For decades, oceanographers assumed the surface waters circling Antarctica were becoming progressively fresher - a shift that helped lock deep heat away and nurture expansive winter sea ice.



However, new observations show the opposite is now happening. An international team led by the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a> reported a sudden rise in surface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salinity-is-rising-in-coastal-areas-and-hurting-farmlands/">salinity</a> south of 50° latitude. This shift coincided with the steepest drop in Antarctic sea-ice extent ever recorded.



The analysis combines European satellite data with readings from autonomous floats that profile the water column. The result reveals an unanticipated pivot in the Southern Ocean’s salt balance sometime after 2015.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-excessive-salt-melts-sea-ice">Excessive salt melts sea ice</h2>



Cold, fresh surface water normally overlies warmer, saltier layers at depth, creating strong density “stratification” that traps heat below. When the surface grows saltier, that barrier weakens. Heat then mixes upward, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarcticas-melting-ice-shelves-threaten-global-sea-levels/">melting sea ice</a> from beneath and preventing extensive winter growth.



“Saltier surface water allows deep ocean heat to rise more easily, melting sea ice from below," said lead author Alessandro Silvano, an oceanographer at the University of Southampton. "It's a dangerous feedback loop: less ice leads to more heat, which leads to even less ice.” 



Since 2015, the continent has shed sea ice equivalent to the area of Greenland. Researchers call it the largest environmental shift detected anywhere on Earth in recent decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sea-ice-hole-returns-after-decades">Sea ice hole returns after decades</h2>



One striking symptom is the re-opening of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-hole-polynya-the-size-of-switzerland-appeared-in-the-antarctica-sea-ice/">Maud Rise polynya</a> - a yawning hole in the Weddell Sea ice cover. It spans nearly four times the size of Wales and last appeared in the late 1970s.



“The return of the Maud Rise polynya signals just how unusual the current conditions are,” Silvano said. “If this salty, low-ice state continues, it could permanently reshape the Southern Ocean - and with it, the planet.”



Reduced Antarctic ice darkens the ocean, absorbing more sunlight and already feeding back into the global climate system. This, as Silvano put it, will give rise to “stronger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-antarctic-sea-ice-loss-is-causing-severe-storms-around-the-world/">storms</a>, warmer oceans, and shrinking habitats for Antarctic wildlife.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-predictions-fall-short">Old predictions fall short</h2>



Climate models had projected eventual Antarctic sea-ice loss under greenhouse forcing. However, many scientists believed that enhanced snowfall and increased melt from continental ice sheets would keep surface waters fresh for decades, delaying large declines. The new evidence challenges that assumption.



“While scientists expected that human-driven climate change would eventually lead to Antarctic sea ice decline, the timing and nature of this shift remained uncertain,” said co-author Aditya Narayanan, a physical oceanographer at the University of Southampton.



“Previous projections emphasized enhanced surface freshening and stronger ocean stratification, which could have supported sustained sea ice cover. Instead, a rapid reduction in sea ice - an important reflector of solar radiation - has occurred, potentially accelerating global warming.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eyes-on-the-southern-ocean">Eyes on the Southern Ocean</h2>



Because this turnaround was detected only after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellites-reveal-a-sudden-drop-in-global-freshwater-levels/">satellites</a> began tracking sea-surface salinity in detail, researchers worry that other rapid transitions might be missed without constant observation.



“The new findings suggest that our current understanding may be insufficient to accurately predict future changes,” said senior author Alberto Naveira Garabato, a professor of physical oceanography at the University of Southampton.



“It makes the need for continuous satellite and in-situ monitoring all the more pressing, so we can better understand the drivers of recent and future shifts in the ice-ocean system.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sea-ice-loss-changes-the-planet">Sea ice loss changes the planet</h2>



Antarctic sea ice acts as a reflective shield, bouncing sunlight back to space and modulating heat exchange between ocean and atmosphere.



Its precipitous decline could amplify warming worldwide, disturb wind patterns, and alter the formation of the deep water masses that power global ocean circulation.



Saltier surface layers may also influence how much carbon the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/">Southern Ocean</a> can absorb, potentially weakening one of Earth’s most important climate buffers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-and-salt-reinforce-sea-ice-loss">Heat and salt reinforce sea ice loss</h2>



The study leaves open questions about what triggered the sudden salinity jump. Possibilities include shifts in wind patterns, changes in precipitation, or increased intrusion of warm Circumpolar Deep Water onto the continental shelf.



Whatever the cause, the new feedback between salt and sea ice could lock the region into a self-reinforcing cycle of warming and ice loss.



Scientists stress that only sustained measurements - combining satellites, autonomous floats, and ship-based surveys - will reveal whether the Southern Ocean snaps back to its former fresher state or continues toward an unfamiliar, saltier future.



For now, the message is clear: Antarctica’s floating fringe, once thought relatively resistant to near-term change, is undergoing a rapid transformation that matters far beyond the frozen continent.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2500440122">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Antarctic sea ice collapse linked to a sudden surge in ocean salt

For decades, oceanographers assumed the surface waters circling Antarctica were becoming progressively fresher - a shift that helped lock deep heat away and nurture expansive winter sea ice. However, new observations show the opposite is now happening. An international team led by the University of Southampton reported a sudden rise in surface salinity south of 50° latitude. This shift coincided with the steepest drop in Antarctic sea-ice extent ever recorded. The analysis combines European satellite data with readings from autonomous floats that profile the water column. The...

A new binding agreement augers hope for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/african-rainforests-are-surprisingly-resilient-to-heat-and-drought/">rainforests</a> of central Africa. Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) President Félix Tshisekedi and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson signed an agreement in cooperation with the Central African Forest Initiative (CAFI) to limit deforestation over the next ten years. 



DRC governs the world’s second largest rainforest, the Congo, home to stunning biodiversity as well as indigenous cultures. The country also has one of the most progressive approaches to tackling deforestation in Africa.&nbsp;



Community based forest management allows communities to define the parameters of conservation based on their customary forest uses. This approach helps to protect the forest while meeting the demands of the community that depends on it.&nbsp;



“Protecting rainforests is paramount to solving the climate and biodiversity crises, and keeping these forests intact is necessary for sustainable development in Africa,” said Toerris Jaeger, Secretary General of Rainforest Foundation in Norway.&nbsp;



The agreement made ambitious goals to preserve the remaining intact rain forest. For these lofty goals to be met, industrial activities already rampant in the area must be curtailed.&nbsp;



"Land-use planning and forest reforms are key instruments to forest protection. Land rights of local communities and the sustainable use of the forest should form the basis for better land use policies," said Jaeger.



Currently, the land rights of indigenous people are not well enforced, and changing this seems to be key to protecting forests going forward. President Tshisekedi has promised to make indigenous rights a priority.&nbsp;



“If you aspire to sustainable development, you need to secure indigenous land rights and their governance systems for effective rainforest protection. Because without rainforests, we will not be able to cope with climate change, and there will be no development," said Patrick Saidi Hemedi, national coordinator of the Dynamic of the Indigenous Peoples’ Groups (DGPA).



Last April, the DRC National Assembly voted to strengthen indigenous peoples’ rights, a bill which will soon be submitted to the Senate for a vote. President Tshisekedi has already committed himself to indigenous peoples' land rights.&nbsp;



The DRC stands at a point in history where they have the real ability to be a leader in protecting forests in Central Africa.&nbsp;



---



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

Progressive approach brings new hope to forest conservation

A new binding agreement augers hope for the rainforests of...

Many consumers are concerned about the presence of toxic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pesticides-have-become-increasingly-toxic-to-insects/">pesticides</a> in their food, but few are aware of the effect that these harmful chemicals are having on ecosystems. Bees and other pollinators are essential to the world’s ecosystems and their decline presents some devastating predictions.



New research from the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and the Humanities at the <a href="https://www.uib.no/en">University of Bergen</a> (UiB) is investigating the implications that insect and pollinator decline will have on society as a result of toxic pesticide usage.&nbsp;



“What is at stake is nothing less than the world’s ecosystems and food production,” said Professor Jeroen van der Sluijs of the research center. He noted that data contained in the Global Biodiversity Information Facility database illustrates that the biodiversity of wild bees has decreased by 25 percent since 1990.



Wild bees are key pollinators to many plants, facilitating the formation of seeds and reproduction, and their decline presents a serious threat to these plants and their survival.&nbsp;



“The decline in bees and other pollinators continues with increasing strength, and we are running out of time,” said Professor Van Der Sluijs.&nbsp;



Researchers have been tracing the decline of insects due to the modern use of pesticides, toxic chemicals with high levels of usage that are currently being ignored by the European regulatory system. This is due to a common misconception that modern pesticides are far safer than they used to be, but Professor Van Der Sluijs says that this is simply not true.



His research demonstrates that environmental contamination from the "neonicotinoids" found in modern-day pesticides is linked to a decline in wild bee and other pollinator populations.



“One main reason why modern pesticides are not yet banned is that researchers have not taken enough responsibility for communicating the crucial expertise needed for governments and other decision-makers to make informed choices."&nbsp;



To combat this lack of responsibility and communication, Professor Van Der Sluijs is urging fellow researchers to take on the social responsibility, investigate the pesticide crisis and communicate the results to industries. However, the researcher is aware that this will be difficult.



“Assuming one’s social responsibility as a scientist is always an uphill struggle. The academic reward system pushes you to prioritize scientific impact over societal impact,” said Professor Van Der Sluijs.&nbsp;



To communicate critically important knowledge and make a genuine impact, insect researchers must engage in transdisciplinary coalitions with governments, politicians, and industries. Through these relationships, Professor Van der Suijs believes that scientists may be able to bring their knowledge and awareness of early warning signals to the light of decision-makers.



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/current-opinion-in-insect-science">Current Opinion in Insect Science</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Global bee decline continues, and we are running out of time

Many consumers are concerned about the presence of toxic pesticides...

The <a href="https://ukcop26.org/">COP26</a> UN climate change conference, where world-leaders are currently meeting to discuss ways to mitigate global warming, sparked new interest in a 2012 feature-length documentary, <a href="https://www.alunathemovie.com/">Aluna</a>. This movie focuses on the ecological warning of the Kogi people, an indigenous group living in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta mountains from northern Columbia, and possessing an oral culture that dates back to the pre-Columbian era.&nbsp;



Aluna is a sequel to a 1990 documentary film, From the Heart of the World: Elder Brother’s Warning, which was screened at the <a href="https://www.un.org/en/conferences/environment/rio1992">Earth Summit</a> in Rio de Janeiro and inspired scientists and policy-makers to take action to protect our endangered planet.



According to the Kogi, the Western civilization has no clear understanding of the forces that our environmental destructions are releasing upon the world. To help convince modern civilization of the importance of preserving our planet, they aim to prove that everything on Earth is alive and interconnected. The Kogi believe that the material world is structured by “aluna” (literally translated as “the mind inside nature”), which they understand as a thought process that shapes and maintains reality, and is the source of all life and intelligence.&nbsp;



“The Earth is a living body. It has veins and blood. Damaging certain places is like cutting off a limb. It damages the whole body,” a Kogi elder explained. “The water cycle is changing. If you block a person’s vein her blood would not flow. The home of the rain that falls up there is down here. The lagoons down here supply lakes up there,” he added.



To help the film spectators visualize the deep interconnection structuring our world, the Kogis laid a gold thread from one river estuary to another, while showing the damage done to their habitats by deforestation, industrial advancement, and climate events such as droughts or storms.&nbsp;



"They lay the gold thread from one river&nbsp;estuary&nbsp;in&nbsp;Colombia&nbsp;to another in order to show how the destruction of river&nbsp;estuaries&nbsp;feeds back&nbsp;up&nbsp;the river in the end to destroy the&nbsp;source of the river,” explained Alan Ereira, the director of the movie. “Showing the&nbsp;interconnectedness&nbsp;of everything on the earth, this was the key element in their task, the purpose of which was showing that the Earth itself is a living body in which everything is interconnected, and damage to some of it is damage to all of it.”



Hopefully, the Kogi people’s message will be heard in the Western world, and conservation actions based on a deeper and more respectful understanding of the world will be urgently undertaken.&nbsp;



Image Credit: © Eric Julien / Tchendukua 2021



---



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

Aluna: It's not too late to avoid catastrophe if we open our eyes

The COP26 UN climate change conference, where world-leaders are currently...

The aviation industry has only recently begun to tackle the impact of flying on climate change. According to new research published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ac286e">Environmental Research Letters</a>, aviation is responsible for more global warming than what is implied by its <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-carbon-emissions-rebound-close-to-pre-covid-levels/">carbon</a> footprint alone, and could consume up to one-sixth of the remaining temperature budget required to limit warming to 1.5˚C by mid-21st century. 



Aviation contributes to global warming mostly from its CO2&nbsp;emissions, but also from several other non-CO2&nbsp;effects, such as emissions of nitrogen oxides, water vapors, and particles, which constantly change the chemical balance of the atmosphere.



“Our results show that aviation’s contribution to warming so far is approximately 4 percent and is increasing. COVID reduced the amount people fly, but there is little chance for the aviation industry to meet any climate target if it aims for a return to normal,” reported study lead author Milan Klöwer, a climate scientist at the <a href="https://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>.



According to Professor Klöwer and his colleagues, the only way to stop the temperature increases from the aviation sector is to strongly decline CO2&nbsp;emissions, by about 2.5 percent per year. An alternative method that could achieve a similar outcome – to ensure a 90 percent mix of low carbon sustainable fuels by 2050 – would rely on a sustainable production chain of low-carbon fuels that does not yet exist.&nbsp;



“Any growth in aviation emissions has a disproportionate impact, causing lots of warming,” explained study co-author Myles Allen, a professor of Geosystem Science at Oxford. “But any decline also has a disproportionate impact in the other direction."&nbsp;



"So the good news is that we don’t actually need to all stop flying immediately to stop aviation from causing further global warming – but we do clearly need a fundamental change in direction now, and radical innovation in the future.”&nbsp;&nbsp;



Moving to alternative fuels would certainly be the best method to minimize global warming. However, this would take a long time to implement. In the short-term, the aviation industry can take other actions, including bans on fuel tinkering, more efficient air traffic control, and minimizing holding patterns at airports.&nbsp;



---



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

Aviation has greater environmental impact than expected

The aviation industry has only recently begun to tackle the...

The Global Carbon Project has recently published its latest update. The most recent report finds that, although carbon emissions dropped by 5.4 percent in 2020 amid COVID lockdowns, an increase of 4.9 percent is predicted this year.&nbsp;



This rate of activity will nearly return emissions to pre-COVID levels, equating to the release of 36.4 billion tons of carbon in 2021. Emissions from coal and gas use are set to grow more in 2021 than they fell in 2020, but emissions from oil use remain below the 2019 levels.



In the United States and European Union, both major emitters of CO2, emissions were decreasing prior to the start of the COVID pandemic. This trend is set to continue for 2021.&nbsp;



India’s pre-COVID trend of increasing emissions is also set to continue. However, in China the response to the COVID-19 pandemic has sparked further growth in CO2&nbsp;emissions, pushed by the power and industry sectors.



The research team – including scientists from the University of Exeter, the University of East Anglia (UEA), CICERO and Stanford University – say a further rise in emissions in 2022 cannot be ruled out if road transport and aviation return to pre-pandemic levels and coal use is stable.



The report contains the following analysis of major emitters (the figures below exclude international transport, particularly aviation):



<ul><li>China: Emissions are projected to rise 4 percent compared to 2020, reaching 5.5 percent above 2019 – a total of 11.1 billion tons CO2, 31 percent of global emissions.</li><li>USA: Emissions are projected to rise 7.6 percent compared to 2020, reaching 3.7 percent below 2019 – a total of 5.1 billion tons CO2, 14 percent of global emissions.</li><li>EU27: Emissions are projected to rise 7.6 percent compared to 2020, reaching 4.2 percent below 2019 – a total of 2.8 billion tons CO2, 7 percent of global emissions.</li><li>India: Emissions are projected to rise 12.6 percent compared to 2020, reaching 4.4 percent above 2019 – a total of 2.7 billion tons CO2, 7 percent of global emissions.</li></ul>



For the rest of the world taken as a whole, fossil CO2&nbsp;emissions remain below 2019 levels.



"The rapid rebound in emissions as economies recover from the pandemic reinforces the need for immediate global action on climate change," said&nbsp;<a href="https://emps.exeter.ac.uk/mathematics/staff/pf229">Professor Pierre Friedlingstein</a> of Exeter's&nbsp;<a href="https://gsiexeter.co.uk/">Global Systems Institute</a>, who led the study.



"The rebound in global fossil CO2&nbsp;emissions in 2021 reflects a return towards the pre-COVID fossil-based economy.&nbsp;Investments in the green economy in post-COVID recovery plans of some countries have been insufficient so far, on their own, to avoid a substantial return close to pre-Covid emissions."



"It will take some time to see the full effect of the COVID-related disruptions on global CO2&nbsp;emissions," said Professor Corinne Le Quéré. "A lot of progress has been made in decarbonising global energy since the Paris Agreement was adopted in 2015, plus renewables is the only energy source that continued to grow during the pandemic."



"New investments and strong climate policy now need to support the green economy much more systematically and push fossil fuels out of the equation.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The publication coincides with the meeting of the world’s leaders at COP26 in Glasgow, where they will address the climate crisis and try to commit to plans for a way forward.&nbsp;



Based on the findings in the report, atmospheric CO2&nbsp;concentration is projected to increase by 2.0 parts per million (ppm) in 2021 to reach 415 ppm averaged over the year, which represents a lower growth compared to recent years due to La Niña conditions in 2021.



If the world is to have a 50 percent chance of limiting global warming to 1.5°C, 1.7°C and 2°C, the researchers estimate the remaining "carbon budget" that can still be pumped out has now shrunk to 420 billion tons, 770 billion tons and 1,270 billion tons respectively. This is equivalent to a timeframe of 11, 20 and 32 years at the 2021 emission levels.



"Reaching net zero CO2&nbsp;emissions by 2050 entails cutting global CO2&nbsp;emissions by about 1.4 billion tons each year on average," said Professor Friedlingstein. “Emissions fell by 1.9 billion tons in 2020 – so, to achieve net zero by 2050, we must cut emissions every year by an amount comparable to that seen during COVID.”



"This highlights the scale of the action that is now required, and hence the importance of the COP26 discussions," said Friedlingstein.



The 16th&nbsp;annual Global Carbon Budget is published as a preprint in the journal Earth System Science Data, where it is currently open for review. The data presented on carbon dioxide emissions and how they are partitioned between land, atmosphere and ocean, are updated every year to keep track of CO2 levels globally.&nbsp;



---



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

Global carbon emissions rebound close to pre-COVID levels

The Global Carbon Project has recently published its latest update....

Blue whales are commonly known to be the world’s largest mammal, belonging to the family of baleen whales. These whales eat an enormous amount of food and contribute to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/upper-ocean-layer-contains-24-trillion-pieces-of-microplastics/">ocean</a> health by doing so, and a new study suggests that the massive creatures are eating even more than what has been documented.



A team of researchers at the <a href="https://www.si.edu/">Smithsonian</a> National Museum of Natural History has concluded that baleen whales eat around three times the amount of food that was previously estimated. This means that the number of nutrients they excrete, and thus contribute to ocean ecosystems, is far greater than initially expected.



The findings are providing key insights into the importance of conserving whale populations to maintain ocean health.&nbsp;



“Our results say that if we restore whale populations to pre-whaling levels seen at the beginning of the 20th century, we’ll restore a huge amount of lost function to ocean ecosystems,” explained study lead author Nicholas Pyenson.



Pyenson’s research team tracked 321 whales from seven different species across the Atlantic, Pacific, and Southern oceans, collecting data based on their food intake between 2010 and 2019.&nbsp;



Drone photography was used to measure the length of each individual to accurately estimate its body mass and thus the amount of water it filtered with each mouthful. In addition, echo-sounding technology was used to measure the density of prey species within the local waters.



Previous estimates suggested that whale populations within the California Current Ecosystem required around two million metric tons of food annually, but the new data suggests that this is actually the amount that is required for each individual species population of whales.



In addition to studying prey consumption, the researchers also calculated the amount of nutritious iron that would recirculate in the ecosystem through whale feces because of the new estimates. Using prior research, they discovered that large whales in the Southern Ocean recycle around 1,200 metric tons of iron annually, providing around 10 million times more iron found in Antarctic Seawater.



The findings led researchers to model what the marine ecosystem would look like a century ago, prior to mass whale slaughtering. The model predicted that Southern Ocean whales consumed around 430 million metric tons of krill annually in the early 20th century, a number that represents double the amount of krill found in the Southern Ocean today. Consequently, 20th-century whales would have produced 12,000 metric tons of iron annually, which is ten times the current amount.&nbsp;



Overall, the study concluded that restoring whale populations could have a highly beneficial impact on lost marine productivity, boosting the amount of carbon dioxide that is taken up by phytoplankton and thus helping to mitigate global warming.



“Our results suggest the contribution of whales to global productivity and carbon removal was probably on par with the forest ecosystems of entire continents, in terms of scale,” explained Pyenson. “That system is still there, and helping whales recover could restore lost ecosystem functioning and provide a natural climate solution.”



The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.



---



By <a href="mailto:calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Large whales make a major contribution to ocean health

Blue whales are commonly known to be the world’s largest...

The dramatic weather events that we experience today are caused by relatively small increases in global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-ecosystems-are-disrupted-by-small-temperature-changes/">temperatures</a>. In the distant past, during the so-called “hothouse periods,” the Earth was 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than today.&nbsp;



A new study led by <a href="https://www.seas.harvard.edu/">Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences</a> (SEAS) has found that during such epochs of extreme heat, the Earth may have experienced cycles of dryness followed by massive rainstorms, causing tremendous amounts of rain in a short period of time.



“If you were to look at a large patch of the deep tropics today, it’s always raining somewhere,” said study lead author Jacob Seeley, a postdoctoral fellow in Environmental Science and Engineering at SEAS.&nbsp;



“But we found that in extremely warm climates, there could be multiple days with no rain anywhere over a huge part of the ocean. Then, suddenly, a massive rainstorm would erupt over almost the entire domain, dumping a tremendous amount of rain. Then it would be quiet for a couple of days and repeat.”



By using an atmospheric model, Dr. Seeley and his supervisor, Robin Wordsworth, a professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at SEAS, simulated what would happen if the Earth’s sea surface temperature would increase to 130 degrees Fahrenheit.&nbsp;



They discovered that when the air near the surface becomes extremely hot, a barrier preventing convective clouds from rising into the atmosphere and forming rain clouds is created and all evaporation gets stuck in the near-surface atmosphere.&nbsp;



At the same time, clouds form in the upper atmosphere and the rain produced by those clouds evaporates before reaching the surface. However, after several days, the evaporative cooling from the rainstorms in the upper atmosphere erodes the barrier, triggering huge deluges.



“It’s like charging a massive battery,” explained Dr. Seeley. “You have a ton of cooling high in the atmosphere and a ton of evaporation and heating near the surface, separated by this barrier. If something can break through that barrier and allow the surface heat and humidity to break into the cool upper atmosphere, it’s going to cause an enormous rainstorm.”



“This study has revealed rich new physics in a climate that is only a little bit different from present-day Earth from a planetary perspective. It raises big new questions about the climate evolution of Earth and other planets that we’re going to be working through for many years to come,” concluded Professor Wordsworth.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03919-z">Nature</a>.



---



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

When it rained on ancient Earth, it poured

The dramatic weather events that we experience today are caused...

Tiger snake populations are suffering from urbanization, according to a new study from <a href="https://www.curtin.edu.au/">Curtin University</a> in Australia. The researchers found that human development has left tiger snakes isolated in small populations that are more likely to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/loss-of-genetic-diversity-in-polar-bears-linked-to-climate-change/">inbreed</a>.&nbsp;



"Urbanization alters landscapes, introduces wildlife to novel stressors, and fragments habitats into remnant ‘islands,'" wrote the study authors.&nbsp;"Within these islands, isolated wildlife populations can experience genetic drift and subsequently suffer from inbreeding depression and reduced adaptive potential."



The researchers examined patterns of genomic diversity and population structure among tiger snakes in and around the city of Perth.



“Tiger snake populations north of the Perth rivers at Herdsman Lake, Lake Joondalup and Yanchep National Park were found to lack genetic diversity while wetlands south of the Swan/Canning River system were home to the most genetically diverse populations of snakes, meaning they were less prone to inbreeding," explained study lead author and PhD candidate Damian Lettoof.



"If tiger snake populations isolated by urbanization are suffering from lower genetic diversity, they can lose their ability to adapt in order to survive ever-changing environments due to development, pollution and climate change."



"This is probably due to them being unable to cross unsuitable habitat such as large rivers, arid areas, and now the urban landscape."



Tiger snakes are an important part of their wetland habitats and are indicators of environment health overall.&nbsp;



"Tiger snakes are near the top of their food chain and have very specific habitat requirements, meaning a wetland with a snake population lacking in genetic diversity was indicative of an ecosystem that was not healthy or well-functioning," said Lettoof.



"This means many other small species - such as frogs, lizards and fish - living in these wetlands that are increasingly being 'cut off' by urban development may also be suffering and at risk of population decline and even extinction."



The research has important implications for conservation as well as what future expansion of urbanization may look like. "Our research suggests larger wetlands being encroached upon by urbanization such as those on the Swan coastal plain need to be managed as 'islands' of urban biodiversity in order to protect the animal communities inhabiting them."



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.



---



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

Urbanization forces tiger snakes to inbreed

Tiger snake populations are suffering from urbanization, according to a...

New research led by ecologists at the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a> has found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/past-temperatures-are-revealed-by-the-size-of-animals/">temperature</a> increases of about 1.6°C - just below the maximum target established by the Paris Agreement in 2017 - could severely impact algal populations and animal species living in coastal ecosystems.



"Marine rocky intertidal organisms are amongst those most affected by climate change with regional distributional changes observed for many species," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;



"Although often ascribed to increased sea surface temperatures, precise assessment of the local habitat conditions underpinning observed and predicted changes in community assembly is lacking."



The scientists examined how increases in rock surface temperature were affecting the quantity and behavior of animal and plant species currently found in the UK on the shorelines of Cornwall and Devon.&nbsp;



The study was focused on two areas of the region’s north coast (Bude and Croyde), and two on the south coast (Bantham and South Milton Sands), all of which have deep gullies with both north- and south-facing surfaces. The average annual temperatures recorded on the south-facing surfaces were 1.6°C higher than those on the north-facing ones.&nbsp;



These differences in temperature were strongly correlated with species abundance. During the summer of 2018, the researchers found 45 different species on the north-facing sites compared to 30 on the south-facing ones. During the winter, the figures were 42 and 24 respectively, with species such as red seaweed and sea cauliflower being restricted to north-facing surfaces.&nbsp;



Temperature differences were also found to have a significant impact on the breeding patterns of animals in these coastal ecosystems. For instance, five times more dog whelk eggs were found on the north-facing surfaces than on the south-facing ones.



“We have all heard for some time about the importance of limiting average global temperature increases to 1.5°C, and it will undoubtedly be one of the key topics discussed at the forthcoming COP26 conference,” said study senior author Mick Hanley, an associate professor of Plant-Animal Interactions at Plymouth.&nbsp;



“This study shows the impact even that kind of increase could have on important species that contribute to the health and biodiversity of our planet. As such, it does add to overwhelming evidence of the threats posed by human-induced climate change.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141113621002385?via%3Dihub">Marine Environmental Research</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

Coastal ecosystems are disrupted by small temperature changes

New research led by ecologists at the University of Plymouth...

A new study by geographers at <a href="https://www.staffs.ac.uk/">Staffordshire University</a> has looked at whether ski resorts can survive <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/resilience-to-climate-change-does-not-always-promote-well-being/">climate</a> change or if they are doomed to failure. The research suggests that ski resorts will have to diversify by finding new ways to draw visitors.&nbsp;



“At university I developed a passion for understanding human interaction with the environment and the importance of climate change," explained lead researcher Rachael Carver.



"I visited the Stubai Glacier in Austria on holiday and was intrigued by the fact that they were trying to conserve the ski industry. It left me asking lots of questions so I decided to go back and learn more.”



The site where the research was carried out takes proactive measures against warming, using blankets to slow melting and diminish wind erosion on the glacier. There is also a slow transition underway from winter tourism to summer tourism. Among the tourists surveyed, 70 percent said they would return even without a glacier, citing scenery and hiking as reasons.&nbsp;



“At the rate we’re losing glaciers, doing nothing is not an option for these industries. There will be a lot of people adversely affected by the economic impact of not having this tourism," said Carver.



"It was interesting seeing different solutions to the issue. Most places understand that these practices aren’t a long-term solution, but it is buying them time."



Carver said that she believes resorts should give visitors other ways to explore the mountains, including mountain biking and hiking trails as well as viewing platforms and educational activities.&nbsp;



“I think adaptation is key. Yes, they were designed as ski resorts but they can be turned into something else with a little bit of foresight and planning," noted Carver.&nbsp;



Fiona Tweed, professor of Physical Geography and Rachael Carver’s advisor highlighted the importance of such research.



“Climate change is the defining issue of our time with many far-reaching impacts and implications. Several students in Rachael’s year group did projects that had climate change at their core," said Professor Tweed.



"We’re looking forward to equipping more students with the skills to work on climate change related issues as part of our new BSc (Hons) Climate Change and Society degree.”



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00167487.2021.1970926">Geography</a>.



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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

Ski tourism may suffer from climate change

A new study by geographers at Staffordshire University has looked...

A new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00400-y">Nature Food</a> has explored the possible impacts that climate change will have on global agriculture.&nbsp;The scientists have found that factors such as rising temperatures, changes in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/extreme-precipitation-in-the-northeast-linked-to-human-activity/">precipitation</a> patterns, the increased frequency of heatwaves and droughts, and greenhouse gas emissions will fundamentally affect crops worldwide, exacerbating already existing inequalities.&nbsp;



“We see that new climate conditions push crop yields outside of their normal range in more and more regions,” said study lead author Jonas Jägermeyr, a climate scientist and crop modeler at <a href="https://www.giss.nasa.gov/">NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies</a> (GISS), the <a href="https://www.earth.columbia.edu/">Earth Institute</a> at Columbia University, and the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/en/home">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a> (PIK).



“Human-made greenhouse gas emissions bring higher temperatures, shifts in rainfall patterns, and more carbon dioxide in the air. This affects crop growth, and we find that the emergence of the climate change signal – the time when extraordinary years become the norm – will occur within the next decade or soon after in many key breadbasket regions globally.”



By analyzing new climate projections and state-of-the-art crop models, Jägermeyr and his colleagues found that, in the next years, regions such as the North and Central America, Central and East Asia, and West Africa will witness a 20 percent decline in maize yields.&nbsp;



Meanwhile, wheat yields could increase in areas like the Northern United States, Canada, or China. Nonetheless, such wheat gains in the Global North will not make up for the significant maize losses in the Global South. And although higher levels of CO2 could actually have a positive effect on wheat growth, it can reduce these crops’ nutritional values.



“One effect the data show clearly is that poorer countries are likely to experience the sharpest declines in yields of their main staple crops. This exacerbates already existing differences in food security and wealth,” explained study co-author Christoph Müller, a researcher at PIK.



“This means that farmers need to adapt much faster, for example by changing planting dates or use different crop varieties, to avoid severe losses, but also to realize gains in higher-latitude regions,” concluded Professor Jägermeyr.



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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

Warming climate will have a global impact on agriculture

A new study published in the journal Nature Food has...

The sounds of nature, particularly the sounds of bird song, give people a sense of connection to the natural environment and are part of our perception of healthy and functional natural surroundings. Bird song helps us connect to and experience <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-improved-mental-health-of-children-during-lockdown/">nature</a>, a process that is vitally important for mental health and for our sense of well-being.&nbsp;



But with declining bird populations and species diversity across the globe, it is possible that bird song choruses (soundscapes) are also becoming depauperate. In a major new study, a team of international researchers&nbsp;led by scientists from the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a> (UEA)&nbsp;has developed a method of comparing historical soundscapes over the past 25 years to determine how they have changed.



“The benefits of nature contact are widespread, from improved physical health and psychological well-being to increased likelihood of participating in pro-environmental behavior," said study lead author Dr Simon Butler from UEA’s School of Biological Sciences.



“Bird song plays an important role in defining the quality of nature experiences, but widespread declines in bird populations, and shifts in species’ distributions in response to climate change, mean that the acoustic properties of natural soundscapes are likely to be changing. However, historical sound recordings don’t exist for most places so we needed to develop a new approach to examine this.”&nbsp;



The researchers used annual systematic bird count data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (NA-BBS) and the Pan-European Common Bird Monitoring Scheme (PECBMS) sites. These data on bird occurrence and abundance were largely collected by citizen scientists over the past 25 years. Given this information, the researchers were then able to use an online database of bird calls (<a href="http://www.xeno-109canto.org">www.xeno-109canto.org</a>) to reconstruct the historical soundscapes from 200,000 locations across the two continents.&nbsp;



The separate, five-minute soundscapes constructed in this way for every site in every year were then analyzed using four indices that characterized song diversity, heterogeneity, evenness and amplitude.



The results showed that natural soundscapes across both continents have become more homogeneous and quieter since the 1990s, suggesting reduced soundscape quality. This finding parallels the significant decline, both in species richness and number of individuals, recorded in NA-BBS surveys, as well as in total number of individuals counted during PECBMS surveys over the past 25 years. “We found a widespread decline in the acoustic diversity and intensity of natural soundscapes, driven by changes in the composition of bird communities," said Dr. Butler.



“These results suggest that the soundtrack of spring is getting quieter and less varied and that one of the fundamental pathways through which humans engage with nature is in chronic decline, with potentially widespread implications for human health and well-being."



“Given that people predominantly hear, rather than see, birds, reductions in the quality of natural soundscapes are likely to be the mechanism through which the impact of ongoing population declines is most keenly felt by the general public."



Dr. Catriona Morrison, a post-doctoral researcher in UEA’s School of Biological Sciences, conducted the analyses.&nbsp;



“In general, we found that sites that have experienced greater declines in either total abundance and/or species richness also show greater declines in acoustic diversity and intensity," said Dr. Morrison.&nbsp;



“However, initial community structure and how the call and song characteristics of species complement each other, also play important roles in determining how soundscapes change."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“For example, the loss of species such as&nbsp;skylark or nightingale, which sing rich and intricate songs, is likely to have a greater impact on the complexity of the soundscape than the loss of a raucous corvid or gull species. Critically however, this will also depend on how many occurred on the site, and which other species are present.”&nbsp;



“Unfortunately, we are living through a global environmental crisis, and we now know that the diminishing connection between people and nature may be contributing to this."&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“As we collectively become less aware of our natural surroundings, we also start to notice or care less about their deterioration. Studies like ours aim to heighten awareness of these losses in a tangible, relatable way and demonstrate their potential impact on human wellbeing.”&nbsp;



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.



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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

The bird songs of spring are getting quieter

The sounds of nature, particularly the sounds of bird song,...

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



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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