies for human resilience to future climate change, according to the study.

The African climate has fluctuated for several million years between wet and dry in 23,000-year cycles, the study said. Most lakes in East Africa, where early humans arose, are saline and alkaline and undrinkable and rivers dry up for large parts of the year. The study focused instead on the viability of groundwater-fed springs.

It examined 808,000 square miles, stretching from northern Tanzania to Ethiopia and focusing on the East African Rift Valley, using hydrogeological modeling of the current landscape.

"I'm absolutely amazed how in some places, it looks like a trickle of water is coming out and yet it will supply hundreds of animals a day," said Ashley.

The study assumed that a person could walk up to 180 kilometers, or about 112 miles, in three days.

"In some places, people could not migrate and they would have stayed at one spring for quite a long time until it got wetter again, and then more springs would open up and they could continue to move," Ashley said.

Researchers have always assumed that climate was the main factor in human migration and human evolution, she added.

"Climate fluctuated, but the geology allowed the development and maintenance of springs - hydro-refugia - on the landscape, allowing humans to disperse and migrate out of Africa," she said. "The bigger question is what motivated humans to move up the East African Rift Valley. We know they did and we have shown how it was possible, but we don't really have a logical reason for them doing that."

--

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://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University-New Brunswick </a>

Photo Credit: Gail M. Ashley, Rutgers University

Groundwater springs allowed early humans to migrate out of Africa

Hundreds of springs, that lingered despite long dry spells, allowed...

Coral bleaching is one of the major consequences of climate change, and is affecting some of our most diverse ecosystems – coral reefs – all around the world. Bleaching occurs when water temperatures rise, causing corals to expel algae from their tissue in response to stress from negative environmental pressures. Without this algae, the corals starve.

Researchers have recently discovered that nearshore corals at the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve (HBNP) on O’ahu, Hawaii are at risk of coral bleaching as seawater temperatures around the world continue to rise. Between 2014 and 2015, they found that 47% of reef flat corals at HBNP bleached overall and 9.8% of corals died in these locations.

The findings of the research team, which was led by the late Dr. Paul Jokiel of the <a href="http://www.himb.hawaii.edu/">Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology</a>, found that temperature is the most influential factor in coral bleaching events at HBNP. 

These warmer ocean temperatures that are devastating reefs worldwide are related to significant increase in global carbon emissions over the past several decades. As the researchers explain, regardless of past and current efforts to prevent bleaching from occurring, carbon will continue to be absorbed by the ocean and thus water temperatures will continue to rise.

Jokeil’s Coral Reef Assessment and Monitoring Program (CRAMP) has been collecting data from the HBPN since 1999. Analysis reveals that there was a significant decrease in shallow <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hawaii-ban-sunscreens-reefs/">coral</a> cover as far back as 2002.

The geography of the bay in the Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve is such that it separates the shallow nearshore from the deeper seaward regions, as it stretches from one end of the bay to the other. The barrier it provides, along with its two channels, have significant impacts on how cool water is carried from the open ocean to the shore, as well as how the water exits the bay.

The patterns of this water flow were a major part of the study, as the researchers attempted to understand why bleaching was more significant in certain areas of the bay. They determined that bleaching was most devastating in the areas where water would pool and warm for long periods of time. Areas that had more of a circulation pattern experienced less bleaching.

If living coral tissue continues to decline, the reef will erode and will no longer be able to provide shelter and food to the diverse sea life that calls the reef home. 

Dr. Ku'ulei Rodgers explains, “Global climate change poses a direct threat to the biological sustainability of the protected reefs of Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve and a clear economic and cultural threat to the state of Hawaii.”

If global warming continues and causes coral bleaching to increase, we will lose some of our most diverse and spectacular ecosystems.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://peerj.com/">PeerJ</a>

Coral bleaching wreaking havoc at popular Hawaiian destination

Coral bleaching is one of the major consequences of climate...

The Amazon rainforest is responsible for absorbing around 25% of the carbon that is removed from the atmosphere by forests worldwide. There are concerns that deforestation is driving this region to a tipping point - in which abundant rainforests would transform into dry savanna. However, new research is emerging that suggests that the Amazon rainforest has a naturally-occurring border that gives it staying power. 

Satellite data that shows savanna and rainforest side-by-side suggests that these regions have bistability, or alternative stable states. This means that events such as fires and drought could tip a large part of the rainforest into a state of savannah, where it would be locked until balance was restored.

Bert Wuyts, a fourth-year PhD student at the <a href="http://www.bris.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>, set out to see if this theory was accurate. 

"I decided to take a fresh look at the data and a very different picture emerged when I controlled for seasonality and took out all the data points from satellite images that represented locations that had been subjected to human influence. Suddenly the property of bistability disappeared almost completely,” explained Wuyts.

Wuyts made this discovery in the first year of his PhD. He teamed up with <a href="http://www.bris.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> professor Alan Champneys, a theorist in the department of Engineering Mathematics and an expert on land use change from the School of Geographical Sciences. 

The team analyzed the data for two years, and were able to identify key determining factors in the forest-savanna boundary that previous studies have overlooked. According to the reaction-diffusion theory, which is widely used to predict spatial interaction, there should be a distinct boundary between forest and savanna. This means that forest and savanna are equally stable. 

Another determining factor is the proximity of the region to human activities. Logging and fire-induced erosion shift forest-savanna borders toward wetter conditions, which are more favorable for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/palm-oil-plantations-tropical-butterflies/">rainforests</a>. 

The findings of this study establish that deforestation does not have the power to push exposed areas of the Amazon rainforest to a tipping point. These regions should be able to bounce back after human activities are ceased. 

On the other hand, a significant decrease in rainfall may result from having fewer trees in the rainforest. The researchers did not factor in the potential outcome of less rain, and further research is needed to explore this issue. 

--

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="http://www.bris.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>

How the Amazon rainforest could bounce back from deforestation

The Amazon rainforest is responsible for absorbing around 25% of...

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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



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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