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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Image Credit: Taylor Rhoades



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

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

South Florida’s sprawling mangrove forests, famed for their tangled roots, play a critical role in buffering storm surge. However, they have long been viewed as vulnerable to the growing punch of hurricanes intensified by climate change.



Yet new research from the <a href="https://environment.yale.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Yale School of the Environment</a> paints a far more optimistic picture, showing that Everglades mangroves can replace all the carbon they lose to powerful storms in just a handful of years.



The findings come from an unprecedented long-term analysis of carbon dynamics before and after Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and Hurricane Irma in 2017.



By combining ground-based sensors with satellite imagery and years of ecological field data, the research team calculated each forest’s “recovery debt.” This represents the sum of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mangroves-and-saltmarshes-are-much-better-at-storing-carbon-than-previously-believed/">car</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mangroves-and-saltmarshes-are-much-better-at-storing-carbon-than-previously-believed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">b</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mangroves-and-saltmarshes-are-much-better-at-storing-carbon-than-previously-believed/">on</a> lost during a storm and the time the ecosystem needs to rebuild that stock.



The study revealed that four years after both storms, the mangroves’ carbon balance was back as it was before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-measuring-mangrove-climate-resilience">Measuring mangrove climate resilience</h2>



“Many people frame disturbance research in terms of how much initial loss there was,” said lead author David Reed, an associate research scientist at Yale. “That’s part of the story, but it’s really about how long it takes to recover from that loss.”



The concept of recovery debt, he explained, offers a clearer gauge of resilience than raw damage totals alone. If forests regain their carbon quickly, they can keep functioning as long-term carbon sinks despite periodic hits.



The study focused on two Everglades towers measuring mangrove-atmosphere gas exchanges related to climate for nearly two decades.



Those records are “a good sign that mangroves in the Everglades are and will continue to be relatively resilient to the types of disturbances we know they’re going to experience in the future,” said co-author Sparkle Malone, an assistant professor at the <a href="https://naturalcarboncapture.yale.edu/">Yale Center for N</a><a href="https://naturalcarboncapture.yale.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">a</a><a href="https://naturalcarboncapture.yale.edu/">tural Carbon Capture</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hurricanes-carbon-and-timing"><a></a>Hurricanes, carbon, and timing</h2>



Mangroves draw CO2 from the air and store it in trunks, roots, and underlying soil. When hurricanes hit, branches break, trees topple, and carbon washes back into the atmosphere.



If another intense storm arrives before the forest has recovered, the ecosystem can slip progressively further behind.



Reed likens the cycle to a sudden financial shock. A household facing an unexpected bill might use savings but recover if its income stays stable.



Stretch that bill across multiple emergencies, however, and the family’s finances spiral. By tallying carbon in the same way, the researchers concluded Everglades mangroves need roughly four storm-free years to “earn back” the carbon they lose.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mangrove-data-and-satellite-images">Mangrove data and satellite images</h2>



Such precise accounting required long, continuous records seldom available in coastal wetlands.



In collaboration with <a href="https://www.fiu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida International University</a>, the team tapped the <a href="https://fcelter.fiu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Florida Coastal Everglades Long Term Ecological Research program</a> (FCE LTER). This program has monitored forest structure, soil chemistry, and gas fluxes in the region since 2004.



“There have been a lot of resources and instrumentation put in this area, and so you can study processes that you can't do on the landscape scale anywhere else in the world,” Malone said.



Tower data were paired with high-resolution satellite images, allowing researchers to scale their measurements across vast swaths of shoreline.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-policy-lessons-from-mangroves">Policy lessons from mangroves</h2>



The Everglades are the focus of one of the largest wetland recovery efforts on the planet, and Malone believes the new findings validate that investment.



“We know that it's in the millions, maybe even billions, of dollars of resource protection that mangrove forests provide, and so this confirms with all of the funding and effort put into Everglades restoration, that it's worth it,” she said.



Mangroves limit flooding and protect infrastructure, so their quick rebound could save public funds from storm damage. Meanwhile, the mangrove forests’ carbon storage capacity makes them a natural ally in climate mitigation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-storm-risk-looms-ahead">Storm risk looms ahead</h2>



While the results bode well for Everglades mangroves, Reed cautions that the four-year recovery window is a threshold, not a guarantee. 



Should future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-hurricanes-help-oceans-fight-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">hurricanes</a> strike more frequently than that, the recovery debt could start compounding.



That prospect underscores the importance of climate action, since warmer oceans can supercharge hurricanes and alter their recurrence patterns. Even resilient mangroves may falter if storm intervals shrink below their recovery debt time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-blueprint-for-other-coastlines">A blueprint for other coastlines</h2>



Although this study centered on southern Florida, the methods can be applied worldwide. With mangroves buffering coasts from Florida to Fiji, the authors hope recovery debt will become a common metric for gauging ecosystem health under climate stress.



Because it measures recovery, it could help conservationists prioritize areas for the fastest carbon payback.



For Malone, the take-home message is clear: “Mangroves have the capacity to capture carbon lost due to hurricanes relatively quickly,” she said.



Given the twin threats of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-heat-of-2024-triggered-a-surge-in-sea-level-rise/">sea lev</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-heat-of-2024-triggered-a-surge-in-sea-level-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">e</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-heat-of-2024-triggered-a-surge-in-sea-level-rise/">l rise</a> and stronger storms, that resilience is highly important. It could be a linchpin in global strategies to protect coastlines and curb greenhouse gases - provided society gives these forests the breathing room they need between climatic shocks.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.70124" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Change Biology</a>.



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Mangroves can quickly recover carbon lost to climate extremes

South Florida’s sprawling mangrove forests, famed for their tangled roots,...

Earth’s glaciers are shrinking, and current climate pledges are not enough to stop this. A new international study warns that even if today’s promises hold, glaciers could lose 76% of their 2020 mass.



This extent of glacier loss would come with severe consequences - a 9-inch rise in sea levels, disrupted ecosystems, and an increase in the frequency of natural hazards.



The temperature rise associated with the current pledges could push global averages to as much as 4.9 degrees Fahrenheit (2.7 degrees Centigrade) above preindustrial levels.



Alaska, which is home to the third-largest glacier mass outside of Greenland and Antarctica, would lose 69% of its glaciers under these conditions.



The research comes from a team led by scientists from the <a href="https://www.uaf.edu/uaf/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Alaska Fairbanks</a> Geophysical Institute and the University of Oslo.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-glaciers-remember-climate-change">Glaciers remember climate change</h2>



“This is the whole point: When you stop <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/alpine-glaciers-will-lose-half-of-their-volume-by-2050/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate change</a>, glaciers don’t stop losing mass,” said Professor Regine Hock, a co-author of the study. 



“Glaciers have a memory. They continue losing mass for tens, hundreds, or even thousands of years until they retreat to high elevations where it’s colder.”



This study takes a new approach. Previous research typically stopped at the year 2100. But glaciers don't follow calendars. Instead of an arbitrary end date, this study estimates how long it will take glaciers to reach equilibrium - the point at which gains from colder months balance losses from warmer months.



Scientists project that in Alaska, glaciers will reach this balance in about 330 years under the low-end <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paris-agreement-which-countries-are-honoring-their-pledges/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paris Agreement</a> target of 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Centigrade) warming.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wordwide-effort-to-understate-glaciers">Wordwide effort to understate glaciers</h2>



Hock emphasized the scale of the effort behind the research. "This is not a single study by one researcher; it’s an internationally coordinated effort. It was four years and brought together the entire community to work on global glacier modeling.”



The team included 21 scientists from 10 countries, using eight different glacier models. They focused on more than 200,000 glaciers, excluding the vast ice sheets of Greenland and Antarctica. 



Scientists assumed constant temperatures for thousands of years in each scenario to give a clearer picture of the long-term future of glaciers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-warming-levels-change-the-story">How warming levels change the story</h2>



The researchers looked at various levels of warming. Even if temperatures stay at the current 2.1 degrees Fahrenheit (1.2 degrees Centigrade) above preindustrial levels, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glacier-melt-in-alaska-is-accelerating-at-an-alarming-rate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Alaska</a> would still lose 37% of its glacier mass. 



As average temperatures rise in the coming years, scientists expect Alaska’s glaciers to lose more mass, predicting that a 7.2-degree Fahrenheit (4-degree Centigrade) increase will cause an 80% loss in glacier mass.



For the planet as a whole, glacier mass losses are projected to reach 39% at the Paris Agreement's lower average temperature increase target (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit or 1.5 degrees Centigrade). The predicted loss reaches a staggering 86% globally if the average temperature increase reaches 9 degrees Fahrenheit (5 degrees Centigrade).



Scientists associate current <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emissions-gap-report-paris-pledges-are-not-enough-to-avoid-catastrophe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate pledges</a> - aiming to restrict average temperature rise to 4.9 degrees Fahrenheit (2.7 degrees Centigrade) - with a predicted 63% loss of glacier mass globally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-every-degree-counts">Why every degree counts</h2>



"Our study makes it painfully clear that every fraction of a degree matters,” said Harry Zekollari from Vrije Universiteit Brussel in Belgium. “The choices we make today will resonate for centuries, determining how much of our glaciers can be preserved.”



Lilian Schuster from the University of Innsbruck noted that glaciers are good indicators of climate change because their retreat allows us to see with our own eyes how climate is changing.



“However, since they adjust over longer timescales, their current size vastly understates the magnitude of climate change that has already happened. The situation for glaciers is actually far worse than visible in the mountains today," said Schuster.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-action-needed-to-save-glaciers">Action needed to save glaciers</h2>



The research highlights that glaciers are slow to respond to change, but once triggered, the losses are difficult to stop. Even ambitious efforts to limit <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/limiting-global-warming-to-1-5-degrees-celsius-would-save-billions-of-lives/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a> won’t halt glacier retreat entirely - but they can slow it down.



If nations strengthen their climate commitments, they can limit glacier loss and mitigate the worst impacts on sea level rise and biodiversity. The choice is clear: reduce emissions now, or face centuries of rising seas and shrinking ice.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu4675" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Current climate goals aren't enough to stop massive glacier losses

Earth’s glaciers are shrinking, and current climate pledges are not...

Climate change research often paints a grim picture. Rising temperatures, vanishing forests, and escalating carbon dioxide (CO2) levels dominate headlines. But new research published in the journal Science offers a reason for cautious optimism. 



An international team of scientists has uncovered findings that could change how we understand tree responses to warming temperatures.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-trees-decide-between-growing-and-breathing/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Trees</a> play a huge role in managing Earth's CO2 levels. They absorb carbon during photosynthesis and release some of it back through respiration. 



It has long been assumed that as the climate warms, tree respiration and the resulting CO2 emissions would sharply increase. That increase would then add more carbon to the atmosphere and fuel more warming.



This cycle, known as a positive climate feedback, has been a key concern for climate scientists. But according to a global study led by experts at <a href="https://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tsinghua University</a>, trees may not release as much carbon as we once feared.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-trees-release-carbon">How trees release carbon</h2>



The study focuses on a specific type of carbon release: the respiration from tree stems. When trees grow, they use energy, and this process emits carbon dioxide. While photosynthesis captures CO2, respiration does the opposite. 



Understanding this balance is essential to predicting how ecosystems respond to climate change.



Scientists have believed that warmer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-are-losing-the-battle-against-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climates</a> would naturally speed up respiration. That belief was based on short-term experiments, where researchers exposed plants to heat and recorded quick increases in CO2 emissions. These tests, though useful, do not reveal how trees behave over years or decades of warming.



"This is likely true, but this latest research reveals that carbon fluxes under warmer future climates will not increase as much as currently thought," said Professor Ian Wright of <a href="https://www.westernsydney.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Western Sydney University</a>, co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-trees-adapt-to-warming">How trees adapt to warming</h2>



To dig deeper, the team built a dataset of thousands of stem respiration measurements from hundreds of tree species. The trees came from all major climate zones: tropical, temperate, arid, and boreal. 



The data included samples from Australian savannas, woodlands, and rainforests collected over the past decade by Professor Wright’s team.



This vast dataset allowed the researchers to test how tree respiration changes not just during sudden heat but over long periods. The results suggest that trees adapt to higher temperatures in ways that slow down CO2 release.



"Short-term, temperature-driven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-have-unique-fungi-partnerships-that-help-them-survive/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">changes</a> in plant respiration rates are measured in seconds, minutes and hours. Due to the quick-acting enzymatic processes in plant tissues, the changes in plant respiration are very fast, and predictable," explained Professor Wright.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trees-release-carbon-differently">Trees release carbon differently</h2>



Professor Wright pointed out that long-term changes behave differently. Plants may quickly ramp up CO2 release in hot weather, but this response does not last forever.



"This contrasts with the long-term, temperature-driven changes in respiration rates that are measured in months, years and decades. Most global ecosystem models in the past have assumed that the same short-term behavior in plants also applies over a longer time period, but this is not the case,” said Professor Wright.



"We now know that thermal acclimation over long timescales will dampen the positive feedbacks between climate warming and carbon emissions from plants."



Thermal acclimation refers to the process where plants adjust their internal systems to handle rising temperatures. This ability could be a hidden strength in forests worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changing-climate-models-for-better">Changing climate models for better</h2>



The research could ultimately reshape climate modeling. Existing global models often assume that tree respiration continues to rise sharply with temperature. That assumption might now be too simplistic. With better data on long-term plant responses, climate scientists can update their predictions.



The study’s lead authors, Dr. Han Wang and Han Zhang from Tsinghua University, noted that only recently has the global scientific community had enough consistent data to challenge the old assumptions.



The team's research has caught the attention of top vegetation modelers. Professor Sandy Harrison from the <a href="https://www.reading.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Reading</a> believes the implications are broad.



"These findings give scientists a new approach for assessing the degree to which ecosystems around the globe can slow the rate of warming," said Professor Harrison.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trees-may-naturally-limit-carbon-emissions">Trees may naturally limit carbon emissions</h2>



The potential for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/planting-new-trees-brings-hope-for-healthier-babies/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">trees</a> to adjust and regulate their CO2 release adds a layer of resilience to Earth’s systems. Although humans continue to emit carbon at alarming rates, nature may not always respond in a way that intensifies the damage.



Professor Wright highlighted the practical importance of these results, especially in a world already experiencing frequent climate disruptions.



"We're already seeing that play out both here in Australia and around the world. However, these new findings suggest that, to some extent, ecosystems globally will slow the trends in one key driver of these changes, elevated atmospheric CO2," he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-data-reshapes-carbon-forecasts">New data reshapes carbon forecasts</h2>



The research on trees and carbon brings cautious hope. It does not cancel out climate risks. However, it shows that ecosystems might absorb some shocks more gently than expected. 



With new data, improved models, and a clearer picture of plant behavior, scientists can build better forecasts and solutions.



Nature’s processes are complex. Trees do not simply react, they adjust. This long-term adjustment could be one of the quiet forces helping the planet endure in the face of climate change.



Other institutions involved in the study include <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Imperial College London</a> and <a href="https://www.berkeley.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Berkeley</a>. For background on climate-carbon feedbacks, visit the <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IPCC Working Group I</a> report.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr9978" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Climate models may overestimate how much carbon trees release

Climate change research often paints a grim picture. Rising temperatures,...

Heat records fall so often now that most people barely look up from their phones when the news flashes across the screen. Yet every fraction of a degree matters, because hidden in that extra warmth are hair-trigger switches built into Earth systems that are critical for all life on our planet.



Push them too far and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-polar-ice-sheets-cant-withstand-1-5c-warming-target/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enormous ice sheets</a>, ocean currents, and forests may snap into a new state - one that pulls polar bears, fishers, and farmers down a road none of them chose.



Scientists call those switches “tipping points.” Cross one and the change races ahead on its own. Glaciers speed up, rainforests dry out, and deep-sea conveyors stall.



The concern is no longer for some distant era. The time is now, as global temperature average already exceeded the 1.5 °C line in 2024 - the line that years of diplomacy drew in the sand has already been crossed.



The <a href="https://wmo.int/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Meteorological Organization</a> now expects the planet to spend its second full year above 1.5 °C of warming in 2025, turning a once-distant red line into an imminent test of global resolve.



That prospect has moved tipping points from academic debate to kitchen-table worry, sparking renewed interest in what overshooting the <a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Paris Agreement</a> limit would actually mean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-systems-reach-the-tipping-point">Earth systems reach the tipping point</h2>



Earth’s big stabilizers - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thousands-of-lakes-in-greenland-have-crossed-a-tipping-point/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland’s ice</a>, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-past-present-and-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">West Antarctic Ice Sheet</a>, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collapse-of-main-atlantic-ocean-circulaton-current-amoc-is-already-happening/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Atlantic overturning circulation</a>, and the Amazon rain forest - behave much like the keystones in an arch. Dislodge one and the entire structure can shift. 



When warming pushes any of these elements beyond a point of no return, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-fuels-dangerous-methane-feedback-loop/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">self-reinforcing feedbacks</a> kick in. 



Ice retreats faster than it can regrow, forests lose moisture until they dry out, and currents stall because the density differences that power them weaken.



The danger grows because these systems interact with one another. Fresh water from melting ice can slow Atlantic currents, which in turn changes <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-amazon-rainforest-is-approaching-widespread-collapse/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rainfall over the Amazon</a>, which then stores less carbon. 



Scientists call that domino effect a tipping cascade, and it means one regional change can snowball into worldwide trouble in a geological blink.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-overshoot-the-hidden-tripwire">Overshoot: the hidden tripwire</h2>



Most conversations about climate targets focus on the final destination, but the journey matters just as much. 



A temporary spike above 1.5 °C, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2024-confirmed-as-earths-hottest-year-in-recorded-history/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">as we had in 2024</a>, can still light the fuse on irreversible change. This is called an "overshoot." 



Even if humanity later reins temperatures back, the damage may be locked for centuries because the feedback loops that drive a tipping event rarely work in reverse at the same speed.



Researchers explore these possibilities with simplified computer models that strip the planet down to its most sensitive gears.



Those models show that the combination of a high peak and a long stay above the threshold raises the odds that at least one major system fails. Push the peak past 2 °C and the odds rise sharply.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-four-giants-on-the-edge">Four giants on the edge</h2>



That grim arithmetic sits at the heart of a new study led by scientists from multiple organizations.



The team linked four equations - one for each of the giants mentioned earlier - so they could watch how Earth systems lean on one another as temperatures swing. 



“Our results show why reducing emissions this decade is crucial for the state of the planet. Failing to reach the Paris Agreement target risks reshaping the Earth’s systems for centuries to come," explained co-author Dr. Robin Lamboll, from the <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/environmental-policy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Center for Environmental Policy</a> and the <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/grantham/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Grantham Institute</a> at Imperial College.



Their experiments show how an overshoot can tip Greenland into a rapid melt, loosen the West Antarctic Ice Sheet, rob the Amazon of its rain, and weaken the Atlantic conveyor that keeps Europe mild. 



Because each element amplifies the others, the researchers warn that avoiding overshoot is less a nice-to-have and more a safety requirement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-risk-rises-each-tenth-degree">Risk rises each tenth-degree</h2>



“With every tenth of a degree above 1.5 °C, the risk of tipping points increases,” explains Annika Ernest Högner from the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (<a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PIK</a>). 



“If global warming were to exceed 2 °C, those risks would rise even more sharply. That’s deeply troubling, especially since current climate policies are projected to lead us to about 2.6 °C of warming by the end of the century.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-facing-a-stark-reality">Facing a stark reality</h2>



When the research team modeled a scenario where temperatures never dropped back below 1.5 °C by 2100, they found that at least one of Earth’s four major systems, or tipping elements, was triggered in roughly 24% of simulations. 



That's nearly a one-in-four chance of crossing a threshold that’s hard to reverse.



An even grimmer scenario - where temperatures peaked near 3 °C before gradually declining - resulted in a 45% chance of triggering a permanent shift by 2300.



“Our results show that to truly minimize tipping risks over the coming centuries and beyond, we must not only reach but sustain net-zero greenhouse gas emissions,” said Tessa Möller, co-lead author and a researcher in the IIASA <a href="https://iiasa.ac.at/programs/ece" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Energy, Climate, and Environment Program</a> and at PIK. 



“Sticking to current policies could lock us into a 45% chance of triggering irreversible changes by 2300 - even if we later bring temperatures back below 1.5 °C after a temporary overshoot.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-vital-systems-need-fast-action">Earth's vital systems need fast action</h2>



Speed matters. The Atlantic overturning circulation already shows early warning signs of slowing, hinting that its safety margin is thinner than once believed (<a href="https://www.realclimate.org" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">RealClimate.org</a>). 



Avoiding further stress means flattening emissions in the 2020s, not the 2040s. Every year of delay nudges the peak higher and lengthens the overshoot, stacking the odds against a stable future.



Cutting pollution today offers an immediate bonus: less warming buys time to develop cleaner technology and sturdier infrastructure. It also keeps the climate’s tightrope walker from swaying so far that balance becomes impossible. 



Slowing the wobble now leaves the next generation with a stage that is still walkable instead of a wire that has already snapped.



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Special thanks to the scientists and researchers at at the <a href="https://iiasa.ac.at/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis</a> and the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/home" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a>, with colleagues from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Imperial College London</a>.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-024-49863-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Scientists determine that major Earth systems are on the verge of total collapse

Heat records fall so often now that most people barely...

Hidden in the greenery of southern Tongatapu sits a boulder so large that locals barely noticed it was out of place. Geologists now say this limestone giant, known as Maka Lahi - Tongan for “Big Rock” - is the heaviest cliff-top boulder ever recorded.



The rock's massive presence stands as silent proof that a powerful and devastating tsunami slammed into Tonga approximately 7,000 years ago.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giant-rock-found-inland">Giant rock found inland</h2>



<a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Queensland</a> PhD researcher Martin Köhler stumbled on the find almost by chance. “We had been surveying the southern side of the island of Tongatapu, looking along the coastal cliffs for evidence of past <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/20-years-later-remembering-the-worlds-deadliest-tsunami/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">tsunamis</a>,” Köhler said.



Late one afternoon farmers pointed him inland toward an overgrown rise more than 200 meters from the sea. 



“I was so surprised; it is located far inland and outside of our fieldwork area and must have been carried by a very big tsunami. It was quite unbelievable to see this big piece of rock sitting there covered in and surrounded by vegetation,” he added.



Köhler’s team used drone imagery and laser scans to build a 3D model. The block measures approximately 14 meters long, 12 meters wide, and nearly 7 meters high. 



With these dimensions, researchers estimate it weighs around 1,180 tons - making it heavier than three Boeing 747 jets.



Chemical fingerprints match the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-may-be-more-resilient-than-we-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral reef</a> limestone that forms the nearby coastline, pinpointing its original perch on a cliff over 30 meters above the sea level.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monster-tsunami-vs-massive-boulder">Monster tsunami vs. massive boulder</h2>



How do you budge such a monster? Numerical wave-flume experiments show that an ordinary storm - even a Category 5 <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/are-bomb-cyclones-increasing-due-to-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cyclone</a> - lacks the muscle.



The only scenario that works is a landslide-generated tsunami producing a single wall of water at least 50 meters high and lasting 90 seconds. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/boulder_tonga_maka-lahi_tsunami-washed-inland_credit-Marine-Geology_1big.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/boulder_tonga_maka-lahi_tsunami-washed-inland_credit-Marine-Geology_1s.webp" alt="Limestone boulder Maka Lahi. (a) c-axis measurement and trench transect; (b) Potential boulder source at the 30 m high cliff (dotted white line), showing partially detached limestone material still in place (white arrows), and reef platform at the southern coast of Tongatapu; (c) Flowstone on the northern aspect, a sample was taken for U/Th dating. (d) Southeastern aspect, showing a- and c-axis (dotted gray lines) and vegetation cover. Credit: Marine Geology" class="wp-image-1971069"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Limestone boulder Maka Lahi. (a) c-axis measurement and trench transect; (b) Potential boulder source at the 30 m high cliff (dotted white line), showing partially detached limestone material still in place (white arrows), and reef platform at the southern coast of Tongatapu; (c) Flowstone on the northern aspect, a sample was taken for U/Th dating. (d) Southeastern aspect, showing a- and c-axis (dotted gray lines) and vegetation cover. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Marine Geology</figcaption></figure>



That torrent would have smashed the boulder off its ledge, hurled it inland at velocities topping 20 meters per second, and deposited it 39 meters above today’s sea level - exactly where it rests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-old-is-the-tsunami-boulder">How old is the tsunami boulder?</h2>



Uranium-thorium dating of flowstone on the boulder’s shaded face places the event at about 6,900 years ago, early in the Holocene epoch.



Co-author Annie Lau, a coastal geomorphologist at the University of Queensland, links the discovery to Tonga’s long geological record.



“Tonga’s most recent tsunami in 2022 killed six people and caused a lot of damage. Understanding past extreme events is critical for hazard preparation and risk assessment now and in the future,” she said. 



“The findings on the Maka Lahi boulder are the evidence of a tsunami in the Pacific region in the Holocene epoch which began around 11,700 years ago.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tsunamis-leave-clues">Tsunamis leave clues</h2>



The analysis enhances our understanding of how waves move rocks, helping improve coastal hazard assessments in tsunami-prone areas worldwide.



Radiocarbon evidence suggests the wave may have been triggered by a massive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/underwater-volcanic-eruptions-are-more-harmful-than-previously-believed/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">submarine landslide</a> or volcanic flank collapse along the nearby Tofua arc - processes still active today.



In 2022, Hunga Tonga’s eruption sent shockwaves worldwide and triggered nearly 20-meter-high tsunami waves.Maka Lahi demonstrates that the region can generate tsunamis more than twice that size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-folklore-meets-physics">Folklore meets physics</h2>



Local legends describe the demigod Māui hurling rocks across the sea while chasing birds. Those stories now appear to preserve cultural memory of events that science is only beginning to quantify.



Another megaboulder, Maui Rock, sits on Tongatapu’s western shore and was likely thrown inland by a 15th-century tsunami. 



Together, the two stones bracket Tonga’s history of rare but catastrophic waves.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-tsunami-threat">Future tsunami threat</h2>



Most Tongatapu residents live on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fighting-coastal-erosion-electricity-turns-sand-into-a-sea-wall/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coastal plain</a>. Present evacuation maps assume worst-case run-ups of about 20 meters. A 50-meter wave would overtop those safe zones and inundate the capital, Nuku‘alofa. 



Updating hazard models will require incorporating low-probability, high-impact events like the one that moved Maka Lahi.



Early-warning systems can detect earthquake tsunamis minutes after they start, but landslide-triggered waves leave little time for alerting the public.



That makes long-term education and clearly marked evacuation routes crucial. Knowing the maximum historical run-up helps engineers decide how high to build protective berms and where to locate critical infrastructure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-the-tsunami-boulder-tells-us">What the tsunami boulder tells us</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/record-heat-of-2024-triggered-a-surge-in-sea-level-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sea-level rise</a> increases the reach of any future tsunami. Maka Lahi moved when sea levels matched today’s, meaning future tsunamis could reach even farther as seas rise. 



As climate change intensifies <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salinity-is-rising-in-coastal-areas-and-hurting-farmlands/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coastal erosion</a> and triggers more landslides, the frequency of extreme waves could rise.



The study holds broader significance beyond Tonga, since massive cliff-top boulders also appear along coastlines from the Mediterranean to the Caribbean.



Few, however, have undergone the precise dating and flow modeling used on Maka Lahi. Its remarkable size, elevation, and inland position make it a critical reference point for improving global tsunami modeling.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-big-rock-with-a-bigger-message">Big rock with a bigger message</h2>



Standing in the brush beside the limestone behemoth, Köhler reflected on the chain of events that unveiled it: “We made a 3-D model and then went back to the coast and found the spot the boulder could have come from, on a cliff over 30 meters above the sea level.” 



What seemed like a farmer’s curiosity turned out to be a deep-time archive of ocean power.



The rock offers a stark reminder that even the most tranquil coastlines have faced tsunami waves powerful enough to reshape the ground beneath our feet.



Understanding that history is not merely an academic exercise; it is a prerequisite for surviving the next colossal surge.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025322725000921?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Marine Biology</a>.



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Scientists find a boulder weighing 2,645,547 pounds that was washed inland by an enormous tsunami

Hidden in the greenery of southern Tongatapu sits a boulder...

What if some of the ocean’s smallest currents turned out to be some of the most powerful forces shaping Earth’s climate? New research is finally giving scientists a detailed look at these elusive ocean features. 



The research was led by scientists from <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Texas A&amp;M University</a>, working in collaboration with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), the Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES), and Caltech. 



The findings mark a major step forward for a $1 billion international mission that's been over 20 years in the making.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-hidden-power-of-ocean-eddies">The hidden power of ocean eddies</h2>



An eddy is like a giant whirlpool in the ocean. Imagine the swirling water you see behind a rock in a river. Now picture that on a massive scale. 



Some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-weather-is-affected-by-the-atmosphere-in-unexpected-ways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean eddies</a> stretch hundreds of kilometers and help move heat, nutrients, and energy around the planet. They play a vital role in weather, climate, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-does-extreme-weather-impact-marine-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine ecosystems</a>.



While larger eddies have been studied for years, smaller ones - known as submesoscale eddies - have remained largely invisible.



These eddies, which range from a few kilometers to about 100 kilometers wide, are difficult to detect. For scientists, they’ve been the missing pieces of the ocean's climate puzzle.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-clear-view-of-small-ocean-currents">A clear view of small ocean currents </h2>



Using new data from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-launches-revolutionary-satellite-to-monitor-earths-water/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Surface Water and Ocean Topography</a> (SWOT) satellite, the team was finally able to capture a clear picture of these small, swirling currents.



“For the first time, we can directly observe small-scale ocean processes across the globe. And it turns out they are a lot stronger than we thought," said Jinbo Wang, associate professor in the Department of Oceanography at Texas A&amp;M University.



The SWOT satellite carries a Ka-band radar interferometer that measures tiny changes in sea surface height with millimeter precision. This technology has revealed swirling eddies and internal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-waves-can-get-much-bigger-taller-than-we-ever-imagined/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean waves</a> that had never been seen from space before.



“These smaller currents carry surprisingly large amounts of energy,” Wang explained. “They play a huge role in moving heat between the upper and deeper parts of the ocean and shaping how the ocean sustains its ecosystem and interacts with the atmosphere."



'That means they can influence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-restructures-marine-food-webs-in-unexpected-ways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine food webs</a> and weather patterns, like how hurricanes form and where they go, or how events like El Niño and La Niña develop. These are not just ocean features - they connect directly to the climate systems that impact all of us.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surprising-performance-of-swot">Surprising performance of SWOT</h2>



The satellite’s performance exceeded many scientists’ expectations. Although SWOT was designed to meet strict science requirements, there was uncertainty about whether it could detect such subtle changes.



“I was pessimistic about the expected outcome before the satellite launch,” Wang said. “But the satellite performed four times better than expected. That surprise is what made this breakthrough possible.”



With these high-quality observations, the researchers showed that small-scale motions - especially the spiral-shaped eddies and long internal solitary waves - are much stronger and more common than once thought. 



These movements mix warm and cold waters and move energy across vast distances, influencing ocean circulation, weather, and climate. The new data will help scientists refine their climate prediction models.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-teamwork-across-decades">Teamwork across decades</h2>



This research stems from the SWOT mission, a collaboration between NASA and CNES, with support from the U.K. and Canadian space agencies. It took over two decades of teamwork, testing, and innovation to reach this point.



“We’re building on work that started two decades ago,” said Dr. Shari Yvon-Lewis, head of the Texas A&amp;M Oceanography Department. “Many people who helped design this satellite and the science have since retired. It’s a tribute to long-term vision, teamwork and dedication.”



Beyond this project, Wang also leads a NASA Ocean AI working group that explores how artificial intelligence and machine learning can improve the analysis of satellite data and aid the design of future missions. He is already thinking about the next steps for satellite technology.



For now, having this work is a milestone to celebrate - and a reminder of how much more the ocean has to reveal. "This is just the beginning,” Wang said. “We finally have the tools to see what’s been hiding in plain sight.”



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08722-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



Image Credit: NASA/JPL/SWOT/CNES



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Small ocean currents play a huge role in Earth's climate

What if some of the ocean’s smallest currents turned out...

In the icy frontier of West Antarctica, sharp, fast-moving winds frequently race across the Amundsen Sea embayment. Known as low-level jets (LLJs), these winds have been largely overlooked until now. 



A new study reveals that the effects of low-level jets could be pivotal in shaping the future of the Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers. These are two of the fastest melting ice bodies on the planet.



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.iitkgp.ac.in/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Indian Institute of Technology</a> and the British Antarctic Survey have brought these powerful winds into focus. Their findings offer fresh insight into the processes involved in Antarctica’s melting glaciers.



The melting of Thwaites, grimly nicknamed the "Doomsday Glacier," poses global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-are-intense-heat-waves-affecting-life-in-antarctica/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">risks</a> due to its potential to raise sea levels dramatically .



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-powerful-antarctic-wind-jets-discovered">Powerful Antarctic wind jets discovered</h2>



The team launched 22 radiosondes, which are sensor instruments that relay information using radio waves. These instruments were attached to weather balloons that were launched near the Amundsen coast in 2014.



The experts captured detailed wind and temperature data in the lower atmosphere. LLJs showed up in half of the profiles, and 10 of them blew in an offshore direction.



The jets varied widely, with speeds from 9 to 32 m/s (30 to 105 ft/s) and heights ranging from 80 to 800 meters (260 to 2,600) feet. They were mostly embedded in low-level temperature inversions, which are stable layers that trap cold air near the surface. These inversions enhance the power of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-antarctic-sea-ice-loss-is-causing-severe-storms-around-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">winds</a>.



“We wanted to understand how often these LLJs happen and what causes them. These processes could potentially influence the rate at which Thwaites and Pine Island glaciers melt, and thus their contribution to sea-level rise,” explained Sai Prabala Swetha Chittella, the study’s lead author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-storms-make-antarctic-wind-jets-stronger-nbsp">Storms make Antarctic wind jets stronger&nbsp;</h2>



The study used the Polar WRF model, a high-resolution weather simulation tool. It replicated 8 of the 11 observed low-level jets and explained their <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ozone-hole-may-fully-recover-by-2066/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">formation</a>.



One LLJ was driven purely by katabatic winds, which are cold, dense air movements that flow downhill. The other six resulted from these katabatic winds being intensified by nearby cyclones over the Bellingshausen Sea.



“The most important thing we found is that LLJs happen often in this part of Antarctica and are usually made stronger by passing storms,” noted Dr. Andrew Orr, a co-author from the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Antarctic Survey</a>.



In fact, CS4, the strongest observed LLJ, reached 32 m/s (105 ft/s) and extended over 150 kilometers (93 miles). It coincided with a deepening cyclone. This created intense southerly winds that enhanced the already present katabatic flow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wind-jets-change-snow-patterns">Wind jets change snow patterns</h2>



These Antarctic winds do more than just blow snow around. They may also shift sea ice, warm the ocean near the ice shelf base, and trigger melt from below. 



The Polar WRF simulations showed antarctic wind jet speeds as high as 24 m/s (79 ft/s) over the ice shelves and nearby ocean during peak LLJ events.



Over time, such strong winds could affect the transport of warm <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-ice-shelves-melting-faster-due-to-ocean-currents/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean</a> water under the ice shelves. That may worsen basal melting, the melting of ice from underneath. 



According to the study, even modest increases in snow sublimation or mixing from wind shear can significantly alter the glaciers' surface balance and long-term stability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-further-research-is-needed">Further research is needed</h2>



“We plan to continue our investigation of these extreme winds over this region of West Antarctica, including focusing on winter, when they are likely to be even more stronger and more frequent,” said Dr. Pranab Deb, another co-author.



Winter LLJs may be more intense due to stronger katabatic flows, though fewer cyclones pass through the Amundsen Sea during that season. 



The researchers suggest building a seasonal climatology of LLJs to predict their long-term impacts more accurately.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antarctic-winds-and-sea-level-rise">Antarctic winds and sea-level rise</h2>



This study provides important insight into how Antarctica’s glaciers are changing. Scientists often focus on warm ocean water melting ice from below, but this research shows that strong winds above the ice also matter a lot.



These winds, especially when intensified by storm systems, can push snow around, expose ice to sunlight, or even carry warmer air that speeds up melting. Some of these winds also help move relatively warm ocean water underneath the glaciers, which may increase melting from below.



By combining knowledge of wind patterns and ocean behavior, researchers now have a better understanding of how these forces work together. This helps them predict how fast glaciers like Thwaites and Pine Island might collapse and how much sea levels could rise as a consequence.



The key takeaway is that climate scientists must look at both what’s under the ice and what’s happening in the air above it. Both are deeply connected and affect our global future.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00376-025-4398-5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advances in Atmospheric Sciences</a>.



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Powerful winds known as "low-level jets" discovered near Antarctica’s Doomsday Glacier

In the icy frontier of West Antarctica, sharp, fast-moving winds...

Coral reefs are on the brink of extinction, but the crisis often goes unnoticed. World Reef Awareness Day, marked each year on June 1, urges us to pay attention and take action. 



Reefs may lie hidden below the surface, but their importance touches every shore. They feed us, protect our coasts, power industries, and support countless <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-offer-new-ways-to-monitor-coral-reef-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine species</a>. 



Would Reef Awareness Day urges individuals, communities, and companies to unite and protect our fragile reef systems before it's too late.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coral-reefs-survived-millions-of-years">Coral reefs survived millions of years</h2>



Corals are ancient. Scientists believe they first appeared over 500 million years ago. These sea creatures began as simple, solitary organisms. Over time, they transformed into vast reef systems. Their history is marked by struggle and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-reefs-may-not-adapt-quickly-enough-to-survive-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">resilience</a>.



The Ordovician-Silurian extinction wiped out many early corals. Later, in the Devonian period, new coral forms emerged. Stony corals, which are essential for reef-building, appeared but remained rare. 



Around 350 million years ago, fluctuating sea levels caused corals to vanish again. A hundred million years passed before they returned, only to be devastated during the Permian-Triassic extinction. This event eliminated more than 90 percent of marine life.



Still, corals kept coming back. About 46 million years ago, they reappeared before a final disappearance during the mid-Eocene. Then came their modern form - vibrant reefs like the Great Barrier Reef, discovered in 1770 by British explorer Captain James Cook.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reef-crisis-needs-urgent-awareness">Reef crisis needs urgent awareness</h2>



Today, coral reefs face a new kind of extinction. And this time, the threat is us. Since the 1980s, scientists have documented massive bleaching <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-artificial-light-can-boost-coral-reef-recovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">events</a>. These happen when ocean temperatures rise. Corals lose the algae that give them color and life. If temperatures stay high, they die.



The <a href="https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/154/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Great Barrier Reef</a> has lost more than half of its corals since 1995. In 2016, El Niño and global warming destroyed one third of its coral. 



Pollution, including toxic sunscreens and plastic waste, adds further damage. Even tourism contributes. Careless contact and overcrowding put stress on reef ecosystems.



As the reefs suffer, marine life disappears with them. Fish, turtles, mollusks, and countless others rely on coral habitats. Without reefs, entire food chains collapse. And so does a major source of food and income for millions of people.



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



Reefs are not just pretty underwater structures. They are vital to life. Coral reefs act as natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breaks-in-ancient-coral-growth-reveal-earths-climate-past/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">barriers</a>, shielding coastlines from storms and erosion. They also support fishing industries and feed over a billion people worldwide.



Coral reefs help more than sea life. They help people stay healthy too. Some reef creatures make chemicals that fight germs. These are now used in medicines for infections. 



Scientists are also checking reef animals for clues to treat cancer and brain diseases like Alzheimer’s. If reefs disappear, we may lose cures we haven't even found yet.



Reefs also help keep our oceans clear. They filter out particles and maintain water quality. Coral reefs do not survive in muddy or polluted water, so their presence indicates healthy oceans. When we protect reefs, we also preserve the balance of marine ecosystems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-joining-world-reef-awareness-day">Joining World Reef Awareness Day</h2>



World Reef Awareness Day is more than just information. It is about action. Simple efforts matter. You can start by organizing or joining a local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restored-coral-reefs-can-bounce-back-in-just-four-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">beach</a> cleanup. Trash on land often ends up in the ocean, harming marine life.



Curious to see a reef up close? Take a virtual dive from your screen. Online tours let you explore coral reefs without leaving home. It feels like you're underwater with the fish. It shows what’s at risk and brings you closer to ocean life.



Even personal care can make a difference. Many sunscreens contain chemicals like oxybenzone, which harm corals. On June 1, try making your own reef-safe sunblock. One homemade recipe uses coconut oil, olive oil, beeswax, and non-nano zinc oxide. It is gentle on your skin and on sea life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-great-barrier-reef-needs-global-awareness">Great Barrier Reef needs global awareness</h2>



People call the Great Barrier Reef the biggest living thing on Earth. It’s larger than some countries and even visible from space. More than 1,500 marine species live there. Rare animals like humpback whales, loggerhead turtles, and green sea turtles visit it. It’s also one of the seven natural wonders of the world.



But the Great Barrier Reef is disappearing. Coral bleaching, climate change, and ocean acidification continue to damage this once-thriving ecosystem. More than a million people visit the reef each year, but tourism must evolve to protect rather than exploit.



For example, volunteer programs now let people dive with purpose. They train divers to help with reef monitoring and restoration. By getting involved, visitors can contribute to saving what they came to see.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-our-future-depends-on-reef-health">Our future depends on reef health</h2>



Why should we care about World Reef Awareness Day? Because coral reefs do more than look beautiful. They feed over a billion creatures, including people. They help keep coastlines safe and oceans full of life.



Celebrating this day reminds us of our responsibility. It also offers hope. Communities worldwide are finding ways to restore reefs, from artificial reef structures to marine protected areas. Every effort, no matter how small, builds toward resilience.



This June 1, take a moment to care. Learn about reef conservation. Support reef-friendly policies. Share the story with someone new. Every voice counts in this global movement to keep coral reefs alive, for us and for generations yet to come.



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World Reef Awareness Day 2025: Bringing corals back to life

Coral reefs are on the brink of extinction, but the...

Oceans are absorbing more heat than ever before. Researchers indicate that these waters have gained warmth at an unprecedented rate, and that shift affects weather patterns and marine life.



Scientists have examined global measurements from 2000 to 2023, comparing them to early-2000s conditions. 



The findings point to two latitudinal stretches near 40 degrees in both hemispheres where ocean temperatures are climbing notably.



“It’s unusual to discover such a distinctive pattern jumping out from climate data,” said <a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/who-we-are/staff/distinguished-scholars/kevin-trenberth">Dr. Kevin Trenberth</a> from the University of Auckland and the National Center of Atmospheric Research (<a href="https://ncar.ucar.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NCAR</a>) in Boulder, Colorado, who led the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-background-on-ocean-heat-trends">Background on ocean heat trends</h2>



Experts have <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.aav7619" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">documented</a> rising ocean heat content for decades. Tracking this heat provides clues about the planet’s changing climate, since more than 90% of extra warmth is stored in the oceans.



Thermal changes do not distribute evenly. Certain latitudes have seen accelerated heating, while others stay relatively stable.



The two fast-warming areas are around 40 degrees latitude in both hemispheres. 



<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientists notice</a> that these spots reach from the North Atlantic near the east coast of the United States to the waters near Japan, and from regions near New Zealand and Tasmania across to the Atlantic east of Argentina.



This distribution has coincided with shifts in wind patterns that follow the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/jetstream/global/jet-stream" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">jet stream</a>, a current of powerful winds moving west to east. Ocean currents have also responded to the same shifts, channeling heat differently than before.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-data-methods-and-measurement-depth">Data methods and measurement depth</h2>



The research team analyzed temperature data from 1-degree latitude strips of ocean water extending to depths of 6,500 feet. They tracked changes from the year 2000 to 2023, using the early 2000s as a baseline.



To quantify warming, they used <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/ocean-warming/?intent=121" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">zettajoules</a>, a unit equal to one sextillion joules. This high-precision metric helped them detect subtle but significant shifts in ocean heat content, even at deeper layers rarely measured by earlier technologies.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tropical-ocean-zones-also-show-changes">Tropical ocean zones also show changes</h2>



Besides the mid-latitude bands, researchers observed noticeable warming between 10°N and 20°S, covering a large portion of the tropics. 



However, these changes were less consistent due to strong temperature swings caused by recurring El Niño and La Niña <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/ninonina.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">events</a>.



Even with this variability, the tropics are still absorbing significant heat. That stored energy contributes to atmospheric moisture levels, which can later impact rainfall patterns across distant regions through <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/teleconnection" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">teleconnections</a>, climate interactions that span thousands of miles.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unusual-shifts-in-the-jet-stream">Unusual shifts in the jet stream</h2>



A poleward movement of storm tracks appears to pair with the warming bands. <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4433/14/6/995" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Researchers</a> suggest that subtle changes in atmospheric circulation and winds have contributed to new pathways for heat transport.



These wind patterns stir up the sea surface and guide where warm currents flow. Ocean heat can then seep into deeper layers, adding to a chain reaction that affects storms and rainfall.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-at-the-bigger-picture">Looking at the bigger picture</h2>



Faster ocean heating can influence the amount of water vapor in the atmosphere, which in turn strengthens conditions for heavier precipitation. 



That extra moisture <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/WG1AR5_Chapter08_FINAL.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">amplifies</a> local rainfall, fueling concerns about floods and more frequent storm events. 



Scientists emphasize the importance of natural variability when examining climate patterns. While human activity drives long-term warming, regional ocean dynamics also play a part.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-natural-cycles-and-long-term-trends">Natural cycles and long-term trends</h2>



Although human-caused climate change is the primary driver of rising ocean heat, the researchers emphasize the role of <a href="https://climate-woodlands.extension.org/natural-variability-and-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">natural variability</a>. 



Events like the <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/what-el-ni%C3%B1o%E2%80%93southern-oscillation-enso-nutshell" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">El Niño–Southern Oscillation</a> can cause short-term fluctuations that either amplify or temporarily mask the long-term warming signal.



These overlapping influences make it harder to draw conclusions from short-term data alone. That’s why tracking trends across decades, as this study does, is critical for separating persistent climate signals from temporary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-climate-shift-sheds-light-on-future-global-warming/">climate</a> noise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-ocean-heating-matters">Why ocean heating matters</h2>



Sharp temperature changes can unsettle marine ecosystems, leading to altered habitats and shifting species distribution. Warmer waters disrupt feeding grounds and migration routes, affecting fisheries and coastal economies.



The new data highlight how different parts of the ocean can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-cool-the-climate-more-than-previously-realized/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">respond in dissimilar ways</a> to warming. This underscores the importance of continued research to track changes and develop response strategies.



One of the most unexpected findings is the lack of substantial warming near 20 degrees latitude in both hemispheres. 



These <a href="https://content.meteoblue.com/en/research-education/educational-resources/meteoscool/general-climate-zones/subtropical-zone" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">subtropical zones</a> have remained relatively stable in ocean heat content, which stands out against the otherwise widespread warming trend.



Researchers suggest this could be due to the way ocean currents and atmospheric circulation bypass these regions. Instead of accumulating heat, the subtropics may be acting as transit zones, where energy is redistributed rather than absorbed.



The study is published in the <a href="https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/clim/38/9/JCLI-D-24-0609.1.xml" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Climate</a>.



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Scientists identify two global ocean bands heating at record rates

Oceans are absorbing more heat than ever before. Researchers indicate...

Large populations of spiny sea urchins are invading Hawaii’s coral reefs, placing these essential underwater ecosystems at severe risk. 



Recent studies show that reefs may be eroding faster than they can naturally rebuild due to a growing imbalance in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-reef-awareness-day-2025-bringing-corals-back-to-life/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine life</a>.



These concerns stem primarily from warming ocean temperatures, water pollution from land-based sources, and ballooning numbers of sea urchins. 



Researchers have linked the rapid rise in urchin populations to a steep decline in certain fish species, mainly those targeted by fishing, that usually regulate these grazers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-sea-urchins-damage-coral-reefs">How sea urchins damage coral reefs</h2>



Sea urchins feed heavily on coral reefs, gradually scraping away at the coral’s protective limestone skeleton. While these creatures naturally coexist with reefs, an excessively high population can severely weaken reef <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-artificial-light-can-boost-coral-reef-recovery/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">structures</a> through bioerosion.



“We are seeing areas where you have about 51 urchins per square meter, which is among the highest population density for sea urchins anywhere in the world,” said Kelly van Woesik, a Ph.D. student in the North Carolina State University Center for Geospatial Analytics.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-major-reef-decline-in-hawaii">Major reef decline in Hawaii </h2>



Hōnaunau Bay, located on Hawaii’s western coast, is particularly affected. Known historically for vibrant coral reefs and clear waters, researchers now report significantly reduced coral <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/microbes-offer-new-ways-to-monitor-coral-reef-health/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">growth</a>.



Recent surveys show that the reef’s net carbonate production, a critical measure of coral growth, is alarmingly low. Areas previously flourishing now face difficulty maintaining the minimal coral coverage required to balance natural erosion, particularly in shallow regions.



Coral coverage in Hōnaunau Bay currently averages around 28%, just above the critical 26% threshold needed for positive growth. However, certain shallower areas require nearly 40% coral cover to offset severe erosion pressures from high urchin densities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pollution-and-climate-stress">Pollution and climate stress</h2>



Water pollution from agricultural runoff and urban <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/breaks-in-ancient-coral-growth-reveal-earths-climate-past/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sources</a> introduces excess nutrients and chemicals, disrupting water chemistry. Changes in nutrient levels and acidity from pollution directly harm coral, making reefs less resilient against natural stressors.



Climate change exacerbates this issue further. Rising ocean <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0085213" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">temperatures</a> cause coral bleaching, weakening coral defenses against diseases and pests. Each bleaching event reduces coral growth potential and increases vulnerability to urchin-driven erosion.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reef-collapse-and-urchin-surge">Reef collapse and urchin surge</h2>



The link between overfishing and reef health is increasingly clear. With fewer predatory fish, such as triggerfish and wrasses, urchins face reduced natural controls, allowing their populations to surge dramatically.



This disruption extends beyond predatory fish. Herbivorous fish like <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/eap.2213" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">parrotfish</a> are also declining, reducing algae control. Unchecked algae growth further competes with corals for space and resources, diminishing reef resilience and biodiversity.



<a href="https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/1998EnvCo..25..122M/abstract" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Studies</a> from other regions show that areas protected from fishing typically experience healthier fish populations, lower urchin numbers, and more robust <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restored-coral-reefs-can-bounce-back-in-just-four-years/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">coral</a> reef ecosystems. Hawaii’s current situation starkly contrasts these healthier ecosystems, highlighting urgent conservation needs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impacts-on-coastal-communities">Impacts on coastal communities</h2>



The declining health of reefs impacts coastal communities profoundly. <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms4794" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coral reefs</a> serve as natural breakwaters, absorbing up to 97% of wave energy, significantly protecting shorelines against storms and coastal erosion.



With reefs compromised, coastal properties and infrastructure face increased vulnerability, especially in areas dependent on tourism. In Hawaii, reef-based tourism, snorkeling, diving, recreational fishing, generates substantial economic activity and employment.



Coral reef deterioration directly threatens these economic benefits. Healthy reefs attract tourists; degraded reefs could thus lead to substantial economic and social consequences.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-broader-effects-of-urchin-damaged-reefs">Broader effects of urchin-damaged reefs</h2>



Coral reefs hold profound cultural significance for Native Hawaiians, who have historically relied on reefs for food, medicine, and spiritual practices. 



Traditional management systems once preserved the natural balance of these ecosystems, reflecting deep knowledge and respect for marine resources.



As reef health deteriorates, cultural traditions connected to the reefs risk fading away. Restoring reefs therefore means more than environmental or economic recovery; it also involves reclaiming cultural heritage and revitalizing traditional stewardship practices.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-crisis">Addressing the crisis</h2>



Scientists stress immediate action to restore marine balance. Better fisheries management emerges as a critical step, as replenishing predator populations can help naturally regulate urchin numbers.



“The reefs cannot keep up with erosion without the help of those natural predators. Without action taken now, we risk allowing these reefs to erode past the point of no return,” van Woesik explained.&nbsp;



Establishing stricter fishing regulations, including protected marine areas and no-take zones, can help fish populations rebound. Such conservation strategies have demonstrated success globally, creating conditions where marine ecosystems recover their natural balance.



Community involvement is equally essential. Educational campaigns and sustainable tourism initiatives can raise awareness about coral reef protection, ensuring local communities and visitors play an active role in conservation efforts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controlling-sea-urchins-to-save-reefs">Controlling sea urchins to save reefs</h2>



Hawaii’s coral reefs currently teeter near critical ecological thresholds. The scientific consensus clearly indicates urgent intervention is necessary to restore these fragile ecosystems.



Efforts to improve water quality, combat climate change impacts, and restore fish populations must operate simultaneously. Only through integrated, cooperative strategies can Hawaii safeguard its coral reefs for future generations.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0324197" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PLOS One</a>.



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Coral reefs can’t survive rising sea urchin numbers

Large populations of spiny sea urchins are invading Hawaii’s coral...

Tiny floating organisms known as plankton hold a key position in the oceans. They help sustain marine life and have a big hand in regulating the planet’s climate by storing carbon.



Their ability to adjust cell membranes has long been studied in labs. Now, large datasets collected in real-world conditions show how these organisms can alter their <a href="https://www.genome.gov/genetics-glossary/Cell-Membrane-Plasma-Membrane" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cell membrane</a> makeup in response to changing light and nutrients.



Dr. Weimin Liu from the Center for Marine Environmental Sciences at the University of Bremen (<a href="https://www.marum.de/en/MARUM-as-a-workplace/welcome.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MARUM</a>) helped direct this new global study. The project used open-access data and fresh analytical methods to uncover connections between chemical changes and local <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/darkening-oceans-are-shrinking-vital-marine-habitats/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conditions</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plankton-power-ocean-food-chains">Plankton power ocean food chains</h2>



Plankton include both <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/features/Phytoplankton" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">phytoplankton</a> and <a href="https://www.marinebio.org/creatures/zooplankton/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">zooplankton</a>, each with specific roles in the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/marine-life/aquatic-food-webs" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine food web</a>. Phytoplankton capture sunlight and convert carbon dioxide into energy, giving other creatures a stable supply of food.



Once they adjust their chemistry, it can affect how they share important compounds with other organisms. These small transformations might influence fisheries and other parts of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plankton-at-risk-global-warming-threatens-the-oceans-lifeline/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean</a> economy.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plankton-adjust-their-cells-to-survive-nbsp">Plankton adjust their cells to survive&nbsp;</h2>



The researchers tracked <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24425-lipids" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lipids</a>, a major part of membranes that maintain cell structures. Some plankton increase the number of molecules with shorter fat chains in cooler areas, keeping cells flexible when temperatures dip.



“Using new methods on open-access data, we uncovered previously hidden patterns of plankton adaptation,” said Dr. Liu. Others replace phosphorus-containing lipids with <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature07659" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">non-phosphorus lipids</a> to handle scarce nutrients.&nbsp;



In warmer open <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plankton-help-predict-ocean-biodiversity-losses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">seas</a>, certain plankton produce lipids loaded with saturated fatty acids. These changes appear to handle differences in nutrient availability at the surface.



Another portion of the study found that at deeper levels, increased production of unsaturated fatty acids helps with light limitations. These findings highlight how plankton have a wide menu of adjustments to maintain cell function in various conditions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-conditions-and-plankton-fats">Ocean conditions and plankton fats</h2>



Some plankton rely on short-chain fats to keep membranes fluid in the cold. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33760330/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Studies</a> suggest that psychrophiles naturally have shorter chains.



In hot tropical waters, cells need different setups. One area with extremely low phosphate, the Sargasso Sea, drives plankton to drop phosphorus-based molecules and use other chemicals instead.



Regions below the surface can have dimmer light, so some cells crank up the production of unsaturated fats. By making these adjustments, they manage to survive changes in brightness and nutrient chemistry.



“This study shows the value of open science,” said Dr. Liu. The team has highlighted the importance of sharing data for broader collaboration in ocean research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changes-in-chemistry-impact-food-chains">Changes in chemistry impact food chains</h2>



Plankton responses can shift what nutrients are available for other organisms, including fish. This chain reaction might have long-term impacts on how carbon is taken up and stored. It could also play a role in cycling major elements in the ocean.



When certain species gain an edge due to shifting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-large-water-body-on-earth-does-not-touch-land-known-as-the-sargasso-sea/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conditions</a>, it reshapes predator-prey interactions. Such rearrangements might change populations of larger animals that rely on stable plankton groups.



Recent <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/sixth-assessment-report-cycle/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">assessments</a> show warming oceans might affect mixing patterns and nutrient flows. Changes in plankton membrane composition hint at broader reactions to the environment, possibly guiding shifts in biodiversity.



Some experts say cell-level changes can trigger ecological adjustments on a grander scale. This makes sense, given that phytoplankton are at the starting point for ocean productivity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-potential-effects-on-resources">Potential effects on resources</h2>



Fish populations often rely on a steady stream of certain fatty acids made by phytoplankton. Shifts in temperature and nutrient limitation might reduce or reshape these <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6471065/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fatty acids</a>. Research suggests commercial fisheries could notice a difference in the future.



If the plankton community composition tilts toward those that form lower-quality fats, fish might face nutritional deficits. This could lead to a ripple effect up the food chain, affecting those who rely on fish protein.



Measuring lipids in the field can be a challenge, and large datasets are important for spotting the patterns. Improved technologies and cross-institution efforts could reveal finer details about who changes their chemistry, and why.



Better understanding of these chemical changes might help resource managers plan for shifting conditions. It may also shape conservation strategies for crucial marine habitats.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marine-biology-and-ecological-shifts">Marine biology and ecological shifts </h2>



Large stretches of open ocean serve as the planet’s biggest habitat, and the variety in plankton adaptation is huge. By examining how these floating drifters respond to temperature, light, and nutrient shifts, researchers stand to learn more about carbon cycling and climate patterns.



Strong data-sharing networks can help scientists collaborate across countries. That could provide a clearer look at changes in different water masses and depths.



The latest findings underscore how living things respond to local conditions in ways that ripple across entire ecosystems. Some changes might look small, but they add up when considering the massive scale of the oceans.



Researchers are using new analytical tools to handle bigger datasets and discover potential surprises in how plankton function. This knowledge may improve our view of marine biology and ecological shifts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-plankton-to-guide-ocean-planning">Tracking plankton to guide ocean planning</h2>



Science groups suggest linking these lipid measurements with surveys of ocean chemistry and biology. This approach might reveal connections between plankton adaptions and the health of fish communities.



Going forward, it seems vital to keep tracking how these lipid changes vary by region. With ocean conditions shifting, the next decade may bring more twists in plankton biochemistry.



Plankton do more than feed fish. They also help draw carbon from the atmosphere, which can reduce heat-trapping gases. When their cell membranes shift, it can alter how efficiently they take in and move this carbon into the depths.



If certain lipid strategies prove more common in warming waters, that could change future carbon storage. Some shifts may help certain species thrive and expand in places they couldn’t before. For coastal communities, any trend that influences fisheries or climate could matter economically.



Human activity and rising temperatures add pressure on natural systems. Research on plankton adaptation might guide smarter conservation steps.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.ads4605" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



Image Credit: NOAA



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Plankton change their cell chemistry to survive warming oceans

Tiny floating organisms known as plankton hold a key position...

The Arctic is heating up at a faster pace than many other parts of the world. This spike in temperature has set off alarm bells about how shifting conditions near the poles could affect ocean currents in the Atlantic.



Experts caution that these delicate water movements might slow down or even fail under certain circumstances, causing higher water levels in vulnerable regions. The possibility of extra flooding for the eastern states has put local officials on edge.



This <a href="https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/sea-level-rise" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">observation</a> was shared by <a href="https://www.gu.se/en/about/find-staff/celineheuze" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Céline Heuzé</a>, a senior Lecturer in Climatology at the <a href="https://www.gu.se/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Gothenburg</a>, along with researchers in Norway, Sweden, Germany, and the U.K.&nbsp;



They are paying special attention to how changes in the <a href="https://people.earth.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/annurev-marine-032122-012034.pdf">Beaufort Gyre</a> can disrupt the powerful <a href="https://people.earth.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/annurev-marine-032122-012034.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC)</a>, a system that distributes heat and influences weather.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-polar-warming-and-ocean-currents">Polar warming and ocean currents</h2>



Scientists say an influx of freshwater from <a href="https://climate.mit.edu/explainers/sea-level-rise" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">melting ice</a> could upset the natural flow of the AMOC. They warn that if the volume of freshwater grows too large, it might weaken or break this vital current.



"The results of this study make us concerned that the reduction of sea ice in the area could lead to a tipping point where the AMOC collapses," said Céline Heuzé. 



Researchers also predict that continued warming may shrink the Beaufort Gyre in a future climate and alter how freshwater circulates in the North Atlantic.



Most models predict that the Gyre will shrink in a future warmer climate, in response to changes in the atmosphere. 



According to the international team of scientists behind the study, this could impact future oceanic properties in the Arctic and in the North Atlantic. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-threats-for-the-east-coast">Threats for the east coast</h2>



If the AMOC slows down, currents that usually guide warm water northward would weaken, and that water could end up piling along coastal areas. This puts places like Florida, Georgia, and the Carolinas at higher risk of abrupt <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mars-water-reservoir-discovered-medusae-fossae-formation-two-miles-deep/">water</a> level changes.



Researchers from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (<a href="https://www.noaa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NOAA</a>) have long noted that <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sealevel.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea level rise</a> is already happening at different rates across U.S. shorelines. 



Higher tides mean that even modest storms carry an extra punch, reaching farther inland and damaging more buildings.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tipping-point-for-ocean-currents">Tipping point for ocean currents</h2>



"Such a collapse would be what scientists call a 'climate tipping point,’ an event that would lead to sudden, wide-reaching impacts that are difficult if not impossible to reverse," according to <a href="https://eaps.mit.edu/people/faculty/raffaele-ferrari/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Raffaele Ferrari</a>, an MIT professor of oceanography. 



His comments echo concerns that a dramatic slowdown might raise water levels quickly along the East Coast.



Changing currents would also ramp up storm intensity in many parts of the Atlantic. In areas like the Amazon, wet and dry periods might flip, echoing shifts seen in ancient ice age patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-melting-ice-and-current-changes">Melting ice and current changes</h2>



The idea of polar conditions affecting the eastern seaboard may sound surprising. Yet signs of a link between <a href="https://climate.nasa.gov/vital-signs/arctic-sea-ice/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">melting ice</a> in the Arctic and ocean flow have been reported by researchers at NASA. 



Warmer temperatures shrink reflective ice surfaces, and more heat gets absorbed by darker open water.



That extra heat melts additional ice, releasing more freshwater. If it accumulates in the Beaufort Gyre and then empties into the Atlantic, the balance that drives the AMOC gets disrupted.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-concerns-about-coastal-flooding">Concerns about coastal flooding</h2>



Ocean currents are like a conveyor belt that moves water, heat, and nutrients. If they weaken, shorelines could see an unexpected jump in tides and waves that carry salty water into roads and farmlands.



Some cities along the East Coast are already raising infrastructure and exploring flood barriers. 



Urban planners in <a href="https://www.vims.edu/research/units/programs/sav/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Norfolk, Virginia</a>, have considered ways to address rising waters, including pumps and tidal gates, based on guidance from local authorities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-global-efforts-could-help">How global efforts could help</h2>



The good news is that some studies show the AMOC may be stronger than earlier models implied. 



Even so, most researchers still think that high levels of <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">greenhouse gas emissions</a> will pressure these currents if warming continues. Cutting down on pollution could slow ocean warming and reduce the release of extra freshwater.



Engineers and architects are also finding ways to lower carbon output in everyday life. Cleaner energy systems, like solar and wind, reduce the amount of heat-trapping gases in the air.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-local-actions-with-global-significance">Local actions with global significance</h2>



Homes and businesses along the East Coast can lower energy use by upgrading old systems. Insulation and modern heat pumps not only cut bills but also lessen reliance on fuels that pump out harmful emissions.



Some city councils are exploring zoning changes to keep new structures away from risky shorelines. Coastal wetlands and marshes, when preserved or restored, can soak up floodwaters and shield communities from storm waves.



Scientists continue to investigate how water density and salinity levels could shift. Each small change might have large-scale effects that extend far beyond the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-sea-ice-hits-record-winter-low-raising-global-alarm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic Circle</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-outlook-on-ocean-currents">Future outlook on ocean currents</h2>



Many experts look to evidence from past climate periods. They see that sudden switches in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oceans-hidden-skin-could-protect-us-from-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean patterns</a> have wide consequences for agriculture, wildlife, and coastal development.



Even modest warming in polar zones could nudge systems like the AMOC off balance. That risk brings extra focus to policies aiming to limit further damage to the environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-social-and-economic-perspectives">Social and economic perspectives</h2>



Urban planners emphasize that any big shift in ocean currents might drive up insurance costs. Some island communities already deal with floods that erode beaches and threaten tourism.



Adaptation remains a goal, but prevention can minimize the worst outcomes. Moves to cut emissions and invest in resilient infrastructure offer hope to communities bracing for changing seas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-preparing-the-next-generation">Preparing the next generation</h2>



Younger generations see the writing on the wall. Schools are starting to include discussions about climate science in their curricula to encourage responsible choices.



People who live near the coastline are often the first to notice changes in tidal patterns. Local organizations keep pushing for new ideas to strengthen shorelines before major problems arise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-balancing-optimism-and-caution">Balancing optimism and caution</h2>



Scientists say rising seas and shifting currents are part of a broader climate picture. They also point out that determined action can stall the most severe consequences.



Planning for tomorrow means building smarter today. Towns, cities, and entire regions have a lot to gain by working toward stable ocean conditions and safer coastlines.



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Scientists warn that polar warming might alter ocean currents and cause massive flooding in the U.S.

The Arctic is heating up at a faster pace than...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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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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