Antarctica’s surrounding ocean has lost sea ice equal to the size of Greenland since 2015. That’s not just a startling statistic - it marks one of the fastest environmental shifts happening anywhere on Earth today.



For decades, the belief was simple: melting ice made the ocean surface fresher, which helped new ice form. But recent findings show the ocean is behaving differently - and that shift could have far-reaching consequences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-puzzling-change-in-ocean-salinity">A puzzling change in ocean salinity</h2>



A team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a>, working with collaborators in Spain, analyzed <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-induced-changes-in-ocean-salinity-threaten-biodiversity-and-marine-ecosystems/">ocean salinity</a> data using instruments aboard the European Space Agency’s SMOS satellite. 



The analysis revealed a clear shift: surface waters south of 50° S latitude are becoming saltier. This shift marks a break from a long-standing trend. 



Since the 1980s, surface waters in the Southern Ocean had been cooling and freshening - conditions that helped sea ice expand. That trend has now reversed.



“The discovery was unexpected because <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarcticas-melting-ice-shelves-threaten-global-sea-levels/">melting ice</a> should freshen the ocean, not make it saltier,” said Dr. Alessandro Silvano, lead author of the study published this week. “Yet SMOS satellite data reveal the opposite is occurring, and this is deeply troubling.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-saltier-waters-less-ice">Saltier waters, less ice</h2>



When the ocean’s surface is fresh and cold, it floats on top of warmer, saltier water deep below. This layering keeps the heat trapped underneath, allowing ice to grow and stay intact.



“But now the saltier surface waters are enabling heat from deeper down to rise more readily,” Dr. Silvano explained. “This upward flow of warmer water melts sea ice from beneath, making it significantly harder for ice to reform.”



The consequences are already visible. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-antarctic-sea-ice-loss-is-causing-severe-storms-around-the-world/">Antarctic sea ice</a> has dropped sharply. Even more concerning, a large patch of open water - the Maud Rise polynya - has reappeared in the Weddell Sea. It hadn’t been seen since the 1970s.



“The return of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-hole-polynya-the-size-of-switzerland-appeared-in-the-antarctica-sea-ice/">Maud Rise polynya</a> highlights just how abnormal the current situation is,” said Dr. Silvano. “If this trend of higher salinity and reduced ice persists, it could lead to lasting changes in the Southern Ocean, with consequences for the rest of the world.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-the-ocean-from-space">Monitoring the ocean from space</h2>



Studying the Southern Ocean isn’t easy. It’s isolated, violent, and dark for much of the year. That’s why satellite technology is so essential.



To overcome the challenges, scientists at the University of Southampton and the Barcelona Expert Centre built new algorithms to measure changes in surface salinity more accurately from space. The effort was part of ESA’s Earth Observation FutureEO program.



“This is yet another example of how crucial sea-surface salinity measurements from space are,” said Roberto Sabia, ESA Earth Observation Ocean Scientist. 



“This novel regional product has been devised to overcome the conventional limitations of salinity retrieval at high latitudes, an area where seawater density is largely controlled by salinity.”



By combining satellite data with instruments in the ocean, the team built a 15-year dataset tracking changes in salinity, temperature, and ice cover in the Southern Ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-dangerous-feedback-loop">A dangerous feedback loop</h2>



The findings challenge previous assumptions about how the ocean and climate interact. For years, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-models-underestimate-sea-ice-melt-and-global-warming/">climate models</a> predicted that warming would lead to more ice melt and freshening at the surface, which would help balance things out. That’s no longer the case.



“Our new study has revealed that the Southern Ocean is changing, but in a different way to what we expected,” said Dr. Silvano.



“We might be closer to passing a tipping point than expected and we have potentially entered a new state defined by persistent sea ice decline, sustained by a newly discovered feedback loop.”



The feedback loop works like this: warmer, saltier surface water melts ice from below. Less ice means more exposed ocean. That exposed water absorbs more heat, driving even more melting.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-global-ripple-effect">The global ripple effect</h2>



The loss of Antarctic sea ice isn’t just a local problem. It’s linked to more heat escaping from the ocean into the air. That fuels stronger storms and speeds up global warming. The result is more extreme weather, more melting of the Antarctic ice sheet, and faster sea level rise.



There’s also a direct threat to wildlife. Penguins, seals, and other species that rely on sea ice for survival are losing their habitat.



These shifts are happening faster - and differently - than climate models predicted. Scientists are now questioning long-held assumptions about how warming should affect ocean layering and ice stability.



“These findings show that we still have gaps in our understanding of ocean and climate dynamics,” said co-author Alberto Naveira Garabato. “Continuous satellite and in-situ monitoring is essential if we want to track and predict these critical changes.”



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Antarctica’s waters are getting saltier - and it could transform Earth's climate

Antarctica’s surrounding ocean has lost sea ice equal to the size of Greenland since 2015. That’s not just a startling statistic - it marks one of the fastest environmental shifts happening anywhere on Earth today. For decades, the belief was simple: melting ice made the ocean surface fresher, which helped new ice form. But recent findings show the ocean is behaving differently - and that shift could have far-reaching consequences. A puzzling change in ocean salinity A team of researchers from the University of Southampton, working with...

According to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Pakistan is currently facing a “monsoon on steroids,” which caused severe <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/financial-toll-caused-by-flooding-will-soar-by-mid-century/">flooding</a> in roughly one third of the country, leading to over 1,100 deaths since June, as roads, homes, bridges, and crops have been washed away across the country. Blaming “the relentless impact of epochal levels of rain and flooding,” Mr. Guterres urged the world to come to Pakistan’s aid, as he launched a $160m appeal to help provide 5.2 million people with food, water, sanitation, emergency education, and health support.



While the monsoon season has usually been welcomed by Pakistan citizens for providing much-needed rain for their crops, the massive rainfalls this year have led to a humanitarian catastrophe, comparable to the devastating floods from 2010 – the deadliest in the country’s history – which killed over 2,000 people.&nbsp;



Although Pakistan produces less than one percent of global greenhouse gas emissions, it consistently ranks in the top ten countries most vulnerable to the effects of climate change. Rising temperatures caused by global warming are the main factors that make extreme precipitation contributing to flooding more likely. As Pakistan’s climate change minister Sherry Rehman put it, the current situation in the country is a “climate-induced humanitarian disaster of epic proportions.”



Vast areas of rich agricultural land have been devastated during this year’s floods, damaging food supplies and sending prices soaring in a nation already suffering from a deep economic crisis. According to Pakistan’s planning minister Ahsan Iqbal, floods have caused at least $10bn of damage, pushing a large number of people on the brink of starvation.



Moreover, thousands of people have been ordered to evacuate towns and villages where roads and bridges have been swept away, but even with the help of helicopters, authorities are still desperately struggling to reach many of those who are still trapped. “Village after village has been wiped out. Millions of houses have been destroyed,” said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.



Besides UN’s funding, aid has started to arrive from other countries and organizations too. The United Arab Emirates and Turkey have delivered tents and medicines, the International Monetary Fund has approved a $1.2bn loan for the country, and the US and Britain have also pledged their support.



According to Mr. Guterres, South Asia is a “climate crisis hotspot” where people are 15 times more likely to die from climate impacts than in other regions of the world. “Let’s stop sleepwalking towards the destruction of our planet by climate change,” he urged. “Today, it’s Pakistan. Tomorrow, it could be your country.”



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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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Climate crisis leaves one-third of Pakistan underwater

According to United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres, Pakistan is...

As the Arctic warms nearly four times faster than the rest of the world, glaciers collapse, habitats continue to vanish at a record rate, and a wide range of ecosystems are endangered. Now, a team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> has identified another major threat: over the past two decades, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-lakes-global-carbon-levels/">Arctic lakes</a> have shrunk or dried completely across the pan-Arctic – a region including the northern parts of Canada, Russia, Alaska, Greenland, and Scandinavia. The experts set out to find the causes of this mass drying, together with possible solutions to slow this process.



The Arctic lakes are a critical cornerstone of the Arctic ecosystems, providing important sources of water for local Indigenous communities and industries. Moreover, many threatened animal species, including migratory birds and aquatic creatures, also rely on the habitats these lakes offer.



Since scientists had initially predicted that climate change would expand lakes across the tundra due to land surface changes caused by melting ground ice, the discovery that the lakes are in fact declining came as a surprise. Apparently, the thawing of the permafrost – the frozen soil blanketing the Arctic – has a crucial role in draining the lakes, by creating drainage channels and increasing soil erosion into the lakes.



“Our findings suggest that permafrost thaw is occurring even faster than we as a community had anticipated,” said study lead author Elizabeth Webb, a postdoctoral fellow in Biology at the University of Florida. “It also indicates that the region is likely on a trajectory toward more landscape-scale drainage in the future.”



Besides rising temperatures, increases in autumn rainfall also causes permafrost degradation and lake drainage. “It might seem counterintuitive that increasing rainfall reduces surface water,” said&nbsp;study senior author Jeremy Lichstein, an associate professor of Ecology at the same university. “But it turns out the physical explanation was already in the scientific literature: rainwater carries heat into the soil and accelerates permafrost thaw, which can open up underground channels that drain the surface.”



Since the permafrost is currently storing nearly two times as much carbon as the atmosphere, its thawing may release massive amounts of carbon dioxide and methane in the atmosphere, further exacerbating climate change. However, the drainage of Arctic lakes may have a silver lining: the permafrost near these lakes is not thawing so fast. “It’s not immediately clear exactly what the trade-offs are, but we do know that lake expansion causes carbon losses orders of magnitude higher than occurs in surrounding regions,” Dr. Webb explained.



Nevertheless, lake drainage remains a hazard for a vast number of ecosystems. According to the scientists, curbing greenhouse gas emissions could help curtail these lakes’ demise and thus protect wildlife and Indigenous communities. “The snowball is already rolling. It’s not going to work to keep on doing what we’re doing,” Dr. Webb concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41558-022-01455-w">Nature Climate Change.</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Arctic lakes are vanishing due to permafrost thaw

As the Arctic warms nearly four times faster than the...

A new study from <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">Kings College London</a> confirms that spending time by rivers and canals can enhance your sense of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nurturing-benefits-of-nature-are-crucial-for-human-well-being/">well-being</a>. The experts have found that the combination of blue space and green space is more effective in making people feel happy and healthy than green space alone.&nbsp;



In partnership with the Canal &amp; River Trust, the researchers used data from a smartphone-based app called Urban Mind. The team analyzed thousands of entries about the participants’ location and mental well-being.



The results showed that visits to canals and rivers boosted mental well-being and feelings of safety and social inclusion.



According to Professor Andrea Mechelli, canals and rivers contain not only water but also an abundance of trees and plants, which means their capacity to improve mental well-being is likely to be due to the multiple benefits associated with both green and blue spaces.&nbsp;



"Canals and rivers also provide homes to a range of wildlife, and we know from other research that there is a positive association between encountering wildlife and mental well-being," said Professor Mechelli.



"Taken collectively, these findings provide an evidence base for what we thought about water and well-being and support the proposal that visits to canals and rivers could become part of social prescribing schemes, playing a role in supporting mental health.”



The participants reported that they experienced improvements in their mental well-being for up to 24 hours after their visits.&nbsp;



“Once the arteries of the Industrial Revolution, canals are today playing an equally important role in society as green corridors that bring nature into cities, improving community wellbeing and tackling health inequalities, as well as supporting jobs and local economies," said Richard Parry, chief executive of the Canal &amp; River Trust.



“The powerful mix of blue, green and wildlife-rich space shows that although built for industry, repurposed canals are actually amongst our most important places of health and wellbeing in our towns and cities."



“With the 250-year-old canal network vulnerable to climate change, keeping them safe and attractive places requires significant ongoing expenditure and – to retain these benefits – it is vital that the necessary funding to maintain their condition is secured.”



“As a GP and nature lover, it’s great to see that scientific studies have confirmed what many of us intuitively knew already: that spending time by water, and canals in particular, is good for your well-being," said Dr. Amir Khan, Canal &amp; River Trust Ambassador.



“An astonishing nine million people live within 1km of a canal and whether you’re looking for a free alternative to the gym, a car-free commute to work or the shops, or perhaps just somewhere to hang out with family or friends, I really do urge everyone to find their #HappyPlaceByWater this summer.”



The study was partially funded by National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre and the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation.



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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

Visits to canals make people feel healthy and happy

A new study from Kings College London confirms that spending...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a> illustrates how climate-driven changes can have a cascading effect across ecosystems. The experts have discovered that as Florida’s climate becomes more tropical, oyster reefs are steadily being replaced by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floridas-mangroves-rising-sea-level/">mangrove</a> islands.



Study lead author Stephen Hesterberg was conducting fieldwork in Tampa Bay when he noticed that mangroves were overtaking most oyster reefs. This widespread transition poses a major threat to species which are dependent on oyster reef habitats, such as the American oystercatcher.



In collaboration with doctoral student Kendal Jackson and Professor Susan Bell, Hesterberg set out to investigate the extent and the cause of this habitat conversion. The researchers determined that warmer temperatures and fewer winter freezes had allowed mangrove islands to start taking over as the dominant salt marsh vegetation.&nbsp;



“Rapid global change is now a constant, but the extent to which ecosystems will change and what exactly the future will look like in a warmer world is still unclear,” said Hesterberg. “Our research gives a glimpse of what our subtropical estuaries might look like as they become increasingly 'tropical' with climate change.”



The analysis of aerial images - captured from 1938 to 2020 - revealed that 83 percent of the monitored oyster reefs in Tampa Bay had fully converted to mangrove islands. The experts also found that the rate of conversion accelerated throughout the 20th century.&nbsp;&nbsp;



According to Professor Bell, this study provides a unique opportunity to examine changes in adjacent coastal ecosystems and generate predictions of future oyster reef conversions. “As we change our climate, we see evidence of tropicalization – areas that once had temperate types of organisms and environments are becoming more tropical in nature."



While the transition to mangrove islands is already well-advanced in the Tampa Bay estuary and further south, Professor Bell said Florida ecosystem managers in northern coastal settings will face tropicalization within decades.



“The outcome from this study poses an interesting predicament for coastal managers, as both oyster reefs and mangrove habitats are considered important foundation species in estuaries,” said Professor Bell.



Oyster reefs provide coastal protection from flooding, improve water quality, and reduce shoreline erosion. As reefs transition to mangroves, these ecosystem services will be greatly limited or lost altogether.&nbsp;



It will become increasingly difficult to maintain oyster reefs in Florida's shifting climate, but human intervention could make it possible. In his new role as executive director of the nonprofit Gulf Shellfish Institute, Hesterberg will continue to investigate ways to restore oyster reefs to potentially avoid mangrove conversion.



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



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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

Tropical climate is wiping out oyster reefs in Florida

A new study from the University of South Florida illustrates...

Global warming will not only bring warmer temperatures to ecosystems across the globe, but will also cause greater variation in temperatures. The extent to which plants can cope with this variability may be an important indicator of their potential to survive or thrive as the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fish-die-offs-are-intensifying-with-climate-change/">climate</a> changes in future and brings with it more extremes in environmental parameters.&nbsp;



In a new study, published in the first issue of&nbsp;<a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/2752-664X">Environmental Research: Ecology</a>, researchers investigated whether forests that had been exposed to variable conditions in the past were more tolerant of the increased variability that is seen today as an effect of global warming. They did this by assessing the productivity of forests all over the world.&nbsp;



“Global climate patterns are becoming increasingly variable. This means more extremes, which threaten forest health and productivity," explained study lead author Winslow Hansen, a forest ecologist at <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a>. "They say adversity makes you stronger. Here, we were essentially testing that adage for trees. Are forested regions that experienced more variable conditions in the past better prepared to tolerate variable climate now and in the future?”



The researchers studied records of regional climate variability during two 20-year study periods, namely 1950–1969 and 2000–2019. The records gave data on monthly minimum, mean and maximum temperatures, total precipitation, and mean vapor pressure deficit (a measure of how dry the air is). This global data was gridded at a 0.5° spatial resolution.&nbsp;



The team then related variability in these environmental parameters to vegetation productivity in forests. To assess modern forest productivity, the researchers used global vegetation data detected by NASA’s MODIS satellites. The ‘enhanced vegetation index’ (EVI) is a satellite-derived measure of ‘greenness’ which is a reliable proxy for leaf cover and forest productivity. The MODIS satellites ‘Aqua’ and ‘Terra’ produce a global map of vegetation cover every eight days.&nbsp;



By pairing climate data with satellite records of forests, the researchers were able to assess how climate variability in the past and present shapes current forest productivity. They found that regions where temperature was more variable in the past continue to experience more temperature variability today. Forests in these regions tend to tolerate this increasing variability better.



“Our findings show that historic temperature variability casts legacy effects on current forest productivity," said Hansen. "In places where historic temperature variability was 0.66°C greater than the global average, forests were 19x less sensitive to current temperature variability. This trend was true globally, with important distinctions among biomes.”



“We are seeing global temperature change in two distinct ways: average temperatures are rising and temperature is becoming more variable year to year. These indicators are changing with varying degrees of intensity in different regions. In some places, rising mean temperature is likely to have a greater impact on forests than increasing year to year temperature variability, and vice versa," explained study co-author Naomi Schwartz of University of British Columbia.



“While climate models predict relatively modest overall warming in the tropics through the 21st century, year-to-year temperature variability is expected to substantially increase," said Hansen. "Our analysis indicates that tropical forests could be harder hit by effects of increasing variability than rising mean temperatures.”



However, the story is not the same for boreal forests. As Hansen explains, in boreal forests “… year-to-year temperature variability is expected to increase moderately relative to past conditions, but average temperature is rising at least twice the global average. Decadal warming trends, and exacerbating effects of fire and insect outbreaks, may threaten boreal forests more than interannual temperature variability.”



The results of the study demonstrate that exposure to temperature variations in the past shapes how forests respond to temperature variability today. However, the same is not true for forest responses to variability in precipitation and vapor pressure deficit. This may be due to physiological tradeoffs inherent in how trees cope with dry conditions.



“We often think of climate change as a monolithic phenomenon. But in reality, climate is changing in many different ways all at once, and we expect this to cause really different impacts across ecosystems, including forests," said Hansen. "Our study highlights how forest adaptation strategies need to be developed that account for the nuanced effects of climate change.”



The analysis also highlighted sensitive ‘hotspots’ across all biomes, and indicated regions in which forests may be most at risk as the planet warms and temperatures become more extreme. These include boreal forests in eastern North America, temperate forests of the south-central and southeast United States, temperate forests in Asia, and tropical forests in the southern Amazon.&nbsp;



The researchers hope that the framework they have developed can help set conservation priorities, support forest adaptation efforts, and improve carbon accounting.&nbsp;They state that understanding how forests are responding to climate change is critical to planning effective forest management and climate policy in the decades ahead.



"As climate conditions become increasingly variable, there is a critical need to identify where and how forests are changing," said Hansen. "Our analysis offers a framework to hone this understanding on a global scale – helping to improve targeted conservation policies that protect forests, their inhabitants, and the essential services they provide.”&nbsp;



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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

Past variability may help forests cope with climate change

Global warming will not only bring warmer temperatures to ecosystems...

Conventional dishwashers often do not eliminate all the harmful microorganisms left on plates, bowls, or cutlery. Moreover, they require long cycles which use a lot of electricity, while the soap that is pumped in and out is released into water sources, leading to environmental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-from-everyday-products-is-deadlier-than-previously-realized/">pollution</a>. 



According to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.tu-dortmund.de/en/">Technical University of Dortmund</a> and the <a href="https://www.tum.de/en/">Technical University of Munich</a> (TUM), superheated steam dishwashers - which kill 99 percent of bacteria on dishes in just about 25 seconds - could be a more effective and environmentally-friendly solution.&nbsp;



The scientists created a simulation of an idealized dishwasher, resembling a box with solid side walls, a top opening, and a nozzle at the bottom. Plates covered with heat-resistant strains of bacteria should be placed directly above the nozzle. Once a certain threshold temperature is reached in the simulation, the microorganisms are deemed inactivated.



“Steam comes out of the nozzle at a very high velocity. We can see shocks, and the turbulent flow that is created has eddies and vortices,” said study co-author Natalie Germann, a professor of Fluid Mechanics at TU Dortmund. “We also include heat transfer, which shows how the heat changes in the simulation box and the condensation on the solid surfaces.”



According to the researchers, besides killing bacteria, the shock waves created by the high velocity of the steam and reflected at surfaces in the dishwasher could also be used to effectively remove food debris.&nbsp;



“Our study helps determine the strength of the shocks, the position of the shocks, and the vortices that are created inside the dishwasher,” explained study co- author Laila Abu-Farah, a postdoctoral fellow at TMU. “These things are very important for arranging the items or objects inside the dishwasher and the placement and orientation of the nozzles.”



Although superheated dishwashers would cost more than the traditional ones, their price would pay off in the long run due to savings on water, electricity, and detergent. Such dishwashers would be ideal for use in hospitals, restaurants, or hotels, which must meet higher standards of hygiene.



“We confirmed that the dishwasher application using superheated steam is promising. This is the first work combining fluid dynamics and heat transfer with phase change and bacterial inactivation. It thus lays the foundation for future computational research and further technical work,” Professor Germann 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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Steam dishwashers could reduce water and energy use

Conventional dishwashers often do not eliminate all the harmful microorganisms...

Kelp forms vast seaweed forests along temperate coastlines, sequestering large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere. However, according to a new study led by the <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au/">University of Western Australia</a>, warming oceans will likely reduce <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/kelp-forest/">kelp forests</a>’ capacity to trap atmospheric carbon for extended periods of time in deep ocean stores, thus exacerbating the effects of climate change.



Carbon sequestered by kelp forests can feed other organisms during decomposition, or it can remain trapped in the deep ocean for hundreds or even thousands of years. To better understand how the capacity of kelp forests to build long-term carbon stores will change as oceans warm, the scientists examined kelp decomposition rates at 35 different locations across the Northern Hemisphere.&nbsp;



By collecting fragments of fresh kelp and placing them inside a mesh bag within a plastic cage tethered to the sea floor for four to 18 weeks, they found that sea temperature has a strong influence on the rate of decomposition, with kelp fragments in cooler waters degrading more slowly.&nbsp;



On the other hand, sea temperature rises caused by climate change could accelerate decomposition, reducing the amount of stored carbon. The researchers estimate that projected increases in sea temperature of 0.4 degrees Celsius by 2050 could reduce the carbon sequestration potential of decomposing kelp by nine percent.



Fortunately, kelp forests are predicted to expand in higher latitudes as the climate warms. There, slower decompositions rates will likely make these new forests major contributors to long-term ocean carbon sequestration.&nbsp;



“Our experiment measured kelp carbon turnover across twelve regions throughout the northern hemisphere and found that carbon breakdown was strongly linked to ocean temperature. This suggests that kelp carbon storage could be reduced as the ocean warms and that kelp forests in cool polar environments have potential to be important blue carbon ecosystems,” concluded study lead author Karen Filbee-Dexter, a marine ecologist at the University of Western Australia.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3001702">PLoS Biology</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Kelp forests are losing their capacity to trap carbon

Kelp forms vast seaweed forests along temperate coastlines, sequestering large...

According to a new book called Earth for All: A Survival Guide for Humanity, rising <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-economic-inequality/">inequality</a> in the next 50 years may lead to increasingly dysfunctional societies, making the cooperation needed to deal with threats such as climate change much more difficult. However, the experts identify five “extraordinary turnarounds” needed to end global poverty and maintain temperatures below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and argue that following these guidelines, humanity has a chance to survive the climatic and economic catastrophes it is currently facing.



“We are standing on a cliff edge,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;book co-author Jørgen Randers, a professor emeritus of Climate Strategy at the <a href="https://www.bi.edu/">BI Norwegian Business School</a>.&nbsp;“In the next 50 years, the current economic system will drive up social tensions and drive down well-being. We can already see how inequality is destabilizing people and the planet.”



“Unless there is truly extraordinary action to redistribute wealth, things will get significantly worse.&nbsp;We are already sowing the seeds for regional collapse. Societies are creating vicious cycles where rising social tensions that are exacerbated by climate breakdown will continue to lead to a decline in trust. This risks an explosive combination of extreme political destabilization and economic stagnation at a time when we must do everything we can to avoid climate catastrophes.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



The book explores two possible scenarios beginning in the 1980s and ending at the end of the 21st century. In the first one – entitled “Too Little, Too Late” – humanity will continue with the same economic policies from the last four decades. Such a pathway will likely create extreme inequalities, increase social tensions within and between countries, exacerbate political division and lack of trust, and push global temperatures above the 2.5°C threshold.



“In this scenario, the model indicates that regional societal collapse, driven by rising social tensions, food insecurity, and environmental degradation, is more likely than today. Regional and global crises are often not caused by a single event like one crop failure, but cascading failures made worse by climate change, chronically dysfunctional governments, and system failures,” explained co-author Espen Stokes, the director of the <a href="https://www.bi.edu/research/centres-groups-and-other-initiatives/centre-for-sustainability-and-energy/">Center for Sustainability and Energy</a> at the BI Norwegian Business School.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



However, in a second scenario - called “the Giant Leap” – the scientists argue that it is in fact possible to stabilize global temperatures below the 2°C threshold and the world population below nine billion, as well as to end extreme global poverty by 2050, thus relaxing social tensions and increasing well-being. To achieve this, societies would need to urgently act across five interconnected turnarounds:



<ol><li>Ending global poverty&nbsp;through reforms of the international financial system</li><li>Addressing inequality&nbsp;by ensuring that the wealthiest 10 percent take less than 40 percent of national incomes</li><li>Achieving full gender equity by 2050 through continuous empowerment of women</li><li>Transforming the food system&nbsp;to provide healthy diets&nbsp;</li><li>Transitioning to clean energy&nbsp;in order to reach net zero emissions by mid-century</li></ol>



“Citizens across the globe recognize we need a new paradigm. And we estimate the investment needed for this shift is small, just two-four percent of GDP annually. That’s less than our current annual subsidies to fossil fuel industries.&nbsp;This is easily affordable, and it will create millions of jobs. What is missing is coalitions of politicians willing to make it happen,” concluded co-author Sandrine Dixson-Declève, an expert in Climate Science at the <a href="https://www.clubofrome.org/">Club of Rome</a>.&nbsp;



More details about these initiatives can be found on <a href="https://www.earth4all.life/">Earth4All</a>, a website launched as a companion to the book. In addition, the book’s 15 policy recommendations with the greatest potential to accelerate the five turnarounds can be found&nbsp;<a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1BIMP6iUt7h_l8ob17997CvcuCsxnI2rRk56ArWOmhhg/edit?usp=sharing">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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Survival pathways in the face of climate catastrophe

According to a new book called Earth for All: A...

Boreal forests in the far north make up the largest forested region in the world. These <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-can-earths-ecosystems-adapt-to-climate-change/">ecosystems</a> are extremely important for capturing carbon. Unfortunately, research shows that climate change is already impacting northern forests in both positive and negative ways.&nbsp;



Boreal forests are composed mainly of conifer species such as spruce, fir, and pine. There are also a few much less common broadleaf hardwood trees such as oak and maple. Experts have determined that global warming is likely causing a decrease in growth in the conifers, along with an increase in growth in the hardwoods.&nbsp;



These observational studies were recently confirmed and enhanced by a rare experimental study on the impact of climate change on northern forests.



Nine species of native boreal trees were planted and grown under different conditions. Some of the trees were left alone as controls. Others were grown with temperatures raised by two hypothetical amounts: 1.6 degrees Celsius (2.9 degrees Fahrenheit) and 3.1 C (5.6 F) above natural temperatures. Some of the trees were covered by tarps prior to storms to mimic a reduction in rainfall.&nbsp;&nbsp;



The results of the analysis showed that even a moderate change in climate is likely to have negative impacts on boreal forest composition.&nbsp;



Study lead author Paul Reich is the director of the Institute for Global Change Biology at the University of Michigan's School for Environment and Sustainability and a forest ecologist at the <a href="https://twin-cities.umn.edu/">University of Minnesota</a>.



"Our results spell problems for the health and diversity of future regional forests," said Reich. "Present-day southern boreal forest may reach a tipping point with even modest climate warming, resulting in a major compositional shift with potential adverse impacts on the health and diversity of regional forests."



"Those impacts could reduce the capacity of our forests to produce timber, to host other plant, microbial and animal diversity, to dampen flooding, and - perhaps most important of all - to scrub carbon out of the air and hold it in wood and soil."&nbsp;



The researchers found that elevated temperatures increased the death rate of all nine of the tree species and the growth rate of seven of the trees. This suggests that there will be a shift in boreal forests in the future and the potential incursion of invasive species already in temperate forests.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05076-3">Nature</a>.&nbsp;&nbsp;



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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

Northern forests are being transformed by global warming

Boreal forests in the far north make up the largest...

The Greenland ice sheet is set to lose more than three percent of its mass, which will cause nearly a foot of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rural-areas-of-the-us-will-be-hardest-hit-by-sea-level-rise/">sea-level</a> rise, according to a study published today in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.&nbsp;The experts report that 3.3 percent of the ice sheet - the equivalent 110 trillion tons of ice - is now doomed.&nbsp;



Study co-author William Colgan is a glaciologist at the <a href="https://eng.geus.dk/">Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland</a>. He explained that the culprit is "zombie ice," which is no longer being fed by larger glaciers.



"It's dead ice. It's just going to melt and disappear from the ice sheet," Colgan said in an interview. "This ice has been consigned to the ocean, regardless of what climate (emissions) scenario we take now."



For the investigation, study lead author Professor Jason Box collaborated with scientists in Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Norway, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the United States. The experts set out to predict the minimum volume of ice that will be lost from the Greenland ice sheet as human-driven climate change continues.



The team estimated an inevitable loss of ten inches, or 27 centimeters, from zombie ice alone. This is more than double the amount of sea level rise that has been previously predicted from the melting of the Greenland ice sheet.&nbsp;Furthermore, Professor Box emphasized that the latest estimate is actually quite conservative.&nbsp;



"It is a very conservative rock-bottom minimum. Realistically, we will see this figure more than double within this century," said Professor Box. “In the foreseeable scenario that global warming will only continue, the contribution of the Greenland Ice Sheet to sea level rise will only continue increasing.&nbsp;



"When we take the extreme melt year 2012 and take it as a hypothetical average constant climate later this century, the committed mass loss from the Greenland Ice Sheet more than doubles to 78 cm.”



The research is unique in that it has produced a minimum figure for Greenland ice loss based on two decades worth of actual measurements, rather than depending on highly uncertain computer models.



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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

Greenland will contribute almost a foot to sea level rise

The Greenland ice sheet is set to lose more than...

Beautiful,Green,Forest,Scenery:,The,Sun,And,Green,Branches,Framing

For centuries, scientists have noticed that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-find-new-way-to-measure-stress-in-plants/">plants</a> lengthen and bend to secure access to sunlight. However, the precise mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not yet clearly understood.&nbsp;



Now, a research team led by the <a href="http://archive">Salk Institute for Biological Research</a> in San Diego, California has discovered that two plant factors – the protein PIF7 and the growth hormone auxin – are the main triggers which accelerate growth when plants are shaded by canopy and exposed to warm temperatures simultaneously. These findings may help scientists predict how plants will respond to climate change, and possibly increase crop productivity despite the detrimental effects of global warming.



“Right now, we grow crops in certain densities, but our findings indicate that we will need to lower these densities to optimize growth as our climate changes,” said study senior author Joanne Chory, an expert in Plant Molecular and Cellular Biology at the Salk Institute. “Understanding the molecular basis of how plants respond to light and temperature will allow us to fine-tune crop density in a specific way that leads to the best yields.”



During sprouting, seedlings quickly elongate their stems to break through the soil and get access to sunlight as soon as possible. While the stem usually slows down its growth after being exposed to sunlight, it can lengthen rapidly again if the plant is competing with surrounding plants for light, or in response to warming temperature in order to increase the distance between the leaves and the hot ground. Although both canopy shade and warm temperatures induce stem growth, they reduce yield.



By using the model plant Arabidopsis thaliana, tomato plants, and a close relative to tobacco, the researchers investigated the factors leading to plant growth under canopy shade and in warm temperatures – a condition mimicking high crop density during climate change. They found that across all three species, the plants grew taller when trying to avoid the canopy shade created by neighboring plants, while being exposed to high temperatures.



Molecular analyses revealed that the transcription factor PIF7 – a protein playing a fundamental role in activating and deactivating certain genes – was the dominant factor driving the increased growth. Moreover, when crops detected neighboring plants, the growth hormone auxin also increased, fostering rapid growth in response to simultaneous warmer temperatures. Thus, the synergistic PIF7-auxin pathway is what allows plants to respond to environmental stressors and adapt to search for the best growing conditions.



“Global temperatures are increasing, so we need food crops that can thrive in these new conditions.&nbsp;We’ve identified key factors that regulate plant growth during warm temperatures, which will help us to develop better-performing crops to feed future generations,” Professor Chory concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-32585-6">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&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Light and temperature collaborate to boost plant growth

For centuries, scientists have noticed that plants lengthen and bend...

On Thursday, August 25, 2022, by using NASA’s groundbreaking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/webb-will-completely-change-how-we-view-the-universe/">James Webb Space Telescope</a>, a team of astrophysicists reported that they have detected <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-carbon-dioxide/">carbon dioxide</a> for the first time in the atmosphere of a planet located outside our solar system. The exoplanet, called WASP-39b, is a hot gas giant with a mass similar to Saturn’s, orbiting a Sun-like star 700 light-years away.&nbsp;



Besides providing important insights into this planet’s composition and formation, the discovery of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere also offers hope that the Webb telescope may be able to detect and measure carbon dioxide in the thinner atmosphere of smaller rocky planets.&nbsp;



WASP-39b was first discovered in 2011 by an international consortium called <a href="https://wasp-planets.net/">Wide Angle Search for Planets</a>, with the help of a network of robotic telescopes. Unlike the cooler, more compact gas giants from our solar system, this planet orbits very close to its star, completing one circuit in a just over four Earth-days.&nbsp;



While scientists have already detected the presence of water vapor, sodium, and potassium in its atmosphere, Webb telescope’s unmatched infrared sensitivity has now also confirmed the presence of carbon dioxide, providing the first clear, detailed evidence for carbon dioxide ever detected on an exoplanet.



“As soon as the data appeared on my screen, the whopping carbon dioxide feature grabbed me,” said Zafar Rustamkulov, a graduate student at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> and member of the <a href="https://ers-transit.github.io/">James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) Transiting Exoplanet Community Early Release Science</a> team, which conducted this investigation. “It was a special moment, crossing an important threshold in exoplanet sciences.”



“Detecting such a clear signal of carbon dioxide on WASP-39b bodes well for the detection of atmospheres on smaller, terrestrial-size planets,” added team leader Natalie Batalha, a professor of Astrophysics at the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California, Santa Cruz</a>.



Understanding the composition of a planet’s atmosphere is crucial for clarifying the planet’s origins and evolution. “Carbon dioxide molecules are sensitive tracers of the story of planet formation,” explained team member Mike Line, an associate professor of Planetary Science at the <a href="https://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a>.&nbsp;



“By measuring this carbon dioxide feature, we can determine how much solid versus how much gaseous material was used to form this gas giant planet. In the coming decade, JWST will make this measurement for a variety of planets, providing insight into the details of how planets form and the uniqueness of our own solar system.”



A detailed description of the composition of WASP-39b’s atmosphere and of what can be inferred about this planet’s formation and evolution will be published soon in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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&nbsp;&nbsp;

Carbon dioxide detected for the first time on an exoplanet

On Thursday, August 25, 2022, by using NASA’s groundbreaking James...

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



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



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.

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 



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.

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



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.

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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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.

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



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.

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



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.

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



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.

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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