High in Alaska’s Brooks Range, streams that once ran so clear you could drink from them are now the color of rusty tea. The water looks hazy, smells metallic, and can stain rocks orange for miles.&nbsp;



Fish are struggling, insect life is smothered, and the change has arrived with startling speed. Scientists say the culprit isn’t industry. It’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thawing-permafrost-could-tip-earths-climate-balance/">thawing permafrost</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-frozen-ground-wakes-up">When frozen ground wakes up</h2>



For millennia, Arctic permafrost - permanently frozen soil - locked minerals in place. As the region warms, that icy seal is failing. Water and oxygen seep into freshly thawed ground and set off a chain reaction in sulfide-rich rocks (pyrite is a prime example).&nbsp;



The chemistry is textbook: sulfides oxidize, sulfuric acid forms, and the acid leaches metals like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/iron-was-lifes-first-essential-metal-and-shaped-early-evolution/">iron</a>, aluminum, and cadmium from surrounding rock. Those metals then flush into rivers and streams.



“This is what acid mine drainage looks like,” said Tim Lyons, a biogeochemist at the University of California, Riverside. “But here, there’s no mine. The permafrost is thawing and changing the chemistry of the landscape.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-astounding-changes-in-water-chemistry">Astounding changes in water chemistry</h2>



A new study zeroes in on the Salmon River, a key waterway in the Brooks Range, documenting just how far the contamination has progressed.&nbsp;



But the authors stress the pattern isn’t isolated. Similar transformations are underway across dozens of Arctic watersheds that share the same mix of geology and thaw.



“I have worked and traveled in the Brooks Range since 1976, and the recent changes in landforms and water chemistry are truly astounding,” said David Cooper, a <a href="https://www.colostate.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado State University</a> research scientist and co-author of the study.



The alarm first sounded in 2019. Ecologist Paddy Sullivan of the <a href="https://www.alaska.edu/alaska/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alaska</a> was flying into the backcountry to study northward-shifting forests when his bush pilot mentioned the Salmon hadn’t cleared after snowmelt - it looked, he said, “like sewage.”&nbsp;



Sullivan’s field observations led to a collaboration with Lyons, <a href="https://www.alaskapacific.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alaska Pacific University</a>’s Roman Dial, and others to trace the cause and measure the ecological fallout.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toxic-metals-in-alaska-s-rivers">Toxic metals in Alaska's rivers</h2>



The team’s analysis confirmed a geochemical cascade. Permafrost thaw exposes sulfide-bearing rocks, oxidation generates acidity, and the resulting acid mobilizes a suite of metals.&nbsp;



In small doses many metals are harmless or even essential. But at higher concentrations they become toxic to aquatic life - and the Salmon River’s waters now exceed the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a> thresholds for several metals detrimental to fish and invertebrates.



Iron is the most visible signal. As iron oxidizes, it forms fine, orange precipitates that cloud the water and coat the streambed. That haze blocks sunlight that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-algae-that-once-cooled-earth-are-now-disappearing/">algae</a> and aquatic plants need, and the sludge blankets the gravel and cobbles where insect larvae live and fish spawn. 



Cadmium is more insidious: it can accumulate in fish organs, potentially affecting predators from Dolly Varden <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trout-living-in-polluted-rivers-evolved-to-tolerate-high-metal-levels-in-the-waters/">trout</a> and grayling to birds and bears.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ripple-effects-in-the-food-chain">Ripple effects in the food chain</h2>



For now, the researchers say metal levels in edible fish tissue are not considered hazardous to humans. But indirect risks loom large.&nbsp;



Chum salmon - central to the diets and culture of many Indigenous communities - lay their eggs in clean, oxygenated gravel. When those spaces fill with fine sediment and metal precipitates, the oxygen drops and eggs can suffocate. 



Changes in insect communities ripple up the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-twilight-zone-stabilizes-the-marine-food-chain/">food chain</a>, weakening the foundation that supports juvenile fish and the species that eat them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-irreversible-shift-in-alaska-s-rivers">Irreversible shift in Alaska's rivers</h2>



Unlike mine sites - where engineers can install liners, drains, or neutralizing systems - these rivers wind through remote, roadless country, and the sources of contamination are everywhere thaw has reached the right rock. There is no single pipe to plug, no settling pond to build.



“Wherever you have the right kind of rock and thawing permafrost, this process can start,” Lyons said. And once it does, it tends to keep going. The only true “off switch” would be for the permafrost to refreeze - an unlikely prospect in a warming climate.



“There’s no fixing this once it starts,” Lyons said. “It’s another irreversible shift driven by a warming planet.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fingerprints-of-global-warming">Fingerprints of global warming</h2>



The experts hope their findings will help communities, land managers, and fisheries prepare - by expanding water quality monitoring, identifying vulnerable spawning grounds, planning alternative harvests if runs falter, and adapting management practices as conditions change.



The broader message is sobering. The Brooks Range is about as far from cities and smokestacks as you can get. Yet its rivers are wearing the unmistakable fingerprints of global warming.



“There are few places left on Earth as untouched as these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alaskas-rivers-are-rusting-and-the-changes-are-visible-from-space/">rivers</a>,” Lyons said. “But even here, far from cities and highways, the fingerprint of global warming is unmistakable. No place is spared.”



Rivers once known for their wild clarity are telling a new story - one where ancient ice, long trusted to keep the land’s chemistry in check, is finally letting go.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2425644122" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



Image Credit: Taylor Rhoades



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Alaska's rivers are turning orange, and the changes are irreversible

High in Alaska’s Brooks Range, streams that once ran so clear you could drink from them are now the color of rusty tea. The water looks hazy, smells metallic, and can stain rocks orange for miles.&nbsp; Fish are struggling, insect life is smothered, and the change has arrived with startling speed. Scientists say the culprit isn’t industry. It’s thawing permafrost. When frozen ground wakes up For millennia, Arctic permafrost - permanently frozen soil - locked minerals in place. As the region warms, that icy seal is failing....

Many warming experiments may be painting an incomplete picture. Michigan State University researchers found that studies focusing only on summer heatwaves could be underestimate the effects of climate change. 



Plants live through winter too. Ignoring cold-season warming misses key processes like root growth and nutrient cycling.



Their latest global meta-analysis, published in Global Change Biology, analyzed 126 open-top chamber experiments. These covered 13 plant traits across varied ecosystems, from Antarctica to Michigan. 



The massive dataset helped identify how traits like biomass, nitrogen content, and flowering respond to warming.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-summer-only-experiments-fall-short">Summer-only experiments fall short</h2>



“This important global synthesis of warming effects on plants across many ecosystems can be used to inform models of future impacts,” said Phoebe Zarnetske, professor in MSU’s <a href="https://integrativebiology.natsci.msu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Integrative Biology</a> department.



Year-round warming triggered stronger changes. Aboveground biomass, fruit weight, and leaf growth all showed greater increases. In contrast, seasonal (summer-only) warming produced muted effects. 



For instance, aboveground nitrogen content only dropped significantly under year-round warming.



Experiments that ignore winter might miss crucial ecological shifts. The study suggests that many past experiments may underpredict plant responses to climate warming.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-changes-plant-traits">Warming changes plant traits</h2>



The researchers categorized plant responses into growth, reproductive, chemical, and phenological traits. Some responses were predictable. 



Warming increased leaf growth (Hedges’ g = 0.54) and belowground biomass (g = 0.60). It also led to earlier spring phenophases, though the effect was marginal (g = −0.12).



However, not all changes were positive. Aboveground nitrogen content fell (g = −0.41), likely due to nutrient dilution effects. Fruit weight increased with latitude, showing stronger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-may-trigger-rapid-release-of-soil-carbon/">responses</a> at colder sites.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-colder-areas-show-bigger-plant-changes">Colder areas show bigger plant changes</h2>



As latitude increased, reproductive traits became more sensitive. Number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/experts-say-this-is-the-best-fruit-to-eat-for-a-healthier-liver/">fruits</a> and fruit weight rose significantly in higher latitudes. Spring timing advanced more sharply near the poles.



Plants near their northern range edges also grew more under warming. These range-edge plants likely experience more variable climates. 



That variability may help them adapt quickly. Species farther from the edge showed smaller or even negative changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-responses-stabilize-over-time">Warming responses stabilize over time</h2>



Short-term experiments produced stronger trait shifts. Over time, communities may adjust, leading to smaller visible effects. For example, flower lifespan and fruit number showed weaker changes in longer experiments.



This pattern suggests plastic responses may fade or stabilize. Year-round warming more accurately mimics future conditions, especially with expected winter temperature increases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-not-all-species-react-alike">Not all species react alike</h2>



Growth forms made a big difference. Graminoids, like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/your-lawn-plays-a-key-role-in-absorbing-urban-carbon-emissions/">grasses</a>, responded to 9 of 13 traits. Shrubs followed, showing warming-related boosts in percent cover and fruit output.



Bryophytes and lichens, on the other hand, declined under warming. Their percent cover dropped, while vascular plants thrived. This contrast could offset community-level trends, masking specific plant changes in smaller species.



“Non-native species may benefit from future climate conditions,” the study noted. Yet, research on these species remains limited. Data on non-native responses were often too sparse for solid conclusions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-studies-need-more-plants">Warming studies need more plants</h2>



Phoebe Zarnetske’s SpaCE Lab contributed one of the 126 datasets. Their long-term warming plots at the Kellogg Biological Station captured seasonal changes often missed by others.



“This study is unique in terms of the size of the dataset we collected,” said Kara Dobson. “It brings together data from experiments across the globe and from all continents, including Antarctica.”



The team recommends a broader inclusion of species types. Non-native and non-vascular plants need more attention. Without them, predictions will remain skewed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-change-requires-better-models">Climate change requires better models</h2>



Many past warming studies looked only at one context, such as summer, certain species, or specific regions. This analysis shows that no single trait tells the whole story.



Warming affects plants differently depending on latitude, plant type, and experiment duration. The good news is that coordinated global efforts, like the LTER and WaRM networks, are beginning to close these gaps.



Plants are not passive players. They adapt, decline, or thrive, sometimes all at once. But to understand these shifts, we need to look through all seasons and across all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-environmental-stress-strengthens-ecosystems/">ecosystems</a>. Not just when the sun shines brightest.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.70306" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Change Biology</a>.



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Warming winters may reshape global plant communities

Many warming experiments may be painting an incomplete picture. Michigan...

Some imported seafoods on American dinner plates are carrying an invisible threat: bacteria equipped with genes that can disarm a high-priority, critically important antibiotic called colistin.



Colistin is reserved for life-threatening infections that have outwitted every other drug. When it fails, clinicians have nowhere left to turn.



In research presented at <a href="https://asm.org/events/asm-microbe/home">ASM Microbe 2025</a>, scientists at the <a href="https://www.uga.edu/">University of Georgia</a> found colistin-resistance genes - known as mcr - in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shrimp-crisis-alarming-virus-threatens-global-seafood-supplies/">shrimp</a> and scallops purchased from eight Atlanta-area grocery stores.



It is the first evidence that U.S. seafood shoppers are unknowingly buying products harboring bacteria capable of shrugging off one of medicine’s last lines of defense.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-seafood-s-global-supply-chain">Seafood's global supply chain</h2>



Lead investigator Issmat Kassem has spent two decades tracing the global spread of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/genes-for-antibiotic-resistance-lurk-in-our-wastewater-and-streams/">antimicrobial resistance</a>.



Sampling from local supermarkets, his team ran genetic screens on bacteria living in the imported seafood including shellfish and uncovered multiple plasmids - circular snippets of DNA - that carry mcr.



These plasmids make resistance “mobile,” because the genes can hop from one bacterium to another.



When Kassem talks about the popular appeal of shellfish, he puts it simply: “We love our seafood.”



And most Americans do: about 90 percent of the shrimp consumed in the United States are raised overseas. Many exporting nations still rely on antibiotics, including colistin, to treat or fatten farmed animals.



That practice creates selective pressure for resistant <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-bacteria-breathe-by-creating-electricity/">bacteria</a>, which can end up in packing plants, shipping containers, and ultimately U.S. kitchens.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-last-resort-antibiotic">The last-resort antibiotic</h2>



Colistin debuted in the 1950s, then largely disappeared from U.S. hospitals because it can scar kidneys and nerves. Its toxic profile forced doctors to shelve it in favor of safer drugs.



That calculus reversed when so-called “superbugs” evolved resistance to nearly every other antibiotic. Colistin returned as a last resort, but its revival was overshadowed by news in 2016 of the first plasmid-borne mcr gene.



Until then, many scientists assumed colistin resistance evolved only through slow, vertical inheritance. The plasmid discovery rewrote that script, proving resistance could not jump between different bacteria - an assumption Kassem now calls dangerously outdated.



Today, at least ten mcr variants have been catalogued worldwide, and Kassem’s new findings reveal a pathway for them to enter U.S. ecosystems.



In earlier work, his lab found the same plasmids and bacterial hosts in Georgia wastewater. The match confirms that agricultural practices abroad can shape microbial landscapes at home.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-supply-chain-problem"><a></a>A supply chain problem</h2>



Although federal inspectors test imported seafood for chemical residues and visible pathogens, they do not routinely test for resistance genes.



“The bacteria that were carrying colistin resistance genes are not normally screened,” Kassem warned. Standard checks, designed decades ago, fail to catch this genomic stowaway.



“Our food is sourced from different places,” he said. “If you go out to lunch today, your plate might have ingredients from six, seven, eight countries.” These complex supply chains enable a hidden circulation of microbes.



“Some countries do not have strict regulations for using antibiotics in food animal production, so imported food can be a vehicle for transmission of resistance.”



Domestic aquaculture operations appear free of mcr for now, suggesting U.S. oversight can be effective when consistently applied.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-borders-for-seafood-superbugs">No borders for seafood "superbugs"</h2>



Resistance that travels by plasmid does not respect borders. “We live in a very connected world,” Kassem emphasized.



“We move a lot, we travel a lot, our food travels, and we are going to spread whatever emerges, even across national borders.” In other words, the United States cannot isolate itself from a problem embedded in international trade.



That reality underscores the need for better surveillance. “It’s important to invest in monitoring systems and expand them and collaborate, especially on the global level, on the issue of antimicrobial resistance,” Kassem said.



Enhanced screening at ports of entry could catch resistant bacteria before they enter the consumer market. Equally critical is global cooperation to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use in aquaculture and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-in-livestock-are-major-drivers-of-antibiotic-resistance/">livestock</a> production.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-risks-in-the-kitchen">Hidden risks in the kitchen</h2>



Cooking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/shellfish-waste-can-be-used-for-fresher-safer-produce/">shellfish</a> thoroughly destroys live bacteria, but plasmid DNA may survive and flow into wastewater systems.



Consumers should handle raw imported seafood with the same caution they would raw poultry. This includes washing hands, sanitizing cutting boards, and avoiding cross-contamination with ready-to-eat foods. Yet individual diligence cannot solve a systemic problem.



The study shows that antimicrobial resistance is no longer confined to hospitals or far-off farms - it can ride quietly into suburban kitchens on ice. 



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



If policymakers act swiftly, the United States can reinforce its defenses by updating import regulations and requiring genetic testing for high-risk resistance genes. It can also partner with exporting nations to curb antibiotic misuse.



For now, Kassem’s message is a wake-up call. Colistin remains a critical, if imperfect, guardian against multidrug-resistant infections.



Allowing its defenses to erode - even incrementally - brings the world closer to a post-antibiotic era where routine surgeries and minor wounds become life-threatening. 



The microbes in our seafood are sending a warning. Whether we heed it will shape the future of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistance-could-cause-a-health-crisis-globally/">global health</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.asm.org/journal/msphere">mSphere</a>.



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Imported seafood is spreading antibiotic resistance genes

Some imported seafoods on American dinner plates are carrying an...

In the sweltering crown of the Amazon rainforest, nearly 200 feet above the forest floor, researchers have spent years chasing a deceptively complex question: How do tropical canopy trees keep from frying in the very sunlight they rely on?



A new study led by <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> (MSU) has found that Amazonian trees juggle sunlight with remarkable finesse - yet that balance may falter as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-foundation-of-life-is-at-risk-from-climate-change/">climate change</a> turns the forest hotter, drier, and brighter.



Doctoral candidate Leonardo Ziccardi led the study under the guidance of forestry ecophysiologist Scott Stark. 



Since 2019, the team has mounted multiple field campaigns near Manaus, Brazil. They carried handheld photosynthesis instruments and ropes strong enough to haul scientists and gear into the leafy heights.



“It’s been a long journey,” Ziccardi said, recalling hundreds of hours spent aloft, recording minute-by-minute fluctuations in leaf temperature, humidity, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-dance-entangled-photons-wave-functions-captured-real-time/">photon</a> capture.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trees-manage-light-like-solar-panels">Trees manage light like solar panels</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-inspired-energy-lessons-from-leaves-and-raindrops/">Leaves</a> are biological solar panels, absorbing photons to power photosynthesis. But excess light can scorch the photosynthetic machinery unless trees convert the overload to harmless heat or a faint red glow known as chlorophyll fluorescence.



For decades, ecologists have used satellite-detected “solar-induced fluorescence” (SIF) as a stand-in for photosynthesis across vast regions.



Until now, however, no one had mapped in detail how individual canopy leaves partition light between photosynthetic work and protective dissipation in the ever-shifting conditions of an Amazon dry season.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-every-photon">Tracking every photon</h2>



Using the MultispeQ - a portable device created at <a href="https://prl.natsci.msu.edu/about/index.aspx">MSU’s DOE-funded Plant Research Laboratory</a> by co-author David Kramer - the team clipped onto thousands of leaves spanning dozens of tree species and all levels of the canopy.



The instrument measures absorbed light, photosynthetic electron flow, heat loss, and real-time fluorescence, letting the scientists trace every photon’s fate.



The data reveal canopy leaves acting as huge, sensitive antennas. Under mild conditions, leaves direct most light to carbon fixation, releasing only small amounts as heat and fluorescence.



As midday sun or dry-season humidity deficits intensify, the balance shifts. Leaves ratchet up safety valves that vent surplus energy as heat.



When those safeguards max out, fluorescence surges as a last-ditch outlet, even while photosynthetic rates plunge - an early warning that cell machinery is approaching burnout.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-three-phase-stress-signature"><a></a>A three-phase stress signature</h2>



This nuanced response emerged as a consistent three-phase pattern across species and canopy positions.



In a balanced phase, at low to moderate light, photosynthesis and fluorescence rise in tandem. Leaves are using energy efficiently, and protective heat dissipation remains secondary.



In the transition phase, higher light or drier air forces leaves to divert more absorption into heat. In this stage, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/revealing-the-secrets-of-photosynthesis-through-pep/">photosynthesis</a> plateaus and fluorescence begins to decouple from it.



Finally, in the overload phase, heat dissipation hits its ceiling. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fluorescent-caves-on-earth-can-teach-us-about-extraterrestrial-life-environments/">Fluorescence</a> spikes even higher, signaling potential photodamage, while photosynthesis collapses.



Such high-resolution leaf physiology had never before been charted in Amazonian forests. For Ziccardi, the breakthrough sprang from relentless canopy work.



“Since 2019, we’ve run multiple field campaigns across seasons, climbing giant trees in the heart of the Amazon to understand how these forests respond to environmental changes," he said. "We’ve spent hundreds of hours up in the canopy doing measurements - some of the most intense and rewarding work I’ve ever done."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellites-may-misread-tree-stress">Satellites may misread tree stress</h2>



The discovery carries a caution for global remote-sensing efforts. Researchers often map SIF from space to estimate gross primary productivity. This key metric tracks how much carbon dioxide vegetation converts into biomass each year.



The study shows that during severe droughts - when cloud cover thins and sunlight becomes harsher - canopy leaves may glow brightly even as their photosynthetic capacity craters. Relying on SIF alone could therefore exaggerate the forest’s true productivity at precisely the times it is most stressed.



As the Amazon’s dry season lengthens under warming temperatures and regional deforestation, clouds are thinning, and insolation is rising. Whether canopy leaves can sustain their intricate balancing act under these compound pressures remains an open question.



The team’s measurements suggest resilience but not invincibility: energy-dissipating pathways can adjust, yet they have limits.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-studying-amazon-trees-up-close">Studying Amazon trees up close</h2>



By combining leaf-level measurements with satellite imagery, researchers can refine algorithms that translate fluorescence into carbon uptake, improving forecasts of the forest’s future. But such calibration requires continued boots - or rather, ropes - in the canopy.



Stark notes that the Amazon’s towering biomes host myriad species, each with distinct physiology. Ongoing field campaigns will probe whether <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazon-forests-can-survive-drought-but-it-comes-at-a-high-cost/">drought</a>-adapted trees hold hidden advantages or if a tipping point looms where protective strategies fail en masse.



The work also provides a template for monitoring other tropical forests edging toward hotter, clearer climates.



Integrating handheld devices like the MultispeQ with flux towers, drones, and satellites could provide a multiscale view of photosynthetic health. This is crucial for sounding alarms before irreversible die-back sets in.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-delicate-dance-with-light"><a></a>A delicate dance with light</h2>



The Amazon’s canopy trees evolved to thrive in a Goldilocks zone of radiant power. They receive enough sunlight to drive one-fifth of the planet’s photosynthesis, yet it's softened by frequent clouds and moist air. Climate change threatens to tip that balance.



Ziccardi’s data offer a first-hand glimpse of how each leaf on a giant tropical tree responds second by second to light’s bounty and burden. 



The delicate choreography between photosynthesis, heat venting, and fluorescence could determine whether the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rainforest-emissions-shape-the-climate-and-cloud-formation/">rainforest</a> continues to trap carbon - or begins to release it back to an already warming world.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nph.70183">New Phytologist</a>.



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Climate change is disrupting how Amazon trees process sunlight

In the sweltering crown of the Amazon rainforest, nearly 200...

In theory, planting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traditional-forest-farming-is-an-overlooked-climate-solution/">trees</a> can wipe away the carbon cost of burning fossil fuels. But a new peer-reviewed analysis shows just how massive that effort would need to be. 



To balance the reserves of the 200 largest oil, gas, and coal companies, the world would have to create an engineered forest covering about 9.4 million square miles - an area larger than all of North America.



“Afforestation on that scale would push people off their land and erase existing habitats,” said Alain Naef, an environmental economist at <a href="https://essec.edu/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ESSEC Business School</a> and lead author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-afforestation-alone-cannot-fix-emissions">Afforestation alone cannot fix emissions</h2>



Afforestation, the deliberate creation of new <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/afforestation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">forests</a>, is often promoted as the cheapest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forests-now-emit-more-carbon-than-they-store-due-to-wildfires/">natural sink</a> for industrial emissions. 



One gigaton equals one billion metric tons, and the companies’ reserves would release 673 gigatons of carbon dioxide if burned.



The team asked whether trees alone could sponge up that mass before 2050. They calculated how much carbon a newly planted hectare can absorb, then scaled that to the entire fossil portfolio sitting underground. 



The answer was 24.75 million square kilometers, roughly 15 percent of Earth’s land surface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-scale-of-the-problem">The scale of the problem</h2>



Turning that much ground into forest would match the 9.35 million‑square‑mile footprint of North America. Converting it would mean uprooting farms, towns, and existing ecosystems on every continent except Antarctica.



Even if space were found, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-forests-rose-again-after-the-planets-most-extreme-extinction/">trees</a> would need decades to reach maturity, during which the carbon budget for staying below 1.5 °C keeps shrinking. 



The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change puts the remaining global <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/chapter/technical-summary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon budget</a> at roughly 400 gigatons far less than what Big Oil alone could emit.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-afforestation-offsets-cost-more-than-oil-profits">Afforestation offsets cost more than oil profits</h2>



To see whether firms could simply pay for offsets, the researchers applied the 2022 average European Union carbon‑market price of just over €80 (about $90) per ton, a figure confirmed by market analysts. 



At that level, 95 percent of the companies would show a negative “net environmental valuation.”



“It would be more profitable to leave the fuel in the ground than to extract and offset it later,” the researchers concluded. 



They looked at cheaper forestry credits, around $16 per ton, and cutting‑edge direct air‑capture technology, near $1,000 per ton. The first leaves two‑thirds of firms underwater, and the second sinks them all. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-forests-aren-t-free">Why forests aren’t free</h2>



Today, Earth’s woods and soils already soak up about <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/earth/climate-change/examining-the-viability-of-planting-trees-to-help-mitigate-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">30 percent</a> of the carbon we emit each year. Expanding that sink sounds simple, but biology argues back. 



Fast‑growing plantations guzzle water and nutrients, push out biodiversity, and, in dry or fire‑prone regions, can even raise local temperatures.



Most of the land earmarked in the calculation is now cropland or rangeland. Replacing it would tighten food supplies and likely spike prices. 



Meanwhile, one lightning strike, drought, or beetle swarm can send centuries of stored carbon back into the sky in a single season.



Naef’s group tested a <a href="https://www.rff.org/publications/explainers/social-cost-carbon-101/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">social cost of carbon</a> of $190 per ton, close to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/system/files/documents/2023-12/epa_scghg_2023_report_final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a>’s latest estimate. 



At that price, operating any major fossil company produces negative value for society, even before land, labor, or political hurdles are added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-afforestation-land-is-already-in-use">Afforestation land is already in use</h2>



Much of the land assumed to be available for afforestation is already claimed for food production, housing, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protecting-forests-helps-birds-and-humans-in-many-ways/">biodiversity</a> preservation. 



In many regions, open or unforested land is not “unused” but is crucial for pastoralists, indigenous communities, or native species. 



Treating this land as expendable undercuts existing ecosystems and social systems that depend on it.



Global land competition is intensifying as population grows and diets change. Turning millions of square miles into carbon sinks means competing directly with agriculture, which could threaten food security worldwide. 



Even if afforestation were technically feasible, the political and ethical tradeoffs make it an unworkable solution at scale.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-emissions-reductions-must-take-priority">Emissions reductions must take priority </h2>



Offsetting programs have gained popularity among corporations aiming to appear climate-conscious without changing their core operations. But many of these schemes lack transparency, consistency, or verification. 



Critics argue they allow continued pollution under the guise of future cleanup, which often never materializes or is exaggerated in impact.



Naef and colleagues warn that relying on afforestation as a main climate tool distracts from the immediate need to reduce fossil fuel use. They emphasize that while trees can help, carbon math alone shows the gap is too wide. 



Emission reductions must take priority if there's any chance of meeting international climate targets.



Direct air‑capture still matters, and real forest restoration still protects wildlife. But the study shows those tools cannot shoulder the job of burying every barrel’s worth of carbon. 



Keeping proven reserves in the ground costs nothing, buys time for cleaner energy, and avoids an impossible tree‑planting bill.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02394-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.



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Creating forests can't realistically cancel out fossil fuel emissions

In theory, planting trees can wipe away the carbon cost...

Clouds help cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight. But now, storm cloud zones are shrinking. This shrinkage is letting in more solar radiation. 



A new study, led by NASA and including Monash researchers, shows that this is the biggest reason for Earth's recent heat rise. The study appears in the journal Geophysical Research Letters.



Storm cloud zones in the tropics and midlatitudes have contracted by 1.5% to 3% per decade. These zones used to reflect a lot of sunlight back into space. Their disappearance is allowing more heat to reach the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fading-clouds-are-accelerating-climate-change/">surface</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shrinking-clouds-let-earth-absorb-more-heat">Shrinking clouds let earth absorb more heat</h2>



Christian Jakob, a professor at <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a>, noted that this finding clarifies how much extra solar energy Earth now absorbs. “We’ve long known that changes in atmospheric circulation are affecting clouds,” he said.



“For the first time, we now have research showing those <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-star-forming-hydrogen-cloud-discovered-surprisingly-close-to-earth-eos/">shifts</a> are already driving major changes in how much energy the Earth absorbs.”



This research helps explain the heat anomalies of recent years, including the extreme warmth of 2023.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellite-clues-from-decades-of-data">Satellite clues from decades of data</h2>



The experts used satellite data from 2001 to 2023. They measured two <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earthcare-satellite-will-reveal-the-climate-effects-of-clouds/">cloud</a> features: total cloud cover (TCC) and shortwave cloud radiative effect (SWCRE). SWCRE measures how much sunlight clouds bounce back. 



A more negative number means more sunlight is being reflected. But scientists found that zones of strong SWCRE are shrinking. 



In high latitudes, these zones contracted by up to 1.32% per decade. In the tropics, the Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) narrowed. Stratocumulus cloud regions also shrank.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-cloud-retreat-to-heat-gain">From cloud retreat to heat gain</h2>



The result of all this: more warming. The total increase in absorbed solar energy was about 0.45 W/m² per decade. Of this, 0.37 W/m² comes from the shrinking cloud zones. 



The changes were strongest in high-latitude storm tracks and the tropical ITCZ. Even small reductions in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fire-and-ice-volcanic-ash-plays-a-surprising-role-in-cloud-formation/">cloudy</a> area had large effects on Earth's heat budget. 



The study shows most warming came from cloud area loss, not changes within the clouds themselves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-winds-make-storm-clouds-shrink">Winds make storm clouds shrink</h2>



Why are storm clouds shrinking? It’s mostly due to global wind pattern changes. The Hadley cell is widening. Jet streams are shifting toward the poles. The ITCZ is narrowing. These trends match what climate models predict for a warming planet.



The researchers also found that high-latitude storm <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clouds-also-fuel-arctic-warming-not-just-carbon-emissions/">clouds</a> are retreating because of the warming-driven shift in jet streams. This creates fewer clouds in key cooling zones. 



“It’s an important piece in the puzzle of understanding the extraordinary recent warming we observed, and a wake-up call for urgent climate action,” Jakob notes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-factors-also-shrink-clouds">Local factors also shrink clouds</h2>



Besides circulation shifts, cloud changes also arise from local factors. These include fewer aerosols from ships, which once helped clouds reflect more sunlight. 



Changes in cloud types and altitudes also matter. In the tropics, these effects added 0.21 W/m² per decade to the warming.



In contrast, polar regions showed some minor cooling due to increased cloud reflection in cold clouds. But the big picture is clear: cloud zone shrinkage is doing most of the damage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-cooperation-and-local-weather-shifts">Global cooperation and local weather shifts</h2>



Professor Jakob warned about the dangers of reducing science funding. “If you want to understand the climate crisis, and prepare for its impacts, you need this kind of data and this kind of analysis,” he said.



Jakob urged a shift in focus - from climate change averages to daily weather impacts. “Our mission is to understand how Australia and the world’s weather is being reshaped by a warming climate,” he said.



“Our goal is to provide the knowledge and tools needed to help governments, businesses and communities prepare for what lies ahead.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clouds-are-changing-fast">Clouds are changing fast</h2>



Earth is losing some of its protective cloud shield. The shrinking of storm cloud zones is now the top driver of increased solar heat absorption. 



This change isn’t gradual. It’s already happening. And it’s amplifying warming faster than expected.



That means climate action must respond not only to emissions, but also to how weather patterns are shifting around the globe.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL114882" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Clouds are shrinking and making the Earth hotter

Clouds help cool the Earth by reflecting sunlight. But now,...

For over 100 years, the North Atlantic has hosted an anomaly. South of Greenland lies a patch of cool ocean water. This region, called the North Atlantic Warming Hole (NAWH), defies global warming. 



Scientists long debated its cause. A new study now shows that the weakening of a vital <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-current-system-will-weaken-but-is-unlikely-to-collapse/">ocean</a> current - the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) - explains it best.



“People have been asking why this cold spot exists,” said climate scientist Wei Liu. “We found the most likely answer is a weakening AMOC.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-source-of-the-atlantic-cold-spot">Source of the Atlantic cold spot</h2>



The AMOC moves warm, salty water northward and cooler water southward. This system shapes climate across continents. When it slows, less heat and salt reach the north. The result? Cooler, fresher waters south of Greenland.



Liu and Kai-Yuan Li from <a href="https://www.ucr.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California Riverside</a> studied temperature and salinity data spanning a century. 



Direct AMOC measurements only cover 20 years. But using six long-term sea surface temperature (SST) datasets and three salinity datasets, the researchers built a much clearer picture. They also tested 94 global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collapse-of-main-atlantic-ocean-circulaton-current-amoc-is-already-happening/">climate</a> models.



Only models simulating a slowing AMOC recreated the observed North Atlantic cooling. These models showed trends of up to −0.3 °C per century (about −0.54 °F per century), matching the real-world pattern known as the NAWH.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clear-signs-of-amoc-weakening">Clear signs of AMOC weakening</h2>



The team defined <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/weakening-ocean-currents-provide-a-rainfall-boost-in-the-amazon/">AMOC</a> fingerprints using a dipole pattern: cooling in the subpolar gyre (south of Greenland) and warming near the Gulf Stream. This contrast, visible in SST and salinity (SSS), offers a reliable way to track AMOC strength.



From the observations, they estimated that the AMOC weakened by −1.01 to −2.97 Sverdrups per century from 1900 to 2005. 



A single Sverdrup equals one million cubic meters of water per second. That’s a massive loss of energy transport across the Atlantic.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-atlantic-cold-spot-reaches-the-deep-ocean">Atlantic cold spot reaches the deep ocean</h2>



The cooling and freshening do not stop at the surface. The study reveals that subsurface waters down to 3,000 meters also exhibit clear signs of this trend. 



The vertical profile shows cooling and freshening at depth, confirming that AMOC’s slowdown affects the entire ocean column.



Model comparisons between weakened and strengthened AMOC simulations highlighted another key point. 



A slower <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-warming-could-reduce-ocean-currents-amoc-and-cause-massive-flooding-in-the-us/">AMOC</a> causes a heat transport gap - less warm water moves northward. This creates a cold zone between 40°N and 65°N, which matches the NAWH location.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-long-term-amoc-slowdown-confirmed">Long-term AMOC slowdown confirmed</h2>



Salt transport in the North Atlantic also changes. A weakened AMOC means more freshwater sits at the surface. This freshening was strongest across the NAWH and extended to the Labrador Sea. 



While observations showed some salinity increase in the Labrador Sea, models still closely captured the broad trend.



Both the SST- and SSS-based fingerprint indices (FPISST and FPISSS) showed strong correlation with AMOC weakening. These patterns help researchers verify the slowdown, even without direct current measurements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-other-theories-on-north-atlantic-cold-spot">Other theories on North Atlantic cold spot</h2>



Some past theories suggested the NAWH came from changes in wind patterns or reduced air pollution. These theories were tested in the new study. 



In experiments with slab-ocean models (which isolate atmospheric effects), the cooling did not appear. Only in fully coupled models - with real ocean circulation - did the NAWH form.



“We tested CO₂ experiments in slab-ocean and fully coupled models,” the authors wrote. “Only the fully coupled models with a weakening AMOC showed the cooling feature.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-broader-climate-concern">A broader climate concern</h2>



The South Greenland anomaly in the North Atlantic affects more than just <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/have-global-temperatures-breached-the-1-5c-threshold/">temperature</a>. It reshapes the jet stream and alters weather across Europe and North America.



The cold zone also threatens marine ecosystems. Many fish species rely on certain salinity and temperature levels. Disruptions could shift where they live, breed, and migrate.



“Our results show that only the models with a weakening AMOC get it right. That means many of the recent models are too sensitive to aerosol changes, and less accurate for this region,” noted Liu.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-ahead-with-better-tools">Looking ahead with better tools</h2>



This study helps improve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/looking-to-earths-ancient-climate-to-predict-our-future/">climate forecasts</a> by identifying the most realistic models. It also highlights the value of indirect evidence. Fingerprints built from ocean temperature and salinity can track changes even when direct measurements are sparse.



“We don’t have direct observations going back a century, but the temperature and salinity data let us see the past clearly,” Li noted.



If greenhouse gas emissions keep rising, the AMOC may continue to weaken. That means more pronounced cooling near Greenland and stronger climate impacts across Europe.



By understanding this cold patch, scientists gain a clearer view of Earth's <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-experts-predict-global-warming-will-far-exceed-paris-goals/">climate system</a>. The North Atlantic Warming Hole is not a mystery anymore. It’s a sign - quiet, persistent, and measurable - of a changing ocean current that affects us all.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02403-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.



Image description: The ocean anomaly map reveals the Atlantic sea surface temperature trend between 1900-2005 (color shading in °C) for the average of six observation datasets. 



Image Credit: Kai-Yuan Li/UCR



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Cold spot discovered in the Atlantic Ocean could signal big trouble for global climate

For over 100 years, the North Atlantic has hosted an...

Cities are becoming more than just human-built environments. Their light and heat now influence how plants grow. 



A major international study confirms this shift. Artificial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-artificial-light-can-boost-coral-reef-recovery/">lighting</a> lengthens the growing season in urban areas more than heat does.



The researchers analyzed satellite data from 428 cities across the Northern Hemisphere between 2014 and 2020. They found urban plant growth begins earlier and ends later than in nearby rural areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-city-lights-affect-plant-growth">City lights affect plant growth </h2>



Urban heat islands form when buildings and roads trap warmth. Cities also get brighter each year. 



Artificial light at night (ALAN) has grown nearly 10% annually over the last decade. Both heat and light alter plant growing seasons, but this study reveals light matters more.



"ALAN is a critical driver of vegetation dynamics in cities," noted the researchers. The artificial light changes how plants respond to seasonal cues, especially during autumn when natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-light-disrupts-honeybee-sleep-patterns/">light</a> typically declines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urban-plants-grow-earlier-and-stay-green">Urban plants grow earlier and stay green</h2>



Across <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-skyglow-fuels-toxic-algae-and-alters-carbon-cycle-in-lakes/">cities</a>, the growing season starts 12.6 days earlier and ends 11.2 days later than rural zones. That is over three weeks of extended green time.



Spring ALAN levels increased exponentially from rural to urban centers. In contrast, temperature rose more gradually. Spring light intensity climbed from 3.1 to 53.3 nW cm² sr⁻¹ across city gradients. Autumn changes followed similar trends.



The study revealed a strong correlation between higher ALAN and delayed leaf drop. EOS (end of season) was more strongly influenced by ALAN than by temperature in nearly half the cities examined.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-continents-and-climates-respond-differently">Continents and climates respond differently</h2>



Europe experienced the earliest start to spring, with Asia following and North America close behind.



Despite being the brightest overall, North American cities showed the smallest shift in plant growing season timing. This suggests that more light does not always mean bigger changes in plant behavior.



Different Köppen climate zones responded in varied ways to artificial light. ALAN had the strongest effect in cold climates without dry seasons and in temperate zones with dry summers or winters. 



In these areas, artificial light advanced spring plant growth more than rising temperatures did. This shows that light can override the usual seasonal cues driven by warmth.



However, end-of-season (EOS) patterns were more consistent. In nearly every climate, artificial light delayed the end of plant activity. 



Even in warmer or drier zones, nighttime light caused plants to hold onto their leaves longer. This widespread delay in senescence shows how deeply city lighting alters natural plant rhythms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-latitude-and-light-sensitivity">Latitude and light sensitivity</h2>



The farther north a city lies, the more its plants respond to artificial light. In higher latitudes, the natural variation in daylight is more extreme. This makes plants especially sensitive to artificial night lighting.



“ALAN acts as an artificial extension of natural daylight,” wrote the study authors. In high-latitude cities, it disrupts the signals that tell plants when to shed their leaves.



Temperature still plays a role, especially in triggering spring growth. But ALAN’s influence on leaf fall in autumn now appears stronger and more widespread.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-led-light-shifts-plant-timing-in-cities">LED light shifts plant timing in cities</h2>



The shift from sodium lamps to white LEDs has intensified ALAN effects. LEDs emit more blue light, which plants detect through specialized receptors. That may change how plants time their seasonal shifts.



“Plants sense different wavelengths through different photoreceptor pathways,” noted the researchers. 



However, most satellites cannot yet detect blue light well. Future monitoring will need to include this spectral range to track ecological impacts accurately.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-greener-cities">Looking beyond greener cities</h2>



Longer growing seasons may sound beneficial. Trees may take up more carbon and offer better shade. But there are downsides. A longer leaf season raises the risk of frost damage, mismatched plant-pollinator cycles, and more severe allergy seasons.



City planners face a complex challenge. Lighting designs must meet safety needs but avoid harming plants. 



A smarter urban lighting strategy could reduce ecosystem disruptions while maintaining livable cities. Urban ecology is shifting under our feet and our lights. It is time we took notice.



The researchers are affiliated with&nbsp;<a href="https://www.whu.edu.cn/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wuhan University</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.vanderbilt.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Vanderbilt University</a>&nbsp;,&nbsp;<a href="https://nau.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northern Arizona University</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.igb-berlin.de/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fu-berlin.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Freie Universität Berlin</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ornl.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Oak Ridge National Laboratory</a>&nbsp;, and the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ucla.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Los Angeles</a>&nbsp;.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44284-025-00258-2" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Cities</a>.



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Plants that live in cities have much longer growing seasons now

Cities are becoming more than just human-built environments. Their light...

Volcanic islands, such as those in Hawaii and the Caribbean, are often fringed by coral reefs - ring-shaped structures that closely follow the shoreline. These reefs aren’t continuous. They contain natural gaps known as reef passes, which serve as channels connecting the sheltered lagoon with the open ocean.



Water and nutrients move through these gaps, keeping the ecosystem alive and balanced. Reef passes are critical for circulation, helping flush out freshwater and bring in nutrients that coral reefs rely on to survive.



Until now, no one had pinned down how these reef passes form. But researchers from <a href="https://www.mit.edu/">MIT</a> and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have found something surprising.



These coral gateways line up with where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alaskas-rivers-are-rusting-and-the-changes-are-visible-from-space/">rivers</a> exit the island’s coast. The study shows that island rivers are not just bystanders. They help carve these passages through the coral itself.



“The results of this study help us to understand how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/what-grazing-halos-and-parrotfish-reveal-about-coral-reef-health/">health of coral reefs</a> depends on the islands they surround,” said Professor Taylor Perron.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-offer-benefits-for-reefs">Rivers offer benefits for reefs</h2>



Megan Gillen, the study's lead author, is a graduate student in the MIT-WHOI Joint Program in Oceanography.



“A lot of discussion around rivers and their impact on reefs today has been negative because of human impact and the effects of agricultural practices,” said Gillen.



“This study shows the potential long-term benefits rivers can have on reefs, which I hope reshapes the paradigm and highlights the natural state of rivers interacting with reefs.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-observing-coral-reefs-from-space">Observing coral reefs from space</h2>



The team focused on the Society Islands, a group of volcanic islands in the South Pacific that includes Tahiti and Bora Bora. 



With fieldwork off the table during the pandemic, the researchers turned to satellite imagery. Scanning the islands on Google Earth, they noticed something odd.



“The islands in this chain have these iconic, beautiful reefs, and we kept noticing these reef passes that seemed to align with deeply embayed portions of the coastline,” noted Gillen. “We started asking ourselves, is there a correlation here?”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-mystery-of-reef-passes">The mystery of reef passes</h2>



From above, the coral reefs looked like cracked rings. The breaks - reef passes - seemed to fall in line with old river valleys that cut deep into the coastline. 



These depressions are where rivers drain out to the sea. Gillen began wondering: are the rivers responsible for these coral gaps?



“People have examined the flow through reef passes to understand how ocean waves and seawater circulate in and out of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-lagoons-have-high-loads-of-microplastics/">lagoons</a>, but there have been no claims of how these passes are formed,” said Gillen. 



“Reef pass formation has been mentioned infrequently in the literature, and people haven’t explored it in depth.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-rivers-form-the-reef-passes">Big rivers form the reef passes</h2>



To test the idea, the team used radar data from NASA’s Shuttle Radar Topography Mission. The mission mapped about 80% of the Earth's surface back in 1999. 



Using this topographic data, the researchers traced out the island river basins and pinpointed every reef pass on the surrounding coral reefs.



Then they “unwrapped” the islands and their reefs into straight lines. This made it easier to compare locations directly. And the pattern was clear.



“Looking at the unwrapped shorelines, we find a significant correlation in the spatial relationship between these big river basins and where the passes line up,” said Gillen. 



“So we can say that statistically, the alignment of reef passes and large rivers does not seem random. The big rivers have a role in forming passes.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-rivers-shape-coral-reefs">How rivers shape coral reefs</h2>



The researchers propose two ways that rivers could shape coral: reef incision and reef encroachment.



Reef incision happens when sea levels are low and rivers can flow directly over exposed reef. The flowing water and sediment grind away at the coral over time, cutting a channel into the reef.



Reef encroachment is the opposite. When <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-growth-cannot-keep-pace-with-rising-sea-levels/">sea levels rise</a>, coral reefs grow upward and move inward, toward the island, chasing sunlight. But if they grow into an old riverbed that’s too deep for sunlight, the coral can’t survive there. It dies off, leaving a gap - a reef pass.



Together, reef incision and reef encroachment likely shaped the reef passes we see today over many sea-level cycles.



“We don’t think it’s an either/or situation,” said Gillen. “Reef incision occurs when sea levels fall, and reef encroachment happens when sea levels rise."



"Both mechanisms, occurring over dozens of cycles of sea-level rise and island evolution, are likely responsible for the formation and maintenance of reef passes over time.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-older-islands-tell-us">What older islands tell us</h2>



The researchers also noticed a trend across different islands. Younger islands had more reef passes that were close together. Older islands had fewer, more spread out.



Over time, volcanic islands sink. As they do, there’s less land to catch rain and form strong rivers. Without that flow, the reef passes begin to close, shaped instead by ocean waves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-can-we-build-better-reefs">Can we build better reefs?</h2>



This study does more than explain a pattern in coral reefs. It opens the door to new ideas for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protecting-coral-reefs-is-a-matter-of-humans-rights/">reef conservation</a>.



Gillen is now exploring whether engineered flows - man-made systems that mimic rivers - could help create reef passes where none exist. These artificial channels could boost circulation and help coral reefs stay healthy in places where natural rivers are absent.



“Part of me wonders: If you had a more persistent flow, in places where you don’t naturally have rivers interacting with the reef, could that potentially be a way to increase health, by incorporating that river component back into the reef system? That’s something we’re thinking about."



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2025GL114881">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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How island rivers quietly shape coral reefs

Volcanic islands, such as those in Hawaii and the Caribbean,...

When Earth was locked in ice, where did life hide out? New research suggests that shallow, sunlit meltwater ponds - small pools on top of ancient ice sheets - may have given early complex life forms a place to survive. 



These above-ice pockets could have acted as safe zones during one of the coldest, harshest chapters in our planet’s history.



The study was conducted by an international team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT). The research was focused on a time known as "Snowball Earth," when much of the planet was encased in ice between 635 and 720 million years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meltwater-ponds-sheltered-life">Meltwater ponds sheltered life </h2>



During <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/snowball-earth-event-set-the-stage-for-complex-life/">Snowball Earth</a>, temperatures dropped to minus 50 degrees Celsius. Ice sheets likely covered land and sea - possibly even near the equator. Still, life managed to survive.



The question of how life persisted has challenged scientists for years. Some have suggested that organisms could have survived in places like <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-hydrothermal-vents-provide-clues-about-the-origin-of-life/">hydrothermal vents</a> deep in the ocean, under the ice, or even in small areas of open water. 



But the MIT-led team wanted to explore a different idea: what if meltwater ponds on the surface of the ice were key?



Fatima Husain, lead author of the study, is a graduate student in MIT’s Department of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences.



“We’ve shown that meltwater ponds are valid candidates for where early eukaryotes could have sheltered during these planet-wide <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/frozen-earth-global-glaciation-event-lasted-4-million-years/">glaciation events</a>,” said Husain. "This shows us that diversity is present and possible in these sorts of settings. It’s really a story of life’s resilience.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-clues-found-in-antarctica">Clues found in Antarctica</h2>



To test this theory, the researchers turned to modern Antarctica. Today, you can find shallow <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/scientists-are-spotting-meltwater-lakes-more-frequently-in-greenland/">meltwater</a> ponds scattered along the McMurdo Ice Shelf. 



The ponds form when sunlight warms dust-laden patches of ice, melting the surface just enough to create small pools. These conditions are likely similar to what existed near the equator during Snowball Earth.



In 2018, MIT’s Roger Summons and colleagues collected samples from several of these ponds, first described over a century ago as “dirty ice.” 



The team found thick microbial mats lining the pond bottoms - sticky layers built up over years, made mostly of photosynthetic cyanobacteria. But that wasn’t all they found.



The researchers also uncovered signs of more complex life. Not just <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-pass-down-memories-to-future-generations/">bacteria</a>, but eukaryotes - organisms with a cell nucleus - were present in every pond they studied.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-life-in-meltwater-ponds">Hidden life in meltwater ponds</h2>



To confirm the presence of eukaryotes, the scientists used two techniques. First, they looked for sterols, lipid molecules that only eukaryotes produce. Then, they analyzed ribosomal RNA, which acts as a genetic fingerprint. 



These tools helped them identify not just single types of organisms, but entire communities - algae, protists, microscopic animals - thriving in each pond.



“No two ponds were alike,” said Husain. “There are repeating casts of characters, but they’re present in different abundances. And we found diverse assemblages of eukaryotes from all the major groups in all the ponds studied. These eukaryotes are the descendants of the eukaryotes that survived the Snowball Earth.”



One surprising finding: the salinity of a pond had a major impact on what lived there. Saltier ponds hosted similar communities, while fresher ponds had more variation.



“This really highlights that meltwater ponds during Snowball Earth could have served as above-ice oases that nurtured the eukaryotic life that enabled the diversification and proliferation of complex life - including us - later on,” said Husain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-meltwater-ponds-hold-clues-to-ancient-life">Meltwater ponds hold clues to ancient life</h2>



There’s still debate about what Snowball Earth was really like - whether it was a completely frozen ball or more of a "slushball" with thin patches of open ocean. But the evidence from Antarctica shows that today’s meltwater ponds can serve as useful analogs for ancient environments.



“We’re interested in understanding the foundations of complex life on Earth. We see evidence for eukaryotes before and after the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/most-complete-record-of-snowball-earth-found-in-rock-formation/">Cryogenian</a> in the fossil record, but we largely lack direct evidence of where they may have lived during,” explained Husain. 



“The great part of this mystery is, we know life survived. We’re just trying to understand how and where.” And meltwater ponds, it turns out, might be a big part of that answer.



“There are many hypotheses for where life could have survived and sheltered during the Cryogenian, but we don’t have excellent analogs for all of them,” noted Husain. 



“Above-ice meltwater ponds occur on Earth today and are accessible, giving us the opportunity to really focus in on the eukaryotes which live in these environments.”



By studying one of the coldest places on Earth today, scientists are piecing together how life managed to hang on through one of the planet’s darkest and coldest times.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60713-5">Nature Communications</a>.



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Life survived when Earth was covered in ice - but how?

When Earth was locked in ice, where did life hide...

Peatlands across the northern Arctic are spreading as the climate warms, offering a temporary boost in natural carbon storage. This new growth, forming at the edges of existing peat bogs, could help slow the pace of climate change - at least in the short term.



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>, with partners in Canada, Finland, and Norway, used satellite images, drone footage, and peat cores to track 16 sites across the European and Canadian Arctic.



By comparing imagery from 1985–1995 with the last two decades, they found clear signs of “peak-summer greening” at most sites - evidence that peat-forming mosses are steadily spreading outward. 



The most dramatic changes were seen in regions that have warmed the most, like Svalbard.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-rapidly-warming-north">A rapidly warming North</h2>



“The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-has-warmed-four-times-faster-than-the-rest-of-the-planet/">Arctic has warmed</a> faster than the rest of the planet, with average temperatures increasing by about 4 °C in the last four decades,” said Dr. Katherine Crichton.



Warmer summers mean longer growing seasons and thicker plant cover. According to Dr. Crichton, this has improved growing conditions for plants, causing "greening" of the Arctic. 



"We wanted to identify if this greening could be from peatland plant communities. We know from paleo records that warmer periods in Earth’s history led to more carbon being stored in peatlands."



"Our new study puts these pieces together to examine whether our warming climate is causing peatland expansion - and we find strong evidence that it is.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peatlands-small-area-huge-impact">Peatlands: Small area, huge impact</h2>



Peat covers about three percent of Earth’s surface yet stores roughly 600 billion tons of carbon - more than all of the world’s trees combined.



“Our findings suggest Arctic peatlands are an increasingly important <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natural-carbon-sinks-are-threatened-by-droughts-and-heat-waves/">natural carbon sink</a>, at least in the near term,” said Professor Karen Anderson of Exeter’s Environment and Sustainability Institute.



“But if <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-may-stop-absorbing-carbon-if-temperatures-continue-to-rise/">temperatures continue to rise</a>, we are likely to see changes in rainfall, and we are not sure how sustainable new or existing peatlands will be. Plus we could see increases of methane emissions at the same time."



"So - while our study gives us some positive news - it does not detract from the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and stabilise our climate.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-years-of-surveying-arctic-peatlands">Years of surveying Arctic peatlands </h2>



The project has been in motion for more than a decade. It began with two small pilot studies - a peat-core survey in Canada and Finland and a drone-mapping test of remote sensing.



Funding was hard to come by. The team’s first grant bid went in back in 2013. A rejection followed in 2015, then two more in 2016. The green light finally came in 2018, and full fieldwork started the following summer.



Early trips set the tone. Dr. Crichton scoured Google Earth Engine for possible study sites. Professor Angela Gallego-Sala headed north to Svalbard, where the safety briefing included how to avoid hungry <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/disney-documents-the-plight-of-polar-bears-in-remarkable-film/">polar bears</a>.



COVID-19 struck just as momentum built. “I was still at my desk using Google Earth Engine,” said Dr. Crichton. “Lockdown didn’t make any difference to the work I was doing.” Field teams stayed home, but mapping and permit work continued online.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fieldwork-in-unfamiliar-territory">Fieldwork in unfamiliar territory </h2>



Once borders reopened, the researchers headed to Bylot Island in 2021–22. The camp was basic; the only “shower” was a half-frozen lake. “It was light all the time. You could do fieldwork all day long and all night if you wanted to.” 



Helicopters ferried the group to nameless tundra clearings. Pilots needed labels for pickup points, so patches of moss earned nicknames like “Glacial Nirvana” and “Angela’s Paradise.” Each core came up dark and wet, holding a record of centuries of stored carbon.



Farther west, an Inuit guide at Salluit led the team across peatlands teeming with black bears and reindeer. Each evening they caught fish and mussels for supper. 



One morning, the guide shrugged at their mapped route: “You can go wherever you want.” That freedom left the crew - and their canoe - stranded on a sandbar at low tide. 



“We pushed it a long way through the sand,” Professor Gallego-Sala said. “It was pretty tough - but it was also hilarious, and we managed to get it out.”



“Meanwhile, I’m still sat at my computer by the way,” said Dr Crichton, laughing. Her satellite work linked every muddy core to long-term imagery, confirming that the edges of Arctic peatlands are edging outward as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-struggling-to-breathe-store-co2-hotter-climate/">climate warms</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peatlands-are-storing-carbon-for-now">Peatlands are storing carbon - for now</h2>



“Going out for fieldwork is a short time in comparison to the rest of the work. There is lots of lab work to analyze the samples, then extensive data analysis before the findings can be written into a published paper.”



The study links local plant changes to a global climate trend. The team also warns that, under continued warming, today’s expanding peatlands may flip and release their stored carbon. 



Until then, the slow creep of moss across Arctic ground remains one small buffer against rising greenhouse gases.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-025-02375-1">Communications Earth &amp; Environment</a>.



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Arctic peatlands are spreading as temperatures rise

Peatlands across the northern Arctic are spreading as the climate...

Oceanographers have long used a simple rule of thumb: green water teems with microscopic life, while ultramarine blue usually signals relative scarcity.



A fresh analysis of two decades of satellite images suggests that the dividing line between those hues is on the move. 



Scientists have determined that open-ocean waters are steadily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-ocean-turning-green-thanks-to-climate-change-algae-blooms/">greening</a> at high latitudes and becoming bluer in the tropics and subtropics.



Because the tint of seawater tracks chlorophyll - the pigment that phytoplankton use for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/revealing-the-secrets-of-photosynthesis-through-pep/">photosynthesis</a> - the trend hints at a large-scale rearrangement of life at the base of marine food webs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-our-oceans-shifting-color-code">Our oceans' shifting color code</h2>



The research team, led by <a href="https://duke.edu/">Duke University</a> post-doctoral scholar Haipeng Zhao, sifted through global data captured from 2003 to 2022. The data came from <a href="https://aqua.nasa.gov/modis">NASA’s MODIS-Aqua</a> instrument, which scans the planet every two days.



Each pass measures subtle shifts in reflected light that reveal chlorophyll concentration right at the surface. To avoid the optical noise of sediment-rich coastlines, the researchers focused exclusively on the open ocean.



“In the ocean, what we see based on satellite measurements is that the tropics and the subtropics are generally losing chlorophyll, whereas the polar regions - the high-latitude regions - are greening,” Zhao said.



In practical terms, that means less plankton in warm, blue waters flanking the equator and a rising abundance in polar waters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-inventive-math-for-a-noisy-planet"><a></a>Inventive math for a noisy planet</h2>



Working with satellite imagery always involves gaps - patches of cloud, sensor dropouts, differences in daylight.



To tease out a coherent story, Zhao and colleagues borrowed a pair of statistical tools more often used to study household incomes: the Lorenz curve and the Gini coefficient.



Lead investigator Nicolas Cassar, a scientist at Duke, explained the leap from economics to oceanography: “We borrowed concepts from economics called the Lorenz curve and the Gini index, which together show how wealth is distributed in a society.



“We thought, let’s apply these to see whether the proportion of the ocean that holds the most chlorophyll has changed over time.”



The result? Over twenty years, the ‘chlorophyll rich’ zones - already green - grew greener, particularly in the northern hemisphere, while blue regions lost even more pigment. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-testing-the-climate-connections"><a></a>Testing the climate connections</h2>



Greener poles and bluer tropics might sound like a straightforward fingerprint of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-is-accelerating-beyond-control-as-co2-levels-rise/">global warming</a>. However, the study stops short of that conclusion.



The authors compared chlorophyll shifts with four environmental variables: sea-surface water temperature, wind speed, light availability, and mixed-layer depth. 



Only warming tracked consistently with the observed color change; the others showed no strong association.



Even so, co-author Susan Lozier of <a href="https://www.gatech.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Georgia Tech</a> cautioned against a rush to label climate change the culprit. “The study period was too short to rule out the influence of recurring climate phenomena such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-climate-shifts-date-back-250-million-years/">El Niño</a>,” Lozier said.



“Having measurements for the next several decades will be important for determining influences beyond climate oscillations.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-plankton-big-impact">Changing plankton, big impact</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invisible-forest-of-phytoplankton-thrives-in-a-warming-climate/">Phytoplankton</a> do more than tint the waves. Through photosynthesis, they absorb carbon dioxide and convert it to organic matter, sequestering carbon when dead cells sink.



A poleward migration of productivity could rearrange that natural pump. Cassar notes that the geographic shift may decide how long that captured carbon remains out of circulation.



“If carbon sinks deeper or in places where water doesn’t resurface for a long time, it stays stored much longer. In contrast, shallow carbon can return to the atmosphere more quickly, reducing the effect of phytoplankton on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/">carbon storage</a>,” he said.



Food security is another concern. Many equatorial nations rely on rich fisheries sustained by plankton blooms. A steady drop in primary producers could disrupt the food web, reducing fish stocks vital to diets and economies.



“Phytoplankton are at the base of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-twilight-zone-stabilizes-the-marine-food-chain/">marine food chain</a>. If they are reduced, then the upper levels of the food chain could also be impacted, which could mean a potential redistribution of fisheries,” Cassar warned.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-color-shift-continues">Ocean color shift continues</h2>



The study adds the open ocean to a list of Earth systems already showing poleward ecological drift. On land, satellite records have documented expanding forests in high latitudes and stressed vegetation in the subtropics. 



Now, with the ocean’s own chlorophyll belt shifting, researchers see a consistent planetary story unfolding.



Still, the authors emphasize that two decades are only an opening chapter. Longer records, deeper observations, and improved models of phytoplankton physiology are needed to predict the full ecological impact.



The ocean’s color shift signals change - green in high latitudes, blue near the equator - as ecosystems quietly reorganize. It silently tracks a significant re-ordering of marine life that could reshape climate feedbacks and global fisheries alike.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.adr9715" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Ocean waters are changing colors and pushing marine life toward the poles

Oceanographers have long used a simple rule of thumb: green...

Tsunami warning sirens on Vancouver Island have never sounded for real, yet scientists know the lull is temporary. A new study says artificial intelligence could sharpen the split‑second calls that decide whether visitors and locals can reach higher ground.



The work zeroes in on Tofino, a surfing town whose beaches and hotels fill with travelers year‑round. Researchers tested different warning strategies and found that machine learning might save more people than the rules emergency crews use today.



Earth‑science professor <a href="https://www.uwo.ca/earth/people/faculty/goda.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Katsuichiro Goda</a> at <a href="https://www.uwo.ca/sci/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Western University</a>, the <a href="https://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/chairholders-titulaires/profile-eng.aspx?profileId=4507" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Canada Research Chair in Multi‑Hazard Risk Assessment</a>, led the project. 



He and his team compared traditional statistical models with newer random forest algorithms and neural network tools, checking how long officials can wait before pressing the alert button.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-stakes-for-tofino">High stakes for tofino</h2>



Tofino sits a short drive from the <a href="https://www.pnsn.org/outreach/earthquakesources/csz" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cascadia Subduction Zone</a>, the 600‑mile fault where the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/media/images/subduction-juan-de-fuca-plate-beneath-north-american-pla" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Juan de Fuca plate</a> dives under North America. 



A magnitude‑9 rupture on that boundary could send a 65‑foot wall of water ashore in roughly 20 minutes.



<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261304047_Japan_Trench_earthquake_and_tsunami_monitoring_network_of_cable-linked_150_ocean_bottom_observatories_and_its_impact_to_earth_disaster_science" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Japan’s S‑net network</a> packs 150 ocean‑bottom sensors along deep‑sea cables, yet Vancouver Island relies on only four nodes for real‑time data.<a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/261304047_Japan_Trench_earthquake_and_tsunami_monitoring_network_of_cable-linked_150_ocean_bottom_observatories_and_its_impact_to_earth_disaster_science?utm_source=chatgpt.com"> </a>



That imbalance matters because Tofino’s hotels, marinas, and boardwalk shops represent more than 2 billion Canadian dollars in at‑risk assets during a severe inundation.<a href="https://cheknews.ca/new-study-shows-ai-could-help-sharpen-tsunami-warnings-for-b-c-s-coast-1259866/?utm_source=chatgpt.com"> </a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-minutes-matter">Why minutes matter</h2>



Evacuation drills show that even fit hikers need up to 17 minutes to climb from the waterfront to designated hills. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strong-geomagnetic-solar-storm-alert-issued-auroras-expected-farther-south/">Alerts</a> that come too late jam the single highway out of town, trapping beachgoers behind stalled traffic.



Canada lacks a local catalog of historic tsunamis, so the study fed the computer thousands of simulated waveforms instead of real past events. 



The team discovered that performance swings wildly when the training set omits certain rupture styles, an uncertainty coastal planners rarely see in public briefings.



Adding synthetic events from <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.16344" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Bayesian “digital twin” models</a> could close that gap, a method now being tested for the Cascadia coast.<a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2504.16344?utm_source=chatgpt.com">&nbsp;</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-random-forests-vs-human-judgment">Random forests vs human judgment</h2>



“When waiting times are too short, performances of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mega-tsunamis-triggered-by-earthquakes-could-wipe-part-of-us-off-the-map/">tsunami</a> early warning models vary significantly in terms of success,” said Goda. 



His favorite tool, the random forest, stacks dozens of mini decision trees, each weighing different seismic variables before voting on the safest moment to send a text <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noaa-issues-a-severe-solar-storm-alert-with-auroras-expected-across-most-of-us/">alert</a>.



In test runs the algorithm beat multiple‑linear regression by about 15 percent on successful evacuations, echoing results from international trials that link seafloor gauges with machine‑learning forecasts.<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0098300423001279?utm_source=chatgpt.com">&nbsp;</a>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tsunami-warning-sirens">Tsunami warning sirens</h2>



Japan’s 150‑station array beams pressure and seismic data along 3,600 miles of fiber‑optic cable, giving residents clearer information on wave height and arrival time.



Vancouver Island’s four‑sensor network, run by Ocean Networks Canada, limits early detection accuracy near tourist beaches like Cox Bay. 



Goda argues that even a modest expansion - one extra sensor for each 25 miles of coastline, would feed the hungry algorithms and shorten the interval between quake and alert.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tourist-economies-in-the-crosshairs">Tourist economies in the crosshairs</h2>



Peak season pushes Tofino’s population from 2,500 to nearly 20,000, magnifying the challenge of moving people uphill before a wave arrives. 



Business owners note that a single false alarm can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars in canceled bookings, so accuracy and trust go hand in hand.



Locals say the success of any alert system depends on whether people trust it. That trust hinges on understanding how and why evacuation orders are made. 



Workshops and school programs that explain <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/650-foot-mega-tsunami-sends-seismic-waves-around-world-dickson-fjord-swot-mission/">tsunami</a> dynamics and how warnings work have helped raise awareness in Tofino. 



These efforts build a culture of readiness, making it more likely that people will act quickly when seconds count.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-toward-smarter-evacuations">Toward smarter evacuations</h2>



“We need to start using more AI models to get better results, but they are more data‑hungry and only perform better with more data,” explained Goda. 



The Western study suggests a counter‑intuitive tactic: wait a handful of extra seconds before issuing an alert so that messages include firmer wave‑height estimates.



Past disasters show why precision matters: surveys after the 2011 <a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2011-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-facts" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tohoku tsunami</a> found that repeated false alarms made some residents less likely to flee small waves later.<a href="https://www.worldvision.org/disaster-relief-news-stories/2011-japan-earthquake-and-tsunami-facts?utm_source=chatgpt.com"> </a>



Next fall Goda's group will join residents during Tofino’s annual drill to test an AI‑assisted alert generator in real time. If the prototype works, the same code could guard resorts from Bali to Havana, shrinking the casualty gap between well‑monitored and overlooked coastlines.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/21664250.2025.2516324" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coastal Engineering Journal</a>.



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New study proposes using AI to improve tsunami warnings in tourist areas

Tsunami warning sirens on Vancouver Island have never sounded for...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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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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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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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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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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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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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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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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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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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