Most people know hurricanes as destructive giants. On land, they tear through cities, uproot trees, and flood entire regions. But when these storms pass over the ocean, something else happens that is more subtle, but not less important. 



The violent winds stir the sea, pulling up cold, nutrient-rich water from the depths and setting off a chain reaction of biological changes.



In 2018, a group of researchers led by Professor Michael Beman from <a href="https://www.ucmerced.edu/?utm_source=google&amp;utm_campaign=GoogleLocalListing&amp;utm_medium=organic" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UC Merced</a> found themselves in the midst of this transformation.



While studying oxygen minimum zones (OMZs) in the Eastern Tropical North Pacific, they encountered Hurricane Bud. Instead of halting their expedition, they took a chance.



The team was presented with a rare scientific opportunity: observing how a powerful <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-hurricane-activity-will-change-over-the-next-decade/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hurricane</a> could rapidly change the ocean’s chemistry and biology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hurricane-leads-to-rare-ocean-sampling">Hurricane leads to rare ocean sampling</h2>



The team launched their expedition from Mazatlán, Mexico, and set a course toward San Diego. The goal was to study naturally occurring OMZs, which are regions in the mid-depth ocean that contain very little oxygen.



As Hurricane Bud intensified into a Category 4 cyclone, the researchers monitored weather forecasts closely. “We were very careful, and we had plans A, B, C and D in place,” Beman said. “The forecasting was extremely accurate, and we knew the storm rapidly <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-can-predict-the-weather-but-what-about-extreme-events/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">intensified</a>.”



Rather than retreat, the team navigated between research sites and found shelter behind islands. Once the storm passed, they sailed directly into the region it had just churned. 



“There was some skill involved, but definitely some luck, too, and we ended up adding a sampling location right where the storm was at maximum power," said Bernan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hurricane-sparks-massive-ocean-changes">Hurricane sparks massive ocean changes</h2>



The ocean’s surface was bright green, stained with chlorophyll from a massive phytoplankton bloom. These microscopic plants thrive when nutrients are abundant - and the hurricane had delivered exactly that. 



Cold water from the depths had risen, carrying nitrogen, phosphate, and other essential elements to the surface.



“When we got there, you could actually see and smell the difference in the ocean,” said Beman. “It was green from all the chlorophyll being produced. There were totally different organisms there, and they were going nuts in the wake of the storm.”



These blooms feed entire marine food webs. Bacteria, zooplankton, shellfish, fish, and even whales take advantage of the sudden buffet. 



"We were doing this at a time of year when there’s not a lot going on biologically in these areas of the ocean, so these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-has-amplified-hurricane-strength/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hurricane</a>-generated blooms are like oases for ocean organisms," said Bernan.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-with-low-oxygen-levels">Water with low oxygen levels</h2>



Unfortunately, the same deep waters that delivered nutrients also carried low oxygen levels. These oxygen minimum zones, usually found over 100 meters below the surface, rose rapidly.



At one site, Station 3.5, the OMZ had shoaled to just 41 meters deep. At other points, the oxygen-deficient zone (ODZ) reached as shallow as 50 meters. This shoaling poses a threat to fish and invertebrates that cannot survive in such conditions. 



For Beman, the data was a revelation. “I’ve never seen measurements like that in those areas of the ocean, ever,” he said. The change was not just physical. The hurricane altered the ocean’s chemistry and biology as well.



Anaerobic processes - those that do not rely on oxygen - were suddenly active closer to the surface. The researchers observed signs of nitrogen cycling and sulfate reduction, both of which affect global nutrient balances.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-storm-leaves-chemical-traces">Storm leaves chemical traces</h2>



The researchers gathered water samples from just below the surface. These revealed high levels of nitrate, phosphate, and ammonium at around 11 meters depth. These nutrients are essential for phytoplankton growth. 



Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) levels were unusually low, likely due to the introduction of deep ocean water. In contrast, particulate organic carbon (POC) was high, supporting the idea that a bloom was in full swing.



Further chemical analysis uncovered more than 1,600 distinct compounds. Many were known phytoplankton markers like fucoxanthin and MGDG lipids. Others, such as lumichrome and tryptophan, are believed to mediate communication between microbes and algae. 



These chemical fingerprints offered a detailed look into the biological activity that followed the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricane-helene-a-glimpse-into-the-future-of-natural-disasters/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">storm</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-respond-with-adaptation">Microbes respond with adaptation</h2>



RNA and DNA analysis showed microbial shifts. Flavobacteria dominated near the surface, breaking down phytoplankton. Cyanobacteria and Proteobacteria thrived too. Deeper in the ODZ, low-oxygen specialists like Desulfobacteria and Nitrospina took over.



“Margot noticed the subsurface changes from the hurricane when she was preparing her thesis chapters, especially the fact that the oxygen minimum zone had rapidly shoaled,” Beman said. 



“Irina searched her unique organic matter data to look for changes driven by the hurricane, which turned out to be very clear and dramatic.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hurricanes-trigger-similar-ocean-changes">Hurricanes trigger similar ocean changes</h2>



Twenty years of satellite data showed storms near Station 3.5 often triggered phytoplankton blooms. Bud was part of a recurring pattern.



According to the study, these storms account for 7 to 15 percent of the region’s total annual carbon export. While short-lived, the impact of each storm lingers as carbon-rich material sinks into the deep sea. These events contribute meaningfully to oceanic carbon cycling.



The Eastern Tropical North Pacific is already one of the planet’s major sites for fixed nitrogen loss. Beman and his colleagues will continue to analyze the samples and share their data with others.



“We’ve met many, many times to analyze the data and figure out what effects the hurricane had and why,” he said. The team believes there is still much to uncover.



“We are just scratching the surface of what these storms do,” Beman added. “It was a rough few days at sea. I hope we continue to learn as much as we can about what actually happens during and after hurricanes.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/epdf/10.1126/sciadv.ado8335" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Hurricanes stir up dramatic changes in the deep ocean

Most people know hurricanes as destructive giants. On land, they tear through cities, uproot trees, and flood entire regions. But when these storms pass over the ocean, something else happens that is more subtle, but not less important. The violent winds stir the sea, pulling up cold, nutrient-rich water from the depths and setting off a chain reaction of biological changes. In 2018, a group of researchers led by Professor Michael Beman from UC Merced found themselves in the midst of this transformation. While studying oxygen minimum...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-cooking-plants-food-10000-years-ago/">Plants</a> are crucial for food security and energy all over the world. However, in order to address the major challenges humanity is currently facing due to the joint impact of climate change and population growth, there needs to be 60 percent more food produced by mid-century, during a critical period where both warm and cold temperature shocks are expected to rise in frequency. To address these challenges, new methods to harness plant growth and resilience to stress are urgently needed.



Recently, Joe McKenna, an expert in Plant Biology at the University of Warwick has been awarded the prestigious <a href="https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/bbsrc-discovery-fellowships-2023/">Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBRSC) Discovery Fellowship</a> to implement a sustainable way to enhance agricultural practices. His&nbsp; project will investigate actin, a natural molecule found in plant cells that is responsible for moving other cellular components.&nbsp;



While it is already known that faster moving actin leads to larger plants with more biomass, the precise mechanism of how this occurs and the variety of interactions that lead to movement within cells is not yet clear.



“At a cellular level, plants display some of the fastest movements known in biology. Organelles show rapid and coordinated movements within plant cells. This movement is critical for normal growth and development as well as responses to environmental conditions – changing shape and moving during hot or cold temperatures,” McKenna explained.



“While we do not know the exact mechanism of how this movement occurs, we know it is driven by the actin ‘cytoskeleton’ – a skeletal-like network supporting the cell – and myosin motor proteins (which act like trains travelling along the actin tracks). When the actin cytokskeleton is disrupted, movement within the cell stops.”



In his project, McKenna will investigate how the Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) – which is responsible for making most of the plant biomass and can rapidly remodel during both normal development and environmental stress – and the cell nucleus interact with the actin cytoskeleton to promote plant growth through DNA replication.



“If we can understand how actin interacts with these organelles and the proteins involved, we can engineer these systems to improve plant growth and develop plants which are much bigger and resistant to temperature stresses,” he concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Project aims to improve plant growth and resilience

Plants are crucial for food security and energy all over...

The Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) – also known as the Black Vulture and the Monk Vulture – is the largest bird of prey in Europe. Once abundant, its populations in Southern Europe have declined dramatically since the late 1800s. While globally, this vulture is classified as “Near Threatened,” in Bulgaria it has been considered extinct since 1985.



However, due to a re-introduction initiative started in 2015 by three Bulgarian non-governmental organizations - &nbsp;the <a href="https://greenbalkans.org/">Green Balkans</a>, the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fwff.org/">Fund for Wild Flora and Fauna</a>, and the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.bpps.org/">Birds of Prey Protection Society</a> – the vulture is finally back in the country, with 72 individuals imported from Spain and European zoos and released in strategically-chosen locations in the Eastern Balkan Mountains and the Vrachanski Balkan Nature Park in northwestern Bulgaria.



While 63 juvenile vultures were brought from Spain, where they had been found in distress and rehabilitated in aviaries, nine were captive-bred in zoos and afterwards released by means of “hacking,” a process involving artificial nests from which fledglings can gradually get back to the wild.



In a new study published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/BDJ.11.e100521">Biodiversity Data Journal</a>, scientists reported on and discussed the effectiveness and challenges of different release method, while offering new insights on the conservation and re-introduction of this iconic species. According to the experts, hacking proved ineffective for establishing an entirely new core population in the Balkan Mountains, and it did not work properly for supplementing a small settled group of individuals either. By contrast, the aviary method and delayed release – in which captive-bred birds are introduced to a new environment after a period of acclimatization – seems to be a much more efficient alternative.



“The Cinereous Vulture re-introduction establishment phase in Bulgaria in the two first release sites is running according to the plan, and the first results are satisfactory,” the authors wrote. “Two distinct nuclei are now created, and the species started breeding, which might be a reason to up-list it in the Red Data Book of Bulgaria from ’Extinct’ to ‘Critically Endangered.’”



These newly created nuclei in Bulgaria are the second and third of their kind in the entire Balkan Peninsula, after the breeding colony in the Dadia-Lefkimi-Soufli Forest National Park in northeastern Greece. Future exchanges between these three colonies will likely increase the regional population and ensure long-term stability of this species.



However, further monitoring and adaptive management are necessary for the long-term persistence of the new Black Vulture population. After the core breeding populations will start producing about ten chicks each year and the locally fledged individuals will begin reproducing on their own, it can be officially confirmed that this species has successfully re-established in the country.



&nbsp;—



By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Vulture reintroduced in Bulgaria after three decades

The Cinereous Vulture (Aegypius monachus) – also known as the...

Several studies have shown an association between exposure to the sound of traffic and increased risk of hypertension (elevated blood pressure). However, it was still unclear whether noise or the air pollution linked to high levels of traffic played a larger role. Moreover, these studies were cross-sectional: while they provided evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traffic-noise-linked-to-higher-risk-of-dementia/">traffic noise</a> and hypertension were linked, they failed to show a clear causal relationship.



Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://english.pku.edu.cn/">Peking University</a> in China has analyzed data from the UK Biobank from over 240,000 people aged 40 to 69, who started out without hypertension, while estimating road traffic noise based on their residential address and the <a href="https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC72550">Common Noise Assessment Method</a>, a model developed by the European Union to assess levels of exposure of European citizens to a variety of noises.&nbsp;



By using follow-up data for an average period of 8.1 years, the researchers found not only that individuals exposed to road traffic noise were more likely to develop hypertension, but also that this risk increased proportionally with the levels of noise experienced. This association was robust even after adjusting for exposure to air pollution.&nbsp;



“Road traffic noise and traffic-related air pollution coexist around us,” said study lead author Jing Huang, an assistant professor in Occupational and Environmental Health Sciences at Peking. “It is essential to explore the independent effects of road traffic noise, rather than the total environment.”



These findings call for the development of public health measures to alleviate the negative impact of road traffic noise, including setting stricter noise guidelines and enforcement, improving road conditions and urban design, and investing in building quieter vehicles.



“To date, this is the first large-sized prospective study directly addressing the effect of road traffic noise on the incidence of newly-diagnosed hypertension,” said Jiandong Zhang, an expert&nbsp; in cardiovascular disease at the <a href="https://www.unc.edu/">University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill</a>, and lead author of an accompanying <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100266">editorial comment</a>. “The data demonstrated in this article provides a higher quality of evidence to justify the potential to modify road traffic noise and air pollution from both individual and societal levels in improving cardiovascular health.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jacadv.2023.100262">JAAC Advances</a>.



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Traffic noise increases the risk of hypertension

Several studies have shown an association between exposure to the...

In a recent study published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s43247-023-00720-w">Nature Communications: Earth &amp; Environment</a>, an international team of scientists has warned that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-sea-ice-cycles-show-impacts-of-climate-change/">Arctic sea ice</a> may soon disappear completely during the summer months – echoing a similar situation that occurred 10,000 years ago.&nbsp;



In a time of rising temperatures due to global warming, the so-called “Last Ice Area” located north of Greenland and Canada remains the last sanctuary of all-year ice in the Arctic. By collecting and analyzing sediment samples from the seabed in the Lincoln Sea – part of the “Last Ice Area” – the researchers found that the ice in this region melted away completely during summer months in the Early Holocene, when global temperatures were at a level we are rapidly approaching today.



“Climate models have suggested that summer sea ice in this region will melt in the coming decades, but it’s uncertain if it will happen in 20, 30, 40 years, or more. This project has demonstrated that we’re very close to this scenario, and that temperatures only have to increase a little before the ice will melt,” said study senior author Christof Pearce, an assistant professor of Geoscience at <a href="https://international.au.dk/">Aarhus University</a> in Denmark.



The scientists warned that, when the last traces of sea ice will melt during the summer months, there could be major consequences for the climate, since the sea will absorb over ten times as much solar energy and thus exacerbate global warming.



In addition, sea ice loss could have marked negative effects on a variety of ecosystems. “The sea ice is a base for many ecosystems. The algae we examined are food for fish, fish are food for birds, etc. How will the marine ecosystems be affected globally if the sea ice disappears? We don’t know the answer yet,” explained study lead author Henrieka Detlef, a geoscientist at Aarhus.



However, according to the experts, the data shows that this worrisome trend can be reversible if we significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions and set ambitious political and environmental goals.&nbsp;



“The study is a wake-up call, because we know that it will happen. This news is not making the situation more depressing, just more urgent. We have to act now so we can change it,” Pearce concluded.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Arctic sea ice will soon vanish during the summer

In a recent study published in the journal Nature Communications:...

On this year’s <a href="https://www.worldwaterday.org/">World Water Day</a> – an annual celebration highlighting the importance of freshwater resources initiated by the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> (UN) in 1993 – <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en">UNESCO</a> in collaboration with <a href="https://www.unwater.org/">UN-Water</a> (a mechanism coordinating the efforts of UN entities and various international organizations working on water and sanitation issues) published a report warning of an imminent risk of a global water crisis.&nbsp;



According to the experts, currently two billion people (26 percent of the global population) do not have safe drinking water, and 3.6 billion (46 percent) lack access to safely managed sanitation – a dire situation expected to worsen in the coming decades, particularly in urban areas, posing severe risks to the livelihoods of people all over the globe.



Scientists estimate that the global urban population facing water scarcity will likely double from 930 million in 2016 to between 1.7 and 2.4 billion by mid-century. Moreover, the increasing frequency of extreme, prolonged droughts will increase the stress on ecosystems worldwide, severely endangering a variety of plant and animal species.



“There is an urgent need to establish strong international mechanisms to prevent the global water crisis from spiraling out of control. Water is our common future and it is essential to act together to share it equitably and manage it sustainably,” said UNESCO’s Director-General Audrey Azoulay.



The authors of the report argue that international collaboration is the main key to provide water access to people worldwide. While almost every water-related intervention involves some kind of cooperation – ranging from shared irrigation systems among farmers and communal management of water supply and sanitation infrastructure in cities to collaboration between urban and rural communities in order to maintain food security and uphold farmer incomes – when it comes to managing rivers and aquifers crossing national borders, larger collaborative networks are urgently needed to prevent a global water crisis.



In addition, data sharing and co-financing opportunities are crucial to address the current water problems and make sure they will not intensify in the following decades. For instance, financing schemes bringing together downstream users – such as cities, businesses, and utilities – to invest together in upstream environmental protection and agricultural land management will play a major role in improving water quantity and quality. Such ‘water funds’ have already proven successful in Mexico and Sub-Saharan Africa, and will likely benefit other parts of the world too.



Finally, inclusive shareholder participation is essential in planning and implementing water systems which match the needs and available resources of disadvantaged communities, while increasing public acceptance and ownership.&nbsp;&nbsp;



“There is much to do and time is not on our side.&nbsp;This report shows our ambition and we must now come together and accelerate action. This is our moment to make a difference,” concluded Gilbert F. Houngbo, the Chair of UN-Water.



More information about this year’s UN World Water Development Report can be found <a href="https://www.unesco.org/reports/wwdr/2023/en">here</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Global water crisis could spiral out of control

On this year’s World Water Day – an annual celebration...

Since the flavor of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/growing-environment-impacts-the-aroma-of-beer-and-hops/">beer</a> begins to change as soon as it is packaged, scientists have long wondered if this type of beverage stays fresher in bottles or in cans. Now, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/">Colorado State University</a> (CSU) has found that the answer to this question depends on the type of beer. For instance, while an amber ale remained fresher in bottles, container choice made much less difference to the stability of Indian Pale Ale (IPA).



Besides water and ethanol, beer contains thousands of flavor compounds produced by yeast, hop, and other ingredients. Since during storage, chemical reactions break down some of these components while forming others, the content of some tasty flavors is reduced, contributing to the aging, or staling, of beer. Although researchers have already studied beer aging in order to help brewers prolong shelf life, they focused mainly on light lagers and a limited group of chemicals. Now, the CSU team extended the analysis to amber ale and IPA, while comparing the stability of beer packaged in glass bottles versus aluminum cans.



To mimic typical storage conditions, the scientists chilled cans and bottles of amber ale and IPA for a month and then kept them at room temperature for an additional five months, while analyzing every two weeks the metabolites in newly opened containers. During this period, the concentration of metabolites in amber ale, such as several amino acids and esters, was significantly different depending on the type of packaging. By contrast, IPA appeared less sensitive to packaging type, most likely due to its higher concentration of polyphenols from hops, which prevent oxidation and help retain amino acids in the beer for longer.



The analyses also revealed that, while the metabolic profile of both kinds of beer changed over time, regardless of the type of packaging, amber ale in cans showed the greatest variation during aging. Further research is needed to clarify how such changes affect flavor in order to help brewers make more informed decisions on what kind of packaging to use for the particular types of beers they produce.



“Taken together, the results of this study do not support the conclusion of a general best package for all beer styles but rather indicate that the effects of package type are dependent on beer style. Continued work to define the mechanisms driving the effects of package type on beer stability is warranted and would require integration with sensory outcomes. Ultimately, research on beer stability and packaging should provide relevant knowledge, so brewers may make scientifically backed packaging decisions and shelf-life determinations,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.2c00351">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.



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Is beer more stable in cans or bottles?

Since the flavor of beer begins to change as soon...

Some pesticides – particularly a class called neonicotinoids – are known to have a significant impact on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-bees-struggle-to-recover-after-extreme-weather-events/">bees</a> and other insects, contributing to population declines. Yet, since bees’ responses to this threat across the globe often seems to vary, other factors might be at play.&nbsp;



Now, a team of scientists from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> (ICL) has found that environmental temperature is one of these factors, influencing the degree to which pesticides alter a variety of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bumblebees-increasingly-stressed-over-the-past-century/">bumblebee</a> behaviors that are crucial for their survival and capacity to pollinate crops. These findings suggest that future global warming could increase the impact of pesticides in bee population and their pollination services.



The experts examined how six bumblebee behaviors were influenced by two widely used pesticides - the neonicotinoid imidacloprid and the sulfoximine sulfoxaflor - at three different temperatures (21, 27, and 30°C). The investigation revealed that four of these behaviors – responsiveness, likelihood of movement, walking rate, and food consumption rate – were affected by imidacloprid more strongly at lower temperatures, suggesting that cold snaps may increase pesticide toxicity on essential behaviors. However, a behavior highly important for pollination – how far the bees could fly – was most significantly affected by exposure to imidacloprid at the highest temperature.



“The drop-off in flight performance at the highest temperature suggests a ‘tipping point’ has been reached in the bees’ ability to tolerate the combined temperature and pesticide exposure. This seeming cliff-edge effect happens over the span of just three degrees, which changes our perception of pesticide risk dynamics given such temperature changes can commonly occur over the space of a day,” said study senior author Richard Gill, a senior lecturer in Life Sciences at ICL.



“Furthermore, the frequency to which bees will be exposed to pesticides and extreme temperatures under climate change are predicted to increase. Our work can help to inform the right concentrations and application times of pesticides across different climatic regions of the world to help safeguard pollinators, such as bees.”



The scientists stress that, although the tropics are hotter in general, since temperature ranges are larger in more temperate latitudes, pollinators may be affected more strongly in such regions. By quantifying the relationship between pollination services and pesticide impact, this study could play a significant role in assessing the risks of pesticides across different regions of the world as the climate continues to warm.



“These results are important for developing a toxicity forecast framework, allowing us to predict how bee populations will respond to climate change whilst living in intense agricultural landscapes,” concluded co-author Peter Graystock, an expert in Conservation Biology at ICL.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.16671">Global Change Biology</a>.



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Rising temperatures increase pesticide toxicity in bees

Some pesticides – particularly a class called neonicotinoids – are...

After massive collisions, such as asteroid impacts, some materials from impacted planets may be ejected into space and travel vast distances for extremely long periods of time. According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/">University of Tokyo</a>, this material could contain direct or indirect signs of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-are-searching-for-life-in-our-neighbor-star-system/">life</a> from the planet of origin, such as fossils of microorganisms, that could potentially be detected by astronomers in search of extraterrestrial life.&nbsp;



Although space dust can be an annoyance to some astronomers since it may hinder their observations of distant objects, it could also be a useful tool for learning about something distant without needing to leave the safety of our own planet.



“I propose we study well-preserved grains ejected from other worlds for potential signs of life,” said study author Tomonori Totani, a professor of Astrophysics at Tokyo. “The search for life outside our solar system typically means a search for signs of communication, which would indicate intelligent life but precludes any pre-technological life. Or the search is for atmospheric signatures that might hint at life, but without direct confirmation there could always be an explanation that does not require life. However, if there are signs of life in dust grains, not only could we be certain, but we could also find out soon.”



According to Professor Totani, after large asteroid collisions eject ground material into space, recently deceased or fossilized microorganisms may be contained in some of this material. While some larger pieces might fall back down or enter permanent orbits around local planets or stars, and some pieces may be too small to contain any traces of life, dust grains with a dimension of roughly one micrometer (one-thousandth of a millimeter) might not only host single-celled organisms, but they could also escape their solar system and - under the right circumstances - even reach ours.



In fact, such grains may have already reached the Earth in plentiful amounts and lie hidden in Antarctic ice or under the seafloor. While these materials could be retrieved relatively easy, analyzing them for signs of life remains a complex matter, requiring interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists. However, if this investigation is extended into space, there are already missions which capture dust in the vacuum by using ultralight materials known as aerogels.



“My paper explores this idea using available data on the different aspects of this scenario. The distances and times involved can be vast, and both reduce the chance any ejecta containing life signs from another world could even reach us. Add to that the number of phenomena in space that can destroy small objects due to heat or radiation, and the chances get even lower,” Totani said.&nbsp;



“Despite that, I calculate around 100,000 such grains could be landing on Earth every year. Given there are many unknowns involved, this estimate could be too high or too low, but the means to explore it already exist so it seems like a worthwhile pursuit. I hope that researchers in different fields are interested in this idea and start to examine the feasibility of this new search for extrasolar life in more detail,” he concluded.



The study is published in the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2210.07084">International Journal of Astrobiology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Space dust may contain signs of extraterrestrial life

After massive collisions, such as asteroid impacts, some materials from...

Until recently, scientists have assumed that cultivating food leads to biodiversity loss and negative impacts on a variety of ecosystems. However, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a>, community <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/urban-gardens-provide-a-reliable-food-supply-for-pollinators/">gardens</a> and urban farms positively affect biodiversity, local ecosystems, and human well-being.



The researchers examined 28 urban community gardens across California during a period of five years and measured plant and animal biodiversity, along with ecosystem functions such as pollination, food production, carbon sequestration, pest control, and human well-being.



“We wanted to determine if there were any tradeoffs in terms of biodiversity or impacts on ecosystem function,” said study lead author Shalene Jha, an associate professor of Integrative Biology at UT Austin. “What we found is that these gardens, which are providing tremendous nutritional resources and increasing well-being for gardeners, are also supporting incredibly high levels of plant and animal biodiversity. It’s a win-win.”&nbsp;



Previous assumptions about the negative effects of food production on biodiversity have been largely based on intensive rural agriculture enterprises which usually grow only one or two types of crops at massive scales. By contrast, urban community gardens, private gardens, and urban orchards and farms tend to grow more types of crops in smaller areas, thus supporting biodiversity and ecosystem services.



“It’s estimated that by 2030, about 60 percent of the world’s population will live in cities. And urban farms and gardens currently provide about 15-20 percent of our food supply, so they are essential in addressing food inequality challenges. What we’re seeing is that urban gardens present a critical opportunity to both support biodiversity and local food production,” Jha explained.



In addition, the scientists found that the choices urban gardeners make can have significant impacts on local ecosystems. For instance, planting trees outside crop beds can increase carbon capturing without damaging or limiting pollinators or decreasing food production from too much shade, while mulching only within crop beds could help improve soil carbon services without any negative effects on pest control or pollinators.



“By quantifying the factors that support a diverse suite of ecosystem services, we highlight the critical role of garden management and urban planning for optimizing biodiversity and human benefit,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ele.14146">Ecology Letters</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Urban gardens promote biodiversity and human well-being

Until recently, scientists have assumed that cultivating food leads to...

Human activities are placing major strain on coastal areas across the globe, according to a study led by the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a>. The researchers mapped the presence and extent of major coastline stressors, and discovered that 97 percent of coastal areas are significantly impacted.



Study lead author Hannah Allan said the research outlined the spatial extent and magnitude of 10 major land-based stressors and 10 major marine stressors that occur across coastlines globally.



“The threats human activity pose to coastal ecosystems and biodiversity come from both the land and sea, sometimes arriving far from human activity,” said Allan. “Therefore, coastal conservation must incorporate land-sea connections. Human population size, tourism, and roads were some of the biggest contributors to the terrestrial component of Australia’s coastal human footprint."



“As for marine stressors, increasing sea surface temperatures, nutrient pollution, and shipping were found to be major drivers of human pressure on Australian coastlines.”



Professor Noam Levin noted that a map of this kind, which assembles both terrestrial and marine stressors and presents the coastal human footprint globally, has rarely been attempted.



“This research offers valuable insights that could help decision-makers and managers identify where to mitigate particular impacts,” said Professor Levin. “For example, the database underlying the human footprint can show specific areas with high oil and gas operations, such as in Western Australia."



“This can help develop preparedness procedures for the very realistic chance of environmental disasters that impact coastal areas, such as oil spills."



“An added benefit of our new global map is that it helps prioritise these decisions based on how widespread the potential pressures of our human footprint in certain areas of the world might be."



"Coastal areas, where 90 percent of Australians live, were not immune to these stressors. For Australia, the highest human footprint was found in the coastal cities, in the order of Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, and Brisbane."



Professor Levin said the team mapped 160 areas on the planet with the most pristine coastal areas, including several in Australia. “Of those, nearly 40 percent were totally unprotected - opening an opportunity to identify coastal areas for further conservation actions."



“A key finding was that light pollution is increasing, with more white LEDs being used, placing great strain on areas of high importance for biodiversity, disrupting the natural patterns of wildlife."



Professor Salit Kark said the team was surprised at the sheer extent and far-reaching impact revealed by the footprint map.



“There is hardly anywhere on the planet, outside of the polar and arctic regions, that does not show some form of human pressure on their coastline,” said Professor Kark. “In essence, we have influenced the majority of coastal areas globally. We therefore should aim to map and understand our impacts, and also leave some untouched coastlines.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2023.106476">Ocean and Coastal Management</a>.



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Human activity impacts 97 percent of the world's coastline

Human activities are placing major strain on coastal areas across...

Forests and green spaces reduce human health risks on a global scale, according to a new report from the <a href="https://www.iufro.org/">International Union of Forest Research Organizations</a> (IUFRO). The assessment is the most comprehensive of its kind.&nbsp;



For the investigation, 44 scientists from around the world&nbsp; teamed up to review scientific evidence of the human health benefits associated with forests, trees and green spaces.&nbsp;



The experts say that in order to address health challenges, it is important to recognize the close links between human health and the health of other species, of ecosystems, and of the planet as a whole.



Existing evidence shows that forests and green spaces have positive effects on cognitive aging and longevity and protective effects against diabetes, cancer, depression, and stress-related disorders. According to the study authors, the significant effects on neurodevelopment in children are particularly important, not least because of repercussions in later life.



The experts report that 24 percent of global deaths are due to air pollution, extreme weather events, and other negative environmental factors. Premature deaths and disease can be prevented through the healthier environments that are provided by forests.



In addition, green spaces help reduce the negative health impacts of climate change. For example, as heatwaves become more frequent and intense, green spaces provide a cooling effect.&nbsp;



"The report underpins a One Health perspective, which recognizes that the health of humans, animals, plants, and the wider environment are closely linked and interdependent. It suggests that decision-makers in forest, health and related domains should also adopt more integrative perspectives for addressing forest-human health relations," said Cecil Konijnendijk of the University of British Columbia.



"By linking forest and human health policies and strategies, new and innovative solutions for health and forest challenges can be identified."&nbsp;



The study authors say the relationship between forests, trees, green spaces, and human health is complex. "Forests and trees provide multiple goods and services that contribute to human health, including medicines, nutritious food and non-wood forest products."



'They also support climate change mitigation and adaptation, moderate microcli-mate, filter air pollutants and offer areas for recreation, all of which can contribute to better physical, mental and spiritual health and well-being."



"At the same time, poor practices in the conservation and management of forests and trees have contributed to adverse effects on human health and wellbeing, with the emergence of zoonotic diseases and forest fires."



Regardless, the team found that most of the human health effects of forests and green spaces are positive. The experts note that decision-makers should promote positive forest and tree health outcomes while minimizing and managing potential negative impacts, especially on vulnerable populations.



The full report from the Global Forest Expert Panel (GFEP) on Forests and Human Health is available <a href="https://www.iufro.org/news/article/2023/03/21/forests-and-trees-for-human-health-pathways-impacts-challenges-and-response-options-1/">online</a>.&nbsp;



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International Day of Forests: Green spaces reduce health risks

Forests and green spaces reduce human health risks on a...

Over 85 percent of the Earth’s mammal, bird, and amphibian species live in mountain forests. Unfortunately, these forests are disappearing at an alarming rate.



According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> in the UK and the <a href="https://www.sustech.edu.cn/en/">Southern University of Science and Technology</a> in China, 78.1 million hectares (7.1 percent) of mountain forests have been lost since the beginning of the new millennium. This is an area larger than the size of Texas. Most of this loss has occurred in tropical <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protected-areas-are-failing-to-safeguard-biodiversity/">biodiversity</a> hotspots, thus significantly threatening a variety of already endangered animal species.&nbsp;



Forested mountain areas were previously protected from deforestation by their rugged location. But as lowland regions became depleted or subject to protection at the beginning of the 21st centuries, mountain forests became increasingly exploited. 



To clarify the current situation, the experts tracked changes in mountain forests on an annual basis from 2001 to 2018, measuring both losses and gains in tree cover, estimating the rate at which change was occurring, comparing different elevations and types of forests (such as boreal, tropical, or temperate), and exploring the impacts of forest loss on biodiversity.



“Knowledge of the dynamics of forest loss along elevation gradients worldwide is crucial for understanding how and where the amount of forested area available for forest species will change as they shift in response to warming,” the authors explained.



The investigation revealed that logging was the main driver of forest loss (42 percent), followed by wildfires (29 percent), shifting or “slash-and-burn” cultivation (15 percent), and permanent or semi-permanent agricultural practices (10 percent). However, the importance of these factors was found to differ from region to region. The most significant losses occurred in Asia, South America, Africa, Europe, and Australia, with North America and Oceania appearing to fare slightly better.



Unfortunately, the rate of mountain forest loss appears to be accelerating, with the annual rate of loss rising by 50 percent from the 21st century’s first to second decade (which witnessed about 5.2 million hectares annual losses). This acceleration is likely driven by the rapid agricultural expansion into highland regions in mainland Southeast Asia, as well as by increased logging due to either depletion or protection of lowland forests.



Although tropical forests experienced the greatest loss (42 percent of the global total), they also had a faster rate of regrowth compared to temperate and boreal mountain forests. While protected areas experienced less forest loss than unprotected ones, this may not be sufficient to protect endangered species.



“Regarding sensitive species in biodiversity hotspots, the critical issue extends beyond simply preventing forest loss. We must also maintain the integrity of forests in large enough zones to allow natural movements and sufficient space for ranging species,” the authors wrote.



The researchers concluded by highlighting the importance of reaching a balance between the protection of forests and human livelihoods. “Any new measures to protect mountain forests should be adapted to local conditions and contexts and need to reconcile the need for enhanced forest protection with ensuring food production and human wellbeing.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oneear.2023.02.005">One Earth</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer



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Loss of mountain forests accelerating worldwide

Over 85 percent of the Earth’s mammal, bird, and amphibian...

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing it with probiotics and prebiotics, aiming to create a treat that satisfies cravings while supporting gut health. 



The challenge lies in maintaining chocolate's beloved texture and flavor while adding health benefits.



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Probiotics - beneficial microbes that balance gut bacteria and aid digestion - are typically fragile and can be destroyed by stomach acid or processing. 



Prebiotics act as food for these microbes, helping them thrive. Together, they form "synbiotics," a powerful health combination.



Researchers Smriti Gaur and Shubhi Singh from India's Jaypee Institute of Information Technology took an innovative approach, using natural prebiotics like corn and honey instead of complex processing methods. 



They created five chocolate varieties: a control and four synbiotic versions containing different combinations of prebiotics, probiotics (Lactobacillus strains), and flavor enhancers (cinnamon or orange).



Laboratory simulations of human digestion showed the probiotics remained viable for over five hours, suggesting they could survive long enough to benefit gut health.



Taste tests were positive, with researchers particularly enjoying the orange-flavored variety, describing it as having "vibrant citrus notes" complementing the "rich cocoa" with a "luxurious" texture.



This research represents just the beginning. With further refinement of strains, textures, and flavors, chocolate could evolve beyond mere indulgence to become a functional food that nourishes while it delights.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsfoodscitech.4c00741" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ACS Food Science &amp; Technology</a>.

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

Scientists are transforming chocolate into a functional food by infusing...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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

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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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" 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> describes how Earth is unique in our solar system for its ability to sustain liquid water on its surface. But now, the water cycle is shifting as the climate warms, and scientists must find ways to predict how these changes will affect water availability.



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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