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...

EPA May Ban Produce Pesticide Chlorpyrifos. The Environmental Protection Agency says it may ban a common pesticide used on citrus fruits, almonds and other crops.
A proposal announced Friday would prohibit use of chlorpyrifos, a widely used insecticide sprayed on a variety of crops including oranges, apples, cherries, grapes, broccoli and asparagus.
The pesticide, in use since 1965, has sickened dozens of farmworkers in recent years. Traces have been found in waterways, threatening fish, and regulators say overuse could make targeted insects immune to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/increasing-plant-biodiversity-reduces-the-need-for-pesticides/">pesticide</a>.
U.S. farms use more than 6 million pounds of the chemical each year - about 25 percent of it in <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=california&amp;cvid=a467ff9efb1a4a17b2ce3ece3c59e121&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">California</a>. EPA May Ban Produce Pesticide Chlorpyrifos
The EPA said it will take comments on the proposal for at least two months, with a final rule expected in December 2016. Chlorpyrifos (CPS) is an <a title="Organophosphate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organophosphate">organophosphate</a> <a title="Pesticide" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pesticide">pesticide</a> used on crops, animals, and buildings, and in other settings, to kill a number of <a title="Pest (organism)" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pest_(organism)">pests</a>, including insects and worms. It acts on the nervous systems of insects by inhibiting the <a title="Acetylcholinesterase inhibitor" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acetylcholinesterase_inhibitor">acetylcholinesterase</a> enzyme
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EPA May Ban Produce Pesticide Chlorpyrifos

EPA May Ban Produce Pesticide Chlorpyrifos. The Environmental Protection Agency...

Study: Mass Gains Of Antarctic Ice Sheet Greater Than Losses. A new NASA study says that an increase in Antarctic snow accumulation that began 10,000 years ago is currently adding enough ice to the continent to outweigh the increased losses from its thinning glaciers.

The research challenges the conclusions of other studies, including the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s (IPCC) 2013 report, which says that Antarctica is overall losing land ice.

According to the new analysis of satellite data, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-is-melting-faster-than-models-predict-due-to-climate-variability/">Antarctic</a> ice sheet showed a net gain of 112 billion tons of ice a year from 1992 to 2001. That net gain slowed   to 82 billion tons of ice per year between 2003 and 2008. Study: Mass Gains Of Antarctic Ice Sheet Greater Than Losses

“We’re essentially in agreement with other studies that show an increase in ice discharge in the Antarctic Peninsula and the Thwaites and Pine Island region of West Antarctica,” said Jay Zwally, a glaciologist with NASA Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland, and lead author of the study, which was published on Oct. 30 in the Journal of Glaciology. “Our main disagreement is for East Antarctica and the interior of West Antarctica – there, we see an ice gain that exceeds the losses in the other areas.”  Zwally added that his team “measured small height changes over large areas, as well as the large changes observed over smaller areas.”

Scientists calculate how much the ice sheet is growing or shrinking from the changes in surface height that are measured by the satellite altimeters. In locations where the amount of new snowfall accumulating on an ice sheet is not equal to the ice flow downward and outward to the ocean, the surface height changes and the ice-sheet mass grows or shrinks.

But it might only take a few decades for Antarctica’s growth to reverse, according to Zwally. “If the losses of the Antarctic Peninsula and parts of West Antarctica continue to increase at the same rate they’ve been increasing for the last two decades, the losses will catch up with the long-term gain in East Antarctica in 20 or 30 years -- I don’t think there will be enough snowfall increase to offset these losses.”

The study analyzed changes in the surface height of the Antarctic ice sheet measured by radar altimeters on two European Space Agency European Remote Sensing (ERS) satellites, spanning from 1992 to 2001, and by the laser altimeter on NASA’s Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite (ICESat) from 2003 to 2008.

Zwally said that while other scientists have assumed that the gains in elevation seen in East Antarctica are due to recent increases in snow accumulation, his team used meteorological data beginning in 1979 to show that the snowfall in East Antarctica actually decreased by 11 billion tons per year during both the ERS and ICESat periods. They also used information on snow accumulation for tens of thousands of years, derived by other scientists from ice cores, to conclude that East Antarctica has been thickening for a very long time.

“At the end of the last Ice Age, the air became warmer and carried more moisture across the continent, doubling the amount of snow dropped on the ice sheet,” Zwally said.

The extra snowfall that began 10,000 years ago has been slowly accumulating on the ice sheet and compacting into solid ice over millennia, thickening the ice in East Antarctica and the interior of West Antarctica by an average of 0.7 inches (1.7 centimeters) per year. This small thickening, sustained over thousands of years and spread over the vast expanse of these sectors of Antarctica, corresponds to a very large gain of ice – enough to outweigh the losses from fast-flowing glaciers in other parts of the continent and reduce global sea level rise.

Zwally’s team calculated that the mass gain from the thickening of East Antarctica remained steady from 1992 to 2008 at 200 billion tons per year, while the ice losses from the coastal regions of West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula increased by 65 billion tons per year.

“The good news is that Antarctica is not currently contributing to sea level rise, but is taking 0.23 millimeters per year away,” Zwally said. “But this is also bad news. If the 0.27 millimeters per year of sea level rise attributed to Antarctica in the IPCC report is not really coming from Antarctica, there must be some other contribution to sea level rise that is not accounted for.”

“The new study highlights the difficulties of measuring the small changes in ice height happening in East Antarctica,” said Ben Smith, a glaciologist with the University of Washington in Seattle who was not involved in Zwally’s study.

"Doing altimetry accurately for very large areas is extraordinarily difficult, and there are measurements of snow accumulation that need to be done independently to understand what’s happening in these places,” Smith said.

To help accurately measure changes in Antarctica, NASA is developing the successor to the ICESat mission, ICESat-2, which is scheduled to launch in 2018. “ICESat-2 will measure changes in the ice sheet within the thickness of a No. 2 pencil,” said Tom Neumann, a glaciologist at Goddard and deputy project scientist for ICESat-2. “It will contribute to solving the problem of Antarctica’s mass balance by providing a long-term record of elevation changes.”

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<a href="http://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">NASA</a>

Study: Mass Gains Of Antarctic Ice Sheet Greater Than Losses

Study: Mass Gains Of Antarctic Ice Sheet Greater Than Losses....

French President Goes To China To Boost Climate Negotiations. French President Francois Hollande hopes to use a state visit to China to boost difficult climate negotiations a month before a U.N. conference in Paris aimed at slowing global warming.
<a href="http://www.earth.com/image/historic-flooding-has-killed-hundreds-across-china/">China</a>, the most populous country and the biggest emitter of climate-warming greenhouse gases in the world, has promised it will try to cap its rising emissions before 2030 as part of its national pledge ahead of the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=paris&amp;cvid=9393f8619ea54c7fb2d557aafaad6221&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Paris</a> conference. French President Goes To China To Boost Climate Negotiations
Hollande says he intends to launch a bilateral appeal with Chinese President Xi Jinping "to make the climate conference a success." France is notably trying to get China's approval of a mechanism that would require countries to step up their emissions cuts over time.
This would be "a key" to success of the U.N. climate talks, a French diplomatic official said, because the current national pledges won't be enough to achieve the goal of keeping the rise in global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) between pre-industrial times and the end of the century.
China has "a leading role" in influencing other developing countries on this issue, the diplomat said. France is proposing to update those emissions targets automatically every five years, but the rules have yet to be defined. The official spoke anonymously because discussions on the content of the French-Chinese bilateral declaration were still ongoing.
On Monday, the French president will visit Chongqing in southwest China, where he'll see examples of the country's efforts toward more environmentally friendly technologies. Later in the day, he'll be heading to Beijing to meet with the Chinese president.
On Tuesday, Hollande will meet with Prime Minister Li Keqiang and they will speak to a French-Chinese economic forum on green growth. Hollande will then go to South Korea for a one-day visit.
The Chinese president is expected to come to France on Nov. 30 for the opening of the U.N. climate conference along with many other world leaders, including President Barack Obama. The conference runs through Dec. 11.
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French President Goes To China To Boost Climate Negotiations

French President Goes To China To Boost Climate Negotiations. French...

French President Goes To China To Boost <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=climate&amp;cvid=10ea9c20ee404e32887e86238815cd63&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Climate</a> Negotiations. French President Francois Hollande hopes to use a state visit to China to boost difficult climate negotiations a month before a U.N. conference in Paris aimed at slowing global warming.
China, the most populous country and the biggest emitter of climate-warming greenhouse gases in the world, has promised it will try to cap its rising emissions before 2030 as part of its national pledge ahead of the Paris conference.
Hollande says he intends to launch a bilateral appeal with <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/clouds-trace-mountain-ridges-in-the-chinese-province-of-yunnan/">Chinese</a> President Xi Jinping "to make the climate conference a success." France is notably trying to get China's approval of a mechanism that would require countries to step up their emissions cuts over time.
This would be "a key" to success of the U.N. climate talks, a French diplomatic official said, because the current national pledges won't be enough to achieve the goal of keeping the rise in global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) between pre-industrial times and the end of the century.
China has "a leading role" in influencing other developing countries on this issue, the diplomat said. France is proposing to update those emissions targets automatically every five years, but the rules have yet to be defined. The official spoke anonymously because discussions on the content of the French-Chinese bilateral declaration were still ongoing.
On Monday, the French president will visit Chongqing in southwest China, where he'll see examples of the country's efforts toward more environmentally friendly technologies. Later in the day, he'll be heading to Beijing to meet with the Chinese president.
On Tuesday, Hollande will meet with Prime Minister Li Keqiang and they will speak to a French-Chinese economic forum on green growth. Hollande will then go to South Korea for a one-day visit.
The Chinese president is expected to come to France on Nov. 30 for the opening of the U.N. climate conference along with many other world leaders, including President Barack Obama. The conference runs through Dec. 11.
© 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.

French President Goes To China To Boost Climate Negotiations. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=paris&amp;cvid=8b1a34a27d7041e19ad6156e594e1953&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">French</a> President Francois Hollande hopes to use a state visit to China to boost difficult climate negotiations a month before a U.N. conference in Paris aimed at slowing global warming.
China, the most populous country and the biggest emitter of climate-warming greenhouse gases in the world, has promised it will try to cap its rising emissions before 2030 as part of its national pledge ahead of the Paris conference.
Hollande says he intends to launch a bilateral appeal with Chinese President Xi Jinping "to make the climate conference a success." France is notably trying to get <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/historic-flooding-has-killed-hundreds-across-china/">China'</a>s approval of a mechanism that would require countries to step up their emissions cuts over time.
This would be "a key" to success of the U.N. climate talks, a French diplomatic official said, because the current national pledges won't be enough to achieve the goal of keeping the rise in global temperatures below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) between pre-industrial times and the end of the century. French President Goes To China To Boost Climate Negotiations
China has "a leading role" in influencing other developing countries on this issue, the diplomat said. France is proposing to update those emissions targets automatically every five years, but the rules have yet to be defined. The official spoke anonymously because discussions on the content of the French-Chinese bilateral declaration were still ongoing.
On Monday, the French president will visit Chongqing in southwest China, where he'll see examples of the country's efforts toward more environmentally friendly technologies. Later in the day, he'll be heading to Beijing to meet with the Chinese president.
On Tuesday, Hollande will meet with Prime Minister Li Keqiang and they will speak to a French-Chinese economic forum on green growth. Hollande will then go to South Korea for a one-day visit.
The Chinese president is expected to come to France on Nov. 30 for the opening of the U.N. climate conference along with many other world leaders, including President Barack Obama. The conference runs through Dec. 11.
© 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.

French President Goes To China To Boost Climate

Shipwrecks In US Waters Pose Environmental Threats. Dozens of shipwrecks scattered along America's coasts are thought to be holding oil and certainly will start leaking someday as corrosion eats away at their tanks.
Preventing that just isn't possible, experts say, because funding for such a huge effort doesn't exist and there are too many unknowns about the locations of those wrecks and the cargo left inside. Some are simply too deep to reach.
A sunken tanker barge recently discovered in Lake Erie that appears to be occasionally seeping an oil-based substance near the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=canadian&amp;cvid=e3b29268733843d19af24baac8bcecf4&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Canadian</a> border is believed to be one of 87 shipwrecks on a federal registry that identifies the most serious pollution threats to U.S. waters.
Most of those wrecks are along the Atlantic seaboard, torpedoed by German submarines during World War II.
Other sunken ships thought to be holding oil are scattered along the Pacific Coast and in the Gulf of Mexico just off the Florida and Louisiana shorelines. Five are in the Great Lakes, including the Edmund Fitzgerald, which sank in 1975 and was memorialized in a song by Gordon Lightfoot.
Three out of every four wrecks on the list have been underwater at least seven decades, leaving them slowly rusting away. How fast isn't known because research on corrosion rates is limited and each wreck is affected by varying depths, storms, currents and marine bacteria.
Past leaks have shown that the oil usually comes out in drips and drabs rather than gushes, lessening the worry of a full-scale catastrophe and the need for urgent action in most cases.
"Our coastlines are not littered with 'ticking time bombs' of oil," said the risk assessment report released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in 2013. "Although there are definitely vessels of concern in our waters that should be assessed and monitored."
While some of the wrecked vessels are monitored by the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coastal-cities-fastest-growing-population/">U.S. Coast Guard</a> and visited by recreational divers, many remain a mystery.Shipwrecks In US Waters Pose Environmental Threats
Only about half the wrecks have been located and identified. And little is known about their current condition or how much oil they may still be holding. The only clues come from historical records and witness accounts from when the vessels went down.
"That's always one of the big challenges when we look at these wrecks," said Lisa Symons of NOAA, who wrote the study. "Some of these are wicked deep, and not in an area where you could do survey work."
The biggest obstacle, though, is money.
The cost of removing oil and other fuels from wrecks found over the past two decades has ranged from a couple of million dollars to tens of millions.
The money comes from the Oil Spill Liability Trust Fund, which is overseen by the Coast Guard. It allows for $50 million to be spent annually on emergency spills and damage assessments, with any unspent amounts carried over. Last year, $62.4 million was spent from the emergency fund.
The money available isn't nearly enough to remove all of the oil from wrecked vessels in U.S. waters. "It would be gone in a minute," said Jacqueline Michel, a geochemist who has done extensive research on sunken oils and assisted with spill responses.
It's not just a problem along America's shores. The threat that shipwrecks pose in European waters, including the Mediterranean, Baltic and North seas, was the focus of a conference in early October in Gothenburg, Sweden.
"They have the same problem," Michel said. "There's no money until she starts leaking."
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Shipwrecks In US Waters Pose Environmental Threats

Shipwrecks In US Waters Pose Environmental Threats. Dozens of shipwrecks...

Coal pollution and global warming in Linfen China

China And France Agree That Automatic Cuts Are Needed In Climate Change Pact. The Chinese and French presidents announced Monday they have agreed that a global climate change pact should require countries to increase their emissions cuts every five years, in an important signal four weeks before world leaders meet in <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=paris&amp;cvid=464c68c510b249b28e0e06a836c356e5&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Paris</a>.
France is proposing the automatic updating of countries' emissions targets in a climate deal to be thrashed out at a U.N. conference beginning at the end of November. The support of China, the world's biggest emitter of climate-warming <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/refrigerants-are-powerful-heat-trapping-greenhouse-gases/">greenhouse</a> gases, is significant.
"What we have just established here in this declaration is a likelihood that the Paris conference will succeed," Francois Hollande said at a joint news conference with Xi Jinping in the Great Hall of the People, the seat of China's legislature. China And France Agree That Automatic Cuts Are Needed In Climate Change Pact
"That doesn't mean that the Paris conference is definitely going to be a success, but the conditions for success have been laid down in Beijing today," Hollande said.
In the joint declaration, the two presidents also declared their intention to release their own national strategies to develop low-carbon economies by 2050 as soon as possible within the next five years.
Environmental campaign group Greenpeace called the statement "an incremental step forward" and said work still needs to be done to raise ambition before and during the Paris conference.
"After waving goodbye to President Hollande tomorrow, Chinese leaders need to think hard about what more to bring to the table when they see him again in Paris at the end of this month," Greenpeace China climate policy adviser Li Shuo said in a statement.
China has promised it will try to cap its rising emissions before 2030 as part of its national pledge ahead of the Paris conference. It has also seen a decline in coal consumption and has become a leader in renewable energy.
Hollande said Xi confirmed that he would attend the opening of the climate conference, which runs from Nov. 30 through Dec. 11.
---
Associated Press writer Sylvie Corbet in Paris contributed to this report.
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China And France Agree That Automatic Cuts Are Needed

China And France Agree That Automatic Cuts Are Needed In...

US Youths Are Suing The Government Over Climate Change. They can't vote yet, but dozens of young people want a say in the planet's future, so minors nationwide have been suing states and the federal government in recent years to push action on climate change.
They say their generation will bear the brunt of global warming and that government at every level has an obligation to protect natural resources, including the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/tropical-birds-handle-heat-stress-much-better-than-expected/">atmosphere</a>, as a "public trust" for future generations.
The Oregon-based nonprofit Our Children's Trust has been leading efforts to file lawsuits or administrative petitions in every state and against the federal government. Some of the youth-led cases have been dismissed, while others are pending in states including Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Oregon.US Youths Are Suing The Government Over Climate Change
"None of them have gotten to the finish line," said Michael Gerrard, a professor and director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. "It's an uphill climb. The <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=us&amp;cvid=54f9d77507f247e797626af67d6aeedb&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">U.S.</a> courts have so far not wanted to set climate policy."
Other experts say it's unclear how a state can combat a global problem.
In Seattle, eight activists between ages 10 and 15 petitioned Washington state last year to adopt stricter science-based regulations to protect them against climate change. The case has been moving through a state court, and oral arguments are scheduled Tuesday.
"We're the ones who have to live with it if the oceans are acidic and the planet is 5 degrees warmer," said Gabriel Mendell, 13, an eighth-grader and plaintiff in the case. "The snowpack is melting. Ocean is acidifying. The Earth is warming. Everything that can go wrong is going wrong, and we need to fix it."
Mendell and other youths represented by the Western Environmental Law Center argue that Washington state has failed to reduce carbon emissions based on the best available science. They say the government has violated its duties under the state constitution and the legal principle called the public trust doctrine, which requires the government to protect shared resources.
The state said in court documents that the Washington Department of Ecology department was working on adopting a rule to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
"Climate change is the most important environmental problem," said Stu Clark, Washington's air quality program manager. "We need to do whatever we can. We are doing what we can with what we have."
Nationwide, the cases need to pass certain legal hurdles, such as establishing that the public trust doctrine applies to the Earth's atmosphere or that the children have standing to sue. The cases have cleared some hurdles but not all, said Gerrard, the professor.
"I don't think this litigation is going to be successful because climate change is a global problem, and it's not clear what a state could do," added Richard Stewart, a law professor at New York University. "A state could do certain things, but it can only make an infinitesimal contribution" to a global problem.
In Oregon, two Eugene teens are appealing after a state judge rejected their petition in May. The judge ruled that Oregon's public trust doctrine does not apply to the atmosphere, water, beaches and shorelines.
In August, 21 youths across the country sued the federal government, alleging that approval of fossil fuel development has violated the fundamental right of citizens to be free from government actions that harm life, liberty and property.
The EPA did not comment on specifics of the lawsuit but said in a statement that President Barack Obama and the agency have been taking action to "give our kids and grandkids the cleaner, safer future they deserve."
Aji Piper, 15, a Seattle high school sophomore, is a plaintiff in that case and the one in Washington state.
"The government isn't doing the best to assure that we have the best quality of life," he said. "It holds more urgency for us. Our future is at hand."
The Washington case has gone the farthest because a judge in King County Superior Court will be hearing arguments on the petition's merits, rather than on a procedural or jurisdictional issue, said Julia Olson, executive director for Our Children's Trust.
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US Youths Are Suing The Government Over Climate Change

US Youths Are Suing The Government Over Climate Change. They...

US Youths Are Suing The Government Over Climate Change. They can't vote yet, but dozens of young people want a say in the planet's future, so minors nationwide have been suing states and the federal government in recent years to push action on climate change.
They say their generation will bear the brunt of global warming and that government at every level has an obligation to protect natural resources, including the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/atmospheric-rivers-help-create-massive-holes-in-sea-ice/">atmosphere</a>, as a "public trust" for future generations.US Youths Are Suing The Government Over Climate Change
The Oregon-based nonprofit Our Children's Trust has been leading efforts to file lawsuits or administrative petitions in every state and against the federal government. Some of the youth-led cases have been dismissed, while others are pending in states including Massachusetts, <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=pennsylvania&amp;cvid=aa7f133fb8cf48a49b13f834a4bfa913&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Pennsylvania</a>, North Carolina and Oregon.
"None of them have gotten to the finish line," said Michael Gerrard, a professor and director of the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia University. "It's an uphill climb. The U.S. courts have so far not wanted to set climate policy."
Other experts say it's unclear how a state can combat a global problem.
In Seattle, eight activists between ages 10 and 15 petitioned Washington state last year to adopt stricter science-based regulations to protect them against climate change. The case has been moving through a state court, and oral arguments are scheduled Tuesday.
"We're the ones who have to live with it if the oceans are acidic and the planet is 5 degrees warmer," said Gabriel Mendell, 13, an eighth-grader and plaintiff in the case. "The snowpack is melting. Ocean is acidifying. The Earth is warming. Everything that can go wrong is going wrong, and we need to fix it."
Mendell and other youths represented by the Western Environmental Law Center argue that Washington state has failed to reduce carbon emissions based on the best available science. They say the government has violated its duties under the state constitution and the legal principle called the public trust doctrine, which requires the government to protect shared resources.
The state said in court documents that the Washington Department of Ecology department was working on adopting a rule to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
"Climate change is the most important environmental problem," said Stu Clark, Washington's air quality program manager. "We need to do whatever we can. We are doing what we can with what we have."
Nationwide, the cases need to pass certain legal hurdles, such as establishing that the public trust doctrine applies to the Earth's atmosphere or that the children have standing to sue. The cases have cleared some hurdles but not all, said Gerrard, the professor.
"I don't think this litigation is going to be successful because climate change is a global problem, and it's not clear what a state could do," added Richard Stewart, a law professor at New York University. "A state could do certain things, but it can only make an infinitesimal contribution" to a global problem.
In Oregon, two Eugene teens are appealing after a state judge rejected their petition in May. The judge ruled that Oregon's public trust doctrine does not apply to the atmosphere, water, beaches and shorelines.
In August, 21 youths across the country sued the federal government, alleging that approval of fossil fuel development has violated the fundamental right of citizens to be free from government actions that harm life, liberty and property.
The EPA did not comment on specifics of the lawsuit but said in a statement that President Barack Obama and the agency have been taking action to "give our kids and grandkids the cleaner, safer future they deserve."
Aji Piper, 15, a Seattle high school sophomore, is a plaintiff in that case and the one in Washington state.
"The government isn't doing the best to assure that we have the best quality of life," he said. "It holds more urgency for us. Our future is at hand."
The Washington case has gone the farthest because a judge in King County Superior Court will be hearing arguments on the petition's merits, rather than on a procedural or jurisdictional issue, said Julia Olson, executive director for Our Children's Trust.
© 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.

Volkswagen Emission Testing

EPA: Volkswagen Cheated On Emissions Tests More Than Once. Volkswagen cheated a second time on emissions tests, programming about 10,000 cars with larger diesel engines to emit fewer pollutants during testing than in real-world driving, according to the U.S. government.
The German automaker installed software designed to defeat the tests on VW, Porsche and Audi vehicles with six-cylinder diesel engines, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/environmental-era-of-pandemics/">Environmental</a> Protection Agency and<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=california&amp;cvid=4245521b64ab4a338d5fa16ba5dcd58d&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> California</a> Air Resources Board said Monday. While on the road the cars emit up to nine times more nitrogen oxide pollution than allowed by EPA standards, the agency said. EPA: Volkswagen Cheated On Emissions Tests More Than Once
The latest charges follow VW's admission in September that it rigged emissions tests for four-cylinder diesel engines on 11 million cars worldwide, including almost 500,000 in the U.S. The so-called defeat device in the six-cylinder engines was discovered by EPA and CARB with tests put in place in late September.
In a notice of violation sent to VW, EPA officials said the automaker "knew or should have known" that by employing the software, the cars were not in compliance with Clean Air Act emission standards.
In a statement, Volkswagen said "no software was installed in the 3-Liter V6 diesel motors to change the emissions values in any impermissible way." It pledged to "fully cooperate with the EPA to clarify this situation."
VW officials have claimed only a small number of software developers in Germany were responsible for the computer code that enabled the cars to trick U.S. government emissions tests. On Monday, analysts said the latest charges call those claims into question.
"Volkswagen would do well to immediately and completely disclose all people and products involved in this deception, no matter how far-reaching," said Karl Brauer, a senior analyst for Kelley Blue Book, a widely used car valuation and research service.
Monday's announcement makes the notion that only a limited number of people were involved in the deception appear "even more outrageous," Brauer said.
Members of Congress reacted sharply. The House Energy and Commerce Committee said an investigation of VW will continue.
"The latest revelations raise the question, where does VW's road of deceit end?" said a joint statement by full committee chairman Fred Upton of Michigan and senior Democrat Frank Pallone of New Jersey, along with oversight and investigations subcommittee Chairman Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania and senior Democrat Dianna DeGette of Colorado.
"It's time for Volkswagen to fully come clean," the statement said.
The new charges also suggest even more financial pain for VW. The company faces fines of up to $37,500 per vehicle, which means up to $375 million could be added to penalties already projected in the billions of dollars. The company has set aside about 6.7 billion euros ($7.38 billion) to pay for recalling and fixing the affected cars. VW officials have also hinted at possible compensation to owners.
The EPA said Monday that the software on the six-cylinder diesels has a timer that turns on pollution controls when testing begins, including fuel injection timing and pressure, and changes the exhaust gas recirculation rate. All cause the cars to emit less nitrogen oxide pollution by operating at high exhaust temperatures, the agency said in the notice. One second after the first phase of the test ends, the cars return to normal operation.
The violations cover models including the 2014 Touareg, 2015 Porsche Cayenne and the 2016 Audi A6 Quattro, A7 Quattro, A8 and Q5. As with the smaller engines, the EPA says the cars are safe to drive.
With the scandal spreading to include some of the best-sellers from Audi, VW's most profitable brand, as well as Porsche, VW could face greater pressure on sales.
Michelle Krebs, a senior analyst for Autotrader, said the latest revelations were particularly bad for Audi, "which has been on a roll in terms of sales, reputation and image of late," but "now is being drawn deeper into the quagmire."
Previously, only the low-volume A3 Audi model was under scrutiny.
U.S. Audi sales rose 16 percent in September, while Porsche sales gained 23 percent. By contrast, Volkswagen brand sales ended the month flat after news of the emission-rigging broke in mid-month.
About 25 percent of VW brand sales have diesel engines, so the scandal almost certainly will cut into the brand's October sales. Dealers have few new diesels to sell because VW has quarantined the four-cylinder 2016 models at ports until their emissions status is resolved.
All major automakers report October sales Tuesday.
EPA officials said they tested VW and other vehicles for the presence of cheating software, and VW is the only one found with a violation. Officials wouldn't say which other vehicles they tested.
The agency has the authority to order recalls of the VW vehicles, but has yet to do so. VW has said it is working on a fix for the four-cylinder models, which the EPA says can pollute up to 40 times more than emissions limits.
"We need to be sure that the fixes are appropriate and acceptable," EPA Administrator Janet McCabe said.
Last month, the EPA said it was investigating different software on 2016 VW models that have yet to be certified by the EPA to go on sale in the U.S. But officials on Monday wouldn't comment about that investigation, saying that testing is still under way.
----
Krisher reported from Detroit. Auto Writer Dee-Ann Durbin contributed from Detroit.
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EPA: Volkswagen Cheated On Emissions Tests

EPA: Volkswagen Cheated On Emissions Tests More Than Once. Volkswagen...

Scientists: Sweden Will Lose Over Two Months Of Snow Season. Snowy white winters are likely to become a thing of the past for most Swedes.
The national weather service on Monday released a new analysis of how climate change will affect the Nordic country - and it's bad news for skiing enthusiasts.  Scientists: Sweden Will Lose Over Two Months Of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/destructive-algae-in-the-arabian-sea-linked-to-climate-change/">Snow</a> Season
It said the length of the snow season is expected to shrink by 40-80 days by the end of the century, depending on what action governments take to fight <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=climate+change&amp;FORM=HDRSC1">global warming</a>.
That means the southern third of the country, where most of the population lives, would get very few, if any, days with snow cover.Sweden is part of the geographical area of <a title="Fennoscandia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fennoscandia">Fennoscandia</a>. The <a class="mw-redirect" title="Swedish climate" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swedish_climate">climate</a> is in general mild for its northerly latitude due to significant maritime influence.
The weather service projected Sweden's average temperature will rise by 2-6 degrees C (4-11 degrees F).
Governments will meet in Paris later this year to discuss a new pact to slow climate change.
© 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: Sweden Will Lose Over Two Months Of Snow Season

Scientists: Sweden Will Lose Over Two Months Of Snow Season....

Scientists: Sweden Will Lose Over Two Months Of Snow Season. Snowy white winters are likely to become a thing of the past for most Swedes.
The national weather service on Monday released a new analysis of how climate change will affect the Nordic country - and it's bad news for skiing enthusiasts.
It said the length of the snow season is expected to shrink by 40-80 days by the end of the century, depending on what action governments take to fight <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=Climate+Change+Will+Be+Detrimental+To+World+Food+Supply&amp;FORM=HDRSC1">global warming</a>.
That means the southern third of the country, where most of the population lives, would get very few, if any, days with snow cover. Scientists: Sweden Will Lose Over Two Months Of Snow Season
The weather service projected <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/the-snowy-landscape-of-kiruna-sweden/">Sweden's</a> average temperature will rise by 2-6 degrees C (4-11 degrees F).
Governments will meet in Paris later this year to discuss a new pact to slow climate change. Climate variability includes all the variations in the climate that last longer than individual weather events, whereas the term climate change only refers to those variations that persist for a longer period of time, typically decades or more. In the time since the industrial revolution, the climate has increasingly been affected by human activities that are causing global warming and climate change.
© 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.

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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"

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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