The story of Earth's climate can be found locked away in tiny shells that are scattered across ancient rocks. These seemingly modest remains have just helped scientists crack open one of the most significant climate mysteries in our planet's history. 



Researchers at the University of St Andrews have made remarkable discoveries about the fundamental role of carbon dioxide (CO2) in shaping Earth's climate.



The study provides new insights into how CO2 regulated Earth's warming and cooling over hundreds of millions of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-co-2-earth-s-climate-architect">CO2: Earth's climate architect</h2>



CO2 is the most influential <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/met-office-2024-co2-levels-will-surpass-the-point-of-no-return/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse gas on Earth</a>. It traps heat from the Sun by absorbing it and radiating some of it back toward the planet's surface. 



This natural process keeps the Earth warm enough to sustain life. However, when CO2 levels in the atmosphere increase, the planet becomes warmer, leading to significant climate changes.



While scientists understand how CO2 affects the climate today, its role in shaping Earth's climate millions of years ago has been harder to uncover. 



Much of this information on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-co2-emissions-rise-as-nations-tackle-fossil-fuel-dependence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> is hidden in geological records in the form of layers of rock and fossils that act like time capsules of Earth's past environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fossils-reveal-climate-secrets">Fossils reveal climate secrets</h2>



A team of scientists, led by Dr. Hana Jurikova at the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of St Andrews</a>, has made a breakthrough in understanding this history.



The researchers studied a crucial period called the Late Paleozoic Ice Age, which occurred between 335 and 265 million years ago. This was a time of dramatic climate change when the Earth experienced extensive glaciation (ice ages) and subsequent warming.



The research revealed that CO2 levels played a central role in driving these massive climatic transitions. By unlocking the secrets of this ancient period, the team showed how CO2 fluctuations caused Earth to cool into ice ages and then warm as CO2 levels rose again.



This discovery sheds light on how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-sinks-are-losing-their-ability-to-absorb-co2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> has been a powerful driver of climate shifts throughout Earth's history, influencing both the environment and the evolution of life on the planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reconstructing-past-co-2-levels">Reconstructing past CO2 levels</h2>



The team used the fossilized shells of brachiopods - ancient, clam-like organisms that date back hundreds of millions of years - to reconstruct past atmospheric <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-absorb-31-more-co2-than-previously-estimated/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2 levels</a>.



These shells, which are preserved across geological time, store chemical fingerprints of Earth's past climate. By analyzing these fingerprints, the researchers determined how atmospheric CO2 fluctuated during the Carboniferous and Permian periods.



"This showed that the Late Paleozoic Ice Age had prolonged low CO2 levels, unprecedented in Earth's history," explained Dr. Jurikova. "Atmospheric CO2 then rose abruptly, 294 million years ago, due to large-scale volcanic eruptions, warming the planet and melting back the ice."



The study demonstrates that these CO2 changes were instrumental in transitioning Earth out of an ice age and spurring the evolution of reptiles.



"The end of the Late Paleozoic Ice Age was a turning point in the evolution of life and the environment, leading to the rise of reptiles. Now we know it was paced by carbon dioxide," said Dr. Jurikova.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-the-present-and-future">Lessons for the present and future</h2>



The findings highlight the central role that CO2 has played in regulating Earth's climate over geological timescales.



Low CO2 levels during the Carboniferous period triggered extensive glaciation, while higher levels in the Permian period led to global warming and ice sheet melting.



"This time interval gives a potential geological analog for the impact of CO2 on our planet. CO2 emissions in the past caused major global warming and sea level rise, and if left unchecked, they will do so again in the future," noted Dr. James Rae, a co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-co-2-drives-major-climate-transitions">CO2 drives major climate transitions</h2>



This research highlights the immense power of CO2 levels in shaping Earth's climate over millions of years. CO2 has been a key driver of major climate transitions, including ice ages and periods of significant warming.



By studying how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/co2-levels-linked-to-cascading-effects-that-last-for-millennia/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CO2</a> influenced the planet's ancient climate, scientists have gained valuable insights into the ways greenhouse gases affect Earth's environment over long timescales.



Today, humanity faces a similar challenge: rising CO2 levels due to human activities like burning fossil fuels and deforestation. This modern surge in greenhouse gases is causing global temperatures to rise, leading to melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and extreme weather events.



The findings from this research serve as a stark reminder that unchecked CO2 emissions can have dramatic and lasting impacts on our planet.



Understanding CO2's role in Earth's past climate transitions offers crucial lessons for addressing climate change today and highlights the urgent need for action to prevent further damage to the environment.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01610-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Geoscience</a>.



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CO2 has regulated Earth’s climate for millions of years

The story of Earth's climate can be found locked away in tiny shells that are scattered across ancient rocks. These seemingly modest remains have just helped scientists crack open one of the most significant climate mysteries in our planet's history. Researchers at the University of St Andrews have made remarkable discoveries about the fundamental role of carbon dioxide (CO2) in shaping Earth's climate. The study provides new insights into how CO2 regulated Earth's warming and cooling over hundreds of millions of years. CO2: Earth's climate architect CO2...

Shifting regional weather patterns are changing flood risks across the U.S., according to a new study.

Engineers from the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> found that the threat of flooding has grown in the northern half of the country, while the southern half of the U.S., along with the West and Southwest regions, are seeing lower risk.

The researchers came to that conclusion after studying rivers of data from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>.

Dr. Louise G. Slater and Dr. Gabriele Villarini waded through water-height data collected by the USGS between 1985 and 2015, which came from a little more than 2,000 stream gauges operated by the agency. That information was compared to even more data from NASA’s <a href="http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/">Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment</a>, also known as GRACE, which showed the amount of water stored in the ground.

“We show that these patterns are dependent on the overall wetness and potential water storage, with fundamental implications for water resources management, agriculture, insurance, navigation, ecology, and populations living in flood-affected areas,” Slater and Villarini <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/2016GL071199/abstract">wrote in their study</a>. 

The pair found that the amount of groundwater in the northern U.S. has increased over time. That means the region is at increased risk of both minor and moderate flooding, according to the categories used by the <a href="http://www.weather.gov/">National Weather Service</a>, the researchers said.

In contrast, the South, West, and Southwest have all shown decreased levels of stored water over time, pointing to a lower threat of flooding, they said.

The findings in the Southwest and West are not surprising, because both regions have been gripped by years-long patterns of drought, Slater and Villarini pointed out. The southeastern U.S. has also suffered from drought in recent months.

The changing flood risks in the northern half of the country can also be explained by long-term shifts in rainfall patterns, the researchers said. The Midwest has seen heavy rain more frequently over the past few decades, Villarini and graduate research assistant Iman Mallakpour found in a <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v5/n3/abs/nclimate2516.html">2015 study</a> of floods in that region.

The cause of the rainfall shifts in the U.S. aren’t clear, the researchers said. It could be that regional climate change is redistributing rain, they said.

Villarini and Slater hope that their research – especially their decision to cast threats in terms of how they affect people and places, and to use the everyday language of the National Weather Service – will help citizens better understand why flooding happens and their changing flood risks.

“Our findings may assist in a better communication of changing flood patterns to a wider audience compared with the more traditional approach of stating trends in terms of discharge magnitudes and frequencies,” the pair wrote.

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

New weather patterns are changing flood risks in the United States

Shifting regional weather patterns are changing flood risks across the...

Some early birds are taking the warmer climate as a sign it’s time to migrate, and they’re missing out on food because of it, a new study has found.

Biologists and bird experts from the <a href="http://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> have been checking the travel itineraries of hundreds of migrating bird species across five continents. After hearing reports in the birding world of earlier migrations, they began collecting and analyzing data to determine if and how migration patterns are changing. 

“On average, avian spring migration times have advanced over time and as spring has become warmer,” <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12612/abstract">the study found</a>.

As the average surface temperature of the planet rises, the birds begin migrating earlier, the researchers discovered. When the mean temperature in a region rises one degree, the birds arrive at their summer breeding grounds a day earlier on average.

However, the feeding conditions at the birds’ summer homes are not changing along with their flight schedules. Even arriving just a couple of days early can mean that birds miss out on the best nesting spots – because they’re not yet available – and the prime wild buffets.

On the flip side, birds that migrate much longer distances are less affected by the temperature changes, the researchers found. That means they now arrive behind everyone else – and get crowded out of nesting locations and breeding sites.

That now-late arrival can cut their hatchlings’ chances of survival, as resources are depleted.

Another finding: larger-bodied birds travel earlier than their smaller-bodied cousins. Those early birds may already be large and in charge by the time smaller ones reach the best summer breeding and nesting sites.

While some of the migration changes may be natural fluctuations, the scientists studied data over several years to get a better picture of long-term patterns. They also looked at changes in the birds’ diets and the habitat of their winter roosting locations, but found no changes that corresponded to the earlier migration starts.

The study was published in <a href="http://www.journalofanimalecology.org/">Journal of Animal Ecology</a>. It was supported by the <a href="http://www.nerc.ac.uk/">Natural Environment Research Council</a>.

Early birds don't get the worm: warmer weather has birds migrating too soon

Some early birds are taking the warmer climate as a...

Democratic attorneys general in 15 states, plus four cities and counties, sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday asking him not to repeal President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was the lead author of the letter.

The letter comes two weeks after mostly Republican officials in 24 states asked Trump to repeal the plan, which the Obama administration has hailed as one of the president's key efforts to combat climate change. They also asked for legislation that could undo the Clean Air Act.

The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants by 32 percent by 2030. It sets a national limit on carbon dioxide pollution from power plants, and encourages increased construction of clean energy plants such as wind and solar farms.

Under the plan, states are free to reduce carbon emissions however they see fit, but must submit a plan to the EPA by September 2018, or risk the EPA creating its own plan for that state.

The plan was first proposed by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> in June 2014, and was finalized by the president on August 3, 2015.

Opponents of the Clean Power Plan argue that the EPA does not have the authority to implement the new rules. The plan is already the subject of a legal battle.

However, the letter from Democratic officials warns that if Trump repeals the plan, it could result in numerous additional lawsuits.

The letter reads, “Our states and local governments are on the front lines of climatic change. We see firsthand the significant human and economic costs inflicted by unchecked carbon pollution. … Therefore, we urge you to continue the federal government’s defense of the Clean Power Plan, a well-considered and critical rule that reasonably limits emissions from fossil-fueled power plants, our nation’s largest source of carbon pollution.”

The White House has said that the Clean Power Plan will prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths, 17,000 non-fatal heart attacks, 90,000 asthma attacks in children, and 300,000 missed workdays and schooldays.

Democratic, Republican officials face off over Clean Power Plan

Democratic attorneys general in 15 states, plus four cities and...

The key to nourishing a system of sustainable resource management could be social cooperation, a new study has found.

Scientists at the <a href="https://umaine.edu/">University of Maine</a> looked at various tools for creating and encouraging a culture of sustainability among communities. Their goal, they said, was to develop a theory of what works when it comes to encouraging social groups to adopt better conservation and eco-friendly practices, and what doesn’t.

What they found was that spreading sustainability goals out over smaller units of people works better than everyone working as one large group to achieve them.

“Usually, we assume that everyone has to cooperate to save environmental resources but what we found was that sustainable resource use was more likely to emerge when societies were broken up into multiple groups, like states in the United States, or countries in Europe,” said <a href="http://umaine.edu/mitchellcenter/news/news-2/cooperation-dynamics-key-to-sustaining-natural-resources/">Dr. Timothy Waring</a>. Waring is the study’s lead author and an associate professor of economics at the university’s Center for Sustainability Solutions.

Waring and his colleagues believe that small groups are more willing to test and discard strategies until they find one that works. Small groups can learn from each other and improve on each other’s ideas, they said. 

Waring offered the example of climate change agreements. At the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, the United Nations took a top-down approach to instituting climate goals, he said. That’s what led the summit to fail, he believed.

Last year’s Paris Agreement is already beginning to show results, and Waring believes that’s because it took a more grassroots, country-by-country approach that relied on social cooperation.

“Cooperation is easier in small groups, easier with familiar people, and with similar people. And, cooperation is more durable when it is supported by social and institutional factors as well,” he said.

He and his co-authors, Dr. Sandra Goff of <a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/">Skidmore College</a> and Dr. Paul Smaldino of the <a href="http://www.ucmerced.edu/">University of California</a>, Merced, developed a model to study the effectiveness of sustainability strategies as developed by several small groups versus one large group.

They found that three factors seem to influence how successful a resource management project will be in terms of social cooperation: the impact of the resource dilemma on the group, how the group learns from failure, and what it is able to learn from other groups.

For example, a number of Portland restaurants wanted to buy food ingredients locally, but found it difficult to do so alone. When they formed small buying clubs, they were able to support local farmers and food producers, Waring said.

Waring is now looking at real-world examples of small group sustainability in Maine. He and his colleagues are looking at how politics, sustainability, and social factors have affected lobsters and blueberries.

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecological-economics/">Ecological Economics</a>.

Social cooperation could be the key to a healthier environment, study finds

The key to nourishing a system of sustainable resource management...

The last minute of 2016 will be 61 seconds long, not 60. The <a href="https://www.iers.org/">International Earth Rotation and Reference Systems Service</a> (IERS) is adding a leap second to 2016 to counter the Earth’s slowing rotation, scientists said.

In the United States, the second will be added after 6:59:59 p.m. Eastern Standard Time, or 3:59:59 p.m. Pacific. 

That’s based on <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/time/aboututc.html">Coordinated Universal Time</a>, which will add the second after 23:59:59 (or 11:59:59 p.m.) in Greenwich, England, which is located at approximately 0 degrees longitude. UTC was once known as Greenwich Mean Time. The U.S. adjusts that to the equivalent time zone.

Countries falling within the time zone that surrounds the 0-degree longitudinal line, including the UK, Iceland, Ireland, and several West African nations, will add the second just before midnight as well, according to the UK’s <a href="http://www.npl.co.uk/">National Physical Laboratory</a>.

“This extra second, or leap second, makes it possible to align astronomical time, which is irregular and determined by Earth’s rotation,” the <a href="https://www.obspm.fr/?lang=en">Paris Observatory</a> said in a statement. The observatory is the home of the IERS, which sets the world’s time.

This year marks the 27th time a leap second has been added to the clock since 1972. The extra second is sometimes needed because of unpredictable changes in the speed at which the Earth turns on its axis.

About 50 years ago, scientists stopped basing the length of a year on astronomy. Instead, they based the length of a second on the vibration of a cesium atom. 

The problem is that the Earth’s rotation slows by about two milliseconds each year. That requires a leap second to be added about every 500 days so that the world’s atomic clocks still match up with the Earth’s rotation.

The slowing of the Earth's rotation is caused by the Moon's pull and ocean tides, according to the <a href="http://www.usno.navy.mil/USNO">U.S. Naval Observatory</a>.

So what does that mean to everyday people?

Leap seconds can occasionally throw a wrench in the workings of computer networks. The extra second has to be programmed in, which means some networks will show the 6:59:59 twice, some will show 6:59:60, and some may need manual adjustments.

In 2012, some computer networks saw problems arose when the time change caused confusion and hyperactivity on certain servers. Companies such as <a href="https://www.reddit.com/">Reddit</a>, <a href="https://www.yelp.com/">Yelp</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/">LinkedIn</a> reported crashes.

Google, on the other hand, created a system of “smeared time” to handle the extra second. Instead of confusing its servers and computers, <a href="https://developers.google.com/time/">Google's Network Time Protocol</a> runs its clocks 0.0014 percent slower for 10 hours before and 10 hours after the leap second, “smearing” the extra second across 20 hours.

However, aside from the possibility of brief computing problems, most people won’t notice the extra second – unless you’re one of those desperate for 2016 to end, of course.

Ready for 2016 to be over? Wait just a leap second

The last minute of 2016 will be 61 seconds long,...

Shrinking polar ice is a growing problem on planet Earth. 

In 2016, polar ice loss hit record levels, and that’s not a good thing, scientists said. Combined, the Arctic and Antarctic ice sheets have lost about 1.48 million square miles, about the size of India, according to scientists from the <a href="https://nsidc.org/">National Snow &amp; Ice Data Center</a>. That’s compared to levels from 1981 to 2010 for this time of year.

In November and December of this year, both Arctic and Antarctic ice were at record lows, the scientists said.

And 2016 has brought a new blip: Antarctica has lost ice. 

The glaciers that make up the West Antarctic have been in retreat since at least the 1940s, scientists said, pointing to evidence mined from satellite imagery and observations by scientists with the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a>.

But for years, the ice in the eastern regions of the South Pole continent has expanded, bolstering arguments by climate change skeptics. 

This year, however, ice is lower than average on both sides of the continent, the NSIDC reported. Several large areas of open water have been discovered in the ice sheet on the eastern Weddell Sea, as well as in western Antarctic waters.

Scientists also found that glaciers in the west were continuing to melt at a record pace.

As the Southern Hemisphere entered summer, Antarctic ice began melting and glaciers began retreating in the end of August, much earlier than usual, according to the NSIDC.

In the Antarctic, where there is a land mass below the ice, the focus is on glaciers. In the Arctic, it’s on sea ice. 

In 2016, seven out of the 12 months saw record lows for average amount of sea ice in the Arctic, according to scientists. 

Some climate scientists have connected the loss of sea ice in the Northern Hemisphere to an <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/polar-vortex-linked-loss-arctic-sea-ice/">unstable polar vortex</a>. That instability has brought harsh blasts of frigid air to North America already this year, though the vortex is usually not active until January. 

Climate scientists have pointed to a number of possible explanations for 2016’s shrinking polar ice.

One theory, of course, is climate change. <a href="http://climate.nasa.gov/scientific-consensus/">A majority of climate scientists</a> believe carbon emissions – such as from greenhouse gases created by human activity – have led to average warmer temperatures worldwide. 

As we enter a new year, 2016 is on track to be the hottest year ever recorded, according to the <a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/sotc/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>.

Other influences on the Earth’s shrinking polar ice may have included the El Niño cycle that warmed Pacific Ocean temperatures, as well as some freak natural phenomena like unusual global wind patterns, scientists said.

The shrinking polar ice has had a few positive effects. Researchers have developed new technology to track ice loss, and they have used the data to create new models to predict future climate change. Additionally everyday citizens are more aware of the trends, scientists said.

Shrinking polar ice caught world's attention in 2016

Shrinking polar ice is a growing problem on planet Earth....

Don’t worry, 2016 hasn’t been all bad. As all of the celebrity deaths, dirty politics, and creepy clowns stole our attention, researchers were working quietly behind the scenes, studying our planet. And it paid off – they’ve discovered 133 new species of plants and animals this year. 

The new species were discovered on five continents and in three oceans, and range from blood-sucking ants, to a new bird virus, to the most beautiful fish one scientist had ever seen. 

“Biodiversity scientists estimate that we have discovered less than 10 percent of the species on our planet,” Dr. Shannon Bennett said in a press release from the <a href="https://www.calacademy.org/">California Academy of Sciences</a>.

The Academy publicized the 133 finds, which were discovered by Academy-associated scientists. Bennett is the Academy’s chief of science.

“Each of these species – known and as-yet-unknown – is a wonder unto itself, but may also hold the key to ground-breaking innovations in science, technology, or society,” Bennett said of the discoveries. “Species live together in rich networks that thrive on complexity whether we can see it or not.”

Among the finds: 

Dracula ants

A stunning 43 new species of ants were discovered this year, including several species of creepy, crawly “Dracula ants,” or Stigmatomma. Many of the new ant species, including Stigmatomma, were discovered in Madagascar.

Dracula ants build tiny colonies underground, where they feed off of their own larvae. They wound the young ants to drink their hemolymph – a blood-like substance in larval insects. They live most of their lives underground or in rotten eggs, and also prey on centipedes and beetles.

Thorny grandfather

Another new species of insect spotted in Madagascar is Thevenetimyia spinosavus, which means “thorny grandfather.” The insect looks like a bee, but it isn’t. It’s a bee fly, which are known for imitating other insects such as bees (like their name indicates), wasps, and even spiders.

What makes this particular bee fly unique, however, is that it is long, slender, and covered in grey bristles. It also has spikes on its thorax. The other bee flies in Madagascar are shorter and chubbier, and the new discovered doesn’t seem to be closely related genetically. In fact, it’s more similar to bee flies in northern Africa, showing the species likely has a wide range.

Bee flies, including the new discovery, do pollinate plants like their true bee doppelgangers. However, their larvae are fierce, and often attack and eat the larvae of other species.

A ‘twilight zone’ fish

The Grammatonotus brianne is the deepest new fish discovery made by human hands, according to the Academy. It’s a stunning pink and yellow species of groppo discovered by deep-diving scientists in a “twilight zone” reef off the coast of the Philippines.

“This groppo is the most beautiful fish I’ve ever seen,” said Dr. Luiz Rocha, who spotted the new species along with <a href="http://www.bishopmuseum.org/">Bishop Museum</a> research associate Brian Greene. The groppo shows how little humans know about the ocean’s deep reefs, he said.

It was one of 24 new fish species described in 2016.

A frightening new avian virus

Bird flu may be what worries humans, but the newly discovered Poecivirus may cause a lot more trouble for birds. The virus has been linked to a disease that has harmed birds and stumped scientists for years – it may even be the cause, or one of them. 

Scientists have studied Avian Keratin Disorder for more than a decade, but learned little about the disease. It causes birds’ beaks to grow out of control, making it difficult for them to eat or preen their feathers. All birds, but especially water birds, use preening to spread waterproof oils on their feathers, which keep the birds warm and dry. Birds with overgrown, deformed beaks from AKD often suffer from cold and hunger, eventually dying.

The new virus was discovered among DNA fragments from bird populations in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest. It appears to be from the picornavirus family, which also includes human illnesses like polio and the common cold. The researchers will need to continue studying the disease to determine if it is the cause of AKD. 

Other new discoveries include a species of armored lizard with unique defensive habits from Angola, a new species of coral off the coast of California, seven brightly colored new sea slug species, a new pink flower in Mexico, and 36 new types of ground beetles – most of them from a single national park in Madagascar. Scientists also discovered fossil remains of previously unknown ancient sea urchin and sand dollar species.

California Academy of Sciences reveals 133 new species discovered in 2016

Don’t worry, 2016 hasn’t been all bad. As all of...

The Obama administration has ruffled some feathers with five potential plans that would limit mining projects on federal land to protect the greater sage grouse. 

Greater sage grouse numbers have been in decline in recent years as they lose habitat to development and industrial projects such as mining. Between 200,000 and 500,000 are left in the western U.S. 

The sage grouse is important because rises and falls in its numbers can be a bellwether for the health of sagebrush ecosystems in the West. Much like the canaries once used by miners, when the birds begin dying, other animals tend to follow.

None of the options restrict currently approved mining and energy exploration projects, though future oil and gas drilling projects would need to use directional drilling from a distance to avoid disturbing the grouse.

It would be up to the incoming Trump administration which of the plans – if any – to put into place.

But the plans have drawn skeptics. 

“Federal land grabs are never popular in Nevada and the latest one by the BLM is no different,” Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada <a href="http://www.heller.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?p=pressreleases&amp;id=E691B1AB-F2AF-4C45-A7DE-82CC2C2322C2">said in a statement</a>. “A mining ban does little to help sage-grouse and will devastate northern Nevada’s future economic competitiveness.”

He would work with the Trump administration to focus sage grouse protection efforts on preventing wildfires, not private mining projects on federally owned lands, he said.

The <a href="https://www.blm.gov/">Bureau of Land Management</a> has teamed with the U.S. Department of Agriculture and ranchers across the western states in the <a href="http://www.sagegrouseinitiative.com/">Sage Grouse Initiative</a>. The project partners private landowners with public lands managers to protect and maintain sage grouse habitat. Efforts include removing invasive plant species from sage land, restoring wet meadows, and wildfire prevention. 

On the other side of the aisle is Randi Spivak, the public lands program director for the <a href="http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/">Center for Biological Diversity</a>. She called on incoming Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, a Montana politician who calls Teddy Roosevelt his inspiration to follow in Roosevelt’s footsteps and conserve sage grouse habitat on public lands.

<a href="https://twitter.com/Spivak14/status/814521001551790080">On Twitter</a>, Spivak thanked President Obama and his administration for moving to designate nearly 2 million acres of public lands as national monuments. The Center for Biological Diversity has also launched a “resistance movement” called Earth2Trump to fight what they view as attacks on the environment and civil rights by the President-elect. 

The administration’s proposed plans are part of a promise it made in September 2015. At that time, it chose not to list the prairie bird for protection under the Endangered Species Act. The administration, along with the BLM, <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a>, and <a href="https://www.fs.fed.us/">U.S. Forest Service</a>, believed that the sage grouse could be protected without being placed on the endangered list. 

Protection under the Endangered Species Act would have strictly limited mining, agriculture, drilling, and other activity in sage grouse habitat on both public and privately owned lands.

The greater sage grouse is listed as “near threatened” by the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/details/22679503/0">Red List</a>, maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature to monitor which species are in danger of going extinct. “Near threatened” is the first step away from “least concern.” 

The plans proposed by the Obama administration are <a href="https://eplanning.blm.gov/epl-front-office/projects/nepa/70697/94514/114120/SFA_DEIS_Main_Text_508.pdf">available to review as a PDF</a> from the Bureau of Land Management.

Feds: mining limits on public lands could protect greater sage grouse

The Obama administration has ruffled some feathers with five potential...

For centuries, doctors have recommended the healing powers of the ocean to treat various mental and physical ailments. From soothing skin to easing arthritis and improving circulation, the health benefits of seawater are extensive.

Thalassotherapy is the term for using seawater and shore climate for medical treatment. This type of therapy is believed to be practiced as far back as ancient Rome, Greece, and Egypt.

Dr. Richard Russell, a prominent doctor who practiced in the mid-1700’s, introduced the idea of seawater as a remedy for “diseases of the glands.”

In 1897, French doctor Rene Quinton discovered that our blood plasma and seawater are 98 percent identical. By simply being immersed in ocean water, minerals the body needs can be absorbed through the skin. Sinuses may be cleared out by flushing the nasal cavity with saltwater. Symptoms of other respiratory issues may be reduced with saltwater exposure as well.

The director of clinical services at the medical charity <a href="http://www.allergyuk.org/">Allergy UK</a> claims people who live by, and swim in, the sea tend to have healthier respiratory systems.

Skin conditions such as psoriasis and eczema are often significantly improved by the salty water of the ocean and Thalassotherapy. This may be due to the presence of magnesium, which can improve skin’s moisture retention.

The ocean contains high amounts of other potentially healing minerals as well, including sodium chloride and calcium. Iodine is also found in the sea, which helps the body fight infection and boosts thyroid function.

Salt water is considered an antiseptic, and has properties that can heal scrapes, cuts, and skin irritations. Seaweed, which is rich in over 70 vitamins and minerals, nourishes the skin and stimulates cell function.

Ocean water is also believed to relieve stress. Swimming in a natural environment like the ocean is relaxing and soothing.

The weightlessness of water can have a calming and meditative effect on the mind. Water therapy and swimming have been shown to reduce depression and anxiety.

In his 2014 book Blue Mind, marine biologist Wallace J. Nichols brought together evidence for why people find themselves in a meditative and relaxed state when they are in, on or under, water. One reason Thalassotherapy works, Nichols explains, is the breathing patterns used during swimming and diving.

Cold water exposure alone has been linked to improved organ function and the release of hormones such as endorphins, adrenalin, and cortisol by activating skin receptors. Swimming in cold water burns more calories in an effort to preserve body temperature, and is also linked to the release of dopamine and serotonin.

With all of the therapeutic properties and potential healing benefits of the ocean, it is no surprise that seaside spas and wellness centers are thriving.

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Credit: Earth.com author Chrissy Sexton

Thalassotherapy: Using the ocean to heal the body and mind

For centuries, doctors have recommended the healing powers of the...

The costs of implementing forest biomass processing plants in rural communities are too high, according to a new study. Economists at <a href="http://www.oregonstate.edu">Oregon State University</a> conducted the study to determine if biomass operations in remote areas are feasible.

The team from the University’s College of Forestry projected the cost of operations including collecting, transporting, and processing forest biomass at 65 existing plants in western Oregon. The analysis, published in the journal Forest Policy and Economics, determined it is unlikely the remote operations will happen any time soon.

Biomass includes excess tree branches and plant material left behind by timber harvesting operations. The biomass can be processed to create fuel.

In studying the economics of forest biomass operation in the potential western Oregon locations, scientists concluded operation and transportation costs are too high, while the market value of biofuel is too low for successful implementation.

Support for the research came from the Northwest Advanced Renewables Alliance led by Washington State, and was funded through the National Institute of Food and Agriculture in the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

While biomass operation could greatly boost the economy of rural areas, the researchers concluded it will not currently be sustainable without government support and grants.

Lead researcher Mindy Crandall is now an assistant professor at the University of Maine. "There's a lot of interest in focusing on the use of biomass to meet multiple objectives, one of which is support for rural communities," Crandall said in a news release.

"We thought this might provide some support for that idea," Crandall stated. "But from a strictly market feasibility perspective, it isn't all that likely that these facilities will be located in remote, struggling rural communities without targeted subsidies or support."

New markets such as aviation fuel may place a higher demand on forest harvest residues. The first flight using biomass aviation fuel was flown by Alaska Airlines last month from Seattle to Washington D.C., according to OSU professor of forestry John Sessions.

Researchers also anticipate technology will improve the efficiency of biomass systems, leaving the possibility for rural biomass operations in the future.

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Credit: Earth.com author Chrissy Sexton

Forest biomass processing plants are too expensive for most communities

The costs of implementing forest biomass processing plants in rural...

When an invasive species enters a new ecosystem, all native species must stay weary. Invasive species rapidly reproduce, which changes the dynamic of the entire ecosystem. The new species can directly threaten native species’ way of life by: predation, competing for the same food, preventing natives from reproducing and bringing diseases. In addition, the invasive species can also effect the natives indirectly by fighting for their acoustic space.

Animals have a limited amount of acoustic space that they have to share with other species within their ecosystem. When an invasive species enters the ecosystem they create overlapping sounds when they send mating signals and signals to defend their territory. These invasive sounds block natives from vocally communicating.

According to previous studies, native species have changed their vocals when outside noise, such as traffic or construction, increased. However, researchers question if this same vocal adjustment is made when an invasive species enters the ecosystem.

Jennifer Tennessen et al. from <a href="http://www.vassar.edu">Vassar College </a>tested this theory by conducting a study on an invasive Cuban tree frog, Ostenpilus septentrionalis. She studied the effect that the invasive tree frog’s vocal calls had on the native tree frog calls.

The researchers predicted that tree frogs with similar acoustic sounds, measured by structure and frequency, to the invasive tree frogs would modify their sounds but tree frogs with different calls would not adjust their sounds. To test this theory, they studied a native species that had similar calls, green tree frogs, Hyla cinerea, and a native species that had different calls, pine woods tree frogs, Hyla femoralis.

They concluded that the green tree frogs modified their sounds but the pine woods tree frogs did not. The green tree frogs would shorten their vocal calls and increase the loudness more often when the invasive Cuban tree frog was around.

This study helps prove that when an invasive species enters an ecosystem, some native species adjust their vocal calls to adhere to a new species’ vocal calls entering the limited acoustic space. Adjusting their calls lowers overlapping sounds in the acoustic space and strengthens their vocal signals.

These adjustments can have negative effects on mating success for native species due to their call duration. Future studies need to be conducted to examine the effects of modified calls from invasive species competition for acoustic space.

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Credit: Earth.com author Hannah Parker

Invasive species compete for acoustic space with the natives

When an invasive species enters a new ecosystem, all native...

Heavy snowfall in the Western mountains and the Upper Colorado River basin over the last few weeks helped compensate for a dry fall season. Snow levels in Oregon, Utah, and eastern Nevada made an impressive comeback, reaching as high as 176 percent of average by Wednesday.

Season openings were delayed for many ski resorts in the Rocky Mountains after unseasonably warm autumn temperatures hit the area. Some of the men’s World Cup ski races were cancelled when Beaver Creek resort pushed back its opening day due to record low levels of snowpack.

The unseasonal weather had also raised some concern for the state of the Colorado River this upcoming spring, which supplies water to over 33 million people in Arizona, California, Colorado, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming, and Mexico. The Upper Colorado River Basin produces around 90 percent of the water in the Colorado River.

After several snowstorms since late November, conditions in the Western mountains have improved dramatically.

"I don't want to wave 'mission accomplished' banners here, but it looks pretty good," said Klaus Wolter, a climate scientist with the Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences in Boulder, Colorado. "Certainly the near term looks good."

Rachel Woods is a spokeswoman for Vail Resorts, which owns Beaver Creek and 11 other resorts. Woods says Beaver Creek has recorded over 8 feet of snowfall.

The Upper Colorado River Basin also received heavy snowfall, and reached levels of snow that are above average for the region.

Marlon Duke is a spokesman for the <a href="https://www.usbr.gov/">U.S Bureau of Reclamation</a> which manages various reservoirs on the Colorado River. He reported that last week the snowpack was almost 120 percent of average in the Upper Basin.

Rob Katz is the Chief Executive Officer of Vail Resorts. Katz and other resort industry officials report early indicators of a successful season ahead.

"Lodging bookings for the rest of the season are trending slightly ahead of last year at our U.S. resorts. Based on historical averages, less than 50% of the bookings for the winter season have been made by this time,” said Katz. “While November was a fairly warm month for our U.S. resorts, colder temperatures and snowfall returned during Thanksgiving and all of our destination resorts are now offering a terrific early season experience.”

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Credit: Earth.com author Chrissy Sexton

Western mountains in the US are finally seeing heavy snowfall

Heavy snowfall in the Western mountains and the Upper Colorado...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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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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