For decades, oceanographers assumed the surface waters circling Antarctica were becoming progressively fresher - a shift that helped lock deep heat away and nurture expansive winter sea ice.



However, new observations show the opposite is now happening. An international team led by the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a> reported a sudden rise in surface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salinity-is-rising-in-coastal-areas-and-hurting-farmlands/">salinity</a> south of 50° latitude. This shift coincided with the steepest drop in Antarctic sea-ice extent ever recorded.



The analysis combines European satellite data with readings from autonomous floats that profile the water column. The result reveals an unanticipated pivot in the Southern Ocean’s salt balance sometime after 2015.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-excessive-salt-melts-sea-ice">Excessive salt melts sea ice</h2>



Cold, fresh surface water normally overlies warmer, saltier layers at depth, creating strong density “stratification” that traps heat below. When the surface grows saltier, that barrier weakens. Heat then mixes upward, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarcticas-melting-ice-shelves-threaten-global-sea-levels/">melting sea ice</a> from beneath and preventing extensive winter growth.



“Saltier surface water allows deep ocean heat to rise more easily, melting sea ice from below," said lead author Alessandro Silvano, an oceanographer at the University of Southampton. "It's a dangerous feedback loop: less ice leads to more heat, which leads to even less ice.” 



Since 2015, the continent has shed sea ice equivalent to the area of Greenland. Researchers call it the largest environmental shift detected anywhere on Earth in recent decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sea-ice-hole-returns-after-decades">Sea ice hole returns after decades</h2>



One striking symptom is the re-opening of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-hole-polynya-the-size-of-switzerland-appeared-in-the-antarctica-sea-ice/">Maud Rise polynya</a> - a yawning hole in the Weddell Sea ice cover. It spans nearly four times the size of Wales and last appeared in the late 1970s.



“The return of the Maud Rise polynya signals just how unusual the current conditions are,” Silvano said. “If this salty, low-ice state continues, it could permanently reshape the Southern Ocean - and with it, the planet.”



Reduced Antarctic ice darkens the ocean, absorbing more sunlight and already feeding back into the global climate system. This, as Silvano put it, will give rise to “stronger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-antarctic-sea-ice-loss-is-causing-severe-storms-around-the-world/">storms</a>, warmer oceans, and shrinking habitats for Antarctic wildlife.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-predictions-fall-short">Old predictions fall short</h2>



Climate models had projected eventual Antarctic sea-ice loss under greenhouse forcing. However, many scientists believed that enhanced snowfall and increased melt from continental ice sheets would keep surface waters fresh for decades, delaying large declines. The new evidence challenges that assumption.



“While scientists expected that human-driven climate change would eventually lead to Antarctic sea ice decline, the timing and nature of this shift remained uncertain,” said co-author Aditya Narayanan, a physical oceanographer at the University of Southampton.



“Previous projections emphasized enhanced surface freshening and stronger ocean stratification, which could have supported sustained sea ice cover. Instead, a rapid reduction in sea ice - an important reflector of solar radiation - has occurred, potentially accelerating global warming.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eyes-on-the-southern-ocean">Eyes on the Southern Ocean</h2>



Because this turnaround was detected only after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellites-reveal-a-sudden-drop-in-global-freshwater-levels/">satellites</a> began tracking sea-surface salinity in detail, researchers worry that other rapid transitions might be missed without constant observation.



“The new findings suggest that our current understanding may be insufficient to accurately predict future changes,” said senior author Alberto Naveira Garabato, a professor of physical oceanography at the University of Southampton.



“It makes the need for continuous satellite and in-situ monitoring all the more pressing, so we can better understand the drivers of recent and future shifts in the ice-ocean system.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sea-ice-loss-changes-the-planet">Sea ice loss changes the planet</h2>



Antarctic sea ice acts as a reflective shield, bouncing sunlight back to space and modulating heat exchange between ocean and atmosphere.



Its precipitous decline could amplify warming worldwide, disturb wind patterns, and alter the formation of the deep water masses that power global ocean circulation.



Saltier surface layers may also influence how much carbon the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/">Southern Ocean</a> can absorb, potentially weakening one of Earth’s most important climate buffers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-and-salt-reinforce-sea-ice-loss">Heat and salt reinforce sea ice loss</h2>



The study leaves open questions about what triggered the sudden salinity jump. Possibilities include shifts in wind patterns, changes in precipitation, or increased intrusion of warm Circumpolar Deep Water onto the continental shelf.



Whatever the cause, the new feedback between salt and sea ice could lock the region into a self-reinforcing cycle of warming and ice loss.



Scientists stress that only sustained measurements - combining satellites, autonomous floats, and ship-based surveys - will reveal whether the Southern Ocean snaps back to its former fresher state or continues toward an unfamiliar, saltier future.



For now, the message is clear: Antarctica’s floating fringe, once thought relatively resistant to near-term change, is undergoing a rapid transformation that matters far beyond the frozen continent.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2500440122">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



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Antarctic sea ice collapse linked to a sudden surge in ocean salt

For decades, oceanographers assumed the surface waters circling Antarctica were becoming progressively fresher - a shift that helped lock deep heat away and nurture expansive winter sea ice. However, new observations show the opposite is now happening. An international team led by the University of Southampton reported a sudden rise in surface salinity south of 50° latitude. This shift coincided with the steepest drop in Antarctic sea-ice extent ever recorded. The analysis combines European satellite data with readings from autonomous floats that profile the water column. The...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.umt.edu/">University of Montana</a> describes a previously unknown strategy used by tropical songbirds to adjust to the stress of climate change. The researchers have discovered that these birds reduce their reproductive activity during severe <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/latest-climate-models-show-more-intense-droughts-ahead/">droughts</a>, and this actually works to their advantage.

"We were extremely surprised to find that not only did reductions in breeding activity mitigate costs to survival, many long-lived species actually experienced higher survival rates during the drought year than during non-drought years," said study co-author Thomas Martin. "In contrast, shorter-lived species that kept breeding during droughts faced strong reductions in survival."

Over the course of his career, Martin has spent months at a time living in remote jungles to study birds. For the current investigation, he observed 38 different tropical bird species in Venezuela and Malaysia over multiple years. At each field site, there was one drought year during the study period.

The scientists modeled future population results for the birds using three different climate change scenarios. They monitored nests of each species to evaluate reproductive activity before and during the droughts. The researchers also marked birds with colored material to estimate survival rates. 

The analysis revealed that drought reduced reproduction by an average of 36 percent in the Malaysian species and by 52 percent in the Venezuelan species.

"The negative impacts of drought on survival are well documented," said  Martin. "We therefore also expected the droughts to reduce survival, but thought that the reduced breeding activity might limit the decrease in survival."

He said the population impacts of droughts were largely offset by the reproductive behavioral shifts in longer-lived species, but shorter-lived species did not benefit as much.

"Overall, our results have several major implications," said Martin. "First, we show that understanding behavioral responses to drought are critical for predicting population responses. Behavioral responses to environmental conditions can help buffer the most sensitive vital rates for a given species and mitigate the overall effect on fitness."

"Second, our results provide unique support to the idea that reproduction can negatively affect survival. This idea of a 'cost of reproduction' is central to life history theory but only rarely documented in wild populations."

The research suggests that many longer-lived tropical songbirds may actually be more resilient to droughts than previously expected.

"Ultimately, we hope our study can help motivate future studies into behavioral and demographic responses to shifting patterns of rainfall in more species so we can better anticipate the different impacts of climate change among species," said Martin.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Tropical songbirds reproduce less during severe droughts

A new study from the University of Montana describes a...

If the world fails to properly address <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/changes-in-climate-and-land-use-could-lead-to-catastrophic-levels-of-soil-erosion/">climate change</a> and limit global warming, the likelihood of hurricanes in the Caribbean will increase exponentially. On the other hand, achieving ambitious climate targets would cut the risk of Caribbean hurricanes by up to half, according to a study from the <a href="https://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a>.

The researchers simulated future climate under three scenarios: present day conditions, global warming of 1.5 degrees Celsius, or global warming of 2 degrees Celsius.

The analysis revealed that the Caribbean is shockingly vulnerable to climate change. The simulations showed that extreme hurricanes will become five times more likely as a result of global warming.

"Hurricane research has previously focused on the United States, so we wanted to look at the Caribbean region, which has fewer resources to recover. The findings are alarming and illustrate the urgent need to tackle global warming to reduce the likelihood of extreme rainfall events and their catastrophic consequences, particularly for poorer countries which take many years to recover," said study lead author Emily Vosper.

The climate scenarios used for the analysis are based on the targets of the Paris Agreement, a global framework to tackle climate change. The goal of the campaign is to limit future warming to 2°C above pre-industrial levels, with an optimal limit of 1.5°C.

The team designed a computer model that accounted for several important factors, including land features and large-scale winds, to produce realistic results.

The study revealed that extreme hurricanes, which currently strike the Caribbean about once every 100 years, will become more frequent under either of the Paris Agreement scenarios. For example, a 100-year storm affecting the Bahamas would be 4.5 times as likely under the 2°C Paris Agreement scenario compared to the present day. 

Compared to warming of 2°C,  warming of 1.5°C could reduce intense Caribbean hurricanes by as much as half in the Eastern regions.

"We expected extreme hurricanes to be more prevalent in the 2°C global warming scenario, but the scale of the projected increases was surprising and should serve as a stark warning to countries across the globe underscoring the importance of keeping climate change under control," said Vosper.

"Our findings show that the impacts of a 2°C warming above pre-industrial levels are set to disproportionately affect the Caribbean. By focusing efforts to stabilize global warming to the more ambitious 1.5°C goal, we could dramatically reduce the likelihood of extreme hurricane rainfall events in the area, particularly in the Eastern Caribbean region."

Even in the wealthiest Caribbean countries, it takes at least six years to rebuild after a major hurricane.

"Resources to mitigate damage are limited, so our findings could help highlight the hotspots in greatest danger and need. An integrated climate risk approach is needed to fully understand the threat of future hurricanes to Caribbean populations," said Vosper.

"Further studies could therefore incorporate factors that directly affect the health and well-being of local populations - such as storm surge, flood and landslide modelling - into the rainfall results to quantify such threats and feed into adaptation and resilience planning."

"Reducing the likelihood of extreme hurricanes should be the overriding priority. Our research clearly illustrates how vital it is to keep striving to meet the lower global warming temperature target, and the collective responsibility all countries, cities, communities, governments and individuals share to make that happen." 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

The future of Caribbean hurricanes depends on the extent of global warming

If the world fails to properly address climate change and...

The results of a new study from <a href="https://wustl.edu/">Washington University</a> indicate that Earth was always wet and did not need distant comets or <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/chicxulub-asteroid-struck-at-deadliest-possible-angle/">asteroids</a> to deliver the elements necessary for water to appear. The research suggests that water came from materials that were available in the solar system when our planet formed.

An international team of  researchers discovered that a type of meteorite called an enstatite chondrite contains enough hydrogen to deliver at least three times the amount of water held in Earth's oceans.

Enstatite chondrites are composed of material from the inner solar system, which is essentially the same material that Earth was formed from.

"Our discovery shows that the Earth's building blocks might have significantly contributed to the Earth's water," said study lead author Laurette Piani. "Hydrogen-bearing material was present in the inner solar system at the time of the rocky planet formation, even though the temperatures were too high for water to condense."

While it was too hot for water to condense when the building blocks of Earth came together, the meteorites indicate that water did not come from a distant source.

"The most interesting part of the discovery for me is that enstatite chondrites, which were believed to be almost 'dry,' contain an unexpectedly high abundance of water," said study co-author Lionel Vacher, who prepared some of the enstatite chondrites in this study for water analysis while completing his PhD at Universite de Lorraine. 

At Washington University, Vacher is working on understanding the composition of water in various types of meteorites. 

Enstatite chondrites are rare, but their isotopic similarity to Earth make them particularly interesting to scientists. These meteorites have similar oxygen, titanium, and calcium isotopes as Earth, and the current reveals that their hydrogen and nitrogen isotopes are also similar. 

"If enstatite chondrites were effectively the building blocks of our planet -- as strongly suggested by their similar isotopic compositions -- this result implies that these types of chondrites supplied enough water to Earth to explain the origin of Earth's water, which is amazing!" said Vacher.

"Only a few pristine enstatite chondrites exist: ones that were not altered on their asteroid nor on Earth," said Piani. "In our study we have carefully selected the enstatite chondrite meteorites and applied a special analytical procedure to avoid being biased by the input of terrestrial water."

"It was commonly assumed that these chondrites formed close to the sun. Enstatite chondrites were thus commonly considered 'dry,' and this frequently reasserted assumption has probably prevented any exhaustive analyses to be done for hydrogen."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Earth may have had water from the time it formed

The results of a new study from Washington University indicate...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a> has revealed that the Arctic is warming at an even higher rate than expected. The researchers report that temperatures in the Arctic Ocean between Canada, Russia, and Europe are rising faster than <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/changes-in-climate-and-land-use-could-lead-to-catastrophic-levels-of-soil-erosion/">climate</a> models have predicted.

Average temperatures have increased by one degree per decade over the last 40 years, according to the study. In the Barents Sea and around Norway's Svalbard archipelago, temperatures have risen by 1.5 degrees per decade.

"Our analyses of Arctic Ocean conditions demonstrate that we have been clearly underestimating the rate of temperature increases in the atmosphere nearest to the sea level, which has ultimately caused sea ice to disappear faster than we had anticipated," explained study co-author Professor Jens Hesselbjerg Christensen.

The research team compared current Arctic warming with historical climate fluctuations, such as those which occurred in Greenland during the ice age between 120,000 and 11,000 years ago.

"The abrupt rise in temperature now being experienced in the Arctic has only been observed during the last ice age. During that time, analyses of ice cores revealed that temperatures over the Greenland Ice Sheet increased several times, between 10 to 12 degrees, over a 40 to 100-year period," said Professor Hesselbjerg Christensen.

He noted that the significance of the steep rise in temperature is yet to be fully appreciated, and that much more focus on Arctic warming and climate change mitigation is needed. 

Prior to this study, climate models have predicted that Arctic temperatures would rise in a slow and stable manner, but this fails to account for abrupt shifts. The current research indicates that abrupt changes must be considered.

"We have looked at the climate models analyzed and assessed by the UN Climate Panel. Only those models based on the worst-case scenario, with the highest carbon dioxide emissions, come close to what our temperature measurements show over the past 40 years, from 1979 to today," said Professor Christensen.

"Changes are occurring so rapidly during the summer months that sea ice is likely to disappear faster than most climate models have ever predicted. We must continue to closely monitor temperature changes and incorporate the right climate processes into these models."

"Thus, successfully implementing the necessary reductions in greenhouse gas emissions to meet the Paris Agreement is essential in order to ensure a sea-ice packed Arctic year-round."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Arctic warming has been greatly underestimated

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

Babies exposed to air <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nutrient-pollution-makes-corals-more-susceptible-to-bleaching/">pollution</a> have poorer lung function as children and teenagers, according to new research from the <a href="https://www.europeanlung.org/">European Lung Foundation</a>. The study also suggests that breastfeeding for 12 weeks can help to mitigate the risk that babies will have impaired breathing in childhood.  

In a separate study, the researchers found that adults who are exposed to any level of air pollution over the course of decades are significantly more likely to develop asthma.

According to the experts, the findings indicate that more needs to be done to reduce levels of air pollution to protect children's developing lungs and prevent asthma in adults.

The first study was presented at the <a href="https://erscongress.org/">European Respiratory Society International Congress</a> by Dr. Qi Zhao from the <a href="https://www.iuf-duesseldorf.com/">IUF - Leibniz Research Institute for Environmental Medicine</a>.

"Evidence is growing that exposure to air pollution is a threat to children's respiratory health. However, most studies have looked at the effects of recent exposure to pollution," said Dr. Zhao.

"Babies' lungs are especially vulnerable because they are growing and developing, so we wanted to see if there are longer-term impacts for babies who are exposed to air pollution as they grow up."

The investigation was focused on 915 children living in two regions of Germany, Munich and Wesel. The researchers compared data on air pollution in the communities where the children lived in their first year of life to breathing tests that were conducted at ages 6, 10 and 15.

Low scores on specific measurements of lung capacity - forced vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1) - suggest that breathing is restricted and can be indicative of conditions such as asthma.

The study revealed that babies who were exposed to higher levels of air pollution had test scores that reflected poorer lung function as children and teenagers. Among children who developed asthma, the impacts on lung function were even greater.

On a positive note, the results of the analysis suggest that some of the damage linked to air pollution can be reduced in babies who are breastfed.

"Our results suggest that babies who grow up breathing polluted air, even at levels below EU regulations, have poorer breathing as they grow into children and adults. This is worrying because previous research suggests that damage to lungs in the first year of life can affect respiratory health throughout life," said Dr. Zhao.

The second study found that long-term exposure to air pollution was strongly linked to an asthma diagnosis. The risk of developing asthma directly corresponded with the concentration of two air pollutants - nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and fine (PM2.5).

The findings were presented at the ERC International Congress by Shuo Liu from University of Copenhagen.

"The fact that we found a link with asthma, even at relatively low levels of exposure, suggests that there is no safe threshold for air pollution," said Liu. "This is strong evidence that our regulations on air pollution need to be stricter if we want to prevent cases of asthma."

Thierry Troosters is a professor of Rehabilitation Sciences at KU Leuven and the president of the European Respiratory Society, who was not involved in the research. 

"These studies are concerning because they suggest the air we breathe is having a detrimental effect on adults and on babies' developing lungs. We all want to breathe clean air, and parents want to do all they can to help their children grow up to be healthy, but we have limited control over the quality of air where we live," said Professor Troosters.

"These findings suggest that current regulations, such as the EU limit values for air pollution, are not safe enough and we need to do more to protect children from the potential harms of air pollution. Previous research has shown that up to 67,000 cases of childhood asthma could be avoided every year in Europe if countries would meet the World Health Organization air quality limit values, which are lower than the EU's current standards, so it is essential that we reduce exposures."

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Babies exposed to air pollution have impaired breathing by childhood

Babies exposed to air pollution have poorer lung function as...

Soil erosion will accelerate in the next few decades as a result of water runoff caused by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/waterbirds-are-being-forced-out-of-the-tropics-by-climate-change/">climate change</a> and extensive agricultural land use. A new study from the <a href="https://www.unibas.ch/en.html">University of Basel</a> describes how soil loss will intensify through the year 2070.

"Soil erosion is a major global soil degradation threat to land, freshwater, and oceans. Wind and water are the major drivers, with water erosion over land being the focus of this work; excluding gullying and river bank erosion," wrote the study authors.

"Improving knowledge of the probable future rates of soil erosion, accelerated by human activity, is important both for policy makers engaged in land use decision-making and for Earth-system modelers seeking to reduce uncertainty on global predictions."

The impacts of soil erosion are potentially catastrophic, including the loss of fertile soil and food production. Ultimately, soil loss could compound the growing global crisis of food insecurity.

Beyond projecting the impacts of wind and water, the researchers had to account for the uncertainties of climate change and higher levels of precipitation that will hit some parts of the world harder than others. 

The team use computer models to simulate soil erosion in roughly 200 different countries based on three scenarios used by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). All of the simulations predicted persistent water erosion. 

Depending on the scenario, soil erosion will increase by up to 66 percent by 2070 compared to 2015. 

The study predicts that if agricultural practices do not change and global warming is not mitigated, more than 28 billion additional metric tons of soil will be lost every year. 

According to the investigation, the regions most vulnerable to extreme soil erosion are low- to middle-income tropical and subtropical countries. The researchers said it will be critical for countries in the Global South to promote more widespread use of sustainable agricultural practices.

"Soil erosion can be mitigated by sustainable land cultivation and the right policies," said study co-author Dr. Pasquale Borrelli. "We hope that our predictions will help to identify the magnitude of the threat from erosion and allow policy-makers to develop effective measures to soften the impact."

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Changes in climate and land use could lead to catastrophic levels of soil erosion

Soil erosion will accelerate in the next few decades as...

Some experts theorize that in the past, climate change promoted the evolution of new species in the tropics, contributing to the rich <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-loss-in-smaller-habitats-is-underestimated/">biodiversity</a> found near the equator. if that was the case, however, the trend is now shifting. New research has confirmed that climate change is rapidly forcing waterbirds to move away from the world's tropical regions and toward the poles.

An international team of scientists led by Dr. Tatsuya Amano of the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland</a> reviewed more than a million records of waterbird species and determined that temperature increase is drastically affecting the abundance of equatorial species.

"Using 1,303,651 count records of 390 species, we show that with temperature increase, the abundance of species and populations decreased at lower latitudes, particularly in the tropics, but increased at higher latitudes. These contrasting latitudinal responses indicate potential global-scale poleward shifts of species abundance under climate change," wrote the researchers.

"The negative responses to temperature increase in tropical species are of conservation concern, as they are often also threatened by other anthropogenic factors."

For example, another major cause of biodiversity loss in recent years is habitat destruction and degradation caused primarily by land-use changes, including urbanization and deforestation.

Dr. Amano said the findings of the UQ study show climate change continues to pose a serious threat to biodiversity.

"There's an urgent need to understand how species respond to changing climates on a global scale. Earlier global reviews have rarely included species and studies in the tropics - being largely conducted in Europe, North America, Australia and the Arctic."

"As a result, although tropical species have long been predicted to be more vulnerable to increasing temperature, there was little empirical evidence on how climate change really affects species abundance in the tropics."

The investigation was focused on data collected by the International Waterbird Census and Christmas Bird Count since 1990. An analysis of this data revealed that 69 percent of the tropical species exhibited negative responses to temperature increases.

"The global dataset of waterbird abundance is the fruit of invaluable, long-term survey efforts in over 100 countries and covers regions for which there is little information on climate change impacts," said Dr. Amano.

"Waterbirds can be observed relatively easily, offering an early proxy for climate change impacts on other species. They help us assess the status of biodiversity in wetland ecosystems, which has been lost at higher rates than other ecosystems."

Dr Amano said he hoped the findings will help strengthen the case for real action on a warming climate.

"Large species shifts and loss can have serious consequences not only for biodiversity, but also for human well-being. Our findings are a step forward, but it would be great to see this area receive more research attention, especially in the tropics," said Dr. Armano.

"Further studies could provide crucial evidence for a more effective allocation of limited resources for the conservation of species and ecosystems most threatened by climate change, and for assessing how these changes in biodiversity may affect human societies."

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate">Nature Climate Change</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Waterbirds are being forced out of the tropics by climate change

Some experts theorize that in the past, climate change promoted...

In 2019, an underwater volcano near Tonga created an enormous pumice raft that floated for months and eventually made its way to the coast of Australia. Here, the pumice rock has literally brought new life to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-changes/">Great Barrier Reef</a>. 

In a study from <a href="https://www.qut.edu.au/">Queensland University of Technology</a>, an international team of scientists used underwater robots to collect samples from the volcano that produced the pumice.

"It was really our first chance to go and explore the summit of this underwater volcano," said study co-author Professor Scott Bryan."We were able to send underwater robots down with cameras and sampling gear to collect material from the actual volcano that produced this pumice raft last year."

"It's allowed us to see what these volcanoes look like underwater. It's a volcano that's getting close to breaching the surface and will become an island in years to come."

"We've been able to see how life has come back to the summit of this volcano after this eruption, and see that restoration of life."

"One of the advantages of our trip to Tonga is that for the first time we've been able to collect samples from the vent, from the seafloor so soon after the eruption."

Professor Bryan, who has been studying the impact of pumice rafts for nearly 20 years, said that at one point the raft was twice the size of Manhattan. The pumice started arriving on Australia's shoreline by April and spread out across a long stretch of shoreline. 

The researchers collected four different types of pumice from the Tongo eruption that can be used for comparison: the pumice collected shortly after the eruption, pumice that sank right away at the eruption site, pumice that washed up in Fiji a month later, and pumice that traveled more than 3,000 kilometers to Australia.

"We don't understand why some pumice sinks during the eruption at the location and others can float for many months and years on the world's oceans," said Professor Bryan. "This will help us understand the mechanisms and dynamics of these explosive eruptions and understand better why these eruptions produce potentially hazardous pumice rafts."

According to Professor Bryan, a nutritional boost that the pumice raft has delivered to the Great Barrier Reef is part of a very ancient process in which oceans and volcanoes have transferred marine life around the Earth for hundreds of millions of years.

"This shows that the Great Barrier Reef has connections to coral reefs that are thousands of kilometers further east. In terms of the health of the Great Barrier Reef, it's also important that these distant reefs are taken care of."

"Each piece of pumice has its own little community that has been transported across the world's oceans - and we have had trillions of pieces of this pumice floating out there following the eruption."

"Each piece of pumice is a home, and a vehicle for an organism, and it's just tremendous. The sheer numbers of individuals and this diversity of species is being transported thousands of kilometres in only a matter of months is really quite phenomenal."

Professor Bryan said that pumice rafts will not directly help to mitigate the effects of climate change on the Great Barrier Reef. "This is about a boost of new recruits, of new corals and other reef-building organisms, that happens every five years or so. It's almost like a vitamin shot for the Great Barrier Reef."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/earth-science">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>.

---

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Pumice raft carried nutrients to the Great Barrier Reef from nearly 2,000 miles away

In 2019, an underwater volcano near Tonga created an enormous...

New research suggests that nutrient pollution will compound the detrimental effects of climate change on coral reefs. According to a study from the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a>, coral <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/genetics-will-show-which-corals-can-resist-bleaching/">bleaching</a> is intensified when reefs are exposed to excessive nutrients.

Nutrient runoff from human activities, as well as naturally occurring nutrients such as nitrogen and phosphorous, is carried into coral environments by circulating ocean currents.

Study lead author Dr. Thomas DeCarlo from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) said corals are sensitive to high levels of nutrients.

"As the climate warms, mass coral bleaching could occur as often as annually within this century," said Dr. DeCarlo. "In our study, we found that already heat-stressed corals exposed to excess nutrient levels were even more susceptible to bleaching."

The findings suggest that ecosystem managers should develop strategies to reduce nutrient stress in waters that are affected by heat stress.

The research confirms the results of previous studies, some of which were conducted on the Great Barrier Reef, that have attributed coral bleaching to a combination of heat and nutrient stresses.

"Our results provide a roadmap for coral reef conservation efforts to be at their most effective," said study co-author Professor John Pandolfi. "We suggest oceanographic processes should be included when deciding when and where to allocate resources or protection."

The researchers used the skeletal cores of long-living corals to analyze bleaching events in the Red Sea over the past few decades. They found that coral bleaching was only severe when high sea surface temperatures were coupled with excessive nutrient levels.

Testing the role of nutrients in coral bleaching has been a challenge, primarily because it is difficult to distinguish between which effects are caused by heat stress and which are caused by nutrient pollution. It is also not as easy to measure nutrient loads through satellite imagery as it is to measure ocean temperatures.

The Red Sea provides an ideal study site for examining the impacts of nutrient pollution on corals because it is one of the only marine environments where the effects of summertime nutrients and heat stress are independent of each other. There is only one region of the sea that has a single major source of nutrients in the summer, which are mixed in the ocean as a result of a process called upwelling.

"Incorporating nutrient-supplying ocean currents into coral bleaching forecasts will enhance those predictions that are based on temperatures alone," said Professor Pandolfi.

"The fact that nutrients are more difficult to measure than temperature may be restricting our recognition of their importance," said Dr. DeCarlo. "And we need greater longer-term monitoring efforts of nutrient levels on coral reefs."

"Our research suggests that projections of coral reef futures should move beyond solely temperature-based stress to incorporate the influence of ocean current systems on coral reef nutrient enrichment, and thus susceptibility to bleaching.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</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

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Nutrient pollution makes corals more susceptible to bleaching

New research suggests that nutrient pollution will compound the detrimental...

In a new study led by the <a href="https://www.unimelb.edu.au/">University of Melbourne</a>, records contained in ice cores and stalagmites have revealed that abrupt climate changes during the last glacial period were nearly synchronized from the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/the-arctic-may-be-completely-free-of-sea-ice-in-15-years/">Arctic</a> down to the Tropics.

The research shows that rapid warming across Greenland was accompanied by simultaneous temperature increases in Europe and changes in precipitation in the Asian and South American monsoon regions.

"Some of the largest and most abrupt climate changes in Earth's geological recent past occurred during the Last Glacial Period, a cold interval that extended between 115,000 and 11,700 years ago," said study lead author Ellen Corrick.

In Greenland, ice cores recorded more than 25 abrupt warming episodes during this period, known as the "Dansgaard-Oeschger events."

The episodes were characterized by major temperature fluctuations of up to 16 degrees Celsius, and these spikes sometimes happened in a matter of a few decades.

The experts also assembled 63 individual climate records derived from stalagmites that had been collected in caves across Europe, Asia, and South America. The geological records represent over two decades worth of published scientific studies by experts all over the world.

Stalagmites are a type of cave mineral formation that can be dated very precisely to gather critical information on regional temperature and rainfall.

The researchers said the findings demonstrate that profound climate changes can occur simultaneously, highlighting the unstable nature of the climate system. 

The study also provides a framework to improve climate models and predict upcoming changes with more accuracy.

"Demonstrating synchrony in the climate response across such a broad region marks a major advance in the study of Dansgaard-Oeschger events," said study co-author Professor Russell Drysdale. "It allows scientists to improve understanding of how the events are propagated globally via the ocean and atmosphere system."

According to study co-author Professor Eric Wolff, the findings resolve a long-standing dilemma among paleoclimatologists, who study ancient climates. "They provide confirmation of a persistent but, until now, unsubstantiated assumption that climate changes between the tropics and the Arctic were synchronous."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</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

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Abrupt climate changes occur simultaneously across the globe

In a new study led by the University of Melbourne,...

Seabirds often mistake plastic debris for food, and ingestion poses many health risks to the animals such as intestinal blockages. A new study has shown, for the first time, that plastic waste can release potentially harmful <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plants-produce-medically-valuable-chemicals/">chemicals</a> into the stomach fluid of seabirds for extended periods of time.

The findings highlight the urgent need to reduce plastic pollution in our oceans and to dispose of our waste more responsibly. As levels of marine plastic pollution continue to grow, so do the threats to wildlife.

Pieces of plastic can remain in birds' intestines for long periods of time, and scientists are now concerned that the plastic is capable of releasing harmful chemicals.

"I've been working on northern fulmars for almost 10 years," said study lead author Susanne Kühn of the Wageningen Marine Research in the Netherlands. "As these seabirds ingest plastics regularly, and 93% of the fulmars from the North Sea have some plastic in their stomachs, it is important to understand the potential harm this could cause."

The researchers set out to investigate whether plastics may release chemicals after being eaten by fulmars. 

The team replicated the conditions found in the fulmar stomach, as well as the plastic debris that the seabirds ingest. The experts collected stomach oil, a nutrient-rich liquid found in the fulmar stomach, from hunters in the Faroe Islands.

"Previous studies have typically used uniform plastic pellets, sometimes artificially contaminated, which is not representative of plastic found in the sea," explained Kühn. "Instead, we went beach combing and found a variety of plastic types and shapes to create a marine plastic sample that a fulmar might realistically ingest."

After covering the plastic samples in stomach oil, the researchers mimicked the temperature and levels of agitation that can be found in the fulmar stomach. Next, the team chwmically analyzed the oil at different points in time to determine whether chemicals had leached out of the plastic.

The study revealed that the plastic released a variety of chemicals in the stomach oil over time. In some cases, foreign chemicals leaked from the plastics for more than three months. The chemicals turned out to be additives such as plasticizers, flame retardants, and stabilizers.

The team was shocked to find that the stomach oil of fulmar chicks already contained plastic-derived chemicals before the experiments, indicating that their parents had mistakenly feed them plastic waste.

While the long-term health implications are unclear, previous studies have shown that several of the leached chemicals can disrupt hormones and reproduction among seabirds and may have genetic effects in birds.

The research suggests that the impacts of plastic pollution on birds are not limited to immediate effects, such as entanglement, but have the potential to be much longer lasting.

"I hope that these results will increase awareness of the various negative effects of plastic debris in the oceans," said Kühn. "We urgently need to reduce the amount of plastic in the marine environment."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science">Frontiers in Environmental Science</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

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Chemicals from plastics leak into seabird stomachs over time

Seabirds often mistake plastic debris for food, and ingestion poses...

A new study has revealed that the amount of microplastics in the Atlantic Ocean has been largely underestimated. The research shows that there is as much as 10 times more plastic in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-system-in-asia-influences-hurricanes-in-the-atlantic/">Atlantic</a> than was previously realized.

Study lead author Dr. Katsiaryna Pabortsava is a scientist at the <a href="https://www.noc.ac.uk/">National Oceanography Centre</a> (NOC) in the UK.

"Previously, we couldn't balance the mass of floating plastic we observed with the mass we thought had entered the ocean since 1950," said Dr. Pabortsava. 

"This is because earlier studies hadn't been measuring the concentrations of 'invisible' microplastic particles beneath the ocean surface. Our research is the first to have done this across the entire Atlantic, from the UK to the Falklands."

The mass of invisible microplastics found in the upper waters of the Atlantic is approximately 12 to 21 million tons, according to the research. 

Furthermore, this figure only represents three of the most common types of plastic litter in a limited size range. 

At the same time, the microplastics estimate is comparable in magnitude to all of the plastic waste that is believed to have entered the Atlantic Ocean over the past 65 years, which is estimated at 17 million tons. This indicates that there is much more plastic waste in the ocean than what was expected.

"If we assume that the concentration of microplastics we measured at around 200 meters deep is representative of that in the water mass to the seafloor below with an average depth of about 3,000 meters, then the Atlantic Ocean might hold about 200 million tons of plastic litter in this limited polymer type and size category. This is much more than is thought to have been supplied," explained study co-author Professor Richard Lampitt.

"In order to determine the dangers of plastic contamination to the environment and to humans we need good estimates of the amount and characteristics of this material, how it enters the ocean, how it degrades and then how toxic it is at these concentrations." 

"This paper demonstrates that scientists have had a totally inadequate understanding of even the simplest of these factors, how much is there, and it would seem our estimates of how much is dumped into the ocean has been massively underestimated."

The researchers collected the ocean water samples used for the study during the 26th Atlantic Meridional Transect expedition in September to November 2016. They filtered large volumes of seawater at three selected depths in the top 200 meters.

Using a state-of-the-art spectroscopic imaging technique, the team detected and identified three of the most common plastic contaminants: polyethylene, polypropylene and polystyrene.

The research is part of the NOC's mission to understand the extent and implications of microplastic pollution on the health of marine ecosystems.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

&nbsp;

Atlantic Ocean may hold 200 million tons of microplastics 

A new study has revealed that the amount of microplastics...

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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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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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