The thin line of gold behind every tap, swipe, and click on our electronic devices rarely enters daily conversation, yet the metal keeps digital life running, then eventually turn into landfills full of toxic e-waste. 



From the contacts in a phone jack to the chips inside a smartwatch, gold moves electrons smoothly and shrugs off corrosion. 



Mining more, however, blasts mountains, drains rivers, and spews carbon. With the global appetite for electronics still climbing, attention has turned to the growing junkyard of cast‑off gadgets.



E‑waste is now the quickest‑rising waste stream on the planet - roughly 63 million short tons in 2024 according to <a href="https://www.unep.org/ietc/what-we-do/e-waste-management" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations estimates</a> - and only a small share gets recycled in certified facilities. 



Most of our old electronics end up in landfills or backyard workshops, which then leak metals into the groundwater, creating toxic brews. A cleaner strategy is to reclaim precious metals safely before our devices make their way into the garbage heaps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cheese-e-waste-and-gold">Cheese, e-waste, and gold</h2>



A research team is now working to change that script. Professor Raffaele Mezzenga at <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a> and senior scientist Mohammad Peydayesh assembled colleagues in search of a simpler tool than acid vats or cyanide baths. Their unlikely inspiration bubbles up in cheese factories.



Cheese makers separate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cottage-cheese-is-making-a-comeback-due-to-its-nutritional-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">curds from whey</a>, leaving behind nearly nine pounds of watery by‑product for every pound of cheddar. Whey is rich in proteins that twist into hair‑thin amyloid fibrils when warmed in acid. 



The Zurich group realized those fibrils could be coaxed into a feather‑light sponge that prefers gold over the other metals lurking in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electronic-waste-is-growing-five-times-faster-than-recycling/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shredded phones and laptops</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adding-a-cheesy-twist-to-golden-e-waste">Adding a cheesy twist to golden e-waste</h2>



The researchers stirred the fibrils into a gel, then dried it into an aerogel - think Styrofoam’s airiness on a nanoscale. Microscopic pores criss‑cross the material, offering miles of surface area inside a crumb‑sized cube. 



When a slice of this sponge meets a beaker filled with dissolved circuit boards, gold ions rush toward the proteins and cling tightly.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_schematic_credit-ETH-Zurich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_schematic_credit-ETH-Zurich_1s.webp" alt="Schematic route followed to generate neat value via pure gold, extracted from food waste (whey) and e-waste as starting source materials. Credit: Advanced Materials" class="wp-image-1968796"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Schematic route followed to generate neat value via pure gold, extracted from food waste (whey) and e-waste as starting source materials. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Advanced Materials</figcaption></figure>



Early trials showed the aerogel collecting a far higher share of gold than plastic resins that recyclers often use. Better yet, the process skips noxious solvents. 



Water, moderate heat, and the natural chemistry of protein do the heavy lifting, which slashes both hazard and cost.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aerogel-and-a-protein-sponge">Aerogel and a protein sponge</h2>



For a head‑to‑head laboratory test, the team stripped metal parts from twenty <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/international-day-of-zero-waste-a-global-commitment-to-a-sustainable-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discarded computer motherboards</a>, dissolved them in acid, and dropped in a fingernail‑sized piece of aerogel. 



Copper, nickel, and cobalt swirled in the brew, yet gold ions settled on the sponge far more efficiently. After a short soak, the solution cleared, signaling that most of the precious metal had left the liquid.



Numbers tell the story. The sponge drew out gold that was about 90.8 percent pure - close to 22‑karat jewelry - on its first pass. Competing adsorbents usually require extra purification steps to reach similar purity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-e-waste-ions-to-gold-nuggets">From e-waste ions to gold nuggets</h2>



Pulling ions from solution is useful; turning them back into solid metal is crucial. The Zurich group warmed the loaded sponge until the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fools-gold-may-be-a-valuable-source-of-lithium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold ions</a> shed their charge and merged into shimmering flakes. 



Heating continued until the flakes fused into a nugget weighing roughly 450 milligrams. Chemical analysis showed the lump was 91 percent gold and 9 percent copper, again hitting the mark for 22 carats.



This step also freed the protein skeleton. Burned away under controlled heat, the whey‑derived matrix leaves no synthetic residue, easing cleanup. Conventional resin beds cannot claim the same neat exit.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_gold-nuggets-recovered_Credit-ETH-Zurich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_gold-nuggets-recovered_Credit-ETH-Zurich_1s.webp" alt="The gold nugget obtained from computer motherboards in three parts. The largest of these parts is around five millimeters wide. Credit: ETH Zurich/Alan Kovacevic" class="wp-image-1968794"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The gold nugget obtained from computer motherboards in three parts. The largest of these parts is around five millimeters wide. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ETH Zurich/Alan Kovacevic</figcaption></figure>



Recycling lives or dies on the balance sheet. Here the math looks encouraging. 



Procurement and energy costs for the entire operation are about fifty times lower than the market value of the gold retrieved. Even after accounting for labor and overhead, that margin hints at solid profit for commercial recyclers.



Lower operating costs open doors for smaller regional plants. Instead of shipping obsolete electronics overseas, communities could process them nearby, cutting transportation emissions and keeping revenue local.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-e-waste-has-more-than-just-gold">e-Waste has more than just gold</h2>



Gold steals headlines, yet the technique need not stop there. By tweaking pH or tailoring the protein structure, the same sort of sponge could sort copper, cobalt, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-captured-on-video-forming-out-of-thin-air-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">palladium</a> - metals vital for batteries and sensors. 



The team is already experimenting with pea‑protein waste from plant‑based milk production and collagen from fish scales. Success would guard against supply bottlenecks tied to a single dairy stream.



E‑waste is not the only target. Industrial rinse water from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computer-defeats-a-supercomputer-in-crucial-annealing-optimization-task/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microchip fabrication</a> and gold‑plating shops also carries trace metals worth reclaiming. A modular protein sponge could slip into those lines, trimming costs and curbing runoff.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taking-the-next-steps">Taking the next steps</h2>



“The fact I love the most is that we’re using a food industry byproduct to obtain gold from electronic waste,” Mezzenga says. In a very real sense, the method transforms two waste products into gold. “You can’t get much more sustainable than that!”



If pilot projects scale as hoped, tomorrow’s recycling centers may sit beside creameries and food processors, quietly turning yesterday’s whey and last decade’s gadgets into tomorrow’s circuit traces. 



The approach will not halt mining overnight, but every recovered ounce delays a blast, a slurry pond, or a diesel haul truck. 



That shift, multiplied across millions of phones and laptops, offers a straightforward path toward lighter footprints and longer‑lived resources - no new mountains required.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202310642" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advanced Materials</a>.



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Invention turns our electronic waste into 22-carat gold nuggets instead of toxic trash

The thin line of gold behind every tap, swipe, and click on our electronic devices rarely enters daily conversation, yet the metal keeps digital life running, then eventually turn into landfills full of toxic e-waste. From the contacts in a phone jack to the chips inside a smartwatch, gold moves electrons smoothly and shrugs off corrosion. Mining more, however, blasts mountains, drains rivers, and spews carbon. With the global appetite for electronics still climbing, attention has turned to the growing junkyard of cast‑off gadgets. E‑waste is now...

To monitor <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pacific-island-bans-toxic-sunscreens/">coral reefs</a>, experts usually conduct underwater visual surveys using SCUBA, which can be both time-consuming and logistically challenging. But now, two biology experts at the <a href="https://www.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii</a> have developed a technique for measuring the amount of living coral on a reef by analyzing DNA collected in small samples of seawater.

Study co-author Peter Marko is an associate professor in the Department of Biology. 

“If you asked me 10 years ago if this was possible, I would have said, ‘No way,’” said Professor Marko. “But advances in technology and falling costs of highly-sensitive DNA sequencing methods have opened the door to all kinds of important ecological questions.”

Along with graduate student Patrick Nichols, Professor Marko has demonstrated that the new method for analyzing environmental DNA (eDNA) is a quick and cost-effective way to measure live coral “cover,” or the amount of a coral reef occupied by living corals. 

Coral cover is one of the most important measurements that scientists use to characterize the health of a reef, which has become an urgent task as climate change has pushed corals into a state of major decline. 

“It still amazes me that in a tiny tube of water, there is enough information to track the relative abundance of entire communities,” said Nichols. “Increasing the breadth and scope of surveys is exactly what makes the future of eDNA so exciting!”

The researchers applied a technique in which all of the DNA in a water sample is analyzed in one step, known as “metabarcoding.” Next, coral DNA sequences are identified and counted to determine the abundance of different types of corals at each reef. Degraded reefs have very little coral eDNA, while reefs with more living corals have a much stronger coral eDNA signature.

The study authors explained that the new technology can be used to track changes in coral reef health and community composition over time, as well as to detect rare species that may otherwise be missed.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/26374943">Environmental DNA</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New technology can measure coral reef health from small water samples

To monitor coral reefs, experts usually conduct underwater visual surveys...

Living near protected areas may make people more environmentally conscious. People who live near protected environmental areas (Pas) are more likely to adopt pro-environmental behaviors, support conservation and management, and vote for party candidates who run on pro-environment platforms. 

This is the major takeaway from a new study conducted by the<a href="http://www.cnrs.fr/en/cnrs"> French National Center for Scientific Research</a> and published in the journal Biological Conservation. 

To examine the impact that PAs have on nearby residents, scientists reviewed three key indicators for environmental consciousness. 

The researchers wanted to see what, if any, influence living near a protected area has on a person’s attitudes toward environmentalism and conservation. 

Indicators of environmental consciousness included how much support there was for green candidates in different town elections in France, how much people contributed to ecological conservation funds like the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund</a> and the <a href="https://www.lpo.fr/">Ligue pour la Protection des Oiseaux</a>, a bird conservation, and lastly how many people participated in a garden birdwatch citizen science initiative coordinated by the <a href="https://www.mnhn.fr/en">Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle</a>. 

These indicators are reliable measures of environmentalism in people, according to the researchers. 

Overall, the researchers found that people were more pro-environment when they lived near PAs. Green candidates performed 31 percent higher near PAs and membership to the bird conservation group was twice as high in towns closer to a PA. Living near protected areas may make people more environmentally conscious 

The researchers also found that the number of retirees in a town was a factor in a population’s environmentalism as retirees showed more interest in the bird watching citizen science program. 

There are several possible reasons for why proximity to PAs correlates with environmental consciousness. 

Living near a wild area may cause people to be more involved in protecting those areas and spur an interest in nature compared to people who live in urban areas. 

PAs directly promote pro-environmentalism through park staff efforts, campaigns, and education outreach opportunities. 

The lack of priority given to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-mining-boundary-waters/">conservation and environmental protection</a> in some countries could have adverse ripple effects as this study shows, further instilling a dismissive attitude toward conservation.

However, if parks and protected areas keep their protected status, it could raise awareness and promote a sense of environmental stewardship. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Living near protected areas may make people more environmentally conscious

Living near protected areas may make people more environmentally conscious....

According to the global news agency <a href="https://www.afp.com/en">AFP</a>, a UN report that has not yet been released is set to reveal that as many as one million species are facing extinction as a result of human activities. The 44-page Summary for Policymakers, which is an abridged version of a massive 1,800-page UN assessment, details an irrefutable connection between biodiversity loss and human-induced global warming.

The experts describe how humans have undermined the resources that we need the most for our survival. They warn that dwindling resources, including the loss of drinkable water, clean air, pollinating insects, and forests, pose no less of a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-hunted-6th-extinction/">threat to the future</a> of our planet than climate change. 

Robert Watson is the chair of the <a href="https://www.ipbes.net/">Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services</a> (IPBES), which is the independent body that was mandated by the UN to prepare the upcoming report. 

“We need to recognize that climate change and loss of Nature are equally important, not just for the environment, but as development and economic issues as well,” Watson told AFP. “The way we produce our food and energy is undermining the regulating services that we get from Nature.” He also noted that only “transformative change” can limit the damage.

The IPBES assessment ranks the direct causes of species loss in order of importance: shrinking habitats and land-use changes, overhunting or illicit trade in body parts, climate change, pollution, and invasive species. 

The authors of the investigation explain that a rapid acceleration in the global rate of species extinction is inevitable, stating that the rate of species loss “is already tens to hundreds of times higher than it has been, on average, over the last 10 million years.”

There are an estimated eight million distinct species living on Earth today, and the IPBES has confirmed that an astounding number of them may vanish within our lifetime. “Half-a-million to a million species are projected to be threatened with extinction, many within decades,” the report states.

Delegates from 130 nations will meet in Paris on April 29 to meticulously review the executive summary, just ahead of its release on May 6.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

One million species may vanish as a result of human activities

According to the global news agency AFP, a UN report...

Researchers from <a href="https://www.rpi.edu/">Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute</a> used a new computer model to show how increased rainfall caused by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-fertility/">climate change</a> could cause global massive disruptions to roadways. 

Combining data on road networks with topography, the researchers were able to see “tipping points” at which even small localized increases in rainfall could affect roadways. 

"To prepare for climate change, we have to know where flooding leads to the biggest disruptions in transportation routes,” said lead author and network scientist Jianxi Gao, an assistant professor of computer science at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. “Network science typically points to the biggest interactions, or the most heavily traveled routes. That's not what we see here. A little bit of flood-induced damage can cause abrupt widespread failures."

Gao and his team paired traditional network science models, used to predict how specific disruptions will impact road networks, with environmental science models, used to predict how topography influences flooding in an area, thus creating a more accurate method to predict how potential rainfall and flooding could knockout roadways.

For example, Gao found that an increase of 5 mm of rainfall in Florida knocked out 50% of the road network, and that same amount of rainfall increase in the Hunan province of China knocked out 42% of the local network. To check the accuracy of their model, Gao and his team compared their predictions for road outages in southeast Texas and Houston during Hurricane Harvey to the actual outage report.

"We cracked the data,” Gao said. “Hurricane Harvey caused some of the most extensive road outages in U.S. history, and our model predicted that damage. Adding 3D information causes more unusual failure patterns than we expected, but now we have developed the mathematical equations to predict those patterns."

Their findings are published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock

More rainfall due to climate change may cause widespread road outages

Researchers from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute used a new computer model...

One of the biggest concerns associated with climate change is that land loss will impact our ability to feed a growing global population and threaten <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-changes-greenhouse-gases/">food security</a>.

In the first assessment of its kind, an international team of researchers from the <a href="http://www.iiasa.ac.at/">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis</a> (IIASA), <a href="https://www.kyoto-u.ac.jp/en/">Kyoto University</a>, <a href="http://en.ritsumei.ac.jp/">Ritsumeikan University</a>, and the <a href="http://www.nies.go.jp/index-e.html">National Institute for Environmental Studies</a> in Japan set out to shed light on the relationship between food security and climate change mitigation. 

The study, published in the journal Nature Sustainability, examines how much strict climate change mitigation policies will cost food security, and how these costs can be avoided in order to meet the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal of achieving zero hunger by 2030. 

It is possible to combat climate change and still address food security issues at a modest cost, the researchers found. 

“We would like to emphasize that land and food related climate change mitigation policies should be carefully designed,” said Shinichiro Fujimori, the lead author of the study. “Policymakers should be aware that potential issues could arise as a result of the uniqueness of the food system compared to, for example, the energy system.”

There are many potential climate change mitigation strategies that could be implemented to reduce warming and atmospheric greenhouse gasses, but at what cost to food security? 

For example, there has been a great deal of attention given to the idea of planting more trees and transforming barren land into forests. However, this will reduce potential cropland. 

Unless climate change mitigation policies address food security concerns, there is a high risk of increasing food demand and decreasing food security. 

In other words, stringent mitigation policies could result in more people going hungry. The researchers found that depending on the climate change mitigation scenario, 130 to 280 million people could suffer from hunger in 2050. 

The researchers then examined how “smart and inclusive climate policies” would impact food security and found that additional costs to GDP to meet food demand were modest in comparison to the costs of climate mitigation. 

“The findings of the paper are central to understanding that we can reach very low climate targets together with sustainable land-use and agricultural development,” said Keywan Riahi, IIASA Energy Program Director. “Climate policies need to go beyond carbon pricing, take into account distributional effects, and shield the poor. If properly managed, the costs of such policies will be relatively small.”

--

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>

How climate change mitigation policies complicate global food security

One of the biggest concerns associated with climate change is...

Scientists identify why Earth’s magnetic field jerks every few years. Geomagnetic jerks are unpredictable events that suddenly speed up changes in the Earth's <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-earths-magnetic-fields/">magnetic field</a>, making its progression hard to predict over the long term. The magnetic jerks were first described in 1978, and geophysicists have been working for decades to understand their underlying forces. 

Records of magnetic jerks date back as far as 1901, and a new event occurs about every 6 to 12 years. The strength of the activity is not consistent across the globe, which means  only certain regions may be impacted. In 1949, for example, a magnetic jerk was documented in North America that could not be detected in Europe.

Beyond protecting our planet from harmful ultraviolet radiation, the magnetic field affects numerous human activities including  the flight of low-altitude satellites. It is important for experts to be able to understand its behavior and predict its evolution. 

The Earth's magnetic field is produced by the circulation of matter within its metallic core, through the energy released when this core cools. There are two known types of movements that cause variations in the magnetic field. Movements that result from slow convection can be measured on the scale of a century, and movements that result from rapid hydromagnetic waves can be detected on the scale of a few years. 

Experts have theorized that the rapid hydromagnetic waves play a role in the geomagnetic jerks. However, the driving force behind rapid waves, and their interaction with slow convection, has been a mystery. 

To investigate, Julien Aubert of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Paris">University of Paris </a> teamed up with Christopher Finlay of the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english">Technical University of Denmark</a> to develop a computer simulation that closely resembled the physical conditions of our core. The simulation required the equivalent of 4 million hours of calculation, which was achieved using a supercomputer.

The researchers were able to project the series of events that lead to geomagnetic jerks, which arise in the simulation from hydromagnetic waves emitted in the inner core. The jerks originate in rising blobs of metal that form in the planet's core 25 years before the corresponding jerk takes place.

As the molten matter rises up to reach the outer surface of the Earth's core, it produces powerful waves along the magnetic field lines near the core. The team explained that this results in “sharp changes” in the flow of liquid beneath the magnetic field.

According to the study authors, the jerks “represent a major obstacle to the prediction of geomagnetic field behavior for years to decades ahead.” However, the digital reproduction and comprehension of these jerks will help to improve these predictions. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Scientists identify why Earth’s magnetic field jerks every few years

Scientists identify why Earth’s magnetic field jerks every few years....

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a> has developed a technique of studying landslide activity by analyzing the sand in mountain rivers. The research will help provide new insight into natural hazards in mountainous regions.

Landslides are often triggered by extreme rainfall events or earthquakes in hilly areas. In 2015, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake in Nepal triggered more than 25,000 landslides. Studying the history of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fatal-landslides-human-activity/">landslide</a> activity can help people living in threatened areas to better understand and mitigate their risk. 

The long-term behavior of landslide activity in any given region is very difficult to measure. The new technique enables the experts to investigate how often landslides occur in a region and how long the sediment produced from landslides remains within a river system before being transported downstream.

Study co-author Todd Ehlers is a professor in the Department of Geosciences at the <a href="https://uni-tuebingen.de/en/university.html">University of Tübingen</a> in Germany.

“Our approach is based quite simply on taking a handful of sand from a river and measuring the chemistry of the sediments,” said Professor Ehlers. “When combined with computer models we can determine how much landslide activity exists upstream of the location where the sediment was collected, and how long landslide produced sediment was in the river before being flushed out.”

Previous studies were unable to fully determine how often landslides occur or the extent of the erosion that is caused. “What is surprising in this study is that we figured out a way to address both limitations that previous studies have struggled with,” said Professor Ehlers.

[caption id="attachment_1871744" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Chomrong-in-the-Himalaya.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1871744" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/Chomrong-in-the-Himalaya.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="488" /></a> Landslide near Chomrong in the Himalaya of central Nepal, Image Credit: David Whipp[/caption]

The findings will help scientists assess how active and significant landslides are in a region, and also how long these events dump sediment into the rivers.

“Sediment in these steep landscapes is transported downstream surprisingly quickly,” explained study lead author Professor David Whipp. “While sediment in many river systems may be stored for tens of thousands of years, our results suggest most of the sediment in the steep Himalayan mountains remains in the river system for no more than ten years.”

This surprising discovery is evidence of the powerful force of the water flowing in Himalayan mountain rivers during the annual monsoon season, which transports massive volumes of sediment downstream.

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

Main Image Credit: David Whipp

A record of landslide activity can be found in the sand of mountain rivers

A team of researchers led by the University of Helsinki...

Greenland ice sheet is melting 6 times faster than it was 30 years ago. Since 1972, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/winter-rain-greenland-ice-loss/">Greenland’s glaciers</a> have accounted for a rise in sea level of 0.5 inches globally. The island is home to the world’s second-largest ice sheet, and a new study published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a> indicates that this ice is now melting six times faster than it was in the 1980s. 

Scientists discovered that these glaciers are melting faster as they break into icebergs that are moving into the ocean. It’s estimated that Greenland released 51 billion tons of ice into the ocean between 1980 and 1990 – which has now increased to a whopping 286 billion tons between 2010 and 2018.

Our ability to measure melting ice these days is extremely accurate due to our access to satellites, weather stations, and sophisticated climate models. For this study, the research team used satellites to measure altitude, determining reduced glacier height on melting glaciers. They were also able to detect ice loss through measuring decreased gravitational pull, and used mass balance models to compare mass accumulated with mass lost in order to calculate what glaciers are gaining or losing in ice mass. 

The researchers also used these models to reconstruct Greenland’s ice levels in the 1970s and 1980s. 

“When you look at several decades, it is best to sit back in your chair before looking at the results, because it is a bit scary to see how fast it is changing,” said glaciologist Professor Eric Rignot of the <a href="https://www.universityofcalifornia.edu/">University of California</a>. “It’s also something that affects the four corners of Greenland, not just the warmer parts in the south.”

In their study, the team reports that if all of the Greenland Ice Sheet melted, the sea level would rise about 20 feet. Given that 40-50 percent of the Earth’s population is in cities that are vulnerable to sea level rise, an increase of 20 feet would have unfathomable consequences.

“This new data better enables us to put recent, dramatic, changes to Greenland’s contribution to global sea level rise into a longer-term context — the ice loss we’ve seen in the last eight years is as much as was lost in the preceding four decades,” explains Dr. Amber Leeson, a lecturer in Environmental Data Science at <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/">Lancaster University</a>. If proper steps aren’t taken to combat these changes, it’s clear that the melting ice of one island (although it’s the world’s largest island) could have dire effects on the entire planet.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Greenland ice sheet is melting 6 times faster than it was 30 years ago

Greenland ice sheet is melting 6 times faster than it...

After a recent global assessment of biodiversity found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/one-million-species-vanish/">one million species are now threatened with extinction</a> due to human activities, a new study suggests that urban environments could serve as a potential conservation lifeline in the coming years. 

Urban areas, densely populated with people and lacking in green space, are considered “low-quality habits.” These habitats may offer some sources of food for pollinators but are not suitable for population growth. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a>, the <a href="https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/">University of Liverpool</a>, <a href="https://wsu.edu/">Washington State University</a> and the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> conducted a study to assess the viability of low-quality habitats in aiding conservation efforts.  

The study, published in the journal Ecology, shows that urban areas are much more useful for pollinators than previously realized and that many species take advantage of low-quality habitats in order to reach high-quality habitats quickly. 

It’s in high-quality environments that species that thrive and reproduce. 

The researchers reviewed data from 70 studies involving 78 species in total and found that 73 percent of the time, the animals moved quickly and efficiently through low-quality habitats to get to a high-quality area. 

This allowed for rapid range expansion evidenced by the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly, which was able to reach suitable habitats quickest in landscapes made up of 85 percent unstable habitat and 15 percent high-quality habits. 

“At landscape scales, 15% high-quality habitat is still more than currently exists in most ecosystems,” said Elizabeth Crone, the lead author of the study. “Nonetheless, our findings point to the potential of using suburban and even urban greenspace as underappreciated areas that could facilitate range shifts, if green spaces such as lawns were converted to native plant gardens, which have high conservation potential for insects and other wildlife species.” 

The results of the study show that urban landscapes are useful to population growth and biodiversity. 

“This could offer a new perspective of flexibility for landscape planners: they needn’t worry if they can’t create unbroken tracts of high-quality wildlife habitat, instead they can create strategic ‘stepping stones’ in urban and agricultural areas,” said Jenny Hodgson, a co-author of the study. 

“However, the stepping stones need to provide resources for breeding, not just temporary food resources.”

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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="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Leone Brown, Tufts University

Urban areas offer surprisingly useful ‘stepping stones’ for at-risk species

After a recent global assessment of biodiversity found that one...

Wind turbines kill tens to hundreds of thousands of bats each year, according to the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/how-are-bats-affected-wind-turbines?qt-news_science_products=0#qt-news_science_products">US Geological Survey,</a> and there are more than 52,000 wind turbines in operation in the US today. 

As renewable energy becomes more of a priority and wind and solar farms expand across the country, it’s crucial to consider how technology like wind turbines and solar panels <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wind-turbines-hurt-robins/">impact wildlife.</a>

Researchers from <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a> have developed a whistle that mimics that sound a bat makes and can be mounted on wind turbines to warn bats if they’re in danger of coming too close.

Not only do the propeller-like blades of the turbines pose a risk to bats who can collide with the turbines, but the pressure difference created by the rotating turbine can cause the lungs of bats to explode. 

The researchers were able to develop a whistle that emits sounds at a frequency that bats can easily register and recognize. 

“Our approach focuses on producing a sound bats could easily recognize and locate, thereby making it easier for them to avoid the moving turbine blades,” said Michael Smotherman, a researcher who worked on the whistle project. “I’m hopeful that using this neuroethological approach to the design and implementation gives us a better chance for success.”

The researchers used biomimetics to mimic the natural sounds produced by a bat’s larynx and created a whistle modeled after the anatomical structures in the larynx.  Bats can naturally produce multi-harmonic tones that can be heard up to 100 meters away. 

After testing the whistle in a lab setting and discovering that bats responded to the sounds, the researchers moved their work to the field and hope to test the whistle on real-world wind turbines soon. 

The whistles can be 3D printed but installing them on wind turbines will be costly unless the researchers find ways to cut costs. 

Smotherman will present his team’s work on the new whistle at the 177th Meeting of the <a href="https://acousticalsociety.org/">Acoustical Society of America</a>.

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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

Whistle alerts help bats stay away from deadly wind turbines

Wind turbines kill tens to hundreds of thousands of bats...

There has been a surge of recent research proving the harmful impacts of air pollution on health and well-being. Air pollution has been <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-deaths-air-pollution/">linked to millions of deaths each year</a>, along with increases in heart disease risk, cancer risk, and even dementia. 

Researchers are now increasingly convinced that air pollution causes dementia, which is especially worrying given that air quality in many parts of the world is worsening due to emissions and pollution from transportation and industrial operations. 

In a feature for both <a href="https://www.wired.com/story/air-pollution-dementia/">Wired</a> and <a href="https://www.motherjones.com/">Mother Jones</a>, reporter Aaron Rueben reviews the strong evidence linking pollution to dementia and cites several recent studies that seem to prove this correlation. 

One of the <a href="https://bmjopen.bmj.com/content/8/9/e022404">studies</a> involved 130,000 older adults from London. Researchers from several UK universities and institutes reviewed pollution data and compared this to health records of over 100,000 older adults aged 50 to 79 with no history of dementia from 2005 through 2013. 

The researchers identified a positive link between Alzheimer’s and air pollution. The participants who experienced higher exposure to pollutants had a higher risk (1.5 times) of developing dementia. 

In <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736%2816%2932399-6/fulltext#%20">another study,</a> researchers followed around 6.5 million adults who lived in Ontario for a decade to examine how living near high-traffic roads impacts cognition. 

In this study, the researchers again found that exposure to pollution increased the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and the individuals who lived near busy streets were more likely to develop dementia. 

According to Rueben, both studies estimate that six to seven of all dementia cases reported in the research are due to pollution exposure. 

A <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w24970">large-scale US assessment</a> linked air quality data from the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency </a>to 15 years of Medicare records for 6.9 million Americans over 65. The results showed that counties that saw improvements in air quality also had fewer cases of dementia compared to counties with poor air quality. 

As these studies prove, there is a definitive correlation between air pollution and dementia and exposure to high levels of pollutants significantly increase the risk of developing Alzheimer’s for older adults worldwide.

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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="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Forest ‘glow’ helps reveal its CO2 storage and photosynthesis capacity

Forest ‘glow’ helps reveal its CO2 storage and photosynthesis capacity....

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



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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 



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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

[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

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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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