Music has long been a source of comfort and connection for humanity. Expectant parents have often turned to music as a way to bond with their unborn children, believing that melodies can soothe and stimulate fetal development. 



While this idea has been popular for generations, science is now uncovering real <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/live-music-connects-people-emotionally-and-physically/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">physiological effects of music</a> on the unborn child.



Recent research has shown that playing classical music during pregnancy may not only create a sense of calm but could also influence fetal heart rate patterns. This discovery opens new possibilities in understanding how early exposure to sound might impact neurological and physiological growth before birth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fetal-heart-rate-and-development">Fetal heart rate and development</h2>



The fetal heart does more than just pump blood. Its rhythm and variability provide insights into the developing autonomic nervous system. 



Scientists often use heart rate variability - changes in the time between individual heartbeats - to measure overall fetal health. Greater variability often signals more advanced neurological development, indicating a maturing nervous system.



Traditional heart rate assessments measure an average of beats over multiple seconds. This method offers useful information but does not capture the finer details of how the heart responds in real-time. 



Heart rate variability, on the other hand, reveals subtle shifts in fetal autonomic activity. This makes it a valuable tool for assessing developmental progress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effects-of-music-on-the-fetal-heart">Effects of music on the fetal heart</h2>



A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.uaemex.mx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Autonomous University of the State of Mexico</a>, the <a href="https://www.uam.mx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Metropolitan Autonomous University</a>, the <a href="https://salud.edomex.gob.mx/isem/at_unidades_medicas&amp;cveunidad=MCSSA007661" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">General Hospital Nicolás San Juan</a>, and the <a href="https://www.cardiologia.org.mx" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">National Institute of Cardiology Ignacio Chávez</a> explored how classical music affects fetal heart rate. 



Their study, published in Chaos by AIP Publishing, aimed to understand whether music exposure could shape heart rate dynamics in a measurable way.



To conduct their experiment, the team recruited 36 pregnant women and exposed their unborn children to two classical pieces. 



The selected compositions were The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns, a well-known French melody, and Arpa de Oro by Abundio Martínez, a traditional Mexican guitar piece. Using external heart rate monitors, the researchers recorded changes in fetal heart activity during and after the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-has-the-power-to-change-the-mood-of-our-memories/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">music</a> played.



By applying nonlinear recurrence quantification analysis, they examined how heart rate variability responded to the melodies. This advanced mathematical technique allowed them to detect patterns that traditional methods might overlook.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music-and-nervous-system-development">Music and nervous system development </h2>



The results showed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/live-music-evokes-stronger-emotions-than-streamed-music/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">listening to music</a> led to more stable and predictable heart rate patterns in the fetus.



“Overall, we discovered that exposure to music resulted in more stable and predictable fetal heart rate patterns,” said author Claudia Lerma. “We speculate that this momentary effect could stimulate the development of the fetal autonomic nervous system.”



These findings suggest that music has an immediate effect on fetal physiology. It may help regulate heart rhythms, potentially supporting healthy nervous system development. While the long-term implications are still unknown, this study highlights the potential for sound to play a role in prenatal health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effects-of-different-musical-compositions">Effects of different musical compositions</h2>



Beyond identifying a general effect of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/can-music-help-plants-grow/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">music</a>, the researchers also compared how the two selected pieces influenced fetal heart rate. Both compositions produced changes, but the Mexican guitar melody had a stronger impact on heart rate variability.



“When contrasting ‘The Swan’ with ‘Arpa de Oro,’ we did notice some significant differences,” said author Eric Alonso Abarca-Castro. 



“In particular, the second piece appeared to have a stronger impact on some measures, indicating that it produced heart rate patterns that were more predictable and regular. Factors like rhythmic characteristics, melodic structure, or cultural familiarity may be linked to this differentiation.”



This finding raises intriguing questions about how different types of music influence fetal development. The role of rhythm, harmony, and cultural familiarity in shaping physiological responses could be an important area for future study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-expectant-parents">Implications for expectant parents</h2>



For parents-to-be, this research provides scientific support for an age-old practice. Playing soothing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/song-melodies-have-become-much-simpler-since-1950/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">music</a> during pregnancy may do more than create a peaceful environment - it could also promote fetal development in subtle but meaningful ways.



“Our results suggest that these changes in fetal heart rate dynamics occur instantly in short-term fluctuations, so parents might want to consider exposing their fetuses to quiet music,” said Abarca-Castro. 



“Parents who play soothing music may stimulate and benefit the fetal autonomic system.”



While further research is needed to determine the long-term benefits of this practice, these findings suggest that music could be a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/music-reveals-which-brain-areas-are-affected-by-aging/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">simple and natural way</a> to support fetal well-being. Expectant parents may wish to experiment with different styles of calming music to see how their unborn child responds.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-directions">Future research directions</h2>



The researchers plan to deepen their investigation by studying different musical genres and expanding their sample size. Classical music may be just one of many styles capable of influencing fetal heart rate dynamics.



“To ascertain whether rhythmic or cultural variations elicit distinct fetal cardiac responses, we intend to increase the size of our sample and expand our investigation to include a variety of musical styles beyond classical pieces,” said author José Javier Reyes-Lagos.



This next phase of research could reveal whether jazz, folk, or even modern electronic music has similar effects on fetal heart rate patterns. Understanding how different forms of sound interact with prenatal development may provide insights into how early sensory experiences shape human growth.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-music-and-fetal-health">Music and fetal health</h2>



As science continues to explore the impact of music on fetal health, these findings add to the growing body of evidence supporting the importance of sensory stimulation in the womb. 



Music may not only comfort and connect expectant parents with their unborn children but also contribute to neurological and physiological <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-that-listen-to-music-grow-faster-and-healthier/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">development</a> in ways that are only beginning to be understood.



For now, playing gentle, rhythmic music may be a simple way for parents to engage with their baby before birth. The discovery that heart rate patterns can become more stable and predictable with music suggests that sound could play a deeper role in shaping early life than previously believed.



The study is published in the <a href="https://pubs.aip.org/aip/cha/article/35/2/023121/3333471/Response-to-music-on-the-nonlinear-dynamics-of" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science.</a>



-----



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How music affects a baby’s heartbeat before birth

Music has long been a source of comfort and connection for humanity. Expectant parents have often turned to music as a way to bond with their unborn children, believing that melodies can soothe and stimulate fetal development. While this idea has been popular for generations, science is now uncovering real physiological effects of music on the unborn child. Recent research has shown that playing classical music during pregnancy may not only create a sense of calm but could also influence fetal heart rate patterns. This discovery opens...

Kivalina, Alaska Will Be A Global Warming Casualty Within A Decade. Residents of a Native village threatened by erosion were thankful for President Barack Obama's attention to their plight, saying they hope his visit to Alaska will help them secure funding to build a critical evacuation road to drier ground.
Even with a protective ocean rock wall, the impoverished Inupiat Eskimo community of Kivalina has no more than a decade left before erosion begins to force people from their homes, said Millie Hawley, president of Kivalina's tribal council.
Villagers say a couple homes near the village lagoon are already threatened by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/oahu-could-lose-40-percent-of-its-beaches-to-coastal-erosion/">erosion</a>, which has come within 3 feet of the foundation of one dwelling. Kivalina, Alaska Will Be A Global Warming Casualty Within A Decade
With about 400 people, Kivalina is located at the tip of a barrier reef 80 miles northwest of the regional hub of Kotzebue, where Obama was scheduled to visit Wednesday during his tour of Alaska to show the effects of climate change.
In July, a White House advance team visited Kivalina about 625 miles northwest of Anchorage to scope it out as a possible stop for the president, but the visit didn't materialize.
The president, however, did get a look at Kivalina on Wednesday as Air Force One did a flyover when it was en route to Kotzebue. The president's plane came down low to the ground, and the village was visible on the left side of the plane.
The pilots turned the plane around to fly over Kivalina again so the president could get a second look.
"On my way here, I flew over the island of Kivalina, which is already receding into the ocean," Obama said during his address in Kotzebue.
He described how waves sweep across the entire barrier island at times.
"For many of those Alaskans, it's no longer a question of if they are going to relocate, but when," Obama said. "Think about that. If another country tried to do wipe out an entire town, we'd do everything in our power to protect it."
Hawley was among 10 village leaders who flew by charter plane to Kotzebue, and she introduced the president before his address.
"I think we're in a prominent place to get our issues addressed on climate change," Hawley said. "It's all about life safety and food security."
Brian Deese, Obama's senior adviser for climate and energy issues, said the federal government was working to address concerns in Kivalina and similar villages that find it hard to access federal funds for relocation.
He said that Alaska Natives had identified USDA water infrastructure grants as a particular source of funding that could be helpful.
Hawley said the village wants to build a 7-mile evacuation road and causeway to the mainland where residents voted several years ago to build a future school at a potential relocation site.
Erosion is only part of the impact of climate change, which is accelerating in the Arctic. Villagers say the migrations of animals they rely on for much of their diet, such as bearded seal and caribou, have become unpredictable and is taking place far earlier. That is forcing residents to travel farther to hunt.
For the past few years, the caribou that used to show up by the thousands near the village have all but disappeared.
Also, the ice that protects the shores from storm surges is forming later and melting earlier, allowing stronger storms to lash out at the eroding coastline.
Joseph Swan Jr., who manages Kivalina's water plant, has lived in the village all his 47 years. He welcomed the opportunity for the village to be on Obama's radar because the president has global influence.
"It's great that somebody's finally paying attention, real attention, and letting us know we're not invisible," Swan said.
---
Associated Press writer Josh Lederman contributed to this report from Air Force One over Kivalina.
---
Follow Rachel D'Oro at <a href="https://twitter.com/rdoro" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://twitter.com/rdoro</a>
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Kivalina, Alaska Will Be A Global Warming Casualty Within A Decade

Kivalina, Alaska Will Be A Global Warming Casualty Within A...

Residents of a Native village threatened by erosion were thankful for President Barack Obama's attention to their plight, saying they hope his visit to Alaska will help them secure funding to build a critical evacuation road to drier ground.
Even with a protective ocean rock wall, the impoverished Inupiat Eskimo community of Kivalina has no more than a decade left before erosion begins to force people from their homes, said Millie Hawley, president of Kivalina's tribal council.
Villagers say a couple homes near the village lagoon are already threatened by erosion, which has come within 3 feet of the foundation of one dwelling.
With about 400 people, Kivalina is located at the tip of a barrier reef 80 miles northwest of the regional hub of Kotzebue, where Obama was scheduled to visit Wednesday during his tour of Alaska to show the effects of climate change.
In July, a White House advance team visited Kivalina about 625 miles northwest of Anchorage to scope it out as a possible stop for the president, but the visit didn't materialize.
The president, however, did get a look at Kivalina on Wednesday as Air Force One did a flyover when it was en route to Kotzebue. The president's plane came down low to the ground, and the village was visible on the left side of the plane.
The pilots turned the plane around to fly over Kivalina again so the president could get a second look.
"On my way here, I flew over the island of Kivalina, which is already receding into the ocean," Obama said during his address in Kotzebue.
He described how waves sweep across the entire barrier island at times.
"For many of those Alaskans, it's no longer a question of if they are going to relocate, but when," Obama said. "Think about that. If another country tried to do wipe out an entire town, we'd do everything in our power to protect it."
Hawley was among 10 village leaders who flew by charter plane to Kotzebue, and she introduced the president before his address.
"I think we're in a prominent place to get our issues addressed on climate change," Hawley said. "It's all about life safety and food security."
Brian Deese, Obama's senior adviser for climate and energy issues, said the federal government was working to address concerns in Kivalina and similar villages that find it hard to access federal funds for relocation.
He said that Alaska Natives had identified USDA water infrastructure grants as a particular source of funding that could be helpful.
Hawley said the village wants to build a 7-mile evacuation road and causeway to the mainland where residents voted several years ago to build a future school at a potential relocation site.
Erosion is only part of the impact of climate change, which is accelerating in the Arctic. Villagers say the migrations of animals they rely on for much of their diet, such as bearded seal and caribou, have become unpredictable and is taking place far earlier. That is forcing residents to travel farther to hunt.
For the past few years, the caribou that used to show up by the thousands near the village have all but disappeared.
Also, the ice that protects the shores from storm surges is forming later and melting earlier, allowing stronger storms to lash out at the eroding coastline.
Joseph Swan Jr., who manages Kivalina's water plant, has lived in the village all his 47 years. He welcomed the opportunity for the village to be on Obama's radar because the president has global influence.
"It's great that somebody's finally paying attention, real attention, and letting us know we're not invisible," Swan said.
---
Associated Press writer Josh Lederman contributed to this report from Air Force One over Kivalina.
---
Follow Rachel D'Oro at <a href="https://twitter.com/rdoro" target="_blank" rel="noopener">https://twitter.com/rdoro</a>
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Residents of a Native village threatened by erosion were thankful...

Global Climate Pact Starting To Take Shape. U.N. climate talks are plodding ahead toward a worldwide deal to fight global warming, with negotiators agreeing to start work on a draft agreement for a global climate pact.
A weeklong session in Bonn finished Friday with the two officials leading the talks getting the green light to turn a sprawling negotiating text into a coherent draft by the next round of talks in October. The deal is expected to be signed in <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=paris&amp;cvid=921d165e7ba74c23a98f3a5357617f19&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Paris</a> in December.
Crunch issues that remain include resolving how to share the burden of slashing climate-warming carbon emissions and helping poor countries adapt to rising sea levels and other effects of global warming.
The U.S., European Union and other developed nations want the new deal to reflect evolving national circumstances so <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/less-vegetation-is-appearing-in-countries-that-need-it-most/">countries</a> take on more responsibilities as their economies and their carbon emissions grow. But India and others want to retain the firewall between developed and developing countries that's been at the core of previous agreements, requiring only developed nations to set binding targets to cut emissions.
"Some countries have a GDP per capita of more than $20,000, others have just $400," India's chief negotiator Ravi Prasad told The Associated Press. "There is a clear differentiation in the real world ... so how can we not have a difference in how we deal with climate change?"
China and India say the industrialized countries have a historical responsibility for climate change because they've released the most emissions over time, mainly from burning oil, coal and gas. However, developed country negotiators said the two sides are moving closer on the issue.
"We are not that far away," EU delegate Sarah Blau said.
In practice, the rich-poor division is already blurred. Except for the very poorest, all countries are supposed to submit pledges to cut emissions for the new deal. China submitted its pledge in June; India is expected to do so this month.
Also, several developing countries including South Korea, Mexico and Colombia have joined rich nations in pledging contributions to a climate fund to help the poorest countries deal with climate change.
Delegates in Bonn appeared to move closer on another controversial issue: how to help vulnerable nations deal with climate impacts they cannot adapt to, such as rising seas that threaten their coastlines and drinking water. Global Climate Pact Starting To Take Shape
The U.S. and other Western countries are concerned the issue could lead to claims of liability and compensation for climate change losses. The U.S. presented a proposal in Bonn to continue discussions on the issue, even if it's not enshrined in the Paris deal.
"I'm sure throughout the negotiations we'll be able to find suitable language that caters to the interests of both us and the U.S.," said Amjad Abdulla of the Maldives, the chief negotiator for small island states.
Some delegates and environmental groups were disappointed with the slow pace in Bonn but U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres urged patience.
"The proof is in the pudding," she said. "And the pudding is going to come out of the oven in Paris."
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Global Climate Pact Starting To Take Shape

Global Climate Pact Starting To Take Shape. U.N. climate talks...

Work On 10 Sites Suspended After Colorado Spill. Site investigations and some cleanup work at 10 polluted mining complexes in four states were suspended because of conditions similar to those that led to a massive wastewater blowout from an inactive Colorado gold mine, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials said.
The sites include three in California, four in Colorado, two in Montana and one in Missouri, according to details obtained by The Associated Press following repeated requests for the information. Work On 10 Sites Suspended After Colorado Spill
They have the potential for contaminated water to build up inside mine workings, EPA Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus said. That would set the stage for a possible spill such as last month's near Silverton, Colorado, where an EPA team triggered a 3 million gallon blowout of toxic sludge while doing excavation work on the inactive Gold King Mine.
The accident fouled rivers in three states and attracted harsh criticism of the EPA for not being prepared despite prior warnings that such a spill could happen.
"We want to take extra caution before we initiate any work," Stanislaus said of the work suspensions. Some the mines were abandoned decades ago and have grown more unstable over time, raising the risk of an accident.
The stop-work order was issued last month but officials for weeks refused to disclose specifics.
Cleanup efforts on some of the mines have been going on for years yet remain unfinished, underscoring the complexity of a long-running attempt to address an estimated 500,000 abandoned mines across the U.S. Work on others was in the early stages.
In a report to Congress delivered Friday, the Government Accountability Office said federal agencies identified thousands of contaminated mine sites in recent years - even as their attempts to assess what harm is being done to people and the environment have lagged.
Further investigations were needed to gauge the danger posed by the 10 mining complexes under the suspension before work could safely resume, according to internal EPA documents released by the agency.
That includes categorizing their level of hazard. For those deemed a "probable hazard," the EPA plans to keep the work stoppage in place until emergency plans are drawn up to deal with any accident.
The agency also wants to get the results of an Interior Department investigation into the Colorado accident before proceeding on most of the other sites. That's expected in late October, department officials said.
Prior to the Aug. 5 Gold King spill, the EPA and its contractor, Environmental Restoration LLC of St. Louis, appeared to have only a cursory emergency response plan in the event of a spill, according to documents released under public records requests.
There was no cellphone coverage at the remote site in the San Juan Mountains, and the workers did not have a satellite phone, according to EPA documents. As a result, they had no way to immediately communicate with the outside world when the rust-colored water loaded with heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, began rushing toward downstream communities.
One of the sites where cleanup work was subsequently halted was the Standard Mine in the mountains above Crested Butte, a ski town in west-central Colorado. Crested Butte Mayor Aaron Huckstep said that after work was suspended, the EPA met with residents and officials and made sure cleanup workers could communicate directly with the town in an emergency.
"They understood that they needed to make sure that the communication channels and the communication protocols were in place and the folks knew who to call and when to call them," Huckstep said.
EPA documents show wastewater at the site periodically spills over a crudely-built impoundment, raising concerns about a "potential catastrophic failure" and the possibility of tainting Crested Butte's drinking water. But Huckstep said he didn't believe the Standard Mine was a threat to blow out, based on EPA statements and differences in the land.
The EPA said the town's water meets safety standards.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment spokesman Warren Smith said wastewater flowing from the mine was not considered an acute health threat. Work on the site resumed Sept. 4 after officials determined appropriate safety measures were in place.
The Aug. 12 stop-work order from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy did not apply to sites where halting operations would pose a threat to people or increase the potential for harm to the environment, according to internal EPA documents.
Also exempted were portions of the 10 stopped projects where construction already was completed, such as treatment systems for contaminated water that pours continually from many abandoned mine shafts.
That's the case for two sites listed in northern <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=california&amp;cvid=fd080693bd5c40978847ead77d982ee9&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">California</a> - the Leviathan sulfur mine near the town of Markleeville and the Iron Mountain metals mine near Redding. Water continues to be collected at the sites, to be treated and then discharged.
"We have not received any direction from EPA to shut down our treatment. It's been business as usual for us out there," said Scott Ferguson with the Lahonton Regional Water Quality Control Board, which is involved with the Leviathan mine.
EPA spokeswoman Laura Allen said other work at the two mines has stopped, including plans to remove a beaver dam at Leviathan.
The following mining sites are affected by a U.S. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-stars-may-be-drowning-in-their-environment/">Environmental</a> Protection Agency decision to suspend investigations and some cleanup work at locations with similarities to a mine involved in a 3-million-gallon wastewater spill near Silverton, Colorado, in August:
-Leviathan Mine, near Markleeville, California. An open-pit sulfur mine that closed in 1962. Acid mine water drains from the 250-acre site and has killed off aquatic life in nearby creeks.
-Iron Mountain Mine, northwest of Redding, California. After operating for a century, the mine closed in 1963. Periodic uncontrolled spills have caused major fish kills in surrounding waterways.
-Standard Mine, near Crested Butte, Colorado. The former zinc, lead, silver and gold mine in the Gunnison National Forest shut down in 1966. Heavy metals including cadmium, zinc, lead and copper have contaminated Elk Creek, which drains into another stream that provides drinking water for Crested Butte.
-Southwest Jefferson County mining complex, near De Soto, Missouri. As many as 190 mines once operated in this 166-square-mile area first developed in the early 1800s. Lead has contaminated the soil and groundwater of residential properties in the area.
-Argonaut Mine, Jackson, California. A former gold mine that closed in 1942, Argonaut was the site of a 1922 fire that killed 47 workers. The 65-acre site contains highly contaminated soils and mine tailings.
-Flat Creek/Iron Mountain Mine, near Superior, Montana. It produced silver, lead, gold and other ores and closed in 1953. Mine tailings were used as fill and roadway material in Superior. Flooding has spread piles of contaminated waste throughout the Flat Creek flood plain.
-Upper Tenmile Creek mining area, southwest of Helena, Montana. Mining in the area, which is upstream of drinking-water sources for Helena, largely ceased in the 1930s. Surface waters and river sediments contain high levels of leads, arsenic, cadmium, copper and zinc that drained from the mines.
-Camp Bird Mine, near Ouray, Colorado. A former gold and silver mine that also produced other metals and operated from 1900 to 1990. Colorado health officials said they were not aware of any cleanup work being done.
-James Creek, 40 miles northwest of Denver. Colorado health officials said they were not aware of any cleanup work being done. No further information was available.
-Eagle River, central Colorado. No further information was available.
---
Sources: EPA, mindat.org
<a id="0e8b51f3-04a1-4045-9f59-f8045066de11" href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MINE_WASTE_SPILL_GLANCE?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2015-09-12-01-36-34#0e8b51f3-04a1-4045-9f59-f8045066de11" rel="item-license">© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a> Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy">Privacy Policy</a>and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms">Terms of Use</a>.

Work On 10 Sites Suspended After Spill

Work On 10 Sites Suspended After Colorado Spill. Site investigations...

Global Climate Pact Starting To Take Shape. U.N. climate talks are plodding ahead toward a worldwide deal to fight global warming, with negotiators agreeing to start work on a draft agreement for a global climate pact.
A weeklong session in Bonn finished Friday with the two officials leading the talks getting the green light to turn a sprawling negotiating text into a coherent draft by the next round of talks in October. The deal is expected to be signed in<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=paris&amp;cvid=921d165e7ba74c23a98f3a5357617f19&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS"> Paris</a> in December.
Crunch issues that remain include resolving how to share the burden of slashing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mangrove-forests-in-oman-were-wiped-out-by-climate-change/">climate</a>-warming carbon emissions and helping poor countries adapt to rising sea levels and other effects of global warming. Global Climate Pact Starting To Take Shape
The U.S., European Union and other developed nations want the new deal to reflect evolving national circumstances so countries take on more responsibilities as their economies and their carbon emissions grow. But India and others want to retain the firewall between developed and developing countries that's been at the core of previous agreements, requiring only developed nations to set binding targets to cut emissions.
"Some countries have a GDP per capita of more than $20,000, others have just $400," India's chief negotiator Ravi Prasad told The Associated Press. "There is a clear differentiation in the real world ... so how can we not have a difference in how we deal with climate change?"
China and India say the industrialized countries have a historical responsibility for climate change because they've released the most emissions over time, mainly from burning oil, coal and gas. However, developed country negotiators said the two sides are moving closer on the issue.
"We are not that far away," EU delegate Sarah Blau said.
In practice, the rich-poor division is already blurred. Except for the very poorest, all countries are supposed to submit pledges to cut emissions for the new deal. China submitted its pledge in June; India is expected to do so this month.
Also, several developing countries including South Korea, Mexico and Colombia have joined rich nations in pledging contributions to a climate fund to help the poorest countries deal with climate change.
Delegates in Bonn appeared to move closer on another controversial issue: how to help vulnerable nations deal with climate impacts they cannot adapt to, such as rising seas that threaten their coastlines and drinking water.
The U.S. and other Western countries are concerned the issue could lead to claims of liability and compensation for climate change losses. The U.S. presented a proposal in Bonn to continue discussions on the issue, even if it's not enshrined in the Paris deal.
"I'm sure throughout the negotiations we'll be able to find suitable language that caters to the interests of both us and the U.S.," said Amjad Abdulla of the Maldives, the chief negotiator for small island states.
Some delegates and environmental groups were disappointed with the slow pace in Bonn but U.N. climate chief Christiana Figueres urged patience.
"The proof is in the pudding," she said. "And the pudding is going to come out of the oven in Paris."
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Work On 10 Sites Suspended After Colorado Spill. Site investigations and some cleanup work at 10 polluted mining complexes in four states were suspended because of conditions similar to those that led to a massive wastewater blowout from an inactive Colorado gold mine, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials said.
The sites include three in California, four in Colorado, two in Montana and one in Missouri, according to details obtained by The Associated Press following repeated requests for the information. Work On 10 Sites Suspended After Colorado Spill
They have the potential for contaminated water to build up inside mine workings, EPA Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus said. That would set the stage for a possible spill such as last month's near Silverton, Colorado, where an EPA team triggered a 3 million gallon blowout of toxic sludge while doing excavation work on the inactive Gold King Mine.
The accident fouled rivers in three states and attracted harsh criticism of the EPA for not being prepared despite prior warnings that such a spill could happen.
"We want to take extra caution before we initiate any work," Stanislaus said of the work suspensions. Some the mines were abandoned decades ago and have grown more unstable over time, raising the risk of an accident.
The stop-work order was issued last month but officials for weeks refused to disclose specifics.
Cleanup efforts on some of the mines have been going on for years yet remain unfinished, underscoring the complexity of a long-running attempt to address an estimated 500,000 abandoned mines across the U.S. Work on others was in the early stages.
In a report to Congress delivered Friday, the Government Accountability Office said federal agencies identified thousands of contaminated mine sites in recent years - even as their attempts to assess what harm is being done to people and the environment have lagged.
Further investigations were needed to gauge the danger posed by the 10 mining complexes under the suspension before work could safely resume, according to internal EPA documents released by the agency.
That includes categorizing their level of hazard. For those deemed a "probable hazard," the <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/gentoo-penguins-are-not-one-species-but-four/">EPA</a> plans to keep the work stoppage in place until emergency plans are drawn up to deal with any accident.
The agency also wants to get the results of an Interior Department investigation into the Colorado accident before proceeding on most of the other sites. That's expected in late October, department officials said.
Prior to the Aug. 5 Gold King spill, the EPA and its contractor, Environmental Restoration LLC of St. Louis, appeared to have only a cursory emergency response plan in the event of a spill, according to documents released under public records requests.
There was no cellphone coverage at the remote site in the San Juan Mountains, and the workers did not have a satellite phone, according to EPA documents. As a result, they had no way to immediately communicate with the outside world when the rust-colored water loaded with heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, began rushing toward downstream communities.
One of the sites where cleanup work was subsequently halted was the Standard Mine in the mountains above Crested Butte, a ski town in west-central Colorado. Crested Butte Mayor Aaron Huckstep said that after work was suspended, the EPA met with residents and officials and made sure cleanup workers could communicate directly with the town in an emergency.
"They understood that they needed to make sure that the communication channels and the communication protocols were in place and the folks knew who to call and when to call them," Huckstep said.
EPA documents show wastewater at the site periodically spills over a crudely-built impoundment, raising concerns about a "potential catastrophic failure" and the possibility of tainting Crested Butte's drinking water. But Huckstep said he didn't believe the Standard Mine was a threat to blow out, based on EPA statements and differences in the land.
The EPA said the town's water meets safety standards.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment spokesman Warren Smith said wastewater flowing from the mine was not considered an acute health threat. Work on the site resumed Sept. 4 after officials determined appropriate safety measures were in place.
The Aug. 12 stop-work order from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy did not apply to sites where halting operations would pose a threat to people or increase the potential for harm to the environment, according to internal EPA documents.
Also exempted were portions of the 10 stopped projects where construction already was completed, such as treatment systems for contaminated water that pours continually from many abandoned mine shafts.
That's the case for two sites listed in northern California - the Leviathan sulfur mine near the town of Markleeville and the Iron Mountain metals mine near Redding. Water continues to be collected at the sites, to be treated and then discharged.
"We have not received any direction from EPA to shut down our treatment. It's been business as usual for us out there," said Scott Ferguson with the Lahonton Regional Water Quality Control Board, which is involved with the Leviathan mine.
EPA spokeswoman Laura Allen said other work at the two mines has stopped, including plans to remove a beaver dam at Leviathan.
The following mining sites are affected by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to suspend investigations and some cleanup work at locations with similarities to a mine involved in a 3-million-gallon wastewater spill near Silverton, Colorado, in August:
-Leviathan Mine, near Markleeville, California. An open-pit sulfur mine that closed in 1962. Acid mine water drains from the 250-acre site and has killed off aquatic life in nearby creeks.
-Iron Mountain Mine, northwest of Redding, California. After operating for a century, the mine closed in 1963. Periodic uncontrolled spills have caused major fish kills in surrounding waterways.
-Standard Mine, near Crested Butte, Colorado. The former zinc, lead, silver and gold mine in the Gunnison National Forest shut down in 1966. Heavy metals including cadmium, zinc, lead and copper have contaminated Elk Creek, which drains into another stream that provides drinking water for Crested Butte.
-Southwest Jefferson County mining complex, near De Soto, Missouri. As many as 190 mines once operated in this 166-square-mile area first developed in the early 1800s. Lead has contaminated the soil and groundwater of residential properties in the area.
-Argonaut Mine, Jackson, California. A former gold mine that closed in 1942, Argonaut was the site of a 1922 fire that killed 47 workers. The 65-acre site contains highly contaminated soils and mine tailings.
-Flat Creek/Iron Mountain Mine, near Superior, Montana. It produced silver, lead, gold and other ores and closed in 1953. Mine tailings were used as fill and roadway material in Superior. Flooding has spread piles of contaminated waste throughout the Flat Creek flood plain.
-Upper Tenmile Creek mining area, southwest of Helena, Montana. Mining in the area, which is upstream of drinking-water sources for Helena, largely ceased in the 1930s. Surface waters and river sediments contain high levels of leads, arsenic, cadmium, copper and zinc that drained from the mines.
-Camp Bird Mine, near Ouray, Colorado. A former gold and silver mine that also produced other metals and operated from 1900 to 1990. Colorado health officials said they were not aware of any cleanup work being done.
-James Creek, 40 miles northwest of Denver. Colorado health officials said they were not aware of any cleanup work being done. No further information was available.
-Eagle River, central Colorado. No further information was available.
---
Sources: EPA, mindat.org
<a id="0e8b51f3-04a1-4045-9f59-f8045066de11" href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MINE_WASTE_SPILL_GLANCE?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2015-09-12-01-36-34#0e8b51f3-04a1-4045-9f59-f8045066de11" rel="item-license">© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a> Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy">Privacy Policy</a>and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms">Terms of Use</a>.

Work On 10 Sites Suspended After Colorado Spill

Work On 10 Sites Suspended After Colorado Spill. Site investigations and some cleanup work at 10 polluted mining complexes in four states were suspended because of conditions similar to those that led to a massive wastewater blowout from an inactive Colorado gold mine, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials said.
The sites include three in <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=california&amp;cvid=b0ec7974ed044da888654f5edd35c7de&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">California</a>, four in Colorado, two in Montana and one in Missouri, according to details obtained by The Associated Press following repeated requests for the information. Work On 10 Sites Suspended After Colorado Spill
They have the potential for contaminated water to build up inside mine workings, <a href="http://www.earth.com/video/gentoo-penguins-are-not-one-species-but-four/">EPA</a> Assistant Administrator Mathy Stanislaus said. That would set the stage for a possible spill such as last month's near Silverton, Colorado, where an EPA team triggered a 3 million gallon blowout of toxic sludge while doing excavation work on the inactive Gold King Mine.
The accident fouled rivers in three states and attracted harsh criticism of the EPA for not being prepared despite prior warnings that such a spill could happen.
"We want to take extra caution before we initiate any work," Stanislaus said of the work suspensions. Some the mines were abandoned decades ago and have grown more unstable over time, raising the risk of an accident.
The stop-work order was issued last month but officials for weeks refused to disclose specifics.
Cleanup efforts on some of the mines have been going on for years yet remain unfinished, underscoring the complexity of a long-running attempt to address an estimated 500,000 abandoned mines across the U.S. Work on others was in the early stages.
In a report to Congress delivered Friday, the Government Accountability Office said federal agencies identified thousands of contaminated mine sites in recent years - even as their attempts to assess what harm is being done to people and the environment have lagged.
Further investigations were needed to gauge the danger posed by the 10 mining complexes under the suspension before work could safely resume, according to internal EPA documents released by the agency.
That includes categorizing their level of hazard. For those deemed a "probable hazard," the EPA plans to keep the work stoppage in place until emergency plans are drawn up to deal with any accident.
The agency also wants to get the results of an Interior Department investigation into the Colorado accident before proceeding on most of the other sites. That's expected in late October, department officials said.
Prior to the Aug. 5 Gold King spill, the EPA and its contractor, Environmental Restoration LLC of St. Louis, appeared to have only a cursory emergency response plan in the event of a spill, according to documents released under public records requests.
There was no cellphone coverage at the remote site in the San Juan Mountains, and the workers did not have a satellite phone, according to EPA documents. As a result, they had no way to immediately communicate with the outside world when the rust-colored water loaded with heavy metals, including lead and arsenic, began rushing toward downstream communities.
One of the sites where cleanup work was subsequently halted was the Standard Mine in the mountains above Crested Butte, a ski town in west-central Colorado. Crested Butte Mayor Aaron Huckstep said that after work was suspended, the EPA met with residents and officials and made sure cleanup workers could communicate directly with the town in an emergency.
"They understood that they needed to make sure that the communication channels and the communication protocols were in place and the folks knew who to call and when to call them," Huckstep said.
EPA documents show wastewater at the site periodically spills over a crudely-built impoundment, raising concerns about a "potential catastrophic failure" and the possibility of tainting Crested Butte's drinking water. But Huckstep said he didn't believe the Standard Mine was a threat to blow out, based on EPA statements and differences in the land.
The EPA said the town's water meets safety standards.
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment spokesman Warren Smith said wastewater flowing from the mine was not considered an acute health threat. Work on the site resumed Sept. 4 after officials determined appropriate safety measures were in place.
The Aug. 12 stop-work order from EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy did not apply to sites where halting operations would pose a threat to people or increase the potential for harm to the environment, according to internal EPA documents.
Also exempted were portions of the 10 stopped projects where construction already was completed, such as treatment systems for contaminated water that pours continually from many abandoned mine shafts.
That's the case for two sites listed in northern California - the Leviathan sulfur mine near the town of Markleeville and the Iron Mountain metals mine near Redding. Water continues to be collected at the sites, to be treated and then discharged.
"We have not received any direction from EPA to shut down our treatment. It's been business as usual for us out there," said Scott Ferguson with the Lahonton Regional Water Quality Control Board, which is involved with the Leviathan mine.
EPA spokeswoman Laura Allen said other work at the two mines has stopped, including plans to remove a beaver dam at Leviathan.
The following mining sites are affected by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency decision to suspend investigations and some cleanup work at locations with similarities to a mine involved in a 3-million-gallon wastewater spill near Silverton, Colorado, in August:
-Leviathan Mine, near Markleeville, California. An open-pit sulfur mine that closed in 1962. Acid mine water drains from the 250-acre site and has killed off aquatic life in nearby creeks.
-Iron Mountain Mine, northwest of Redding, California. After operating for a century, the mine closed in 1963. Periodic uncontrolled spills have caused major fish kills in surrounding waterways.
-Standard Mine, near Crested Butte, Colorado. The former zinc, lead, silver and gold mine in the Gunnison National Forest shut down in 1966. Heavy metals including cadmium, zinc, lead and copper have contaminated Elk Creek, which drains into another stream that provides drinking water for Crested Butte.
-Southwest Jefferson County mining complex, near De Soto, Missouri. As many as 190 mines once operated in this 166-square-mile area first developed in the early 1800s. Lead has contaminated the soil and groundwater of residential properties in the area.
-Argonaut Mine, Jackson, California. A former gold mine that closed in 1942, Argonaut was the site of a 1922 fire that killed 47 workers. The 65-acre site contains highly contaminated soils and mine tailings.
-Flat Creek/Iron Mountain Mine, near Superior, Montana. It produced silver, lead, gold and other ores and closed in 1953. Mine tailings were used as fill and roadway material in Superior. Flooding has spread piles of contaminated waste throughout the Flat Creek flood plain.
-Upper Tenmile Creek mining area, southwest of Helena, Montana. Mining in the area, which is upstream of drinking-water sources for Helena, largely ceased in the 1930s. Surface waters and river sediments contain high levels of leads, arsenic, cadmium, copper and zinc that drained from the mines.
-Camp Bird Mine, near Ouray, Colorado. A former gold and silver mine that also produced other metals and operated from 1900 to 1990. Colorado health officials said they were not aware of any cleanup work being done.
-James Creek, 40 miles northwest of Denver. Colorado health officials said they were not aware of any cleanup work being done. No further information was available.
-Eagle River, central Colorado. No further information was available.
---
Sources: EPA, mindat.org
<a id="0e8b51f3-04a1-4045-9f59-f8045066de11" href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_MINE_WASTE_SPILL_GLANCE?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2015-09-12-01-36-34#0e8b51f3-04a1-4045-9f59-f8045066de11" rel="item-license">© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.</a> Learn more about our <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/privacy">Privacy Policy</a>and <a href="http://hosted2.ap.org/APDEFAULT/terms">Terms of Use</a>.

New Trend: Using Goats To Clear Land. A new dog park in <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=Rhode+Island&amp;cvid=503e8e1544a443feb018a71e4181ad76&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Rhode Island</a> got some help from a group of land-clearing specialists: goats.
Organizers used a herd of the ravenous ruminants to clear brush from a plot of land in Portsmouth that will eventually be turned over to man's best friend. New Trend: Using Goats To Clear Land
Kim Cipolla tells WJAR-TV (<a href="http://bit.ly/1O8OsVJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://bit.ly/1O8OsVJ</a> ) the 17 goats ate around the clock over an area about the size of two football fields.
The goats ate everything from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/giant-hogweed-burns/">poison ivy</a> to thick brush and thorns. They even dug up a buried fire hydrant, perfect for a dog park. Cipolla says using goats to clear land is cheaper than a bulldozer and construction crew, and environmentally friendly.
Cipolla says using goats to clear land is cheaper than a bulldozer and construction crew, and environmentally friendly. She says it's "animals helping animal."The domestic goat or simply goat (Capra aegagrus hircus) is a subspecies of <a class="mw-redirect" title="C. aegagrus" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._aegagrus">C. aegagrus</a> <a class="mw-redirect" title="Domesticated" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domesticated">domesticated</a> from the wild goat of <a class="mw-redirect" title="Southwest Asia" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southwest_Asia">Southwest Asia</a> and <a title="Eastern Europe" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Europe">Eastern Europe</a>. The goat is a member of the animal family <a title="Bovidae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bovidae">Bovidae</a> and the subfamily <a title="Caprinae" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caprinae">Caprinae</a>, meaning it is closely related to the <a title="Sheep" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sheep">sheep</a>. There are over 300 distinct <a title="Breed" href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breed">breeds</a> of goat.<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goat#cite_note-hadog-1">[1]</a> It is one of the oldest domesticated species of animal, according to archaeological evidence that its earliest domestication occurred in Iran at 10,000 calibrated calendar years ago.
Now that the goats have finished, committee members are working to complete the job.
---
Information from: WJAR-TV, <a href="http://www.turnto10.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.turnto10.com</a>
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

New Trend: Using Goats To Clear Land

New Trend: Using Goats To Clear Land. A new dog...

Study: Southern Ocean Obsorbing CO2 More Efficiently. Researchers say more work needs to be done to understand the dynamics of the Southern Ocean's carbon sink.

The vast majority of CO2 emissions released by humans end up in the atmosphere. But not all of the carbon dioxide stays there. Some is sucked into the oceans.

According to two new studies -- published in the journals <a class="tpstyle" href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2015GL065194/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Geophysical Research Letters</a> and <a class="tpstyle" href="http://www.sciencemag.org/content/349/6253/1221#aff-1" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Science</a> -- the Southern Ocean is pulling CO2 out of the air at a much more efficient rate than the rest of the world's saltwater.

The Southern Ocean, stretching from the bottom of South America to the tip of the Antarctic Peninsula, boasts some of the roughest seas on Earth. The wind and waves there have taken down many a vessel. As one can imagine, conducting science in the Southern Ocean is no easy task.

But researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the University of Colorado, Columbia University, Switzerland and elsewhere did just that. Study: Southern Ocean Obsorbing CO2 More Efficiently

"The critical element to this study is that we were able to sustain measurements in this harsh environment as long as we have -- both in the summer and the winter, in every year over the last 13 years," Colm Sweeney, a researcher with NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory and one of the lead scientists on both studies, explained in a press release. "This data set of ocean carbon measurements is the densest ongoing time series in the Southern Ocean."

Data used by the two teams of researchers was aided by the Antarctic Research Supply Vessel Laurence M. Gould, a supply ship funded by the National Science Foundation. The ship is outfitted with a variety of instruments used to record chemical measurements of the ocean and atmosphere as it ferries goods back and forth from South America to research outfits on Antarctica.

The data show the Southern Ocean is removing large amounts of CO2 from the atmosphere, a finding that contradicts previous research that suggested the Southern Ocean's carbon sink had slowed to a halt.

"Although it comprises only 26 percent of the total ocean area, the Southern Ocean has absorbed nearly 40 percent of all anthropogenic carbon dioxide taken up by the global oceans up to the present," said David Munro, a scientist at Colorado's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research.

Researchers say more work needs to be done to understand the dynamics of the Southern Ocean's carbon sink, to better predict the future effects of rising carbon concentration in the atmosphere.

---

Credit: UPI

Study: Southern Ocean Obsorbing CO2 More Efficiently

Study: Southern Ocean Obsorbing CO2 More Efficiently. Researchers say more...

Ranchers Losing Cattle And Land As Wildfires Continue Raging. For weeks, rancher Darrel Holliday has rounded up frightened cows and calves off the smoldering hills of the Strawberry Mountain Range, a wilderness area in eastern Oregon of old-growth forest and grass where <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/some-cat-owners-care-about-their-pets-impact-on-wildlife-conservation/">wildlife</a> and cattle roamed.
Holliday's entire federal forest grazing allotment of about 32,000 acres - 50 square miles - burned last month as a wildfire ravaged the area. The land is now a smoke-filled expanse of blackened tree sticks and ash a foot and half deep. Ranchers Losing Cattle And Land As Wildfires Continue Raging
"We're picking up cows that should have calves with no calves. We assume they might have died out there," said Holliday, who is still missing 22 of his 180 cow-calf pairs. He's among dozens of ranchers similarly wrestling with the loss of animals and grazing land in a region where cattle production is one of the leading agricultural industries.
The vast majority of the 1.6 million acres - nearly 2,600 square miles - that burned in Oregon, Idaho and Washington this year are federally owned, data show, with large swaths of that public land used as rangeland for livestock grazing.
Many of Holiday's recovered animals have burnt hooves or are lame from walking on hot coals, he said. Miles of fences have burned. And the land, for which Holliday pays a fee, will likely be closed to grazing for at least two years while it recovers, he said.
That's left him scrambling to figure out how to feed the cows.
"We've been ranching here all our lives," said Holliday, whose father started grazing cattle in the area in 1942. "To watch it totally destroyed, you get sick to your stomach every day you go out there."
In Oregon's Canyon Creek Complex alone, 125 of the 170 square miles burned were grazing allotments, said Malheur National Forest rangeland management specialist Nick Stiner. Some 4,000 cows ranged on those allotments, he said.
And in the Soda Fire in southwest Idaho, that state's biggest fire this year, 280 of the 430 square miles burned were federal grazing allotments and another 75 square miles were private grazing lands, according to the National Interagency Fire Center.
In addition to rangeland lost, ranchers and ranching groups say hundreds of cows have perished and millions of dollars' worth of hay stacks and barns has gone up in flames.
"We're hearing lots of reports of displaced cattle and grazing grounds that are no longer usable," said Kayli Hanley of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association, which says many ranchers are still assessing damage and looking for lost cows.
In northern Washington state, where the Okanogan Complex burned about 475 square miles and is considered the largest wildfire in state history, rancher Doug Grumbach found the burned carcasses of several cows on a hill among smoldering trees.
One of those cows became wedged between two trees trying to flee the flames.
When the fire started last month, the fourth-generation rancher was on his way to move the cows dispersed in the mountainous terrain. But, he said, the winds picked up and the fire exploded, so "we had to get ourselves out of there."
In total, eight of his cows and four calves died and 20 are still unaccounted for - a loss of tens of thousands of dollars. He's also treating calves and cows with burnt feet, severe body burns and respiratory problems.
"They're kind of like family ... you care for them all their life, so you hate for anything to happen to them," he said.
Grumbach said he doesn't have enough unburned private land to feed his cattle; his cows are now eating hay meant for winter feed. And because of the drought, he doesn't have as much hay as usual, he said.
Many ranchers like Grumbach are desperately looking for pastures and hay, said Wyatt Prescott of the Idaho Cattle Association. Those who can't afford feed, he said, are sending their animals to sale yards.
"Producers spend generations developing the genetics of their cows to produce the best beef. Liquidating part of their herd is something they try to avoid at all costs," Prescott said.
His group is facilitating a confidential online pasture exchange where farmers who have land out of production can lease it to those who lost their grazing grounds.
Idaho rancher Brenda Richards, who runs about 500 cow-calf pairs, lost 95 percent of her grazing allotment to the Soda Fire.
"Ranching is the strength of these local communities, that's our tax base," Richards said, adding that the fire has been devastating, but it also brought out local ties. "It was amazing to watch people come together."
Cattle associations and private groups are now collecting hay and distributing it to those who lost rangeland.
In eastern <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=oregon&amp;cvid=2dc81c6a4a514352b324c9ed1551128b&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Oregon</a>, convoys of trucks have hauled in about 600 tons of hay from donors inside and outside the state to a storage set up by newly-formed group Hay for John Day, a town just northwest of the Strawberry Mountain Range.
The historic fire season has also re-kindled a long-running debate.
Ranchers say the federal government should have allowed more grazing to reduce the severity of the wildfires. Environmental groups say more grazing would have increased soil erosion and riparian damage, removed native grasses and increased fire risk.
Federal officials stand in the middle: grazing, they say, may help slow some fires' spread, but it won't make a difference in extreme weather.
"When you have high winds, grazing won't stop or slow that fire," said Jessica Gardetto with the Bureau of Land Management.
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Ranchers Losing Cattle And Land As Wildfires Continue Raging

Ranchers Losing Cattle And Land As Wildfires Continue Raging. For...

New Trend: Using Goats To Clear Land. A new dog park in Rhode Island got some help from a group of land-clearing specialists: goats.
Organizers used a herd of the ravenous ruminants to clear brush from a plot of land in Portsmouth that will eventually be turned over to man's best friend.
Kim Cipolla tells WJAR-TV (<a href="http://bit.ly/1O8OsVJ" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://bit.ly/1O8OsVJ</a> ) the 17 goats ate around the clock over an area about the size of two football fields.
The goats ate everything from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/giant-hogweed-burns/">poison ivy</a> to thick brush and thorns. They even dug up a buried fire hydrant, perfect for a dog park. New Trend: Using Goats To Clear Land
Cipolla says using goats to clear land is cheaper than a bulldozer and construction crew, and environmentally friendly. She says it's "animals helping animal."
Now that the goats have finished, committee members are working to complete the job.
---
Information from: WJAR-TV, <a href="http://www.turnto10.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.turnto10.com</a>
© 2015 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image 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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

[sendtonews key="0ynNMYkMKa-2340414-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image 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.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



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



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Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&nbsp;



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Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&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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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



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



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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



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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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

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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

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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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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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How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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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...

Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

[sendtonews key="QIoVYJqRBi-2434608-12187" 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...