An international team of scientists drilled 500 meters through West Antarctica’s Kamb Ice Stream and uncovered a vast, slow-moving channel of water flowing beneath the ice. 



This newly observed subglacial river, which surges roughly once a decade, challenges long-standing assumptions about how meltwater drains beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. 



The discovery offers critical insight into Antarctic hydrology and may significantly refine projections of future sea-level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-two-week-trek-into-the-interior">A two-week trek into the interior</h2>



In late 2021, scientists with <a href="https://www.antarcticscienceplatform.org.nz/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">New Zealand’s Antarctic Science Platform</a> left Scott Base and travelled 1,200 kilometers inland by tracked vehicles. 



Their goal was a site where the Kamb Ice Stream - 350 kilometers long and 100 kilometers wide - slides beneath the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-force-moves-ross-ice-shelf-antarctica-every-day/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ross Ice Shelf</a>. There, in constant daylight and temperatures near –10 °C, engineers set up a temporary camp with an airstrip and weatherproof labs.



Using 80°C water pumped at high pressure, they melted a 30-centimeter-wide borehole through the<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-past-present-and-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"> ice sheet</a> to the bedrock below. Cameras and sensors followed the drill head into the cavity, capturing real-time images and data.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-river-revealed-in-antarctica">Hidden river revealed in Antarctica </h2>



Expedition leader Huw Horgan conducts is an expert at <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a> and at the <a href="https://www.wsl.ch/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow, and Landscape Research</a>.



“We struck water at the end of the borehole and with the help of our camera, we even discovered a school of lobster-like creatures - 400 kilometers from the open ocean,” said Horgan.



Echo-soundings showed the channel to be roughly 100 meters high and 200 meters wide - large enough to admit a city block. Instruments registered temperature, salinity, and sediment load, revealing a mixture dominated by seawater that had crept inland beneath the shelf.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-trickling-rivers-beneath-the-ice">Trickling rivers beneath the ice</h2>



Only a trickle of freshwater - less than one cubic meter per second - travels seaward under the glacier. 



“This amount of water is much smaller than what the existing models had predicted,” Horgan said. Because previous simulations assumed greater discharge, many estimates of basal lubrication and melt will need to be recalculated.



The sluggish current does not equate to a stable system, however. Layered sediments removed from the cavity floor preserve signs of sudden, far larger floods.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lakes-release-sudden-surges">Lakes release sudden surges</h2>



“We suspect that the water comes from subglacial lakes upstream. These lakes fill and empty in certain cycles. When they empty, a flood of water rushes towards the sea,” Horgan explained.



Core samples indicate these large flushes occur about once every ten years, with smaller bursts likely escaping detection. Such pulses can scour channels, deliver nutrients to under-ice ecosystems, and momentarily elevate melting where fresh and marine waters meet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-shape-ice-shelfs">Rivers shape ice shelfs</h2>



“Subglacial watercourses play a central role in the melting of the ice shelf,” Horgan said. 



The Ross Ice Shelf acts as a massive buttress, slowing the glaciers that feed it; any process that thins this floating barrier can accelerate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/emergency-meeting-reveals-the-alarming-extent-of-antarcticas-ice-loss/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice loss</a> from the Antarctic interior.



“Our findings are therefore a prerequisite for developing new models that describe the melting of the ice shelf and predict <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-sea-levels-spiked-dramatically-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea-level rise</a> even more accurately.” 



Incorporating both the steady marine inflow and the episodic lake-drainage floods will improve projections used by coastal planners worldwide.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-planning-for-future-surges">Planning for future surges</h2>



The team intends to return during the 2025–26 austral summer to install long-term instruments that will log pressure, flow speed, and chemistry through multiple flood cycles. 



By comparing those records with satellite altimetry and radar, researchers aim to learn how a warming climate might amplify the frequency or magnitude of these hidden surges.



Studying life in the dark cavity is also on the agenda, prompted by the unexpected sighting of crustacean-like animals far from open water. The biology could reveal how nutrients move from buried rivers to under-ice ecosystems across Antarctica.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-drive-ice-dynamics">Rivers drive ice dynamics</h2>



Hot-water drilling through the Kamb Ice Stream has opened a direct window onto processes that were previously inferred only from remote sensing and theoretical models. 



Each new measurement tightens the link between unseen hydrology and the fate of the planet’s largest ice shelf, edging science closer to reliable forecasts of sea-level rise in a warming world.



With more expeditions planned and permanent instruments on the horizon, the buried <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-rivers-beneath-antarctic-ice-reshape-sea-level-predictions/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rivers</a> of Antarctica are finally beginning to surrender their secrets.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-025-01687-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Geoscience</a>.



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Hidden rivers accelerate the melting of Antarctica’s ice sheets

An international team of scientists drilled 500 meters through West Antarctica’s Kamb Ice Stream and uncovered a vast, slow-moving channel of water flowing beneath the ice. This newly observed subglacial river, which surges roughly once a decade, challenges long-standing assumptions about how meltwater drains beneath the Ross Ice Shelf. The discovery offers critical insight into Antarctic hydrology and may significantly refine projections of future sea-level rise. A two-week trek into the interior In late 2021, scientists with New Zealand’s Antarctic Science Platform left Scott Base and travelled...

Seagrass is suffering from a wasting disease across the Pacific Northwest, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farmed-seafood-supply-is-at-risk-due-to-climate-change/">climate change</a> is driving the destructive outbreak, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>.



Seagrass wasting disease (SWD) is particularly threatening to a temperate species known as eelgrass. In the new study, experts report that the pathogen responsible for SWD, Labyrinthula zosterae, is thriving in warmer ocean temperatures.



According to the study authors, the heat sensitivity of Labyrinthula zosterae prompts the need for a greater understanding of the impacts on host health under climate change.&nbsp;



"Previous work demonstrates pathogen cultures grow faster under warmer laboratory conditions and documents positive correlations between warmer ocean temperatures and disease levels in nature," wrote the researchers. "However, the consequences of disease outbreaks on eelgrass growth remain poorly understood."



As the problem of seagrass wasting disease becomes increasingly widespread, the researchers have confirmed that the disease impacts eelgrass all the way down to its roots. 



“Not only are we seeing more seagrass wasting disease outbreaks, we’re seeing a severe impact within the vital nutrient stores of these plants in the roots – so they become compromised late in the growing season, setting them up for a harder winter,” explained study co-lead author Olivia Graham.



Eelgrass can be found in the San Juan Islands, Washington, and on the Salish Sea along the Canadian border. Graham said that in typical conditions, the seagrass meadow environment has bountiful underwater rainforests, which clean the waters and support herring, salmon, perch, clams, mussels and oysters.



For the investigation, the researchers marked hundreds of plants at low tide and monitored the meadow for several weeks. They found that seagrass with disease lesions grew more slowly, produced less storage sugars, and were less healthy overall.&nbsp;



“This answers a long-standing question about whether this disease does actual damage,” said study senior author Professor Drew Harvell. “Unfortunately, it is a resounding ‘yes.’”



Eelgrass plants spread vegetatively, explained Professor Harvell, noting that seagrass roots have huge systems where carbohydrates and sugars get manufactured and stored, to expand their own lush networks.



“We learned that the lesioned plants had reduced starch reserves and grew more slowly, so now we can say that the wasting disease is even bigger than most thought – and the harm goes well beyond the lesions,” Harvell said.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>.



---



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

Seagrass wasting disease is fueled by climate change

Seagrass is suffering from a wasting disease across the Pacific...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.ubc.ca/">University of British Columbia</a> (UBC), Canada, has found that, if no action to mitigate climate change is taken, the supply of ocean-farmed seafood such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/declining-salmon-populations-linked-to-environmental-decline/">salmon</a> or mussels is projected to drop 16 percent globally by 2090.



Many people see ocean-farmed seafood or mariculture as a solution to the problem of depleted wild fish stocks and growing human demand. However, new findings show that this industry is also very vulnerable to climate change.



By taking into account various factors, such as changing ocean temperatures, suitable mariculture areas, and the supply of fishmeal (which is composed of smaller fish such as anchovies or herring that farmed fish feed upon) and fish oil, the researchers projected a significant decline in farmed seafood by the end of this century.



“If we continue to burn fossil fuels at our current rate, the amount of seafood such as fish or mussels able to be farmed sustainably will increase by only eight percent by 2050, and decline by 16 percent by 2090,” said study lead author Dr. Muhammed Oyinlola, a postdoctoral fellow at the <a href="https://oceans.ubc.ca/">Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries</a> (IOF) at UBC. The hardest-hit regions, including countries such as Norway, the Netherlands, Bangladesh, China, or Myanmar, could see a decline of 40 to 90 percent.



In a low emissions scenario though, where significant action is taken to curb climate change, mariculture is projected to grow by 17 percent until 2050 and 33 percent by the end of the century.



A method of mitigating the effects of climate change on fish farms is to substitute fishmeal and fish oil with plant-based foods such as soybeans. When a quarter of the fish food is substituted with such alternatives, under a low emission scenario, farmed fish production was projected to increase by 25 percent by 2050 and 31 percent by 2090.



“This study highlights the need to diversify mariculture development from the current focus on fish,” and include species not dependent of fishmeal and fish oil, such as shellfish or algae, said study senior author Dr. William Cheung, the director of IOF. &nbsp;“Farming these species generally helps to reduce exposure of seafood farming to climate hazards.”



“Climate change affects everything, including aspects of seafood farming we’ve not previously considered. We need to act, and quickly, to mitigate climate change rather than rely on one solution to solve all our seafood production problems,” Dr. Cheung concluded.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15991">Global Change Biology</a>.



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

Farmed seafood supply is at risk due to climate change

A new study led by the University of British Columbia...

More than 100 scientists and researchers sent a letter to Congress today, demanding immediate action to stop illegal fishing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-seafood-has-one-sixth-the-carbon-footprint-of-red-meat/">seafood</a> fraud, and human rights abuses in the U.S. seafood supply chain.&nbsp;



According to a report from <a href="https://oceana.org/">Oceana</a>, the experts are calling for increased traceability of seafood imports and transparency at sea to ensure that all seafood is safe, properly labeled, legally caught, and responsibly sourced.



The letter is signed by world-renowned scientists like Dr. Rashid Sumaila of the <a href="https://oceans.ubc.ca/">UBC Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries</a>.



The experts state that illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing “threatens the sustainability of fisheries, the livelihoods of fishers internationally, and the well-being of workers in the industry.”&nbsp;



“As concerned scientists, we are insisting that measures be undertaken to address these issues across the seafood supply chain."



"We ask that the federal agencies support regulatory and congressional action that combats IUU fishing, seafood fraud, and human rights abuses in seafood by taking strong and immediate action on extended regulation, monitoring, and enforcement in the United States. Only by thoroughly addressing these interrelated issues can we protect our oceans and the people dependent on them.”



Oceana reports that up to 85 percent of the fish consumed in the United States is imported, with up to 32 percent of wild-caught imports being products of illegal or unreported fishing. According to a report from the International Trade Commission, the U.S. imported $2.4 billion worth of seafood derived from illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in 2019.&nbsp;



IUU fishing includes ignoring catch limits, operating in closed areas, targeting protected wildlife, and fishing with prohibited gear. These activities threaten habitats, fish populations, and global food security.&nbsp;



“Scientists are rightfully concerned that illegal fishing and human rights abuses continue to run rampant in the seafood supply chain," said Beth Lowell, Oceana’s deputy vice president for U.S. campaigns.



"The U.S. must take action to ensure all seafood sold in the United States is safe, legally caught, responsibly sourced, and honestly labeled by expanding traceability of seafood and transparency at sea."&nbsp;



"By collecting the right information about seafood, the government can more effectively screen imports and keep illicit products out of the U.S. market. President Biden has the opportunity to lead in the global fight against IUU fishing, seafood fraud, and forced labor - an effort that has widespread bipartisan public support."&nbsp;



"As world leaders prepare for the 2022 Our Ocean conference in February, Oceana urges President Biden to commit to stronger actions to fight IUU fishing, including expanding catch documentation and traceability requirements to all seafood, increasing the transparency of commercial fishing vessels, and taking stronger actions against countries who fail to address IUU fishing in their fleets.”



In 2019, a seafood fraud investigation supported by Oceana found that one in every five fish tested nationwide was mislabeled. This highlights the widespread nature of fraudulent seafood practices.&nbsp;



The results of a nationwide poll, which were released by Oceana in January 2021, revealed that Americans overwhelmingly support policies to end illegal fishing and seafood fraud. The vast majority of respondents also want to prevent seafood from being sold in the U.S. that was caught using human trafficking and slave labor. Furthermore, 83 percent of voters agreed that seafood should be traceable from the fishing boat to the dinner plate.



Oceana is the largest international advocacy organization dedicated solely to ocean conservation. To learn more about the campaign to expand seafood traceability and transparency at sea, visit <a href="https://usa.oceana.org/reports/transparency-and-traceability-tools-stop-illegal-fishing/">usa.oceana.org/StopIllegalFishing</a>.



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

The U.S. must put an end to illegal fishing and seafood fraud

More than 100 scientists and researchers sent a letter to...

In many regions of the world, insects are declining at an alarming rate. However, we still know very little about the number of species currently in existence. Scientists estimate that, up to now, we have described one million out of 5.5 million insect species on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-sun-may-be-the-original-source-of-earths-water/">Earth</a>. Thus, it is crucial to develop reliable methods to properly monitor biodiversity.



Researchers from <a href="https://www.lunduniversity.lu.se/">Lund University</a> have discovered for the first time that it is possible to detect insect DNA in the air. By using air samples from three sites in Sweden, the scientists identified DNA from 85 species, including bees, flies, moths, beetles, wasps, and ants, as well as some vertebrate species of birds and mammals.&nbsp;



While traditional sampling methods use malaise traps, which lead to the death of the sampled animals, or transect walks and moth trapping, which required taxonomic expertise and generally focus on larger species of insects, a DNA metabarcoding approach can be a safer, faster, and more accurate method of investigating biodiversity.



&nbsp;“In the face of the biodiversity crisis, we desperately need better information on the status and distribution of species,” said study lead author Fabian Roger, an environmental scientist at the <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html">Swiss Federal Institute of Technology</a> in Zürich (ETZ Zürich).&nbsp;



“Our study is a proof of concept that shows that we can detect DNA from insects and vertebrates from air collected under natural conditions. This opens many exciting possibilities for species monitoring and detection, which could allow us to comprehensively monitor biodiversity at large spatial and temporal scales.”&nbsp;



Although this method is still in its infancy, it has the potential of becoming a powerful tool for biodiversity monitoring. In order to refine it, a greater understanding of how DNA moves through the air is needed. Luckily, aerosol experts and meteorologist have already studied the movement of airborne particles for decades, offering thus a strong foundation for accelerating the development of DNA sampling techniques. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“We are at the very beginning of exploring airborne environmental DNA for anything other than bacteria, pollen or spores – and even there we have only scratched the surface,” said Roger. “One of the first challenges will be to optimize sampling and molecular methods to increase sensitivity and achieve more reliable detection. Then we will need to understand how airborne environmental DNA is generated,&nbsp;transported&nbsp;and degraded.”



The research will be presented at the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/events/ecology-across-borders-2021/">Ecology Across Borders</a> conference in Liverpool (12-15 December, 2021).



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

Scientists can detect insect DNA in air samples

In many regions of the world, insects are declining at...

New research led by <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a> has found that simple changes in how UK solar parks are managed can significantly increase the number of bumblebees in the parks and surrounding areas, providing an additional benefit on top of the use of renewable energy characterizing such parks.



The scientists used a geographic information system (GIS) to model solar parks of different sizes, shapes, and management approaches based on real UK parks, and combined it with predictions of bumblebee density in these parks and surrounding areas provided by a state-of-the-art pollinator model called Poll4Pop. Then they used statistical analysis to assess differences in bumblebee density and nest density across the different parks generated in this model.



“Our findings provide the first quantitative evidence that solar parks could be used as a conservation tool to support and boost pollinator populations. If they are managed in a way that provides resources, solar parks could become valuable bumblebee habitat,” said study lead author Hollie Blaydes, a doctoral student in Environmental Sciences at Lancaster University.



“In the UK, pollinator habitat has been established on some solar parks, but there is currently little understanding of the effectiveness of these interventions. Our findings provide solar park owners and managers with evidence to suggest that providing floral and nesting resources for bumblebees could be effective.”



Blaydes and her colleagues found that solar park land managed as meadows (which offers the most resources) could support four times as many bumblebees as the same type of land managed as turf grass. Moreover, large, elongated, and resource-rich parks could boost bumblebee density up to one kilometer outside of the parks themselves, thus providing pollinator services to crops in the surrounding agricultural areas.



However, there are many barriers to solar parks being managed in ways that would benefit bumblebees and other wildlife. For instance, the costs associated with establishing and managing habitats for pollinators are quite high, and there are currently no economic incentives for the solar industry to do this. In addition, existing business structures could also prove to be a hindrance.



“Management of solar parks is often outsourced to external companies where contracts are typically around two years long. This, along with frequent changes in ownership, means that management regimes could be changed as the solar park or management contract changes hands. This could be challenging when trying to establish and maintain habitats over longer time scales,” explained Baynes.



The study will be presented at the <a href="https://www.britishecologicalsociety.org/events/ecology-across-borders-2021/">Ecology Across Borders</a> conference in Liverpool on Monday, 13 December, 2021.



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By Andrei Ionescu, Earth.com Staff Writer

Solar parks could boost bumblebee populations

New research led by Lancaster University has found that simple...

Many threats to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/indigenous-knowledge-can-help-protect-amazon-wildlife/">wildlife</a> and the environment are complex and difficult to solve. Individual initiative is often diluted by the scope of global problems. A new book points to a problem with an easy solution that most of us can contribute to.&nbsp;



Written by Dr. Daniel Klem Jr., Acopian Professor of Ornithology and Conservation Biology at Muhlenberg College, Solid Air, Invisible Killer: Saving Billions of Birds from Windows not only points out a problem but provides solutions.&nbsp;



According to Dr. Klem’s research, residential and low rise commercial buildings contribute most to bird deaths caused by window collisions. Overall, between 100 million and one billion birds are killed each year by flying into windows in the US alone. This is on top of many other problems birds face from collisions with cars to house cats, pollution and invasive species. Birds like many other animals are suffering because of our actions.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Solutions to glass collisions Klem suggests are placing stickers on windows in a 2 inch by 4 inch pattern, keeping screens on windows even in winter and closing curtains or blinds. When new construction is being considered, acid etched or frittered glass is more visible to birds.&nbsp;



Some windows are also now manufactured in a way to reflect UV light that is invisible to us but not to birds. In fact, UV film retrofits are over 90 percent effective in field studies and will soon be available commercially. Furthermore, UV glass for new construction has already just been released. Another important thing people can do is advocate for greater bird awareness and bird safe building.&nbsp;



Whether a renter, home owner, or merely a concerned citizen, pointing the problem out to others and offering solutions and resources can also help birds. Promoting better construction or better policies can create a better future for birds.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Windows are a transparent threat to birds

Many threats to wildlife and the environment are complex and...

Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) have one of the longest periods of maternal care in the animal kingdom. Offspring are only weaned at between six and nine years of age, and spend all their time prior to weaning in constant, close contact with their mothers. Since they will be solitary as adults, young orangutans have to acquire all their feeding skills before they are weaned.&nbsp;



In order to become independent, immature orangutans must learn to locate, identify and process more than 200 different potential food items, many of which require specific skills in order to process and consume. During this time, mother orangutans are the role models, although the exact extent to which they actively teach their offspring these skills has not been established. 



An immature orangutan learns its foraging skills from its mother in two main ways. It ‘peers’ at its mother while she feeds, observing her every movement from a close range. Offspring tend to peer more intently and for longer when the mother is dealing with more complex food items.&nbsp;



Secondly, an offspring also solicits, or begs, food items from its mother, after which she may share the food or keep it to herself. In both of these orangutan social learning pathways the mother serves as the primary role model but appears to take no active part in teaching the offspring.



In a new study, however, a team of scientists uncovered the first evidence yet of active involvement by orangutan mothers in their offspring’s acquisition of feeding skills. The researchers analyzed the behavior and interactions between 21 immature Sumatran orangutans and their mothers, collected over 13 years, in the Suaq Balimbing forest in Sumatra, Indonesia. They observed 1390 instances of food solicitation and were able to examine the degree to which these interactions represented active teaching by the mother.



“It was puzzling that mothers always seemed so passive during these feeding interactions,” said Caroline Schuppli from the <a href="https://www.ab.mpg.de/">Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior</a>, who led the study. “Mothers have so much time with their offspring, and maintain such a close connection, but they never appeared to be actively involved in the skill acquisition of their young.” The mystery was compounded by a lack of data. “Past studies had always examined skill learning from the point of view of the offspring, so we didn’t know the role of the role model.”



For the study, Schuppli teamed up with researchers from the University of Zurich in Switzerland, the Universitas Nasional in Indonesia, and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology in Germany to investigate the role of food solicitation in the acquisition of foraging skills by immature orangutans. Field researchers recorded each solicitation event and noted whether the mother let the immature take the food from her or not. They then correlated this behavior with information on the offspring’s age and the properties of the food items.



Some food items are easy for orangutans to eat, such as leaves and flowers that require no processing. Others, such as bark, require several steps before consumption – it must be loosened from the tree and have the pith scraped with the teeth to remove the nutritional parts. The most difficult foods require tools, such as sticks that are converted into brushes for excavating honey from bee hives.



The results showed that orangutan mothers do not always respond positively to their offspring’s food solicitation. Mothers adjust their responses depending on the age of the offspring and the skills required for processing the food item. 



Mothers are most likely to transfer food when the offspring is younger and at the age during which food recognition and food processing skills are being acquired. The older the offspring, the less likely it is that its begging will be successful. By doing this, mothers encourage their offspring to find and process their own food, as their competence levels increase.&nbsp;



In addition, orangutan mothers were most likely to transfer food items that were difficult to process, and they continued to do this for the longest time. For items that require tool use, for example, the mothers showed the highest tolerance for begging and remained tolerant throughout the dependency period of their offspring. 



On the other hand, for leaves, which can just be picked and ingested whole, they showed much lower levels of tolerance to begging and stop sharing these food items when the offspring reached a certain age.



These findings, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>, show that mother orangutans adjust their behavior as their offspring become more skilled at finding and processing their own food.



"Our findings suggest that orangutan mothers are actively involved in their offspring’s skill learning," said Schuppli. "However, they do this in a reactive, rather than proactive way. Interestingly, there were very few incidents of active food sharing only. This means that orangutan immatures need to take the initiative during learning. This is very different from humans, where active teaching plays an important role and role models are much more proactive. It is also different from chimpanzees, where mothers seem to be more proactive.”



Whether or not these behavioral adjustments by orangutan mothers classify as functional teaching is still unknown. While the study’s results fulfil some criteria of the teaching definition, other criteria cannot be tested with the data set.&nbsp;



“These findings give us a special insight into the factors that lead to the evolution of teaching,” said Schuppli. “While teaching is quite rare in the animal kingdom, it occurs in widely separated species. Our study shows that these orangutans have at least some, and perhaps all, of the cognitive, ecological, and social conditions to support teaching ability.”



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

Orangutan mothers are actively involved in helping offspring learn

Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) have one of the longest periods...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://n.neurology.org/content/early/2021/10/28/WNL.0000000000013031">Neurology</a> has found that air <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/even-low-level-air-pollution-is-dangerous-for-health/">pollution</a> significantly reduces the benefits that outdoor physical activities such as jogging, cycling, or playing competitive sports usually have on the brain. 



By investigating markers of brain disease like gray matter volumes and white matter hyperintensities, researchers led by the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> discovered that exercising in highly polluted areas can negatively impact brain health.



The scientists examined a cohort of 8,600 people with an average age of 56 from the <a href="https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk/">UK Biobank</a> and estimated their exposure to air pollution with <a href="http://www.integrated-assessment.eu/eu/guidebook/land_use_regression.html">land use regression</a>, an algorithm measuring pollution levels, particularly in densely populated areas. Moreover, each person’s physical activity was measured for one week with a movement-detecting device called an accelerometer.



Participants who got the greatest amounts of vigorous physical activity each week had 800 cm3&nbsp;gray matter volume, compared to an average of 790 cm3&nbsp;gray matter volume in people who did not get any vigorous exercise, which shows an improved level of brain health. While pollution did not seem to alter the effects of exercise on gray matter volume, it nevertheless significantly increased white matter hyperintensity volumes, which is a marker of brain health decline.



"Vigorous exercise may increase exposure to air pollution and prior studies have shown adverse effects of air pollution on the brain," said study lead author Melissa Furlong, an environmental epidemiologist at the University of Arizona. "We did show that physical activity is associated with improved markers of brain health in areas with lower air pollution. However, some beneficial effects essentially disappeared for vigorous physical activity in areas with the highest levels of air pollution.”



According to the scientists, public policy should take into account these findings in order to address people’s exposure to air pollution during exercise. For instance, since a significant amount of air pollution comes from traffic, promoting jogging or cycling along paths far from heavy traffic may prove beneficial.



“That's not to say people should avoid exercise,” Furlong added. “Overall, the effect of air pollution on brain health was modest - roughly equivalent to half the effect of one year of aging, while the effects of vigorous activity on brain health were much larger - approximately equivalent to being three years younger."&nbsp;



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

Brain benefits of exercise are compromised by air pollution

A new study published in the journal Neurology has found...

Due to the expansion of unsustainable agriculture and urbanization around the world, there is widespread loss of the swamps, marshes, and free-flowing rivers that dragonflies usually breed in, causing a significant worldwide decline of this species. These findings from the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a>’s (IUCN) latest global assessment suggest that one out of six dragonfly species is at risk of extinction.



After the latest update, IUCN’s Red List of endangered species has exceeded 40,000 for the first time. The assessment of the world’s dragonfly and damselfly populations reveals that 16 percent out of 6,016 species are at risk of extinction, due to significant deterioration of their freshwater breeding grounds.



“By revealing the global loss of dragonflies, today’s Red List update underscores the urgent need to protect the world’s wetlands and the rich tapestry of life they harbor. Globally, these ecosystems are disappearing three times faster than forests,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Dr Bruno Oberle, IUCN’s Director General.&nbsp;



“Marshes and other wetlands may seem unproductive and inhospitable to humans, but in fact they provide us with essential services. They store carbon, give us clean water and food, protect us from floods, as well as offer habitats for one in ten of the world's known species.”



In South and Southeast Asia, over a quarter of dragonfly species are under threat, due to the clearing of wetland and rainforests for agricultural purposes, such as making room for crops like palm oil. In Central and South America, forests are cleared for residential and commercial purposes, while in North America and Europe, the greatest threat to dragonflies are the extensive use of pesticides and other pollutants, as well as the damage brought by climate change.



“Dragonflies are highly sensitive indicators of the state of freshwater ecosystems, and this first global assessment finally reveals the scale of their decline. It also provides an essential baseline we can use to measure the impact of conservation efforts,”&nbsp;said&nbsp;Dr Viola Clausnitzer, Co-chair of the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/ssc-groups/invertebrates/dragonfly">IUCN SSC Dragonfly Specialist Group</a>.&nbsp;



“To conserve these beautiful insects, it is critical that governments, agriculture and industry consider the protection of wetland ecosystems in development projects, for example by protecting key habitats and dedicating space to urban wetlands,” she concluded.&nbsp;



The report’s photos, summary statistics, and translations can be found <a href="https://www.dropbox.com/sh/jk57rxx7xjb29yu/AABZnX8JHqClF5ZV8-6FsHuma?dl=0">here</a>.



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

Hundreds of dragonfly species at risk of extinction

Due to the expansion of unsustainable agriculture and urbanization around...

Previously, experts have linked low levels of sun exposure with the onset of conditions such as Parkinson’s, dementia, lupus, and Crohn’s disease. According to a new study from <a href="https://www.ucsf.edu/">UC San Francisco</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exposure-to-sunlight-enhances-libido/">sunshine</a> also has a protective effect against multiple sclerosis and other autoimmune diseases in children and young adults.



The analysis was focused on 332 individuals between the ages of three and 22 who had been recently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. The researchers compared the participants' locations and amount of sun exposure to 534 individuals without MS.



Among the participants who had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, 19 percent said they spent less than 30 minutes outdoors each day during the previous summer. At the same time, just six percent of individuals who did not have MS fell into this category of low sun exposure.&nbsp;&nbsp;



Ultimately, the researchers determined that participants who spent a daily average of 30 minutes to one hour outdoors had a 52 percent lower chance of multiple sclerosis compared to young people who went outside for less than 30 minutes per day.



Study co-senior author Dr. Emmanuelle Waubant, director of the UCSF Regional Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Center, noted that sun exposure is known to boost vitamin D levels. “It also stimulates immune cells in the skin that have a protective role in diseases such as MS. Vitamin D may also change the biological function of the immune cells and, as such, play a role in protecting against autoimmune diseases.”



Multiple sclerosis usually emerges in adults between the ages of 20 to 50. However, up to five percent of the approximately one million MS patients in the United States begin experiencing symptoms in childhood.&nbsp;



Pediatric-onset multiple sclerosis takes longer than adults to advance, but debilitating symptoms that come along with disease progression - such as poor coordination and loss of bowel and bladder control - are reached approximately 10 years earlier.



The UCSF study also revealed that residents of Florida, who are exposed to a greater intensity of sunlight, are 21 percent less likely than residents of New York to develop multiple sclerosis.



According to the report, sun exposure is “dose-dependent,” (the longer the exposure the lower the risk). The researchers noted that even exposure in the first year of life seemed to protect against MS.



Fortunately, the use of sunscreen does not appear to lessen the therapeutic effects of sunlight in warding off MS, said Dr. Waubant. She added that clinical trials are needed to determine if increasing sun exposure or vitamin D supplementation can prevent the development of MS or alter disease course post-diagnosis.



"Advising regular time in the sun of at least 30 minutes daily especially during summer, using sun protection as needed, especially for first degree relatives of MS patients, may be a worthwhile intervention to reduce the incidence of MS.”



The study is published in <a href="https://n.neurology.org/">Neurology</a>, the journal of the American Academy of Neurology.



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

Sunshine protects young people from multiple sclerosis

Previously, experts have linked low levels of sun exposure with...

Last year, COVID-19 restrictions drove a 5.6 percent decrease in fossil fuel consumption. Despite this, the average growth in carbon emissions were higher than average over the last decade.&nbsp;



Greenhouse gases, including CO2, have reached record highs across the globe. To address this problem, scientists have long been developing ways to capture carbon from the atmosphere. Some of these methods have required large amounts of energy or indeed create carbon themselves, making them impractical.&nbsp;



Now, a study published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/green-energy-and-environment">Green Energy &amp; Environment</a> has demonstrated a simple new method for carbon capture developed by scientists at China’s Renmin University. The CO2 capture system uses modified sawdust as a CO2 absorbent powered only by sunlight.&nbsp;



“While a large number of high-performing CO2 absorbents have been developed in recent decades, people rarely pay attention to the carbon emitted by the adsorbent during its preparation," said study co-author Professor Yapei Wang.&nbsp;



"Moreover, typical&nbsp; industrial CO2 capture systems show high-energy consumption during the absorber regeneration process. To solve these issues, we focused on a solution that not only fabricates low-energy consumption CO2 absorbents, it also uses sunlight as the single energy input to regenerate those absorbents.”



An important aspect of this method is that it’s also reversible. This means that carbon captured using the system could then be used to create other fuel products such as ethanol, methanol and methane. We can imagine this as a way of recycling fuel carbon emissions.&nbsp;



Furthermore, the carbon capture system is quite simple and requires little energy input. Sawdust is soaked in a solution of amine based polymer. The sawdust is energized to absorb carbon with sunlight reflectors.&nbsp;



Study lead author Shiming Zhang said the team was inspired by solar water heaters. "Using sunlight as an energy input minimizes the need for traditional energy and is more environmentally-friendly.”



"In summary, a non-fossil energy-consuming method possessing advantages of high scalability and elegant simplicity was exploited to prepare CO2 absorbents with the ability of reversible CO2 capturing and releasing," concluded the study authors.&nbsp;



"Serving as the supporting matrix, sawdust as a byproduct during the lumbering has been recognized as particularly new in the success of accommodating PEI polymers."&nbsp;



"The whole preparation process did not involve aggressive solvents or lengthy laboratory synthesis, affording great promise for the inexpensive and quick preparation of CO2 capture systems."



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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Sawdust shows great potential for capturing carbon

Last year, COVID-19 restrictions drove a 5.6 percent decrease in...

Tropical forests have been cleared at an alarming rate in recent decades, with the land being converted for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-will-have-a-global-impact-on-agriculture/">agricultural</a> use and pastures. However, deforested areas also have the potential to regrow and recover rapidly if the lands are subsequently abandoned and farming activity ceases. This is the conclusion of a study, published today by <a href="https://www.aaas.org/">AAAS</a>, that finds tropical forests and their soils are very resilient to low-intensity land use.



An international team of scientists set out to gain a holistic understanding of tropical forest regrowth on abandoned lands. Led by Lourens Poorter of Wageningen University and Research, the experts analyzed patterns of forest recovery at 77 secondary forest sites in the Americas and West Africa.&nbsp;



Since the species of trees found at the sites differed substantially, the researchers decided that comparisons were not a useful way of quantifying forest regrowth or patterns of succession. Instead, they evaluated forest recovery in terms of 12 environmental attributes related to soil, plant functioning, ecosystem structure and biodiversity.&nbsp;



The experts found that it takes only 20 years for all the forest attributes to regain 78 percent of their original, old-growth values. Recovery is fastest for soil characteristics, where values return to within 90 percent of their old-growth levels within 10 years. Plant functioning returns within 25 years while plant community structure and species diversity recover within 60 years. Recovery is slowest for biomass and species composition, which take roughly 120 years to reach 90 percent of their original, old-growth values.



Further analysis showed that the various forest attributes were clustered in three independent groups, one related to structure, another to species diversity and the third to composition. The attributes within each group were interrelated, as were their patterns of recovery.&nbsp;



The authors state that secondary forests should be embraced as a low-cost, natural solution for ecosystem restoration. In cases where land clearance has left residual indigenous vegetation, secondary forests will develop naturally as succession takes place. This represents the cheapest option for restoring forest ecosystems. Where bare ground is left after farming use ceases, indigenous trees will have to be planted in order to encourage the process of forest recovery.&nbsp;



In addition to showing that forest recovery can take place relatively rapidly, the findings also indicate that these secondary forests may play an increasingly important role in climate change mitigation and biodiversity and ecosystem restoration.&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/">Science</a>.&nbsp;



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

Tropical forests regrow naturally on abandoned farmlands

Tropical forests have been cleared at an alarming rate in...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> features a visual dataset of.methane emissions from wetlands across the globe. Atmospheric methane levels have reached record highs in recent years, and wetlands are a major source of these emissions.&nbsp;



"Methane is an important greenhouse gas that contributes substantially to global warming. On a molecule by molecule basis, methane is much more efficient at trapping heat than carbon dioxide, the main driver of warming," says NASA.



"Though human activities, including agriculture, oil and natural gas production and use, and waste disposal, collectively contribute the majority of methane to the atmosphere, about a third of total methane emissions comes from wetlands."&nbsp;



According to NASA, understanding methane emissions from wetlands and other natural sources is critically important for scientists and policymakers who are working to combat climate change by reducing emissions from human activities.



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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