Greenland,Glacier,Melting:,A,Consequence,Of,Global,Warming.

Greenland’s Ice Sheet is cracking open at the seams, literally falling apart at speeds indicative of the brutal and accelerating impact of global climate change. In just five years, 930 million cubic meters of crevasses opened up in the Greenland ice sheet.



A recent, large-scale study from the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Florida</a> highlights how this vast, frozen expanse - the world’s second-largest ice sheet - is fracturing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-lakes-in-greenland-have-crossed-a-tipping-point/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">faster than expected</a>.



The findings suggest that the ice sheet’s response to warming is intensifying. This essential discovery was born out of an effective collaboration with scientists from <a href="https://www.durham.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Durham University, UK</a>.



Their detailed analysis of the ice sheet over the critical period between 2016 and 2021 revealed that the crevasses - wedge-shaped fractures in the ice - have increased alarmingly in both size and depth.



These ice fractures typically appear where the ice <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/speed-of-greenland-ice-melt-confirmed-to-be-rapidly-increasing-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">starts to flow faster</a>.



The data revealed that the ice sheet's response to climate changes is accelerating the formation of broader and deeper crevasses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cracks-in-greenland-s-ice-sheet">Cracks in Greenland’s ice sheet</h2>



The researchers point out that these rapid changes observed in Greenland's ice sheet crevasses can, in turn, speed up the mechanisms that have resulted in the ever-quickening pace of this devastating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-ice-loss-tracked-by-new-gps-system-on-a-daily-basis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice loss</a>.



The team hopes their findings will help fellow scientists incorporate the consequences of ice damage and crevassing into future predictions related to the behavior of the Greenland Ice Sheet.



Throughout the years, Greenland has been one of the most important contributors to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-sea-levels-threaten-groundwater-global-cities-underground-infrastructure/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rise of sea levels</a>. Since 1992, about 14mm of sea level rise can be attributed to ice flow off Greenland.



This is a direct result of the melting of the ice surface, which is related to the presence of warmer air and sea temperatures, along with the increased flow of ice into the ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-greenland-s-ice-sheet-is-important">Why Greenland's ice sheet is important</h2>



As this massive ice sheet loses ice, it adds freshwater to the ocean, causing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-will-cost-coastal-cities-over-1-trillion-in-damages/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea levels to rise</a>. Even small increases can lead to bigger storm surges, more coastal flooding, and make some places unlivable. 



Millions of people in low-lying areas could be forced to relocate, and cities like New York and Miami could see major impacts. 



The melting also speeds up itself - less ice means less sunlight is reflected, which warms the planet even more.



If all the ice sheet in Greenland were to melt, we could see a potential rise of seven meters (23 feet) in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-levels-linked-to-the-rise-and-fall-of-early-human-societies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea levels</a> around the world.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/greenland-ice-sheet_cracking_Store-Glacier_drone-view_Durham-university_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/greenland-ice-sheet_cracking_Store-Glacier_drone-view_Durham-university_1s.webp" alt="Crevasses at Store Glacier, a marine-terminating outlet glacier of the western Greenland Ice Sheet. Credit: Tom Chudley (Durham University)" class="wp-image-1959025"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Crevasses at Store Glacier, a marine-terminating outlet glacier of the western Greenland Ice Sheet. Credit: Tom Chudley (Durham University)</figcaption></figure>



But, as bad as that sounds, it’s not just about sea levels. Greenland’s ice melt messes with ocean currents that help regulate the climate. 



The freshwater pouring into the Atlantic can slow down the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collapse-of-main-atlantic-ocean-circulaton-current-amoc-is-already-happening/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">AMOC</a>), a system that moves warm water from the tropics toward Europe. 



If that weakens, Europe could face colder winters, hurricanes could get stronger, and weather patterns worldwide could shift in unpredictable ways.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellite-imagery-of-greenland-s-ice-sheet">Satellite imagery of Greenland’s ice sheet</h2>



In their innovative study, the researchers from Durham University used over 8,000 3-D surface maps, that had been created using high-resolution satellite imagery.



“You can’t do it in person, because crevasses are dangerous. It’s hard to study by hand using satellite data. Automated approaches are needed to determine this at an ice-sheet scale,” said Emma MacKie, Ph.D., a professor of geological sciences at the University of Florida, co-author of the study, and expert in machine learning techniques.



This allowed them to identify cracks on the ice surface and to track the evolution of crevasses across Greenland during the period of 2016 to 2021.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/greenland-ice-sheet_cracking_Anorituup-Kangerlua-fjord_2016-2021-comparison_Durham-university_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/greenland-ice-sheet_cracking_Anorituup-Kangerlua-fjord_2016-2021-comparison_Durham-university_1s.webp" alt="Using the newly developed method, researchers extracted crevasses from digital elevation models of the ice sheet surface. The maps show how crevasses changed between 2016 and 2021 over glaciers at the head of Anorituup Kangerlua fjord, Greenland. Credit: Tom Chudley (Durham University)" class="wp-image-1959023"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Using the newly developed method, researchers extracted crevasses from digital elevation models of the ice sheet surface. The maps show how crevasses changed between 2016 and 2021 over glaciers at the head of Anorituup Kangerlua fjord, Greenland. Credit: Tom Chudley (Durham University)</figcaption></figure>



Their findings showed that, in the areas where large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-glaciers-offer-a-glimpse-of-our-harsh-climate-reality/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glaciers</a> meet the sea, accelerations in glacier flow were associated with significant increases in the volume of crevasses.



A fascinating discovery was that the overall change in crevasses across the entire ice sheet ultimately balanced out due to a temporary slowdown in movement at <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1149/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sermeq Kujalleq</a>, the fastest-flowing glacier in Greenland.



Nevertheless, the flow speed of Sermeq Kujalleq has started increasing again, indicating that the period of balance between crevasse growth and closure might be over.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-higher-temperatures-faster-ice-melt">Higher temperatures = faster ice melt</h2>



"In a warming world, we would expect to see more crevasses forming," shared study lead author Dr. Tom Chudley, a Leverhulme Early Career Fellow in the Department of Geography, Durham University, UK. 



"This is because glaciers are accelerating in response to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-warming-broke-records-for-450-straight-days/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warmer ocean temperatures</a>, and because meltwater filling crevasses can force fractures deeper into the ice. However, until now we haven’t had the data to show where and how fast this is happening across the entirety of the Greenland Ice Sheet."



With this dataset, the scientists can see that it’s not just that crevasse fields are extending into the ice sheet, as previously observed. 



Instead, the current state of Greenland's ice sheet change is dominated by existing crevasse fields getting larger and deeper.



Notably, these developments have the potential to expedite the loss of ice from Greenland. 



“Crevasses can induce accelerated ice flow, leading to more crevassing. So there are these potential positive feedback loops caused by crevassing,” MacKie said. “This mechanism should be considered in Greenland ice sheet models that we’re using to project future sea level rise.”



It's a domino effect that could drive the loss of ice from Greenland at a much faster pace, pointed out study co-author, Professor Ian Howat, who is Director of the Byrd Polar &amp; Climate Research Center at <a href="https://www.osu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Ohio State University</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-discerning-eye-on-the-arctic">Discerning eye on the Arctic</h2>



The high-resolution imagery for the research was provided by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (<a href="https://www.nga.mil" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NGA</a>) and National Science Foundation (<a href="https://www.nsf.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NSF</a>) public-private initiative, ArticDEM project.



"The ArcticDEM project will continue to provide high-resolution Digital Elevation Models until at least 2032. This will allow us to monitor glaciers in Greenland and across the wider Arctic as they continue to respond to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-earth-energy-imbalance-temperature-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>," Professor Howat added.



This invaluable information will reveal areas that are experiencing faster rates of warming than any other place in Earth, preparing us with information we need to mitigate the effect of climate change and protect the future of our planet.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-024-01636-6" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Greenland's ice sheet is cracking and literally falling apart at a very alarming rate

Greenland’s Ice Sheet is cracking open at the seams, literally falling apart at speeds indicative of the brutal and accelerating impact of global climate change. In just five years, 930 million cubic meters of crevasses opened up in the Greenland ice sheet. A recent, large-scale study from the University of Florida highlights how this vast, frozen expanse - the world’s second-largest ice sheet - is fracturing faster than expected. The findings suggest that the ice sheet’s response to warming is intensifying. This essential discovery was born out...

China Displaced by Drought

China Fights Drought By Moving People Out Of The Area. Village elder Yang Zhenjun isn't ready to move out from the valley where his people have herded sheep and tended crops for generations amid arid, drought-prone mountains of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/historic-flooding-has-killed-hundreds-across-china/">China's</a> northwest. Still, he acknowledges that life as he has known it is all but over.

The community's 60 families have dwindled down to 11 in recent years. Others have left this area, which is almost completely dependent on often-scarce rainfall, and have headed north to plains with better infrastructure and more accessible water.

"The village has completely died," says Yang Zhenjun, a fifth-generation resident of Dacha village in Ningxia province's Xiji County. Still, he is not eager to move. "I was born in this village. I grew up in this village. Everyone struggles with these same feelings." China Fights Drought By Moving People Out Of The Area

Most former residents of Dacha have moved under a government plan to relocate 350,000 people to lift them out of grinding poverty which, for their region, has been worsened by an increase in average temperatures of 2.2 degrees Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past half-century that leaves the land more parched.

The U.N. refugee agency says that people being displaced because of climate-related reasons are a growing global problem. It's pushing for greater awareness of their plight during a climate change conference in Paris opening Nov. 30. The UNHCR says long-term planning can help minimize such displacement in the future.

Many of Dacha's houses are empty and overgrown with plants and trees; walls and roofs have crumbled. As people leave, schools and other facilities in villages like Dacha are forced to shutter, making life tougher for those left behind.

On the other hand, some of the parched land can recover now that fewer people are using its scarce water.

"Resettlement and climate change are becoming more closely entwined," said Sarah Rogers, an Australian geographer who has studied the effects of climate change on China, adding that the Chinese government has identified resettlement as a way to adapt.

There are about 60 million people worldwide living in what the UNHCR terms "climate change hotspots," and China is one of the worst affected, agency spokesman Andreas Needham said in Geneva.

"UNHCR is calling for explicit recognition" of people displaced by climate change at the Paris meeting "to enable states to prevent further displacement in the future," Needham said. The agency wants to push for individual states to address the issue of displacement in climate change policies, in hopes that planning will help reduce both internal and cross-border displacement.

The UNHCR says an average of 26.4 million people have been displaced by natural disasters every year since 2008. Of the 19.3 million thought to be displaced last year, more than 85 percent were in Asia, including 5 million in the Philippines and 3 million each in China and India.

Many who have moved in Ningxia are for the most part content with the result.

Hai Yanhu, 71, who moved in July 2012 from Panwan village in Xiji County to a resettlement project in Pingluo County in the north, said he is happy to now have running water and a shower. He barely thinks anymore of his old village, where going long distances to fetch water was a daily task.

"We would have to go down into the valley, and carry the water with a pail on our backs. We would go every day, but if there was something special happening at home then we would have to go four or five times a day," Hai said.

Not all the moves were voluntary. Wang Ziyi, 52, said he moved to Pingluo in December 2014 from Huoshizhai in Xiji County because the government claimed the village's land to plant <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=forests&amp;cvid=25c2669767734de58624f592179fbf80&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">forests</a> to make a tourist site.

Some families tried to live in tents on the outskirts of the old community, Wang said. "But it's cold. If you tried to put up a house the government wouldn't let you build it, so there was no choice but to leave."

Wang said he misses his old town but that the "economy here is better than the economy in the mountains of Xiji. It's more convenient. Here, it's a bit easier to find manual labor jobs."

The government is proud of the relocations. Zou Yuzhong, deputy director of Ningxia Poverty Reduction Bureau, says the government is moving people out of "inhospitable" climates to "help put them on the path to success."

He dismissed any claims that some are unhappy about leaving their ancestral homes.

"They are incredibly happy and absolutely are in favor of the government implementing these livelihood projects," he says.

Some migrants, however, struggle to adapt, said Wang Yuxiao, head of the Yinchuan Green Sustainability Development Centre, a nongovernmental agency.

"There are many old people who do not want to leave their old homes," Wang said. "Another problem the migrants are facing is the problem of finding work once they've moved to their new homes."

Ma Bingfu, 52, who moved to Pingluo from Taobao Village in Xiji County in October 2011, said the young adjust better than older people.

"This area that we're living in now? There's water and the roads are good, and young people are fine here. But old people don't like it. We can't find work. We have no land to grow on and we can't find work."

"Lots of old people want to go back," he said. "In our old villages we had land we could work. Here we have nothing."

© 2015 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.

China Fights Drought By Moving People Out Of The Area

China Fights Drought By Moving People Out Of The Area....

China Fights Drought By Moving People Out Of The Area. Village elder Yang Zhenjun isn't ready to move out from the valley where his people have herded sheep and tended crops for generations amid arid, drought-prone mountains of China's northwest. Still, he acknowledges that life as he has known it is all but over.

The community's 60 families have dwindled down to 11 in recent years. Others have left this area, which is almost completely dependent on often-scarce rainfall, and have headed north to plains with better infrastructure and more accessible water.China Fights Drought By Moving People

"The village has completely died," says Yang Zhenjun, a fifth-generation resident of Dacha village in Ningxia province's Xiji County. Still, he is not eager to move. "I was born in this village. I grew up in this village. Everyone struggles with these same feelings."

Most former residents of Dacha have moved under a government plan to relocate 350,000 people to lift them out of grinding poverty which, for their region, has been worsened by an increase in average temperatures of 2.2 degrees Celsius (4 degrees Fahrenheit) over the past half-century that leaves the land more parched.

The U.N. refugee agency says that people being displaced because of climate-related reasons are a growing global problem. It's pushing for greater awareness of their plight during a climate change conference in Paris opening Nov. 30. The UNHCR says long-term planning can help minimize such displacement in the future.

Many of Dacha's houses are empty and overgrown with plants and trees; walls and roofs have crumbled. As people leave, schools and other facilities in villages like Dacha are forced to shutter, making life tougher for those left behind.

On the other hand, some of the parched land can recover now that fewer people are using its scarce water.

"Resettlement and climate change are becoming more closely entwined," said Sarah Rogers, an Australian geographer who has studied the effects of climate change on China, adding that the Chinese government has identified resettlement as a way to adapt.

There are about 60 million people worldwide living in what the UNHCR terms "climate change hotspots," and China is one of the worst affected, agency spokesman Andreas Needham said in Geneva.

"UNHCR is calling for explicit recognition" of people displaced by <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=climate&amp;cvid=bfb754de6b0a401ba481fe7979f8e678&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">climate</a> change at the Paris meeting "to enable states to prevent further displacement in the future," Needham said. The agency wants to push for individual states to address the issue of displacement in climate change policies, in hopes that planning will help reduce both internal and cross-border displacement.

The UNHCR says an average of 26.4 million people have been displaced by natural disasters every year since 2008. Of the 19.3 million thought to be displaced last year, more than 85 percent were in Asia, including 5 million in the Philippines and 3 million each in China and India.

Many who have moved in Ningxia are for the most part content with the result.

Hai Yanhu, 71, who moved in July 2012 from Panwan village in Xiji County to a resettlement project in Pingluo County in the north, said he is happy to now have running water and a shower. He barely thinks anymore of his old village, where going long distances to fetch water was a daily task.

"We would have to go down into the valley, and carry the water with a pail on our backs. We would go every day, but if there was something special happening at home then we would have to go four or five times a day," Hai said.

Not all the moves were voluntary. Wang Ziyi, 52, said he moved to Pingluo in December 2014 from Huoshizhai in Xiji County because the government claimed the village's land to plant <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mangrove-forests-face-a-triple-threat-to-their-survival/">forests</a> to make a tourist site.

Some families tried to live in tents on the outskirts of the old community, Wang said. "But it's cold. If you tried to put up a house the government wouldn't let you build it, so there was no choice but to leave."

Wang said he misses his old town but that the "economy here is better than the economy in the mountains of Xiji. It's more convenient. Here, it's a bit easier to find manual labor jobs."

The government is proud of the relocations. Zou Yuzhong, deputy director of Ningxia Poverty Reduction Bureau, says the government is moving people out of "inhospitable" climates to "help put them on the path to success." China Fights Drought By Moving People Out Of The Area

He dismissed any claims that some are unhappy about leaving their ancestral homes.

"They are incredibly happy and absolutely are in favor of the government implementing these livelihood projects," he says.

Some migrants, however, struggle to adapt, said Wang Yuxiao, head of the Yinchuan Green Sustainability Development Centre, a nongovernmental agency.

"There are many old people who do not want to leave their old homes," Wang said. "Another problem the migrants are facing is the problem of finding work once they've moved to their new homes."

Ma Bingfu, 52, who moved to Pingluo from Taobao Village in Xiji County in October 2011, said the young adjust better than older people.

"This area that we're living in now? There's water and the roads are good, and young people are fine here. But old people don't like it. We can't find work. We have no land to grow on and we can't find work."

"Lots of old people want to go back," he said. "In our old villages we had land we could work. Here we have nothing."

© 2015 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.

China Fights Drought By Moving People

Arctic OffShore Drilling

Shell Loses $7.4 Billion After Pulling Oil Rigs From The Arctic. Royal Dutch Shell reported a third quarter loss of $7.4 billion Thursday as it re-organized and cancelled projects, including drilling in Alaska, to cope with the plunge in oil prices.
The net loss compares with a profit of $4.5 billion in the same period last year. Shell reported $7.9 billion in charges, including $2.6 billion for Alaska and $2 billion related to the decision to cancel the Carmon Creek project in Alberta, <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/the-fall-rhapsody-in-ottawa/">Canada.</a>
Excluding one-time items and fluctuations in the value of inventories, the company said profit dropped to $1.8 billion, from $5.8 billion a year earlier, reflecting the plunge in oil prices.Shell Loses $7.4 Billion After Pulling Oil Rigs From The Arctic.
"Shell's integrated business and our performance drive are helping to mitigate the impact of low oil prices on the bottom line in what is a difficult <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=enviorment&amp;cvid=319258dbcb644718b586066e7c29e4d0&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">environment</a> for the industry today," CEO Ben van Beurden said.
Energy companies are struggling to adjust to an age of lower prices after oil dropped to a six-year low in August. Brent crude, the benchmark for North Sea oil, averaged $50.26 a barrel in the third quarter, down 51 percent from a year earlier.
The drop is forcing companies to reconsider the economics of projects.
Shell said it decided to discontinue work on the Carmon Creek thermal oil sands project because it "does not rank in its portfolio at this time."
In Alaska, Shell had intended to access what the U.S. Geological survey estimated to be some 26 billion barrels of conventionally recoverable oil under Arctic waters. But the company's first drilling produced only minor amounts of oil and gas.
"This, combined with the current economic and regulatory environment, has led Shell to cease further exploration activity offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future," the company said.
At the same time, environmental activists had the company in its sights, pledging to thwart the company in the arena of public opinion. Protesters argued that industrial activity would hurt fragile ecosystems and marine mammals. They insisted that the icy Arctic waters could not be cleaned in the event of a spill.
Analysts believe the company took the worst of the hit in Thursday's results.
"I think the bulk of the assets has been written off," Fadel Gheit, a managing director and senior analyst at Oppenheimer &amp; Co. Inc., said in an email.
Shell said it would still pay a dividend of 47 cents a share on third quarter earnings.
© 2015 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.

Shell Loses $7.4 Billion After Pulling Oil Rigs From The Arctic

Shell Loses $7.4 Billion After Pulling Oil Rigs From The...

OCO-2

<div class="wysiwyg_content">

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 Begins Year Two. Global average carbon dioxide concentrations as seen by NASA’s Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 mission, June 1-15, 2015. OCO-2 measures carbon dioxide from the top of Earth's atmosphere to its surface. Higher carbon dioxide concentrations are in red, with lower concentrations in yellows and greens. Scientists poring over data from OCO-2 mission are seeing patterns emerge as they seek answers to questions about <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=atmospheric&amp;cvid=e0c412cc97a248dd83c6a53798d33200&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">atmospheric</a> carbon dioxide.

<a href="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/30092428/orbiting-carbon-observatory-2-global-carbon-levels_1big_nasa.jpg"><img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2385848" src="http://cff1.greenatom.net/uploads/2015/10/30092428/orbiting-carbon-observatory-2-global-carbon-levels_1big_nasa-150x150.jpg" alt="orbiting-carbon-observatory-2-global-carbon-levels_1big_nasa" width="150" height="150" /></a>Among the most striking features visible in the first year of OCO-2 data is the increase in carbon dioxide in the northern hemisphere during winter, when trees are not removing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-carbon-dioxide-sink/">carbon dioxide,</a> followed by its decrease in spring, as trees start to grow and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 Begins Year Two. relating to the atmosphere of the earth or (occasionally) another planet.

OCO-2 is managed by JPL for NASA's Science Mission Directorate, Washington. Orbital Sciences Corporation, Dulles, Va., built the spacecraft and provides mission operations under JPL's leadership. The California Institute of Technology in Pasadena manages JPL for NASA. Therefore the NASA orbiting carbon dioxide missions and the visible hemisphere concentrations from the patterns continue to emerge.

For more information on OCO-2, visit: <a href="http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://oco.jpl.nasa.gov/</a> and <a href="http://www.nasa.gov/oco2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nasa.gov/oco2</a>.

</div>
<a href="http://www.jpl.nasa.gov/spaceimages/index.php?category=" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">View all Images</a>

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 Begins Year Two

NASA's Orbiting Carbon Observatory-2 Begins Year Two. Global average carbon...

Study: Most Vulnerable Countries Know Least About Climate Change. Collaborations on climate change research are divided into separate regions of the world with little knowledge exchange between them shows a new Danish-Brazilian study led by the University of Copenhagen. The most vulnerable countries of the world are largely disconnected from the production and flow of scientific knowledge on climate change, leaving their climate policymaking with little contextually relevant advice. The study calls for initiatives across private, governmental and non-governmental organisations, and from researchers themselves to diminish the knowledge gap.

When new research on climate change is published it most often concerns and is produced by the developed countries and the BRICS countries Brazil, India, China and South Africa rather than countries most vulnerable, but less contributing, to climate change.Study: Most Vulnerable Countries Know Least About Climate Change

The little research that does concern developing countries often lacks a locally based author. For instance, only about one fifth of the publications concerning climate change in Africa have a locally based first author - for the developed regions, it is two thirds of the publications. For some countries, such as the Republic of Congo and North Korea with up to 72 relevant publications, there are no locally based authors, not even co-authors.

"Without locally generated knowledge, it is more challenging to provide and integrate contextually relevant advice, and this leaves a critical gap in the climate policy debates. This is particularly worrying as we are dealing with countries likely to experience severe climatic changes and that are most sensitive to its detrimental impacts" says lead-author and postdoc Maya Pasgaard from the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen.

In total, the study analysed author affiliations of more than 15.000 climate change publications published between 1999 and 2010. Authors focusing on the same countries for climate change research typically share geographical proximity, common climate, politics and economic characteristics.

"The regional divides limit critical flows of experiences and competencies across geographical and political-economic boundaries; a flow which is also needed to tackle the many threats and challenges of comparable character across regions, such as changes in crops, pest management and adaptation to climate hazards," says co-author and Professor Niels Strange from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate at the University of Copenhagen.

With the exception of some South American and African countries who share research interests, knowledge exchange on climate change suffers from large regional divides, in particular among vulnerable, developing regions.

The study recommends initiatives that focus on strengthening collaborations across geographical distances and across national differences in climate, export, democracy and national economy, as well as strengthening the local production and integration of knowledge.

Co-author and Assistant Professor Bo Dalsgaard from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate says:

"There is an array of partners responsible for increasing collaborations, ranging from big international organisations, such as the UN, to individual governments and higher education leaders. We also urge individual researchers and private companies alike to take responsibility for increasing cross-national collaborations and thus increase knowledge exchange between regions".

He is personally involved in a collaborative project across geographical, climatic and political-economic boundaries with UNICAMP in Brazil, the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, local coffee growers from, amongst other players, the Jamaican Coffee Growers' Association, and the London-based gourmet coffee brand Oubu Coffee. Together they study the effects of climate on the pollination of coffee in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, West Indies.

"This project was initiated through a personal network between me, Oubu Coffee and their relations within Jamaica. As researchers we have to be willing to drive the transition forward through such opportunities and networks. Waiting for international institutions or governments to create new initiatives is not the only way forward" says Bo Dalsgaard.

Maya Pasgaard also has experience with research collaboration across regions, working together with a local researcher from Cambodia on community-based forest protection to mitigate climate change.

"Cross-border collaborations are not just highly relevant scientifically, but also rewarding on a personal level, as cultural knowledge exchange becomes an integrated part of the collaboration" she says.

The study is published online in the journal Global Environmental Change.

---

<a href="http://www.science.ku.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">University of Copenhagen</a>

Study: Most Vulnerable Countries Know Least About Climate Change

Study: Most Vulnerable Countries Know Least About Climate Change. Collaborations...

Shell Loses $7.4 Billion After Pulling Oil Rigs From The Arctic. Royal Dutch Shell reported a third quarter loss of $7.4 billion Thursday as it re-organized and cancelled projects, including drilling in Alaska, to cope with the plunge in oil prices.
The net loss compares with a profit of $4.5 billion in the same period last year. Shell reported $7.9 billion in charges, including $2.6 billion for Alaska and $2 billion related to the decision to cancel the Carmon Creek project in Alberta, Canada.
Excluding one-time items and fluctuations in the value of inventories, the company said profit dropped to $1.8 billion, from $5.8 billion a year earlier, reflecting the plunge in oil prices.
"Shell's integrated business and our performance drive are helping to mitigate the impact of low oil prices on the bottom line in what is a difficult environment for the industry today," CEO Ben van Beurden said.
Energy companies are struggling to adjust to an age of lower prices after oil dropped to a six-year low in August. Brent crude, the benchmark for North Sea oil, averaged $50.26 a barrel in the third quarter, down 51 percent from a year earlier.
The drop is forcing companies to reconsider the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=economics&amp;cvid=133c0645dcd14603b8c0de3930c2715d&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">economics</a> of projects.
Shell said it decided to discontinue work on the Carmon Creek thermal oil sands project because it "does not rank in its portfolio at this time."
In Alaska, Shell had intended to access what the U.S. Geological survey estimated to be some 26 billion barrels of conventionally recoverable oil under Arctic waters. But the company's first drilling produced only minor amounts of oil and gas. Shell Loses $7.4 Billion After Pulling Oil Rigs From The Arctic
"This, combined with the current economic and regulatory environment, has led Shell to cease further exploration activity offshore Alaska for the foreseeable future," the company said.
At the same time, environmental activists had the company in its sights, pledging to thwart the company in the arena of public opinion. Protesters argued that industrial activity would hurt fragile ecosystems and marine mammals. They insisted that the icy Arctic waters could not be cleaned in the event of a spill.
Analysts believe the company took the worst of the hit in Thursday's results.
"I think the bulk of the assets has been written off," Fadel Gheit, a managing director and senior analyst at Oppenheimer &amp; Co. Inc., said in an email.
Shell said it would still pay a dividend of 47 cents a share on third quarter earnings.
© 2015 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.

Scientists: Warming Ocean Is Cause Behind Collapse Of Cod Fishery. The rapid warming ocean off New England is a key factor in the collapse of the region's cod fishery, and changes to the species' management are needed to save one of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=america&amp;cvid=e42be66a61d64b42b9dcfb7ac0da673f&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">America's</a> oldest industries, according to a report published Thursday in Science magazine.
Fishery managers say cod spawning in the Gulf of Maine - a key fishing area between Cape Cod and Canada that touches Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire - is only about 3 percent of sustainable levels, and participants in the fishery that dates to the Colonial era face dramatic quota cuts as a result.
The scientists behind the Science report say the warming of the Gulf of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/shellfish-are-vanishing-from-the-gulf-of-maine/">Maine</a>, which accelerated from 2004 to 2013, reduced cod's capacity to rebound from fishing pressure. The report gives credence to the idea - supported by advocacy groups, fishing managers and even some fishermen - that climate change has played a role in cod's collapse. Scientists: Warming Ocean Is Cause Behind Collapse Of Cod Fishery
The lead author of the study, Andrew Pershing of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland, said the gulf is warming at a rate 99 percent faster than anywhere else in the world, and as a result, too many of the fish aren't living past age 4 or 5. Cod can live to be older than 20.
"Every animal has a temperature range that they prefer. The Gulf of Maine, for cod, is really at the warm end of that," Pershing said. "If you warm it, you push it somewhere that's really uncomfortable."
The report comes amid a collapse in commercial catch of Atlantic cod, which are also fished off New England in Georges Bank, where the stock has also collapsed. Catch fell from more than 33 million pounds in 2001 to less than 5 million pounds in 2013.
As a result, the price of local cod has risen in New England. Now, much of the cod in fish and chips there is from places such as Iceland and Norway, and sometimes restaurants use a different species altogether.
David Goethel, a biologist and longtime New Hampshire fisherman, said the study is reflective of what he sees at sea. He said it's important that published science now backs that up.
But he also said fishing managers are trying to rebuild cod stocks to unrealistic levels, which results in low quotas for fishermen. Instead, he said, they should set quotas that reflect the status of the stock. A New England fishing regulatory council voted to reduce the total allowable Gulf of Maine cod catch limit from 1,550 metric tons to 386 metric tons a year ago. In the early 2000s, it was 8,000 metric tons per year.
"We need to manage for what is here now," said Goethel, himself a former member of the fishing regulatory council. "Otherwise, we're just going to leave enormous amounts of protein in the water for no reason, for what's basically a bureaucratic reason."
The report said regulators need to incorporate environmental factors in managing commercial species. Jud Crawford, science and policy manager of U.S. Oceans, Northeast for Pew Charitable trusts, said that could mean placing a premium on conserving cod habitat.
Malin Pinsky, a biology professor at Rutgers University who was not involved in the study, said the findings help explain the northern shift in the cod's population. Researchers reported this month that numbers are improving in the colder waters off Newfoundland and Labrador.
"What we're learning about cod are the same kind of processes that are likely to play out in a wide range of important fish in this and other regions," he said.
© 2015 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.

Scientists: Warming Ocean Is Cause Behind Collapse Of Cod Fishery

Scientists: Warming Ocean Is Cause Behind Collapse Of Cod Fishery....

Study: Most Vulnerable Countries Know Least About Climate Change. Collaborations on climate change research are divided into separate regions of the world with little knowledge exchange between them shows a new Danish-Brazilian study led by the University of Copenhagen. The most vulnerable countries of the world are largely disconnected from the production and flow of scientific knowledge on climate change, leaving their climate policymaking with little contextually relevant advice. The study calls for initiatives across private, governmental and non-governmental organisations, and from researchers themselves to diminish the knowledge gap.

When new research on climate change is published it most often concerns and is produced by the developed countries and the BRICS countries Brazil, India, China and South Africa rather than countries most vulnerable, but less contributing, to climate change.Study: Most Vulnerable Countries Know Least About Climate Change

The little research that does concern developing countries often lacks a locally based author. For instance, only about one fifth of the publications concerning climate change in Africa have a locally based first author - for the developed regions, it is two thirds of the publications. For some countries, such as the Republic of Congo and North Korea with up to 72 relevant publications, there are no locally based authors, not even co-authors.

"Without locally generated knowledge, it is more challenging to provide and integrate contextually relevant advice, and this leaves a critical gap in the climate policy debates. This is particularly worrying as we are dealing with countries likely to experience severe climatic changes and that are most sensitive to its detrimental impacts" says lead-author and postdoc Maya Pasgaard from the Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management at the University of Copenhagen.

In total, the study analysed author affiliations of more than 15.000 climate change publications published between 1999 and 2010. Authors focusing on the same countries for climate change research typically share geographical proximity, common climate, politics and economic characteristics.

"The regional divides limit critical flows of experiences and competencies across geographical and political-economic boundaries; a flow which is also needed to tackle the many threats and challenges of comparable character across regions, such as changes in crops, pest management and adaptation to climate hazards," says co-author and Professor Niels Strange from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate at the University of Copenhagen.

With the exception of some South American and African countries who share research interests, knowledge exchange on climate change suffers from large regional divides, in particular among vulnerable, developing regions.

The study recommends initiatives that focus on strengthening collaborations across geographical distances and across national differences in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/great-tits-can-adapt-to-climate-change-but-only-to-a-point/">climate</a>, export, democracy and national economy, as well as strengthening the local production and integration of knowledge.

Co-author and Assistant Professor Bo Dalsgaard from the Center for Macroecology, Evolution and Climate says:

"There is an array of partners responsible for increasing collaborations, ranging from big international organisations, such as the UN, to individual governments and higher education leaders. We also urge individual researchers and private companies alike to take responsibility for increasing cross-national collaborations and thus increase knowledge exchange between regions".

He is personally involved in a collaborative project across geographical, climatic and political-economic boundaries with UNICAMP in Brazil, the University of the West Indies in Jamaica, local coffee growers from, amongst other players, the Jamaican Coffee Growers' Association, and the London-based gourmet coffee brand Oubu Coffee. Together they study the effects of climate on the pollination of coffee in the Blue Mountains of Jamaica, West Indies.

"This project was initiated through a personal network between me, Oubu Coffee and their relations within Jamaica. As researchers we have to be willing to drive the transition forward through such opportunities and networks. Waiting for international institutions or governments to create new initiatives is not the only way forward" says Bo Dalsgaard.

Maya Pasgaard also has experience with research collaboration across regions, working together with a local researcher from Cambodia on community-based forest protection to mitigate climate change.

"Cross-border collaborations are not just highly relevant scientifically, but also rewarding on a personal level, as cultural knowledge exchange becomes an integrated part of the collaboration" she says.

The study is published online in the journal Global Environmental Change.

---

<a href="http://www.science.ku.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">University of Copenhagen</a>

Scientists: Warming Ocean Is Cause Behind Collapse Of Cod Fishery. The rapid warming ocean off New England is a key factor in the collapse of the region's cod fishery, and changes to the species' management are needed to save one of America's oldest industries, according to a report published Thursday in Science magazine.
Fishery managers say cod spawning in the Gulf of Maine - a key fishing area between Cape Cod and Canada that touches Massachusetts, Maine and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-evidence-suggests-earths-inner-core-is-rotating/">New Hampshire</a> - is only about 3 percent of sustainable levels, and participants in the fishery that dates to the Colonial era face dramatic quota cuts as a result.
The scientists behind the Science report say the warming of the Gulf of Maine, which accelerated from 2004 to 2013, reduced cod's capacity to rebound from fishing pressure. The report gives credence to the idea - supported by advocacy groups, fishing managers and even some fishermen - that climate change has played a role in cod's collapse.Scientists: Warming Ocean Is Cause Behind Collapse Of Cod Fishery
The lead author of the study, Andrew Pershing of the Gulf of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=maine&amp;cvid=02ca166e6410476e8266b18f11819aaf&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Maine</a> Research Institute in Portland, said the gulf is warming at a rate 99 percent faster than anywhere else in the world, and as a result, too many of the fish aren't living past age 4 or 5. Cod can live to be older than 20.
"Every animal has a temperature range that they prefer. The Gulf of Maine, for cod, is really at the warm end of that," Pershing said. "If you warm it, you push it somewhere that's really uncomfortable."
The report comes amid a collapse in commercial catch of Atlantic cod, which are also fished off New England in Georges Bank, where the stock has also collapsed. Catch fell from more than 33 million pounds in 2001 to less than 5 million pounds in 2013.
As a result, the price of local cod has risen in New England. Now, much of the cod in fish and chips there is from places such as Iceland and Norway, and sometimes restaurants use a different species altogether.
David Goethel, a biologist and longtime New Hampshire fisherman, said the study is reflective of what he sees at sea. He said it's important that published science now backs that up.
But he also said fishing managers are trying to rebuild cod stocks to unrealistic levels, which results in low quotas for fishermen. Instead, he said, they should set quotas that reflect the status of the stock. A New England fishing regulatory council voted to reduce the total allowable Gulf of Maine cod catch limit from 1,550 metric tons to 386 metric tons a year ago. In the early 2000s, it was 8,000 metric tons per year.
"We need to manage for what is here now," said Goethel, himself a former member of the fishing regulatory council. "Otherwise, we're just going to leave enormous amounts of protein in the water for no reason, for what's basically a bureaucratic reason."
The report said regulators need to incorporate environmental factors in managing commercial species. Jud Crawford, science and policy manager of U.S. Oceans, Northeast for Pew Charitable trusts, said that could mean placing a premium on conserving cod habitat.
Malin Pinsky, a biology professor at Rutgers University who was not involved in the study, said the findings help explain the northern shift in the cod's population. Researchers reported this month that numbers are improving in the colder waters off Newfoundland and Labrador.
"What we're learning about cod are the same kind of processes that are likely to play out in a wide range of important fish in this and other regions," he said.
© 2015 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.

Scientists: Warming Ocean Is Cause Behind Collapse Of Cod Fishery. The rapid warming ocean off New England is a key factor in the collapse of the region's cod fishery, and changes to the species' management are needed to save one of America's oldest industries, according to a report published Thursday in Science magazine.
Fishery managers say cod spawning in the Gulf of Maine - a key fishing area between Cape Cod and Canada that touches Massachusetts, Maine and <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=new+hampshire&amp;cvid=28c17837b4674f49ae614c0644a1031b&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">New Hampshire</a> - is only about 3 percent of sustainable levels, and participants in the fishery that dates to the Colonial era face dramatic quota cuts as a result.
The scientists behind the Science report say the warming of the Gulf of Maine, which accelerated from 2004 to 2013, reduced cod's capacity to rebound from fishing pressure. The report gives credence to the idea - supported by advocacy groups, fishing managers and even some fishermen - that climate change has played a role in cod's collapse. Scientists: Warming <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-ocean-oxygen-levels-are-affected-by-sea-ice/">Ocean</a> Is Cause Behind Collapse Of Cod Fishery
The lead author of the study, Andrew Pershing of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland, said the gulf is warming at a rate 99 percent faster than anywhere else in the world, and as a result, too many of the fish aren't living past age 4 or 5. Cod can live to be older than 20. Scientists: Warming Ocean Is Cause Behind Collapse Of Cod Fishery
"Every animal has a temperature range that they prefer. The Gulf of Maine, for cod, is really at the warm end of that," Pershing said. "If you warm it, you push it somewhere that's really uncomfortable."
The report comes amid a collapse in commercial catch of Atlantic cod, which are also fished off New England in Georges Bank, where the stock has also collapsed. Catch fell from more than 33 million pounds in 2001 to less than 5 million pounds in 2013.
As a result, the price of local cod has risen in New England. Now, much of the cod in fish and chips there is from places such as Iceland and Norway, and sometimes restaurants use a different species altogether.
David Goethel, a biologist and longtime New Hampshire fisherman, said the study is reflective of what he sees at sea. He said it's important that published science now backs that up.
But he also said fishing managers are trying to rebuild cod stocks to unrealistic levels, which results in low quotas for fishermen. Instead, he said, they should set quotas that reflect the status of the stock. A New England fishing regulatory council voted to reduce the total allowable Gulf of Maine cod catch limit from 1,550 metric tons to 386 metric tons a year ago. In the early 2000s, it was 8,000 metric tons per year.
"We need to manage for what is here now," said Goethel, himself a former member of the fishing regulatory council. "Otherwise, we're just going to leave enormous amounts of protein in the water for no reason, for what's basically a bureaucratic reason."
The report said regulators need to incorporate environmental factors in managing commercial species. Jud Crawford, science and policy manager of U.S. Oceans, Northeast for Pew Charitable trusts, said that could mean placing a premium on conserving cod habitat.
Malin Pinsky, a biology professor at Rutgers University who was not involved in the study, said the findings help explain the northern shift in the cod's population. Researchers reported this month that numbers are improving in the colder waters off Newfoundland and Labrador.
"What we're learning about cod are the same kind of processes that are likely to play out in a wide range of important fish in this and other regions," he said.
© 2015 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.

Scientists: Warming Ocean Is Cause Behind Collapse

Coast Guards Of Arctic Nations Seek More Help Dealing With Melting Sea Ice. Coast guard leaders from the U.S., Russia and other Arctic nations are meeting to strengthen cooperation in northern seas, where warming temperatures are opening new waterways to boat traffic.
An agreement setting up a new forum dedicated to security and stewardship of Arctic waters is expected to be signed Friday by leaders from eight countries' maritime agencies. Coast Guards Of Arctic Nations Seek More Help Dealing With Melting Sea Ice
The leaders have gathered since Wednesday behind closed doors at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/network-that-connects-the-brain-and-stomach-can-predict-weight-loss/">Connecticut.</a>
A total of eight countries - Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Russia and the U.S. - are formally establishing the Arctic Coast Guard Forum. The organization will help implement agreements of the Arctic Council, which is comprised of the same member countries, but also make its own decisions and plans concerning Arctic operations.
"Much of the ACGF's work will focus on fostering the strong partnerships required to support safe, secure and environmentally responsible maritime activity in the Arctic region," said Lisa Novak, a Coast Guard spokeswoman in Washington.
As the planet warms, waterways through the Northwest Passage above <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=canada&amp;cvid=996103fc3a274ff592c474e6955bfcfc&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Canada</a> and Russia have opened during summer months, funneling more ship traffic through the Bering Strait. The region also holds trillions of dollars' worth of oil and gas reserves, and many have warned of a new battleground for resources emerging in the 21st century.
The summit is taking place at the academy's Center for Arctic Study and Policy. Officials say the Arctic has been emerging as a popular topic of study at the academy, where cadets train and study along the Thames River in New London for careers as Coast Guard officers.
© 2015 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.

Coast Guards Of Arctic Nations Seek More Help Dealing

Coast Guards Of Arctic Nations Seek More Help Dealing With...

Man looking at bill in grocery store. Image shot 2007. Exact date unknown.

Puerto Rico Bans All Plastic Bags. Puerto Rico's governor signed an executive order on Friday banning the use of plastic bags across the U.S. territory, defying legislators who just days ago rejected a similar bill.
The ban will take effect in mid-2016 and will be preceded by a six-month educational campaign, Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla said.
The announcement surprised many because 25 legislators in the island's House of Representatives recently voted against a measure calling for such a ban. Lawmakers had said they opposed the bill because it would charge people for the use of plastic bags amid an economic crisis. Puerto Rico Bans All Plastic Bags
Garcia said grocery stores across Puerto Rico import tons of plastic bags a year, noting that one small supermarket chain alone annually imports bags that fit in six boxcars that are 42 feet (13 meters) long.
"All that ends up in landfills in the best-case scenario," he said. "They end up on our streets, in our sewage system ... and kill our turtles and <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-acidification-could-cause-coral-reefs-to-fall-apart/">coral reefs.</a>"
The popular western tourist town of Rincon is the only Puerto Rican municipality that currently bans the use of plastic bags.
Environmental activists praised the move, noting that it is common to double-bag all groceries on the island, no matter how small the purchase. Garcia said he would push for legislation to be approved to help bolster his executive order.
Elsewhere in the U.S., plastic bag bans have been implemented in cities including Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Seattle and Austin, Texas. In addition, all counties in Hawaii have approved such a prohibition. There is currently no statewide ban on plastic bags, although California is placing the issue before voters in a November 2016 ballot.
© 2015 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.

Puerto Rico Bans All Plastic Bags

Puerto Rico Bans All Plastic Bags. Puerto Rico's governor signed...

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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



---



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.

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



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

[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 



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

[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

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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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...