Scenery,Of,The,Ice,Floe,Area,Of,The,Arctic,Ocean,

For years, climate scientists have struggled to explain the warming of the Arctic and why it is heating up three to four times faster than the planet as a whole. 



Traditional climate models capture some of that “Arctic amplification,” but they still fall short of the temperature spikes involving clouds which have been recorded in recent decades.



A new study from Kyushu University points the finger at an unlikely culprit: mixed-phase <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfires-and-arctic-ice-clouds-an-unexpected-connection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">clouds</a> that behave like a thermal blanket during the polar night, trapping more heat than most models assume.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-the-arctic-s-thermal-blanket-matters"><a></a>Why the Arctic’s thermal blanket matters</h2>



Mixed-phase clouds - low-lying decks that contain both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-dust-plays-a-hidden-role-in-accelerating-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice crystals</a> and supercooled liquid droplets - dominate Arctic skies. 



In summer, when the sun never sets, they act like a parasol, reflecting incoming sunlight back into space and slowing surface warming.



In winter, when sunlight fades for weeks, those same clouds flip their role. With no solar rays to reflect, they trap long-wave radiation emitted by the ice and ocean below and reradiate it downward, warming the surface.



“However, how well these mixed-phase clouds trap heat depends on their ratio of ice to liquid,” explained lead author Momoka Nakanishi, a graduate researcher at <a href="https://www.kyushu-u.ac.jp/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Kyushu University</a>.



“The more liquid water the clouds contain, the better they are at trapping heat. But many <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-temperature-increase-2023-blew-past-all-climate-models/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate models</a> have a large bias in representing this ratio, causing incorrect predictions.”



Nakanishi and her adviser, associate professor Takuro Michibata of Kyushu University’s Research Institute for Applied Mechanics, suspected that inaccurate cloud physics might be hiding a large chunk of the Arctic’s missing heat.



To test the idea, they examined 30 leading climate models and compared their simulated wintertime cloud properties with a decade of satellite observations over the polar seas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ice-heavy-models-miss-today-s-heat"><a></a>Ice-heavy models miss today’s heat</h2>



The comparison yielded a stark result: 21 of the 30 models over-predicted the proportion of ice crystals relative to liquid droplets in Arctic winter clouds. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-discover-a-new-class-of-ice-called-ice-0/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ice-heavy clouds</a> emit less infrared radiation back to the surface than liquid-rich ones, so models with too much ice systematically underestimate the present-day greenhouse effect of clouds.



“These ice-dominant models are not properly accounting for the present-day warming potential of the clouds during the winter. That’s why they cannot account for the rapid warming we are currently seeing,” Nakanishi said.



By adjusting the models to match observed ice-to-liquid ratios, the researchers closed much of the gap between simulated and observed warming. 



The finding suggests that fine-scale cloud microphysics - droplet nucleation, crystal growth, and the freezing of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unexpected-beauty-revealed-in-ice-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">super-cooled water</a> - hold outsized influence over regional climate.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-arctic-clouds-on-the-ceiling">Warming Arctic: Clouds on the ceiling</h2>



Paradoxically, the same modeling error means many simulations may overstate future warming. In a warmer Arctic, mixed-phase clouds naturally shift toward higher liquid content, enhancing their heat-trapping ability in a mechanism known as cloud emissivity feedback.



But there is a ceiling: once a cloud becomes mostly liquid, it behaves like a near-perfect blackbody, fully absorbing and re-emitting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earthcare-reveals-the-power-of-clouds-and-aerosols/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">thermal radiation</a>. Beyond that point, additional warming does not greatly increase its greenhouse effect.



Many of the surveyed models, because they start out too icy, anticipate a larger future shift toward liquid content than observations justify. 



They therefore project a stronger, longer-lasting emissivity feedback and exaggerate the Arctic’s eventual temperature rise. Correcting present-day biases narrows that projection.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-climate-prediction"><a></a>Implications for global climate prediction</h2>



Cloud processes remain one of the largest uncertainties in climate science. “The biggest uncertainty in our forecasts is due to clouds,” Michibata said. 



“Fixing these models is essential not just for the Arctic, but for understanding its impact on weather and climate change across the globe.”



The stakes extend well beyond the high latitudes. A warmer Arctic can warp the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-accelerate-jet-stream-winds-and-airplane-turbulence/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jet stream</a>, influencing extreme weather events in North America, Europe, and Asia - involving much more than clouds.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-ice-loss-alters-the-color-of-ocean-light-and-life-struggles-to-adapt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sea-ice losses</a> accelerate, opening shipping routes but also exposing darker ocean water that absorbs more heat. 



Permafrost thaws, releasing carbon and methane that further amplify warming. Getting cloud physics right will sharpen projections for all these knock-on effects.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cloud-radar-helps-prevent-arctic-warming">Cloud radar helps prevent Arctic warming</h2>



The team drew on satellite data from NASA’s <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/cloudsat/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CloudSat</a> and <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/mission/calipso/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CALIPSO</a> missions, which use radar and lidar to distinguish ice and liquid layers inside clouds.



They then compared these observations with outputs from models participating in the <a href="https://wcrp-cmip.org/cmip-phases/cmip6/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6</a> (CMIP6), the same ensemble that informs the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change</a> reports.



By ranking models according to their liquid-fraction bias, the researchers could quantify how that bias translated into temperature error.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-toward-better-microphysics"><a></a>Next steps: Toward better microphysics</h2>



Fixing the problem will require both new observations and refined parameterizations of microphysical processes inside model grid cells.



Small-scale experiments using aircraft and ground-based lidar could reveal how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-small-aerosols-influence-cloud-formation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aerosols</a>, humidity, and temperature cooperate to keep droplets liquid at −20 °C or colder - a common state in the Arctic. 



Incorporating those insights into global models could, in turn, tighten projections for mid-latitude storm tracks and even tropical rainfall.



For now, the study delivers a clear message: the Arctic’s runaway warming cannot be understood - or slowed - without an accurate account of what happens inside its low, grey winter clouds. Addressing that microscopic uncertainty could make a macroscopic difference for the entire planet.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://spj.science.org/doi/10.34133/olar.0089" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ocean-Land-Atmosphere Research</a>.



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Clouds also fuel Arctic warming, not just carbon emissions

For years, climate scientists have struggled to explain the warming of the Arctic and why it is heating up three to four times faster than the planet as a whole. Traditional climate models capture some of that “Arctic amplification,” but they still fall short of the temperature spikes involving clouds which have been recorded in recent decades. A new study from Kyushu University points the finger at an unlikely culprit: mixed-phase clouds that behave like a thermal blanket during the polar night, trapping more heat than most...

According to a new, multi-agency report from the <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en">World Meteorological Organization</a> (WMO), the supply of electricity from clean energy sources, such as solar, wind, or hydropower, must double until the end of this decade in order to mitigate global warming. If this will not be achieved, climate change, extreme weather, and water stress may severely undermine our energy security and jeopardize <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/transforming-sunlight-and-water-into-renewable-energy/">renewable energy</a> supplies.



The WMO’s report focuses on the issue of energy this year due to its major importance to international agreements on sustainable development and climate change mitigation, and ultimately, to our planet’s health.&nbsp;



“The energy sector is the source of around three-quarters of global greenhouse gas emissions. Switching to clean forms of energy generation, such as solar, wind, and hydropower – and improving energy efficiency – is vital if we are to thrive in the twenty-first century. Net zero by 2050 is the aim. But we will only get there if we double the supply of low-emissions electricity within the next eight years,” explained Petteri Taalas, the secretary-general of WMO. “Time is not on our side, and our climate is changing before our eyes. We need a complete transformation of the global energy system.”



According to Professor Taalas and his colleagues, access to reliable weather, water, and climate information and services is essential to strengthen the resilience of energy infrastructure and meet the currently rising demands for renewable energy sources. In the process of meeting global electricity needs with clean energy, African countries may turn out to be major players in the market, since the African continent is home to 60 percent of the best solar resources globally. Unfortunately, at the moment, it has only one percent of installed photovoltaic capacity.



“We urgently need to respond to the growing impact of climate change on energy systems if we are to maintain energy security while accelerating the transition to net-zero.&nbsp;This requires long-term planning and bold policy action to spur investment, which in turn needs to be underpinned by comprehensive and reliable weather and climate data,” said Fatih Birol, the executive director of the <a href="https://www.iea.org/">International Energy Agency</a> (IEA).



“Now is the time to accelerate the transition to a renewable energy future. Anything short of radical and immediate action will ultimately eliminate the chance of staying on the 1.5°C path. The intertwined energy and climate crises have dramatically exposed the weaknesses and vulnerabilities of an economic system heavily reliant on fossil fuels. Advancing the transition to renewables is a strategic choice to bring affordable energy, jobs, economic growth, and a resilient environment to the people and communities on the ground,” concluded Francesco La Camera, the director-general of the <a href="https://www.irena.org/">International Renewable Energy Agency</a> (IRENA).



The 2022 State of Climate Services: Energy report can be found <a href="https://library.wmo.int/index.php?lvl=notice_display&amp;id=22136#.Y0YxGP1BzIU">here</a>.



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

Renewable energy must be doubled by 2030

According to a new, multi-agency report from the World Meteorological...

According to a recent study led by the <a href="https://www.york.ac.uk/">University of York</a>, the larvae of Caddisflies – a common insect inhabiting freshwater environments such as lakes, rivers, and ponds – could be inadvertently contributing to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-confirms-microplastics-have-entered-our-food-chain/">microplastic</a> pollution in rivers and waterways by chewing up plastic litter.



The scientists were amazed to find that these larvae used their sharp teeth to bite plastic into smaller pieces, which they then used to build the protective casing they live in until they reach adulthood. Despite presenting the larvae with a variety of alternative natural building material, they frequently chose to gnaw through plastic film, generating hundreds of microplastic particles in just a few days.



“Given the increasing concern for the effects of plastic pollution on our environment, we wanted to understand whether caddisfly larvae would interact with items of plastic litter which commonly pollute the environment, and determine what the consequences of these interactions might be,” said study lead author Katey Valentine, a doctoral student in Biology at York.



Valentine and her colleagues presented larvae with pieces of plastic film cut from a commercially available biodegradable plastic bag, along with pieces of oak leaf. Although the larvae often chose the oak leaf material, many of them seemed to prefer the pieces of plastic for building their new case.



“As well as demonstrating microplastic production, our work also shows how these organisms can exploit plastics to construct their homes. This could make the larvae more prone to predation and result in increased exposure to things like additives that will slowly leach from the plastic,” explained study senior author Alistair Boxall, a professor of Environmental Science at York.



“The active use of plastic litter by freshwater animals that our study uncovered could contribute to the formation of microplastics within these habitats. Further work is now needed to determine the extent to which these animals could be utilizing plastic litter and creating microplastics throughout natural freshwater environments globally, and whether other common freshwater species exhibit similar behavior,” Valentine concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.5496">Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry</a>.



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

Insect larvae contribute to microplastic pollution

According to a recent study led by the University of...

Our blue planet may face a coral reef catastrophe earlier than previously predicted. Using a new model called CMIP5, researchers from the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa</a> predict that half of the world's coral reefs will face irreparable damage within 12 years if we don’t take steps to protect them.&nbsp;



Coral reefs are particularly sensitive to changes in their environment, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-is-making-the-ocean-more-acidic/">ocean</a> acidification, tropical storms, and increased sea surface temperature. Moreover, they are susceptible to other anthropogenic factors, such as increased human population and land use.&nbsp;



"While the negative impacts of climate change on coral reefs are well known, this research shows that they are actually worse than anticipated due to a broad combination of climate change-induced stressors," explained study lead author Renee Setter. "It was also enlightening to find that coral would face multiple stressors – posing an even greater hurdle and challenge that would need to be overcome to increase the possibility of survival."



Using the model, the researchers found that a single stressor would cause unsuitable conditions for coral reefs by 2050. However, multiple stressors would result in unsuitable conditions by 2035. Moreover, by 2055, 99 percent of coral reefs will experience at least one stressor, and by 2100, 93 percent will face two or more stressors.



"We know that corals are vulnerable to increasing sea surface temperatures and marine heatwaves due to climate change. But it is important to include the complete anthropogenic impact and numerous stressors that coral reefs are exposed to in order to get a better sense of the overall risks to these ecosystems," said study co-author Professor Erik Franklin. "This has great implications for our local Hawaiian reefs that are key to local biodiversity, culture, fisheries and tourism."



The team will continue its research by exploring the impact of climate change on individual species to understand which species are most vulnerable to changing conditions.&nbsp;



This research has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001821">PLOS Biology</a>.



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By <a href="mailto:nire518@gmail.com">Erin Moody </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Half of the world’s reefs face unsuitable conditions by 2035

Our blue planet may face a coral reef catastrophe earlier...

Many developing countries currently face challenges that pit economic growth against environmental protection. As they expand their agricultural production, they often convert forests into croplands and pastures, thus weakening the world’s ability to prevent future climate deterioration and biodiversity loss.&nbsp;



For instance, Brazil’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/10-largest-rainforests/">rainforest</a> – the largest in the world, with an area of more than 1.2 million square miles - has been severely decimated over the past decades in order to increase agricultural production (particularly soybean, Brazil being the world’s largest exporter of this legume). However, according to a new longitudinal study led by the <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska-Lincoln</a>, Brazil could in fact strengthen its agricultural sector while protecting the rainforest.&nbsp;



“In the current context of high grain prices and food supply disruptions, we believe there is a critical need for major crop-producing countries to reassess their potential to produce more on existing cropland,” the study authors explained. &nbsp;



“Without an emphasis on intensifying crop production within the existing agricultural area, coupled with strong institutions and policies that prevent deforestation in frontier agricultural areas, it would be difficult to protect the last bastions of forests and biodiversity on the planet while being sensitive to the economic aspirations of countries to develop.”



According to the researchers, with a carefully managed strategy to intensify production on existing acres, Brazil could increase its annual soybean output by 36 percent by 2035, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 58 percent. The scientists described a three-pronged “intensification strategy” which involves 1) significantly increasing soybean crop yields, 2) growing a second crop of corn on soybean fields in several areas, and 3) raising more cattle on smaller pastures in order to free up more land for soybean cultivation.



This strategy could “eliminate deforestation completely and essentially reduce the amount of carbon dioxide equivalents released into the atmosphere, helping to mitigate climate change,” as study senior author Patricio Grassini – an associate professor of Agriculture and Horticulture at Nebraska - put it. “This approach strengthens agriculture while protecting fragile ecosystems that are important from a perspective of climate change mitigation, as well as biodiversity conservation.”



However, achieving the dual goal of agricultural expansion and rainforest conservation will require strong institutions, as well as proper policy and enforcement to make sure that productivity gains effectively translate into forest preservation.



“By showing that it is possible to produce more on existing agricultural land, this research study is bringing real solutions to the table and can have a massive impact to help Brazil produce more while protecting the environment,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-022-00968-8">Nature Sustainability</a>.&nbsp;



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

Brazil could protect its rainforest while expanding agriculture

Many developing countries currently face challenges that pit economic growth...

Woman,Protect,Herself,From,The,Hot,Sun,While,Walks,In

In advance of next month’s <a href="https://www.worldclimatesummit.org/">COP27</a> climate change summit in Egypt, the United Nations and the Red Cross released a report arguing that heatwaves will become so extreme in several regions of the world that human life there will become unsustainable. For instance, in the Sahel, the Horn of Africa, and south and southwest Asia, heatwaves are predicted to “exceed human physiological and social limits,” with extreme events triggering “large-scale suffering and loss of life,” as the experts put it.



“There are clear limits beyond which people exposed to extreme heat and humidity cannot survive,” the report authors wrote. “There are also likely to be levels of extreme heat beyond which societies may find it practically impossible to deliver effective adaptation for all. On current trajectories, heatwaves could meet and exceed these physiological and social limits in the coming decades, including in regions such as the Sahel and south and southwest Asia.”



According to the researchers, extreme heat is a “silent killer,” claiming thousands of lives each year as the deadliest weather-related hazard. “Projected future death rates from extreme heat are staggeringly high - comparable in magnitude by the end of the century to all cancers or all&nbsp;infectious diseases - and staggeringly unequal,” the experts explained.



The scientists estimate that the number of poor people living in extreme heat conditions in urban areas will increase by 700 percent by 2050, particularly in southeast Asia and west Africa. Among them, agricultural workers, the elderly, as well as pregnant or breastfeeding women will be at the highest risk of death.



“As the climate crisis goes unchecked,&nbsp;extreme weather events, such as heatwaves and floods, are hitting the most vulnerable people the hardest,” said UN’s humanitarian chief Martin Griffiths. “The humanitarian system is not equipped to handle crisis of this scale on our own.”



The UN and the Red Cross suggest several strategies for combating the impact of extreme heatwaves, including providing early information to help people and authorities react in time, finding new ways of financing local actions, building more thermally-appropriate emergency shelters and cooling centers, and convincing communities to change their development planning to take into account such extreme weather events.



If aggressive steps to mitigate climate change are not taken immediately, the world will likely (and very soon) face previously unimaginable levels of extreme heat. “We don’t want to dramatize it, but clearly the data shows that it does lead towards a very bleak future,” concluded Jagan Chapagain, the secretary-general of the <a href="https://www.ifrc.org/">International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies</a> (IFRC).



The report can be found <a href="https://www.ifrc.org/document/extreme-heat-preparing-heat-waves-future">here</a>.



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

Heatwaves will make some regions uninhabitable

In advance of next month’s COP27 climate change summit in...

The Salton Sea – well-known as California’s most polluted <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-will-have-major-consequences-for-lakes-worldwide/">lake</a> – has lost a third of its water over the past 25 years. As it dries up, the concentration of salt and chemicals in the remaining water has increased dramatically, leading to mass die-offs of fish and birds, including some already threatened species. Moreover, the dry lakebed, coated in the salty and toxic water, becomes dust causing respiratory issues to residents living in the lake’s vicinity.&nbsp;



According to a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ucr.edu/">University of California, Riverside</a> (UCR), the main reason for this massive shrinking has been a steady decline in the Colorado River flow. “It is an environmental catastrophe,” said study lead author Juan S. Acero Triana, a hydrologist at UCR.



Over the years, scientists have proposed a variety of hypotheses about why the lake’s water levels are declining. While some blame global warming for drying up Salton Sea, others suspect that agriculture could be to blame, since, as irrigation systems get more efficient and crops are modified to use less water, the quantity of water reaching the lake has declined. However, this new study argues that these are not the main causes of the decline.



“There is less water coming from the Colorado River into the Sea, and that is driving the problem,” explained study co-author Hoori Ajami, another UCR hydrologist. By using a hydrologic model which accounted for all processes in the surrounding areas that impact the lake’s water balance - such as climate, land slope, soil types, or plant growth – the scientists were able to simulate long-term water balance dynamics and identify reduced Colorado River flows as the main cause of the Salton Sea shrinking.



“It’s not entirely clear, however, whether the decline in Colorado River water is more due to global warming drying out the river, or reductions in allocation levels to California, or both,” Acero Triana said. Nonetheless, these findings should send a clear message to water management agencies and lawmakers: the Salton Sea watershed should be considered part of the Colorado River basin.



“Usually, the Sea is considered an independent system, and a watershed-centric approach considering surface and groundwater resources is needed to find a solution. As the environmental risks of a shrinking Sea mount, all parties must work together to mitigate the danger,” Ajami concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1029/2022WR032281">Water Resources Research</a>.&nbsp;



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

Why is the Salton Sea turning into toxic dust?

The Salton Sea – well-known as California’s most polluted lake...

Squirrel,Monkey,,Saimiri,Oerstedii,,Sitting,On,The,Tree,Trunk,With

A large-scale international study of 47 species of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-monkeys-with-strong-friendships-survive-longer/">monkeys</a> and lemurs has found that climate change and deforestation are currently driving these tree-dwelling primates to the ground, where they are at higher risk due to lack of proper food and shelter, and increased negative interactions with humans and other animals.



The scientists – 118 researchers from 124 institutions – examined over 150,000 hours of observational data on 32 monkey species and 15 lemur species at 68 sites in the Americas and Madagascar. “This study began with a discussion among colleagues about how we’d noticed certain populations of arboreal primates spending more time on the ground, yet at sites with relatively less disturbance, members of the same species may never descend to the ground,” explained study lead author Timothy Eppley, a postdoctoral fellow at the <a href="https://sandiegozoowildlifealliance.org/">San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance</a>.



According to Dr. Eppley and his colleagues, primates that consume less fruit and live in larger social groups were more likely to change their habitat, moving closer to the ground. Moreover, those living in hotter environments with less canopy cover were also more prone to adapt to such changes by shifting towards more extensive ground use.&nbsp;



However, while primates consuming a more generalized diet and living in larger groups may efficiently adapt to a terrestrial lifestyle, other species could face significant problems. “It’s possible that spending more time on the ground may cushion some primates from the effects of forest degradation and climate change; however, for the less-adaptable species,&nbsp;fast and effective conservation strategies will be necessary to ensure their survival,” Dr. Eppley warned.



The study also revealed that primate populations closer to human establishments and infrastructures were less likely to descend to the ground. “This finding may suggest that human presence, which is often a threat to primates, may interfere with the natural adaptability of the species to global change,” said study co-senior author Luca Santini, an expert in Ecology and Conservation at the <a href="https://www.uniroma1.it/it/">Sapienza University of Rome</a>.



While the transition from an arboreal to a terrestrial lifestyle has occurred previously in primate evolution, today’s rapid climatic and environmental changes are a serious threat.&nbsp;



“Though similar ecological conditions and species traits may have influenced previous evolutionary shifts of arboreal primates, including hominins, to ground living, it is clear that the current pace of deforestation and climate change puts most primate species in peril,” concluded the other senior author, Giuseppe Donati, a primatologist and biological anthropologist at <a href="https://www.brookes.ac.uk/">Oxford Brookes University</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.&nbsp;



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

Climate change is driving tree-dwelling primates to the ground

A large-scale international study of 47 species of monkeys and...

A new study has investigated the relative effects of genetics, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/diet-is-the-most-powerful-weapon-against-aging/">aging</a>, and the environment on how 20,000 human genes are expressed. The researchers, led by the <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/">University of California, Berkeley</a>, found that aging and the environment are far more important than genetic variation in affecting the expression profiles of many of our genes as we get older, leading to diseases such as diabetes or cancer.



“How do your genetics — what you got from your sperm donor and your egg donor and your evolutionary history — influence who you are, your phenotype, such as your height, your weight, whether or not you have heart disease?”&nbsp;asked study senior author Peter Sudmant, an assistant professor of Integral Biology at UC Berkeley.



&nbsp;“There’s been a huge amount of work done in human genetics to understand how genes are turned on and off by human genetic variation. Our project came about by asking, ‘How is that influenced by an individual’s age?’ And the first result we found was that your genetics actually matter less the older you get.”



Thus, while our individual genetic makeup can help predict gene expression when we are younger, it is less useful in predicting which genes are ramped up or down as we age. “Almost all human common diseases are diseases of aging: Alzheimer’s, cancers, heart disease, diabetes. All of these diseases increase their prevalence with age,” Professor Sudmant explained. “Massive amounts of public resources have gone into identifying genetic variants that predispose you to these diseases. What our study is showing is that, well, actually, as you get older, genes kind of matter less for your gene expression. And so, perhaps, we need to be mindful of that when we’re trying to identify the causes of these diseases of aging.”



These findings are in line with <a href="http://www.programmed-aging.org/theories/medawar_hypothesis.html">Medawar’s hypothesis</a>, which argues that genes that are activated when we are young are more constrained by evolution since they are critical to making sure we will survive long enough to reproduce, while genes that are expressed after we reach reproductive age are under less evolutionary pressure.



“We’re all aging in different ways. While young individuals are closer together in terms of gene expression patterns, older individuals are further apart. It’s like a drift through time as gene expression patterns become more and more erratic,” Professor Sudmant concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33509-0">Nature Communications</a>.



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

Age plays a bigger role than genetics in disease susceptibility

A new study has investigated the relative effects of genetics,...

Although we cannot see them without the aid of a microscope, bacteria are all around us, occurring at high densities in diverse habitats. Many bacterial species produce substances that kill other microbes as a way of gaining an ecological advantage in environments that support an array of competing bacterial and fungal species. These substances, once identified, often form the basis of our own antibiotic and antifungal medications that help to fight <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/animals-with-infections-are-less-able-to-adapt-and-survive/">infections</a> in our bodies and in our crop plants and livestock. In fact, most therapeutic antibiotics used today have been derived from soil bacteria belonging to the phylum Actinobacteria.



Unfortunately, our increasing dependence on antibiotics has resulted in widespread resistance to these medications which, according to the World Health Organization, represents one of the biggest threats to global health, food security, and development today. This has lead researchers to seek alternative new compounds with antifungal and antibiotic properties wherever possible.&nbsp;



In a new discovery, published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/mbio.02472-22">mBio</a>, the peer-reviewed, open access scientific journal published by the American Society for Microbiology, a multinational team of researchers from Europe report on one such compound that may have the potential to protect agricultural crops against fungal infections. The new antifungal antibiotic has been named solanimycin, and was initially isolated from a pathogenic bacterium that infects potatoes.&nbsp;



Solanimycin acts against a wide range of fungi known to infect and devastate agricultural crops, according to the researchers. In lab studies, the compound also acted against&nbsp;Candida albicans, a fungus that occurs naturally in the human body but that can also cause dangerous infections. The results suggest that solanimycin, and related compounds, could be useful in both agricultural and clinical settings.



The new discovery suggests that, instead of focusing on antibiotics produced by bacteria isolated from soil microbes, researchers seeking new compounds with antibiotic properties would do well to look more closely at plant-based microorganisms as potential sources. This is especially relevant as crops develop resistance to existing treatments, says microbiologist Rita Monson, Ph.D., from the University of Cambridge. She co-led the study with molecular microbiologist Miguel Matilla, Ph.D., at the Spanish Research Council’s Estación Experimental del Zaidín, in Granada.



“We have to look more expansively across much more of the microbial populations available to us,” Monson said.



The pathogenic potato bacterium&nbsp;Dickeya solani, which produces solanimycin, is not new to researchers. It was first identified more than 15 years ago in the lab of molecular microbiologist George Salmond, Ph.D., at the University of Cambridge. At that time, it was found to produce an antibiotic called oocydin A, which was highly effective against multiple fungal pathogens in plants. In the current study, Matilla, Monson, Salmond and colleagues followed a hunch that D. solani may be capable of producing other compounds with antifungal properties.&nbsp;



After genomic analysis of the bacterial DNA, they proceeded to silence those genes responsible for the production of oocydin A. Interestingly, they found that the bacterium continued to show antifungal activity under these conditions. That observation led to the identification of solanimycin and the identification of the gene clusters responsible for the proteins that make the compound.



The researchers found that the bacterium uses the compound sparingly, producing it in response to cell density. An acidic pH environment – as is present in a potato – also activates the solanimycin gene cluster. Monson said it almost looks like a clever protective mechanism.



“It’s an antifungal that we believe that will work by killing fungal competitors, and the bacteria benefit so much from this,” said Monson. “But you don’t turn it on unless you’re in a potato.”



Monson said the researchers have begun collaborating with chemists to learn more about the molecular structure of solanimycin and understand how it works. Then, she and Matilla said, they hope to see continued testing of the compound in plant and animal models.



“Our future steps are focused on trying to use this antibiotic antifungal for plant protection,” Matilla said. The research team see the discovery as an encouraging sign that plant pathogens – like&nbsp;D. solani – could be coaxed to make compounds that may be used against diseases in plants and people.



“We have to be open to the exploration of everything that’s out there to find new antibiotics,” Matilla said.



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By <a href="mailto:bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Antibiotic produced by potato pathogen offers new hope

Although we cannot see them without the aid of a...

Currently, fewer than 300 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/judge-us-failed-protect-red-wolves/">red wolves</a> survive in the world today, mostly in captivity. While these animals once roamed the southern and eastern United States from Texas to New England, by the early 1900s, they had been virtually wiped out by hunters and farmers who considered them as threats. Today, the red wolf is a federally protected endangered species.&nbsp;



Now, <a href="https://www.brookgreen.org/">Brookgreen Gardens</a> – a nature preserve in South Carolina established in 1931 – is expecting to receive three red wolves from a zoo in Ohio as part of an effort to revive this critically endangered species in South Carolina and other states. The plan is to breed these wolves in captivity for displays at zoos or even release in eastern North Carolina and, possibly, in the low country of South Carolina.



“These animals are disappearing and if we don’t do something to help them, you’re going to just be looking at pictures or cadavers in a museum,” said Andrea DeMuth, an animals curator at Brookgreen Gardens. “You’re not going to be looking at the real thing.”



The initial three wolves going to Brookgreen will be young males, to be followed by two breeding pairs of wolves. “We started very similar,” said Eric Albers, the curator of animal operations at the <a href="https://www.akronzoo.org/">Akron Zoo</a> in Ohio, from which the wolves will be brought to South Carolina. “We had a pair of (females) to let us get used to working with red wolves and handling them before we got a breeding pair. With a new facility, it makes a lot of sense.’’



Since today only 21 red wolves are living in the wild at the Alligator River (down from 120 in 2012), increased efforts are needed to restore this population. Another possible place for releasing some of the captive wolves include the 259,000-acre Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina. However, many fear that releasing these animals into the wild is problematic, since they tend to breed with coyotes.



“We’re going to make our coyotes about 25 pounds larger, your turkey population is going to get decimated, your white-tailed deer population is going to get decimated,” said David Strickland, a Lowcountry hunter interested in tracking the red wolf situation. “Your bobcats are going to lose all of their prey species. They are going to become a targeted species.’’



Other scientists and conservationists, such as Ron Sutherland, the chief scientist at the <a href="https://wildlandsnetwork.org/">Wildlands Network</a> conservation organization, consider such recovery plans necessary. “The recovery plan calls for a total of three (separate) populations, so that could certainly bring South Carolina back into play. Francis Marion-Cape Romain still seems like a pretty good spot to me to think about red wolf recovery,” he concluded.



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

Rare wolves headed to South Carolina from Ohio

Currently, fewer than 300 red wolves survive in the world...

Livestock production contributes an estimated 14.5 percent of greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating global warming and leading to degraded ecosystems, as well as loss of biodiversity and water resources. According to a variety of recent studies, adopting a mainly <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/is-a-plant-based-diet-healthy/">plant-based diet</a> could be an important step towards solving these problems.



Now, a research team led by the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> has investigated what strategies are most effective in promoting such diets. Their analysis revealed that one way of promoting sustainable diets is to label food products with information about sustainability (eco-labeling), such as providing details of water and land usage and greenhouse emissions by using a traffic light system. Another effective strategy was found to be social nudging, which involved telling consumers that a particular product is the most popular choice.



The scientists enrolled a cohort of UK adults in order to form three groups. In each group the participants were shown a menu containing three different meal options – a beef burrito, a chicken burrito, and a vegetarian burrito – and asked to choose one option that they might like to eat in the future. 



The first group were shown the burrito options accompanied by an eco-label showing the sustainability level of each meal in a traffic light system (beef burrito – red, or unsustainable, chicken burrito – amber, or neither sustainable nor unsustainable, and vegetarian burrito – green, or sustainable). Group two were shown the vegetarian burrito accompanied by a popularity label consisting of a gold star next to the works “Most Popular,” and group three (the control group) were shown neither the eco-label nor the social nudge.



The researchers discovered that both the eco-label and the social nudge were highly effective at influencing the choice of the most sustainable option, with the eco-label being the most effective between the two in promoting sustainable choices. Moreover, participants with a higher motivation to act sustainably were more likely to choose the vegetarian burrito.



These findings suggest that future policy should include eco-labeling and/or social nudges to reduce meat consumption and mitigate global warming. “Consumer choices could further benefit from more information about their meal, via a mandatory eco-label, being presented on packaging. A regulated traffic light eco-label, similar to standardized nutritional information on food packaging, would facilitate more sustainable choices and decrease customer confusion,” the authors concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/bpp.2022.27">Behavioral Public Policy</a>.&nbsp;



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

Eco-labeling promotes sustainable food choices

Livestock production contributes an estimated 14.5 percent of greenhouse gas...

View,From,Above,Of,Dense,Pine,Forest,With,Canopies,Of

Attempting to decipher all the factors that influence the behavior of complex ecological communities can be a very difficult task. However, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.mit.edu/">Massachusetts Institute of Technology</a> (MIT) has discovered that the behavior of these ecosystems can be predicted based on solely two pieces of information – the number of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/non-native-species-can-have-unexpected-benefits/">species</a> in the community and how strongly they interact with one another.



The dynamics of natural ecosystems are notoriously difficult to study. Scientists can make observations about how species interact with one another, but they generally cannot perform controlled experiments in the wild. This led the MIT researchers to use microbes such as bacteria and yeast to analyze interspecies interactions in a controlled way, hoping to learn more about how natural ecosystems behave.



By creating communities ranging from two to 48 species of bacteria, controlling the number of species by forming different synthetic communities with different sets of species, and strengthening the interactions between the species by increasing the amount of food available, the scientists were able to define three phases of ecological communities and calculate the necessary conditions for them to move from one state to another.&nbsp;



Initially, each ecological community existed in a phase called “stable full existence,” with all species coexisting without interfering with one another. However, as either the number of the species or interactions among them increased, the communities entered a new phase called “stable partial coexistence” in which populations remain stable, but some of the species become extinct. Finally, as the number of species or strength of interactions further increased, the communities entered a third phase, featuring more dramatic fluctuations in population. In this stage, ecosystems became unstable, and populations persistently fluctuated over time.



“While we cannot access all biological mechanisms and parameters in a complex ecosystem,&nbsp;we demonstrate that&nbsp;its diversity and dynamics may be emergent phenomena that can be predicted from just a few aggregate properties of the ecological community: species pool size and&nbsp;statistics of interspecies interactions,” said study lead author Jiliang Hu, an engineer at MIT.



These findings could help ecologists make predictions about what might be happening in complex ecosystems such as forests, even with little information available, since all they need to know is the number of species and their degree of interaction.



“We can make predictions or statements about what the community is going to do, even in the absence of detailed knowledge of what’s going on. We don’t even know which species are helping or hurting which other species. These predictions are based purely on the statistical distribution of the interactions within this complex community,” concluded senior author Jeff Gore, an MIT physicist.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.abm7841">Science</a>.



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

Ecosystem stability can be predicted by species interactions

Attempting to decipher all the factors that influence the behavior...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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