Krill may be small, but their role in carbon storage is monumental. Beneath Antarctica's icy waters, these tiny crustaceans are emerging as unexpected heroes in the fight against atmospheric carbon.



While the significance of blue carbon habitats like mangroves, seagrasses, and saltmarshes is well-known, recent research highlights the vital contribution of Antarctic krill and their impressive carbon storage capacity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-unsung-heroes-of-carbon-capture">The unsung heroes of carbon capture</h2>



When we think of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountains-both-carbon-sinks-and-carbon-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon sinks</a> - the vital natural systems that absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere - we might not consider the role of small crustaceans.



The new findings reveal that Antarctic krill store amounts of carbon that are comparable to critical blue carbon habitats like mangroves, seagrasses, and saltmarshes.



Despite their minute size, these krill contribute significantly to carbon cycling, thanks to their enormous combined populations.



"A key player in the biological carbon pump is the Antarctic krill,&nbsp;Euphausia superba, whose faecal pellets, moults and carcasses can completely dominate Southern Ocean carbon fluxes to the ocean’s interior in the Austral growth season," wrote the researchers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-role-of-krill-in-carbon-cycling">The role of krill in carbon cycling</h2>



Krill are often viewed as merely being food for larger animals. Whales, seals, and penguins relish these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-deep-sea-crustacean-species-discovered-in-the-bahamas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">crustaceans</a>, and humans also fish them for bait, aquaculture, and dietary supplements. However, the value of krill extends far beyond the food chain.



“For the past decade we have been piecing together the role krill have in carbon cycling, finally resulting in this amazing finding that krill, and their poo, store similar amounts of carbon as some coastal marine plants," explained Dr. Emma Cavan, one of the lead authors from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Imperial College London</a>.



Protection for these vital creatures is an urgent matter. "I hope this means we can now work towards conserving krill and their valuable Southern Ocean ecosystem with the same gumption as we are seagrasses and mangroves.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-storage-in-ocean-systems">Carbon storage in ocean systems</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-impacting-marine-life-more-than-we-realized/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marine life</a> plays a pivotal role in locking carbon away from the atmosphere in ocean systems. The term "blue carbon" was coined over a decade ago to describe the crucial role <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/native-aquatic-plants-could-help-clean-coastal-waters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coastal marine plants</a> play in this process. 



Yet, the ocean has other storage methods far from the coast through animals like krill. These creatures feed on phytoplankton - microscopic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/good-news-plants-are-absorbing-more-human-produced-co2-than-expected/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plants that absorb carbon</a> during photosynthesis.



When krill excrete or shed their exoskeletons, the carbon they've consumed sinks to the ocean depths, where it remains for a long time. This process could lock away at least 20 million tons of carbon annually, which is the equivalent of up to $46 billion worth of carbon storage.



“Antarctic krill are well known for being at the center of the unique Southern Ocean ecosystem and supporting an important fishery. But this study paints another picture of krill - on their key role in storing carbon," noted study co-author Professor Angus Atkinson from Plymouth Marine Laboratory.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-power-of-krill-swarms">The power of krill swarms</h2>



The massive populations of krill make them effective carbon storers. Swarms can contain up to 30 trillion individuals, producing a deluge of carbon-rich waste products.



“One of the amazing things about krill is that they form massive swarms, which can be over a kilometer in length," said Dr. Anna Belcher, a co-author from the UK Centre for Ecology &amp; Hydrology. "This drives a huge 'rain' of krill poo after feeding, making krill globally important for locking carbon away from the atmosphere."



The study also reveals that the depth needed to secure carbon storage effectively is surprisingly shallow, with an average of 381 meters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-krill-for-carbon-storage">Protecting krill for carbon storage </h2>



Antarctic krill are under increasing threat from rapid polar climate change, which is drastically altering their habitat. These krill are also targeted by an expanding fishery that further depletes their populations.



The combined pressures make the carbon storage capacity of krill an urgent and vital area for protection. Preserving this crucial carbon sink is essential for maintaining the delicate balance of the Southern Ocean ecosystem, and for meeting global climate goals.



The research highlights the need to integrate carbon considerations into broader conservation policies.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-52135-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



-----



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Antarctic krill are nature’s unexpected carbon warriors

Krill may be small, but their role in carbon storage is monumental. Beneath Antarctica's icy waters, these tiny crustaceans are emerging as unexpected heroes in the fight against atmospheric carbon. While the significance of blue carbon habitats like mangroves, seagrasses, and saltmarshes is well-known, recent research highlights the vital contribution of Antarctic krill and their impressive carbon storage capacity. The unsung heroes of carbon capture When we think of carbon sinks - the vital natural systems that absorb and store carbon from the atmosphere - we might...

<div>NASA's Terra satellite flew over Tropical Storm Chanthu as it continued moving past the big island of Japan and staying to the east of the country.Tropical Storm Chanthu seen off east of Japan caused a lot of damage.</div>
<div>

On August 15 at 11:00 a.m. EDT (15:00 UTC) the Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) indicated that Chanthu was located about 424 nautical miles south-southeast of Yokosuka, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nearly-complete-duck-billed-dinosaur-fossil/">Japan</a>, near 29.6 degrees north latitude and 143.3 degrees east longitude. Chanthu was moving to the north-northwest. Maximum sustained winds were near 46 mph (40 knots/74 kph). Slight intensification is forecast.Tropical Storm Chanthu seen off east of Japan

On August 15 the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Terra satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Storm Chanthu when it was east of the big island of Japan. The strongest thunderstorms appeared in a band north and northwest of the center of circulation. Fragmented bands of thunderstorms wrapped into the low-level center from the south and east.

Chanthu was previously known as Tropical depression 09W. Island, Japan on Aug. 13.

JTWC forecasts Chanthu to track north, and skirt the northeastern coast of the big island, then make landfall on Aug. 17 in south central Hokkaido, Japan's northern most island.


</div>
<div></div>

Tropical Storm Chanthu seen off east of Japan

NASA's Terra satellite flew over Tropical Storm Chanthu as it...

<div>New study details the environmental impact of oil palm plantations. So far, research on the environmental impact of oil palm cultivation has been scattered and patchy. Synthesizing about 1000 scientific studies and reports, the scientists were now able to give a balanced report on the changes in all 14 ecosystem functions, including gas and climate regulation, water regulation and supply, moderation of extreme events, provision of food and raw materials, as well as medicinal resources. While the provision of food and raw materials increased due to the production of marketable goods - mostly palm oil -, all other functions showed a net decrease in oil palm plantations as compared to lowland forests. For two functions, pollination and<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plants-biological-clock-crop-spraying/"> biological</a> control, current knowledge was inconclusive. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a> imaging.</div>
<div>

"While the general result was anticipated, our review revealed a breadth of environmental and societal detrimental impact, from local to global scales," says Prof. Dr. Kerstin Wiegand from the Department of Ecosystem Modelling at Göttingen University. "The review provides a powerful tool for decision support and policy-making on the basis of a balanced and detailed view of all functions." New study details the environmental impact of oil palm plantations

[caption id="attachment_2409877" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2409877" src="http://cff1.greenatom.earth/uploads/2016/08/15091716/cff1.greenatom.earthuploads20160815091714media.eurekalert.orgmultimedia_prodpubweb121861_web-4acbd78ef8bfd1d0128a7c22cabdda91346235c8-389302392f05e861f570731ad33706f8f497286e-150x150.jpg" alt="Oil palm plantation" width="150" height="150" /> Oil palm plantation[/caption]

One outcome of the study is that the largest negative effects occur at the stage of forest clearing, indicating that oil palm plantations should only be established on already-converted landscapes. The loss of ecosystem functions can be mitigated to some degree, sometimes by simple means such as the use of cover crops, mulch and compost. Nevertheless, forest conversions should be avoided by all means when it comes to peatland, which is especially prevalent in oil palm-growing regions. When peatlands are drained to establish plantations, large amounts of carbon dioxide are released - with dramatic, long-lasting and almost irreversible effects. New study details the environmental impact of oil palm plantations

The study also reveals numerous research gaps, in particular with respect to socio-cultural information functions. In almost all societies, forest has an important cultural significance and fulfills certain medicinal, spiritual or ritual functions. "If and which of these functions are fulfilled by oil palms has not been researched enough yet," says Prof. Wiegand. "There is a need for empirical data from different regions and from plantations of different ages. And more research is needed on developing effective management practices that can off-set the losses of ecosystem functions."
###
Publication: Claudia Dislich et al. A review of the ecosystem functions in oil palm plantations, using forests as a reference system. Biological Reviews 2016. Doi: 10.1111/brv.12295. <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/brv.12295" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/brv.12295</a>

The study was part of the collaborative research centre Ecological and Socioeconomic Functions of Tropical Lowland Rainforest Transformation Systems (EFForTS), which brings together more than 200 scientists from natural sciences, economics and social sciences. EFForTS is a collaboration between Göttingen University and research institutions in Indonesia, including the Universities of Bogor, Jambi and Tadulako. For further information see <a href="http://www.uni-goettingen.de/efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.uni-goettingen.de/efforts</a>.

Contact: Prof. Dr. Kerstin Wiegand
University of Göttingen
Faculty of Forest Sciences and Forest Ecology - Department of Ecosystem Modelling
Phone +49 551 39-10121
Email: <a href="mailto:kerstin.wiegand@uni-goettingen.de">kerstin.wiegand@uni-goettingen.de</a>,
Web: <a href="http://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/102170.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/102170.html</a>

Dr. Guy Pe'er
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), Department Conservation Biology
e-mail: <a href="mailto:guy.peer@ufz.de">guy.peer@ufz.de</a>

</div>

New study details the environmental impact of oil palm plantations

New study details the environmental impact of oil palm plantations....

<div>Warming climate will have and impact on power plant output. A warming climate in the future will likely cause only minor cuts in energy output at most U.S. coal- or gas-fired power plants, a new<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/duke-energy-to-provide-water-to-residents-harmed-by-coal-ash-spill-3/"> Duke University</a> study finds.</div>
<div>

The study -- the first of its kind based on real-world data -- rebuts recent modeling-based studies that warn rising temperatures will significantly lower the efficiency of power plants' cooling systems, thereby reducing plants' energy output. Those studies estimated that plant efficiencies could drop by as much as 1.3 percent for each 1 degree Celsius of climate warming. Also Warming climate will have and impact on power plant output

"Our data suggest that drops in efficiency at plants with open-loop, or once-through, cooling systems will be a full order of magnitude smaller than this," said Candise L. Henry, a doctoral student at Duke's Nicholas School of the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA"> Environment.</a> "Reductions at plants with wet-circulation, or closed-loop, systems -- which can be identified by their cooling towers -- may be even smaller."

"In large part, this is because plant operators are already constantly adjusting operations to optimize plant performance under changing environmental conditions," she said. "That's a key consideration the past studies overlooked."

The new findings do not, however, signal an all's clear for the power industry, the Duke researchers cautioned.

"The impact of future droughts associated with global warming could still significantly affect plant operations and output by reducing the availability of water for cooling," said Lincoln F. Pratson, Semans-Brown Professor of Earth and Ocean Sciences at Duke.

Henry and Pratson published their findings this month in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Science &amp; Technology.

To conduct their study, they analyzed hourly temperature and humidity data recorded at National Climatic Data Center (NCDC) stations and U.S. Geological Survey river gauges near 39 U.S. coal- or natural-gas-fired power plants over a seven- to 14-year period. By correlating this data with the plants' hourly heat input and energy output records, obtained through the EPA's Air Markets Program Data website, they were able to extrapolate how much of each plant's output was the result of daily and seasonal variations in temperature.

"These variations exceed estimates of the average future annual increase in warming under a moderate global warming scenario," Henry noted, "so we could actually see -- based on empirical evidence -- how plants' operations are affected by temperature changes much more dramatic than what is projected to occur."

To ensure a representative sample, the study included both closed-loop and open-loop plants from the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, Midwest, Deep South, Great Plains and Rocky Mountain regions. Output capacities ranged from less than 500 megawatts up to 3,000 megawatts.

The cooling efficiency and energy output of every plant -- regardless of location, generating capacity or fuel type -- was found to be more resilient to climate warming than previous studies predicted.

Plants with closed-loop cooling systems were found to be particularly resilient.

"This provides additional rationale for section 316b of the EPA's Clean Water Act, which requires most electric generators to install closed-loop recirculating systems," said Pratson.

"The EPA enacted section 316b to protect fish, shellfish and other aquatic animals from being pulled into, and harmed or killed in power plants' cooling water-intake structures," he noted. "Our study shows it could also provide the added benefit of helping protect the power plants themselves from the impact of climate warming."
###
CITATION: "Effects of Environmental Temperature change on the Efficiency of Coal- and Natural-Gas-Fired Power Plants," Candise L. Henry, Lincoln F. Pratson, Environmental Science &amp; Technology, August 1, 2016; DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b01503

</div>

Warming climate will have and impact on power plant output

Warming climate will have and impact on power plant output....

California wants more electric cars on the roads. Therefore With the extension of California's landmark climate change law stalled, a legislative plan is emerging to significantly up the ante on California's commitment to electric cars by requiring that 15 percent of all new automobiles be emission-free within a decade.
Assemblywoman Autumn Burke, D-<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/air-quality-los-angeles-asthma/">Los Angeles</a>, told The Associated Press on Friday that she'll introduce legislation next week to ramp up the pressure on carmakers.
Automakers that fail to sell enough electric vehicles would be required to make payments to rivals that do or pay a fine to the state.
"If we create more competition in the market, that automatically will trigger a more affordable vehicle," Burke said in an interview.
The legislation comes as an effort to extend the state's <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">landmark</a> climate change law until 2030 falters in the state Assembly and sets up a showdown between powerful environmental advocates and automakers in the frenzied final weeks of California's legislative session.
Burke's proposal would beef up California's existing vehicle mandates, which require automakers to gradually introduce cleaner vehicle technology.
Under current law, automakers accumulate credits for selling vehicles with cleaner technology and must hit annual targets. Vehicles with longer range get extra credit. California wants more electric cars on the roads
Because longer-range technology has advanced faster than expected, environmental advocates say, automakers have stockpiled credits for future use and won't have sufficient incentive to sell electric vehicles at affordable prices, preventing the state from meeting its goals for greenhouse-gas reduction.
"The current credit program just does not appear to be working," said Kish Rajan, a spokesman for CalInnovates, an industry group for the technology sector, and a former Brown appointee. "At least it's not working fast enough to get toward the goals that the governor has laid out and that CARB is seeking to enforce," he said, referring to the California Air Resources Board.
Vehicles that now get credits toward complying with the environmental mandates, such as plug-in hybrids, would not be eligible to meet the 15-percent mandate.
Electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles now account for about 3 percent of California new-car sales, according to the Air Resources Board, which administers California's climate laws.
Wade Newton, a spokesman for the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers, characterized the legislation as a giveaway to Tesla Motors, which was the largest seller of electric vehicles in the United States last year. The Palo Alto, California-based company, which has never made a full-year profit, wants to grow from a niche maker of luxury vehicles to a full-line producer of affordable vehicles.
"Automakers are striving to meet California's long-term (zero-emission vehicle) program by providing consumers with innovative vehicles, so we oppose this last-minute, fundamental change to the program," Newton said in an email. "Tesla shouldn't be able to rig the market for their own purposes."
Tesla did not respond to a request for comment Friday.
Another industry group, Global Automakers, which represents 12 foreign brands, said lawmakers should focus on shoring up incentives - including tax credits and access to restricted highway lanes - to spur consumer demand. Sales of zero-emission vehicles are lagging in part due to low gas prices and improved efficiency of gasoline engines.
"The proposal would cut consumers out of the equation," Damon Shelby Porter, director of state government affairs for Global Automakers, wrote in a letter to lawmakers.
Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown issued an executive order in 2012 calling for 1.5 million zero-emission vehicles on the road by 2025; 192,000 have been sold since 2010, according to the air board.
Brown supports Burke's proposal, spokesman Gareth Lacy said in an email.
It "will lead to more zero emissions vehicles and more Californians able to purchase them - and that's a smart investment in cleaner air," he wrote.
Brown has traveled the world promoting California's ambitious agenda to fight climate-changing emissions. But he has struggled to advance legislation to continue the programs for another decade and set more stringent goals.
Moderate Democrats in the state Assembly, some backed by the oil industry and hailing from less-affluent inland districts, have been reluctant to bless the most strident emission standards for fear of raising energy prices. The coalition of lawmakers blocked previous Brown-endorsed legislation that aimed to cut petroleum use in half by 2030.
Burke said she believes her electric vehicle legislation is more likely to succeed in the Assembly than the overall climate package because it would encourage the sale of lower-priced electric vehicles that would be available to larger swaths of the middle class.
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

California wants more electric cars on the roads

California wants more electric cars on the roads. Therefore With...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Wind shear seen affecting Tropical Storm Chanthu. Visible imagery from NASA's Aqua satellite showed wind shear was affecting Tropical Storm Chanthu as it moved parallel to the big island of Japan early on Aug. 16. Chanthu is expected to make landfall and move north over the island of Hokkaido.</div>
On Aug. 15 at 11:25 p.m. EDT (Aug. 16 at 0325 UTC) visible imagery from the MODIS or Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer instrument aboard <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/nasa-app-makes-it-easy-to-measure-trees/">NASA's</a> Aqua satellite showed clouds and showers in Chanthu were being pushed to the north and east from moderate southwesterly vertical wind shear.

On Aug. 16 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Chanthu was located near 36.2 degrees north latitude and 141.1 degrees west longitude. That's about 64 nautical miles east of Yokosuka, Japan. Chanthu is moving toward the north-northwest at 20.7 mph (18 knots/33.3 kph)

Maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph (35 knots/62 kph) and Chanthu is expected to maintain strength over the next day as it moves over the northern part of the big island of Japan. Also Wind shear seen affecting Tropical Storm Chanthu will end up being one of the worst storms there yet.

For updated warnings and watches from the Japan Meteorological Agency, visit: <a href="http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.jma.go.jp/jma/indexe.html</a>.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center said that Chanthu is expected to track more north-northeastward as a sub-tropical ridge (elongated area of high pressure) weakens in response to an approaching mid-latitude trough (elongated area of low pressure). By early Aug. 17, Chanthu is forecast to being extra-tropical transitioning where it will become a cold-core low pressure area. Also the Wind shear seen affecting Tropical Storm Chanthu has caused a lot of damage to surrounding areas that it hit.


</div>
<div></div>

Wind shear seen affecting Tropical Storm Chanthu

Wind shear seen affecting Tropical Storm Chanthu. Visible imagery from...

<div>Mosses helped enrich early Earth with oxygen. The evolution of the first land plants including mosses may explain a long-standing mystery of how Earth's atmosphere became enriched with oxygen, according to an international study led by the University of Exeter.</div>
<div>

Oxygen in its current form first appeared in Earth's atmosphere some 2.4 billion years ago, in an incident known as the Great Oxidation Event. However, it was not until roughly 400 million years ago that this vital compound first approached modern levels in the atmosphere. This shift steered the trajectory of life on Earth and researchers have long debated how oxygen rose to modern concentrations.

In a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Professor Tim Lenton, of the University of Exeter, and his colleagues theorised that the earliest land plants, which colonised the land from 470 million years ago onwards, are responsible for the levels of oxygen that sustains our lives today. Their emergence and evolution permanently increased the flux of organic carbon into sedimentary rocks, the primary source for atmospheric oxygen, thus driving up oxygen levels in a second oxygenation event and establishing a new, stable oxygen cycle. Also Mosses helped enrich early Earth with oxygen helping a lot.

Earth's early plant biosphere consisted of simple bryophytes, such as moss, which are non-vascular - meaning they do not have vein-like systems to conduct water and minerals around the plant. Using computer simulations, the researchers first estimated that these plants could have generated roughly 30% of today's global terrestrial net primary productivity by about 445 million years ago.

When the properties of modern bryophytes were taken into account, including their elemental composition and effects on rock weathering, they found that modern levels of atmospheric oxygen were achieved by 420 to 400 million years ago, consistent with independent evidence.

These findings therefore suggest that the first land plants, such as the humble moss, created the stable oxygen-rich atmosphere that allowed large, mobile, intelligent animal life, including humans, to evolve.

Professor Tim Lenton, of the University of Exeter, said: "It's exciting to think that without the evolution of the humble moss, none of us would be here today. Our research suggests that the earliest land plants were surprisingly productive and caused a major rise in the oxygen content of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">Earth'</a>s atmosphere."
###
Article #16-04787: "Earliest land plants created modern levels of atmospheric oxygen" by Timothy M. Lenton et al.

The research was funded by the Leverhulme Trust, the Natural Environment Research Council, a Royal Society Wolfson Merit Award, and the VILLUM Foundation. It involved collaboration from the University of Leeds, the University of Copenhagen, the Georgia Institute of Technology, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/life-lost-opioids-ohio/">Ohio State</a> University and Stockholm University.

</div>

Mosses helped enrich early Earth with oxygen

Mosses helped enrich early Earth with oxygen. The evolution of...

<div>Researchers have flown aircraft over an oil and gas field and pinpointed -- with unprecedented precision -- sources of methane leaks in real time. Also since Scientists find a new way to locate methane leaks it has help improve so much.</div>
<div>

The technique led to the detection and immediate repair of two leaks in natural gas pipelines in the Four Corners region of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/united-states-global-waste/">U.S.</a> Southwest. The approach could inform strategies for meeting new federal limits on methane emissions from the oil and gas industry. Methane emissions have spiked in recent decades along with the boom in natural gas drilling.

"If there's a desire to identify and address the largest methane emitters, our approach provides a way to do that. The method shows that you can easily fly over an area and actually see the plumes in real time," said Eric Kort, assistant professor of climate and space sciences and engineering at the University of Michigan and co-author on a paper about the research to be published in PNAS.

Kort collaborated on deploying the new approach, which was developed by Christian Frankenberg of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the California Institute of Technology. The overall project is led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

The team previously used satellite measurements to identify the Four Corners region as a hotbed for methane emissions. The new work builds on the previous finding by zooming in on the region with enough detail to pinpoint individual methane plumes instead of giving an averaged view for an area many miles wide.

Methane is the primary component of natural gas, but when it's released directly into the air, it's a potent greenhouse agent that plays a role in warming the planet. Scientists find a new way to locate methane leaks

The Obama administration has set targets of cutting methane emissions by up to 45 percent of 2012 levels by 2025. In May, the EPA released the first round of regulations. To meet the goals, however, the sources of so-called fugitive methane emissions must be found.

For a long time, there's been a discrepancy between methane levels measured from point sources on the ground, and levels measured higher in the atmosphere, says co-author Colm Sweeney, a scientist with NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences.

The atmosphere holds stores of the gas whose sources on the ground are difficult to locate. This new detection technique can help locate them. The pipeline leaks it identified are a good example of how. Operators can't always know where a pipeline may be leaking, and pipelines can be hard to access for testing from the ground.

All told, the team identified 250 methane plumes emanating from natural gas processing facilities, storage tanks, well pads, pipeline leaks, a coal mine venting shaft and natural sources. Not all of these plumes can be mitigated, the researchers say.

Although some represent leaks, others result from relatively unavoidable losses. Still others illuminate instances where an energy company has focussed on capturing a different resource, such as oil, and loses some of the natural gas that was buried with it. And the coal mine venting shaft is necessary to protect miners from explosions.

To conduct the research, the team flew two specially instrumented Twin Otter aircraft over a 1,900-square-mile area where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado and Utah meet.

Each aircraft carried a unique imaging spectrometer that operates a bit like an infrared camera. One imaged at near-infrared wavelengths and the other at thermal wavelengths. Two additional NOAA program aircraft flew low over and around the larger sources measuring the concentration of methane in the plumes as calibration points for the NASA remote measurements.

Statistical analysis showed that 10 percent of the methane sources the researchers identified were responsible for more than half of the observed point-source emissions in the region. This analysis confirmed the so-called "fat" or "heavy" tail statistical distribution they expected to see.

"A relatively small number of sources emit a disproportionate share of emissions," Kort said. "As far as we know, this is the first direct observation of this heavy tail distribution of sources over an entire basin."

The pattern is common in both nature and human behavior, explained JPL's Frankenberg.

"Take earthquakes, for instance. A lot of smaller earthquakes are happening all the time and you don't even feel them. What actually matters are the few big ones," he said.

Kort said a satellite could possibly be designed to detect methane plumes in this way.
###
The paper is called "Airborne remote measurements of fat-tail methane emitters in the Four Corners region." The research was funded by NOAA and NASA. NOAA's Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences is located at the University of Colorado Boulder.

</div>

Scientists find a new way to locate methane leaks

Researchers have flown aircraft over an oil and gas field...

<div>Financial loss from hurricanes could triple from climate change. When hurricanes like Katrina in 2005 or Sandy in 2012 impact on highly populated regions they bring about tremendous damages. More than 50 percent of all weather-related economic losses on the globe are caused by damages due to tropical cyclones. Researchers from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK) now analyzed the magnitude of future hurricane losses in relation to economic growth. Showcasing the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/united-states-global-waste/">United States</a> they found that financial losses per hurricane could triple by the end of the century in unmitigated climate change, while annual losses could on average rise by a factor of eight. Most importantly and contrary to prevalent opinion, they conclude that economic growth will not be able to counterbalance the increase in damage.</div>
<div>

"So far, historical losses due to tropical cyclones have been found to increase less than linearly with a nation's affected gross domestic product (GDP)", Tobias Geiger explains. "However, if you analyze losses with respect to per capita income and population growth separately, this reveals a different picture: Our analysis for the United States shows that high income does not protect against hurricane losses. As the number and intensity of tropical cyclones is projected to increase under unchecked global warming, by the end of the century average hurricane losses with respect to national GDP could triple."

The researchers worked with cutting-edge models linking the storm's wind speed, the exposed population, and per capita <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">GDP</a> to reported losses, using a newly designed data set for socio-economic and hazard-related predictors. "We used information about historical hurricane tracks for the Eastern United States to identify the connection between the affected population, average per capital income and associated damages.", Katja Frieler adds. "Finally, we applied this relationship to thousands of potential future hurricane tracks that could affect the Eastern United States until 2100 under different levels of global warming." Also the Financial loss from hurricanes could triple from climate change causing a lot more damage than expected.

Climate change and its consequences: how much can we adapt to?

"Some people hope that a growing economy will be able to compensate for the damages caused by climate change - that we can outgrow climate change economically instead of mitigating it. But what if damages grow faster than our economy, what if climate impacts hit faster than we are able to adapt?," Anders Levermann says. "We find that this is the case with hurricane damages in the United States, the hope in economic growth as an answer to climate change is ill-founded. While adaptation to unavoidable impacts of global warming is important, climate mitigation remains of vital relevance to prevent or damp still avoidable consequences".
###
Article: Geiger, T.; Frieler, K.; Levermann, A. (2016): High-income does not protect against hurricane losses. Environmental Research Letters 11 084012. [DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/11/8/084012]

Link to the article: <a href="http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/8/084012" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/11/8/084012</a>

For further information please contact:
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Phone: +49 331 288 25 07
E-Mail: <a href="mailto:press@pik-potsdam.de">press@pik-potsdam.de</a>
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<a href="http://www.pik-potsdam.de/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.pik-potsdam.de</a>

</div>

Financial loss from hurricanes could triple from climate change

Financial loss from hurricanes could triple from climate change. When...

<div>Tropical Depression 6 forms in the Atlantic. Tropical Depression 6 developed in the far eastern North Atlantic Ocean and NASA and NOAA satellites provided infrared and visible views at the storm.</div>
<div>

The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core observatory satellite collected data as the newest <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=atlantic+ocean&amp;cvid=ab03a344d2054131a2bee2f578f8cb9f&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Atlantic Ocean</a> tropical depression was forming on August 16, 2016 at 4:31 p.m. EDT (2031 UTC). GPM data showed that the forming tropical cyclone was getting organized. A strong band of rainfall south of the center of the low's circulation was shown with data from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. DPR measurements found that an intense shower in this band was dropping rain at a rate of over 155 mm (6.1 inches) per hour.

GPM's radar data (DPR Ku Band) data was used to create a 3-D slice through the forming tropical depression. The 3-D image, created at <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/nasa-telescope-will-capture-millions-of-galaxies/">NASA's</a> Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. showed intensity and heights of precipitation in some tall storms reached heights of over 15 km (9.3 miles).Tropical Depression 6 forms in the Atlantic

The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed the depression within an hour after it formed. AIRS looked at Tropical Depression 6 (TD6) in infrared light on Aug. 16 at 11:41 p.m. EDT (0341 UTC on Aug. 17) gathering temperature data of the system's clouds. Strong thunderstorms were seen north of the center of circulation where cloud top temperatures exceeded minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius). Storms with temperatures that cold are high in the troposphere and NASA research has shown they have the ability to generate heavy rain.

On Aug. 17 at 11 a.m. EDT the National Hurricane Center discussion noted "The depression's overall cloud pattern and low-level wind field have continued to improve, although cloud tops have warmed considerably near the center since the previous advisory."

NOAA's GOES-East satellite captured a visible image of Tropical Depression 6 in the far eastern Atlantic on Aug. 17 at 10:45 a.m. EDT (1645 UTC). NOAA manages the GOES series of satellites and the NASA/NOAA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland uses the satellite data to create images and animations.

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) the center of Tropical Depression Six (TD6) was located near 14.0 degrees north latitude and 36.4 degrees west longitude, about 840 miles (1,350 km) west of the Cape Verde Islands. The Cape Verde islands are made up of two small archipelagos, located about 400 miles off of Africa's west coast.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that the depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 15 mph (24 kph) and this motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts. Slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the depression is likely to become a tropical storm today, Aug. 17.
###
For the latest forecasts on TD6, visit the National Hurricane Center website: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>.

</div>

Tropical Depression 6 forms in the Atlantic

Tropical Depression 6 forms in the Atlantic. Tropical Depression 6...

The race is on to win President Barack Obama's attention as he puts some final touches on his environmental legacy.
Conservation groups, American Indian tribes and federal lawmakers are urging his administration to preserve millions of acres as national monuments. Such a designation often prevents new drilling and mining on public lands, or the construction of new roads and utility lines.
The flurry of activity is creating enthusiasm - and tensions - in several parts of the country.
Efforts are underway in Utah, Arizona, Nevada, Maine and elsewhere to get Obama to designate new national monuments. Proponents aren't just focused on land. They're also looking to greater protections for vast swaths of ocean bottom off the coasts of New England, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deserts_of_California">California</a> and Hawaii.
Obama has created or expanded 24 national monuments during his seven-and-a-half-year tenure, covering more acreage than any other president. Almost nobody thinks he's done yet. Environmental groups are urging him to go big as he leaves office.
"What he's done in terms of protection has been good, but what he does next is how we measure whether his legacy is great or not," said Sharon Buccino of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Proponents of the various monument proposals know that the next administration will have other immediate priorities. Some presidents, including Richard Nixon, Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, never exercised their powers to designate national monuments through the 1906 Antiquities Act. The proponents recognize the window of opportunity could be closing for several years.
They're also aware that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coal-plants-closed-trump/">Obama's</a> immediate predecessors, Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, waited almost exclusively until their final months in office to designate national monuments, so there is a chance Obama will become even more active.
That's disconcerting for many members in Congress, particularly Republicans, who say the Antiquities Act wasn't designed to bolster a president's legacy.
"Presidents are starting to abuse this authority as they leave the office. If they actually tried to do this on the first day so that Congress had some ability to respond to it, and the people did, I'd be more comfortable about what their motives are," said GOP Rep. Rob Bishop of Utah, chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee.
Christy Goldfuss, managing director of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, won't discuss specific national monument possibilities, but said Obama "certainly feels we have more to do to protect this planet from climate change, so we'll see how this plays out."
Bishop said lawmakers would work with the administration on additional protections for some public lands, but environmental groups and others are less willing to compromise knowing they can go to the president to get a national monument designation.
"It actually impedes the ability of bringing everyone together knowing the president has this power to create a monument whenever he wants to," Bishop said.
Goldfuss said the administration works to get extensive local feedback before making any monument determination. She and others such as Interior Secretary Sally Jewell and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack feed the president information, but in the end, it's his decision.
"It is all about taking the long view here and recognizing there are things of importance to future generations, and the president is in a good spot to make that determination," Goldfuss said.
Bishop's state is home to perhaps the most talked about effort, the proposed Bears Ears National Monument.
Utah's Republican-dominated Legislature overwhelming voted for a resolution opposing the monument. Republican Gov. Gary Herbert said a monument designation would bring more visitors but not necessarily more resources, leading to an increase in vandalism and environmental degradation.
Bishop wants instead additional protections for about 1.4 million acres of the Bears Ears area and opening up other lands for gas and oil exploration and recreation.
Matt Keller, the national monuments campaign director for the Wilderness Society, said he believes the prospects for a monument designation in Bears Ears are promising. Jewell's fact-finding trip to the region last month shows the administration is serious about protecting the thousands of artifacts and rock carvings documenting how Native Americans lived through the centuries.
"A big priority for them is protecting lands that are inclusive of diverse populations and tell the story of the American people a little more broadly," Keller said.
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Obama puts final touches on his environmental legacy

The race is on to win President Barack Obama's attention...

<div>Reducing pollution from oil production. Last year, dozens of major oil companies and oil-producing nations agreed to end the routine flaring of natural gas from wells by 2030. This burning off of uncaptured methane in addition to simply letting it escape into the air -- a process called venting -- releases pollutants and the greenhouse gases carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. Now in ACS' journal Energy &amp; Fuels, researchers report a strategy that could help producers work toward this goal of reducing pollution from oil production.</div>
<div>

Although the percentage of gas from oil production that is vented or burned off rather than captured has decreased over the past few years, the total volume is still considerable. Operations in the Northwest's Bakken Formation, one of the largest oil reservoirs in the U.S., flares and vents an estimated 250 million standard cubic feet of natural gas per day. Oil production in Texas' Eagle Ford formation flares and vents nearly 100 million standard cubic feet per day. Environmentalists and others have called for oil companies to capture the gas, which could be used to generate power or recover even more oil, rather than burn it off or release it into the atmosphere. But the infrastructure to do this hasn't caught up with the rapid growth of oil production. Milind Deo and colleagues set out to design a better facility for handling gas associated with oil operations.

The researchers investigated the application of staged separation, using a high-pressure step followed by a lower-pressure one, and demonstrated that this could reduce the rates of venting and flaring by up to 70 percent. The concept of staged separation has been used in production from conventional oil reservoirs, but has not been widely applied in the production of liquids from shale formations. Upfront costs would be higher than separating oil and gas in one step, but in the long run, the cuts in waste gas would result in a more sustainable process, the researchers say.
###
The authors acknowledge funding from an industry consortium at the <a href="https://egi.utah.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Energy and Geosciences Institute at the University of Utah</a>.

The American Chemical Society is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. With nearly 157,000 members, ACS is the world's largest scientific society and a global leader in providing access to chemistry-related research through its multiple databases, peer-reviewed journals and scientific conferences. Its main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact <a href="mailto:newsroom@acs.org">newsroom@acs.org</a>.

Follow us: <a href="https://twitter.com/ACSpressroom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/American-Chemical-Society-Pressroom/130342583687829" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a>

</div>

Reducing pollution from oil production

Reducing pollution from oil production. Last year, dozens of major...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Tropical Storm Chanthu was bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds to the big island of Japan when NASA's Aqua satellite passed overhead. Tropical Storm Chanthu seen moving over northern Japan causing a huge concern on wind speed.</div>
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite analyzed Chanthu in infrared light on Aug. 16 at 12:47 p.m. EDT (1647 UTC) gathering temperature data of the system's clouds.

Although the storm appeared elongated, strong thunderstorms were still occurring around the center of circulation although they appeared to be weakening. Some cloud top temperatures of the strongest storms exceeded minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius). Storms with temperatures that cold are high in the troposphere and<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA"> NASA</a> research has shown they have the ability to generate heavy rain. The storm also appeared somewhat elongated from northwest to southeast, likely as a result of interaction with land.

At 11 p.m. EDT on Aug. 16 (0300 UTC on Aug. 17) the Joint Typhoon Warning Center issued their final warning on Chanthu. At that time the tropical storm was located approximately 171 nautical miles north-northeast of Yokosuka, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nearly-complete-duck-billed-dinosaur-fossil/">Japan</a>. Maximum sustained winds were near 40 mph (35 knots/62 kph). Chanthu has tracked northwestward at 15 knots (17.2 mph/27.7 kph). Tropical Storm Chanthu seen moving over northern Japan has also caused a lot of tropical weather, wind speed and rain.

The Japan Meteorological Agency noted that at 8:50 a.m. EDT (12:50 UTC) on Aug. 17, Chanthu was centered near 44.0 degrees north latitude and 143.0 degrees east longitude, over the north central part of the island of Hokkaido. Chanthu was moving to the north at 40 mph (35 knots/62 kph).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) forecast noted that vertical wind shear is rapidly increasing (25 to 30 knots) as Chanthu tracks along the western edge of a subtropical ridge

</div>
<div></div>

Tropical Storm Chanthu seen moving over northern Japan

Tropical Storm Chanthu was bringing heavy rainfall and gusty winds...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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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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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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



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.

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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