An alarming new study has revealed that Earth’s major carbon sinks are nearing their limits, signaling that natural processes may soon be unable to compensate for rising greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp;



According to research published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.34133/ehs.0278" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ecosystem Health and Sustainability</a>, the world’s terrestrial carbon absorption capacity has diminished sharply, challenging the very foundation of current climate mitigation strategies.



The findings center on gross primary productivity (GPP), a vital indicator of how quickly plants can fix carbon dioxide (CO₂) through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-foundation-of-life-is-at-risk-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">photosynthesis</a>. By analyzing multiple datasets spanning 1982 to 2016, scientists discovered a marked decrease in GPP across more than two-thirds of Earth’s land surfaces.&nbsp;



This phenomenon underscores the fragility of the natural systems on which humanity relies to offset global warming.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-functioning-of-natural-carbon-sinks">Functioning of natural carbon sinks </h2>



Gross primary productivity reflects the carbon intake capabilities of plants, making it central to the functioning of natural carbon sinks such as forests and soils. These sinks serve as buffers, capturing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/concrete-becoming-great-carbon-sink-capturing-storing-co2/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">significant portions</a> of human-produced CO₂. 



However, if they lose effectiveness, atmospheric carbon levels will inevitably climb faster, intensifying climate change and diminishing plant growth.



Researchers divided their analysis into two periods - 1982–1999 and 2000–2016 - to investigate how GPP has evolved over time.&nbsp;



Although some stabilization was observed in the earlier time frame, the latter period displayed a marked decline in GPP.&nbsp;



Employing advanced statistical techniques, including the optimal-fingerprint approach often used in climate studies, the team identified key drivers behind these shifts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slowdown-of-the-co₂-fertilization-effect">Slowdown of the CO₂ fertilization effect</h2>



A central finding from the study highlights the decreasing impact of the CO₂ fertilization effect - the phenomenon where higher CO₂ concentrations stimulate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predicting-how-climate-change-will-alter-plant-growth-cycles/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plant growth</a>. Once seen as a potential counterbalance to emissions, this effect now appears less potent.



“The decline in the CO₂ fertilization effect is suggested to be the main driver accounting for the slowing-down of global GPP trends,” explained Songhan Wang, a researcher at <a href="https://english.njau.edu.cn/mainm.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nanjing Agricultural University</a> and the study’s lead author.&nbsp;



“Although it still has positive effects, the impact of rising CO₂ on GPP on a global scale fell by about one-half from 2000 onwards compared to its impact in 1982–1999.”



Scientists point to nutrient constraints in soils and leaves as a likely reason for this slowdown. Without sufficient nutrients, plants cannot fully capitalize on the surplus CO₂ in the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-diminishing-capacity-of-carbon-sinks">Diminishing capacity of carbon sinks</h2>



This research suggests that natural ecosystems - forests, grasslands, and other vegetation - are approaching a saturation point. Once they reach it, these habitats will no longer be able to compensate for anthropogenic emissions, potentially triggering an acceleration in global warming.



It also raises concerns about the feasibility of existing climate strategies. Many proposals aiming to cap temperature increases at 2℃ (a key goal of the Paris Agreement) heavily rely on terrestrial carbon sinks to balance emission trajectories. If carbon sinks can no longer perform this role effectively, a crucial pillar of climate policy is at risk.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-future-climate-solutions">Implications for future climate solutions</h2>



The study’s findings intensify calls for swift and comprehensive action to reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-carbon-dioxide-emissions-hit-a-record-high-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse gas emissions</a>.&nbsp;



While protecting and restoring ecosystems remains indispensable, a reliance on nature’s carbon-storage capacity alone may be insufficient if that capacity continues to weaken.



To safeguard the planet’s resilience, scientists emphasize the need to shift toward low-carbon technologies, adopt sustainable land management practices, and investigate novel carbon-capture methods.&nbsp;



They also advocate for more robust long-term studies to clarify how local soil properties, water availability, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-climate-change-and-biodiversity-loss-are-one-indivisible-global-health-crisis/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">biodiversity</a> influence plant growth rates and carbon absorption capabilities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-warning-for-policymakers">A warning for policymakers</h2>



The research underscores a critical turning point in the fight against climate change. With rising global temperatures already causing extreme weather events, melting ice sheets, and other serious impacts, a drop in GPP exacerbates these issues by reducing the natural systems’ ability to counteract emissions.&nbsp;



Governments, industries, and societies must now accelerate their decarbonization efforts to avoid deeper climate disruptions.



This work implies that relying on the world’s forests and soils to mop up our emissions is becoming less reliable. Mitigating climate change by reducing carbon outputs is more essential than ever if we hope to maintain a stable climate and meet the 2℃ target.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-irreversible-environmental-damage-nbsp">Irreversible environmental damage&nbsp;</h2>



By revealing that most of Earth’s surface is witnessing a decrease in plant productivity, this study confronts humanity with a stark reality: pushing Earth’s natural systems to their breaking points could lead to irreversible environmental damage.&nbsp;



The dismantling of the CO₂ fertilization effect underscores how intricately balanced and sensitive the global climate truly is.



Ultimately, safeguarding terrestrial carbon sinks demands a multi-pronged strategy - reducing emissions, protecting ecosystems from deforestation and degradation, and improving our scientific understanding of how nature’s complex feedbacks operate in a warming world.&nbsp;



As this newest research shows, halting climate change requires more than hopeful reliance on Earth’s greenery: it necessitates immediate, transformative change at every level of society.



-----



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.



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.linkedin.com/in/eric-ralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a> and Earth.com.



-----

Earth’s carbon sinks are being pushed to their limits

An alarming new study has revealed that Earth’s major carbon sinks are nearing their limits, signaling that natural processes may soon be unable to compensate for rising greenhouse gas emissions.&nbsp; According to research published in the journal Ecosystem Health and Sustainability, the world’s terrestrial carbon absorption capacity has diminished sharply, challenging the very foundation of current climate mitigation strategies. The findings center on gross primary productivity (GPP), a vital indicator of how quickly plants can fix carbon dioxide (CO₂) through photosynthesis. By analyzing multiple datasets spanning 1982...

A solar energy project has some environmentalists seeing red.
Solar energy ordinarily wins praise from groups that want to cut greenhouse gases, but a proposed solar project at a defunct Long Island nuclear power plant has stirred outrage because it requires demolishing 350 acres of woodlands. Solar energy project in Long Island is angering environmentalists
"Choosing solar over forests anywhere in the world is just plain stupid," said Dick Amper, of the Long Island Pine Barrens Society. "Solar is very important to fight global warming and beyond, but I'm afraid we're making false choices when you destroy portions of nature and the environment to accomplish that end." Solar energy project in Long Island is angering environmentalists
Similar projects are happening elsewhere.
A court fight is brewing over a plan by<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/new-jersey-wild-animal-traveling-performances/"> New Jersey'</a>s Six Flags Great Adventure amusement park to cut down nearly 15,000 trees to make way for a solar farm. In Connecticut, state officials recently approved a plan to raze 134 acres of trees in the town of Sprague, near Norwich, for a solar energy project.
Alex Hobson, a spokeswoman for a Solar Energy industry group in Washington, D.C., declined to comment on the Long Island proposal, but said the industry "is committed to responsible use of the land on which we operate and we go to great lengths to protect biodiversity and ecologically fragile lands."
Under the proposal, a company called LI Solar Generation, LLC, a joint venture between NextEra Energy Resources and National Grid, would construct the facility on the grounds of the defunct Shoreham nuclear power plant.
The plant was completed in 1984 for $6 billion but never opened because of community opposition over potential safety concerns. The solar project backers are hoping to plug into existing electric energy infrastructure on the Shoreham property, with plans for up to 72 megawatts of solar energy, providing power for more than 13,000 homes.
A part of the plan mentions replanting trees elsewhere to offset the cutting of the forest but a spokesman for the company did not have details.
Walter Thomas, who teaches a course on solar energy at the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, questioned why it was necessary to eliminate any trees at all.
"I would think Long Island would have giant rooftops and parking lots in shopping malls that could be used for large solar projects if that's what's needed," Thomas said. "There's so much acreage available for that stuff."
Sid Bail, president of the Wading River Civic Association, who lives about a half mile from the Shoreham site along the Long Island Sound, isn't buying it. "I favor renewable energy, but in this case it's a very bad trade-off," he said.
The proposal submitted last month still requires extensive regulatory review.
"We are prepared to work closely with all public officials and the local community to come up with the best solution to have renewable solar energy at Shoreham, and preserve as much of the property as possible," Ross Groffman, executive director of NextEra Energy Resources and LI Solar Generation said in a statement.
Neal Lewis, executive director of the Sustainability Institute at Molloy College, an environmental advocacy group on Long Island that supports the Shoreham project, said it is always preferable to build solar projects in open spaces that don't require the elimination of large numbers of trees. But he notes that "of all the potential options, there is nothing less impactful on the environment than putting in a solar farm."
"That's the real world we live in and they have a right to develop it."
---
Associated Press researcher Jennifer Farrar contributed to this report.
---
Follow Eltman on Twitter at @feltman41
© 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.

Solar energy project in Long Island is angering environmentalists

A solar energy project has some environmentalists seeing red. Solar...

Iron mine orchids

Millions of orchids are now growing in a hundred-acre wetland in the Adirondack Park that developed on waste from a vast open-pit iron mine, a transformation scientists say is most impressive because it happened naturally. Old iron mine now covered with millions of orchids
"It's a testament to nature's ability to heal itself," said Grete Bader, a graduate student who recently wrote her master's thesis about the plant life at the former Benson Mines, about 35 miles from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canada">Canadian</a> border. Old iron mine now covered with millions of orchids
The wetland, which remains privately owned and off limits to the public, formed on part of thousands of acres of coarse sand left over when granite ore was crushed to extract iron from 1900 until 1978. That bare sand eventually gave way to moss, lichen, grasses, sedges and trees, including willows, poplars and tamaracks.


[caption id="attachment_2405221" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2405221" src="http://cff1.greenatom.earth/uploads/2016/07/23103325/flower-pink-orchid_1big_ap-150x150.jpg" alt="A grass pink orchid is seen where waste from a former iron mine" width="150" height="150" /> A grass pink orchid is seen where waste from a former iron mine[/caption]
Orchids arrived as dust-like seeds from surrounding areas. The wetland is now home to six species of bog orchids, including millions of rose pogonias and grass pinks.
"I've been involved in orchid-rich habitats all over the country for 40 years, and I've never seen anything like this," said Donald Leopold, a professor at the State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry.
Leopold first explored the site 30 years ago, but the staggering number of orchids wasn't quantified until recently when his graduate student, Bader, tallied them up in her thesis.
Several factors contribute to the thriving plant community at the site, Bader said, including a variety of fungi that colonize a plant's root system and enhance its ability to absorb nutrients.
"What's really cool to me as a plant ecologist is how this site went from bare mine tailings to a diverse wetland plant community over the past 60 years on its own, without any formal restoration initiative," Bader said during a recent visit to the site.


[caption id="attachment_2405223" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2405223" src="http://cff1.greenatom.earth/uploads/2016/07/23103335/grete-bader-orchids_1big_ap-150x150.jpg" alt="Grete Bader" width="150" height="150" /> Grete Bader[/caption]
Bader and Leopold suggest that the site would be a worthy addition to the Adirondack Forest Preserve if the owner was interested in selling it to the state.
But the landowner's lawyer says there are no plans to sell the land or allow public access. "Benson Mines wasn't even aware of the orchids until the researchers made them public," said attorney Bernard Melewski.
He said the orchid site is a small part of about 2,000 acres of sand and crushed stone mining waste that the company hopes to ship to markets when a nearby railroad spur is renovated.
Even if the site remains untouched by development, the orchids may be a fleeting phenomenon as the natural forces that brought them here continue to reshape the landscape. Already, an aggressive non-native reed called phragmites is choking out other plants in large swaths of the wetland.
"The orchids here today require full sun," Bader said. "Between invasive plants and natural succession to a closed canopy tamarack-black spruce bog, we're going to see them decline."
© 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.

Old iron mine now covered with millions of orchids

Millions of orchids are now growing in a hundred-acre wetland...

More than 1,000 people joined Hollywood stars for a climate rally, including Shailene Woodley, Susan Sarandon and Danny Glover in <a href="https://www.bing.com/travelguide?q=Philadelphia&amp;l2sid=020d4bbf-2971-4236-b87d-c3ec1d7f851c&amp;form=PLACAB">Philadelphia</a> last night on the eve of the Democratic National Convention and vowed to keep fighting for climate and environmental justice issues, even though their preferred presidential candidate would not be driving the party's agenda.
Sarandon, who like the other stars in attendance campaigned on behalf of Sen. Bernie Sanders, said the rally's turnout was proof that theirs was a movement and not a cult of personality as some critics alleged.
"Our commitment hasn't ended. This is not just about one election. ... We want real progressive politics and we want to say thank you to Bernie for igniting this spark," she said. "Now we're awake and we have to stay awake."Hollywood stars hold a climate rally
Many in the crowd, which one speaker described as a group of "climate justice activists, fracktivists and climate revolutionaries," wore Sanders shirts, buttons or lanyards. Some carried signs like, "Bernie would end fracking," and the now defunct "Bernie for President."Hollywood stars hold a climate rally
There was little mention of presumptive Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton with only one speaker making unfavorable comparisons between Sanders and Clinton while proudly noting that "we took over the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/democracy-better-health-nations/">Democratic</a> party." Another drew shouts and applause when he said a happy goodbye to Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who is resigning.
There was also little talk of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, although one speaker did refer to him as a fascist.
The event was organized by NextGen Climate, a San Francisco-based environmental advocacy organization. The event included musical acts and a screening of the documentary "How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can't Change" by writer/director Josh Fox. Fox is best known for "Gasland," which included memorable images of Pennsylvania homeowners setting tap water aflame.
Woodley urged the crowd to let go of anger and ego that could lead to violence.
"If you show up with love and solidarity to those around you, that sparks great change," she said.
Glover had a similar message, noting there was a long fight ahead.
"This is a permanent revolution," he said. "This is not about this election. That's too small. That's not enough for us."
The convention officially starts Monday, with Clinton expected to accept the party's nomination on Thursday.
© 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.

Hollywood stars hold a climate rally

More than 1,000 people joined Hollywood stars for a climate...

Drought hits the Northeastern US. At Lavoie's Farm in New Hampshire, beans and corn haven't broken through the ground yet and fields of strawberries are stunted.

The drought that has taken hold in the Northeast is especially felt at John Lavoie's farm in Hollis, presenting him with some tough choices. Irrigation ponds are drying up, forcing him to choose between tomatoes and berries or apple and peach trees.

Lavoie decided to hold off watering the fruit trees so he could quench the tomato and berry plants before they succumb to the heat.

"We need some rain pretty quick," Lavoie said. "There is just some corn that won't make it. A lot of things we would like to give water to, we can't."

The dry blast in New Hampshire is being felt throughout the Northeast, from Maine to Pennsylvania, driven by a second year of below-average rainfall. Though not as dire as the West Coast drought of five-years running, the dry, hot weather has stressed farms and gardens, prompted water restrictions and bans in many towns and threatened to bring more wildfires than usual.

<img class="alignleft size-thumbnail wp-image-2405263" src="http://cff1.greenatom.earth/uploads/2016/07/25091337/drought-farm-northeastern-us_2big_ap-150x150.jpg" alt="drought-farm-northeastern-us_2big_ap" width="150" height="150" />In the hardest hit areas of western <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-2080-new-york-arkansas/">New York</a>, Massachusetts and southern parts of New Hampshire and Maine, it's been dryer than in a decade or more. And national weather experts predict the drought will persist at least through the end of October.

"The Northeast is a little bit of a mixed bag, but the bottom line is that the conditions have deteriorated over the past several weeks to a couple of months," said Rich Tinker, a drought specialist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

If there were a drought epicenter, it probably would be Massachusetts. More than 74 percent of the state, according to the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=united+states&amp;FORM=EDGENA&amp;PC=HCTS&amp;refig=adb76a30e2504c9ef94f0fed7fe4b9fd">United States</a> Drought Monitor, is experiencing some degree of drought and almost the entire state is dry.

Many Massachusetts farmers are hurting, said Katie Campbell-Nelson, a vegetable production specialist with the UMass Extension. Yields and quality are down, and irrigation costs are up.

"Some farmers are abandoning crops because it's not worth the financial risk of harvesting them," Campbell-Nelson said.

The dry conditions have raised the risk of wildfires in Massachusetts, said Dave Celino, chief forest fire warden for the state Department of Conservation and Recreation. Typically, the state records about 1,600 wildland fires a year. But this year, it's already seen more than 1,000.

Meanwhile, some wells are going dry in Connecticut. And the blueberry crop in Maine will be slightly smaller this year than the past two, said Nancy McBrady, executive director of the Wild Blueberry Commission of Maine.

In New Hampshire, the Lavoies, like their farming neighbors, are spending twice as much and committing 90 percent of their labor to watering. They've instituted drip agriculture and other conservation measures to ensure every drop of water goes farther and lasts longer. It's a smart move, especially since it may be months before they see any relief.

---

Associated Press writers Mark Pratt in Boston, Patrick Whittle in Maine and Susan Haigh in Connecticut contributed to this report.

© 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.

Drought hits the Northeastern US

Drought hits the Northeastern US. At Lavoie's Farm in New...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Two tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean have see-sawed in strength today, July 26, 2016. Tropical Storm Georgette and Hurricane Frank see-saw in strength</div>
Infrared satellite imagery from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA'</a>s Aqua satellite showed colder cloud top temperatures in Frank today as it became a hurricane and warming temperatures in Georgette as it weakened from a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/future-hurricanes-wetter-and-windier/">hurricane</a> to a tropical storm. The infrared data, taken July 26 at 0959 UTC (5:59 a.m. EDT) showed a much smaller Tropical Storm Georgette in comparison to the now hurricane, Frank.

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on July 26, 2016, the center of Tropical Storm Georgette was located near latitude 18.4 North, longitude 128.6 West. Georgette is moving toward the northwest near 3 mph (6 kph). A motion toward the northwest with some increase in forward speed is expected during the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 70 mph (110 kph) with higher gusts.

The National Hurricane Center noted that additional weakening is forecast during the next 48 hours, and Georgette could degenerate to a remnant low pressure area by Thursday, July 28. Tropical Storm Georgette and Hurricane Frank see-saw in strength
###
For updates on Georgette, visit the NHC website: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>.

</div>

Tropical Storm Georgette and Hurricane Frank see-saw in strength

Two tropical cyclones in the Eastern Pacific Ocean have see-sawed...

Feds: Airliners are contributing greatly to climate change. The government has found that jet engine exhaust is adding to climate change and endangering human health, and needs to be regulated. Feds: Airliners are contributing greatly to climate change
The Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday that it will use its authority under the Clean Air Act to impose limits on aircraft emissions.
Jet engines spew significant amounts of greenhouse gases, including carbon dioxide and methane, into the upper atmosphere, where they trap heat from the sun. But proposed rules such as imposing fuel-efficiency standards have faced stiff opposition from aircraft makers and commercial airlines.
Aircraft emissions were not addressed as part of the landmark global climate agreement agreed to in <a href="https://www.bing.com/travelguide?q=Paris&amp;l2sid=85584d24-2116-5b98-89f9-5714db931ac6&amp;form=PLACAB">Paris</a> in December.
"Addressing pollution from aircraft is an important element of U.S. efforts to address climate change," said Janet McCabe, EPA's acting assistant administrator for air and radiation. She said aircraft are the third largest contributor to greenhouse gas emissions in the U.S. transportation sector, and that is expected to increase. Cars and trucks already are regulated.
The EPA's findings do not apply to small piston-engine planes or to military aircraft.
A U.N. panel in February recommended new emissions standards for international flights that require an average 4 percent reduction in fuel consumption during the cruising phase of flight. The new regulations from the International Civil Aviation Organization require that new aircraft designs meet the standards beginning in 2020, and that designs already in production comply by 2023.
Environmental groups have criticized the new international standards as too weak to actually slow global warming. Planes burn the most fuel during takeoffs and landings, while cruising at high altitudes is the most fuel-efficient period.
Environmentalists say aviation accounts for about 5 percent of global greenhouse emissions, though the U.N. and EPA cite studies concluding it's actually less than 2 percent.
The EPA finding announced Monday is expected to result in similar limits on domestic carriers, which critics say is long overdue.
"People should not have to choose between mobility and a healthy climate," said Marcie Keever, legal director for the environmental group Friends of the Earth. "The EPA's nine-year delay on regulating aircraft emissions failed the American people. Now it's time for the Obama administration to issue a strong rule, to hold the aviation industry accountable."
---
Follow Associated Press environmental writer at<a href="http://twitter.com/mbieseck">http://Twitter.com/mbieseck</a>
© 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.

Feds: Airliners are contributing greatly to climate change

Feds: Airliners are contributing greatly to climate change. The government...

<div>Ensuring the efficacy of restoration efforts after Deepwater Horizon. To improve and ensure the efficacy of restoration efforts in the Gulf of Mexico following Deepwater Horizon - the largest oil spill in U.S. history - a new report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recommends a set of best practices for monitoring and evaluating ecological restoration activities.</div>
The Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) Trustee Council, the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Council (RESTORE Council), and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) are the largest restoration programs working toward the Gulf's recovery after the 2010 offshore oil spill that led to a 20 percent reduction in commercial <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-impacts-on-tropical-fisheries-may-ripple-across-the-globe/">fisheries</a> and damaged about 1,100 miles of coastal salt marsh wetlands. These programs administer a majority of the $16 billion available in restoration funds, supporting projects that range from coastal and offshore habitat restoration to recovery of certain species, water quality improvement, and land acquisition. Ensuring the efficacy of restoration efforts after Deepwater Horizon

The report finds that the majority of past U.S. restoration efforts have not been adequately monitored to assess or improve restoration efficacy. To date, monitoring activities have been dramatically underfunded, and very few programs monitor environmental and social results. To ensure that progress of the efforts can be evaluated, the committee that conducted the study and wrote the report recommended that all restoration activities funded by these programs define specific, measurable objectives and adopt a rigorous statistical monitoring effort and a well-designed data management plan.

"Integrating a monitoring plan as part of the broader restoration program is important to assure the funders and public that restoration funds are being spent effectively," said committee chair Frank Davis, director of the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis at University of California, Santa Barbara. "Given the similarities in the strategic goals of Gulf restoration programs, the objectives and monitoring approaches need to be considered holistically to maximize compatibility of efforts and the lasting value of the data and information being collected." The report also provides more specific restoration monitoring guidelines for six habitats and species groups in the Gulf:

Monitoring is essential to ensure projects are implemented and functioning as designed, to assess whether goals are met, to improve the design of future restoration efforts, and to identify critical uncertainties that might prevent the success of a project, the committee said. The report suggests funding agencies work together to ensure that monitoring data are as consistent and comparable as possible across the Gulf, and also that data are publicly available by establishing clear policies for data archiving and sharing.

The report also provides more specific restoration monitoring guidelines for six habitats and species groups in the Gulf: oyster reefs, tidal wetlands, seagrasses, birds, sea turtles, and marine mammals. For example, when corrals are constructed to protect sea turtle eggs, their monitoring might entail measuring the amount of beach protected after construction, the location of the corrals relative to the high tide line, and the density of vegetation in the corrals to ensure the project's success.

The study was sponsored by the Academies' Gulf Research Program, which was established at the request of the U.S. government as part of legal settlements in the aftermath of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are private, nonprofit institutions that provide independent, objective analysis and advice to the nation to solve complex problems and inform public policy decisions related to science, technology, and medicine. They operate under an 1863 congressional charter to the National Academy of Sciences, signed by President Lincoln. For more information, visit <a href="http://national-academies.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://national-academies.org</a>. A committee roster follows.
###
Contacts:

Riya V. Anandwala, Media Relations Officer
Rebecca Ray, Media Relations Assistant
Office of News and Public Information
202-334-2138; e-mail <a href="mailto:news@nas.edu">news@nas.edu</a>
<a href="http://national-academies.org/newsroom" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">national-academies.org/newsroom</a>
Follow us on Twitter <a href="https://twitter.com/thenasem" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@theNASEM</a>

Copies of Effective Monitoring to Evaluate Ecological Restoration in the Gulf of Mexico are available at <a href="http://www.nap.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nap.edu</a> or by calling 202-334-3313 or 1-800-624-6242. Reporters may obtain a copy from the Office of News and Public Information (contacts listed above).

THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES OF SCIENCES, ENGINEERING, AND MEDICINE

Division on Earth and Life Studies Ocean Studies Board

Committee on Effective Approaches for Monitoring and Assessing the Gulf of Mexico Restoration Activities

Frank W. Davis (chair)
Director
National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis; and
Professor
Donald Bren School of Environmental Science and Management
University of California
Santa Barbara

David M. Burdick
Research Associate Professor
Department of Natural Resources and the Environment
College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
University of New Hampshire
Durham

Loren Coen
Research Professor
Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute
Florida Atlantic University
Fort Pierce

Peter Doering
Senior Administrator
Applied Sciences Bureau South Florida Water Management District
West Palm Beach

Frances Gulland
Senior Scientist
Marine Mammal Center
Sausalito, Calif.

Kenneth L. Heck Jr.
Senior Marine Scientist
Dauphin Island Sea Laboratory
Dauphin Island, Ala.

Matthew K. Howard Research Scientist Texas A&amp;M University College Station

Michael S. Kearney
Professor
Department of Environmental Sciences and Technology
University of Maryland
College Park

Paul Montagna
Endowed Chair for Ecosystems and Modeling
Harte Research Institute
Corpus Christi, Texas

Pamela Plotkin
Director for Sea Grant Texas
Texas A&amp;M University
College Station

Kenneth A. Rose
Professor
Department of Oceanography and Coastal Sciences
Louisiana State University
Baton Rouge

Eric P. Smith
Professor and Department Head
Department of Statistics
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg

Heather M. Tallis
Lead Scientist
The Nature Conservancy
Santa Cruz, Calif.

Ronald Thom
Staff Scientist
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Sequim, Wash.

Mark S. Woodrey
Research Ecologist
Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Mississippi State University
Moss Point

STAFF

Claudia Mengelt
Study Director

Stephanie Johnson
Senior Program Officer

Heather Coleman
Post-Doctoral Fellow

Payton Kulina
Senior Research Assistant

Ensuring the efficacy of restoration efforts after Deepwater Horizon

Ensuring the efficacy of restoration efforts after Deepwater Horizon. To...

<div>Infrared data from NASA's Aqua satellite showed a transition within Tropical Storm Frank over three days, and now Hurricane Frank has become the Eastern <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pacific-salmon-water-temperatures/">Pacific's</a> fifth hurricane.</div>
<div>

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Frank on three days, July 24, 25 and 26 and gathered infrared temperature data on the storm using the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument. During that three day period, Frank weakened on July 25 and infrared data showed cloud top temperatures warmed and thunderstorm activity decreased. Warming cloud tops means that the top of the clouds are not as high in the troposphere as they were before (the higher you go in the troposphere, the colder it is). Warming cloud tops indicate weaker uplift of air in the storm, making it weaker

Data showed that the area of coldest cloud top temperatures, in excess of minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius) and strongest thunderstorms diminished on July 25 and expanded again on July 26 as Frank moved over warm waters. Forecaster Pasch of the National Hurricane Center (NHC) noted this morning, July 26 that "deep convection associated with Frank has recently increased."

In addition to looking at temperatures, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA'</a>s RapidScat looked at Frank's winds. The RapidScat instrument that flies aboard the International Space Station (ISS) has been analyzing the winds around Tropical Storm Frank. RapidScat is a scatterometer that can measure wind speeds over open ocean surfaces. The ISS passed over the eastern side of Tropical Storm Frank and RapidScat saw strongest winds near 27 meters per second (60.4 mph/97.2 kph) were occurring in the storm's northeastern quadrant. RapidScat found that tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 70 miles (110 km) from the center.

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on July 26, 2016 the eye of Hurricane Frank was located near latitude 21.2 degrees north and longitude 116.6 degrees west. Frank is moving toward the west-northwest at 9 mph (15 kph) and the NHC said this general motion is expected to continue for the next couple of days. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 75 mph (120 kph) with higher gusts. Little change in strength is expected today.

NHC said that weakening is expected to begin on Wednesday as Frank moves into waters cooler than the 26.6 degree Celsius (80 degree Fahrenheit) threshold needed to maintain a tropical cyclone.


</div>
<div></div>

Hurricane Frank becomes the fifth hurricane of the season

Infrared data from NASA's Aqua satellite showed a transition within...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Tropical Storm Mirinae seen approaching China. Tropical Storm Mirinae seen approaching China. Tropical Depression 05W strengthened into a tropical storm and was renamed Tropical Storm Mirinae as <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Aqua satellite passed over the South China Sea and captured a visible image of the storm.</div>
On Tuesday, July 26, 2016 at 06:05 a.m. UTC (2:05 a.m. EDT) the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer aboard <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Aqua satellite looked at the storm in visible light. The image showed a somewhat elongated storm. The strongest thunderstorms around the center appear slightly elongated from southwest to northeast, as a result of moderate vertical wind shear. Tropical Storm Mirinae seen approaching China

In the image, bands of thunderstorms wrap around the storm from the south to west to northwest. Thunderstorms in the northwestern quadrant of the storm had already spread over Hainan Island.

By 0900 UTC (5 a.m. EDT) Mirinae's maximum sustained winds were near 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph). It was centered near 18.7 north latitude and 111.5 east longitude, about 231 nautical miles southeast of Haikou, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mongolia-air-pollution/">China</a>. Mirinae was moving to the west-northwest at 12 knots (13.8 mph/22.2 kph).

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast calls for Mirinae to cross Hainan Island, move into the Gulf of Tonkin where it will slightly re-strengthen and make a final landfall in northeastern Vietnam, north of Hanoi on July 27. After landfall, Mirinae is expected to turn to the northwest and move into southern China where it will dissipate.

</div>
<div></div>

Tropical Storm Mirinae seen approaching China

Tropical Storm Mirinae seen approaching China. Tropical Storm Mirinae seen...

<div>Cornell researchers have advice for vineyard managers in cool and humid climates like the Northeast: cover up.Planting cover crops under grapevines saves the environment</div>
<div>

Maintaining bare soil beneath vines has long been accepted management practice used to stifle competition and preserve water and nutrients for grapevines. Exposing soil beneath trellises has been achieved by using extensive herbicide treatments, a practice that is expensive and potentially damaging to the surrounding vineyard ecosystem and locations downstream, due to runoff. What's more, excessive vine growth can result as a function of the lack of competition for water and nutrients, requiring costly canopy management practices in the vineyard to maintain fruit quality.

Planting cover crops under grapevines instead can remediate these problems, according to researchers at Cornell's  State Agricultural Experiment Station in <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/the-rhone-river-flowing-into-lake-geneva/">Geneva</a>, NY. A series of studies led by Justine Vanden Heuvel, associate professor in the Horticulture Section of the School of Integrative Plant Science, provides vineyard managers with an environmentally sustainable alternative to herbicide treatments in cool and humid climates, while tamping down the cost associated with unnecessary herbicide use.

Researchers grew buckwheat, annual ryegrass, white clover and an assortment of local plants known as native vegetation over a period of three or four years, in a one-meter wide strip to see how the grape vines fared as an alternative to maintaining bare ground through either herbicide or cultivation.

Their findings showed that growing cover crops beneath grape vines reduced nitrogen leaching through the soil compared to the herbicide plots. Dissolved organic carbon (a proxy for soil breakdown) was lower in the cover crop plots, and the neonicotinoid insecticide Imidacloprid -- which has garnered attention for its harmful impacts on honey bees and other pollinators -- was found in fewer leachate samples and at lower concentrations in the cover crop plots compared to the herbicide treatments.

Not only does a reduction in herbicide benefit the environment, it also has economic ramifications for vineyards as well. Vanden Heuevel said the cost of seeding and maintaining most cover crops is estimated to be less than using herbicides, saving vineyards money while protecting the environment from excessive herbicide applications.

"With the ample precipitation that the Northeast receives in most years, there is little reason to be using herbicides in mature winegrape vineyards," said Vanden Heuvel. "This work has shown that cover crops can reduce vineyard expenses while improving environmental sustainability compared to herbicides."

Some of the cover crops also proved a useful tool for reducing vine growth in newer vineyards. Excessive vine growth, known as vigor, can shade the fruit from the sunlight it needs to produce desirable flavors and aromas. While cover crops had little impact on mature vineyards, the researchers found reduced vine growth and yield in younger vineyards, likely as a result of shallower root systems competing with the cover crops. Both those qualities can prove advantageous: less dense vines increases sun exposure on the fruit, improving quality of the grape, and many winemakers prefer lower yields. Deploying cover crops in a vigorous vineyard could potentially provide a level of control that helps growers achieve a balanced vine, according to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katrina_vanden_Heuvel">Vanden Heuvel.</a>

The studies were published in the journals HortTechnology, the American Journal of Enology and Viticulture and the forthcoming issue of HortScience.
###
Cornell University has television, ISDN and dedicated Skype/Google+ Hangout studios available for media interviews.

</div>

Planting cover crops under grapevines saves the environment

Cornell researchers have advice for vineyard managers in cool and...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">One final look at Tropical Storm Darby. Tropical Storm Darby weakened to a remnant low pressure system in the Central Pacific Ocean today, July 26. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Aqua satellite and RapidScat instrument provided a "last look" at Darby when it was still a tropical storm the previous day.</div>
The RapidScat instrument flies aboard the International Space Station and measures winds over an ocean surface. RapidScat provided a look at the winds around Tropical Storm Darby on July 25 as the storm was weakening. RapidScat found strongest wind speeds near 30 meters per second (67 mph/108 kph) north of the center and much weaker around the rest of the elongated storm.One final look at Tropical Storm Darby

NASA's Aqua satellite passed over Darby at 12:29 UTC (8:29 a.m. EDT) and gathered infrared temperature data on the storm using the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder instrument. Data showed that the coldest cloud top temperatures, in excess of minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius) and strongest thunderstorms were north of the center, where RapidScat found the strongest winds.

By 0300 UTC on July 26 (11 p.m. EDT, July 25) NOAA's Central Pacific Hurricane Center deemed Darby a post-tropical storm. It was centered about 265 nautical miles west-northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii near 22.6 degrees north latitude and 161.8 degrees west longitude. Darby was moving to the west-northwest at 8 knots (9.2 mph/14.8 kph) and had maximum sustained winds near 25 knots (28.7 mph/46.3 kph).

By 1332 UTC (9:32 a.m. EDT/3:32 a.m. HST) on July 26 the CPHC said the remnants of Darby were located around 250 miles to the west-northwest of Lihue and are expected to dissipate over the next day or two.


</div>
<div></div>

One final look at Tropical Storm Darby

One final look at Tropical Storm Darby. Tropical Storm Darby...

<div>Although the <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=amazon+jungle&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=PF&amp;cvid=fc30e3a3e019413eaef4d7d121840abe&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;elv=AY3%21uAY7tbNNZGZ2yiGNjfNhS3t*LItEfHefM2goi1CZgCYekUTdnZDDoZhqXh**qaUoWJMMhFwSdmr*Us22D%21z*L2UkpQTm3A9lUEJKPwdC&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS">Amazon Jungle</a> may appear to be perpetually green, a University of Illinois researcher believes there are actually seasonal differences of photosynthesis, with more occurring during the dry season and less during the wet season. Understanding how a rainforest that occupies 2.7 million square miles of South America functions is crucial to the future health of the entire planet.</div>
<div>

"With the potential negative effects of climate change, one key question we are trying to answer in the study of tropical ecology is how a tropical forest responds during a long-term drought," says Kaiyu Guan, an environmental scientist at the University of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/oil-drilling-la-earthquake-risk/">Illinois</a>. "If we don't know their daily performance or their seasonal performance, what confidence can we have to predict the forests' future 20 years, 30 years, or longer?" Also Study: Rainforests are greener during the dry season.

Analyzing data from several sources, including individual leaves, camera data from towers above the leaf canopy, and decadal long satellite images, Guan and his colleagues measured the photosynthesis rate over the landscape. Photosynthesis--the process green plants use to convert energy from the sun that plants use to grow--from tropical forests, plays a huge role in determining global atmospheric CO2 concentration, which is closely linked the global temperature and rate of climate change.

"Bringing all of the data together, we find that the dry season in the Amazon has increased photosynthesis," says Guan. "There may be less photosynthesis in the wet season because of the cloud cover which limits the amount of light the plants can use."

Guan explains that understanding the seasonality of photosynthesis can help scientists assess whether or not the Amazon is under stress and how it handles and recovers from stress.

"During the dry season, you would think that the plants would be water stressed and photosynthesis would decrease, but looking at multiple sources of data over the years we find that the plants are not stressed because there is ground water carried over from the previous year," he says.

It does not appear to be just the quantity of leaves driving the higher photosynthesis during the dry season. Guan and his collaborators believe it is actually leaf quality which changes over leaf age that is at work.

"Leaf amount can only explain about 5 percent of all the photosynthesis variations, so what's really going on? It's the leaf quality. Putting it in a different way, when you are a baby, you aren't very productive. When you become more mature, you're more productive. Then, when you're older, your productivity goes down again. It's true for humans and it's also true for plants. Leaves in tropical forests that are 3 or 4 months old are more productive. As you get to the end of the dry season, the leaves are aging and their productivity decreases again. So the combination of the leaf amount and the leaf quality together can satisfactorily explain the pattern," Guan says.

Guan cautions that if the forest experiences several droughts, the carryover of water is depleted--the tropical forest responds to the climate.

"The rainforest also absorbs the majority of carbon," Guan says. "It's the engine that drives the carbon cycle for the whole world, which makes it important when we discuss climate changes. Global warming is dependent upon the atmospheric CO2 concentration, so we need to care about carbon.

"Most of the climate models are showing a drying down trend in tropical forests, with a longer dry season. That's a cause for concern for the future of the Amazon," Guan says. "If we neglect it, it can have consequences around the globe. We need to recognize the importance of this rainforest pattern in which our entire global ecosystem functions. The healthiness of these systems is highly relevant for human beings."

In addition to being an assistant professor in ecohydrology and geoinformatics in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at U of I, Guan has a joint appointment as a Blue Waters professor affiliated with the National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA).

Using the same satellite technology, Guan is currently looking at agricultural systems in tropical and temperate regions like the U.S. Corn Belt. "We'd like to build a satellite-based system to monitor the entire United States food productivity in order to predict the crop yield."
###
The above report is based on four recent articles that appear in Science, Nature, Nature Geoscience, and Global Change Biology with Guan as lead author or co-author along with researchers from institutions in the United States from Arizona, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Mexico, and California, as well as from Brazil, Australia, and Japan.

</div>

Study: Rainforests are greener during the dry season

Although the Amazon Jungle may appear to be perpetually green,...

<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...