View,Of,The,Device,Of,An,Oil,Drilling,Rig

Earth's surface bears the visible scars of human activities, from greenhouse gas emissions to deforestation. However, the impact of human intervention extends far beyond what meets the eye, reaching hundreds of meters to several kilometers beneath the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-model-reveals-the-evolution-of-the-earths-surface/#google_vignette" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet's surface</a> into Earth's deep subsurface. 



This hidden realm, often overlooked, is now the subject of disturbing research by hydrology experts. Jennifer McIntosh, a professor in the University of Arizona's <a href="https://has.arizona.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences</a>, and her colleagues have delved into the ways humans influence Earth's deep subsurface. 



"We looked at how the rates of fluid production with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oil-and-gas-production-linked-to-77-billion-in-annual-health-care-costs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oil and gas</a> compare to natural background circulation of water and showed how humans have made a big impact on the circulation of fluids in the subsurface," McIntosh explained.



In a paper published in the journal Earth's Future, they shed light on the significant impact of human activities on the circulation of fluids in this subterranean zone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Deciphering the hidden world in motion beneath our feet</h2>



The study, led by Grant Ferguson, also from the UArizona, compared the rates of fluid production from oil and gas extraction to the natural background circulation of water. 



The findings reveal that human-induced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-internal-jet-stream-core/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">fluid fluxes</a> surpass the natural flow, and they are projected to increase further with proposed strategies for combating climate change.



These strategies include geologic carbon sequestration, geothermal energy production, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fools-gold-may-be-a-valuable-source-of-lithium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">lithium extraction</a> from underground mineral-rich brine. 



"Responsible management of the subsurface is central to any hope for a green transition, sustainable future and keeping warming below a few degrees," emphasizes Peter Reiners, a professor in the <a href="https://www.geo.arizona.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UArizona Department of Geosciences</a> and a co-author of the study.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-earth-s-subsurface-fluid-fluxes">Earth's subsurface fluid fluxes</h2>



These fluxes transport water, gases, and other substances through the subsurface, influencing everything from groundwater resources to geothermal energy.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Types of subsurface fluid fluxes</h3>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Groundwater flow</h4>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/groundwater-depletion-is-accelerating-but-it-is-not-inevitable/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Groundwater flow</a> represents the movement of water through porous and fractured rock formations. This flow occurs due to pressure gradients and the force of gravity, allowing water to move from areas of high hydraulic head to areas of low hydraulic head. Groundwater flow plays a vital role in the hydrologic cycle, recharging aquifers and sustaining surface water bodies.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Hydrocarbon migration</h4>



Subsurface fluid fluxes also include the migration of hydrocarbons, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-orphaned-oil-and-gas-wells-litter-the-world-and-must-be-cleaned-up/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oil and natural gas</a>. These fluids originate from organic-rich source rocks and migrate through permeable rock layers until they encounter traps or seals. Understanding hydrocarbon migration is essential for oil and gas exploration and production.



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">Geothermal fluid circulation</h4>



In regions with high <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/underground-water-could-be-a-great-source-of-renewable-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">geothermal gradients</a>, subsurface fluids can circulate through fractures and permeable rock formations, absorbing heat from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/discovery-ancient-ocean-floor-surrounds-the-earths-core/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's interior</a>. This heated fluid can then rise to the surface, creating hot springs, geysers, and fumaroles. Geothermal fluid circulation is a key factor in the development of geothermal energy resources.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Importance of Earth's subsurface fluid fluxes</h2>



Subsurface fluid fluxes have far-reaching impacts on various aspects of our planet. They influence the availability and quality of groundwater resources, which are essential for human consumption, agriculture, and industrial activities. 



Additionally, these fluxes play a crucial role in the formation and distribution of mineral resources, such as ore deposits and petroleum accumulations.



Moreover, subsurface fluid fluxes contribute to the transport and cycling of chemical elements and compounds within the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unexpected-molten-rock-layer-discovered-under-earths-crust/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's crust</a>. 



This process has implications for geochemical cycles, rock-water interactions, and the evolution of subsurface environments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Human intervention in Earth's fluid dynamics</h2>



In <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/un-chief-fossil-fuel-era-must-end-for-humanitys-survival/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">oil and natural gas</a> production, saline water from the deep subsurface is extracted alongside the targeted resources. This ancient water, often millions of years old, acquires its salinity from the evaporation of ancient seawater or reactions with rocks and minerals. 



To maintain reservoir pressures and enhance oil recovery, near-surface water is added to the extracted saline water, and the blended mixture is reinjected into the subsurface, creating a continuous cycle of fluid production and reinjection.



Similar processes occur in lithium extraction, geothermal energy production, and geologic carbon sequestration, where leftover saline water is reinjected into the underground. 



"We show that the fluid injection rates or recharge rates from those oil and gas activities is greater than what naturally occurs," states McIntosh.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Rewriting Earth's history through subsurface geology</h2>



Using existing data from various sources, the research team found that current fluid movement rates induced by human activities surpass those that occurred before human intervention. 



As carbon capture, sequestration, and lithium extraction intensify, the researchers also predicted how these activities might be recorded in Earth's geological record.



Moreover, human activities have the potential to alter not only the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-geysers-the-worlds-largest-geothermal-field/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">deep subsurface fluids</a> but also the microbes that inhabit those depths. 



Fluid movements can modify <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/life-in-the-extreme-microbial-activity-discovered-in-old-faithful/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microbial environments</a> through changes in water chemistry or by introducing new microbial communities from Earth's surface to the underground. 



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-fracking-surged/">Hydraulic fracturing</a>, for example, can trigger sudden blooms of microbial activity in previously dormant deep rock formations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Earth's subsurface is still mostly a mystery</h2>



Despite the significance of these findings, many unknowns remain about Earth's deep subsurface and the extent of human impact on this hidden realm. 



"We need to use the deep subsurface as part of the solution for the climate crisis," emphasizes McIntosh. "Yet, we know more about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lake-sediments-found-in-jezero-crater-hint-at-past-life-on-mars/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">surface of Mars</a> than we do about water, rocks and life deep beneath our feet."



Continued research and exploration of this enigmatic zone are crucial for understanding the full scope of human influence on our planet and developing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/international-day-of-zero-waste-a-global-commitment-to-a-sustainable-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sustainable strategies</a> for addressing the climate crisis. 



While we strive to mitigate the visible effects of human activities on Earth's surface, we must not overlook the hidden impact that extends deep into the subsurface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-protecting-what-lies-beneath">Protecting what lies beneath</h2>



As we continue to explore and utilize Earth's deep subsurface in our efforts to combat climate change, we must remain mindful of the hidden impact our actions have on this enigmatic realm. 



By studying the fluid dynamics, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-increases-threat-antimicrobial-resistance/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microbial communities</a>, and geological record beneath our feet, we can develop a deeper understanding of the complex interplay between human activities and the subterranean world. 



This knowledge will be crucial in guiding our strategies for a sustainable future, ensuring that our solutions do not create unforeseen consequences in the depths below. 



As we navigate the challenges of the climate crisis, we must approach the subsurface with a spirit of curiosity, responsibility, and respect, recognizing that the key to our success may lie in the mysteries that await us in Earth's hidden depths.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024EF004496" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth's Future</a>.



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Human activities also greatly harm Earth’s subsurface, not just the landmass

Earth's surface bears the visible scars of human activities, from greenhouse gas emissions to deforestation. However, the impact of human intervention extends far beyond what meets the eye, reaching hundreds of meters to several kilometers beneath the planet's surface into Earth's deep subsurface. This hidden realm, often overlooked, is now the subject of disturbing research by hydrology experts. Jennifer McIntosh, a professor in the University of Arizona's Department of Hydrology and Atmospheric Sciences, and her colleagues have delved into the ways humans influence Earth's deep subsurface. "We...

The autonomous submarine vehicle Autosub Long Range has provided climate scientists with unprecedented evidence of a link between increasing Antarctic winds and rising sea temperatures. The data will help experts to better predict how climate change will impact <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/sea-level-rise-exceed-projections/">sea level rise. </a>

"Our study is an important step in understanding how the climate change happening in the remote and inhospitable Antarctic waters will impact the warming of the oceans as a whole and future sea level rise," explained study lead author Alberto Naveira Garabato, who is a professor at the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a>.

Information obtained by the underwater vehicle, also known as Boaty McBoatface, was used to study changing temperatures at the bottom of the Southern Ocean. Over the course of three days, Boaty measured the temperature, saltiness, and turbulence of the bottom waters as it trekked through 180 kilometers of mountainous underwater valleys.

"The data from Boaty McBoatface gave us a completely new way of looking at the deep ocean - the path taken by Boaty created a spatial view of the turbulence near the seafloor," said Dr. Eleanor Frajka-Williams of the <a href="https://www.noc.ac.uk/">National Oceanography Centre</a>.

Using an echo sounder, Boaty navigated the depths of the ocean up to 4,000 meters deep before reaching a programmed destination point to be recovered. 

The hole in the ozone layer above Antarctica, combined with increasing greenhouse gases, has strengthened the winds over the Southern Ocean. The data collected by Boaty and additional measurements collected by research vessel RRS James Clark Ross have revealed that these increased wind speeds create turbulence deep in the Southern Ocean.

[caption id="attachment_1874110" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/boaty-mcboatface.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874110" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/boaty-mcboatface.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="432" /></a> Boaty McBoatface. Image Credit: Povl Abrahamsen, British Antarctic Survey[/caption]

The disturbance causes warm water at medium ocean depths to mix with cold water in the abyss. The subsequent warming of the denser, colder water on the seabed is a significant contributor to rising sea levels. 

"This study is a great example of how exciting new technology such as the unmanned submarine 'Boaty McBoatface' can be used along with ship-based measurements and cutting-edge ocean models to discover and explain previously unknown processes affecting heat transport within the ocean," said Dr. Povl Abrahamsen of the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a>.

The research is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Main Image Credit: Povl Abrahamsen, British Antarctic Survey

Boaty McBoatface: Submarine mission offers insight into sea level rise

The autonomous submarine vehicle Autosub Long Range has provided climate...

The world’s population could increase from 7.7 billion to 10.9 billion by the end of the century, according to the <a href="https://population.un.org/wpp/">United Nations World Population Prospects 2019 report</a>. 

Growth rates are expected to vary from region to region, but as global populations increase, so will demand for natural resources.

Research has shown that population growth will correlate with widespread food shortages as climate change is projected to decrease crop yields, cause water shortages, increase sea levels, make drought and weather extremes more frequent and severe, and pave the way for widespread disease. 

Some key takeaways of the report show that despite slowing growth rates and lower fertility rates in some countries, the world’s population is on track to reach as high as 10.9 billion by 2100. 

A projected increase to 8.5 billion is expected by 2030, and the world’s population could reach 9.7 billion by 2050. 

Some countries will face sharper increases than others, with sub-Saharan Africa’s population predicted to double by 2050. 

India will become the world’s most populated country, surpassing China’s lead in 2027. 

Many countries where population growth is projected to be the highest are the poorest, which will only further strain resources and increase world poverty and malnutrition. 

“Many of the fastest growing populations are in the poorest countries, where population growth brings additional challenges in the effort to eradicate poverty, achieve greater equality, combat hunger and malnutrition and strengthen the coverage and quality of health and education systems to ensure that no one is left behind,” Liu Zhenmin, United Nations Under-Secretary-General for Economic and Social Affairs, said in a <a href="https://population.un.org/wpp/Publications/Files/WPP2019_PressRelease_EN.pdf">press release.</a>

Populations in developing countries are also extremely vulnerable to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/developing-countries-global-warming/">impacts of climate change</a>.

“People in the least-developed countries already tend to be at higher risk of climate change, so depending on how population growth unfolds across the globe, there’s going to be more people in hazardous areas,” Amy Snover, director of the<a href="https://cig.uw.edu/"> University of Washington’s Climate Impacts Group</a>, told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/mach/science/world-s-population-could-swell-10-9-billion-2100-u-ncna1017791">NBC News</a>. 

Interestingly, fertility rates are expected to decline, and global rates have dropped consistently from 3.2 births per woman in 1990 to 2.5 births in 2019. 

Lifespans are getting longer, and people over 65 are the fastest growing age group worldwide, according to the report. 

In 2018, people over 65 surpassed the number of children 5 years or younger. Even so, people in developing countries live seven years less than the global average. 

If the United Nations is to meet its sustainable development goals, tracking and monitoring global populations and understanding how climate change and other factors will impact future populations is vital. 

“These data constitute a critical piece of the evidence base needed for monitoring global progress toward achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030”, said John Wilmoth, Director of the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs. “More than one third of the indicators approved for use as part of the global monitoring of the SDGs rely on data from World Population Prospects.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

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Image Credit: Shutterstock/Ints Vikmanis

Earth's population could reach 10.9 billion by 2100

The world’s population could increase from 7.7 billion to 10.9...

Global warming could cause deadly heat waves that could kill thousands. Global temperatures are on track to rise 3 degrees above pre-industrial levels unless immediate action is taken to reduce emissions. 

As it stands, if the world’s nations keep their minimum Paris Agreement goals, research projects warming of 2.6 to 3.1 degrees Celsius by 2100, which would result in thousands of heat-related deaths each year.Global warming could cause deadly heat waves that could kill thousands 

A new study, led by researchers from the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> in collaboration with a team of scientists from the <a href="https://sph.washington.edu/">University of Washington’s School of Public Health</a>, examined how heat waves and rising temperatures would increase mortality rates in the United States.

The results of the study, published in the journal Science Advances, estimate the number of projected deaths during extreme heat waves that are expected to occur once every 30 years in 15 major US cities including Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Dallas. 

Heat waves pose a significant threat to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/people-vulnerable-heat-stress/">vulnerable populations</a> like children and older adults, and there are thousands of heat-related deaths and non-fatal injuries due to heat waves reported each year worldwide. 

As emissions and temperatures increase, heat waves are only expected to become more frequent and severe. 

Large urban areas are especially dangerous during heat extremes because of the “urban heat island effect” where widespread concrete and blacktop absorb heat and increase city temperatures.

The researchers modeled three potential climate scenarios, one where the Paris Agreement minimums were met, one where warming was limited to two degrees Celsius, and the final scenario modeled heat wave mortality where warming only reached 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

“Climate change is not only affecting faraway places but also the United States,” said Eunice Lo, a co-author of the study. “As temperatures rise, exposure of major U.S. cities to extreme heat will increase and more heat-related deaths will occur. The United States has emitted the largest amount of carbon dioxide in the world since the 18th century.” 

If only the bare minimums are met, the models predicted that an increase of three degrees Celcius would result in 330 to 5,800 heat-related deaths per city for each major heat wave event. 

Cities like Miami, Los Angeles, and Detroit would likely face the highest number of fatalities. 

If temperatures are limited to two degrees Celcius, it could potentially prevent between 70 and 1,980 deaths per city per event and up to 2,720 heat-related deaths per city could be avoided if warming is limited to the optimal 1.5 degrees Celsius. 

“You might think, what’s the difference 1.5 degrees will make to human lives?” Lo told NBC News. “Actually, thousands of lives in one year can be saved in a city. Meeting the 1.5-degree target is essential and would be substantially beneficial to public health in the United States.”

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Tom Wang

Global warming could cause deadly heat waves that could kill thousands

Global warming could cause deadly heat waves that could kill...

Fishing communities along the eastern coast of the U.S. from North Carolina to Maine will be left with fewer <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fishing-vessels-doubled-catch-dropped/">fishing</a> options under changing climate conditions. According to a new study, certain areas of Maine are facing the highest risk of losing some commercial fish species. 

Study senior author Malin Pinsky, an associate professor at <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>, said that fishing has been the economic and cultural lifeblood for many coastal towns and cities along the Northeast coast for up to hundreds of years. However, climate change will continue to impact the distribution, abundance, and diversity of marine species worldwide.

The study was focused on how climate change could affect the fishing opportunities for 85 communities in New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Based on 13 global climate models, the researchers predicted how ocean temperatures will change to determine where important fish species will potentially move.

The habitat for 24 of the 33 fish species studied was projected to improve in some regions and deteriorate in others over the next two to three decades. For example, the monkfish habitat will expand in the Gulf of Maine while becoming less suitable throughout the Mid-Atlantic Bight.

The study also revealed that 64 out of 85 communities will face fewer fish resources due to changes in habitat by 2050. In Maine, for example, small trawlers are highly threatened due to their dependence on other species that will lose suitable habitats like Atlantic cod and witch flounder.

"Some communities like Portland, Maine, are on track to lose out, while others like Mattituck, New York, or Sandwich, Massachusetts, may do better as waters warm," explained Professor Pinsky. "Adapting to climate change for many communities will require fundamentally new approaches to fishing. Change has become the new normal."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</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

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Malin Pinsky/Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Many fishing communities on the east coast face fewer fishing options

Fishing communities along the eastern coast of the U.S. from...

Brazil’s president is not known to be a friend of the environment. In fact, the opposite seems to be true of <a href="https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jair_Bolsonaro">Jair Bolsonaro</a>, a man who has set industrial agriculture against the likes of the Amazon rainforest. It’s not surprising then that under President Bolsonaro, Brazil is allowing prospecting for oil near an important protected marine area.

The <a href="https://www.apnews.com/5910356fd9bc4f67b6da4a2644d2f3fc">Associated Press</a> reported in April that Bolsonaro greenlit auctioning off of seven offshore oil fields in the northeast of Brazil, going against advice from Brazil’s environmental agency <a href="https://www.ibama.gov.br/">IBAMA</a>. The organization recommended no oil exploration in 7 out of 42 offshore oil fields. The head of IBAMA, appointed by Bolsonaro himself, rejected the official analysis. 

This comes at a time when Brazil is moving to privatize oil exploration and other industries. The country is rapidly becoming less dependent on the state-run Petrobras, which <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-20/opec-s-next-headache-is-brazil-s-burgeoning-crude-output">Bloomberg</a> reported produced 93% of Brazil’s oil in 2010. This move seems to fit perfectly with Bolsonaro’s campaign promises to revive industry without the ‘red tape’ of environmental regulations. The impact of a potential oil spill in the region, the official recommendation warned, could be catastrophic. 

An oil spill could affect the coast of two Brazilian states and even hit Abrolhos Marine National Park. The marine park is considered the most biodiverse place in the South Atlantic, <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/05/brazil-green-lights-oil-prospecting-near-important-marine-park/">Mongabay</a> reports. The park is made of a chain of small volcanic islands: Guarita, Santa Bárbara, Redonda, Sueste and Siriba. The habitat consits of rare mangroves and coral reefs that shelter unique and beautiful species. 270 species of <a href="https://soundsandcolours.com/articles/brazil/a-sight-to-behold-abrolhos-marine-national-park-9715/">reef fish</a> can be found in the marine park, as sea turtles, <a href="https://openexplorer.nationalgeographic.com/expedition/immersiveoceans/view/6006336">masked boobies</a> and humpback whales all make use of the habitat. The whole area of the marine park covers about 37,000 square miles, <a href="https://www.conservation.org/where/Pages/abrolhos-seascape.aspx">Conservation International</a> reports, and it also supports thousands of fishermen and people in the tourism industry. 

The official analysis reported that an oil spill could get to the islands in the park within two days and wouldn’t be adequately responded to. The report notes that the impact of an oil spill to corals and mangroves would be irreversible. 

Wildlife would be impacted directly even without an oil spill. From 2008 until 2010, former Brazilian environmental minister Carlos Minc blocked oil exploration in the area because of the disruptive effect of ships on migrating humpback whales. 

“Humpback whales left the list of animals under threat of extinction because of this,” Minc told the <a href="https://www.apnews.com/5910356fd9bc4f67b6da4a2644d2f3fc">Associated Press</a>. “How could Brazil be taking this step back?...We have to stop them from destroying our marine biodiversity in the name of profits.”

Brazil is already becoming a large oil producing nation, even without the new oil exploration. <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-02-20/opec-s-next-headache-is-brazil-s-burgeoning-crude-output">Bloomberg</a> reported earlier this year that Brazil is in the beginning of an oil boom. The country now has massive offshore oil facilities that have lifted its oil production to 365,000 barrels per day. This is the largest oil production increase for Brazil in two decades. 

Brazil’s boost in oil production comes only second to that in the United States and it’s possible that it will cause problems for OPEC nations. This may be especially true considering the cozy relationship between Jair Bolsonaro and President Donald Trump. Many have compared the former to the latter, even calling Bolsonaro ‘Tropical Trump’ with his uncensored right wing rhetoric and self-styled tough guy attitude. 

I’ve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/president-brazil-amazon-rainforest/">previously reported</a> that Bolsonaro’s policies threaten the Amazon rainforest, but Brazil has many other natural environments that are threatened as well, including the marine and coastal environments of Brazil. More oil is predicted to be produced by Brazil in the near future, partially perhaps due to Bolsonaro’s relaxed environmental policy but also purely because of the resource availability and discovery. One of Brazil’s offshore oil fields is predicted to reach 1 million barrels of oil output per day, second only to an oil field in Saudi Arabia.    

All together, Brazil is the most biodiverse nation in the world. The UN’s <a href="https://www.biodiversityfinance.net/brazil">Biofin website</a> notes that Brazil is one of only 17 megadiverse nations in terms of biodiversity. Of Brazil’s environments, there are six terrestrial and three major marine biomes in Brazil, in total supporting 15-20% of the entire world’s biodiversity. Brazil is home to the longest continuous stretch of mangroves in the world at 1.3 million hectares and contains the South Atlantic’s only reef systems. These are some of the environments specifically threatened by the specter of an offshore oil spill. 

Brazil as a whole can boast that it contains approximately 70% of the world’s scientifically recognized animal and plant species. <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/05/top-10-biodiverse-countries/">Mongabay</a> reports that Brazil holds 17.6% of the world’s bird species, 20.8% of vascular plants and 13.7% of the world’s fishes. Brazil of course has protected areas, but those areas are only protected by law and the rule of government. 

<a href="http://www.unesco.org/new/en/brasilia/natural-sciences/environment/biodiversity/">UNESCO</a> reports that .5% of Brazil’s marine areas are protected, corresponding to part of 1,479,286 square kilometers of protected area total. But what does protection mean when a democratically elected leader turns his back on environmental regulations and protections? Bolsonaro has no respect for indigenous land reserves, vowing to turn the land over to agribusiness. The <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/environment/pesticides-brazil-jair-bolsonaro-amazon-deforestation-agribusiness-a8957261.html">Independent</a> reported recently that Bolsonaro is giving the ok to pesticides banned elsewhere that chemically castrate frogs. In fact, there has been a significant spike in approvals of pesticide and weed killer approvals under Bolsonaro. Approving offshore drilling falls in the same vein. 

It seems Bolsonaro and governmental leaders like him are determined to sell out safety and the lives of those unlike him for short term financial profit. For Bolsonaro, the ocean is just a place to drill for oil, the rainforest is just an obstacle to ever expanding agriculture dependent upon a chemistry set of fertilizers and pesticides. The danger of putting a price tag on the lives of countless animals and stunning landscapes is that someone will pay it. For Bolsonaro, there seems to be no value that can’t be paid for in cash.           

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

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Image Credit: Shutterstock/Marchello74

Profit at all cost: Brazil to allow environmentally dangerous oil prospecting

Brazil’s president is not known to be a friend of...

Warming oceans are dangerous for marine species, and not just because the temperature shift can harm delicate species. Warmer waters also lose oxygen – and that could be bad news for many of the large species that live in the Antarctic region. 

Since the mid-1900s, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-oxygen-levels-global/">ocean oxygen levels</a> have declined, on average, by 2 to 5 percent, data shows. 

Dr. John Spicer of the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a> and Dr. Simon Morley of the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a> teamed up to see what kind of effect the warming oceans and their lower oxygen levels had on Antarctic species.

"Marine animals thrive in the Southern Ocean but life in these freezing waters has led to the evolution of many distinct characteristics. These 'strategies,' which allow animals to survive in the cold, are expected to make many Antarctic marine invertebrates and fish vulnerable to the impact of climate change,” Morley said. “Understanding these impacts will not only help us to predict the fate of marine biodiversity at the poles but will also teach us much about the mechanisms that will determine the survival of species across the world's oceans."

The pair of scientists studied various amphipod species that live in the Antarctic’s warming oceans. Amphipods come in a variety of sizes and can easily be found all over the region.

They found that in waters where the oxygen levels had fallen, larger amphipod species were not thriving as their smaller cousins were. The findings indicate that larger species might struggle as oxygen levels decline, while smaller species may adapt more easily.

The researchers did note that there are factors beyond size that will influence how species adapt to warmer temperatures and shrinking oxygen supplies.

"Our research also shows that some species have evolved mechanisms to compensate for reductions in oxygen, and so it is not always as simple as drawing a link between size and future survival. But it would be foolhardy to pin our hopes on such 'evolutionary rescue,'” Spicer said.

Still, large species that have not adapted those coping mechanisms could struggle to keep their populations afloat in the warming oceans.

“Unless they adapt, many larger marine invertebrates will either shrink in size of face extinction, which would have a profoundly negative impact on the ecosystems of which they are a part. This is obviously a major cause for concern,” Spicer said.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2019.0034">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Dr. Simon Morley, British Antarctic Survey

Paid for by Earth.com.

As warming oceans lose oxygen, large species are at risk

Warming oceans are dangerous for marine species, and not just...

According to a new study from the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies (Coral CoE)</a> at <a href="https://www.jcu.edu.au/">James Cook University (JCU)</a>, squid will not only survive during climate change-caused <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-acidification-consequences/">ocean acidification</a>, but they could even flourish within their changing habitat thanks to their unique energy-taxing swimming technique. 

These findings are published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/conphys">Conservation Physiology</a>.

"Their blood is highly sensitive to changes in acidity, so we expected that future ocean acidification would negatively affect their aerobic performance," said study leader Dr. Blake Spady.

However, when Dr. Spady’s team subjected two-toned pygmy squid and bigfin reef squid to the CO2 levels in ocean water predicted for the end of the century, they were surprised at what they found.

"We found that these two species of tropical squid are unaffected in their aerobic performance and recovery after exhaustive exercise by the highest projected end-of-century CO2 levels," said Dr. Spady.

Furthermore, Dr. Spady said that squid may even have an advantage in more acidic oceans because their predators could lose performance in the same ocean scenario.

"We think that squid have a high capacity to adapt to environmental changes due to their short lifespans, fast growth rates, large populations, and high rate of population increase," Dr. Spady added.

"We are likely to see certain species as being well-suited to succeed in our rapidly changing oceans, and these species of squid may be among them,” he concluded. "The thing that is emerging with most certainty is that it's going to be a very different world.”

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/DiveIvanov

Why squid may actually flourish amidst a changing climate

According to a new study from the ARC Centre of...

Beautiful yet toxic: ‘Blue tears’ blooms in China’s seas are growing. The glowing bright blue waters that draw tourists from all over to the coast of the East China Sea may seem like a perfect example of bioluminescence at its best. However, the twinkling waves are harboring a toxic secret. 

The glowing waters around the East China Sea are caused by blooms of plankton called red Noctiluca scintillans, and satellite imagery shows that the blooms are spreading farther and wider than in previous years. 

Nicknamed “blue tears” or “sea sparkles,” blooms of red Noctiluca scintillans are a huge draw for tourists, but these blooms could be causing irreparable damage to the coastal marine and river ecosystems where they flourish. 

Like algal blooms, when nutrient levels are high enough to support expansive blooms, it can choke out other marine life by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algae-blooms-baltic-sea/">lowering oxygen levels</a> in the water. 

In the first-ever satellite study of the plankton, researchers in China analyzed almost 1,000 images taken by the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html">International Space Station</a> and the<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/"> National Aeronautic and Space Administration’s </a>Terra and Aqua satellites going back nearly 20 years. 

The researchers found that the blooms, which are easily visible from space due to the way the plankton absorb and scatter blue light, appeared between April and August over the past 18 years. 

Not only did the researchers recognize a pattern in the blooms, but the satellite images also showed that in recent years the plankton spread further and further from the shore.

[caption id="attachment_1873989" align="aligncenter" width="634"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Sheng-Fang-Tsai-National-Taiwan-Ocean-University.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1873989" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Sheng-Fang-Tsai-National-Taiwan-Ocean-University.jpg" alt="" width="634" height="399" /></a> Image Credit: Sheng-Fang Tsai, National Taiwan Ocean University[/caption]

The blooms were observed in warmer waters than normal, and the researchers say that they are growing. 

As far as what could be causing the blooms to spread, the researchers say that fertilizer runoff and the Three Gorges Dam which generates massive amounts of energy could be feeding the blooms and encouraging the plankton to spread beyond their usual range. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Yu-Xian Yang, Lienchiang county government, Taiwan

Beautiful yet toxic: ‘Blue tears’ blooms in China’s seas are growing

Beautiful yet toxic: ‘Blue tears’ blooms in China’s seas are...

The climate of West Antarctica is greatly influenced by the tropical Pacific. According to a new study from <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>, warming waters in the western tropical Pacific Ocean have caused a substantial increase in rainfall and  thunderstorms. This activity has the potential to disrupt the stability of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/volcano-west-antarctic-ice-sheet/">West Antarctic Ice Sheet</a> (WAIS) and add to global sea-level rise.

The WAIS, a huge ice sheet that rests on land, has been melting and contributing to global sea-level rise since the mid-1990s. In the decades that have followed, the rate of ice retreat has accelerated. Warm ocean water carried in by the wind melts the WAIS from underneath, while warm air melts its surface. The climate of West Antarctica is greatly influenced by the tropical Pacific

The Rutgers researchers found that the South Pacific Convergence Zone in the western tropical Pacific has a major influence on weather variability across West Antarctica.

"With so much at stake - in coastal communities around the globe, including in New Jersey - it is very important to understand the drivers of weather variability in West Antarctica," said study lead author Kyle Clem. 

"Knowing how all regions of the tropics influence West Antarctica, both independently and collectively, will help us understand past climate variability there and perhaps help us predict the future state of the ice sheet and its potential contribution to global sea-level rise."

Climate model simulations revealed that warming in the western tropical Pacific has triggered more frequent thunderstorms and rainfall activity in the South Pacific Convergence Zone. 

An increase of rainfall in this zone generates cold southerly winds over the Antarctic Peninsula and warm northerly winds over the Ross Ice Shelf, which is consistent with the recent cooling and warming that has been observed. 

The findings suggest that, even though West Antarctic is isolated from most of the planet, its climate is greatly affected by the conditions in the tropics. The research may help to inform future studies of the past West Antarctic climate that is recorded in ice cores.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: NASA/Jeremy Harbeck

The climate of West Antarctica is greatly influenced by the tropical Pacific

The climate of West Antarctica is greatly influenced by the...

A disturbing new report has revealed that you could be unknowingly eating 5 grams of plastic each week, which is the equivalent of a credit card.

The biggest culprits are tap and bottled water, according to the No Plastic in Nature: Assessing Plastic Ingestion from Nature to People report. But plastic was also found in shellfish, beer, and even salt. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au/">University of Newcastle</a> conducted the report after the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund (WWF)</a> commissioned the project. 

Data from 52 peer-reviewed studies were reviewed and analyzed for the report which found for the first time that people eat around 250 grams (about half a pound) of tiny plastic pieces each year. 

It’s well known that microplastics are invading our world’s marine habitats, but the results of this study show that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-health-threats/">plastic pollution</a> is also spreading to our own food web. 

“These findings must serve as a wake-up call to governments. Not only are plastics polluting our oceans and waterways and killing marine life - it’s in all of us, and we can’t escape consuming plastics. Global action is urgent and essential to tackling this crisis,” said Marco Lambertini, WWF International Director General. 

The researchers found that tap and bottled water were the largest sources for plastic ingestion worldwide, but the report highlights regional plastic patterns that impact how much plastic people are exposed to in different areas. 

There was twice as much plastic discovered in drinking water in the US than drinking water in Indonesia or Europe. 

The sheer prevalence and abundance of plastic pollution leaked into food and water proves that this is a global problem and can not be overlooked. 

“If we don’t want plastic in our bodies, we need to stop the millions of tons of plastic that continue leaking into nature every year,” said Lambertini. “In order to tackle the plastic crisis, we need urgent action at government, business, and consumer levels, and a global treaty with global targets to address plastic pollution.” 

So far the WWF has collected 500,000 signatures on a petition in favor of a global treaty to combat marine plastic pollution. Such a treaty would create national targets for reducing plastic pollution and improve waste management. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Tiffy Tipsy

You could be accidentally eating enough plastic each week to make a credit card

A disturbing new report has revealed that you could be...

In the process of searching for planets orbiting around distant stars using the Kepler Space Telescope, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> scientists observed stars releasing the occasional burst of energy known as a “flare” – but some of the flares they observed were thousands of times more intense than normal. Scientists now call these events “superflares,” and it’s still not exactly clear how they occur. But the more pressing issue was for researchers to determine whether or not our sun was capable of emitting a superflare.

A normal solar flare looks like an intense flash of light – often combined with the release of plasma – coming from the surface of the star. Our <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plasma-rain-sun/">sun</a> has flares all the time, but a superflare has a resulting energy blast of radiation that would disrupt electronics across the planet were it to hit the Earth. This could cause widespread blackouts and short out the communications satellites in orbit. Obviously, this would be a major issue if it happened in our technology-driven era. 

“When our Sun was young, it was very active because it rotated very fast and probably generated more powerful flares,” says astronomer Yuta Notsu, a visiting researcher at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a>. “But we didn’t know if such large flares occur on the modern Sun with very low frequency.”

In order to investigate this question, Dr. Notsu and an international team of researchers analyzed superflares detected from 43 Sun-like stars by using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft and New Mexico’s Apache Point Observatory. Their study was published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X">The Astrophysical Journal</a> and found that, while younger stars produce the most superflares, older stars such as our Sun are able to produce superflares too.

“'Young stars have superflares once every week or so. For the Sun, it’s once every few thousand years on average,” explains Notsu. “If a superflare occurred 1,000 years ago, it was probably no big problem. Now, it’s a much bigger problem because of our electronics.”

Notsu also believes that there is “some possibility” that a superflare on our sun could occur in the next 100 years. And while researchers don’t know exactly when the next superflare will hit Earth, they are certain that one will eventually happen. Before this occurs, we would need to develop shielding that protects electronics on the ground and in orbit from these destructive bursts of high-energy radiation. Hopefully, this study will have given us enough time to begin this process before our Sun has another superflare.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit Shutterstock/Jurik Peter

Is a destructive solar superflare less than a century away?

In the process of searching for planets orbiting around distant...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> (WHOI) and <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> are unraveling the mystery of how small amounts of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/increasing-soil-carbon-storage/">organic carbon</a> get stored in rock and sediments instead of decomposing.

According to study lead author Jordon Hemingway, knowing exactly how that process occurs could help explain why the mixture of gases in the atmosphere has remained stable for so long, 

In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide (CO2) is inorganic. However, after it is pulled out of the air by plants and algae, inorganic carbon is transformed into an "organic" form during photosynthesis. As plants decompose, this process is reversed and the CO2 is released back into the air.

Hemingway explained that one of the key reasons Earth has remained habitable is that this chemical cycle is slightly imbalanced. This is because a small percentage of organic carbon is not broken down by microbes and stays preserved underground for millions of years.

"If it were perfectly balanced, all the free oxygen in the atmosphere would be used up as quickly as it was created," said Hemingway. "In order to have oxygen left for us to breathe, some of the organic carbon has to be hidden away where it can't decompose."

Scientists have developed two theories that may explain why some carbon remains preserved. The "selective preservation" theory suggests that some molecules of organic carbon may be difficult for microorganisms to break down. The "mineral protection" hypothesis states that molecules of organic carbon may be forming strong chemical bonds with the minerals around them, keeping them safe from bacteria. 

"Historically, it's been hard to tease out which process is dominant. The tools we have for organic geochemistry haven't been sensitive enough," said Hemingway. 

For the current study, the team used a method called ramped pyrolysis oxidation (RPO) to test both theories using sediment samples from around the globe. 

"If organic molecules are being preserved because of selectivity - because microbes aren't able to break them down - we would expect to see a pretty narrow range of bond strength in the samples. Microbes would have decomposed the rest, leaving only a few stubborn types of organic carbon behind," explained Hemingway. "But we actually saw that the diversity of bond strengths grows rather than shrinks with time, indicating that a wide range of organic carbon types are being preserved. We think that means they're getting protection from minerals around them."

While the study provides strong evidence for one theory over the other, the researchers emphasized that the puzzle is still not completely solved.

"We were able to put our finger on the mechanism by which carbon is being preserved, but we don't provide information about other factors, like sensitivity to temperature in the environment, for instance," said study co-author Valier Galy. "There are a lot of other factors to consider. This paper is intended as a sort of waypoint to direct biogeochemists in their research."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Chris Linder

How is some organic carbon spared from decomposition and stored underground?

Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Harvard...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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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



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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



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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



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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



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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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Aerial,Photo,Of,River,In,Amazon,Rainforest,Jungle,In,Peru

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



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



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



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



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

Monitoring deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

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