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 study from the <a href="https://www.kent.ac.uk/">University of Kent</a> has revealed that chimpanzees of West Africa are threatened by lack of regulated human <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-change-their-behavior-to-adapt-to-coastal-development/">development</a>. According to the researchers, robust regulation of large-scale development is required to protect the habitats of western chimpanzees.

"Global biodiversity loss is occurring at an alarming rate, with a growing consensus that we are entering a sixth mass extinction," wrote the study authors. "Rapid human development and associated habitat loss, principally through agriculture, infrastructure and extractive industries, is a significant contributor."

Western chimpanzees were classified as critically endangered in 2016 after their population declined by 80 percent in just over two decades. This ongoing trend has been primarily driven by poaching and habitat loss.

The researchers noted that although western chimpanzees are legally protected throughout their range, an estimated 83 percent of the population lives outside of protected areas. The chimps are particularly vulnerable to open-pit mining, a technique that can be extremely destructive.

The Kent team reviewed a total of 175 laws across the eight countries where western chimpanzees can be found. The results of the study suggest that the current legislation does not protect western chimpanzees from the environmental impacts of development, including mining. 

‘The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) procedures utilized by the countries examined do not go far enough to protect western chimpanzees," said study co-author Dr. Tatyana Humle. "With global biodiversity loss occurring at an alarming rate, this is a major concern.’

"Mitigation hierarchy principles are critical to species conservation and help to regulate the environmental impacts of projects that are not reliant upon development bank or other debt-financing markets," said study co-author Thomas Evans.

"A tightening of legislation is necessary to ensure that avoidance, remediation and offset measures are implemented in line with the objective of safeguarding the habitat of this critically endangered species.’

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-conservation">Biological Conservation</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Western chimpanzees need protection from human development

A new study from the University of Kent has revealed...

More than one billion <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/children-who-live-near-woodlands-have-better-mental-health/">children</a> have an "extremely high risk" of suffering from the environmental shocks of the climate crisis, according to new report from <a href="https://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF</a>.

The researchers found that hundreds of millions of children are facing a dangerous threat - exposure to natural disasters, such as cyclones and heatwaves, combined with a lack of essential services, such as water and sanitation.

“For the first time, we have a complete picture of where and how children are vulnerable to climate change, and that picture is almost unimaginably dire," said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore.

"Climate and environmental shocks are undermining the complete spectrum of children’s rights, from access to clean air, food and safe water; to education, housing, freedom from exploitation, and even their right to survive. Virtually no child’s life will be unaffected."

“For three years, children have raised their voices around the world to demand action. UNICEF supports their calls for change with an unarguable message - the climate crisis is a child’s rights crisis.” 

The study showed that nearly half of the world's 2.2 billion children live in one of the 33 countries that are most threatened by climate change. 

”Children in East Asia and the Pacific countries are on the frontline of the climate crisis and the climate hazards they face, from lethal heat waves to flooding to wildfires, are already becoming more severe and intense," said UNICEF Regional Director Marcoluigi Corsi.

"The region is one of the most vulnerable to climate-related disasters globally, with about half of the population directly affected every year."

Corsi noted that the climate crisis disproportionally affects the most vulnerable children and adolescents, exacerbating current inequalities and undermining the progress achieved over the last few decades.

According to the Children’s Climate Risk Index (CCRI), 240 million children are highly exposed to coastal flooding, 400 million children are highly exposed to cyclones, 600 million children are highly exposed to vector borne diseases, 820 million children are highly exposed to heatwaves, and 920 million children are highly exposed to water scarcity. Further, one billion children are are highly exposed to exceedingly high levels of air pollution.

While nearly every child around the world is at risk from at least one of these environmental hazards, an estimated 850 million children live in areas where at least four of these environmental shocks overlap, the study found. 

“Climate change is deeply inequitable. While no child is responsible for rising global temperatures, they will pay the highest costs. The children from countries least responsible will suffer most of all,” said Fore. 

“But there is still time to act. Improving children’s access to essential services, such as water and sanitation, health, and education, can significantly increase their ability to survive these climate hazards. UNICEF urges governments and businesses to listen to children and prioritise actions that protect them from impacts, while accelerating work to dramatically reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The CCRI was developed in collaboration with several partners including the Data for Children Collaborative.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Children will pay the highest costs for the climate crisis

More than one billion children have an "extremely high risk"...

Reporting on climate change is finally falling in line with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plant-science-is-becoming-increasingly-critical-to-society/">science</a>, according to a recent study from the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado at Boulder</a>. The news strikes a hopeful note at a time when trust in media and institutions is at an all time low, though the new paper does single out one outlier - conservative media. 

The practice of balanced reporting is useful when it gives two nuanced perspectives to a contentious issue, but less so when it becomes a platform for denialism and pseudoscience.

“Two decades ago, print media frequently gave equal credence to both legitimate climate experts and outlier climate deniers," explained study lead author Lucy Mcallister.

In collaboration with researchers at the Technological University of Munich and the University of New England, the team examined around 5,000 news articles from the past fifteen years.

The experts found that the political environment often affected the accuracy of climate reporting, with accuracy taking a downturn during the negotiations of the Copenhagen Accord, for example. By contrast, accuracy in reporting increased during the signing of the Paris Agreement. 

Conservative media continues to obfuscate the public’s understanding, but by and large reporting on climate change has improved. 

“Nine out of ten media stories accurately reported the science on human contributions to climate change. It’s not portrayed as a two-sided debate anymore,” said Mcallister. However, this does not mean scientists and climate activists can rest on their laurels.

“Accurate reporting in these print outlets vastly outweighed inaccurate reporting, but this is not a cause for complacency," explained Max Boykoff, director of the Environmental Studies program at CU Boulder.

"The terrain of climate debates has largely shifted in recent years away from mere denial of human contributions to climate change to a more subtle and  ongoing undermining of support for specific policies meant to substantially address climate change.” 

Indeed, without holding media sources, politicians, and those in our immediate circle accountable for the accuracy of their information, the public’s understanding of climate change would be in dire straits. It will take vigilance and a constant reappraisal of our biases. 

“Our work helps provide insights on how the media are portraying human contributions to climate change, yet more clearly must be done," concluded Boykoff.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:rugerpaleo@gmail.com">Alex Ruger</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Reporting on climate change has become more accurate

Reporting on climate change is finally falling in line with...

A new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-021-02505-3">Communications Biology</a> shows that urbanization plays a key role in determining mammalian body size. Scientists at the <a href="https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/">Florida Museum of Natural History</a> have found that city life causes many mammals to grow larger. This contradicts the findings of previous research which claimed that city dwelling mammals get smaller over time. 

Until recently, experts believed that a classic biological principle called <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/bergmann-rule">Bergmann’s Rule</a> could be applied to urban animals. This is the idea that animals living in warmer climates are smaller than members of the same species from colder environments. This would certainly make sense, since cities have higher temperatures than green landscapes (a phenomenon called the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/heatislands">heat island effect</a>).

“In theory, animals in cities should be getting smaller because of these heat island effects, but we didn’t find evidence for this happening in mammals,” said Maggie Hantak, lead study author and a postdoctoral fellow at the Florida Museum. “This paper is a good argument for why we can’t assume Bergmann’s Rule or climate alone is important in determining the size of animals.”

The analysis of nearly 140,500 measurements of body mass and length from over 100 North American mammal species conducted by Dr. Hantak and her colleagues leaves no space for doubt: city dwelling mammals clearly grow larger than their non-urban counterparts, regardless of climatic factors.

“This wasn’t what we expected to find,” said Robert Guralnick, curator of biodiversity informatics at the Florida Museum. “But urbanization represents this new disturbance of the natural landscape that didn’t exist thousands of years ago. It’s important to recognize that it’s having a huge impact.”

While the impact of climate change on mammal body size has been <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nclimate1259/">acknowledged</a> since a decade ago, the effects of urbanization have been ignored. 

“When we think about what’s going to happen to mammalian body size over the next 100 years, a lot of people frame that as global warming causing animals to get smaller,” said Guralnick. “What if that isn’t the biggest effect? What if it’s that urbanization is going to lead to fatter animals?”

The abundance of food, water, and shelter, together with a relative lack of predators, can certainly offer more dining opportunities for many city dwelling mammals. 

Although bigger is generally better from a biological and evolutionary standpoint, more research is needed to assess the long-term effects on urban mammals of eating a rich diet of human food waste. 

---

By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

City dwelling mammals are getting bigger

A new study published in Communications Biology shows that urbanization...

New research conducted by scientists from <a href="https://www.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a> and <a href="https://www.rice.edu/">Rice University</a> has revealed that the Earth’s outer core could be our planet’s largest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/part-of-the-amazon-now-releases-more-carbon-than-it-stores/">carbon</a> reservoir, containing 93 to 95 percent of the total amount of terrestrial carbon. 

Together with hydrogen and oxygen, carbon is one of the most important chemical elements on Earth, and plays a key role in making terrestrial life possible. 

“It’s a natural question to ask where did this carbon that we are all made of comes from and how much carbon was originally supplied when the Earth formed,” said study co-author Mainak Mookherjee, a professor of Geology in the <a href="https://www.eoas.fsu.edu/">Department of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Science</a> at FSU.

 “Where is the bulk of carbon residing now? How has it been residing and how has it transferred between different reservoirs? Understanding the total inventory of carbon is what this study gives us insight to.”

Since humans cannot access the Earth’s core directly, they must use indirect methods to analyze its composition. To determine how much carbon is contained in the Earth’s core, the researchers used computer models.

The team simulated different compositions of iron, carbon and other light elements (including oxygen, sulfur, silicone, hydrogen, and nitrogen) at the temperature and pressure conditions of the Earth’s outer core, and compared them to the known speed of compressional sound waves that are traveling through the Earth.

“When the velocity of the sound waves in our simulations matched the observed velocity of sound waves travelling through the Earth, we knew the simulations were matching the actual chemical composition of the outer core,” said study lead author Suraj Bajgain. 

Based on the computer model simulations, the scientists estimated that 0.3 to 2 percent of the Earth’s outer core consists of carbon. This is quite an impressive amount, considering the immensity of our planet’s outer core. 

More precise knowledge of how much carbon exists on Earth will help to clarify the chemical composition of our own planet, as well as that of other rocky planets throughout the universe.

The research was sponsored by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> and published in the journal Nature (<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-021-00222-7">Communications: Earth and Environment</a>).    

---

By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth’s outer core may be its largest carbon reservoir

New research conducted by scientists from Florida State University and...

While investigating the impacts of pollution in Namibia, researchers have found that hundreds of Cape Fur seals become entangled in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fishing-communities-are-on-the-frontline-of-climate-change/">fishing</a> lines and nets each year.

Dr. Tess Gridley is the co-director of the Namibia Dolphin Project and a senior lecturer in the Department of Botany and Zoology at <a href="https://www.sun.ac.za/">Stellenbosch University</a>. She explained how plastic pollution, particularly lost and discarded fishing nets, can have devastating consequences for marine life.

“Once entangled, these seals face a very painful and uncertain future: finding food becomes harder and wounds can become deep and debilitating, and likely cause death in many cases," said Dr. Gridley.

"Changes to policy could help, such as financial incentives to recover lines, safe disposal of nets and sustainable alternatives to plastics."

The study revealed that a high number of affected animals were pups and juveniles, which were mainly entangled around the neck by fishing line. The overall rate of entanglement was roughly 1 per 500 animals. This rate was similar between the two colonies of Walvis Bay and Cape Cross. 

Between 2018 and March 2020, the disentanglement team was able to free 191 out of the 347 animals that were found to be entangled.

The researchers had limited resources for their work. By comparing low cost methods of data collection, they found that photographic scans of the colonies were a fast and accurate method for collecting data on entangled individuals.

Study lead author Stephanie Curtis said that the impact of plastic pollution in the ocean is devastating. “Seals should not have to suffer this way because of our carelessness with waste."

According to Dr. Simon Elwen, fur seals are especially vulnerable to becoming entangled. “They are very curious and playful animals and will investigate objects in the water, but their thick, backwards facing fur which keeps them warm at sea easily snags lines and straps and stops it falling back off.”

Naudé Dreyer of Ocean Conservation Namibia explained that the project - which was launched in 2018 - is ongoing. “Since the start of 2021 we have already disentangled over 600 fur seals in only two colonies."

"This is the tip of the iceberg. It is imperative that studies such as this highlight the consequences of plastic waste on marine animals, and bring around change for the better."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/marine-pollution-bulletin">Marine Pollution Bulletin</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Cape fur seals are particularly vulnerable to entanglement

While investigating the impacts of pollution in Namibia, researchers have...

As the entire world desperately struggles to contain the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/second-dose-of-the-covid-19-vaccine-is-far-more-powerful/">COVID-19</a> pandemic, a newly established <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/preventing-pandemics-task-force/">International Scientific Task Force</a> has released a <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/c-change/news/PreventingPandemicsResearch/">report</a> that provides recommendations for avoiding future pandemics. 

The international team of experts from the United States, Latin America, South Asia, and Africa says that more sustained investments in nature, such as protecting forests and changing agricultural practices. are essential for preventing future spillovers of pathogens from animals to humans. These conservation actions should be combined with a global effort of strengthening healthcare systems.

Some of the main causes of the emergence of zoonotic diseases with pandemic potential include livestock operations, wildlife hunting and trade, the destruction of tropical forests, the expansion of agricultural lands, rapid urbanization, and climate change. An integrated approach investigating ways to control these risk factors is urgently needed, argued scientists such as Dr. Aaron Bernstein, the leader of the new task force and interim director of the Center for Climate, Health, and the Global Environment at <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard T.C. Chan School of Public Health</a>. 

“COVID-19 was a warning shot from the whole of nature to our species,” said Dr. Bernstein. “We need more precise and affective interventions to prevent spillover, and to get there, we need greater investment in science and actions that prevent disease emergence. What we’ve learned is that our salvation comes cheap. The costs of these actions are a fraction of the cost of managing a pandemic once it emerges.”

Previous <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/369/6502/379">research</a> conducted by Dr. Bernstein and colleagues estimated the annual costs of preventing future pandemics by reducing deforestation and regulating wildlife hunting and trade to be as little as $22 billion a year, which is less than two percent of the costs of responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Beyond increasing control of these potential causes, the task force also asked for more in-depth research about where pandemics are more likely to emerge due to factors such as governance, travel patterns, or population density, and for more sustained investigations of the diversity of wildlife pathogens that could cause zoonotic diseases.

The findings from the task force’s inaugural report will soon be translated into international policy recommendations at the G20 summit from October 2021 and the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26) from November 2021.  

---

By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Investing in nature is needed to avoid the next pandemic

As the entire world desperately struggles to contain the COVID-19...

A new study claims that leaking pipes from Baltimore’s aging infrastructure is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drug-pollution-becomes-addictive-for-fish/">polluting</a> the Chesapeake Bay with thousands of human doses of pharmaceuticals per year. Study lead author Megan Fork is a postdoctoral research associate at <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a>.

“Pharmaceuticals enter freshwaters through multiple pathways, including effluent from wastewater treatment and septic systems, as well as agricultural runoff," said Fork. "An important, but often overlooked contributor is aging and faulty wastewater infrastructure, which is common in many older cities.”

To understand the amount of pharmaceuticals entering the environment from leaking pipes alone, the scientists chose to research the Gwynns Falls watershed, a location where no wastewater is discharged. The researchers monitored six sites in the watershed, taking samples every week for a year and screening for 92 pharmaceutical compounds. 

Across all of the sites, 37 compounds were found. Pain relievers and antibiotics were commonly detected in the water samples. “Establishing the loads of contaminants such as pharmaceuticals is important since low concentrations may mislead regulators and managers into thinking that they are insignificant," explained Fork.

"In Baltimore we are already seeing that stream-dwelling bacteria are resistant to common antibiotics, suggesting that low chronic exposures can result in significant effects on stream life.”

Study senior co-author Emma Rosi noted that this study can be scaled up to look at an entire region.

“We estimate that nearly 1 percent of raw sewage originating in the Gwynns Falls watershed flows into the environment via leaking infrastructure. If we extrapolate our calculations to the entire Chesapeake Bay watershed, we estimate that approximately 11.7 billion liters of raw sewage may enter the Bay via leaks every year - carrying a range of pharmaceutical compounds that can affect aquatic organisms and disrupt ecosystem processes," said Rosi.

The scientists point out that the research is important because it highlights the threat of uncommon "pollution pathways" rather than just the usual suspects. We must look at everything if we are aiming to maintain healthy environments. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>

---

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Leaking pipes in Baltimore polluting the Chesapeake Bay

A new study claims that leaking pipes from Baltimore’s aging...

If ozone depleting substances - such as the notorious chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) - had been left unchecked several decades ago, their continued and increased use would have had a catastrophic effect on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/exceeding-tipping-points-could-triple-the-costs-of-climate-change/">climate</a>, according to a new study led by Dr. Paul Young from <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>.

The <a href="https://www.unep.org/ozonaction/who-we-are/about-montreal-protocol">Montreal Protocol</a>, a landmark multilateral environmental agreement regulating the production and consumption of nearly 100 man-made ozone depleting substances, was adopted in 1987 in order to stop the destruction of the ozone layer. This is Earth’s protective shield against harmful ultraviolet radiation from the sun (UV). 

Using a new modeling framework that integrated data on ozone depletion, the carbon cycle, vegetation damage by increased UV, and climate change, the researchers estimated that if CFCs had not been banned by the Montreal Protocol, we would have witnessed a worldwide collapse of the ozone layer by the 2040s. 

“Our new modeling tools, have allowed us to investigate the scorched Earth that would have resulted without the Montreal Protocol’s ban on ozone depleting substances," said Dr. Young.

In such a bleak scenario, which the team calls the "World Avoided," the strength of the sun’s UV in mid-latitudes (including large parts of Europe, the United States and Central Asia) would significantly surpass that from present day’s tropics by 2050, and by 2100 the ozone above the tropics would be diminished by 60 percent. 

“A world where these chemicals increased and continued to strip away at our protective ozone layer would have been catastrophic for human health, but also for vegetation. The increased UV would have massively stunted the ability of plants to soak up carbon from the atmosphere, meaning higher CO2 levels and more global warming,” stated Dr. Young. 

Without the Montreal Protocol’s ban on CFCs, there would have been 580 billion tons less carbon stored in vegetation and soils, and an additional 40 to 50 percent of CO2  in the atmosphere. This would have contributed to a 2.5°C rise in global air temperatures by the end of the 21st century. 

“With our research, we can see that the Montreal Protocol successes extend beyond protecting humanity from increased UV to protecting the ability of plants and trees to absorb CO2,” concluded Dr. Young. 

This should be a reminder for all of us that, although it is too late to avoid global warming, collective action can help avoiding some of climate change’s most catastrophic effects.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">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

Ban on ozone depleting substances prevented catastrophic consequences

If ozone depleting substances - such as the notorious chlorofluorocarbons...

As most know, bees are important <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-spaces-provide-a-refuge-for-urban-pollinators/">pollinators</a> for both crops and wild plants. It’s unknown exactly how climate change may impact bees. Now, researchers from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> have examined the relationship between bee flight and temperature. 

The researchers measured bumblebee motivation to fly and flight endurance under different temperatures. The research was carried out by attaching the insects to ‘flight mills’ where they could fly in controlled circles with speed and distance being recorded. 

Starting with a low temperature limit of 12°C, the scientists found that bee flight performance initially increased, peaking between 25-27°C, but then started to decline with even warmer temperatures. 

This suggests that climate change could actually be good news for bumblebees living in cooler areas. According to study first author Daniel Kenna, the impacts of warming climate on bees is complicated.

“Climate change is often thought of as being negative for bumblebee species, but depending on where in the world they are, our work suggests it is possible bumblebees will see benefits to aspects of an important behavior," explained Kenna.

"However, more extreme weather events, such as cold snaps and the unprecedented heatwaves experienced in recent years, could consistently push temperatures beyond the comfortable flight range for certain species of bumblebees."

"These risks are particularly pertinent for ‘fixed colony’ pollinators like bumblebees, which cannot shift their position within a season if conditions become unfavorable, and potentially provide a further explanation as to why losses have been observed at species’ southern range limits.”

The study found that at optimal temperatures, bees may fly as far as 3 km to forage, while under hot temperatures they only flew about 1 km, and even less and colder temperatures. 

The research indicates that an increase in temperature could mean an increase in pollination in cooler areas, but could cause severe harm to bees in areas that are already warm. The full picture of what the future holds for bees remains to be seen.   

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652435">Functional Ecology</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

Bee flight performance drops under extreme heat

As most know, bees are important pollinators for both crops...

The Colorado River is a major source of water in the arid western United States. To support higher populations of people and development on such a finite resource, the Colorado River has been dammed and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-reservoirs-generate-much-higher-emissions-than-expected/">reservoirs</a> have been created. One of the more famous reservoirs, Lake Mead, created by the Hoover Dam, is drying out. The reservoir is now only 35 percent full, the lowest it's been since it was first filled in the 30’s.

This low point for the reservoir is part of a long-standing drought that is now in its 22nd year. Similar dry conditions may be the norm with climate change in the foreseeable future. Growing human populations and wasteful water practices have only thrown gasoline on the fire. 

While water shortages in the American West are a surprise to no one, the drop in Lake Mead has caught the region unprepared and triggered water allotment cuts, causing ten state governors to ask President Biden to declare an emergency. Such a declaration would allow some farmers and ranchers access to federal assistance. 

Arizona will have its access to the Colorado River water reduced by 18 percent and Nevada will be reduced by 7 percent. Water released into Mexico under a treaty signed in 1944 will be reduced by 5 percent. 

Recently, small surges of Colorado River water have been able to reach the Gulf of California and wild habitats that have been under severe stress due to damming and water usage upstream. With water levels slated to drop even further in the coming years, it seems likely that these estuaries will suffer even more. 

Humans will also be forced to deal with the realities of this catastrophe of their own making. The first tier water cuts, set to impact Arizona, Nevada and Mexico, will possibly become more restrictive in the next phase, with more restrictions expected as soon as 2023.

It seems that in the West we may be coming to terms with a long legacy of water misuse and the new threat of a changing climate.         

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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

Running dry: water shortages in the Colorado River

The Colorado River is a major source of water in...

The reality of global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/clouds-have-an-amplifying-effect-on-global-warming/">warming</a> can no longer be denied, and the potential consequences for Arctic ecosystems are not yet clearly understood. 

As the Arctic Ocean, North Pole, and the surrounding land warm up rapidly, shrinking sea ice allows increasingly more light to reach the surface of the ocean. Some scholars claim that this will lead to the proliferation of surface plankton, a crucial food source for aquatic animals.

However, researchers from <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> and the Max Plank Institute for Chemistry propose that this argument is erroneous. The growth of plankton is strongly tied to the presence of nitrogen, a vital nutrient which - in the context of accelerated global warming - will become increasingly scarce.

As ice melts, photosynthesizing plankton should theoretically benefit from the greater amount of light hitting the ocean waters. “But there’s a catch,” said Professor Julie Granger from the University of Connecticut. “These plankton also need nutrients to grow, and nutrients are only abundant deeper in the Arctic Ocean, just beyond the reach of the plankton.” 

And whether the plankton can access these nutrients relies on the level of stratification of the upper ocean. 

“When the upper ocean is strongly stratified, with very light water floating on top of dense deep water, the supply of nutrients to the sunlit surface is slow,” explained study lead author Jesse Farmer.

The researchers analyzed fossilized plankton in an effort to map the history of Arctic Ocean stratification since the last ice age. They discovered that when the ice age ended 11,500 years ago, the Arctic Ocean became strongly stratified, reaching a peak between 10,000 and 6,000 years ago, a warm period called the “<a href="https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/global-warming/mid-holocene-warm-period">Holocene Thermal Maximum</a>.” 

Since then, with temperatures gradually falling, the Arctic stratification has weakened, allowing sufficient amounts of nitrogen to rise to the surface and sustain the plankton.

Today, this trend is reversing yet again. Global warming is quickly bringing the climate of Arctic ecosystems back to that of the Holocene Thermal Maximum, causing a strong stratification of the upper ocean, and thus preventing surface plankton from receiving a sufficient amount of nitrogen. 

With plankton diminishing, life in the Arctic Ocean becomes increasingly precarious, proving once more the imminent dangers caused by global warming. 

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41561-021-00789-y">Nature Geoscience</a>.

---

By <a href="mailto:andrei.ionescu5891@gmail.com">Andrei Ionescu</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Arctic ecosystems are endangered by global warming

The reality of global warming can no longer be denied,...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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