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.



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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...

Study: Even isolated coral reefs are dying. For the world’s coral reefs, the picture keeps getting gloomier. Although it’s widely assumed that both local and global factors are contributing to their decline, new research from the <a href="http://www.unc.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill</a> shows that isolated reefs far from human activities are in fact not healthier than those in more densely populated areas.

The work, led by John Bruno, a professor of marine biology in <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/measuring-ice-sheet-elevation/">UNC’</a>s College of Arts and Sciences, marks the first global test of the hypothesis that isolated reefs are suffering from less damage.

“We often mythologize isolated coral reefs as pristine and safe from harm,” said Bruno. “In fact, coral loss on some of our isolated reefs is just as dramatic as coral decline on reefs adjacent to more densely populated islands.”

Bruno and co-author Abel Valdivia (a former UNC-Chapel Hill graduate student, currently a research scientist for the Center for Biological Diversity in Oakland, Calif.), analyzed data from 1,708 reefs around the world from the Bahamas to Australia collected from 1996 to 2006. Reef isolation was calculated as the number of people living within 50 kilometers of the reefs.

The research, to be reported online July 20 in the Nature journal Scientific Reports, shows that local management efforts to mitigate impacts of things like fishing and tourism cannot alone restore coral reef populations, which provide a home for thousands of marine species and offer coastal buffering from storms.

“Widespread arguments that coral reef degradation is mostly caused by local factors are unsupported,” added Valdivia. “We found the problem is better explained by global impacts such as climate change.”

One striking example is the massive bleaching of hundreds of kilometers on the northern and central Great Barrier Reef in Australia — which is one of the world’s most isolated and well-protected reefs — that was reported earlier this year, Bruno said.

“Our work illustrates the truly far-reaching effects of global warming and the immediate need for drastic and sustained cuts in carbon emissions to help restore the health of coral reefs,” Bruno said.

Study: Even isolated coral reefs are dying

Study: Even isolated coral reefs are dying. For the world’s...

<div>Ocean acidification could have a major impact on the reproductive behavior of fish living in affected waters, a new study shows. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/deep-ocean-predators-thrived/">Ocean</a> acidification is having a major impact on fish reproduction</div>
<div>

Research conducted close to volcanic vents off the coast of Southern <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy">Italy</a> demonstrated marked reproductive differences in species of ocellated wrasse (Symphodus ocellatus).

Key mating behaviours such as dominant male courtship and nest defence did not differ between sites with ambient versus elevated CO2 concentrations. Dominant males, however, did experience significantly lower rates of pair spawning at elevated CO2 levels, but a sizeable increase in their mating success.

Scientists say that while previous research has shown fish exhibit impaired sensory function and altered behaviour at high levels of ocean acidification, this study - conducted using cameras at nest sites followed by paternity tests in laboratories - provides the first evidence of the effects of ocean acidification on the reproductive behaviour of fish in the wild. Ocean acidification is having a major impact on fish reproduction

Professor Marco Milazzo, of the University of Palermo, said: "Given the importance of fish for food security and ecosystem stability, these results highlight the need for further targeted research into the effects of rising CO2 levels on their reproduction."

Symphodus ocellatus is a widespread wrasse in the rocky subtidal of the Mediterranean Sea with an annual breeding season lasting from late April to July. It comprises three types of male - dominants (who build nests, court females and provide defence), satellites (who cooperate with dominant males and help with courting), and sneakers (who hover around nests and try to join the females during spawning).

Film footage captured for this study, published in Royal Society Proceedings B, demonstrated that dominant male pair spawning was reduced by almost two thirds in areas of high CO2 concentrations compared to ambient sites, with the time spent courting also significantly decreased. However, genetic testing showed dominant male parentage increased from 38% in ambient areas to more than 58% in areas of high concentration.

Professor Jason Hall-Spencer, of Plymouth University, said: "We had predicted that dominant males would lose out due to increased competition, but our genetic paternity tests showed that they did not. In fact they fertilized more of the eggs than the other types of males and it was the sneaky males that lost out. Even though the sneakers produced more sperm and spawned on the eggs more often, they did not end up fertilizing more eggs."


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Ocean acidification is having a major impact on fish reproduction

Ocean acidification could have a major impact on the reproductive...

Scientists working in the North Atlantic have found the clearest geologic evidence yet of a planetary thermostat that counteracts the warming cause by massive amounts of greenhouse gas by absorbing CO2 into the rocky sediments of the Earth itself. Scientists: Earth has a planetary thermostat that counteracts warming

The researchers said they analyzed ocean floor sediment off the coast of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=newfoundland&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=PF&amp;cvid=407a26278b40496e80bca86437f5cf1e&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS">Newfoundland</a> to confirm a sudden release and subsequent removal of CO2 that occurred 56 million years ago during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM). That event, in which thousands of petagrams of carbon were released into the atmosphere and ocean in just a few thousand years, is considered by many researchers to be the closest ancient analogue to today’s rise in atmospheric carbon levels.

“It’s long been thought that when the planet warms, as it did during the PETM, the rate of rock weathering on land, which absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere, increases. This draws down CO2 and cools the planet back down again,” said Yale University geologist Donald E. Penman, a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Pincelli Hull and first author of a paper reporting the findings in the journal Nature Geoscience. Scientists: Earth has a planetary thermostat that counteracts warming

The products of that weathering process, Penman explained, are dissolved ions that end up in the ocean, where <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/coastal-mud-cool-climate/">organisms</a> such as plankton and corals turn them into calcium carbonate. The carbon is not fully removed from the system until that calcium carbonate is buried in sediments.

“What our paper details is a pulse of carbonate burial in the aftermath of the PETM,” Penman said. “We analyzed a sediment core in which, before the PETM, there is no carbonate at all, and then in the recovery phase of the event, it has lots of carbonate.”Scientists: Earth has a planetary thermostat that counteracts warming

The work builds upon a large body of research about carbon cycling begun a generation ago by the late Yale geochemist Robert Berner. It was Berner who pioneered the notion of a planetary thermostat mechanism via rock weathering and carbonate burial in sediments.

Penman and his co-authors collected core samples from sea floor sediments located in an area known as the Newfoundland sediment drifts. The effort was part of a research voyage undertaken by the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program, aboard the scientific drilling ship JOIDES Resolution. The chief scientists on the voyage were Richard Norris of the Scripps Institute of Oceanography and Paul Wilson of the University of Southampton, in the United Kingdom. Norris is a co-author of the new paper.

The data will help scientists as they try to understand the causes and effects of the PETM, say the researchers, and also may provide insight into how Earth will handle rising carbon levels in the future.

“We believe this process is going to operate in response to carbon emissions related to human activity,” Penman said. “But if the PETM is any guide, it will take tens of thousands of years.”

--

<a href="http://www.yale.edu" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Yale University</a>

Scientists: Earth has a planetary thermostat that counteracts warming

Scientists working in the North Atlantic have found the clearest...

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<div></div>
<div>Most of the Hawaiian Islands were spared serious damage from Tropical Storm Darby. . Most of the Hawaiian Islands were spared serious damage from Tropical Storm Darby. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a> estimated the rainfall left behind from the storm and found more than a foot and half fell north of Oahu.</div>
<div>

The location of Darby's track through the Hawaiian Islands resulted in the islands of Hawaii and Oahu being the most affected. Flash flooding was common on Oahu due to a reported 177.8 mm (7 inches) of rain drenching the island. Interstate H-1 was flooded in some locations. Lightning damage was reported in Kaneohe on the windward side of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/native-plants-oahu-non-native-birds/">Oahu.</a>

Estimates of rainfall accompanying Tropical Storm Darby were produced using NASA's Integrated Multi-satellitE Retrievals for GPM (IMERG) data. GPM is the Global Precipitation Measurement mission core satellite, a joint mission between NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

The IMERG rainfall accumulation totals were calculated for the period from July 19 through 26, 2016 at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. Darby had weakened from a category one hurricane to a tropical storm before moving into the Central Pacific. IMERG estimates indicate that Darby dropped extremely heavy rainfall at times. The greatest rainfall total estimates during this period were located north of Oahu where 480 mm (18.9 inches) fell.

IMERG creates a merged precipitation product from the GPM constellation of satellites. These satellites include DMSPs from the U.S. Department of Defense, GCOM-W from the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), Megha-Tropiques from the Centre National D'etudies Spatiales (CNES) and Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO), NOAA series from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Suomi-NPP from NOAA-NASA, and MetOps from the European Organization for the Exploitation of Meteorological Satellites (EUMETSAT). All of the instruments (radiometers) onboard the constellation partners are inter-calibrated with information from the GPM Core Observatory's GPM Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR).

Darby dissipated in the Central Pacific Ocean late on July 26.

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Tropical Storm Darby spared the Hawaiian Islands

Most of the Hawaiian Islands were spared serious damage from...

<div>Infrared data from NASA showed that cloud top temperatures in Hurricane Frank were warming, an indication that Hurricane Frank was getting weaker. The center of Tropical Storm Frank was located near latitude 22.7 North west.</div>
<div>

Infrared data taken July 26 at 2053 UTC (4:53 p.m. EDT) from the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that flies aboard <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Aqua satellite revealed that Frank was a compact storm. The center was surrounded by a small area of strong thunderstorms where cloud top temperatures were warming as the uplift of air weakened, not pushing cloud tops as high into the troposphere.

Frank is a small tropical cyclone. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center

On July 27, the National Hurricane Center noted that Frank was quickly weakening and the strongest storms were shrinking in area, located northwest of the center. NASA sees compact Tropical Storm Frank weakening

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) Frank weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm. The center of Tropical Storm Frank was located near latitude 22.7 North, longitude 120.8 West. About 695 miles (1,115 km) west of the southern tip of Baja California, <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/samalayuca-sand-dunes/">Mexico</a>.

Frank is moving toward the west-northwest near 12 mph (19 kph) and this general motion with some decrease in forward speed is expected over the next 48 hours. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 65 mph (100 kph) with higher gusts. NASA sees compact Tropical Storm Frank weakening

Steady weakening is expected due to the cyclone moving over progressively colder waters and into a more stable air mass.


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NASA sees compact Tropical Storm Frank weakening

Infrared data from NASA showed that cloud top temperatures in...

Environmentalists are again taking aim at the company that proposed the Keystone XL pipeline - this time for another of its projects they fear would send hundreds of supertankers laden with crude oil down the Atlantic coast to refineries in <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/tropical-storm-imelda-brings-extreme-rainfall-to-texas/">Texas</a> and Louisiana.
TransCanada is behind the Energy East Pipeline project, a 4,600-kilometer pipeline, or nearly 3,000 miles, that would carry crude oil from tar sands in Western Canada to the East Coast, where it would then be shipped to refineries along the Texas Gulf Coast. When completed, the project would carry 1.1-million barrels of crude oil every day from Alberta and Saskatchewan to refineries in Eastern Canada.
Plans call for converting a natural gas line for part of the route and then building a new pipeline in Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Eastern Ontario, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Italy">Québec</a> and New Brunswick to connect to the existing pipeline. Environmentalists protest Energy East Pipeline project
The Natural Resources Defense Council, Sierra Club and other environmental groups are concerned about potential spills of tar sands diluted bitumen along the route in Canada that goes over thousands of rivers, streams and lakes. They also warned a spill along the East Coast could prove devastating to communities that depend on tourism and fisheries and are not prepared to handle an event of this kind.
The groups held a conference call Tuesday with the media, in releasing a <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/resources/tar-sands-atlantic-ocean-transcanadas-proposed-energy-east-pipeline">report</a> , "Tar Sands in the Atlantic Ocean: Transcanada's Proposed Energy East Pipeline," that lays out their case against the project.Environmentalists protest Energy East Pipeline project
"What we have is a proposal to move nearly 300 super tankers down the eastern seaboard, and we don't have the techniques and technology to contain and clean a spill of tar sands diluted bitumen should one happen," said Anthony Swift, the Canada project director for the Natural Resources Defense Council.
TransCanada said that the project would adhere to stringent safety standards and that it would be the responsibility of its customers of where they ship the oil, noting that "it does not own or operate ships for the delivery of oil."
"Safety remains our top priority," TransCanada spokesman Jonathan Abecassis said in an email to The Associated Press. He said the port in New Brunswick "will have a number of preventive safety measures" including the use of trained pilots and advanced navigational and docking technologies.
"We are working in collaboration with local authorities and first responders during the development of our emergency plan to ensure that the plan is adapted to local circumstances with resources placed strategically across the route to react quickly in the unlikely event of an emergency," he said.
Abecassis said the project is being reviewed by the National Energy Board in Canada. Environmentalists are hopeful the United States will express its opposition to the project during this review process and enact a ban on the shipment of tar sands in U.S. waters.
The project comes less than a year after President Barack Obama rejected the Keystone XL project following seven years of political wrangling, arguing it would have undercut U.S. efforts to clinch a global climate change deal. The Paris agreement last December aims to keep the global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) compared with preindustrial times.
Environmentalists are hoping the same grassroots success they had with Keystone will bring down the Energy East project. In a sign they may use some of the same tactics, the National Resource Defense Council has already launched a petition against the project that highlights the role tar sands play in worsening global warming.
"We're here today because the threat of climate change is increasingly dire, and we have a critical but narrow window of opportunity to take action," Sierra Club's Cathy Collentine said. "That includes action to stop tar sands infrastructure from being built and to take action to ban the transport of tar sands in tankers that would increase the threat to our communities, environment and our climate."
© 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.

Environmentalists protest Energy East Pipeline project

Environmentalists are again taking aim at the company that proposed...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">NASA sees Tropical Storm Mirinae approaching landfall. Tropical Storm Mirinae was moving through the Gulf of Tonkin early on July 27 when <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Aqua satellite passed overhead. Forecasters expect Mirinae to make landfall in northeastern Vietnam later in the day.</div>
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/swirling-sediment-caspian-sea/">MODIS</a> instrument that flies aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured an image of Tropical Storm Mirinae early on July 27 as it flew over the South China Sea's Gulf of Tonkin. The MODIS image revealed a large band of thunderstorms east of Mirinae's center were already over the coast of northeast Vietnam. The center of the storm was just west of Hainan Island, China. Microwave satellite data showed an elongated eye. Therefore NASA sees Tropical Storm Mirinae approaching landfall

Mirinae made landfall over the northeast coast of Vietnam, around 1200 UTC (8 a.m. EDT) about 60 nautical miles south-southeast of Hanoi. The Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC) reported that surface winds from Bach Long Vi Island, Vietnam peaked at 48 knots (55.3 mph/88.4 kph). Bach Long Vi Island is about half way between Hai Phong, Vietnam and China's Hainan Island in the Gulf of Tonkin.

The Vietnam National Hydro-meteorological Service (VNHS) continued a tropical storm warning. Details can be found on the VNHS website: <a href="http://www.nchmf.gov.vn/web/en-US/43/Default.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nchmf.gov.vn/web/en-US/43/Default.aspx</a>.

The JTWC issued their final warning on Mirinae at 1500 UTC (11 a.m. EDT) on July 27. At that time, Mirinae was located about 58 nautical miles south-southeast of Hanoi, Vietnam. The center of the storm was near 20.3 degrees north latitude and 106.0 degrees east longitude. Maximum sustained winds were near 45 knots (51.7 mph/83.3 kph). Mirinae is moving to the west-northwest at 9 knots (10.3 mph/16.6 kph).

The JTWC forecast calls for the storm to continue to move inland and dissipate over the next day.


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NASA sees Tropical Storm Mirinae approaching landfall

NASA sees Tropical Storm Mirinae approaching landfall. Tropical Storm Mirinae...

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<div class="img-wrapper">Tropical Storm Frank weakened to a tropical storm on July 28, 2016 and satellite imagery shows that winds and thunderstorms have continued to weaken.</div>
On July 27, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> RapidScat instrument observed Frank's strongest sustained winds were near 30 meters per second (67 mph/108 kph) north of the center. Tropical-storm-force winds extended outward up to 60 miles (95 km) from the center. Frank weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm by 5 p.m. EDT on July 27.

The RapidScat instrument flies aboard the International Space Station and measures winds over an ocean surface. Images are created at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/shasta-lake-northern-california/">California</a>.

Later on July 27, at 21:35 UTC (5:35 p.m. EDT) the Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument aboard NASA's Aqua satellite captured infrared data of Frank. The AIRS data showed that the coldest cloud top temperatures of at least minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius) and strongest thunderstorms were only along the southern quadrant of the storm.

At 5 a.m. EDT (0900 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Frank was located near 23.6 degrees latitude and 123.7 degrees west longitude. That's about 875 miles (1,410 km west of the southern tip of Baja California. Maximum sustained winds have decreased to near 40 mph (65 kph) with higher gusts.

Frank was moving toward the west-northwest near 9 mph (15 kph), and the National Hurricane Center expects a gradual turn toward the west and west-southwest over the next 48 hours as the storm weakens.

NOAA GOES-West infrared image of Tropical Storm Frank was taken on July 28, 2016 at 1315 UTC (9:15 a.m. EDT). The GOES-West image showed very weak storms and mostly along the southern quadrant, as the infrared imagery from AIRS had shown 16 hours before. The GOES image was generated at the NASA/NOAA GOES Project at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland.

Forecaster Pasch at NOAA's National Hurricane Center (NHC) said that "All of the deep convection associated with Frank has dissipated, and since the cyclone is moving over waters cooler than 23 degrees Celsius, regeneration of thunderstorms within the circulation is not anticipated. Therefore, the cyclone is likely to degenerate into a post-tropical remnant low pressure area later today.

NHC said that the storm will continue to weaken as the circulation spins down over the next couple of days. Frank is expected to dissipate by Sunday, July 31.


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Tropical Cyclone Frank is fading fast

Tropical Storm Frank weakened to a tropical storm on July...

Sri Lanka is working to protect mangrove forests. Sri Lanka's government and environmentalists are working to protect tens of thousands of acres of mangrove forests - the seawater-tolerant trees that help protect and build landmasses, absorb carbon from the environment and reduce the impact of natural disasters like tsunamis.
All 37,000 acres (15,000 hectares) of mangrove forests in Sri Lanka are now earmarked for preservation.
Researchers say at least 6,000 acres (2,428 hectares) were previously destroyed, mostly in the last 25 years. Mangroves were cleared to make room for shrimp farming, to produce salt or to make firewood. Government forces destroyed forests during the country's nearly 26-year civil war, which raged until 2009, because rebel fighters used them as hideouts.
Now the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/South_Asia">South Asian</a> island nation is showing an interest in retaining what is left. President Maithripala Sirisena, who took office last year, has retained the environment portfolio and has shown a personal interest in the project.
There are 22 species of mangroves in Sri Lanka, a third of all mangrove species found around the world. They grow in brackish water estuaries which are not favorable for other plants to grow, and create many environmental and health benefits:
- Their above-ground roots, mostly submerged in the water, produce food for small fish, crabs and shrimp and serve as a haven for breeding. Small-scale lagoon fishers have benefited from the ecosystem for generations.
- Their roots can accumulate soil particles and build landmasses while also acting as a buffer against coastal erosion. In the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed more than 35,000 Sri Lankans, areas covered by mangrove forests suffered less damage as the trees absorbed some of the energy of the waves.
- The trees absorb carbon dioxide more efficiently than other plants. Forests typically release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere as plant matter decomposes, but because mangrove habitat is much wetter, there is less oxygen activity, leaving more carbon in the soil.
- Medical researchers have isolated from 15 mangrove species anti-cancer compounds that have been shown to fight breast and liver cancer cells. Dr. Sameera Samarakoon, who was part of research by the University of Colombo, says these findings are being studied further.
Seacology, a U.S.-based nongovernmental organization, last year launched a $3.4 million, five-year mangrove conservation and replanting program with the Sri Lankan government. A museum funded by the group opened in Pambala on Tuesday, World Mangrove Day, to exhibit mangroves, fish and crab species bred in the lagoons, with facilities for study and research.
The Small Fishers' Federation, Seacology's Sri Lankan partner, is running a nursery near Pambala Lagoon, some 65 kilometers (40 miles) north of the capital, Colombo, to produce 500,000 seedlings for replanting. One thousand acres (404 hectares) of mangroves are expected to be replanted by the end of this year.
The project plans to rope in 15,000 persons, mostly the unemployed from around the lagoons, to protect mangrove plantations in return for microloans to set up small businesses.
"By offering training and funding to develop alternatives to cutting mangroves, the project's livelihoods program is alleviating poverty as well as protecting mangroves," said Duane Silverstein, Seacology's executive director. "It's a win-win situation."
Anuradha Wickramasinghe, head of the fishers' federation, says he first felt the importance of protecting mangroves in the 1990s, when mangrove forests were being fast destroyed by shrimp farmers. That sent fishermen's fish and crab catch into decline.
Sri Lanka's tourism industry is expanding along the coastline, creating the possibility for conflict, though the government intends to promote ecotourism in mangrove areas.
Srilal Mittalapala, of the Sri Lanka Hoteliers' Association, says the industry hopes the project will have a balance between conservation and development.
"The tourism industry learned a bitter lesson from the tsunami and we understand the importance of the mangroves," Mittalapala 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.

Sri Lanka is working to protect mangrove forests

Sri Lanka is working to protect mangrove forests. Sri Lanka's...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Study: Protected areas benefit broad range of species. The world's protected areas do benefit a broad range of species - scientists from a collaborative research project led by the University of Sussex have discovered for the first-time. Study: Protected areas benefit broad range of species</div>
The study, carried out by the University of Sussex working together with the Natural History Museum and the UN Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Centre, is the largest ever analysis of globally protected areas.

By analysing biodiversity samples taken from 1,939 sites inside and 4,592 sites outside 359 protected areas, scientists have discovered the protected area samples contain 15 percent more individuals and 11 percent more species compared to samples from unprotected sites. Study: Protected areas benefit broad range of species

The research was carried out by using a new global biodiversity database (the PREDICTS database) which contains data for approximately over one percent of all known species and spans 48 countries and 101 ecoregions - the most comprehensive biodiversity sample of terrestrial protected areas to ever be examined.

Co-lead author of the study, Dr Claudia Gray, from the University of Sussex said: "Previously, regional or global studies of protected areas have mostly used information from satellite photos, to look at changes in forest cover. Instead, we used a particularly exciting new dataset, which brings together information collected on the ground by hundreds of scientists all over the world.

"We have been able to show for the first-time how protection effects thousands of species, including plants, mammals, birds and insects. This has provided us with important insights into these areas - which previous studies were not able to do."

From the study, scientists also discovered protection is most effective when human use of land for crops, pasture and plantations is minimised. The results suggest that better management across the existing protected area network could more than double its effectiveness.

Dr Jörn Scharlemann, from the University of Sussex, said: "Protected areas are widely considered essential for biodiversity conservation, but our results show for the first-time that they do actually benefit a wide range of species. Study: Protected areas benefit broad range of species

"Our results reinforce recent commitments by governments for increased support and recognition of the importance of protected areas worldwide.

"We cannot deny the global importance of these areas and we must ensure that governments across the world recognise their significance and work to improve their effectiveness.

"Protected areas do not currently benefit all species - but what we have shown in our study is they have the potential to help us conserve some of the most biodiverse areas on Earth - which is why they vitally need increased global support."

Prof Andy Purvis, one of the paper's authors from the Natural History Museum, said: "This study shows how important questions in conservation biology can be tackled by joining forces. Hundreds of scientists from dozens of countries have generously shared their hard-earned data with us. Each one of those data sets is like a piece of a jigsaw: the overall picture only becomes clear when you have all the pieces and can put them together."

Dr Samantha Hill from the UN Environment Programme's World Conservation Monitoring Centre, said: "Humanity faces difficult decisions as to how best to protect <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/green-plastics-are-not-always-biodegradable/">biodiversity</a> while providing for the needs of our ever-growing population. This study provides new understanding into the biodiversity found at the intersection of protected areas and human land-uses.

"This research relied upon the data collated in the World Database on Protected Areas (WDPA) - the most complete dataset detailing the world's terrestrial and marine protected areas. The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">WDPA</a> is a joint product of the United Nations Environment Programme and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and made publicly-available by the UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre at <a href="http://www.protectedplanet.net/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.protectedplanet.net</a>."
###
The Paper entitled, "Local biodiversity is higher inside than outside terrestrial protected areas worldwide" is published in Nature Communications at 10:00am GMT on Thursday 28th July 2016 and once published be found here <a href="http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/NCOMMS12306" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://nature.com/articles/doi:10.1038/NCOMMS12306</a>

MEDIA RELATIONS

Communications and External Affairs | University of Sussex | Sussex House | Brighton BN1 9RH | United Kingdom

T +44 (0)1273 678888 | <a href="mailto:press@sussex.ac.uk">press@sussex.ac.uk</a>

<a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/newsandevents" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.sussex.ac.uk/newsandevents</a>

Notes to Editors:

The University of Sussex's School of Life Sciences is one of the largest academic schools at the University of Sussex. With 96 per cent of its research rated as world leading, internationally excellent or internationally recognised (REF 2014), it is among the leading research hubs for the biological sciences in the UK. The School is home to a number of prestigious research centres including the Genome Damage and Stability Centre (GDSC) and the Sussex Drug Discovery Centre, where academics work with industry to translate scientific advances into real-world benefits for patients. The School is one of the partners of the Sussex Sustainable Research Programme, a new strategic initiative between the University of Sussex and the Institute of Development Studies which aims to support the sustainability of life on Earth through rigorous interdisciplinary research which stimulates action and influences policy. <a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/ssrp/index" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.sussex.ac.uk/ssrp/index</a>

The Natural History Museum in London welcomes more than five million visitors a year and is also a world-leading science research centre. Through its unique collection and unrivalled expertise it is tackling the biggest challenges facing the world today. It helps enable food security, eradicate disease and manage resource scarcity. It is studying the diversity of life and the delicate balance of ecosystems to ensure the survival of our planet. For more information go to <a href="http://www.nhm.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhm.ac.uk</a>

The UNEP-World Conservation Monitoring Centre in Cambridge is the specialist biodiversity assessment centre of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), the world's foremost intergovernmental environmental organisation. The Centre has been in operation for over 30 years, combining scientific research with practical policy advice, and houses the World Database on Protected Areas. <a href="http://www.unep-wcmc.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.unep-wcmc.org</a>

Additional research bodies involved in this research paper include: Imperial College London, Swansea University in the UK, and the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) in Australia.

This work was funded by the School of Life Sciences at the University of Sussex and the UK's Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). This is a contribution from the Imperial College Grand Challenges in Ecosystem and the Environment Initiative, and the Sussex Sustainability Research Programme.

</div>

Study: Protected areas benefit broad range of species

Study: Protected areas benefit broad range of species. The world's...

<div>Underneath the waves of Palikir Pass, one of the world's top surf breaks in the Pacific Ocean, lies a new safe zone which aims to ensure the survival of local fisheries and the species that are caught in Pohnpei, Micronesia.</div>
<div>

It's all thanks to a group of scientists from Australia and Micronesia who have found by measuring how far fish travel, habitats can be better protected.

Researchers targeted the island of Pohnpei as a case study to examine how effective their designated marine protected areas (MPAs) are for conservation and fisheries management.

"We asked local fishers to tell us the top ten species they wanted to protect and found the majority of MPAs in Pohnpei were too small to protect the fish they cared about the most," said Dr. Rebecca Weeks from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies at James Cook University.

While some fish spend their whole lives moving no more than a few hundred metres, others will travel hundreds of kilometres every day.

The fishers ranked favorite food fish - Groupers, Rabbitfish, Parrotfish, Surgeonfish, Snapper and Trevally - along with those with cultural and conservation importance (Humphead wrasse and Bumphead parrotfish) as the most important species.

"We then calculated the home range of each species - the area where a fish spends most of its time eating and sleeping.

"We know that if their entire home range is within an MPA the fish will be protected but if the MPA is too small then it is likely the fish will swim out of the safe zone and risk being caught.

"By focusing on particular species that the fisherman care about and using information on the ecology of those species, like how far they move on a day- to-day basis we were able to determine how large no-take zones actually needed to be."

"We then took that information to community workshops and involved local fishers in the conversation which has resulted in the creation of larger MPAs."

Since the study, Pohnpei has established its largest MPA called the Palikir Pass Marine Sanctuary. The location is better known to many as P-Pass, a world class surf break.

Pohnpei is committed to achieving international targets for biodiversity conservation through the Micronesia Challenge, and has already protected 30% of its marine and 25% of its terrestrial habitats. However, not all of the MPAs on the reefs surrounding Pohnpei are performing well, as many are too small.

"MPAs could be designed more effectively all over the world. You get conservation scientists and NGO's who say you need to make closures as large as possible but that doesn't really resonate with people," said Weeks.

"The larger the area set aside for no-take zones, the smaller the area for fishing. There is this trade-off between livelihoods, food security and conservation and people are less likely to follow the rules if they don't see how they will benefit from them.

"Because we focused the conversation on the fish they wanted to protect, it engaged more people.

"We anticipate that focusing on these species will mean better protection and an increase in their abundance which will ultimately benefit both conservation and local fisheries.
###
The study led by Dr. Rebecca Weeks was undertaken in conjunction with The Nature Conservancy and the Conservation Society of Pohnpei. The perspective appears this month in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

Paper

Published in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.12736/full" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2664.12736/full</a>

&nbsp;

</div>

Conservation scientists protect fish at the island of Pohnpei

Underneath the waves of Palikir Pass, one of the world's...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Even if people completely stopped converting tropical forests into farmland, the impacts of tropical deforestation would continue to be felt for many years to come. That's the conclusion of researchers reporting in the Cell Press journal Current <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plants-biological-clock-crop-spraying/">Biology</a> on July 28 who have used historical rates and patterns of tropical deforestation around the globe to estimate the resulting carbon emissions and species losses over time. Impacts of tropical deforestation will be felt for many years to come</div>
The findings highlight the importance of accounting for the time lag between deforestation and its environmental impacts in meeting conservation goals. Also it Impacts of tropical deforestation will be felt for many years to come.

"We show that even if deforestation had completely halted in 2010, time lags ensured there would still be a carbon emissions debt equivalent to five to ten years of global deforestation and an extinction debt of more than 140 bird, mammal, and amphibian forest-specific species, which, if paid, would increase the number of 20th century extinctions in these groups by 120 percent," says Isabel Rosa (@isamdr86) of the Imperial College of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=london&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=PF&amp;cvid=7910b0b171c146a784349d095e594c92&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;elv=AY3%21uAY7tbNNZGZ2yiGNjfNhS3t*LItEfHefM2goi1CZwr%21kWOqx1M8qR8u8l0TaB3SCMb6wEJx8rLW7DfosFATO13utXk7Gr8Md4f3zu3E9&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS">London</a>. "Given the magnitude of these debts, commitments to reduce emissions and biodiversity loss are unlikely to be realized without specific actions that directly address this damaging environmental legacy."

It takes time after trees are cut down before the wood and other plant matter left at the site fully decay, releasing carbon into the atmosphere. The resulting loss of habitat also leads to species losses, but those effects also tend to occur gradually.

In the new study, Rosa and her colleagues used a spatially explicit land cover change model to reconstruct the annual rates and spatial patterns of tropical deforestation from 1950 to 2009 in the Amazon, Congo Basin, and Southeast Asia. Using those patterns, they estimated the resulting gross vegetation carbon emissions and species losses.

The findings show that current emissions and species extinctions are mostly tied to past actions. As a result, the researchers explain, changes in annual deforestation rates will initially have a smaller than expected effect on annual carbon emissions. For example, they write, a 30 percent reduction in deforestation rates as seen in the Brazilian Amazon between 2005 and 2010 only cut carbon emissions over the same time period by 10 percent.

The researchers also show that modern deforestation has left us with an estimated extinction debt of 144 vertebrate species found only in tropical forests. That's 20 percent more than the number of extinctions known to have occurred in vertebrate groups in more than a century.

"I expected an increase in both carbon emissions and species extinctions debts, but the magnitude of these debts was surprising," Rosa says.

The findings show that reaching national and global emissions targets will be even more challenging than anticipated.

"We need to do more if we want to avoid paying these debts, thus preventing further loss of species and carbon emissions," Rosa said. "We need to preserve existing habitats, but also restore forests that have been degraded. Allowing the forest to regrow on areas that have been deforested helps by creating 'new' suitable areas for species to survive in while allowing some of this excess carbon to be stored back in the new trees rather than emitted into the atmosphere."

Rosa says she'll continue to pursue the use of their models to support better policy and management decisions.
###
The authors were supported by the European Research Council.

Current Biology, Rosa et al.: "The Environmental Legacy of Modern Tropical Deforestation" <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(16)30625-X</a>

Current Biology (<a href="https://twitter.com/currentbiology?lang=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@CurrentBiology</a>), published by Cell Press, is a bimonthly journal that features papers across all areas of biology. Current Biology strives to foster communication across fields of biology, both by publishing important findings of general interest and through highly accessible front matter for non-specialists. Visit: <a href="http://www.cell.com/current-biology" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.cell.com/current-biology</a>. To receive Cell Press media alerts, contact <a href="mailto:press@cell.com">press@cell.com</a>.

</div>

Impacts of tropical deforestation will be felt for many years to come

Even if people completely stopped converting tropical forests into farmland,...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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