The world’s seas have long acted as a planetary safety net, soaking up excess heat and roughly a quarter of all human-generated carbon dioxide. 



Yet this crucial buffer is anything but uniform. Some waters capture carbon, others release it, and the balance can swing in a matter of days.



Until now, most global maps blurred those variations into month-long snapshots at coarse, 100-kilometer grids. 



A new satellite-driven product called <a href="https://essd.copernicus.org/articles/13/777/2021/">OceanSODA-ETHZ</a> changes that picture, offering eight-day updates at 25-kilometer resolution and revealing the ocean <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-carbon-sinks-are-being-pushed-to-their-limits/">carbon sink</a> in unprecedented detail.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellites-fill-ocean-carbon-gaps">Satellites fill ocean carbon gaps</h2>



Direct readings of surface-water CO2 come from ships and buoys, leaving vast gaps in space and time.



“Increasing the resolution of these global datasets is challenging because the number of direct measurements of carbon dioxide at the ocean’s surface is rather sparse across all regions and times,” explained project co-leader Nicolas Gruber of ETH Zurich.



To fill those gaps, Gruber’s team paired the in situ data with a suite of Earth-observation satellites that sense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-are-substantially-changing-the-seasons-of-the-ocean/">sea-surface temperature</a>, color, wind, and more - variables tightly linked to how much CO2 water can hold.



Feeding that information into a cascade of machine-learning algorithms produced a fine-grained, eight-day global mosaic.



“This new version maps the parameters of the ocean carbon system every eight days at a resolution of about 25 by 25 kilometers, more than 30 times finer than previous products,” Gruber said.



“A critical part of the approach is the use of satellite data, which provides detailed information to interpolate the measurements in time and space.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellites-track-ocean-carbon-changes">Satellites track ocean carbon changes</h2>



Presented this week at <a href="https://lps25.esa.int/">ESA’s Living Planet Symposium</a>, the dataset already highlights dramatic short-term swings. 



An animation released by the team tracks the 2017 Atlantic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-hurricanes-help-oceans-fight-climate-change/">hurricane</a> season, when storms such as Maria and Irma churned deep, carbon-rich waters to the surface.



<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/cEUvoY8krHM?si=cX1giVtLnycyFKqr
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Animation generated using the new OceanSODA-ETHZv2 product by Luke Gregor, Jamie Shutler and Nicolas Gruber</figcaption></figure>



In the visualization, red plumes - areas where the sea outgasses CO2 - flare beneath the swirling wind arrows, then fade as cooler, oxygen-laden surface layers return.



Jamie Shutler from the University of Exeter, while not involved in developing the product, is already using it for storm studies.



“Thanks to its fine detail, the dataset can help us separate and understand the influence of events like hurricanes - where deep water, often high in carbon, can be forced to rise to the surface - which can cause sudden spikes or changes in surface ocean carbon dioxide levels,” said Shutler.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-new-view-of-ocean-acidification">A new view of ocean acidification</h2>



Every molecule of CO2 that the ocean absorbs reacts with seawater, lowering pH and shifting carbonate chemistry in ways that erode coral skeletons, thin oyster shells, and alter plankton communities.



Until now, researchers tracking this “other CO2 problem” relied on sparse records or coarse climatologies. 



OceanSODA-ETHZ delivers near-real-time fields of surface pH and carbonate ions, letting scientists watch <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-acidification-is-spreading-into-deeper-waters/">acidification</a> pulses unfold as upwelling, rainfall, or melting sea ice change local chemistry.



Because the product also extends back to 1985, analysts can mine four decades of fine-scale variability to see where buffers are weakening and hotspots are emerging. 



Those insights can feed into fisheries management, coastal planning, and global carbon-budget assessments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-esa-powers-new-ocean-maps">ESA powers new ocean maps</h2>



The dataset is the latest deliverable from <a href="https://eo4society.esa.int/">ESA’s FutureEO “Science for Society” program</a>, which funds innovative uses of satellite records.



“The fact that we can use this method to gain new insights into the exchange of carbon dioxide between the ocean and atmosphere - and on the ocean acidification altogether - is a great step forward in ocean science,” said Roberto Sabia, an ocean scientist at <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth">ESA Earth-Observation</a>. 



Gruber and colleagues emphasize that OceanSODA-ETHZ is not a static atlas but a living product that can assimilate new ship measurements and leverage upcoming satellite missions.



Higher-resolution sensors such as <a href="https://pace.gsfc.nasa.gov/">NASA’s PACE</a> and <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/Copernicus/Copernicus_Sentinel_Expansion_missions">ESA’s Copernicus Expansion</a> promise even clearer views of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plankton-help-predict-ocean-biodiversity-losses/">plankton</a> blooms, sea-surface roughness, and dissolved organic matter - all factors that modulate carbon exchange.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forecasts-of-regional-carbon-uptake">Forecasts of regional carbon uptake</h2>



Ultimately, the goal is to couple these detailed maps with ocean-atmosphere models, yielding short-term forecasts of regional carbon uptake akin to daily weather predictions.



Such tools could alert coastal managers when acidification thresholds are likely to be breached or help negotiators refine national emissions budgets by tracking natural carbon sinks more precisely.



For now, the new product already reshapes our understanding of the ocean’s role in moderating climate. 



Where earlier charts smoothed over crucial dynamics, OceanSODA-ETHZ reveals a living, breathing carbon landscape - one where swirling eddies, roaring storms, and shifting <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/small-ocean-currents-play-a-huge-role-in-earths-climate/">currents</a> all leave their stamp on the planet’s most important carbon reservoir.



Image Credit: ESA



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Satellites reveal how oceans absorb carbon in unprecedented detail

The world’s seas have long acted as a planetary safety net, soaking up excess heat and roughly a quarter of all human-generated carbon dioxide. Yet this crucial buffer is anything but uniform. Some waters capture carbon, others release it, and the balance can swing in a matter of days. Until now, most global maps blurred those variations into month-long snapshots at coarse, 100-kilometer grids. A new satellite-driven product called OceanSODA-ETHZ changes that picture, offering eight-day updates at 25-kilometer resolution and revealing the ocean carbon sink in unprecedented...

The body of evidence showing links between prenatal exposure to air pollution and poor academic outcomes in adolescents is growing. 

In a recent longitudinal study from the <a href="https://www.publichealth.columbia.edu/">Columbia Mailman School of Public Health</a>, maternal exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) was monitored during the third trimester of pregnancy. This is a time when a fetus is particularly sensitive to environmental conditions. 

The 200 children subsequently born were tested at age 10 for levels of inhibitory control, and again at age 13 for academic achievement in areas including spelling, reading comprehension, and math. 

Inhibitory control is an important factor when a child learns a new skill or concept. Very often, a new and different rule must supersede an old, familiar rule in order to progress. 

Across all the participants, higher levels of prenatal exposure to PAH were associated with poorer inhibitory skills. This implies that exposure to high levels of PAH renders a child less capable of replacing a familiar response with a new, more unusual one.  

The ability to self-regulate in this way is crucial during the acquisition of academic skills. In this study, poor inhibitory control was associated with worse spelling, worse reading comprehension, and worse math skills. 

Study first author Professor Amy Margolis is an associate professor of Medical Psychology in the Department of Psychiatry at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. 

&nbsp;

"By compromising childhood inhibitory control, prenatal exposure to air pollution may alter the foundation upon which later academic skills are built,” said Professor Margolis.

&nbsp;

Inhibitory control can thus be seen as a mediator in the relationship between air pollution and poor academic achievement. Those exposed to high levels of air pollution suffer poor inhibitory control and therefore struggle to learn new concepts and skills.

The findings may ultimately lead to the development of interventions to help students to improve their academic outcomes. 

"When evaluating students’ learning problems and formulating treatment plans, parents and teachers should consider that academic problems related to environmental exposures may require intervention focused on inhibitory control problems, rather than on content-related skill deficits, as is typical in interventions designed to address learning disabilities," said Professor Margolis.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/environmental-research">Environmental Research</a>.

---

By <a href="http://bosman@truewan.co.za">Alison Bosman</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution exposure linked to poor academic achievement

The body of evidence showing links between prenatal exposure to...

Part of the Amazon rainforest has been transformed into a significant source of carbon dioxide emissions, according to a long-term study. Experts at <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">NOAA</a> report that deforestation in eastern Brazil has led to less rainfall and hotter temperatures, which has flipped the forest from a carbon sink to a source of carbon dioxide. 

Based on nearly 10 years of CO2 measurements, the researchers found that the most deforested parts of the eastern Amazon - mainly in the southeast - are releasing more carbon than they store. 

“On the other hand, the wetter, more intact western and central Amazon, was neither a carbon sink nor source of atmospheric CO2 , with the absorption by healthy forests balancing the emissions from fires," explained study co-author and NOAA scientist John Miller. 

The Amazon is made up of 2.8 million square miles of jungle and represents more than half of the remaining tropical forest on the planet. Scientists estimate that the Amazon locks up about 123 billion tons of carbon, both above and below ground.

In 2010, study lead author Luciana Gatti and an international team of experts set out to investigate whether the combined effects of climate change and land conversion is compromising the Amazon’s ability to store carbon.

“The regions of southern Pará and northern Mato Grosso states represent a worst-case scenario,” said Gatti. 

The southeast region of the Amazon has experienced 30 percent deforestation over the last four decades. Nine years of airborne measurements showed that this region is a net emitter of carbon. On the other hand,   the western portion of the rainforest has experienced less clearing still serves as a carbon sink. 

According to the researchers, the increased emissions were likely due to the fires that are used to convert jungle to cropland, and by reduced uptake of CO2 by the trees that remained. 

“The big question this research raises is if the connection between climate, deforestation, and carbon that we see in the eastern Amazon could one day be the fate of the central and western Amazon, if they become subject to stronger human impact,” said Miller.  

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

Part of the Amazon now releases more carbon than it stores

Part of the Amazon rainforest has been transformed into a...

High tide floods - those caused by especially high tides - are a growing threat in the United States and elsewhere. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reported more than 600 high tide floods in 2019 alone. 

A new study from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> predicts that high tide floods will become much more widespread across the coast of the U.S. in the 2030’s. The projections are based on a combination of rising sea levels and lunar cycles. 

“Low-lying areas near sea level are increasingly at risk and suffering due to the increased flooding, and it will only get worse,” said NASA Administrator Bill Nelson. 

“The combination of the Moon’s gravitational pull, rising sea levels, and climate change will continue to exacerbate coastal flooding on our coastlines and across the world. NASA’s Sea Level Change Team is providing crucial information so that we can plan, protect, and prevent damage to the environment and people’s livelihoods affected by flooding.” 

Flooding like this seems more benign than that caused by major storms. However, high tide floods are predicted to have major impacts, disrupting commerce and causing health threats.

One of the major causes of the increase in high tide flooding is due to a wobble in the moon’s orbit that occurs on an 18.6 year cycle. The wobble was first noticed by scientists in 1728. The reason that the wobble will be especially problematic in the 2030’s is due to higher sea levels from a warmer climate. 

During half of the year the moon’s cycle tides are suppressed, and the tides are heightened during the other half. We are in a part of the cycle now where tides are made higher than usual. Only now, the ocean levels haven’t yet risen to the point they are predicted to be at in 2030, so there’s still relatively little flooding. 

Study co-author Ben Hamlington of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory is the leader of the Sea Level Change Team. He noted that the findings of the new study are a vital resource for coastal urban planners, who may be focused on preparing for extreme events rather than more high-tide floods.

“From a planning perspective, it’s important to know when we’ll see an increase,” said Hamlington. “Understanding that all your events are clustered in a particular month, or you might have more severe flooding in the second half of a year than the first - that’s useful information.” 

The scientists hope that this new information is used wisely for planning and decision making.     

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

The moon’s wobbles will cause a surge in high tide flooding

High tide floods - those caused by especially high tides...

The rising sea levels and extreme storms associated with climate change pose a major threat to the world's river deltas, as well as to the hundreds of millions of people that live on them. 

A new study from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> has looked into the drastic flood prevention measures that governments are taking to protect society and its infrastructure.

According to the study authors, these policies can harm the natural environment and lead to loss of precious land. 

The researchers have created an analysis tool that seeks to preserve the environmental and commercial viability of river deltas. The ultimate goal is to balance the natural function of river deltas with landscape stability.

"By restricting river channels on deltas, we have limited the delivery of sediment to the coast where it is needed to sustain land in the face of rising sea level," said study lead author Andrew Moodie. 

"The irony here is that by preventing the river from flooding naturally, we have exacerbated land loss, and in the long run, made society more susceptible to catastrophic floods."

The experts pointed out that levees and other flood prevention measures are often placed near the coast because it costs less and minimizes the impact on major population centers. However, they explained, these downstream locations restrict the natural function of delta land building, which requires sediment to reach the coast.

The study has found that in order to maximize the effectiveness of diversions, structures need to be placed farther upstream than existing structures - which are often away from population centers and near the coast. Building diversions upstream, however, is usually more expensive and displaces more people.

"A lot of studies have said that society, in particular major cities like New Orleans, is doomed, and that engineering efforts leveraging nature-based solutions can't coexist with large population centers," said Moodie. 

"What we've shown with our optimizable framework is that having cities nearby actually makes it even easier to justify doing these large projects, because they protect communities."

The study is published in the journal <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

Protecting river deltas and the people who live on them

The rising sea levels and extreme storms associated with climate...

The oldest fossils of methane-cycling microbes have been discovered by an international team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.unibo.it/en">University of Bologna</a>. The microbes lived 3.42 billion years ago in a hydrothermal system beneath the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mysterious-ocean-plastic-sink-is-no-longer-missing/">ocean</a> floor. 

According to the researchers, the fossils represent the oldest evidence for this type of life. The microbes push the boundaries of potentially habitable environments on early Earth, as well as on other planets.

The experts analyzed microfossil specimens in a rock collected from the Barberton Greenstone Belt in South Africa, which is known for containing some of the oldest sedimentary rocks on the planet.

The analysis revealed that the fossils have a chemically and structurally distinct core that is consistent with a cell wall or membrane around intracellular or cytoplasmic matter.

"We found exceptionally well-preserved evidence of fossilized microbes that appear to have flourished along the walls of cavities created by warm water from hydrothermal systems a few meters below the seafloor," said study lead author Professor Barbara Cavalazzi.

"Sub-surface habitats, heated by volcanic activity, are likely to have hosted some of Earth's earliest microbial ecosystems and this is the oldest example that we have found to date."

When the colder ocean water interacted with warmer hydrothermal fluids, this could have potentially created multiple micro-habitats. The researchers noted that clusters of filaments were found in the walls of the cavity, and individual filaments were spread across the cavity floor.

The filaments were found to contain most of the major elements necessary for life. Furthermore, nickel concentrations were comparable to that of modern microbes, known as Archaea prokaryotes, which can live without oxygen and use methane for their metabolism.

"Although we know that Archaea prokaryotes can be fossilized, we have extremely limited direct examples. Our findings could extend the record of Archaea fossils for the first time into the era when life first emerged on Earth," said Professor Cavalazzi.

"As we also find similar environments on Mars, the study also has implications for astrobiology and the chances of finding life beyond Earth."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Methane-cycling microbes lived on Earth billions of years ago

The oldest fossils of methane-cycling microbes have been discovered by...

Waterfleas are known to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/physical-changes-in-birds-evolved-separately-from-earlier-migrations/">evolve</a> incredibly quickly in response to predation. In a new study from the <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/index.aspx">University of Birmingham</a>, researchers have taken a close look at 300 variable genes that make up roughly three percent of the waterflea genome. 

These variable genes seem to be the basis for life-saving changes in behavior and life history that come as a response to predators. The changes spread through a population very quickly - within only a couple of generations.

Rapid genetic changes are possible because of high genetic diversity that is already present in the population. 

"We were able to quantify the genetic diversity of one particular Daphnia population over nearly two decades and show clearly how rapid evolution took place in response to environmental pressures," said lead researcher Dr. Anurag Chaturvedi.

"This type of research will be invaluable for understanding the potential impacts of future environmental changes on animal populations."

The study highlights the importance of genetic diversity in a population of animals, and could translate into conservation decision making. Waterfleas themselves are important to the ecology of freshwater ponds as integral strands of the food web.  

The waterfleas were reared and exposed to fish, their genetics closely monitored to show changes to the genome in direct response to fish predation. 

Interestingly, the research showed that no more than five waterfleas from a regional set were required to supply enough genetic diversity to allow anti-predation evolutionary responses. These results show that genetic diversity in quickly evolving animals can be maintained at the landscape level, an important lesson for conservation biology.   

"Our ability to investigate populations that evolve across decades is invaluable for both fundamental and applied science discoveries," said Dr. Chaturvedi.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>. 

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Waterfleas evolve in just a couple of generations

Waterfleas are known to evolve incredibly quickly in response to...

Global warming is increasing temperatures across Earth, and experts are investigating how this will affect heat-related mortality. A recent study from the <a href="https://www.isglobal.org/en">Barcelona Institute for Global Health</a> (ISGlobal) concluded that while global warming will inevitably reduce cold-attributable mortality, this will be severely offset by an increase in deaths caused by high temperatures. 

The researchers utilized temperature-attributable mortality data from 16 European countries between 1998-2012 as a baseline. More than seven percent of all deaths in this period were attributed to temperature, with cold temperatures having a higher impact by a factor of 10. 

Using this information, the team combined four climate models to make projections through the end of the century under three different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. 

"All of the models show a progressive increase in temperatures and, consequently, a decrease in cold-attributable mortality and an increase in heat-attributable deaths," explained study co-lead author Èrica Martínez.

The study suggests that all heat-related mortality could be reduced through immediate and effective mitigation measures. However, ISGlobal researcher Joan Ballester emphasized the importance of this mitigation being global. She noted that efforts will not be effective if they are only adopted in specific countries or regions.

Whilst global warming is affecting all regions of the world, Europe is facing the highest rates of occurrence, with Mediterranean countries being particularly vulnerable. 

"In recent decades, warming has occurred at a faster rate in Europe than any other continent. The incidence of this phenomenon is uneven, with Mediterranean countries being more vulnerable than the rest," said study co-lead author Marcos Quijal.

"Our models also project a disproportionate increase in heat-attributable mortality in Mediterranean countries, due to a significant rise in summer temperatures and this greater vulnerability to heat."

The projections suggest that, without global mitigation measures, the total number of temperature-attributable deaths will stabilize and even decrease in the coming years, but this will be followed by a very sharp increase sometime between the middle and the end of the century depending on greenhouse gas emissions, explained Martínez.

The study was carried out within the framework of EARLY-ADAPT, a project funded by the European Research Council (ERC). EARLY-ADAPT aims to improve its projections by analyzing the social factors and inequalities in adaptation to climate change and incorporating these factors into its climate and epidemiological models.

"Our findings underscore the urgency of adopting global mitigation measures, since they will not be effective if they are only adopted in specific countries or regions," said Ballester. 

"Moreover, one decisive factor not included in our models is our capacity to adapt to new scenarios, which is already helping to reduce our vulnerability to temperatures."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/home">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.

---

By <a href="http://calumvaughan05@gmail.com">Calum Vaughan</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Immediate action needed to prevent heat-related mortality

Global warming is increasing temperatures across Earth, and experts are...

A recent study published by <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/">Frontiers</a> has calculated the amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/common-plastics-emit-greenhouse-gases/">greenhouse gases</a> produced by major cities globally, including 167 urban areas in various stages of development. According to the researchers, cities make up only two percent of Earth’s surface but are outsized producers of greenhouse gases. 

“Nowadays, more than 50 percent of the global population resides in cities," said study co-author Dr. Shaoqing Chen of Sun Yat-sen University. "Cities are reported to be responsible for more than 70 percent of GHG emissions, and they share a big responsibility for the decarbonization of the global economy."

"Current inventory methods used by cities vary globally, making it hard to assess and compare the progress of emission mitigation over time and space.”

The study found that the 25 top-emitting cities were responsible for 52 percent of all urban greenhouse gases, with cities in Europe, Australia and the United States contributing more gases per capita than cities in developing areas. 

Of the 42 sites where greenhouse gases were monitored over time, 30 had decreased their greenhouse gas emissions during the study period. In several urban areas, however, there was an increase in emissions.

Overall, 113 of the 167 cities monitored have established a greenhouse gas reduction goal, and 40 of them are striving to reach carbon neutrality. 

Unfortunately, the world is a long way from reaching many greenhouse gas reduction goals, including the targets that were established in the Paris Agreement. 

The study authors recommend an approach of looking more closely at where greenhouse gases are coming from in each city - whether from transportation, waste treatment or household electricity usage. With more information, more targeted mitigation can take place. Only through a logical approach can we reduce greenhouse gases.    

The researchers also identified some of the most important sources of greenhouse gas emissions. "Breaking down the emissions by sector can inform us what actions should be prioritized to reduce emissions from buildings, transportation, industrial processes and other sources," said Dr. Chen.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-cities">Frontiers in Sustainable Cities</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Half of urban greenhouse gas emissions linked to 25 cities

A recent study published by Frontiers has calculated the amount...

A new study calculated the benefit of coastal environments in terms of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-could-release-much-more-carbon-than-expected/">carbon</a> uptake. The researchers concluded that coastal ecosystems in Australia, Indonesia and the U.S. take up the most carbon worldwide.

Unfortunately, the experts found that Australia and Indonesia gain little of the benefit from the carbon uptake of their own coastal ecosystems. 

Study co-author Wilfried Rickels is the head of the Global Commons and Climate Policy Research Center at the Kiel Institute. 

"If we take into account the differences in marginal climate damages that occur in each country, we find that Australia and Indonesia are clearly the largest donors in terms of globally avoided climate damages originating from coastal CO2 uptake, as they themselves derive comparatively little benefit from the high storage potential of their coasts," said Rickels.

"The U.S., on the other hand, also store a lot of carbon in their coastal ecosystems, but at the same time benefit the most from natural sinks behind India and China. In monetary terms, the three countries realize annual welfare gains of about 26.4 billion US dollar (India), 16.6 billion US dollar (China) and 14.7 billion US dollar (U.S.) thanks to global coastal ecosystems and the resulting lower climate impact costs."

The benefits were calculated using an estimate of the social costs of carbon, which includes the sum of natural and human created carbon stocks. The estimates also accounted for how differently each nation is impacted by carbon and extension climate change. 

&nbsp;

The study did not look at the overall net impact of each nation. When other carbon sinks and emissions are considered, Indonesia, Australia and the United States do not rank as beneficial - meaning they emit more carbon than is stored in their coastal ecosystems. 

When this more full picture of carbon emissions and sinks is considered, Guinea-Bissau, Belize, Vanuatu, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Guinea, Comoros, Samoa, Madagascar, and Papua New Guinea are the only nations that store more carbon in coastal environments than they emit. 

The study emphasized that coastal ecosystems have many other wonderful benefits beyond storing carbon. 

"Coastal ecosystems are an essential component of marine ecosystems and are therefore particularly important for marine biodiversity and for fisheries," said study lead author Martin Quaas of <a href="https://www.idiv.de/en/index.html">iDiv</a>. "At the same time, they contribute to flood and coastal protection and are therefore important for adaptation to climate change."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner </a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coastal ecosystems are important carbon sinks

A new study calculated the benefit of coastal environments in...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a> have just solved the mystery of how multicellular life appeared at a time when the Earth's climate was the most hostile it has ever been. The experts report that complex life was able to emerge, and even thrive, in an inhospitable climate due to changes in Earth's orbit. 

In collaboration with colleagues in the Chinese Academy of Sciences, Curtin University, University of Hong Kong, and the University of Tübingen, the researchers studied rocks from a time when most of Earth's surface was covered in ice. This period of "Snowball Earth" lasted for more than 50 million years. 

"One of the most fundamental challenges to the Snowball Earth theory is that life seems to have survived," said study co-author Dr. Thomas Gernon. "So, either it didn't happen, or life somehow avoided a bottleneck during the severe glaciation."

The researchers analyzed glacial rocks that formed about 700 million years ago in what is now the South Australian outback. These rocks showed that during Snowball Earth, ice sheets extended as far as the equator, which means that the icy shell almost completely covered the planet. 

The experts then focused on banded iron formations - sedimentary rocks consisting of alternating layers of iron-rich and silica-rich material. These rocks were deposited in the ice-covered ocean.

According to the study authors, the frozen ocean would have been entirely cut off from the atmosphere during the snowball glaciation. The lack of normal interactions between the air and the ocean would have caused a lack of normal climate variations.  

"This was called the 'sedimentary challenge' to the Snowball hypothesis," explained study lead author Professor Ross Mitchell. "The highly variable rock layers appeared to show cycles that looked a lot like climate cycles associated with the advance and retreat of ice sheets." 

This level of climate variability seemed to contradict the theory of an icy shell that engulfed the entire ocean.

"The iron comes from hydrothermal vents on the seafloor," said Dr. Gernon. "Normally, the atmosphere oxidizes any iron immediately, so banded iron formations typically do not accumulate. But during the Snowball, with the ocean cut off from the air, iron was able to accumulate enough for them to form."

The experts measured the extent to which the rocks had become magnetized from exposure to Earth's magnetic field. They discovered that the layered rocks contained evidence of nearly all orbital cycles.

The tilt and wobble of Earth's spin axis change in cycles as our planet orbits the Sun. The cyclic changes alter the climate by modifying the amount of incoming solar radiation that reaches Earth's surface.

"Even though Earth's climate system behaved very differently during the Snowball, Earth's orbital variations would have been blissfully unaware and just continued to do their thing," explained Professor Mitchell.

The researchers concluded that changes in Earth's orbit allowed fluctuations in the ice sheets, and ice-free regions periodically developed on Snowball Earth.

"This finding resolves one of the major contentions with the snowball Earth hypothesis: the long-standing observation of significant sedimentary variability during the snowball Earth glaciations appeared at odds with such an extreme reduction of the hydrological cycle," said Professor Mitchell.

The results can help to explain the enigmatic presence of sedimentary rocks of this age that show evidence for flowing water at Earth's surface when this water should have been locked up in ice sheets. "This observation is important, because complex multicellular life is now known to have originated during this period of climate crisis, but previously we could not explain why," said Dr. Gernon.

"Our study points to the existence of ice-free 'oases' in the snowball ocean that provided a sanctuary for animal life to survive arguably the most extreme climate event in Earth history."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</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

Changes in Earth's tilt led to the emergence of complex life

Researchers at the University of Southampton have just solved the...

A new study from <a href="https://www.swansea.ac.uk/">Swansea University</a> reveals that coastal wetlands provide even more flood protection than previously realized. Beyond filtering water and creating habitats for fish, coastal wetlands protect coastal communities from flooding. 

The experts used computer simulations to demonstrate that wetlands located in estuaries, such as salt marshes, can reduce flooding levels by up to two meters. The projections also show that these types of wetlands provide protection far inland up estuary channels.

According to the researchers, the simulated benefits they observed could save up to $38 million in avoided flood damage costs per estuary during a large storm.

The research is particularly relevant today as urban development poses increasing threats to coastal wetlands. At the same time, 22 of the world's largest 32 cities - including London and New York - are built on low-lying land around estuaries. 

Flooding is a growing threat to low-lying cities as climate change ramps up the intensity and frequency of storms.

"Our study shows that coastal wetlands play a crucial role in reducing storm-driven flooding in estuaries. They are nature's flood defenses and we need them now more than ever," said Dr. Tom Fairchild.

Previous studies have focused on wetlands along open coastlines, where the plants absorb wave energy and help keep waves from pushing inland. 

The experts found that coastal wetlands play a much bigger role in storm flood prevention. In addition to absorbing wave energy, these wetlands reduce storm surges as they move up estuary channels.

"Our work shows that when big storms hit, nature works extra hard for us, preventing or reducing coastal flooding for free," said study co-author Dr. John Griffin. "The upshot is, by protecting and restoring coastal wetlands, we help protect ourselves from the growing threat of flooding. It's a no-brainer."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</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

Coastal wetlands are a powerful weapon against flooding

A new study from Swansea University reveals that coastal wetlands...

Giant pandas have been removed from China's critically <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/two-new-species-of-screech-owls-are-already-critically-endangered/">endangered</a> species list after more than three decades of conservation efforts to save them. With about 1,800 individuals now living in the wild, the giant panda species is now classified as vulnerable. 

Cui Shuhong, the head of the <a href="https://english.mee.gov.cn/">Ministry of Ecology and Environment</a>, said at a press conference on Wednesday that the new classification comes after Beijing carried out some major activities and measures to protect biodiversity and achieved remarkable results.

Shuhong also gave credit to stricter law enforcement, including ramped up efforts to prevent illegal activities on nature reserves.

"China has established a relatively complete nature reserves system," said Shuhong. "Large areas of natural ecosystems have been systematically and completely protected, and wildlife habitats have been effectively improved."

Becky Shu Chen of the Zoological Society of London told <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/">NBC News</a> that in most of the Chinese nature reserves are so huge that there are still villages populated with humans inside of them. She noted that the government taught villagers farming techniques that did not destroy the giant panda's natural habitat.

According to Chen, the villagers protected the home of pandas, which is one of the reasons that they are now downgraded to vulnerable.

Giant pandas were initially moved off the IUCN endangered species list five years ago, but this move was not supported by Chinese officials, who said the animals were still at risk of extinction.

“If we downgrade their conservation status, or neglect or relax our conservation work, the populations and habitats of giant pandas could still suffer irreversible loss and our achievements would be quickly lost,” the administration told the Associated Press in 2016. “Therefore, we’re not being alarmist by continuing to emphasize the panda species’ endangered status.”

According to the IUCN, giant pandas are still threatened by climate change in the decades to come. More than 35 percent of their bamboo habitat is projected to be destroyed in the next 80 years. 

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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

Giant pandas removed from China's endangered species list

Giant pandas have been removed from China's critically endangered species...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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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



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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



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

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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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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