The year 2024 has been marked by a series of extreme weather events that forced billions of people to face the harsh reality of a changing climate.



Persistent droughts gripped southern Africa and Central America, while devastating floods swept through Spain. In the Southeast U.S., Hurricane Helene unleashed its fury.



An international team of scientists led by Dr. Wenxia Zhang analyzed these events as part of a study published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences.



The study highlights the year's notable extremes - rainfall, flooding, tropical cyclones, and droughts. The researchers examined their causes, the role of global warming, and the challenges of building a climate-resilient future.



“Most extreme events have a large random element,” said Dr. James Risbey of CSIRO. “Some extremes are more likely when larger-scale drivers such as ENSO influence weather patterns.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-role-of-el-nino-and-climate-change">Role of El Niño and climate change</h2>



El Niño, a natural climate phenomenon, influenced many of 2024's extreme rainfall and drought events, particularly during the winter of 2023/24. 



However, El Niño alone does not explain the severity of these events. Attribution science has revealed that human-induced climate change has amplified the impacts of such natural patterns, making extreme weather more intense and destructive.



“The climate change influence can be direct through physical processes causing the extreme, or indirect in influencing the weather, large scale drivers, and key baselines,” explained Dr. Risbey.



Dr. Zhang, an expert at the <a href="http://www.cas.cn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>, noted that anthropogenic warming enhances atmospheric moisture and evaporation, intensifying rainfall and droughts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-challenges-in-understanding-climate-extremes">Challenges in understanding climate extremes</h2>



Attribution science, which studies the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-added-41-extra-days-of-dangerous-heat-in-2024/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">role of climate change</a> in specific extreme weather events, has made significant progress. 



However, challenges remain, particularly when observed weather extremes do not match predictions from climate models. These inconsistencies reduce confidence in the results and make it harder to draw precise conclusions about the role of human-induced climate change in individual events.



Dr. Michael Brody of <a href="https://www.gmu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">George Mason University</a> emphasizes that improving our ability to attribute extreme events to climate change requires a deeper understanding of how climate systems work. 



Enhanced attribution methods can provide more reliable insights, which are crucial for shaping recovery efforts after disasters and creating better preparedness plans for the future. 



Accurate attribution enables decision-makers to allocate resources effectively, minimize risks, and build resilience in vulnerable communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forecasting-and-warning-systems">Forecasting and warning systems</h2>



Forecasting and effective warnings can save lives. While Hurricane Helene was well-predicted, its impact exposed vulnerabilities in underprepared communities.



“Increasing the quality of forecasts is important, but acting upon them to reduce vulnerabilities is crucial," said Dr. Piotr Wolski of the <a href="https://uct.ac.za" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Cape Town</a>.



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/valencia-floods-a-tragedy-fueled-by-extreme-weather/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">devastating floods</a> in Spain during October <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2024-confirmed-as-earths-hottest-year-in-recorded-history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">2024</a> highlight the critical need to reduce the impacts of extreme weather and strengthen community resilience towards climate change. 



Such disasters often result in widespread frustration and anger, especially when people feel unprepared or unsupported.



Dr. Wolski stresses that simply issuing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scorching-summer-of-2024-could-make-it-the-hottest-year-on-record/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warnings</a> is not enough. It is essential to ensure that these warnings are communicated clearly, reach those at risk, and are acted upon effectively. By taking these steps, we can address vulnerabilities, reduce harm, and help communities recover more quickly.



The events in Spain serve as a reminder that better preparation and response systems are vital to managing the challenges of a changing climate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preparing-for-climate-extremes">Preparing for climate extremes</h2>



The events of 2024 highlight the growing urgency to understand and address the causes of extreme weather.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-temperatures-are-wreaking-havoc-on-the-global-water-cycle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Climate change</a> has made such events more intense and frequent, impacting millions of lives and communities. To reduce these effects, it is crucial to develop better systems for predicting extreme weather, ensuring that warnings reach people effectively and on time.



Clear communication and quick action can make a significant difference in saving lives and minimizing damage when disasters strike. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-embracing-climate-resilience">Embracing climate resilience</h2>



Additionally, adopting climate resilience - measures that help communities prepare for and adapt to changing climate conditions - offers a proactive way to reduce vulnerabilities and build safer, more sustainable futures.



As extreme climate events grow more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-ocean-warming-in-2024-is-a-warning-for-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">unpredictable and severe</a>, our ability to predict and respond quickly will determine how well we can protect lives and adapt to these challenges. 



Embracing climate resilience means not just responding to disasters but preparing for them in ways that safeguard people and their livelihoods in an increasingly unstable world.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00376-025-4540-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.



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Climate extremes in 2024: What have we learned?

The year 2024 has been marked by a series of extreme weather events that forced billions of people to face the harsh reality of a changing climate. Persistent droughts gripped southern Africa and Central America, while devastating floods swept through Spain. In the Southeast U.S., Hurricane Helene unleashed its fury. An international team of scientists led by Dr. Wenxia Zhang analyzed these events as part of a study published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences. The study highlights the year's notable extremes - rainfall, flooding, tropical...

For some nonprofits, Giving Tuesday donations can be vital for their continued existence. The <a href="https://indianaforestalliance.org/">Indiana Forest Alliance</a> is hoping to raise funds that will help them save Crown Hill North Woods, an old-growth forest ecosystem in the middle of Indianapolis. 

Beyond providing a forest laboratory for schoolchildren in the city, Crown Hill is perhaps the only old-growth forest standing within a city in the U.S. It was recently sold to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, which plans to cut down the trees and build a national cemetery.

“There are some trees there that are 400 to 500 years old,” said Paul Bryan, the IFA’s development director. “We found a land trust that is willing to buy the land back.”

In addition to raising money for that and other initiatives, the IFA is hoping to draw in new volunteers and generate publicity for next week’s <a href="https://indianaforestalliance.org/event/wild-scenic-film/">Wild &amp; Scenic Film Festival</a>, one of their special events.

They’re not alone in welcoming Giving Tuesday. <a href="http://www.cbf.org/">The Chesapeake Bay Foundation</a> in Maryland hopes to raise $15,000 this year to help educate people about the bay, restore habitats, protect oyster beds, and advocate for the region. At <a href="http://www.medinaraptorcenter.org/">Medina Raptor Center</a>, which rehabilitates and releases injured birds of prey and songbirds, all donations go to feeding and caring for their patients.

But how did Giving Tuesday get started, and how can you get involved?

The giving event was originally dreamed up in 2012 by the <a href="https://www.92y.org/">92nd Street Y</a> in New York. The founders imagined a day where people would donate not just money, but also their time as volunteers and advocates to causes they believe in.

 “On the heels of Black Friday and Cyber Monday, they thought it was a great way to refocus the season on giving,” said Jamie McDonald, the Community and Higher Education campaign lead for Giving Tuesday, the organization that sprung up to support the event.

In just four years, organizations in more than 70 countries, as well as cities and towns all over the U.S., have joined in. Celebrities have gotten on board. So have companies like Constellation, <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/">Microsoft</a>, and <a href="http://www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/">Sheraton Hotels and Resorts</a>.

Last year, more than 500,000 donors raised $116 million for their favorite causes.

“It’s really been a phenomenon,” McDonald said.

In some cases, donors can double their donations. <a href="http://www.nature.org/">The Nature Conservancy</a> start a Home for the Holidays Matching Fund, which doubles every dollar up to $100,000 donated on Giving Tuesday. Actress Candice Bergen stepped up and promised to match up to $100,000 in donations to the <a href="http://www.nature.org/">Natural Resources Defense Council</a>. 

On the other side of things, <a href="http://www.constellation.com/">Constellation</a> named 111 new recipients of its Community Champions grants in honor of the giving day. The energy company asked its customers to nominate community organizations focused on youth development, the environment and education for the grants, then awarded more than $53,000 in 15 states.

Nonprofits have reaped the rewards. Giving Tuesday has become the third largest giving day on the calendar in terms of money, and the second largest in terms of donations, McDonald said.

Even more importantly, nonprofits have seen an uptick in volunteerism, she said.

Some, like <a href="https://www.charitywater.org">charity: water</a>, are even seeking to turn a one-day boost on Giving Tuesday into a year-round surge of fundraising and volunteerism.

“This is a day that has become a meaningful day for many, many organizations,” McDonald said.

For the Indiana Forest Alliance, which receives all of their funding through donations, memorial gifts, and a few special events each year, Giving Tuesday can be a significant boost to their cash flow and introduce them to new donors. 

“Our best and most effective tool from here on out is the grassroots organizing we’re engaged in,” Bryan said – organizing supported entirely by volunteer efforts and donations. 

Giving Tuesday has been a huge monetary success for nonprofits, McDonald said, and that’s been wonderful for all the nonprofits involved. However, organizers are hoping to see it turn from a day for donations to a year-round movement of volunteerism and community building.

“That’s the kind of innovation that we see going forward, being able to carry Giving Tuesday into year-round impact,” she said.

There’s still time to get involved. Check out these <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/giving-tuesday-roundup/">ways to help the Earth</a> this Giving Tuesday – or all year.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Giving Tuesday helps charities, but needs us to do more

For some nonprofits, Giving Tuesday donations can be vital for...

Coral deaths in the Great Barrier Reef have reached record numbers in 2016, and warming ocean temperatures may be to blame, scientists said.

One 400-mile stretch of the reef, a <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154">UNESCO World Heritage Site</a> off the northeast coast of Australia, has lost approximately 67 percent of its shallow-water corals in just nine months, according to dive surveys by the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a>. 

The central and southern portions of the reef saw far fewer coral deaths, the researchers said – 6 percent and 1 percent, respectively. This is good news for the tourists who head to those more popular areas of the reef, and for the industries that rely on those visitors, Australian officials said. 

But the damage to the northern region of the reef is extensive, and scientists at the research center, based at Queensland’s <a href="https://www.jcu.edu.au/">James Cook University</a>, believe the culprit is climate change and ocean warming linked to El Niño. 

In this and previous coral bleaching and die-off events in the reef, the areas affected were where water temperatures were the highest, the researchers said.

At least one expert on the reef – engineer Graeme Kelleher, who spent 16 years helming the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority – blamed nearby coal mining operations and use of fossil fuels as well. 

The reef has lost 50 percent of its coral cover in just  30 years, he said. 

This is the third major coral die-off seen by the reef since 1998, and it was much worse than the 1998 event, scientists said. It could take 10 to 15 years for the northern portion of the reef to recover – if there are no further bleaching events.

Still, the Great Barrier Reef had seen a 19 percent increase in coral growth in recent years, Australian officials said, showing that its ecosystem is resilient. 

Australia will share the findings with the <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/">UNESCO World Heritage Centre</a>, and officials acknowledged that the die-off would probably land the reef on the organization’s “in danger” list. 

The country plans to spend $1.5 billion U.S. over the next decade to help improve the reef’s health.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Great Barrier Reef sees record coral deaths this year

Coral deaths in the Great Barrier Reef have reached record...

Alaska has a new mystery that has some scientists stumped: disappearing caribou.

A massive herd of caribou that roams the Arctic region in the state has dwindled, with its population declining by more than half in just six years.

In 2010, the herd hit a peak population of about 70,000 caribou. By 2013, numbers had dwindled to about 50,000, and this year, <a href="http://www.adfg.alaska.gov/">Alaska Department of Fish and Game</a> surveys suggest the herd’s size has dropped to around 22,000.

Researchers can’t settle on a reason. They’ve ruled out hunting by wolves and bears as a factor, and while pregnancy levels are down among female caribou, it’s not enough to account for the population bleed.

Biologists can find so sign of diseases among the herd. They have seen a higher than normal death rate among the female caribou fitted with radio tracking collars, but no sign of what is causing those deaths, they said.

One change that may have played a role in 2013 was a later than normal spring. That seems to have led to poor nutrition among the caribou that year, scientists said. Researchers plan to study satellite and weather tracking data to see if other unusual weather patterns might have affected the mushrooms, lichen, sedges, and other plants the caribou eat, leading to malnutrition. 

Some of the herd may have split off to join other groups of caribou, but the scientists aren’t sure of the potential extent, or whether it would have caused such a sharp drop in numbers. Because not many of the adult caribou are fitted with the tracking collars, it’s difficult to account for all of the herd’s movements, they said.

The scientists declined to blame climate change for the herd’s population decline until they had studied more data. 

However, environmental groups believe that Alaskan polar bears have been affected by global warming in recent years. 

The advocacy group <a href="http://www.polarbearsinternational.org/">Polar Bears International</a> notes that loss of polar bear habitat due to sea ice melt has been linked to reduced size and weight among the bears, as well as a lower survival rate among cubs. 

The <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> is also working to determine what might be affecting the caribou. If summers have gotten warmer in the areas where they typically feed, booming insect populations could be driving them away, the agency’s wildlife biologists speculate.

However, studies comparing the caribous’ range to the 1970s have so far found no significant changes. 

Alaska residents have also questioned whether lax hunting rules for out-of-state visitors have played a role. The state fish and game department plans to reduce the number of caribou that can be killed from the herd this hunting season.

Two other north Alaskan caribou herds have seen declining numbers in recent years, although one seems to have stabilized, the department said.

Alaska biologists investigate mystery of disappearing caribou

Alaska has a new mystery that has some scientists stumped:...

With the holiday season upon us, it’s easy to let our daily routines slip a little. If haven’t had a chance to check out <a href="http://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> and <a href="http://www.greenatom.earth/">GreenAtom.earth</a> over the past few days, here are five top stories you should be sure not to miss:
<ol>
 	<li><a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cereal-cropping/">Scientists identify most environmentally friendly cereal cropping process</a>: A research team from Denmark found that how grain crops are grown and harvested can have an effect on the environment, and identified the methods and crops that cause less damage.</li>
</ol>
<ol start="2">
 	<li><a href="http://www.earth.com/news/soil-science-helps-boost-agriculture/">Soil science helps boost agricultural success</a>: Two scientists have developed a set of equations that will help farmers, land managers and others determine what a patch of soil can best be used for.</li>
</ol>
<ol start="3">
 	<li><a href="http://www.earth.com/news/saltmarsh-sparrow-may-go-exctinct/">Saltmarsh sparrow may be extinct within 50 years</a>: The at-risk species could be the first bird species to go extinct in the continental United States since 1931. </li>
</ol>
<ol start="4">
 	<li><a href="http://www.greenatom.earth/news/phytoplankton-a-new-sustainable-food-and-fuel-source/">Scientists see phytoplankton as a new sustainable food and fuel source</a>: Lipids from the microscopic marine plant can be removed and used for fuel. The leftovers from this process are a highly nutritious biomass, scientists said.</li>
</ol>
<ol start="5">
 	<li><a href="http://www.earth.com/news/australasian-marsupials-climate-change/">Australasian marsupials survived ancient climate change</a>: As the climate became drier and rainforests dried out five to 10 million years ago, Australian marsupials survived the shift by adapting to the new grasslands, scientists said.</li>
</ol>
---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

This week's top stories from Earth.com

With the holiday season upon us, it’s easy to let...

A vital Kenyan railway between Nairobi and Mombasa has split the country’s conservationists, after plans revealed it would go through <a href="http://www.kws.go.ke/parks/nairobi-national-park">Nairobi National Park</a>.

The government of Kenya say that the Kenyan railway is vital for the country’s economy. A 4-mile bridge would take trains over the park, and would be high enough for even the park’s giraffes to pass under comfortably, according to the <a href="http://krc.co.ke/">Kenya Railways Corporation</a>, which is building the rail line with the backing of <a href="http://english.eximbank.gov.cn/en/">China Exim Bank</a>.

However, a group of Kenyan conservationists have received a court order to halt construction of the Kenyan railway line within the park until the country’s <a href="http://www.nema.go.ke/">National Environmental Management Authority</a> has completed an environmental impact report and submitted it to the court for review.

Protesters have also come out against the project. Although there is technically no law stopping the railway from going through the park, national parks are protected land and such construction shouldn’t be allowed, the protesters argued.

Park managers admit that the Kenyan railway line will affect the park’s natural beauty, but insist that it will not have a negative impact on the wildlife that the park exists to protect.

Government officials, railway authorities and their financial backers considered other routes for the railway, but found the route through the park was the most cost-effective.

The 370-mile railway line, estimated to cost $3.8 billion, will link Nairobi to Mombasa on Kenya’s coast, and eventually to neighboring countries South Sudan, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda.

Nairobi National Park is home to lions, giraffes, buffalo, leopards, zebras, wildebeests, cheetahs and more than 400 other species. The 45-square-mile park, just a short drive from Nairobi’s business district, lets tourists view the animals with the capital’s skyline in the background and has several picnic areas and hiking trails.

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Conservationists split over Kenyan railway over Nairobi National Park

A vital Kenyan railway between Nairobi and Mombasa has split...

For decades, fishing boats have used technology to track schools of fish, leading to overfishing of species that are in high demand in the food industry. Now, groups hoping to fight overfishing are turning the tables with new tech of their own.

Illegal fishing foes are creating apps, monitoring systems and other tech tools to catch fishing boats that are hauling up illegal catches. The new technology focuses on busting businesses that bring in undersized fish, exceed their quotas, or enter protected waters to cast their nets.

Illegal fishing – aside from depleting fish populations and catching young fish before they have the chance to reproduce – can cost up to $23 billion a year, according to the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a>. 

Unsurprisingly, business owners willing to blatantly break fishing regulations flout other laws too, the <a href="http://www.state.gov/">U.S. State Department</a> claims. The fishing industries in more than 50 countries have had problems with boat captains using slave labor to man their fishing vessels, the state department said. 

The new monitoring systems and apps could also help break up those abuses, experts said.

Some of the new technology designed to fight overfishing include:
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">A smartphone app created by <a href="http://www.projectissara.org/">Project Issara</a> allows Cambodian and Burmese workers to report on working conditions. This can allow various nonprofit, government and private anti-trafficking agencies to monitor businesses with abusive labor practices. Project Issara has also launched a 24-hour multilingual hotline.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">A barcode gadget would record exactly where and when each fish was caught. Industry-wide adoption could pressure boats to remain in legal waters.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Eyes on the Seas, built by <a href="http://www.pewtrusts.org/en">The Pew Charitable Trusts</a>, uses drones, satellite imaging, radar, radio signals, GPS and more to create a map of the world’s oceans. The project can track boats and identify those that stray into illegal waters or regularly pull close to other boats – as many illegal fishing networks transfer catches between vessels to muddy where they came from. <a href="http://globalfishingwatch.org/">Global Fishing Watch</a> has similar goals, but relies on fishing boats’ cooperation. </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;"><a href="http://www.nature.org/">The Nature Conservancy</a>’s Tech for Tuna projects works with fishing boats around the world to develop technology that can spot shark finning, turtle catching and hauls of undersized tuna. </li>
</ul>
Still, it’s not enough just to track the boats, said Phil Robertson of <a href="https://www.hrw.org/">Human Rights Watch</a>. Countries must use the data the new tech collects to take action. 

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tech solutions emerge to fight overfishing, labor abuse at sea

For decades, fishing boats have used technology to track schools...

Scientists have made an incredible discovery: Earth has an underground ocean – deep underground, in the planet’s lower mantle far beneath the crust. 

The underground ocean consists of water trapped within minerals, and it may be the size of all of the Earth’s oceans put together. 

Those are the findings of two parallel studies conducted by researchers at <a href="https://www.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a>, the <a href="http://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a>, and <a href="http://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a>.

The first study, carried out by Florida State and Edinburgh, found that water can exist far deeper in the Earth’s mantle than previously thought. They focused on how the water could exist so deep within the planet, and found that a mineral called brucite stores it. Their initial studies should that the water stored in the Earth’s mantle could account for as much as 1.5 percent of the Earth’s weight.

The second study at Northwestern sought to determine how deep the water-storing brucite could go. A Brazilian diamond from a volcanic eruption 90 million years ago offered some clues.

The diamond contained an imperfection caused by minerals that were trapped within the gem as it formed. The imperfection suggested that the diamond formed in the Earth’s lower mantle, a third of the way to the planet’s core. But it contained hydroxyl ions, which come from water. 

The researchers believe this indicates that brucite containing water can be found in the lower mantle as well. 

The information gathered by the studies shows that water may be an important part of the volcanic process, including “convection” that circulates the molten rock in the Earth’s mantle. 

Without volcanoes, which help generate the cool crust of the planet where organisms – including humans – can live, the planet would eventually die, the scientists said. 

The scientists plan to continue their underground ocean research to see if they can determine how much water exists deep within the Earth. 

---

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Underground ocean discovered below the Earth's surface

Scientists have made an incredible discovery: Earth has an underground...

The United States saw a record low tornado count in November, and scientists aren’t quite sure why. 

Only 837 confirmed tornadoes have been reported so far this year, compared to an average 1,000, indicating a record low tornado count for 2016. Only one tornado has been reported in November, compared to an average of 58 in November in the 20 years between 1991 and 2010, according to the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>. 

Scientists don’t have an answer for why the number of tornadoes has dropped – but they have several different theories.

One is that the drop is due to climate change and melting sea ice in the Arctic Circle. While natural weather variations can’t be discounted, melting sea ice and changing climate appears to have kept the usual fall storm track in Canada this year, Dr. Victor Gensini of the College of <a href="http://weather.cod.edu/">DuPage Next Generation Weather Lab</a> told the Washington Post.

Studies have shown a potential link between melting sea ice, unusual behavior in the jet stream, and an unstable polar vortex, according to scientists. 

El Niño could also be the culprit. New research has linked the El Niño/La Niña cycle to variations in the number of tornadoes and hailstorms, said Dr. John Allen of the <a href="http://iri.columbia.edu/">International Research Institute for Climate and Society</a> at Columbia University. 

Moderate to severe <a href="http://droughtmonitor.unl.edu/">drought conditions</a> in the Southwest and parts of the Midwest and southeastern United States could also play a role, scientists said. Without storms, tornadoes can’t form, and storms don’t happen without humidity. 

A high pressure ridge blocking the jet stream is probably the largest player, however, said Allen. The ridge has been sitting over the Great Plains and southeast since September, he noted, blocking the jet stream from entering the U.S. from Canada.

Whatever the causes, areas that face regular tornado dangers are probably grateful. But scientists will continue to watch the unusual lack of activity to determine whether it’s simply a weather variation or a sign of a wider pattern of climate change.

Scientists stumped by record low tornado count

The United States saw a record low tornado count in...

In Scotland, a mysterious illness has led to a depressing sight along the coast: scores of dead or dying seals.

The country’s harbor seals have been dying in droves, with some areas losing up to 90 percent of the marine mammals since 2000. Harbor seal populations in northern Scotland and Orkney have dropped by at least 7,000 in just ten years. In a bid to find out the cause of these deaths, marine biologists fitted the animals with their smartphones – well, tags using smartphone technology. The tags allowed the biologists to follow different groups seals through their daily lives, in hopes of finding the deadly common denominator among them. 

Though the seals can’t call in any dangers they face, the biologists can track the water they’re spending time in to see if they’re running with any harmful elements.

The good news? While there’s still a lot of data to examine, the biologists have a prime suspect already: red algae blooms. 

The scientists used the GPS data collected by the seals’ tags to map their favorite feeding sites. Water samples taken at the sites show traces of the domoic acid left behind by red algae.

The bad news? Domoic acid is a dangerous neurotoxin. It accumulates in fish that live in areas with red algae blooms and the “red tides” they produce, and when the seals eat the fish, they’re slowly poisoned. 

Red tides off of the California coast have led to domoic acid toxicity in sea lions, and scientists there believe that the neurotoxin may be causing memory loss. 

However, knowing a potential cause behind the harbor seals’ dwindling numbers can help biologists create new solutions for the problem. For example, scientists are testing treatments for sea lions affected by domoic acid toxicity at the <a href="http://www.marinemammalcenter.org/about-us/News-Room/2015-news-archives/toxic-algal-bloom.html">Marine Mammal Center</a> in Sausalito, California. 

The Scottish scientists aren’t settled on domoic acid yet. It seems the most likely culprit from early data returned by the tags, but the scientists hope to follow the seal populations for a couple of years to get a better idea of what they’re doing.

The smartphone-style tags were designed by the <a href="https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/">University of St. Andrews</a>, which partnered with cellphone provider <a href="https://www.vodafone.com/">Vodafone</a> to track the initial 10 seals in the study. The tags transmitted GPS data over Vodafone’s network back to the university’s Sea Mammal Research Unit. 

The research team at the University of St. Andrews provides updates about the Vodafone study and other seal research at their <a href="http://synergy.st-andrews.ac.uk/harbourseals/">Harbour Seal Decline Project</a> blog.

Scientists seek to solve mystery of Scotland's dying seals

In Scotland, a mysterious illness has led to a depressing...

Every year, thousands of people die in earthquakes around the world. However, new research shows that small gravity shifts could offer valuable minutes for people to flee to safety in areas that are about to shake, rattle and roll.

When an earthquake is triggered, a few changes take place before the shaking is actually felt. Among them are tiny shifts in the Earth’s gravitational field, said Professor Jean-Paul Montagner, a seismologist with the <a href="http://www.ipgp.fr/en">Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris</a>. 

In fact, the gravity shifts may come minutes before seismic waves can be detected by instrumentation – the current earthquake warning system. By the time seismic waves are felt, the earthquake has already begun, but gravitational shifts can be detected at the speed of light, the <a href="http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms13349">new research found</a>. 

Montagner believes that a network of instrumentation that can pick up gravitational shifts might offer a better early warning system.

The extra seconds or even minutes could save thousands of lives, Montagner and his research team said.

The team first began to look at how earthquakes affect gravity in the wake of the massive Tohoku earthquake that struck Japan on March 11, 2011. The six-minute, 9.0-magnitude quake triggered a tsunami and a major nuclear disaster. 

The official death toll for that disaster stands at 15,894, with more than 2,500 still missing. Thousands more were injured, and hundreds of thousands were left homeless.

Previous research showed that the Tohoku quake left scars on the Earth’s gravitational field that still persist. Montagner’s team wondered whether there may have been signs in the Earth’s gravity before the tremors began that a quake was coming.

The researchers found tiny gravitational signals just before the quake began. The signals could be detected far from the quake’s epicenter. 

While the scientists can’t yet pinpoint where an earthquake is going to happen, further research and a more extensive sensor network could provide a warning when a massive earthquake or series of several earthquakes are about to occur, the researchers said.

Their findings were published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Gravity shifts could offer earthquake early warning system

Every year, thousands of people die in earthquakes around the...

Australasian marsupials survived ancient climate change, but may not survive the next.

As climate change progresses, australasian marsupials face a high risk of extinction. But according to a recent study, they may actually have survived ancient climate change millions of years ago. 

The study, published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>, was conducted by an international team of researchers led by Dr. Benjamin Kear from the Museum of Evolution at <a href="https://www.uu.se/en/">Uppsala University</a>.  "We used bandicoots as a model to examine the radiation of marsupials relative to climate change through time,” said Dr. Kear. “Bandicoots are the marsupial equivalents of rodents and rabbits that today occupy a spectrum of desert through to rainforest habitats across Australia, New Guinea and surrounding islands. Alarmingly, however, most bandicoot species are under dire threat of extinction from introduced predators, habitat loss, and human hunting,"

The bandicoot fossils indicate that roughly 5-10 million years ago, a climate shift to much drier conditions drove many species into extinction and prompted others to adapt into their modern evolutionary form. Dr. Ken Aplin of the <a href="https://naturalhistory.si.edu/">Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History</a> noted, "The evolution of Australia's mammals has long been linked to aridity. Yet this hypothesis is based upon only a few distinguishing features found in the teeth and skulls of modern species.” 

Modern bandicoots are estimated to have appeared less than 5 million years ago, with their most ancient relative species existing in ancient rainforests up to to 20 million years ago. But Dr. Aplin uncovered fossils from the Aru Islands of Eastern Indonesia that indicate a new fossil bandicoot, Lemdubuoryctes aruensis, included isolated teeth from over 50 million years ago.

But Lemdubuoryctes aruensis did not inhabit rainforests. Instead, they lived in a large savannah plain between New Guinea and Australia during the last glacial maximum. 

According to Professor Michael Westerman from La Trobe University in Australia, "While retreating rainforests and spreading grasslands did provide a backdrop for ecosystem change 5-10 million years ago. The Australian fauna likely adapted via changing its distribution rather than undergoing wholesale extinction and replacement. This agrees with our results from DNA, which indicate that modern desert-living bandicoot groups pre-date the onset of aridity by as much as 40 million years.”

Added Dr. Kear, “"Bandicoots, like other Australasian marsupials, probably occupied a range of different habitats over many millions of years. However, our study has further implications for future conservation. Arid zone bandicoots are amongst the most vulnerable mammals in Australasia today, with multiple species having gone extinct within the last 100 years. By demonstrating their profound evolutionary antiquity we can thus serve to highlight how extremely urgent it is to protect these living fossils as part of Australia's unique biodiversity.”

Australasian marsupials survived ancient climate change

Australasian marsupials survived ancient climate change, but may not survive...

Scientists prepare aquatic biodiversity map for western United States

When it comes to the preservation of aquatic endangered species, scientists have historically struggled to come up with a cohesive index reflecting the full spectrum of biodiversity in ecosystems.  But researchers based in Boise, Idaho have been busy preparing a massive aquatic biodiversity map containing information on thousands of species inhabiting rivers and streams of western United States. The team, led by biologist Dan Isaak of the <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/">U.S. Forest Service</a>, hope to have the first Aquatic Environmental DNA Atlas ready for the public by next summer. 

According to Isaak, “it’s kind of the Holy Grail for biologists to know what a true biodiversity map looks like. To have that formatted digitally so you can do lots of science with it will be transformative in terms of quality of information we’ll have to conserve species.”

Such an aquatic biodiversity map could be incredibly useful in land management decision making as well as how to allocate financial resources. Isaak suggests taking these surveys on an annual basis to allow experts to chart how ecosystems change over time. Quickly evolving technology now allows scientists to identify organisms by DNA using a small water sample. Soon, they will be able to identify multiple species using a single test.

“It’s just been an ongoing revelation,” says Isaak. “It still seems like magic to me that you can go take a water sample and you have instruments powerful enough to discern what species are present.”

Michael Schwartz, director of the Forest Service <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/research/genomics-center/">National Genomics Center for Wildlife and Fish Conservation</a> in Missoula, Montana, notes that the findings of such a study could raise entirely new questions, such as as the presence of potentially threatening species. “Any time science undertakes large projects like this, they payouts can be in directions you don’t expect.” 

The Aquatic Environmental DNA Atlas for the western U.S. began with a project known as the Bull Trout Environmental DNA Atlas which covered just Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington. That study revealed bull trout to inhabit areas it was previously thought not to exist. A more comprehensive, census-style understanding of aquatic species populations will be crucial to the success of environmental preservation projects, particularly as climate change continues to alter the landscape.

Isaak is also involved with a project known as <a href="http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/boise/AWAE/projects/ClimateShield.html">The Cold Water Climate Shield</a> which aims to identify water bodies that could serves as refuge for cold water species like the bull trout as the climate continues to warm. The Cold Water Climate Shield and Aquatic Environmental DNA Atlas can work in tandem to identify which species exist in which areas and which may need new homes in the near future.

Scientists go big with first aquatic biodiversity map for US West

Scientists prepare aquatic biodiversity map for western United States When...

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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



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.

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 



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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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

[sendtonews key="yPSXGZek1I-2312529-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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