Once a year, over the icy desolation of the Antarctic, an ominous hole forms in the ozone layer. However, the 2024 story has taken a rather hopeful turn as the annual ozone hole was smaller compared to previous years.



Scientists at NOAA and NASA project that, if we keep up the momentum, we could see a full recovery of the ozone layer by 2066.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seventh-smallest-ozone-hole">Seventh-smallest ozone hole</h2>



The 2024 ozone hole, as observed during the peak of the depletion season from September 7 to October 13, held the historic rank of the seventh-smallest. 



The Montreal Protocol, an environmental treaty that phased out <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/decline-in-ozone-depleting-chemicals-is-an-encouraging-trend/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ozone-destroying chemicals</a>, was ratified in 1992 and has proven to be a significant achievement.



Over the years, the ozone-depleted region has been alarmingly large, with 2024's size averaging nearly three times the size of continental United States.



The worst of the ozone hole was seen on September 28, when it swelled to 8.5 million square miles - only to later shrink.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-recovery-of-the-ozone-hole">Recovery of the ozone hole</h2>



The experts attribute this year's improvement to two key drivers - the continued decline of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) after the Montreal Protocol and a serendipitous surge of ozone carried by air currents from north of the Antarctic.



Paul Newman, leader of NASA's ozone research team and a chief scientist at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, elaborated on the state of the ozone hole. 



"The 2024 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ozone-hole-exposes-wildlife-to-harmful-uv-radiation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antarctic hole</a> is smaller than ozone holes seen in the early 2000s. The gradual improvement we've seen in the past two decades shows that international efforts that curbed ozone-destroying chemicals are working," said Newman.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-our-shield-against-solar-rays">Our shield against solar rays</h2>



Existing way up in Earth's atmosphere, an ozone-rich layer serves as a planetary parasol, safeguarding us from the sun's harmful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uv-radiation-played-a-role-in-earths-largest-mass-extinction/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ultraviolet</a> (UV) rays. 



When the ozone layer thins out, more UV radiation seeps through, leading to an increased risk of skin cancer, cataracts, and damage to aquatic ecosystems, as well as a reduction in agricultural yields.



Back in the 1970s, the scientific community was deeply concerned about CFCs - chemicals that were widely used in refrigerants, aerosols, insulating foams and even in some fire suppression systems. 



These chemicals were gnawing away at the ozone layer. By the mid 1980s, the ozone layer over the Antarctic was drastically depleted. 



It was then that the world came together to sign the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/1987-ozone-treaty-had-an-unexpected-benefit-for-the-environment/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Montreal Protocol in 1987</a>, pledging to phase out CFCs and replace them with eco-friendly alternatives by 2010. Today, we are witnessing the success of this global commitment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-road-to-ozone-recovery">The road to ozone recovery</h2>



Stephen Montzka, a senior scientist with NOAA's Global Monitoring Laboratory, urges caution.



"For 2024, we can see that the ozone hole's severity is below average compared to other years in the past three decades, but the ozone layer is still far from being fully healed," said Montzka.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cfcs-are-not-the-only-culprit-bushfire-smoke-may-also-destroy-ozone/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CFCs</a> that are already in our atmosphere will take several decades to disintegrate. As their levels gradually drop, we can expect the ozone layer to bounce back, leading to the slow but certain reduction of ozone holes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-our-progress">Monitoring our progress</h2>



NASA and NOAA scientists monitor the ozone hole yearly, noting that variations in atmospheric conditions, including transport of ozone-rich air from other regions, can influence its size and depth each year.



The scientists rely on a suite of systems to keep a close eye on the ozone layer. These include instruments on NASA's Aura satellite and NOAA's polar orbiting satellites.



<a href="https://www.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NOAA</a> also uses weather balloons, released from the South Pole Baseline Atmospheric Observatory, to measure ozone concentrations in Dobson units.



The 2024 concentration hit its lowest measurement at 109 Dobson units on October 5th.



"This is well below the 225 Dobson units that was typical of the ozone cover above the Antarctic in 1979,” said NOAA research chemist Bryan Johnson. "So, there’s still a long way to go before atmospheric ozone is back to the levels before the advent of widespread CFC pollution.”



Nonetheless, it's crucial to remember that every small step toward recovery brings us closer to a healthier planet.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Antarctic ozone hole may fully recover by 2066

Once a year, over the icy desolation of the Antarctic, an ominous hole forms in the ozone layer. However, the 2024 story has taken a rather hopeful turn as the annual ozone hole was smaller compared to previous years. Scientists at NOAA and NASA project that, if we keep up the momentum, we could see a full recovery of the ozone layer by 2066. Seventh-smallest ozone hole The 2024 ozone hole, as observed during the peak of the depletion season from September 7 to October 13, held...

ORACLES mission is studying the impact that smoke has on clouds. NASA scientists and two research aircraft are on their way to a unique natural laboratory off the Atlantic coast of southwest Africa to study a major unknown in future climate prediction.

The coast of Namibia is one of three places on Earth with persistent low-level clouds, and the only such location with a steady supply of tiny aerosol particles in the form of smoke from inland fires that mix with the clouds. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=f5d2be46214d40faa1be8c225c3a1373&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">NASA's</a> Observations of Aerosols Above Clouds and their Interactions ORACLES mission will observe and measure how these particles interact with clouds and change their ability to warm or cool the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/every-planet-in-our-solar-system-is-visible-this-month/">planet</a>. ORACLES mission is studying the impact that smoke has on clouds

"This is the perfect natural laboratory to study aerosol-cloud interactions, which are some of the largest uncertainties in the prediction of future climate," said Jens Redemann, ORACLES principal investigator at NASA's Ames Research Center in Moffett Field, California.

Some aerosols, such as dust and sea salt, have a natural origin. But others, such as soot and smoke released by fires and industry, are the result of human activities. Once aerosols enter the atmosphere, they can cause either a warming or cooling effect.

"Human activities currently are estimated to be responsible for perhaps half of all the aerosol particles in the atmosphere," said Robert Wood, a cloud scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle and ORACLES deputy principal investigator. "Smoke particles both reflect sunlight back to space, thus cooling the Earth, and absorb sunlight, which has the opposite effect of warming the Earth. When aerosols encounter clouds, they also change the properties of the clouds they are ingested into."

Understanding which effect is dominant, and under what conditions, is essential for improving the regional and global computer models that predict what may occur with future climate change. Changes in the properties of the cloud layer caused by aerosols could also have an effect on regional coastal fisheries by altering the amount of sunlight reaching the ocean surface that drives currents and ocean upwelling.

The initially separate cloud and aerosol layers off the Namibian coast are relatively stable. As the cloud layers thicken away from shore like a wedge, it gradually mixes with the aerosol layer. The result is a range of steadily changing conditions that allow the ORACLES science team to probe several different types of cloud-aerosol interactions.

The ORACLES field campaign is based out of Walvis Bay in Namibia, where faculty and students from Namibian universities will be working alongside the ORACLES team. The project team has built new relationships with African colleagues, in particular, the Namibia University of Science and Technology in Windhoek. University personnel support logistics for ORACLES field work and will collaborate in data analysis and modeling. The Gobabeb Research and Training Centre in the Namib Desert, which previously has worked with NASA using the desert as an analog for the surface of other planets, is providing ground-based remote sensing of the atmosphere.

"Science is a great unifier," said Bernadette Squire Luna, ORACLES project manager at Ames. "We are building relationships with Namibian scientists that will outlast this project and will lead to yet more science and more interactions. We're connecting our countries in a very grassroots way."

NASA's P-3 aircraft, managed by the agency’s Wallops Flight Facility in Wallops Island, Virginia, carries five remote sensing instruments and flies through the cloud and aerosol layers at up to 20,000 feet to gather direct measurements from more than a dozen cloud and aerosol probes attached to the wings and inlets on the windows. NASA's ER-2 aircraft, managed by the agency’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in Edwards, California, will fly at 65,000 feet with instruments that make measurements similar to those acquired from satellites.

ORACLES flights will complement and validate current satellite observations of aerosols and clouds, and test instruments that may fly on future satellites, by making detailed observations that are impossible to make from space with current capabilities.

Unlike a satellite, which generally gets one pass per day over a certain location, both aircraft will be able to sample clouds and aerosols throughout the day over the entire study area to see how they evolve. Together, data from the two aircraft will provide a comprehensive picture of how aerosols behave in the presence of clouds – and how aerosols directly or indirectly change how clouds behave.

ORACLES is a collaborative research effort that involves more than a hundred scientists from five NASA centers, two national laboratories, 10 U.S. universities, and five African research institutions. It’s a multi-year NASA Earth Venture suborbital investigation to probe Earth system processes that are not completely understood. These flights from Namibia are the first of several planned field seasons for the mission. Earth Venture investigations are part of NASA's Earth System Science Pathfinder program managed at the agency’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

For more information about ORACLES, visit:
<a href="https://espo.nasa.gov/oracles">https://espo.nasa.gov/oracles</a>
NASA collects data from space, air, land and sea to increase our understanding of our home planet, improve lives and safeguard our future. NASA develops new ways to observe and study Earth's interconnected natural systems with long-term data records. The agency freely shares this unique knowledge and works with institutions around the world to gain new insights into how our planet is changing.

For more information about NASA Earth science, visit:
<a href="http://www.nasa.gov/earth">http://www.nasa.gov/earth</a>

ORACLES mission is studying the impact that smoke has on clouds

ORACLES mission is studying the impact that smoke has on...

<div>Coral reefs use sound to attract new animals A new study from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) will help researchers understand the ways that marine animal larvae use sounds as a cue to settle on coral reefs. The study, published on August 23rd in the online journal Scientific Reports, has determined that sounds created by adult fish and invertebrates may not travel far enough for larvae --which hatch in open ocean--to hear them, meaning that the larvae might rely on other means to home in on a reef system. Coral reefs use sound to attract new animals shown in image above.</div>
"To keep a reef healthy, you need a constant supply of new larvae to repopulate animals that die off," said Max Kaplan, the lead author of the paper and a graduate student in the MIT/WHOI Joint Program in <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/sentinel-3-joins-a-satellite-revolution-in-oceanography/">Oceanography</a>. "How larvae find reefs has been a big question, though. We think sound may play a role in attracting them, but exactly how far away they can sense those sounds has not yet been accurately measured."

To address that problem, Kaplan and his PhD adviser, WHOI Associate Scientist Aran Mooney, a co-author on the paper, traveled to the Hawaiian island of Maui to make painstaking acoustic measurements of a healthy reef system. The pair focused their efforts on recording two different components of sound--pressure waves (the element of sound that pushes on a human eardrum), and particle motion (the physical vibration of the water column as a sound wave travels through it). The latter, Kaplan explained, is how the majority of fish and marine species detect sound, yet no previous studies have focused on recording it.

"Think of it like being at a loud concert--if you're standing next to a huge speaker, you effectively feel the sound as it vibrates your skin," Kaplan said. "Fish and invertebrates sense sound in a similar way." Species like squid, octopus, and shrimp, for example, can detect vibrations through nerves embedded in their flesh. Similarly, adult fish sense them through the motion of tiny bone-like structures called otoliths inside their skulls.

Although researchers in the past have detected reef sounds from many kilometers away, Kaplan says that most of those studies rely on a hydrophone, an underwater microphone, which can only detect pressure waves. In their Maui study, however, the researchers recorded particle motion as well, using a sensitive accelerometer alongside a hydrophone. The data the accelerometer provides is directly relevant to how marine organisms sense sound, said Mooney.

"Particle motion is really the relevant cue for marine animals," Mooney said. "When we're measuring pressure, we're measuring the wrong thing--it only gives a ballpark sense of what marine species hear. We think studying particle motion is a big step to figuring out how larvae find their way to a reef."

Using an accelerometer to measure that motion, however, comes with a few challenges, said David Mann, President of Loggerhead Instruments, which designs small accelerometers for marine research. "To sense particle motion, an accelerometer has to be able to move along with the water as the sound passes by. It can't be mounted rigidly on frame or on the bottom, but it also can't be allowed to drift loosely with the currents. It's a lot harder to use than a hydrophone."

Kaplan worked with Canadian company GeoSpectrum Technologies to fine-tune existing accelerometers for use in the study, then deployed them at multiple sites around the reef. Over three days, he and Mooney measured sound levels at dawn and mid-morning, placing the sensors at distances ranging from zero to 1500 meters away from the reef itself. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a>

In doing so, the pair found that particle motion was much lower than expected, dropping rapidly below levels that most marine species can sense--even just a few meters away from the reef.

"It's possible that larvae are still able to use chemical signals from other animals to locate the reef, or maybe can read the currents to move towards shore," Kaplan said, "but based on this data, it seems unlikely that they'd be able to use sound to find the reef. That was a surprise to us."

Once larvae do locate a reef, Kaplan thinks sound may play an important role in finding a suitable location to settle down. Many species living on reef systems are extremely localized, he notes. For example, some damselfish species live their entire adult lives within one square meter, so finding the best possible location is key to their survival. "In cases like that, sensing sound on order of meters would make a big difference," Kaplan said. "If you hear sounds of your species instead of predators, you might be more inclined to settle in a specific spot."

The researchers's findings might also be useful for reef conservation efforts. Past studies have shown that larvae are attracted to reef sounds when played through an underwater loudspeaker, so Kaplan thinks that playing back recorded biological sounds at high volumes could be used to steer larvae to damaged reef areas.

"You'd have to boost sound levels by quite a bit to get the response you want, but it could be one solution," said Kaplan. "If we can figure out the hearing threshold of each species' ability to sense particle motion, we might be able to amplify that motion to make it audible to them at a distance."

Kaplan notes that the Maui study only covers one shallow reef, so further study is needed to gain a full understanding of how sound propagates from other types of reef systems. "Recording particle motion in the field hasn't really been done before," said Kaplan, "but now that we've worked out these methods, we can start to expand our work." Coral reefs use sound to attract new animals.
###
The Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution is a private, non-profit organization on Cape Cod, Mass., dedicated to marine research, engineering, and higher education. Established in 1930 on a recommendation from the National Academy of Sciences, its primary mission is to understand the ocean and its interaction with the Earth as a whole, and to communicate a basic understanding of the ocean's role in the changing global environment. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.whoi.edu</a>.

Coral reefs use sound to attract new animals

Coral reefs use sound to attract new animals A new...

New England is running out of mussels.
The Gulf of Maine's once strong population of wild blue mussels is disappearing, scientists say. A study led by marine ecologists at the University of California at Irvine found the numbers along the gulf coastline have declined by more than 60 percent over the last 40 years.
Once covering as much as two-thirds of the gulf's intertidal zone, mussels now cover less than 15 percent.
"It would be like losing a forest," said biologist Cascade Sorte, who with her colleagues at the university conducted the study and recently published their findings in the Global Change Biology journal.
The Gulf of Maine stretches from Cape Cod to Canada and is a key marine environment and important to commercial fishing. Blue mussels are used in seafood dishes and worth millions to the economy of some New England states, but are also important in moving bacteria and toxins out of the water.
"It's so disheartening to see it (the loss) in our marine habitats. We're losing the habitats they create," she said. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a>
Disheartening, and also sometimes a smelly nuisance. Thousands of dead mussels washed up last week on the shores of Long Island, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-2080-new-york-arkansas/">New York</a>, and a Stony Brook University professor said the die-off could be attributable to warm water temperature.
The Sorte study focused on 20 sites along the gulf, using historical data to compare today's mussel populations to those of the past. She said the decline of mussels isn't due to just one factor - warming ocean water, increases in human harvesting and the introduction of new predatory invasive species all appear to play a role.
The marine environment will suffer, she said, if they continue to decline, and it's possible they could become extinct in some areas.
Scott Morello, a researcher who has studied mussels with The Downeast Institute for Applied Marine Research &amp; Education in Maine, said Sorte's work reflects observations that people who work on the water have made in recent years.
"It's not just scientists," he said. "I can tell you that most residents I've talked to, most fishermen I've talked to will point out the same dramatic decrease in mussels."
The nationwide value of wild blue mussels has reached new heights in recent years, peaking at more than $13 million at the dock in 2013 - more than twice the 2007 total. They were worth more than $10 million in 2014, when fishermen brought nearly 4 million pounds of them ashore.
Maine and Massachusetts are by far the biggest states for wild mussel harvesting, and many are also harvested in Washington state. They are also farmed in aquaculture operations. The vast majority of the mussels that people eat are farmed, and most that are available to U.S. consumers are imported from other countries, such as Canada.
Mussel farming is dependent on wild mussels, which produce the larvae needed for the farmed shellfish to grow. Andrew Pershing, chief scientific officer of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, said the loss of wild mussels is troubling for aquaculture because if wild populations decline further, it could constrain the growth of the industry.
Pershing also said Sorte's study shows there is a need to get better data about the abundance of mussels and how they are affected by warming waters and commercial harvesting.
"If we had a record of how mussels changed from year to year, it would be possible to see whether declines were more pronounced during particularly warm years or are related to some other event or process," he said.
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Mussels are disappearing from New England waters

New England is running out of mussels. The Gulf of...

<div>Tropical Depression 9 forms in the Gulf of Mexico The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core satellite analyzed Tropical Depression 9 after formed in the Gulf of Mexico after a slow crawl over the last week.</div>
<div>

The frequency of tropical cyclone formation has definitely increased in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/phytoplankton-blooms-persist-in-the-north-atlantic-ocean/">Atlantic Ocean</a> basin. A tropical wave that the National Hurricane Center (NHC) had been monitoring for development since it left the African coast almost two weeks ago was upgraded to Tropical Depression Nine (TD9) on August 28, 2016. The low pressure became a little better organized after moving into the Florida Strait and that led to the upgrade. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a>

The GPM core observatory satellite passed above the still relatively poorly organized tropical depression on Aug. 29 at 2:56 a.m. EDT (0656 UTC). Maximum sustained wind speeds were estimated to be only 34.5 mph (30 knots). Since then deep convection associated with the tropical cyclone has increased. Rainfall measurements within TD9 were derived from GPM's Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments. These measurements showed that precipitation was intense in convective storms over the western side of Cuba. GPM revealed that some showers were coming down at a rate of greater than 7.6 inches (193.514 mm) per hour. Tropical Depression 9 forms in the Gulf of Mexico

GPM's radar (DPR Ku Band) data were used to examine the 3-D structure of precipitation within storms associated with TD09L. Most thunderstorm tops around the tropical depression were found to reach heights of less than 8.7 miles (14 km). However, GPM's radar found that some storm tops in powerful convective storms in the Caribbean Sea south of Cuba were pushing up to heights above 9.9 miles (16 km).

&nbsp;

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) the center of Tropical Depression Nine was located near 23.6 degrees north latitude and 84.3 degrees west longitude. That puts the center about 170 miles (275 km) west-southwest of Key West, Florida and 125 miles (200 km) west-northwest of Havana, Cuba.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that the depression is moving toward the west near 7 mph (11 kph). A turn toward the west-northwest is forecast today, followed by a slow northwestward motion on Tuesday. A turn toward the north is expected Tuesday night. On the forecast track, the center of the depression will be passing north of the north coast of western Cuba today, Aug. 29, and moving farther into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico tonight and Tuesday, Aug. 30. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1007 millibars.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the depression is likely to become a tropical storm later today or tonight.

The NHC predicts that TD9 will become a tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico this evening but moderate vertical shear over the next couple days is predicted to keep the tropical depression from significantly strengthening. TD9 is expected to move toward the northwest for a couple days and then made a turn toward the northeast. It is then expected to pass over northern Florida as a strong tropical storm.

For updated forecasts, visit the NHC website: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>


</div>
<div></div>

Tropical Depression 9 forms in the Gulf of Mexico

Tropical Depression 9 forms in the Gulf of Mexico The...

<div>Tropical Depression 8 forms off the coast of North Carolina The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or <a href="http://www.earth.com/product/low-flow-faucet-aerator-1-0-gpm-2-pack/">GPM</a> core satellite passed over Tropical Depression 8 as it formed off the coast of North Carolina in the Atlantic Ocean. GPM measured rainfall rates and analyzed the heights of storm cloud tops to assess the storm's strength.</div>
<div>

On Aug. 28, 2016 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) the National Hurricane Center (NHC) upgraded a low pressure center west of Bermuda to Tropical Depression Eight. Convection near the center of the low had increased markedly since the GPM core observatory passed above the area on Aug. 28 at 2:11 a.m. EDT (0611 UTC). GPM made horizontal and vertical measurements of rainfall within the developing tropical depression. GPM's Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instrument measured precipitation falling at a rate of over 4.9 inches (124.8 mm) per hour in a few towering tall convective thunderstorms in the middle of the developing tropical cyclone. Tropical Depression 8 forms off the coast of North Carolina

GPM Radar (Ku Band) examined the 3-D structure of rainfall within the forming tropical depression and found that a few storm tops were reaching heights above 9.7 miles (15.7 km). GPM is a joint mission between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a> and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency JAXA.

On Aug. 29 a Tropical Storm Watch was in effect for the coast of North Carolina from Cape Lookout to Oregon Inlet

The NHC noted at 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Eight (TD8) was located near 32.9 degrees north latitude and 73.2 degrees west longitude. That's just 201 miles (340 km) southeast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. TD8 was moving toward the northwest near 9 mph (15 kph). This general motion with a slower forward speed is expected later today, Aug. 29, with a turn toward the north forecast on Tuesday, Aug. 30 or Tuesday night. On the forecast track, the center of the depression will be near the Outer Banks of North Carolina late Tuesday.

[ooyala code="hoZmtsNTE6tgaT_hT0nRWhm5s2AAez9-" player_id="ce75157bc770441eaf5e849ae4d1d21f" auto="true" width="896" height="504"]

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 km/h) with higher gusts. Slow strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm by tonight. The minimum central pressure reported by the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter is 1011 millibars.

That heavy rainfall that GPM observed is expected to affect the North Carolina coast. The NHC noted that TD8 is expected to produce total rain accumulations of 1 to 3 inches with isolated maximum amounts of 5 inches over far eastern North Carolina, including the Outer Banks.

The NHC forecast indicated that the depression is expected to become a tropical storm. The current forecast track takes the center of TD8 just off the coast of North Carolina's Outer Banks before being pushed northeast from an approaching cold front.
###
For updated forecasts, visit the NHC website at <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>.

</div>

Tropical Depression 8 forms off the coast of North Carolina

Tropical Depression 8 forms off the coast of North Carolina...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Typhoon Lionrock seen approaching Japan Tropical Storm Lionrock continued crawling toward the main island of Honshu, Japan, as NASA's Aqua and NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellites passed overhead and gathered data on the storm.</div>
When <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a>-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Lionrock it was weakening and moving slowly toward Japan's big island. On Aug. 28 at 11:10 p.m. EDT (Aug. 29 at 0310 UTC), the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible image of the storm that showed the eye had become filled with clouds. The storm also appeared somewhat elongated.

When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the northwestern <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dust-asia-fertilizes-north-pacific/">Pacific Ocean</a> it gathered temperature data on Tropical Storm Lionrock. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard Aqua looked at Lionrock in infrared light on Aug. 29 at 12:11 a.m. EDT (0411 UTC). AIRS infrared data showed that Lionrock still had powerful thunderstorms with high cold cloud tops (as cold as minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 53 degrees Celsius). The strongest storms were located around the center of circulation and in a thick band extending southeast of the center. Typhoon Lionrock seen approaching Japan as shown above in image.

On Aug. 29 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Typhoon Lionrock was located near 32.7 degrees north latitude and 143.4 degrees west longitude. That's about 281 nautical miles southeast of Yokosuka, Japan. Maximum sustained winds were near 80.5 mph (70 knots/129.6 kph). Lionrock's typhoon-strength winds extend out 35 nautical miles from the center, while tropical storm-force winds have a much larger reach, out to 215 nautical miles from the center.

Typhoon Lionrock is moving to the northeast at 13.8 mph (12 knots/22.2 kph) and generating waves up to 26 feet (7.9 meters) high.

Lionrock is weakening and is expected to make landfall in northern Honshu on Aug. 30 as it becomes extra-tropical. Once it crosses northern Japan it is forecast to make final landfall in extreme southeastern Russia on Wednesday, Aug. 31.


</div>
<div></div>

Typhoon Lionrock seen approaching Japan

Typhoon Lionrock seen approaching Japan Tropical Storm Lionrock continued crawling...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">As Hurricane Lester in the Eastern Pacific Ocean strengthened into a major hurricane, Tropical Storm Madeline in the Central Pacific became a hurricane. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image as Madeline was transitioning and organizing.</div>
On Aug. 27 at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) Tropical Storm Madeline developed just east of the 140 degree longitude line in the Eastern Pacific Ocean located near latitude 15.2 degrees north latitude and 138.5 degrees west longitude. Since that time, it crossed that longitude line and entered the Central Pacific Ocean Basin.

When <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a>-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Madeline it was strengthening into a hurricane. On Aug. 28 at 6:05 p.m. EDT (2205 UTC) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image of Tropical Storm Madeline as it was strengthening and organizing.The image showed the system had a good circulation and a band of strong thunderstorms wrapping tightly into the low-level center from the west. Madeline had taken on a comma shape.

When NASA's Aqua satellite passed over the Central <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dust-asia-fertilizes-north-pacific/">Pacific Ocean</a> it gathered temperature data on Tropical Storm Madeline. The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard Aqua looked at Madeline in infrared light on Aug. 28 at 7:11 p.m. EDT (2311 UTC). AIRS infrared data showed that the depression had some powerful thunderstorms with high cold cloud tops (as cold as minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit or minus 53 degrees Celsius).

On Aug. 29 at 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), Madeline strengthened into a hurricane. At 11 a.m. EDT (5 a.m. HST/1500 UTC), the center of Hurricane Madeline was located near 18.2 degrees north latitude and 144.6 degrees west longitude. Maximum sustained winds are near 100 mph (155 km/h) with higher gusts. Slight strengthening is expected later today and Tuesday, followed by slight weakening early Wednesday. The estimated minimum central pressure is 975 millibars.

Madeline is moving toward the west-northwest near 10 mph (17 kph) and this motion is expected to become westerly later today through early Wednesday.

Forecaster Powell at NOAA's Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC) mentioned in the discussion issued at that time that "Madeline's cloud-covered eye re-emerged by 8 a.m. EDT (1200 UTC) with a cooler-topped and increasingly well-formed eyewall. Organization continues to improve, with little or no [vertical wind] shear deformation present."

CPHC noted that there are no coastal watches or warnings in effect, however, interests in the Hawaiian Islands should monitor the progress of Madeline.

For updated forecasts on Madeline, visit the CPHC website: <a href="http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.prh.noaa.gov/cphc</a>


</div>
<div></div>

Tropical Storm Madeline becomes a hurricane

As Hurricane Lester in the Eastern Pacific Ocean strengthened into...

<div>Hurricane Gaston strengthens into a major hurricane in the Atlantic NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Hurricane Gaston as it was strengthening into a major hurricane, almost 600 miles away from Bermuda in the<a href="http://www.earth.com/image/phytoplankton-blooms-persist-in-the-north-atlantic-ocean/"> Atlantic Ocean</a>. Aqua provided a visible look at the powerful hurricane.</div>
<div>

On Aug. 28 at 12:45 p.m. EDT (1645 UTC) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument that flies aboard <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Aqua satellite captured a visible image of Hurricane Gaston. At the time, Gaston had maximum sustained winds near 105 mph and was a Category 2 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Gaston had developed a clear eye about 15 nautical miles wide that was surrounded by powerful thunderstorms. The storm later strengthened into a major hurricane. Hurricane Gaston strengthens into a major hurricane in the Atlantic

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC) on Monday, Aug. 29 the center of Hurricane Gaston was located near 30.8 degrees north latitude and 55.2 degrees west longitude. Gaston is about 575 miles (925 km) east of Bermuda.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Gaston is currently drifting northward. A turn toward the northeast and a faster forward speed are expected later today, Aug. 29 or tonight, and an east-northeastward motion is expected on Tuesday. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 115 mph (185 kph) with higher gusts. Gaston is a category 3 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. Additional slow weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours. The estimated minimum central pressure is 960 millibars.

NHC Forecaster Jack Beven stated in the 5 a.m. NHC Discussion, "Gaston remains a well-organized hurricane. However, the satellite appearance is slightly less impressive than 6 hours ago, with the eye becoming less distinct and the deep convection eroding in the northwestern quadrant."

By 5 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, Aug. 30, Gaston is expected to move over decreasing sea surface temperatures and into increasing vertical wind shear. Both of those factors should cause a gradual weakening.
###
For updated forecasts on Gaston, visit the NHC website: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>.

</div>

Hurricane Gaston strengthens into a major hurricane in the Atlantic

Hurricane Gaston strengthens into a major hurricane in the Atlantic...

<div>Hurricane Lester becomes fourth major Eastern Pacific hurricane When NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over hurricane Lester it was on the verge of becoming a major hurricane. That happened less than 12 hours later.</div>
<div>

On Aug. 28 at 6:05 p.m. EDT (2205 UTC) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured an image of Hurricane Lester as it was strengthening and organizing in the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The image showed the system was developing a well-defined circulation and a cloud-filled eye. The image also revealed strong thunderstorms wrapping tightly into the low-level center.

Less than 12 hours later by 5 a.m. EDT on Aug. 29, Lester became a major hurricane hitting Category 3 status on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. At that time the ragged eye that had formed earlier had cleared out, exposing the eye to satellites. Lester has become the fourth major hurricane of the 2016 eastern North Pacific hurricane season.

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Hurricane Lester was located near 18.0 degrees north latitude and 127.8 degrees west longitude, about 1,205 miles (1,940 km) west-southwest of the southern tip of Baja California, Mexico.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that Lester is moving toward the west near 15 mph (24 kph), and this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 115 mph (185 kph) with higher gusts.

NHC forecasters noted that little change in strength is expected today, but slow weakening is expected to begin by Tuesday, Aug. 30.
###
For updates on Lester, visit the NHC website: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>.

</div>

Hurricane Lester becomes fourth major Eastern Pacific hurricane

Hurricane Lester becomes fourth major Eastern Pacific hurricane When NASA-NOAA's...

<div>Climate change has smaller impact on drought than expected As a multiyear drought grinds on in the Southwestern United States, many wonder about the impact of global climate change on more frequent and longer dry spells. As humans emit more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, how will water supply for people, farms, and forests be affected?</div>
<div>

A new study from the University of California, Irvine and the University of <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/mount-rainier-in-washington/">Washington</a> shows that water conserved by plants under high CO2 conditions compensates for much of the effect of warmer temperatures, retaining more water on land than predicted in commonly used drought assessments. Also the Climate change has smaller impact on drought than expected

According to the study published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the implications of plants needing less water with more CO2 in the environment changes assumptions of climate change impacts on agriculture, water resources, wildfire risk, and plant growth.

The study compares current drought indices with ones that take into account changes in plant water use. Reduced precipitation will increase droughts across southern North America, southern Europe and northeastern South America. But the results show that in Central Africa and temperate Asia -- including China, the Middle East, East Asia and most of Russia -- water conservation by plants will largely counteract the parching due to climate change.

"This study confirms that drought will intensify in many regions in the future," said coauthor James Randerson, UCI professor of Earth system science. "It also shows that plant water needs will have an important influence on water availability, and this part of the equation has been neglected in many drought and hydrology studies."

Recent studies have estimated that more than 70 percent of our planet will experience more drought as carbon dioxide levels quadruple from pre-industrial levels over about the next 100 years. But when researchers account for changes in plants' water needs, this falls to 37 percent, with bigger differences concentrated in certain regions.

The reason is that when Earth's atmosphere holds more carbon dioxide, plants actually benefit from having more of the molecules they need to build their carbon-rich bodies. Plants take in carbon dioxide through tiny openings called stomata that cover their leaves. But as they draw in carbon dioxide, moisture escapes. When carbon dioxide is more plentiful, the stomata don't need to be open for as long, and so the plants lose less water. The plants thus draw less water from the soil through their roots.

Global climate models already account for these changes in plant growth. But many estimates of future drought use today's standard indices, like the Palmer Drought Severity Index, which only consider atmospheric variables such as future temperature, humidity and precipitation.

"New satellite observations and improvements in our understanding hydrological cycle have led to significant advances in our ability to model changes in soil moisture," said Randerson. "Unfortunately, using proxy estimates of drought stress can give us misleading results because they ignore well-established principles from plant physiology."

Planners will need accurate long-term drought predictions to design future water supplies, anticipate ecosystem stresses, project wildfire risks and decide where to locate agricultural fields.

"In some sense there's an easy solution to this problem, which is we just have to create new metrics that take into account what the plants are doing," said lead author Abigail Swann, a University of Washington assistant professor of atmospheric sciences. "We already have the information to do that; we just have to be more careful about ensuring that we're considering the role of the plants."

Is this good news for climate change? Although the drying may be less extreme than in some current estimates, droughts will certainly increase, researchers said, and other aspects of climate change could have severe effects on vegetation.

"There's a lot we don't know, especially about hot droughts," Swann said. The same drought at a higher temperature might have more severe impacts, she noted, or might make plants more stressed and susceptible to pests.

"Even if droughts are not extremely more prevalent or frequent, they may be more deadly when they do happen," she said.
###
Other co-authors are Forrest Hoffman at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Charles Koven at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The research was funded by the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit <a href="http://www.uci.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.uci.edu</a>.

Contact:

Brian Bell
949-824-8249
<a href="mailto:bpbell@uci.edu">bpbell@uci.edu</a>

</div>

Climate change has smaller impact on drought than expected

Climate change has smaller impact on drought than expected As...

<div>Biodiversity in the Amazon forests helps mitigate climate change risks "Plant trait diversity may enable the Amazon forests, the world's greatest and maybe most fascinating tropical ecosystem, to adjust to some level of climate change - certain trees dominant today could decrease and their place will be taken by others which are better suited for the new climate conditions in the future," says Boris Sakschewski from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), lead-author of the study to be published in Nature Climate Change. Tree survival for instance depends on what the scientists call 'leaf economics': their different size, thickness, longevity or density defines how well the plant can deal with higher temperatures and water scarcity. "Biodiversity shows not to be a nice-to-have but indeed a must-have," says Sakschewski. "We find it could be functional for the long-term survival of<a href="http://www.earth.com/image/aerosols-swirling-around-the-earth/"> Earth's</a> large reservoirs of biomass, such as the forests of the Amazon region. "Biodiversity in the Amazon forests helps mitigate climate change risks</div>
<div>

However, this depends on the level of stress. Only in a scenario of moderate climate change, high biodiversity can, after a sharp decline of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biomass">biomass,</a> contribute to substantial recovery in vast areas across the Amazon region after a few hundred years. Here, more than 80 percent of the Amazon area would show substantial regrowth, according to the study. In contrast, in a business-as-usual scenario of greenhouse-gas emissions leading to massive climate change, less than 20 percent of the area would show this positive effect.

A significant step forward in Earth system modelling

Never before have these dynamics been integrated in a biogeochemical vegetation simulation of climate effects, so this is a significant step forward in Earth system modelling. "To explain how plant trait diversity contributes to the resilience of rainforest we first investigated an experimental site in Ecuador and then extended the simulations to the Amazon basin," says team leader Kirsten Thonicke from PIK. "We've been working on this for years. While it is well-known that biodiversity is relevant for ecosystem productivity and biomass storage, up to now it could not be shown in a large-scale quantitative way. We're glad to advance previous research by closing this important gap."

"This is good news for the Amazon forest - still, it doesn't mean that climate change would not harm this unique ecosystem substantially, quite the contrary," says Wolfgang Lucht, co-chair of PIK's research domain Earth System Analysis. While high biodiversity enables the forest to eventually regain much of its biomass, there is a huge disruption in the transition and the species composition would be different afterwards even under moderate global warming. "Despite the encouraging findings on biodiversity's functional value, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/amazon-rainforest-burning/">Amazon rainforest</a> unfortunately remains one of the critical hotspots on the planet that demand very rapid decreases in CO2 emissions."

Article: Sakschewski, B., von Bloh, W., Boit, A., Poorter, L., Peña-Claros, M., Heinke, J., Joshi, J., Thonicke, K. (2016): Resilience of Amazon forests emerges from plant trait diversity. Nature Climate Change (Advance Online Publication) [DOI:10.1038/nclimate3109]

&nbsp;

</div>
<div></div>

Biodiversity in the Amazon forests helps mitigate climate change risks

Biodiversity in the Amazon forests helps mitigate climate change risks...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Tropical Depression 9 photographed in the Gulf of Mexico Although the center of Tropical Depression 9 moved away from Cuba and into the southeastern Gulf of Mexico, western Cuba was still getting drenched from the system. A visible image from NOAA's GOES-East satellite showed the reach of the large depression.</div>
The National Hurricane Center said at 11 a.m. EDT that torrential rains continue over western Cuba and that a tropical storm watch likely to be issued for a portion of the Florida Gulf Coast later today, Aug. 30.

An infrared look at Tropical Depression 9 on Aug. 30 at 3:05 a.m. EDT (0705 UTC) from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite showed that the strongest storms were more concentrated around the center of circulation than the visible cloud imagery showed.

Infrared data takes temperatures, and the colder the cloud tops, the higher they are in the troposphere. Cloud tops around the center of Tropical Depression 9 were as cold as or colder than minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius), indicating they were high in the troposphere. Storms with cloud tops that cold have been shown to generate heavy rainfall. Tropical Depression 9 photographed in the Gulf of Mexico

Visible satellite imagery on Aug. 30 at 10:45 a.m. EDT from NOAA GOES-East showed the extent of the large depression. The southwestern extent of the depression's clouds were over the northeastern part of Mexico's Yucatan Peninsula, while the northeastern extent of the depression's clouds stretched over Cuba and the Florida Keys. The GOES image was generated at the NASA/NOAA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

The National Hurricane Center (NHC) reported at 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Depression Nine was located near 24.0 degrees north latitude and 87.2 degrees west longitude. That's about 340 miles (550 km) west of Key West, Florida, and 310 miles (495 km) west of Havana, Cuba.

The depression is moving toward the west-northwest near 7 mph (11 kph). NHC forecasts a turn toward the northwest is expected later today, Aug. 30, followed by a turn toward the north-northwest tonight. A turn toward the north-northeast is expected on Wednesday. On the forecast track, the center of the depression will continue to move slowly away from western <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/cubas-twilight-zone-reefs/">Cuba</a>, and move over the eastern Gulf of Mexico during the next 48 hours.

Maximum sustained winds are near 35 mph (55 kph) with higher gusts. Some strengthening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and the depression is expected to become a tropical storm today.

For updated forecasts, visit the NHC website at <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>.


</div>
<div></div>

Tropical Depression 9 photographed in the Gulf of Mexico

Tropical Depression 9 photographed in the Gulf of Mexico Although...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

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

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="gRpsplpwpe-2251464-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="gRpsplpwpe-2251464-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="eAVLRk51oJ-1826888-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="eAVLRk51oJ-1826888-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="sFFhiK9OOn-1720418-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="sFFhiK9OOn-1720418-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="yPSXGZek1I-2312529-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EPdZexVR30-1731237-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="EPdZexVR30-1731237-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uwirCufwYv-2012371-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="uwirCufwYv-2012371-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JrMLDXHmjl-1911953-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JrMLDXHmjl-1911953-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="u0TYxxqfF7-2186404-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...