The ocean isn’t just a vast expanse of blue - it’s alive, constantly shifting, breathing, churning, and now weakening in critical ways. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a colossal conveyor belt of warm and cold water, keeps weather patterns in check, stabilizes temperatures, and even dictates rainfall in distant corners of the world.



But now, this large system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean is weakening and slowing down. And that could spell disaster.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-delicate-balancing-act">A delicate balancing act</h2>



Think of the AMOC as Earth’s natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/critical-ocean-current-may-be-more-stable-than-previously-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate regulator</a>. It moves warm water from the tropics up toward Europe, keeping winters there milder than they otherwise would be. 



Meanwhile, colder water flows back south, helping maintain equilibrium. This system is ancient, powerful, and - until recently -remarkably reliable. Now, something is shifting. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unsettling-signs-of-weakening-ocean-currents">Unsettling signs of weakening ocean currents </h2>



Scientists have observed an unusual cooling area in the North Atlantic, often called a "cold blob." This is unexpected because, as the planet warms, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collapse-of-main-atlantic-ocean-circulaton-current-amoc-is-already-happening/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean</a> temperatures should generally rise, not drop.



This cold patch suggests a deeper problem linked to the Gulf Stream, which is a key part of the AMOC. The Gulf Stream normally carries warm water northward, but if it slows down or weakens, less warm water reaches the region, causing unexpected cooling.



The effects of this disruption go beyond the ocean. It can change wind patterns, shift where and how much rain falls, and make extreme weather - like storms, droughts, and heatwaves - more frequent and severe. 



These changes can impact agriculture, infrastructure, and daily life worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-price-of-a-weakening-amoc">Price of a weakening AMOC</h2>



A team of researchers from the University of Hamburg's Cluster of Excellence for Climate Research (<a href="https://www.cliccs.uni-hamburg.de" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CLICCS</a>) and the <a href="https://mpimet.mpg.de/en/homepage" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Max Planck Institute for Meteorology</a> has taken a closer look at the potential consequences. 



Their conclusion? The economic toll of a weakened AMOC could run into trillions of euros by the end of the century.



This isn’t just about changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-current-system-may-collapse-by-2037/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean temperature</a>. A sluggish AMOC means more heatwaves, longer droughts, fiercer storms. Infrastructure will buckle, food systems will strain, and insurance costs will skyrocket.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-science-behind-ocean-current-weakening">Science behind ocean current weakening</h2>



The AMOC relies on the sinking of dense, salty water in the North Atlantic to keep its cycle going. 



But as Arctic ice melts, massive amounts of freshwater pour into the ocean. This dilutes the salt levels, making the water less dense. When that happens, the sinking slows, and so does the AMOC.



And it’s not just about the ocean’s movement. With less water being pulled into the depths, more carbon dioxide lingers in the atmosphere. That means more heat trapped leading to more <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-and-arctic-mixing-is-crucial-for-earths-climate-stability/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate chaos</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-flawed-assumptions-costly-mistakes">Flawed assumptions, costly mistakes</h2>



For years, some economic models suggested that a weaker AMOC might actually help cool the Northern Hemisphere, acting as a counterweight to global warming. That assumption no longer holds.



"Our findings indicate that previous studies on AMOC weakening most likely underestimated the economic impacts," noted Felix Schaumann, a climate economist and co-author of the study.



In other words, what seemed like a potential silver lining is, in reality, another storm cloud forming on the horizon.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-predicting-the-future">Predicting the future</h2>



To understand what’s coming, the researchers used climate and economic models to simulate different scenarios. They compared a world where the AMOC stays strong to one where it weakens at various rates.



The results weren’t encouraging. The weaker the AMOC, the less carbon the ocean absorbs, and the faster climate change accelerates. The cost of inaction? Staggering.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-chain-reaction-of-consequences">Chain reaction of consequences</h2>



A weakened AMOC doesn’t just affect temperatures. It throws entire ecosystems off balance.



Fisheries that rely on predictable ocean currents could collapse. Crops accustomed to steady rainfall patterns may wither under unexpected droughts. Coastal communities will face rising sea levels, while storms become more violent and erratic.



Each of these effects compounds the next. The economy, already under pressure from rising global temperatures, will strain even further.



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



There’s no easy fix. But there are choices to be made.



Slowing carbon emissions is the most immediate step. Investing in renewable energy, strengthening coastal defenses, and improving climate resilience in vulnerable regions are no longer optional - they’re essential.



The AMOC has existed for thousands of years, shaping life as we know it. If it falters, the world will feel the consequences. The question now is whether we act before it's too late.



The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation isn’t just another <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disastrous-climate-changes-of-the-last-ice-age-could-happen-again/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate variable</a>. It’s the backbone of the planet’s climate system. If AMOC weakens, the effects will be widespread, costly, and potentially irreversible.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2419543122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: CEN Climate Visualization Laboratory



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Weakening ocean currents could cost trillions of dollars

The ocean isn’t just a vast expanse of blue - it’s alive, constantly shifting, breathing, churning, and now weakening in critical ways. The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), a colossal conveyor belt of warm and cold water, keeps weather patterns in check, stabilizes temperatures, and even dictates rainfall in distant corners of the world. But now, this large system of currents in the Atlantic Ocean is weakening and slowing down. And that could spell disaster. A delicate balancing act Think of the AMOC as Earth’s natural climate...

<div>Managing methane emissions from livestock manure. It is currently not possible to quantify emissions of methane from livestock manure. This is a significant problem, in particular at a time where the EU Commision requires Denmark to reduce drastically emissions of greenhouse gases from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/urban-agriculture-food-desert/">agriculture.</a> Without methods to quantify emissions, it is also not possible to document effects of changes in management.</div>
<div>

A new research article, published this week in the journal <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">PLOS ONE</a>, addresses this challenge and proposes a method which could be an important step towards quantifying methane emissions and degradation processes associated with manure management.Managing methane emissions from livestock manure

The specific challenge is that the mainly liquid manure (slurry) is collected in pits under animal confinements for up to a month before exported to an outside storage tank, or for treatment. During this period degradation of manure organic matter begins and may lead to emissions of both methane and carbon dioxide. However, animals in the house are also a source of both gases, and in practice emissions from livestock and their manure cannot be separated. As a result, the total emission of methane from manure in pits and outside storage tanks, and the degradation of manure organic matter, cannot be verified.

The new method proposed here is based on laboratory measurements of methane production in liquid manure samples collected on farms. A simple model is used to calculate daily emissions. This model can then be used to evaluate effects of changes in management or treatment of the manure, for example biogas treatment.

Methane is, after carbon dioxide, the most important source of greenhouse gases from agriculture, and the most important on-farm source. Here the largest single source is animal digestion, especially in ruminants such as cattle, whereas on pig farms manure is the main source. Since the residence time of methane in the atmosphere is short compared to other greenhouse gases, a reduction of methane will be particularly effective in the short term at reducing climate forcing. Moreover, methods to reduce methane emissions from manure are already available (biogas treatment, slurry acidification). For these reasons methane emissions from livestock manure is an obviouos target for greenhouse gas mitigation.

Degradation of manure organic matter leads to emissions of methane, but even larger emissions of carbon dioxide. Both methane and carbon dioxide contain carbon from manure organic matter that is degraded. This loss of organic carbon is critical for the biogas potential of manure which is directly related to the degradable organic matter left in the manure. For example, a shorter collection period would likely increase biogas production while at the same time reducing methane emissions, but currently these effects cannot be documented. The article discusses this synergy and concludes that a new method must also be able to quantify the emission of carbon dioxide, in order to estimate the loss of degradable organic matter from slurry pits. Plans to further develop the method have been described in a new research proposal in collaboration with research institutions in Germany, Netherlands, Great Britain and Sweden, and a Swedish company.


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Managing methane emissions from livestock manure

Managing methane emissions from livestock manure. It is currently not...

The orange-and-black automated signs lining state highways still warn that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/southern-california-mountain-lions-extinction/">California</a> is in severe drought, but Californians this summer are getting a second chance to show whether they can save water without the state ordering them. California lifts mandatory water restrictions showing a huge change in the savings of water.
After lifting nine months of mandatory state water restrictions for families and non-farm businesses, authorities caution that they could impose state limits again as soon as this winter should the state's 39 million people return to water-wasting, drought-oblivious ways.
"We've been clear at a state level we're still in a drought, there's still a need for conservation," Max Gomberg, conservation manager for the state Water Resources Control Board. But "we don't need people to go to extraordinary measures like they did last year."
While an El Nino system brought some rain and snow to Northern California last winter, nearly two-thirds of the state remains in severe drought or worse for a fifth year. But citing the slightly improved precipitation, California by June lifted a 25-percent mandatory conservation order in effect for cities and towns statewide for most of a year.
On Tuesday, the state announced that all but 68 of the 411 larger water districts had gotten out from under the threat of localized conservation orders from the state. The water agencies did that by declaring they had enough water to get by even if the drought lasts another three years.
Environmental groups are skeptical all the water districts have as robust a water supply as they claim, and say lifting of mandatory conservation sends the wrong message to ordinary Californians as the drought persists. California lifts mandatory water restrictions
"Moving to zero percent mandatory conservation - it's a confusing message to be sending to California. We're in the midst of the hottest summer on record and fighting raging wildfires," said Tracy Quinn, senior water policy analyst at the Natural Resources Defense Council environmental group.
Water agencies, however, say they have built water-conservation into their operations now.
Most water districts had to raise rates last year, which gives consumers an incentive to save, said Tim Quinn, executive director of the Association of California Water Agencies trade group. Most water <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">districts</a> also offered water-saving incentives, such as paying customers to remove thirsty lawns.
What the lifting of mandatory conservation means is that this summer, unlike last, Californians don't have to do things like keep a bucket in the shower to catch water for reuse, the water-industry representative said.
"It is the end of inconvenience, but it is not the end of conservation," Tim Quinn said.
Californians didn't do well the last time someone asked them to voluntarily save water. In 2014, requested by Gov. Jerry Brown to cut water use 20 percent given the drought, Californians managed less than half of that.
Brown made 25 percent conservation mandatory for cities and towns in spring 2015.
This time around, state officials will be happy if Californians manage around 20 percent water savings, compared to the benchmark water-use year of 2013, said Gomberg, the state water official. If people manage just 10 percent conservation or less now, that would be cause for concern for state water officials when they revisit the matter after January, Gomberg said.
In Palm Springs, water-agency spokeswoman Ashley Metzger said Wednesday that local water officials were still pushing hard on conservation programs, including kicking off a new rebate program promoting lawn removing at noon that day.
"Oh, my goodness, yes," Metzger said, when asked if she expected strong demand for the lawn-removal rebates.
Metzger's district, the Desert Water Agency, is now asking customers to keep water use down by 10- to 13 percent, voluntarily, she said.
The Palm Springs message to water users in summer 2016? "We have a strong local supply but there's a still a statewide issue" with water, Metzger said. "I think it's definitely a nuanced message."
---
Information from: The Sacramento Bee, <a href="http://www.sacbee.com/">http://www.sacbee.com</a>
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California lifts mandatory water restrictions

The orange-and-black automated signs lining state highways still warn that...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Study: Meadow full of flowers benefit mankind The more it swarms, crawls and flies the better it is for humans. This is the finding of a study published in "Nature". More than 60 researchers from a number of universities were involved, including the Technical University of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/space-agencies-asteroid-defense/">Munich</a>, the Institute of Plant Sciences at the University of Bern and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre in Frankfurt. A diverse ecosystem populated by many species from all levels of the food chain provides higher levels of ecosystem services, the team reports. Even rather unpopular insects and invisible soil-dwelling organisms are important in maintaining a wide range of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">ecosystem</a> services. The results underline the necessity of maintaining species-rich ecosystems for the good of humanity.</div>
Grasslands full of flowers are not only beautiful they also provide many important services for humans. These include food production, alongside supporting services such as soil development, regulating services such as pest control and climate regulation and cultural services such as the use of the grassland for recreation. A grassland is also a complex ecosystem containing many species belonging to different levels in the food chain, so called "trophic levels".Study: Meadow full of flowers benefit mankind

Humans are causing declines in biodiversity for many of these groups and evidence from experiments on plants suggests this might threaten ecosystem services. However, studies had not looked at diversity at many trophic levels at the same time.

A 60-strong research team, led by Dr. Santiago Soliveres from the University of Bern, therefore studied all groups in a grassland food chain for the first time. They collected data on a total of 4600 species of animal and plant from nine trophic groups, including often neglected ones such as micro-organisms in the soil and insects that live in the soil or on the plants. "The data was collected as part of a programme supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in 150 grasslands across Germany, the so called 'Biodiversity Exploratories'", says Professor Wolfgang Weisser of the Chair for Terrestrial Ecology at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) - "it constitutes the most extensive ecological sampling in Europe."

[caption id="attachment_2410693" align="alignleft" width="150"]<img class="size-thumbnail wp-image-2410693" src="http://cff1.greenatom.earth/uploads/2016/08/17135013/cff1.greenatom.earthuploads20160817135012media.eurekalert.orgmultimedia_prodpubweb122073_web-068b81c384ef161d31636e90882885eb763237d4-60cd34d80bee67f439da6cbaae34562fadad43d9-150x150.jpg" alt="Meadow clary (Salvia pratense)" width="150" height="150" /> Meadow clary (Salvia pratense)[/caption]

Biodiversity required within all trophic groups

"Working out how different groups affect ecosystem services is like trying to solve a very complicated puzzle but with our extensive data we are able to put together a coherent picture of how important individual groups are for fourteen ecosystem services. Each ecosystem service is dependent on at least three groups and the higher the number of species within the group, the more reliably the ecosystem service is provided. In addition, each individual group influences at least one ecosystem service," Soliveres, lead author for the study, summarises the results.

Dr. Eric Allan from the University of Bern adds: "Many different groups are important for providing essential ecosystem services. In order for nature to continue 'working' reliably for us we therefore need to protect biodiversity at all levels in the food chain, including in often overlooked groups such as microbes or insects. This is especially important for regulating processes and cultural services."

The importance of overlooked organisms

Microbes and insects are overlooked and are not generally considered in conservation. However, this study shows that view needs to change because many insects and soil organisms play a central role, alongside plants, in supplying the services we depend on. "Plants supply biomass which forms the beginning of the food chain, but insects act as pollinators and soil organisms increase soil fertility through the breakdown and retention of chemical elements such as phosphorus. The more different species there are, particularly within these three groups, the more positive the effect on all services," explains Soliveres.

Often, fertiliser is applied to the soil in order to increase soil fertility and thus increase plant growth. Fertilisers help in the short term, but if biodiversity is reduced, then the downsides outweigh this. Maintaining high levels of biodiversity throughout the food chain is therefore more economical and wiser in the long term than destroying it for short term gains.

The importance of biological diversity for ecosystem services has been underestimated

"If biodiversity is rapidly destroyed, what consequences does this have for humans? What courses of action are available? Thus far, there has been insufficient research into this, which is one of the reasons why the international biodiversity council IPBES was founded," explains Prof. Markus Fischer from the Institute of Plant Science at the University of Bern and head of the Biodiversity Exploratories project. This study also shows that the importance of biological diversity has been underestimated because previous research only focussed on individual trophic groups: "Our extensive research programme demonstrates how important it is to study the broader context and that there is a need for action to protect ecosystems," summarises Fischer.


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Study: Meadow full of flowers benefit mankind

Study: Meadow full of flowers benefit mankind The more it...

Feds: July 2016 was the hottest month on record. More federal scientists have confirmed we just sweated through <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-tides-earthquakes/">Earth's</a> hottest month on record.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration calculates that last month's average global temperature was 62.01 degrees (16.67 degrees Celsius). That beats the old record set in July 2015 by a ninth of a degree and is 1.57 degrees above the 20th-century average. July 2016 is Earth's hottest month.
It's the 15th consecutive global heat record. Records go back to 1880. Also Feds: July 2016 was the hottest month on record causing excessive record heat.
January through July is also beating out 2015 for hottest year-to-date by .34 degrees (.19 Celsius).
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a> and Japan's weather office earlier proclaimed July 2016 the hottest on record. The British meteorological office hasn't calculated the number yet. A University of Alabama Huntsville team that uses satellites, not ground measurements, says it was the second warmest. Also making everyone question the global warming that has recently been shown to have changed a lot over the years as proven.
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about ourPrivacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Feds: July 2016 was the hottest month on record

Feds: July 2016 was the hottest month on record. More...

Clouds of reef fish and corals, French frigate shoals, NWHI

Debate rages over Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.As a Native Hawaiian living in modern Hawaii, one of the times Shad Kane truly felt connected to his ancestors was when he traveled to a remote, 140,000-square-mile area of the Pacific where islands, atolls, islets and coral reefs make up a federally protected marine monument.
There, at Midway Atoll, he plucked feathers from dead birds to make kahili - feathers mounted on a long wooden pole that was used to announce the presence of ancient Hawaiian chiefs and became a royal symbol during the Hawaiian monarchy.Debate rages over Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument
"Going to Midway and being a part of gathering traditional birds in the manner they did is extremely spiritual," the suburban Honolulu man said this month. "It becomes much more personal for me."
He said seeing Midway strewn with remnants of fishing nets, buoys and hooks helped him realize the surrounding area needs protection, too.
This year, a group of Native Hawaiian leaders urged President Barack Obama to expand Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument, while keeping the main Hawaiian islands outside the boundaries. The move would make the monument about 582,000 square miles, more than twice the size of Texas.
The White House isn't indicating when a decision will be made. Obama also has been asked to designate new national monuments in Utah, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arizona">Arizona</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sierra-nevada-mountains-taller/">Nevada</a>, Maine and elsewhere.
The effort to expand the Pacific monument has supporters and opponents invoking Hawaiian culture to further their agendas. Some believe expansion of one of the world's largest marine conservation areas will protect a sacred place, while others say making more waters off-limits will harm fishermen for a cause pushed by environmentalists with deep pockets.
A presidential proclamation established the monument in 2006. Only scientific research and cultural activities are allowed, with commercial fishing and recreational activities such as diving banned.
Getting there requires taking a flight to Midway Atoll or a sailboat. Under ideal ocean conditions, it takes about two days to sail from Kauai to Nihoa, the closest island to the main Hawaiian islands.
Some who say the area needs to be open for commercial fishing rely on an argument that's "completely contrary to the generation that preceded them that actually did go fish and understood the harmful effects" of overharvesting, said William Aila, deputy director of the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands.
Peter Apo opposes adding the massive area to the monument and said doing so contradicts the way ancient Hawaiians managed natural resources.
Apo is a trustee of the Office of Hawaiian Affairs, which supports expansion as long as the agency gets an official say in management of the area, including advocating for Native Hawaiian access.
It's difficult to be a Native Hawaiian and an expansion opponent, Apo said.
"We look like we're bad guys. We're opposing what seems to be addressing a global problem," he said of issues like climate change and overfishing that supporters point to.
He cited how Hawaiians utilized periods of kapu, or temporary restrictions in response to overharvesting.
"Food security was critical to Hawaiians," Apo said.
It's difficult to estimate the financial effect that expansion would have on the $100 million per year longline industry, which supplies a large portion of the fresh tuna and other fish consumed in Hawaii, said Sean Martin, president of the Hawaii Longline Association.
He estimated about 2 million pounds of fish annually come from the proposed expansion area, where vessels string lines ranging from a mile to 50 miles long in the ocean to catch fish.
G. Umi Kai, who uses his spare time to craft traditional implements such as wooden weapons and fish hooks made of bone, experienced the tranquility, isolation and fragility of the area when he visited last year.
He fished off rocky shores of two islands in the monument to see if his traditional bone hooks really worked. It was an ideal place for the test, he said, "because the environment was closer to the way Hawaii was 100 years ago."
Aila, of the home lands department, said he hopes the issue will draw Obama to an international environmental conservation gathering scheduled for next month in Honolulu.
By expanding the monument, Aila said the president could build a legacy as well as commit the U.S. to fighting environmental problems such as climate change and coral bleaching, which occurs when warm waters lead coral to expel the algae they rely on for food.
Opponents hope the president sees how divisive the issue is.
"I'm not sure that Obama, who was born, raised here, wants to leave a legacy of a divided Hawaii," Apo 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.

Debate rages over Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument

Debate rages over Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument.As a Native Hawaiian...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">The Blue Cut Fire in California is growing quickly. The Blue Cut Fire, just outside of Los Angeles, is a quickly growing fire that is currently an imminent threat to public safety, rail traffic and structures in the Cajon Pass, Lytle Creek, Wrightwood, Oak Hills, and surrounding areas. An estimated 34,500 homes and 82,640 people are being affected by the evacuation warnings that have been issued. This wildfire started on August 16, 2016 and the cause is unknown. In the last two days the fire has grown to 31,689 acres with 1584 personnel on scene. 178 engines, 26 crews, 10 air tankers, 2 Very Large Air Tankers (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">VLATS</a>), and 17 Helicopters, including night flying helicopters. Additional firefighters and equipment have been ordered and will be responding directly to the fire. An unknown number of structures are damaged and destroyed. A smoke advisory has been issued for portions of <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/fire-and-smoke-in-san-bernardino-national-forest/">San Bernardino</a> Country.</div>
Unfortunately extreme weather is continuing in the area with hot, dry and breezy (20 mph with gusts to 30 mph) conditions. Very poor relative humidity will continue. All of these will hinder fire fighting efforts and may increase fire spread. The Blue Cut Fire in California is growing quickly

NASA's Suomi NPP satellite collected this natural-color image using the VIIRS (Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite) instrument on August 17, 2016. Actively burning areas, detected by thermal bands, are outlined in red. NASA image courtesy Jeff Schmaltz LANCE/EOSDIS MODIS Rapid Response Team, GSFC. Caption by Lynn Jenner with information from Inciweb.

Suomi NPP is managed by NASA, NOAA and the U.S. Department of Defense.


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The Blue Cut Fire in California is growing quickly

The Blue Cut Fire in California is growing quickly. The...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Tropical Storm Fiona forms in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. NASA-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite passed over Tropical Storm Fiona as it developed in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean and captured a visible image of the strengthening storm.</div>
On Aug. 17 at 11:24 a.m. EDT (15:24 UTC) the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) instrument aboard <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=55bb30931e0e4101bf22896a732ab562&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">NASA</a>-NOAA's Suomi NPP satellite captured a visible light image of Tropical Depression 6 as it was strengthening into Tropical Storm Fiona. At the time, the National Hurricane Center noted that the depression's overall cloud pattern and low-level wind field continued to improve, as was visible in the Suomi NPP image.

The depression became a tropical storm at 5 p.m. EDT and the sixth named storm of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/the-2020-atlantic-hurricane-season-was-supercharged/">Atlantic</a> Ocean Hurricane Season.

Southwesterly wind shear that had pushed the bulk of clouds and showers to the northeast of the storm's center on August 8 had weakened and has kicked up again on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12. The southwesterly winds were as strong as 23 mph (20 knots/37 kph).

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC), the center of Tropical Storm Fiona was located near 16.4 north latitude and 40.5 west longitude, about 1,095 miles (1,760 km) west of the Cape Verde Islands. Fiona is moving toward the west-northwest near 8 mph (13 kph) and the National Hurricane Center said this general motion is expected to continue during the next couple of days. The estimated minimum central pressure is 1006 millibars. Tropical Storm Fiona forms in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean

Maximum sustained winds are near 45 mph (75 kph) with higher gusts. Slow strengthening is possible during the next day or so, followed by gradual weakening over the weekend.
###
For updated forecasts on Fiona, visit: <a href="http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.nhc.noaa.gov</a>.

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Tropical Storm Fiona forms in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean

Tropical Storm Fiona forms in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. NASA-NOAA's...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA's</a> Terra satellite captured an infrared image of the developing Tropical Storm 10W in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean near Guam.Tropical Depression 10W forms near Guam</div>
The Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer or MODIS instrument aboard NASA's Terra satellite provided an infrared look at Tropical Depression 10W on Aug. 18. 10W has some strong thunderstorms around the center of circulation that appeared to have cold top temperatures as cold as minus 80 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 62.2 degrees Celsius). Cloud tops that cold are high into the troposphere (lowest layer of the atmosphere) and have the potential to generate heavy rainfall.

At 11 a.m. EDT (1500 UTC) on August 18, 2016 Tropical Depression 10W was centered near 16.5 degrees north latitude and 143.4 degrees east longitude, about 189 nautical miles north-northeast of Andersen Air Force Base, <a href="http://www.earth.com/endangered-species/bulbophyllum-guamense/">Guam</a>. 10W has tracked north-northwestward at 10.3 mph (9 knots/16.6 kph) and is expected to continue moving in that direction. Maximum sustained winds were near 34.5 mph (30 knots/55.5 kph). Also Tropical Depression 10W forms near Guam caused a lot of damage.

The Joint Typhoon Warning Center forecast calls for Tropical Storm 10W to move in a generally northerly direction over the next several days while intensifying slightly to a minimal tropical storm. The forecast takes 10W to the central part of the big island of Japan by Aug. 22 and 23.


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Tropical Depression 10W forms near Guam

NASA's Terra satellite captured an infrared image of the developing...

Melting glaciers pose flood risk The tropical glaciers of <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/deforestation-south-america/">South America</a> are dying from soot and rising temperatures, threatening water supplies to communities that have depended on them for centuries. But experts say that the slow process measured in inches of glacial retreat per year also can lead to a sudden, dramatic tragedy.
The melting glaciers like Peru's Pastoruri has put cities like Huaraz, located downslope from the glacier about 35 miles (55 kilometers) away, at risk from what scientists call a "glof" - glacial lake outburst flood.
A glof occurs when the weak walls of a mountain valley collapse under the weight of meltwater from a glacier. Recent examples include the rapid draining in 2013 of a lake at <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=chile&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=PF&amp;cvid=2e8824ba01414e68bcd96673651181e5&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;elv=AXK1c4IvZoNqPoPnS%21QRLOPIoNehwT*BZsBaH8EUV3qrP38tbAH3UeUhIiEu8jCeA7S7dKUP4WKai*jYaBLlsMfkv2fGLj9RH8k5Zg7YUL%21%21&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS">Chile's</a> Ventisquero glacier in the Bernardo O'Higgins National Park, six years after another, nearby lake essentially disappeared there.Melting glaciers pose flood risk
Those sites are in remote, sparsely populated Patagonia. But if the glacial Palcacocha lake collapsed, it could cause a damaging flood, say experts in Peru, sort of like a smaller, modern cousin of the ancient glof that is thought to have carved the English Channel.
"As glaciers disappear around the world, there is less water available for use for hydroelectric power, as a renewable resource for agriculture, for human consumption," said Benjamin Orlove, a professor of international and public affairs at Colombia University in New York. "The glacier retreat also brings many disasters. Entire slopes are destabilized, creating landslides that travel many miles and have destroyed entire towns."
Benjamin Morales Arnao, the head of Peru's National Institute for Glacier Research, said that while the country's glaciers "are a source of life, due to their water resources and biodiversity ... these glaciers are also a source of glacial catastrophes."
The problem is that glacial lakes are often fragile structures, created when rocks and rubble carried by a glacier form a moraine that dams up its water outflow. The dam can also be created by chunks of a glacier's own ice. These inherently unstable structures can collapse quickly, especially in a place like Peru that is prone to frequent, violent earthquakes.
At a conference last week on the glacier retreat in Peru, Morales Arnao said that Huaraz, a city of about 100,000 people, is particularly at risk from Palcacocha lake, just 12 miles (20 kilometers) up the mountain above the city, and called for resources to mitigate the risk. Dams, spillways and other waterworks have helped in other places.
Massive glofs have occurred regularly in sparsely populated parts of Iceland and other nations.
The International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, a regional intergovernmental research center that serves the eight countries of the Himalayas, said that in Nepal - whose proximity to the highest and largest meltwater sources in the world makes it particularly vulnerable - "little attention was paid to the phenomenon until the sudden outburst of the Dig Tsho," a relatively small meltwater lake in the Mount Everest National Park.
On Aug. 4, 1985, the lake's moraine dam collapsed, and all its water drained into a downstream valley in four hours, causing losses as far as 30 to 35 miles (50 to 60 kilometers) downstream.
A large ice and rock avalanche had cascaded into the lake, creating a wave that spilled over the moraine and caused it to collapse, the center's report said. "It discharged an estimated 6 to 10 million cubic meters (as much as 2.6 billion gallons) of water into the valley below."
Digging stone- or cement-lined channels through glacial dams is one solution to the threat. Many moraine dams collapse because meltwater erodes them by seepage or over-topping them. Stopping global warming that is increasingly causing glaciers to melt is another.
Experts at the International Forum on Glaciers and Mountain Ecosystems held in Huaraz last week concluded that the world is going to have to plan on melting glaciers, at least for the time being.
"The processes of climate change and glacial melting are irreversible," the forum said in its conclusions. "We have to carry out actions to adapt, and mitigate the risks."
"The long-term solution is for the world to shift to different energy sources, sources that are renewable, sources that do not emit gases that cause climate change," Orlove said. "In the short term we have to find adaptations, like installing early warning systems for disasters in the most sensitive areas."
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Melting glaciers pose flood risk

Melting glaciers pose flood risk The tropical glaciers of South...

<div>
<div class="img-wrapper">Aqua satellite passed over tropical cyclone Kay. NASA's Aqua satellite passed over tropical cyclone Kay as it was designated a depression in the Eastern Pacific and identified areas of strong convection. That strong uplift of air continued to generate more powerful storms in the system and on Aug. 19 it strengthened into a tropical storm.</div>
The Atmospheric Infrared Sounder or AIRS instrument that flies aboard <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=nasa&amp;cvid=299dd5dbf21847d480e60daa950d8a7d&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">NASA's</a> Aqua satellite analyzed Kay as it was classified as a depression on Aug. 18 at 4:53 p.m. EDT (2053 UTC).

AIRS looked at Tropical Depression Kay in infrared light, gathering temperature data of the system's clouds. Coldest cloud top temperatures appeared south of the center at that time where some temperatures of the strongest storms exceeded minus 63 degrees Fahrenheit (minus 53 degrees Celsius). Storms with temperatures that cold are high in the troposphere and NASA research has shown they have the ability to generate heavy rain. Aqua satellite passed over tropical cyclone Kay

By 5 a.m. EDT on Friday, Aug. 19, Kay had strengthened into a tropical storm and became the eleventh named tropical cyclone of the eastern Pacific Ocean hurricane season.

At that time the National <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=hurricane&amp;cvid=c4e16a08dc774b54a1d6621b517e0119&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Hurricane</a> Center (NHC) said the center of Tropical Storm Kay was located near 18.4 degrees north latitude and 110.9 degrees west longitude. That puts the center of Kay about 315 miles (510 km) south-southwest of the southern tip of Baja<a href="http://www.earth.com/image/tule-fog-across-californias-central-valley/"> California,</a> Mexico, and just 30 miles (45 km) south-southeast of Socorro Island.

NHC said Kay was moving toward the northwest near 7 mph (11 kph) and is expected to turn toward the north-northwest with a decrease in forward speed. Maximum sustained winds have increased to near 40 mph (65 kph) and no significant change in strength is forecast during the next day or so.

Kay is forecast to move to the northwest and once it is parallel to the southern tip of Baja California, it is forecast to weaken to a depression and turn away from land and head west into the Eastern Pacific.


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Aqua satellite passed over tropical cyclone Kay

Aqua satellite passed over tropical cyclone Kay. NASA's Aqua satellite...

Environmental groups sue to block natural gas pipeline. Environmental groups have filed a federal lawsuit to stop a 516-mile-long natural gas pipeline that would run through three Southeastern states.
Groups including the Sierra Club filed the lawsuit Wednesday in the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta.
The suit against the U.S. <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=army+corps&amp;cvid=928fe78ac53348989e2eb254a6148ca5&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Army Corps</a> of Engineers comes less than a week after the $3.2-billion Sabal Trail project received final federal approvals, including permits to discharge dredged materials into wetlands and other water bodies. Environmental groups sue to block natural gas pipeline
The project is a joint effort by Spectra Energy, Duke Energy and<a href="http://www.earth.com/image/florida-and-the-everglades-national-park/"> Florida</a> Power &amp; Light. The pipeline will carry natural gas from Alabama, through Georgia, into Florida.
The suit says the project poses a threat to drinking water sources in the region.
Corps spokeswoman Nikki Nobles declined to comment Thursday, citing the pending litigation.Natural gas (also called fossil gas; sometimes just gas), is a naturally occurring hydrocarbon gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, but commonly including varying amounts of other higher alkanes, and sometimes a small percentage of carbon dioxide, nitrogen, hydrogen sulfide, or helium. It is formed when layers of decomposing plant and animal matter are exposed to intense heat and pressure under the surface of the Earth over millions of years
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Environmental groups sue to block natural gas pipeline

Environmental groups sue to block natural gas pipeline. Environmental groups...

<div>Study: Mussels protect grasses from drought. As coastal ecosystems feel the heat of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-beer-shortages/">climate</a> change worldwide, new research shows the humble mussel and marsh grass form an intimate interaction known as mutualism that benefits both partner species and may be critical to helping these ecosystems bounce back from extreme climatic events such as drought.</div>
The study, led by the University of <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=flordia&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=PF&amp;cvid=62a95bfc06dd4560ae23c61719efe48b&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;elv=AXK1c4IvZoNqPoPnS%21QRLOPIoNehwT*BZsBaH8EUV3qrCydPsNokk9N537HoH8qR*Nu1M4tK5axpnGEUQzav2GmguofWZqKxDXkpLzBoVUgD&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS">Florida</a>, finds that when mussels pile up in mounds around the grass stems, they provide protection by improving water storage around the grass roots and reducing soil salinity. Also Study: Mussels protect grasses from drought

Mussels protect grasses from drought by improving water storage around the grass roots and reducing soil salinity.

With mussels' help, the study found, marshes can recover from drought in less than a decade.

Without, it can take more than century.

"It's a story of mutual benefit between marsh grass and mussels," said Christine Angelini, an assistant professor of environmental engineering sciences in UF's Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering and lead author on the paper.

The mussels, she said, "protect and then accelerate the healing of drought-stricken marshes."

Saving the marshes has not only environmental benefits but also economic ones.

"Marsh die-off and loss are major issues that can affect land value, fisheries and water quality," Angelini said. "Even if just a little bit of vegetation survives, it makes a huge difference in how quickly the marsh comes back."

The researchers became interested in the topic after three severe droughts in the Southeast over the past 17 years caused a major die-off of cordgrass, the region's dominant, marsh-structuring plant.

Using Google earth, the team considered 13 sites that contained relatively large marsh areas likely to experience drought-associated grass die-offs. They selected nine that spanned a little more than 150 miles of southeastern U.S. coastline from southern Georgia to central South Carolina at the conclusion of a severe, two-year drought in June 2012.

They found that wherever there were clusters of mussels embedded in the mud around the base of the grass stems, the grass survived; in fact, grass growing in mussel clusters had a 64 percent probability of surviving versus a 1 percent probability in areas where there were no mussels.

The researchers suspect mussels protect marsh grass during severe drought because they pave the marsh surface with their ribbed shells and attract burrowing crabs that excavate underground water storage compartments.

One of the research team's marsh study sites was in the backyard of Dale Aren of Charleston, South Carolina.

A freelance marketing consultant, Aren and her husband, Scott, bought their property on Coburg Creek 16 years ago. The scenery played a major role their choice.

"The long marsh views and being on deep water were key in our purchase decision," she said.

After noticing the marsh behind her home was dying, she did some online research and found a paper about that very problem written by Angelini's colleague, Brian Silliman, an assistant professor of biology at UF and a co-author on Angelini's paper.

"We were worried," Aren said. "The Spartina [grass] is beautiful and the increasing area of mudflats were very unattractive and did not look healthy."

However, there were little patches of grass left in these mudflats - most associated with mussels. The researchers found that, once the drought subsided, these dispersed grass patches expanded rapidly, healing the mudflats from the inside out.

Three years later, the mudflats had largely recovered to healthy marsh, showing reason for optimism.

"However, at the moment, we are experiencing a more severe dieback" Aren said. "Interestingly though, our neighbors marsh is rejuvenating more now than in 2012 - 2013. Their marsh was much worse than ours and now it looks better. There are so many variables."

The next step, Angelini said, is to figure out whether the transplanting mussels into drought-vulnerable marshes could offer a low-cost solution for homeowners to improve the resilience of their own back yards. They are also testing whether other at-risk ecosystems - seagrass meadows or, perhaps most notably, coral reefs - may be similarly protected by keystone mutualisms.

The paper was published today in Nature Communications. Other institutions involved with Angelini's research were Swansea University in the United Kingdom, The University of Groningen and Radboud University in the Netherlands; the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research; and Duke University.

"More generally, this work highlights how cooperation is key for an ecosystems ability to withstand and bounce back from climate change," said study co-author Brian Silliman, the Rachel Carson Associate Professor of Marine Conservation Biology at Duke. "Without cooperation, U.S. Southeastern salt marshes would likely be in a dramatic, spiraling decline because of increasing droughts stress."

The research was funded by the National Science Foundation's Division of Ocean Sciences and Division of Environmental Biology.

"This is a very good example of how the diversity of life in a salt marsh promotes resilience to climate and environmental change," said David Garrison, program director in NSF's Division of Ocean Sciences.

Study: Mussels protect grasses from drought

Study: Mussels protect grasses from drought. As coastal ecosystems feel...

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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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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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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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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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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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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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



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Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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



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Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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