Invisible industrial pollutants called PFAS are chemicals steadily building up in polar bears, seals, seabirds, and in humans who depend on Arctic wildlife for food. 



A new investigation reports concentrations high enough to endanger hormone balance, immunity, and long‑term survival across the Far North.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-chemical-spread-in-the-arctic">Tracking chemical spread in the Arctic</h2>



The work follows per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-microbes-discovered-destroys-pfas-forever-chemicals/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PFAS</a>) as they ride winds and currents from distant factories to the polar ice. 



Researchers from the United States, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Canada, Norway, and the United Arab Emirates combined field data with computer models to trace the chemicals’ spread.



“The research highlights how PFAS can affect reproduction, immune systems, and even increase <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forever-chemicals-in-tap-water-increase-cancer-risk-by-up-to-33/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">cancer risk</a> in both humans and animals,” said co‑author Khaled Abass, an associate professor at the <a href="https://www.sharjah.ac.ae/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sharjah</a>.



“Alarmingly, people living in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-alters-the-atmosphere-in-the-remote-arctic/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic</a> who rely on traditional foods such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/these-marine-mammals-killer-whales-dolphins-permanently-lost-ability-to-ever-walk-again/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine mammals</a> are also exposed to these chemicals,” Abass said.



Hunters who prize seal, whale, or walrus now face a dilemma between cultural practice and safety. Because PFAS accumulate in fatty tissue as they climb the food web, a single meal can deliver a substantial dose.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-arctic-chemicals-affect-humans">How Arctic chemicals affect humans</h2>



“The long‑range transport of PFAS reminds us that environmental problems don’t respect borders - what we release in one part of the world eventually ends up in another,” said co‑author  Elsie M. Sunderland, a professor of environmental chemistry at <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Harvard University</a>.



Once dissolved in seawater or attached to airborne dust, the molecules drift northward year after year, freezing into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-ice-is-losing-its-cooling-power-making-the-earth-even-warmer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sea ice</a> or settling in snow. 



“Physiological, endocrine, and reproductive effects linked to PFAS exposure were largely similar among humans, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-bears-are-suffering-from-an-energy-deficit-due-to-lack-of-food-access/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">polar bears</a>, and Arctic seabirds,” wrote the study authors.



“For most polar bear subpopulations across the Arctic, modeled serum concentrations exceeded PFOS levels in human populations, several of which already exceeded the established immunotoxic thresholds for the most severe risk category.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-shared-health-risks-across-species"><a></a>Shared health risks across species</h2>



“The similarities in health effects across species - humans, animals, and birds - are deeply concerning and underscore the interconnectedness of environmental and human health,” said lead author Rainer Lohmann of the <a href="https://www.uri.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Rhode Island</a>.



“The Arctic acts like a mirror - what we find here reflects the global scale and persistence of PFAS pollution. It’s a warning signal we cannot ignore,” noted study senior author Pál Weihe of the <a href="https://www.setur.fo/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of the Faroe Islands</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-vulnerable-humans-and-animals">Vulnerable humans and animals</h2>



Even the remote pack ice cannot block the spread. “Even in the most remote corners of our planet, industrial pollution finds its way into the bodies of animals and people. PFAS are persistent, mobile, and harmful - we need a global solution,”  Abass said.



Field surveys back his concern. “The Arctic is uniquely vulnerable, and both legacy (old) and emerging PFAS continue to be detected at concerning levels,” he noted.



“For most polar bear subpopulations across the Arctic, modeled serum concentrations exceeded PFOS levels in human populations, several of which already exceeded the established immunotoxic thresholds for the most severe risk category.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-new-variants-keep-appearing">New variants keep appearing</h2>



Rules have removed some early PFAS from commerce, yet factories keep releasing substitutes. “Increasing trends of certain long‑chain PFCAs (C9–C20), including PFNA, are observed in the Arctic, highlighting the persistence and ongoing threat of these contaminants,” the authors explained.



“Communities that rely on traditional diets face significantly higher PFAS concentrations than those relying more on market foods. In fact, similar results can even be found in industrialized countries, showing that Arctic Indigenous communities involuntarily serve as sentinels of contamination concerns.



“PFAS contamination poses challenges to food security and sovereignty as well as to multiple species’ health across the Arctic.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-action-needed-to-protect-the-arctic">Action needed to protect the Arctic</h2>



The project grew from the <a href="https://www.amap.no/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic Monitoring and Assessment Program</a> and has already reached ministries in Denmark, Canada, and elsewhere.



“While specific industry engagement is not highlighted, the work directly informs global policy discussions and regulations affecting chemical manufacturers and environmental health bodies,” Abass said.



The team urges tougher international standards, faster phase‑outs, and investment in safer substitutes. Only global cooperation, they argue, can prevent “forever chemicals” from undermining Arctic ecosystems - and the communities that depend on them - for generations to come.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969724064301?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science of The Total Environment</a>.



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Forever chemicals threaten Arctic wildlife and human health

Invisible industrial pollutants called PFAS are chemicals steadily building up in polar bears, seals, seabirds, and in humans who depend on Arctic wildlife for food. A new investigation reports concentrations high enough to endanger hormone balance, immunity, and long‑term survival across the Far North. Tracking chemical spread in the Arctic The work follows per‑ and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) as they ride winds and currents from distant factories to the polar ice. Researchers from the United States, Finland, the Faroe Islands, Denmark, Canada, Norway, and the United Arab...

Atmospheric methane absorbs sunlight at varying rates across Earth. A team of scientists team from the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/">U.S. Department of Energy</a> (DOE) were investigating how a rise in atmospheric <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/trump-admin-methane-emissions/">methane</a> is affecting the amount of solar energy absorbed in our climate system when they discovered that methane’s effect significantly varies by location. 

The scientists found that sunlight absorption by methane is 10 times stronger over desert regions such as the Sahara Desert than elsewhere on Earth, and is nearly three times stronger in the presence of clouds.

Working at the DOE’s Berkeley Lab, the team analyzed observations of Jupiter and Titan - a moon of Saturn - where methane concentrations are more than a thousand times higher than what is found on our planet. The experts used the data  to quantify the shortwave radiative effects of methane on Earth.

“When we measure the impact of methane emissions on the planet, we wrongly assume it is easy to apply calculations of methane taken locally to predict what effect the gas is having globally,” said study lead author William Collins. “Our work represents the importance of taking into consideration what impact methane and other greenhouse gases are having not just in general, but with regional certainty.”


The work from the Berkeley Lab showed that current climate models are capable of accurately estimating the shortwave radiative effects of methane. This finding led to the first global spatially-resolved calculations of methane’s impact.

The analysis revealed that methane forcing is not consistent across the globe. The most striking finding is that, because desert regions at low latitudes feature bright surfaces that reflect light upwards and enhance the absorptive properties of methane, the rate of localized methane shortwave forcing can be 10 times higher in the desert compared to other regions. 

This phenomenon is most pronounced in areas such as the Saharan Desert or Arabian Peninsula. Due to their proximity to the equator, these regions receive the most sunlight and feature exceptionally low relative humidity, which further enhances the effects of methane.

Cloud cover was also shown to influence the radiative effects of methane, with increased forcing of up to three times greater than global annualized forcing,

According to the researchers, a better understanding of the effect of methane on incoming solar energy will be useful for improving climate change mitigation strategies.  

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://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

Atmospheric methane absorbs sunlight at varying rates across Earth

Atmospheric methane absorbs sunlight at varying rates across Earth. A...

A recent analysis from the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> has revealed that melting ice sheets in the Antarctic region will slow down or delay atmospheric warming while accelerating sea level rise. Study first author Ben Bronselaer pointed out that the research is the first of its kind to project how the retreating <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/east-antarctic-ice-sheet-melting/">Antarctic ice</a> sheet will affect the future climate. 

According to the study, global warming will continue, but the atmosphere will warm more slowly because more of the heat will be trapped in the ocean.

“Warming won't be as bad as fast as we thought, but sea level rise will be worse,” said Bronselaer. He explained that current climate models do not account for the effects of melting ice on the global climate.

The UA researchers found that by the year 2100, the sea level could rise 10 inches more than the previous estimate of 30 inches. “No one had looked at the big picture of what Antarctic ice sheet melting means for the global climate.”

To investigate how the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet could potentially affect the global climate, the research team modified one of the most current climate computer models to include data on ice melt. 

According to the researchers, the updated model indicated that the global temperature would jump two degrees Celsius by the year 2065, rather than before the year 2053.


Study senior author Professor Joellen Russell said that, in addition to slowing warming and boosting the sea level, the melting of the Antarctic ice sheet will change precipitation patterns as the tropical rain belt shifts north.

“Our projections indicate the tropical rain belt will shift toward the Northern Hemisphere, making it slightly wetter in the Northern Hemisphere and slightly drier in the Southern Hemisphere than previously predicted,” said Professor Russell.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature</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 

Image Credit: Kelly Brunt, courtesy National Science Foundation

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Antarctic ice loss speeds up sea level rise, delays global warming

A recent analysis from the University of Arizona has revealed...

It’s hard to imagine that the world’s tectonic plates, the movement of which causes earthquakes and continental drift, could be influenced by sediment made up of the skeletal remains of microscopic organisms.

But researchers from the <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">University of Texas at Austin</a> discovered that sediment full of dead organic matter might play a role in regulating the speed at which <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tectonic-plates-less-stable/">tectonic plates</a> move. 

Previously, it had been thought that sediment only influenced seismic activity and earthquakes. But this new study provides compelling evidence that sediment moving under tectonic plates dictates the movement and growth of the Earth’s crust. 

The research, published in the journal Earth and Planetary Science Letters, describes an important potential link between tectonic movement, climate, and sediment which is made up of organic material.  

Sediment is often a mix of eroded rocks, minerals, and organic remains like shells. Sediment samples from the ocean floor can help researchers understand what life on Earth was like millions of years ago. 

Sometimes sediment slips into and beneath the subduction zone, the area where two tectonic plates meet, and this can cause an increase in earthquakes. 

Subduction drives continental movement, and sediment was thought to have little impact on the rate at which plates move. However, the researchers found that sediment acts as a lubricant and accelerates subduction and plate speed. 

After modeling different kinds of rock-plate interactions, the researchers also found that rock made of sediment created a kind of feedback loop that speeds up and then slows down continental drift based on the amount of sediment in the subduction zone. 

“The feedback mechanisms serve to regulate subduction speeds such that they don't ‘runaway’ with extremely fast velocities,” said Whitney Behr, the leader of the research. 

This speeding up and slowing down of plate movement could also explain how some continents formed and moved the way they did. 

For example, the researchers hypothesize that 70 million years ago, India moved through seas that contained an abundance of sedimentary rock made up of organic matter. 

This sped up India’s march north from five centimeters per year to 16 centimeters per year until the continent eventually slowed down and collided with Asia. 

There are still unanswered questions with this study such as how the feedback loop first originated, but the results provide new insight into Earth’s early years.

“What is becoming clear is that the geological history of the incoming plate matters,” said Thorsten Becker, a co-author of the study. “We will have to study in more detail how those possible feedback processes may work.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Nicolas Prieto/Unsplash

Life on Earth impacts the movement of tectonic plates

It’s hard to imagine that the world’s tectonic plates, the...

An investigation led by <a href="http://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a> has revealed that glaciers are a potential source of large <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/methane-emissions-lakes-double/">methane emissions</a>. The Sólheimajökull glacier, which flows from the active volcano Katla in Iceland, was found to release up to 41 tons of methane through meltwaters every day during the summer months.

Study co-author Dr. Peter Wynn is a glacial biogeochemist from the Lancaster Environment Centre.

“This is a huge amount of methane lost from the glacial meltwater stream into the atmosphere," said Dr. Wynn. “It greatly exceeds average methane loss from non-glacial rivers to the atmosphere reported in the scientific literature. It rivals some of the world's most methane-producing wetlands; and represents more than twenty times the known methane emissions of all Europe's other volcanoes put together.”

“Methane has a global warming potential 28 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2). It is therefore important that we know about different sources of methane being released to the atmosphere and how they might change in the future.”

“There has been a lot of speculation about whether or not glaciers can release methane. The beds of glaciers contain the perfect cocktail of conditions for methane production - microbes, low oxygen, organic matter and water - along with an impermeable cap of ice on the surface trapping the methane beneath.”

“However, nobody has thoroughly investigated this in the field before and this is the strongest evidence yet that glaciers are releasing methane.”

Dr. Rebecca Burns, who participated in the study as a graduate researcher, collected water samples from the edge of the melt water lake in front of the Sólheimajökull glacier. She measured the methane concentrations and compared them with methane levels in nearby rivers and sediment. 

“The highest concentrations were found at the point where the river emerges from underneath the glacier and enters the lake. This demonstrates the methane must be sourced from beneath the glacier,” explained Dr. Wynn.

Using a mass spectrometer, the researchers determined that the methane is originating from microbiological activity in the bed of the glacier. The team attributes this activity to the Katla volcano.

“We believe that while the volcano is not producing the methane, it is providing the conditions that allow the microbes to thrive and release methane into the surrounding meltwaters,” said Dr. Wynn.

Study co-author and volcanologist Dr. Hugh Tuffen added, “The heat from Katla volcano may greatly accelerate the generation of microbial methane, so in fact you could see Katla as a giant microbial incubator.”

“Scientists have also recently discovered that Katla emits vast amounts of CO2 - it's in the top five globally in terms of CO2 emissions from volcanoes - so Katla is certainly a very interesting, very gassy volcano.”

Dr. Burns pointed out that there are many other ice-covered, active volcanoes and geothermal systems in Iceland and Antarctica. 

“The recent International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report highlights that current trajectories indicate global warming is likely to reach 1.5oC between 2030 and 2052, with greatest perceived climate sensitivity at higher latitudes,” said Dr. Burns. “If methane produced under these ice caps has a means of escaping as the ice thins, there is the chance we may see short term increases in the release of methane from ice masses into the future.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</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 
Image Credit: Dr Hugh Tuffen

New study confirms that glaciers are releasing methane

An investigation led by Lancaster University has revealed that glaciers...

Scientists have been warning that Earth is currently in the midst a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warning-imminent-mass-extinction/">sixth mass extinction</a> and the five prior incidences each had a profound impact on biodiversity, evolution and species recovery. 

Species are declining at unprecedented rates, but this is nothing compared to the staggering losses experienced by coral reefs around the world due to rises in ocean acidity and temperature. 

By looking at the mass extinction events of the past, including which species were most prone to die off and how declines in corals drove extinction rates, we can get a better idea of what to expect in the coming years if climate change and the sixth mass extinction go unchecked. 

Researchers led by the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a>, conducted a study to model two major mass extinctions, the Late Triassic and Early Toarcian, during periods of global warming to understand climate’s role in species loss.

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 

The Late Triassic extinction (LTE) occurred 201 million years ago while the Early Toarcian (ETOE) took place 187 million years ago. 

Previous studies have theorized that the periods of warming which are connected to spikes in volcanic activity during these extinction events only contributed to extinction rates already underway. However, the researchers found that this wasn’t the case. 

“The Late Triassic and Early Toarcian extinction events are both associated with greenhouse warming events triggered by massive volcanism,” the researchers wrote in their study. 

The team used a global database of marine organisms to model extinction selectivity through the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic periods. 

The researchers discovered that the LTE and the ETOE each had its own unique selectivity patterns and rate of extinction along with some similarities as far as which marine species were most vulnerable to climate change and extreme warming.

“Not only do the LTE and EToE events represent an increase in extinction intensity above respective Triassic and Jurassic background rates but, more importantly, and contrary to previous claims, there are differences in extinction selectivity between times of both background and mass extinction, and between Triassic and Jurassic intervals in general,” the researchers conclude in their study. “It is also evident that background extinction was higher in the Late Triassic, prior to the LTE hyperthermal, than it was during the Early Jurassic, in the aftermath of the mass extinction.” 

Because these two mass extinctions are linked to increases greenhouse gasses and ocean temperature, the study provides an essential framework for measuring future extinctions and warns of the potential threats of climate change. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Past global warming events prompted mass extinctions

Scientists have been warning that Earth is currently in the...

Marc Kramer, an associate professor of environmental chemistry at <a href="https://www.vancouver.wsu.edu/">Washington State University Vancouver</a>, has discovered that one-fourth of carbon within the Earth’s soil is bound to minerals about six feet below the surface. This revelation could lead to new ways to deal with the influx of carbon due to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/geoengineering-program-global-warming/">global warming</a>.

Kramer, who made this discovery with help from his colleague Oliver Chadwick, a soil scientist at the <a href="https://www.ucsb.edu/">University of California Santa Barbara</a>, explained via his study, published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>, that water dissolves organic carbon and pulls in deep into the soil. There, the carbon is physically and chemically bound to certain minerals. 

Kramer estimates that 600 billion metric tons (known as gigatons) of carbon is currently underneath the Earth’s surface — that amount is more than twice the carbon added into the atmosphere since the Industrial Revolution. Most of this carbon is underneath the world’s wettest forests, which unfortunately, won’t absorb as much carbon as atmospheric temperatures continue to rise.

This “major breakthrough” discovery, as Kramer called it, is a starting point for the process of moving atmospheric carbon underground as climate change and global warming progresses. However, there is still major work to be done. 

“We know less about the soils on Earth than we do about the surface of Mars. Before we can start thinking about storing carbon in the ground, we need to actually understand how it gets there and how likely it is to stick around,” Kramer said. “This finding highlights a major breakthrough in our understanding."

Kramer analyzed soil from all over the world to come to his conclusion. He found that moist environments absorb more carbon than drier ones due to layers of organic material sequestering and transporting carbon six feet below the forest ground’s surface. However, Kramer notes that if climate change warms these wet forests, there may be less water moving carbon underground because of evaporation. 

Even so, this discovery can help scientists figure out how to begin moving atmospheric carbon below the Earth’s surface in an attempt to fight back against global warming. 

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

A new way to curb global warming hides beneath the Earth’s surface

Marc Kramer, an associate professor of environmental chemistry at Washington...

Climate change could bring an end to the truffle industry. Truffles are a delicacy prized for their unique, musky flavor. But due to their limited growing season, difficulty to cultivate, and rare qualities, truffles are also very expensive. 

Some truffles can cost upwards of $1,500 per pound and the truffle industry is worth millions.

Reports suggest that the truffle industry could soon be worth 4.5 billion UK pounds over the next ten to twenty years, but a new study projects a much grimmer outlook for the world’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/market-mushrooms-truffles/">most prized mushroom. </a>

A new study conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.stir.ac.uk/">University of Stirling</a> predicts that the truffle industry could all but disappear due to climate change in the next 50 years. 

Climate change will make for hostile conditions for truffles with temperatures expected to increase along with droughts and precipitation expected to decrease. 

If European truffle production is wiped out by climate change, the researchers say it will have a major economic impact. 

“We risk losing an industry worth hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy,” said Paul Thomas, the leader of the study which was published in the journal Science of the Total Environment. “However, the socio-economic impact of the predicted decline could be substantially larger as truffle harvesting, and related activities form a key component of local history and cultural activity.” 

Truffle production could drop by 78 to 100 percent by 2100, according to Thomas. 

“However, the decline may well occur in advance of this date, when other climate change factors are taken into account, such as heatwaves, forest fires, drought events, pests, and disease,” said Thomas.

For the study, the researchers reviewed 36 years of truffle yield records and weather data from France, Spain, and Italy. By comparing yields and weather data, the researchers were able to understand better how climate impacts truffle growth and harvest. 

Next, the researchers used the data to create climate model projections for the future and found climate change could severely decline truffle production in Europe. 

“This is a wake-up call to the impacts of climate change in the not-too-distant future,” said Thomas. “These findings indicate that conservational initiatives are required to afford some protection to this important and iconic species. Potential action could include the expansion of truffle plantations into new territories of a more favorable future climate.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a>

Climate change could bring an end to the truffle industry

Climate change could bring an end to the truffle industry....

A new study has found that plants in the Arctic have been growing taller and taller through the years due to climate change-driven increases in soil moisture and temperature. 

The Arctic contains a vast flora of shrubs, grasses, and wildflowers and these plants play an important role in the region’s carbon cycle. 

Much attention has been paid to the Arctic with a heavy focus on sea ice retreat, but researchers from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/">University if Edinborough</a> recently led a thorough study, the first of its kind, of native Arctic plants. 

The researchers' findings, published in the journal Nature Today, show that plants in the Arctic have been growing taller across the tundra over the past 30 years and spreading into new areas all because of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/national-parks-climate-change/">climate change</a>.

“Quantifying the link between environment and plant traits is critical to understanding the consequences of climate change, but such research has rarely extended into the Northern hemisphere, home to the planet's coldest tundra ecosystems,” said Isla Myers-Smith, a member of the research team. “This is the first time that a biome-scale study has been carried out to get to the root of the critical role that plants play in this rapidly-warming part of the planet.”

A team of 130 scientists collaborated on the study, and the researchers analyzed data from over 60,000 observations across hundreds of sites in the Arctic and alpine tundra.

The researchers studied relationships between temperature, soil moisture, and plant form and tracked plant height in the different sites. 

Of all the different plant factors, traits and environmental changes that the researchers analyzed, only plant height increased over time and these changes were driven by increases in both soil moisture and temperature. 

“Rapid climate warming in the Arctic and alpine regions is driving changes in the structure and composition of plant communities, with important consequences for how this vast and sensitive ecosystem functions,” said Anne Bjorkman who helped pioneer the Arctic plant research.

The changes don’t appear to be slowing down and Bjorkman predicted that plant height in the tundra could increase by 20 to 60 percent by the end of the century. 

The results of the study are especially concerning because much of the world’s carbon is stored in permafrost in the Arctic, and if the permafrost melts it could release huge quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. 

“Shorter plants trap more snow, which insulates the underlying soil and prevents it from freezing as quickly in winter,” said Bjorkman “An increase in taller plants could speed up the thawing of this frozen carbon bank, and lead to an increase in the release of greenhouse gases.”

Further research is needed to better understand how soil moisture levels are changing in the Arctic as this has such a huge influence on plant growth. 

“This research is a vital step in improving our understanding of how Arctic and alpine vegetation is responding to climate change,” said Helen Beadman, a member of the <a href="https://nerc.ukri.org/">Natural Environment Research Council</a> which funded the new study. “Shrub growth and expansion could have a profound impact not only on the Arctic ecosystem, but also further afield if it results in an increase in the release of greenhouse gases.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Anne D Bjorkman

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Plants in the Arctic are growing taller due to climate change

A new study has found that plants in the Arctic...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> has revealed that persistent weather conditions, including wet and dry spells, have increased in the United States and may be a result of Arctic warming. Sustained weather conditions can lead to extremes such as prolonged cold, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/record-setting-heat-waves/">heat waves</a>, drought, and storms that cost millions of dollars.

The investigation was focused on daily precipitation data at 17 weather stations across the United States. The team also examined large upper-level circulation patterns over North America and the eastern Pacific Ocean.

The researchers found that dry and wet spells lasting four or more days have occurred more frequently in recent decades. In addition, the frequency of persistent large-scale circulation patterns over North America increased when temperatures in the Arctic were unusually warm.

According to the researchers, the Arctic has been warming at least twice as fast as the global average temperature in recent decades. Study lead author Professor Jennifer Francis explained that the persistence of warm Arctic patterns has also increased, suggesting that long-duration weather conditions will occur more often as rapid Arctic warming continues.

“While we cannot say for sure that Arctic warming is the cause, we found that large-scale patterns with Arctic warming are becoming more frequent, and the frequency of long-duration weather conditions increases most for those patterns,” said Professor Francis.

The team plans to expand its analysis to other regions of the Northern Hemisphere, and will develop new metrics to investigate causal connections. The researchers will also assess future risks from extreme weather events linked to persistent patterns. “When these conditions last a long time, they can become extreme events, as we've seen so often in recent years,” said Professor Francis.. “Knowing which types of events will occur more often in which regions and under what background conditions - such as certain ocean temperature patterns - will help decision-makers plan for the future in terms of infrastructure improvements, agricultural practices, emergency preparedness and managed retreat from hazardous areas.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical 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

Arctic warming may be driving more persistent dry and wet spells

A new study led by Rutgers University has revealed that...

It has long been believed that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dams-flood-special-places/">river damming</a> poses a serious threat to migratory fish populations within them. However little evidence had been reported until now. To prove this theory, scientists at the <a href="http://www.iwhr.com/IWHR-English/AI/Introduction/A580503index_1.htm">China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Research</a> studied China’s Yangtze River and now understand why Chinese sturgeon population is dwindling and why the sturgeon population has been so difficult to observe in recent decades.

Damming of the Yangtze began in 1981. Before dam construction, Chinese sturgeon would fast and migrate upriver every summer. They would then spawn in the fall and return to sea. This activity could be clearly tracked before 1981. But in recent years, scientists had trouble following the sturgeon’s migration.

In the study, published in Current Biology on November 1st, the Institute’s Zhenli Huang explained, “We have found that the loss of effective breeding and environmental capacity are two crucial factors resulting in an ongoing decline in adult abundances of Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze River."

Huang and co-author Luhai Wang looked back at the historical data mapping out the Yangtze’s damming and sturgeon activity. They found that the Gezhouba Dam reduced the sturgeon’s migration path by 1,175 kilometers (about 730 miles). Over time, this caused the sturgeon to reach sexual maturity about a month later than normal, therefore lessening the population size due to the fact there aren’t as many sturgeon ready to breed.

What’s more is that Huang and Wang found that environmental capacity of the lessened breeding ground has been reduced, and water temperatures have risen with the building of new dams within the past ten years.

The team estimates that the number of adult sturgeon in the Yangtze has dropped from about 32,000 before 1981, to 6,000 in 2010, and about 2,500 in 2015. They predict that if the numbers continue on this track, the natural Chinese sturgeon population will go extinct within the next decade.

"The protection of the wild Chinese sturgeon requires effective measures taken immediately," Huang and Wang note. "Artificial restocking, which China has been doing without maintaining breeding activity, is inadequate and unsustainable."

Although the future looks bleak for the Chinese sturgeon in the Yangtze, the researchers want their new findings to alert other nations that migrant fish populations are at risk of extinction at the hands of damming. In knowing this, those put in charge of damming can take extra measures to ensure fish populations are cared for properly.

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

River damming is threatening global migratory fish populations

It has long been believed that river damming poses a...

A new study has revealed significant declines in four major commercially important species of shellfish along the U.S. east coast in recent years.

Harvests of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oyster-recovery-programs-in-the-us-are-making-progress/">eastern oysters,</a> northern quahogs, softshell clams, and northern bay scallops have been less and less abundant with every year. But now, new research shows that increases in temperature due to climate change is the biggest driving factor behind these declines. 

The study was conducted by Clyde MacKenzie, a shellfish researcher at the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>, and Mitchell Tarnowski, a shellfish biologist from the <a href="http://dnr.maryland.gov/">Maryland Department of Natural Resources</a>. 

The researchers reviewed harvest data from four important shellfish species along the East Coast from main to North Carolina. MacKenzie and Tarnowski set out to see if the declines were to due to overfishing or the impacts of climate and environmental changes. 

The two researchers published their findings in the Marine Fisheries Review journal. 

The study found that eastern oyster harvests dropped from 600,00 bushels in 1960 to less than 100,000 in 2005. Between 1980 and 2010, all four of the commercially important bivalves included in the study declined and with them the fishermen who harvested them. 

In Maine, softshell clam harvests are at an all-time low and fishery managers, as well as clammers, are looking to find new ways to adapt to the changing landscape and protect important resources. 

Conservation efforts and fisheries management have successfully yielded better scallop harvests in Maine in contrast to the declines along other parts of the east coast.

Still, this is the exception and not the norm, and the researchers have several explanations as to why warmer temperatures and climate change would cause shellfish harvests to decline. 

One reason is that warmer temperatures are increasing the risk of predation for many bivalves. 

“Their predation rate is faster in the warmer waters,” MacKenzie told the Daily Mail. “They begin to prey earlier, and they prey longer into the fall.” 

Habitat degradation is also a factor, and the researchers found that a shift in the North Atlantic Oscillation has degraded many shellfish habitats. 

Shellfish are a popular seafood, especially along the east coast, and if declines in harvests continue, the United States may soon become reliant on imported shellfish from other parts of the world, which could negatively impact local fisheries and clamming industries. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

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East coast shellfish harvests are declining due to warming waters

A new study has revealed significant declines in four major...

As we <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hurricane-harvey-global-warming/">previously reported</a>, scientists have confirmed that 2017’s Hurricane Harvey was intensified by warming ocean waters driven by climate change.

Now, recent supercomputer simulations have revealed that future hurricanes will have more rainfall and stronger winds. The research also shows that climate change has increased the amount of rainfall from recent hurricanes by 5 to 10 percent. 

The study was conducted by climate scientists from the <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Department of Energy’s Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory</a> and published in the journal Nature.

By using data on past hurricanes to simulate the storms in past and future scenarios, the researchers were able to examine how human activities impacted past storms and will affect future events. 

For example, the researchers modeled Hurricane Katrina in a past scenario using pre-industrial climate conditions which showed just how much human activities changed the storm’s precipitation and wind speed. 

The researchers choose to model 15 hurricanes and tropical cyclones that occurred over the last decade for the study. 

Different scenarios using varying levels of CO2 emissions, temperature increases, and ocean temperatures provided an in-depth look at how climate change can impact precipitation and wind speed. 

 “We're already starting to see anthropogenic factors influencing tropical cyclone rainfall," said Christina Patricola, the lead author of the study. “And our simulations strongly indicate that as time goes on we can expect to see even greater increases in rainfall.”

The team’s method, combined past observations and future scenarios and each of the 15 hurricanes, was simulated in five different climate scenarios. Each of the scenarios was then repeated ten times to ensure accurate results. 

“One of the important things about this study is that we were able to use the same climate model and methodology for 15 storms, which allows us to assess how robust the results are, and had never been done before,” said Patricola said.

As far as how climate change impacted the 15 storms, the researchers found that rainfall was 5 to 10 percent more intense compared to storm scenarios using pre-industrial climate conditions. 

“You can certainly use your expert judgment in a better way after the fact,” said Michael Wehner, a member of the research team. “So you simulate the event in the world that was, followed by simulating a counterfactual storm in a world that might've been had humans not modified the climate system.”

After simulating pre-industrial scenarios, the researchers modeled the 15 storms in three future scenarios with varying levels of greenhouse gas emissions and global warming. In these future scenarios, rainfall increased between 15 and 35 percent. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Future hurricanes projected to get wetter and windier

As we previously reported, scientists have confirmed that 2017’s Hurricane...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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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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