Recent PhD research conducted at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean has revealed new insights into the potential impacts of deep-sea mining on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/underwater-upheaval-the-ecological-impact-of-deep-sea-mining/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine life</a>. 



Marine geologist Sabine Haalboom's findings illustrate that while much of the debris from mining activities -- referred to as 'dust clouds' -- settles relatively close to its source, a notable portion spreads far into the water. 



This research, carried out in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, provides a crucial understanding of how mining operations could affect these pristine environments. Haalboom defended her dissertation on this topic at <a href="https://www.uu.nl/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Utrecht University</a>, highlighting significant concerns for deep-sea ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Deep-sea mining and marine life</h2>



The depths of the ocean harbor unique ecosystems, with conditions and life forms that remain largely mysterious to scientists. These ecosystems are often fragile and sensitive to changes in their environment. 



Deep-sea mining, particularly the extraction of valuable metals like manganese nodules, disturbs the ocean floor's silt. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dangers-of-deep-sea-mining-could-soon-be-realized/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">This process</a> can create extensive dust clouds, clouding the water over vast areas and potentially impacting these pristine habitats.



Given our limited understanding of deep-sea life, these disturbances could have unforeseen effects on the delicate underwater communities. The organisms living in these depths rely on specific environmental conditions for survival. Any alteration, even minor, could disrupt their way of life, leading to unknown consequences.



The potential impact of deep-sea mining on biodiversity and marine ecosystem functions remains a significant concern. Therefore, deep-sea mining's environmental footprint needs careful consideration. 



Researchers stress the importance of thorough studies to understand the full implications before engaging in large-scale mining operations in these unexplored and vulnerable areas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-deep-sea-mining-s-environmental-footprint">Deep-sea mining's environmental footprint</h2>



Haalboom utilized various instruments to measure the quantity and size of suspended particles in the ocean water. Her experiments took place in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, an area rich in manganese nodules. 



She dragged a 500-kilogram grid of steel chains across a 500-meter stretch of the seabed. This action stirred up a significant amount of sediment, resulting in immediate murkiness in the water.



Initially, most of this stirred-up material settled quickly, within a few hundred meters of the disturbance site. This quick settling suggested that the immediate impact of mining activities might be localized. However, further observations revealed a different aspect. 



A small fraction of the sediment did not settle quickly and remained suspended in the water. This suspended sediment was visible even hundreds of meters away from the initial disturbance.



These findings highlight the potential for deep-sea mining activities to affect broader areas of the marine environment, emphasizing the need for thorough research before large-scale mining operations proceed.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-persistent-clouds">Persistent clouds</h2>



Further studies have shown that these "dust clouds" can travel up to five kilometers from the original mining site. This persistence poses a potential threat to the clarity of the water, which is typically crystal clear and vital for the survival of local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-mining-has-deadly-consequences-for-marine-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine life</a>. 



The scarce food available in these clear waters is crucial for the organisms that inhabit the deep sea, making even small changes to their environment potentially impactful.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-additional-consequences">Additional consequences</h2>



Deep-sea mining poses additional risks. It can disrupt habitats, leading to the loss of biodiversity. The noise and vibrations from mining equipment can affect marine life, particularly species reliant on echolocation. 



Deep-sea mining activities can release toxic substances trapped in seabed sediments, contaminating the water and harming marine organisms. The physical removal of substrate can destroy slow-growing deep-sea corals and sponges, critical for ecosystem health. 



Additionally, the increased human activity could introduce invasive species, further threatening native marine life. These potential impacts underscore the need for cautious, well-informed approaches to deep-sea mining.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-need-for-research-in-deep-sea-mining">Need for research in deep-sea mining</h2>



Haalboom's co-promoter, NIOZ oceanographer Henko de Stigter, has expressed concern over the rapid commercial interest in deep-sea mining. He argues that the initial findings of quick sediment settling do not capture the full potential impact of these mining activities on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-sea-mining-damage-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deep-sea ecosystems</a>. 



The long-term effects of even minimal sediment dispersal are still unknown, prompting both Haalboom and De Stigter to advocate for more extensive research before proceeding with large-scale mining operations.



In conclusion, while deep-sea mining presents a tempting opportunity to extract valuable resources, the potential risks to unknown marine ecosystems and the broader environmental impacts demand careful consideration. 



The call for further study is clear: we must fully understand the consequences of our actions in these remote, unexplored parts of our planet before making irreversible decisions.



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Deep-sea mining forms 'dust clouds' that devastate marine life

Recent PhD research conducted at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean has revealed new insights into the potential impacts of deep-sea mining on marine life. Marine geologist Sabine Haalboom's findings illustrate that while much of the debris from mining activities -- referred to as 'dust clouds' -- settles relatively close to its source, a notable portion spreads far into the water. This research, carried out in the Clarion Clipperton Zone, provides a crucial understanding of how mining operations could affect these pristine environments. Haalboom defended her dissertation...

Getting a song stuck in your head helps you to remember related life <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traumatic-experiences-can-be-detected-in-the-eyes/">experiences</a>, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">UC Davis</a>.

The experts said the research offers an initial glimpse into these mechanisms and, somewhat surprisingly, finds that the songs that get stuck in your head help that process of strengthening memories as they first form. 

"Scientists have known for some time that music evokes autobiographical memories, and that those are among the emotional experiences with music that people cherish most," said study co-author Professor Petr Janata.

"What hasn't been understood to date is how those memories form in the first place and how they become so durable, such that just hearing a bit of a song can trigger vivid remembering."

The study is the first to link music-evoked remembering to a catchy song that gets stuck in your head, which is also referred to as an "earworm."

For the investigation, the researchers worked with 25 to 31 different people in three experiments. The trials were conducted over the course of three different days, and were spaced weeks apart. 

First, the study participants listened to unfamiliar music. A week later, they listened to the music again, but paired with unfamiliar movie clips. In one instance, movies were played without music. 

&nbsp;

The participants were asked to recall as many details as they could from each movie as the music played. They were also asked about their recollection of the associated tunes and how often they experienced each of the tunes as an earworm. 

The results showed that the more often a tune played in a person's head, the more accurate the memory for the tune became. In addition, the more frequent earworm, the more details the participant remembered from the specific section of the movie with which the song was paired.

After a week of viewing the movie, the effect of repeatedly experiencing a tune from the soundtrack as an earworm resulted in near-perfect retention of the movie details. These memories were as clear as when the individuals had first seen the movie. 

Furthermore, most of the participants were able to report what they were doing when the catchy song ran through their mind.

"Our paper shows that even if you are playing that song in your mind and not pulling up details of memories explicitly, that is still going to help solidify those memories," said Professor Janata.

"We typically think of earworms as random nuisance beyond our control, but our results show that earworms are a naturally occurring memory process that helps preserve recent experiences in long-term memory," said study co-author Benjamin Kubit.

The experts said they hope their research may eventually lead to the development of music-based interventions to help people suffering from dementia and other neurological disorders to remember events, people, and daily tasks.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/xge">Journal of Experimental Psychology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Catchy songs help to form lasting memories

Getting a song stuck in your head helps you to...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> has shown that mosquitoes could become active year-round in places where they are usually dormant in the winter. The experts found that mosquitoes can adjust to rapid <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/temperatures-are-rising-unexpectedly-fast-on-the-tibetan-plateau/">temperature</a> changes.

"In tropical regions, mosquitoes are active all year, but that isn't the case for the rest of the world. Outside of the tropics, winter temperatures cause mosquitoes to go into a kind of hibernation called diapause. We call these mosquitoes 'cold bounded' because their activity is limited by these lower temperatures," explained study senior author Professor Brett Scheffers.

"However, with climate change, we expect summers to get longer and winters to become shorter and warmer. What will that mean for those cold bounded mosquitoes? How will they respond?" 

To investigate, the researchers conducted experiments with mosquitoes collected at more than 70 sites in and around Gainesville, Florida, which is located on the dividing line between subtropical and temperate climates. 

Overall, about 1,000 mosquitoes were randomly sampled for lab testing. The experts analyzed how mosquitoes responded to changes in temperature while considering what time of year they were collected. 

"We found that the mosquitoes in our study are what we call 'plastic,' meaning that, like a rubber band, the range of temperatures they can tolerate stretches and contracts at different times of year," said Professor Scheffers.

The study revealed that the mosquitoes' tolerable temperature range stretched out in the spring to include both warmer days and colder nights. In the summer, when the nights are warmer, their suitable temperature range contracts. 

In autumn, when temperatures begin to cool off, the range stretches again, explained Professor Scheffers.

"That tells us that as climate change makes our autumns and winters warmer, mosquitoes in more temperate regions are well prepared to be active during those times," said Professor Scheffers.

"Our results suggest that to better understand how well populations and species may be able to tolerate ongoing climate change, we need to measure species thermal responses across different times of the year," said study first author Brunno Oliveira.

"This information would help us to deliver a more accurate representation of the temperature range a species can tolerate."

To establish the upper or lower temperature thresholds, the researchers monitored the activity of each mosquito, which was placed in a vial that was then put in a water bath. Over time, the researchers changed the water temperature. When the mosquitoes became inactive, it was a signal that the upper or lower threshold had been reached. 

"It was surprising to see how well these little creatures could tolerate high temperatures during the experiments, often well above the mean ambient temperatures measured by the weather stations," said study co-author Gécica Yogo.

According to the researchers, it is not yet clear what allows mosquitoes to adjust to rapid changes in temperature.

"Many people do not realize how quickly natural selection can act on short-lived animals," said study co-author Professor Daniel Hahn. 

"Whether the changes we are seeing in mosquito thermal properties are due to rapid natural selection across seasons, seasonal plasticity - much like a dog changing its coat - or a combination of both, is what we are working on now."

The experts noted that insights from this study can help communities better prepare for the impacts of climate change as they relate to mosquitoes, which spread diseases that affect humans and animals.

"The more mosquito activity there is, the greater the risk of these diseases spreading. Knowledge is power, and knowing that mosquitoes will be more active for more of the year can inform how we get ready for climate change," said Professor Scheffers.

"When we talk about how climate change might affect plants and animals, we are often talking about species moving to new areas because the conditions are changing -- in other words, the arrival of something new. However, climate change will also affect species we live with right now, like highly flexible mosquitoes, and that's another aspect to consider."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19399170">Ecology</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mosquitoes could become active year-round

A new study from the University of Florida has shown...

Krill populations in the Southern Ocean are projected to decline by about 30 percent this century, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">CU Boulder</a>. While the projected krill losses are tied to anthropogenic global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-in-three-heat-related-deaths-tied-to-global-warming/">warming</a>, this will not be obvious right away. 

The experts report that the human-driven effects on Antarctic krill habitat will be indistinguishable from natural climate variability for decades to come.

The research has important implications for the local food web, and also for the largest commercial fishery in the Southern Ocean that supports a $2 billion fish oil industry.

Krill are small shrimplike crustaceans that play a huge role in the aquatic food chain. In the Southern Ocean, krill serve as the primary source of nutrients and energy for most of the marine predators, including penguins, seals, and whales.

"Krill are what links the ecosystem together," said study lead author Zephyr Sylvester. "They're really important to the Southern Ocean for pretty much every predator species."

Human-induced climate change is not the only factor that is altering the Antarctic krill habitat. Natural variability is also driving major changes.

"Climate change is rapidly altering the habitat of Antarctic krill, a key species of the Southern Ocean food web. Krill are a critical element of Southern Ocean ecosystems as well as biogeochemical cycles, while also supporting an international commercial fishery," wrote the study authors. 

"In addition to trends forced by global-scale, human-driven warming, the Southern Ocean is highly dynamic, displaying large fluctuations in surface climate on interannual to decadal timescales."

"The dual roles of forced climate change and natural variability affecting Antarctic krill habitat, and therefore productivity, complicate interplay of observed trends and contribute to uncertainty in future projections."

In order to predict population numbers and plan harvest limits, experts must separate the trends associated with human-driven warming from those arising naturally in krill habitat.

"The thing that we really have to understand is: Is there enough krill to feed everything that needs to eat it in the Southern Ocean, as well as humans?" said study co-author Professor Cassandra Brooks. "My hope is that we can take this as a first step to understanding how to manage krill better."

Despite being one of the most abundant species on Earth, krill can only survive in a limited temperature range and are extremely sensitive to changes in their environment.

Fishing in the Southern Ocean is currently managed by the Convention on the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), an international body established as part of the Antarctic Treaty System. 

Four decades after CCAMLR was founded, however, catch limits on krill are still based on a stock assessment that does not account for natural environmental variability or climate change impacts.

While there is widespread recognition of the importance of understanding the impacts of climate change on this marine ecosystem, knowing how the climate naturally varies is an important prerequisite, explained Sylvester.

To investigate, the researchers ran a larger group of models many times, known as a large ensemble Earth system model. It is the first time this approach has been used for the Southern Ocean or for krill.

"Then we were able to look at the different trends and quantify how much the natural variability was masking the signal for climate change," said Sylvester.

The study is the first of its kind to use climate models to demonstrate that natural climate variability can obscure human-driven trends.

By being able to quantify how much change is likely to occur from natural variability, and separately from climate change, it allows everyone involved to plan better for the future and sustain krill for those who depend on it, said Professor Brooks.

"Even if we won't see this really strong signal from climate change until later, what's important for us to understand is that the Southern Ocean is a very dynamic system and we absolutely have to be managing for natural variability," explained Professor Brooks. "And we should be ready to manage the broader impacts of climate change."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Krill face a double whammy of climate change

Krill populations in the Southern Ocean are projected to decline...

Fires are a normal and natural part of life in the Rocky Mountains and much of the interior western United States. Hot summer days are normal too. It’s common knowledge today that humans are causing a shift in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/butterflies-and-moths-are-struggling-to-adapt-to-climate-change/">climate</a> to favor warmer, drier weather. 

For years, scientists have predicted that a shift in climate would also come along with an increase in forest fires. Now researchers working in the central Rocky Mountains of southern Wyoming and northern Colorado have evidence that this is already happening. 

Paleoecologists with both the University of Wyoming and the <a href="https://www.umt.edu/">University of Montana</a> collected ash deposited in lake bed sediments to look at the history of wildfires in the area. What they found was shocking. Following the extreme fire season of 2020, the researchers discovered that more high elevation forests are burning than at any point in the past 2,000 years. 

"As the 2020 fire season unfolded, we realized we already had a well-defined understanding of the fire history of many of the places burning, based on over 20 lake-sediment records our teams had collected over the past 15 years," said study lead author Professor Phillip Higuera. 

"When the smoke settled, we thought 'Wow, we may have witnessed something truly unprecedented here.' So we combined the existing records for the first time and compared them to recent fire activity. To our surprise, 2020 indeed pushed fire activity outside the range of variability these forests have experienced over at least the past two millennia."

The experts found that high elevation forests, which historically burned at a rate of once every 230 years, are now burning at a rate of every 120 years. The record shows that as climate has varied, Rocky Mountains fires have followed trends - the hotter and drier, the more fires. While none of this is surprising, it is still shocking to realize the harsh consequences of human-induced climate change have already emerged. 

“It's sobering to see that it's clearly happening, and early in the 21st century - not in 2050, not in 2075, but by 2020," said Professor Higuera.

Not only are there more fires accompanying climate change, but also unprecedented rates of fires in forests that are fire adapted. As one last word of hope, Professor Higuera pointed out that if we as humans can cause this problem, possibly we can fix it as well. 

"It's critical to remember that we have ample opportunities to limit or reverse climate warming while still working to adapt to the increasing fire activity expected in upcoming decades."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Unprecedented fires threaten the Central Rocky Mountains

Fires are a normal and natural part of life in...

Ozone pollution levels dropped rapidly in American and Asian cities during the coronavirus pandemic, according to a new report from <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>. 

The researchers found that emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx), which create ozone pollution, decreased by up to 50 percent in some regions as global commerce slowed and the burning of fossil fuels was reduced. 

The experts report that by June 2020, global ozone pollution had dropped to a level that policymakers thought would take at least 15 years to reach through regulations and other conventional means.

When ozone is high in the stratosphere, it protects life on Earth from harmful solar radiation. Close to the ground, however, ozone is very dangerous to human health. In 2019 alone, ozone pollution caused an estimated 365,000 deaths due to lung damage. 

Plants are also affected by ozone pollution, which impacts their ability to photosynthesize. This ultimately reduces plant growth and crop yields. Furthermore, higher up in the troposphere, ozone acts as a heat-trapping greenhouse gas that increases global temperatures.

A team of international researchers led by JPL scientist Kazuyuki Miyazaki set out to investigate how human activity affects levels of nitrogen oxide and nitrogen dioxide, which are collectively called NOx. The experts found that the greatest reductions in NOx emissions were tied to the nations with the strictest COVID-19 lockdown measures.

In some Chinese cities, stay-at-home orders in early February 2020 resulted in a 50 percent drop in NOx emissions within a few weeks. Later in the spring,  most U.S. states achieved a 25 percent drop.

According to the study, ozone reductions from the reduced NOx emissions quickly spread both around the globe and from the surface upward more than 6 miles.

The results of the study suggest that strategies designed to decrease ozone pollution on a local level have the potential to rapidly improve air quality worldwide. 

“I was really surprised at how large the impact on global ozone was,” said study co-author and JPL scientist Jessica Neu. “We expected more of a local response at the surface.”

“I was very happy that our analysis system was able to capture the detailed changes in emissions across the world,” said Miyazaki. “The challenging and unprecedented nature of this work is a testament to improvements in satellite monitoring in service of societal needs.” 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ozone pollution dropped dramatically during pandemic

Ozone pollution levels dropped rapidly in American and Asian cities...

The main ice shelf that stabilizes the Pine Island Glacier is tearing away, which means the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/doomsday-glacier-exposed-to-more-warm-water-than-expected/">glacier</a> will likely collapse into the ocean sooner than expected, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a>.

"We may not have the luxury of waiting for slow changes on Pine Island; things could actually go much quicker than expected," said study lead author Ian Joughin, a glaciologist at the UW Applied Physics Laboratory. 

"The processes we'd been studying in this region were leading to an irreversible collapse, but at a fairly measured pace. Things could be much more abrupt if we lose the rest of that ice shelf."

The ice held in the Pine Island Glacier is estimated at approximately 180 trillion tons. This is the equivalent of 1.6 feet of global sea level rise. The glacier is already responsible for much of Antarctica's contribution to rising sea levels. 

Copernicus Sentinel-1 satellite images revealed that Pine Island's ice shelf lost one-fifth of its area in a few dramatic breaks from 2017 to 2020. When the researchers analyzed images from 2015 to 2020, they determined that recent changes on the ice shelf were not directly caused by melting.

"The ice shelf appears to be ripping itself apart due to the glacier's acceleration in the past decade or two," explained Joughin. The team found that two points on the glacier's surface sped up by 12 percent between 2017 and 2020. 

"The recent changes in speed are not due to melt-driven thinning; instead they're due to the loss of the outer part of the ice shelf," said Joughin. "The glacier's speedup is not catastrophic at this point. But if the rest of that ice shelf breaks up and goes away then this glacier could speed up quite a lot."

Joughin noted that other factors will influence whether the shelf will continue to crumble, such as the slope of the land below the glacier's receding edge. 

"The loss of Pine Island's ice shelf now looks like it possibly could occur in the next decade or two, as opposed to the melt-driven subsurface change playing out over 100 or more years," said study co-author Pierre Dutrieux, an ocean physicist at British Antarctic Survey. "So it's a potentially much more rapid and abrupt change."

"Sediment records in front of and beneath the Pine Island ice shelf indicate that the glacier front has remained relatively stable over a few thousand years. Regular advance and break-ups happened at approximately the same location until 2017, and then successively worsened each year until 2020."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pine Island Glacier will collapse sooner than expected

The main ice shelf that stabilizes the Pine Island Glacier...

Sweet Pittosporum is a fast-growing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ghost-forests-release-greenhouse-gas-emissions-in-tree-farts/">tree</a> that has become invasive in parts of Australia where it is not indigenous. The tree almost completely extinguishes the surrounding vegetation, but experts report that clearing the trees could allow this native vegetation to return.

In a new study from <a href="https://www.monash.edu/">Monash University</a>, scientists have investigated how clearing Pittosporum trees may affect birds such as the threatened Powerful Owl. The researchers found that the richness and abundance of birds is greatly reduced in areas with dense Pittosporum canopies.

"The almost complete absence of any understory vegetation and no ground cover means there is very little for birds to eat in invaded sites," said study lead author Dr. Ben O'Leary.

"Most habitat components for birds exists within the Eucalyptus overstorey and mid canopy. The presence or removal of Pittosporum doesn't appear to greatly influence ground storey bird species, which have been in long-term decline."

The study also showed that there are also fewer carnivorous birds in sites that have been invaded by Pittosporum trees, which is likely due to the lack of vegetation and prey on the ground.

"While invaded sites are not great habitat, restoration projects need to ensure that the full range of habitats continue to be available during the transition period," said Dr. O'Leary.

The removal of an invasive tree species without affecting other wildlife can be a challenge. In certain circumstances, the trees provide structural value to local flora and fauna. 

"The trick is balancing the progression of weed control with the retention of enough structure to support local plants and animals," said Dr. O'Leary.

Study co-author Ros Gleadow is a professor in the School of Biological Sciences who has been studying Pittosporum for over 40 years.

"It is important to get rid of the Pittosporum now," said Professor Gleadow. "Not only does it suppress the understorey, but in all these years, I have never seen a eucalypt seedling growing under a Pittosporum canopy."

"Once the old eucalypts at a site die, that's it and it of both native vegetation and birds is impossible without major intervention."

"For areas where Pittosporum is native, like around Sydney, management is philosophically complicated but there is no doubt that clearing will to help preserve biodiversity."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/26888319">Ecological Solutions and Evidence</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Invasive Pittosporum trees are destroying owl habitats

Sweet Pittosporum is a fast-growing tree that has become invasive...

Arctic coastal sea ice is thinning at double the rate that was expected, according to a new study from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a>. The researchers analyzed ice-thickness data from the CryoSat and Envisat missions, while using a new model to estimate snow depth. 

The CryoSat altimeter measures ice height by timing how long it takes for radar waves to return to the satellite from the ice surface. 

The thickness of floating sea ice is determined by measuring the height of the ice above the water. But these measurements are not always reliable when heavy snow is pushing the ice down into the water. 

To overcome this challenge, the researchers used a new computer model that calculates snow depth and density. The team then combined the snow model projections with radar observations. 

Robbie Mallett is a PhD student at the Centre for Polar Observation and Modeling (CPOM) at University College London.

“The thickness of sea ice is a sensitive indicator of the health of the Arctic. It is important as thicker ice acts as an insulating blanket, stopping the ocean from warming up the atmosphere in winter, and protecting the ocean from the sunshine in summer. Thinner ice is also less likely to survive during the Arctic summer melt," said Mallett.

“Previous calculations of sea-ice thickness are based on a snow map that was last updated 20 years ago. Because sea ice has begun forming later and later in the year, the snow on top has less time to accumulate. Our calculations account for this declining snow depth for the first time, and suggest the sea ice is thinning faster than we thought.”

The researchers concluded that sea ice in Arctic coastal regions is thinning at a rate of 70 to 100 percent faster than previously thought. 

For example, ice is thinning in the coastal regions of the Kara and Chukchi seas at a rate of up to 110 percent higher than previous calculations.

“There are a number of uncertainties in measuring sea-ice thickness, but we believe our new calculations are a major step forward in terms of more accurately interpreting the data we have from satellites," said Professor Julienne Stroeve.

“We hope this work can be used to better assess the performance of climate models that forecast the effects of long-term climate change in the Arctic - a region that is warming at three times the global rate, and whose millions of square kilometres of ice are essential for keeping the planet cool.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://tc.copernicus.org/">The Cryosphere</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coastal sea ice is thinning much faster than expected

Arctic coastal sea ice is thinning at double the rate...

Butterflies and moths are resorting to drastic measures to cope with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natural-sunscreen-helps-blue-rice-corals-adapt-to-warming-climate/">climate</a> change. In a new study from the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a>, researchers have found that some moth and butterfly species in Finland have successfully adapted to a changing climate by advancing their flight period and moving farther north. 

On the other hand, roughly 40 percent of butterfly and moth species in Finland have not been able to make the necessary adjustments. As a result, their populations are declining.

"Roughly 45% of the species that we studied had either moved northward or advanced their flight period," said study study co-author Maria Hällfors. 

"They fared much better than the 40% of the species which had not responded in either way. On average, the populations of these poorly responding species had declined."

"The largest increase in abundance was seen in the 15% of the species that both moved northward and advanced their flight. This demonstrates that the ability to respond to a changing environment is vital for species."

The researchers emphasized that, in order to preserve biodiversity as climate change intensifies, it is of utmost importance to provide species with high quality, interconnected habitats that make it possible for them to adjust to the challenges generated by climate change.

In collaboration with the Finnish Environment Institute, the researchers analyzed the flight patterns, potential boundary shifts, and changes in abundance of 289 species of moths and butterflies over the course of about two decades. 

The study showed that nearly half of the species had moved northward, while only 27 percent had advanced their flight period.

"This finding deviates from observations made elsewhere in Europe where advancing the flight period has been much more common among Lepidoptera," said study co-author Juha Pöyry.

A lack of suitable habitat may explain why most species did not respond optimally to climate change by both advancing their flight and moving northward.

"For organisms to be able to respond to climate change by shifting their range further north, sufficient amounts of suitable habitats of high-quality are needed," said study co-author Mikko Kuussaari.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14610248">Ecology Letters</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

Butterflies and moths are struggling to adapt to climate change

Butterflies and moths are resorting to drastic measures to cope...

In a new study from <a href="https://www.calpoly.edu/">California Polytechnic State University</a>, researchers have found that noise and light pollution have a major influence on which <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/songbirds-can-control-single-muscle-fibers-while-singing/">birds</a> are visiting our backyards. The experts report that birds across the United States tend to avoid backyard feeders in areas with excessive noise, especially when light pollution is also present.

The experts obtained data from <a href="https://feederwatch.org/">Program FeederWatch</a>, which collects information from birdwatchers in thousands of communities throughout North America. The researchers focused their investigation on more than 3.4 million observations of 140 different bird species across the continental United States.

"Broadly speaking, we are just starting to dive into the consequences of light and noise for animals," said study lead author Ashley Wilson. "Most studies focus on a single species' responses to noise or light pollution. As such, our study involving 140 species provides the most comprehensive assessment of how noise and light influence which birds we see in our backyards and neighborhoods."

Many common bird species were found to avoid areas with excessive noise, including American goldfinches, cedar waxwings, and white-breasted nuthatches. In areas with both light and noise pollution, even more species avoided backyard feeders. 

"These responses would have been overlooked completely if we only focused on the influence of light or noise individually rather than considering the total exposure to both sensory pollutants," said Wilson. "Our overall influence on sensitive species could be more widespread than we originally thought."

The study revealed that noise and light pollution affect birds differently across distinct environments. For example, birds in forests were found to be more sensitive to pollutants than those that live in grasslands.

Seasonal patterns, such as the length of night, had an influence on how the birds responded to light pollution. During longer nights, nearly 50 species increased in abundance with light pollution.

"That many species are more abundant in lit areas when nights are longer could be because winter nights present challenging conditions, especially farther North where temperatures drop below freezing and birds use a lot of energy to stay warm and survive," said study senior author Professor Clint Francis. 

"It is possible that light at night provides the opportunity to stay active and continue eating into the night time hours. Still, exposure to light could create problems that we could not measure in this study, like altered sleep patterns and increased stress."

Noise and light pollution are expanding globally each year, and are even spreading into protected areas.

"If birds cannot tolerate the increased intensity and presence of these pollutants, then we may end up seeing fewer species in brightly lit and loud places, even in protected areas."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</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

Noise pollution is changing which birds visit your backyard

In a new study from California Polytechnic State University, researchers...

Approximately half a billion people, as well as 25 percent of all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-circling-behavior-discovered-among-marine-mammals/">marine</a> life, depend on coral reef ecosystems. Despite being one of the most valuable types of ecosystem on the planet, coral reefs are declining at an alarming rate. 

In a new study from <a href="https://www.scu.edu.au/">Southern Cross University</a>, experts report that if the trend of decline continues at the current rate, coral reefs could stop calcifying by 2054. 

Coral growth is called calcification because corals take up calcium carbonate (CaCO3) to produce their skeletons. As the chemistry of seawater changes, calcification rates change as well.

The opposite of calcification is coral dissolution, which is when the skeletons release CaCO3 back into the water. Coral dissolution is typically a result of environmental stressors  such as ocean acidification and rising temperatures.

To investigate how coral reefs are responding to environmental stress, the researchers analyzed 116 studies from 53 papers published since the late 1960s. 

"It is known that coral reefs have been degrading over time. Our study relies on historical data to quantify the current rate of decline and indicates what could be happening in the future," said project leader Dr. Kay Davis.

"Our work complements quite a few other studies that indicate net coral reef dissolution by mid-century, between 2030 and 2080."

The research was focused on coral reefs all over the globe, including those in Australia, Japan, Hawaii, the Red Sea, French Polynesia, and Bermuda.

"Repeat observations at the same sites can provide insight into how coral reefs are responding to changing environmental conditions on a global scale," said Dr. Davis. "But these repeat surveys of calcification and productivity have only been carried out at seven sites."

The declining health of the remaining coral may be contributing to reduce global calcification rates, explained the researchers.

"We found that rates of coral ecosystem calcification are significantly declining at an average rate of 4.3% ± 1.9% yr-1 with a concurrent reduction in mean coral cover of 1.8% yr-1. This suggests that loss of coral cover may not be the sole contributor of declining calcification," said Dr. Davis.

"Stress events, like coral bleaching, can impact calcification, even without coral death. Corals improve their chances of survival during stressful times by temporarily reducing calcification."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coral reefs could completely stop growing by 2054

Approximately half a billion people, as well as 25 percent...

Scientists have found a way to delay ocean acidification in the waters surrounding the Great Barrier Reef. According to a study from <a href="https://ioppublishing.org/">IOP Publishing</a>, injecting an alkalinizing agent into the ocean along the length of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/immediate-and-drastic-action-needed-to-save-coral-reefs/">reef</a> could offset a decade's worth of ocean acidification. 

Researchers with <a href="https://www.csiro.au/en/about/people/business-units/oceans-and-atmosphere">CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere</a> used a high-resolution model to investigate how artificial ocean alkalinization may influence acidity.

The Great Barrier Reef is currently facing unprecedented stress from a combination of sources, including ocean warming, tropical cyclones, sediment and nutrient runoff, and ocean acidification. 

When it comes to the long-term viability of the reef, ocean acidification is one of the most significant threats, limiting the ability of the corals to recover from bleaching events.

Scientists are exploring a range of potential solutions to minimize environmental stress and to maximize the resilience of coral reef ecosystems. 

Artificial ocean alkalinization is a carbon dioxide removal (CDR) method which aims to offset the changes associated with ocean acidification. Adding a source of alkalinity - such as olivine - to seawater will essentially "reverse" the shift in chemistry that occurs as the ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere. 

The experts noted that olivine is an abundant mineral resource that is already mined near the Great Barrier Reef.

"The majority of the artificial ocean alkalinization modeling studies to date have focused on the potential for alkalinization as a carbon dioxide removal technique. Few studies have explored the role of alkalinization with a focus on offsetting the changes associated with ocean acidification at a regional scale," explained the study authors. 

The results of the model simulations showed that by releasing the alkalinizing agent from an existing shipping lane, the resulting de-acidification would reach almost the whole of the Great Barrier Reef.

The experts found that by using existing shipping infrastructure to deliver the source of alkalinity into the water, artificial ocean alkalinization could offset or ameliorate the projected acidification on 250 reefs by ten years. In the process, 35,000 tons of carbon would be sequestered each year. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ocean acidification on the Great Barrier Reef could be delayed by 10 years

Scientists have found a way to delay ocean acidification in...

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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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[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

[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



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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



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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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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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists are using autonomous sound sensors to monitor deforestation in the Amazon. By recording soundscapes, the experts can determine which animals are present through their distinct sounds.&nbsp;



Using this method, sounds can be used as scientific measurements to analyze the effects of deforestation. The researchers will gain a better understanding of how the acoustics of a forest can be used to measure its health.&nbsp;



"From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look lush and green, like a place buzzing with activity and full of sounds. But inside the rainforest, the animal life may tell a different story, of a harsh environment and a quieter soundscape," says NASA.



Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center&nbsp;



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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