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...

SONY DSC

30 years of climate warming is visible in the history of wine grapes. In a new study published by the <a href="https://www.egu.eu/">European Geosciences Union</a> (EGU), researchers tracked the dates that grapes were harvested over the past 664 years. This documentation has produced evidence which confirms how unusually warm the climate has been in the last three decades. 

The record shows that, since 1988, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/winemakers-switch-grapes-climate/">wine grapes</a> in Burgundy have been picked 13 days earlier on average compared to the previous six centuries. The early harvest is a result of hotter and drier conditions across the region. 

"We did not anticipate that the accelerated warming trend since the mid-1980s would stand out so clearly in the series," said study co-author Professor Christian Pfister.

Because wine grapes are very sensitive to rainfall and temperature, the harvest dates can be used as a proxy to study the climate. A hot and dry growing season speeds up the ripening process compared to colder years.

Using a large number of archived sources, study lead author Thomas Labbé reconstructed grape harvest dates in Beaune, the wine capital of Burgundy, all the way back to 1354. He analyzed Beaune city council records, newspaper reports, and information on wage payments made to grape pickers. The continuous record of grape harvest dates, which runs through 2018, is the longest of its kind.

Labbé explained that the record is clearly divided into two parts. Until 1987, wine grapes were typically picked beginning on September 28. Since 1988, the harvests have begun an average of 13 days earlier. When the researchers analyzed the record, they found that the hot and dry conditions of the last 30 years were once uncommon but are now occurring regularly. 

To validate the grape harvest record, the team used 360 years of detailed temperature records from Paris. This allowed them to estimate the spring and summer temperatures in the Beaune region for the entire 664 years of the record.

"The transition to a rapid global warming period after 1988 stands out very clearly. The exceptional character of the last 30 years becomes apparent to everybody," said Professor Pfister. "We hope people start to realistically consider the climate situation in which the planet is at present."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.climate-of-the-past.net/">Climate of the Past</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Olivier Duquesne/Flickr

30 years of climate warming is visible in the history of wine grapes

30 years of climate warming is visible in the history...

An international team of scientists led by <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a> (UCI) has created the first high-resolution global map of surface ocean phosphate, a mineral that is key in supporting the marine food chain. Based on their research, the experts discovered that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hydrothermal-vents-phytoplankton-blooms/">phytoplankton</a> are much more resilient to nutrient stress than previously thought.

Considering that ocean algae absorb a significant amount of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, the findings have important implications for climate change predictions.

Study lead author Adam Martiny is a professor of Earth System Science and Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at UCI.

"Understanding the global distribution of ocean nutrients is fundamental to identifying the link between changes in ocean physics and ocean biology," explained Professor Martiny. "One of the outcomes of having this map is that we can show that plankton communities are extremely resilient even in nutrient-deficient environments."

"As lower ocean nutrient availability is one of the predicted outcomes of climate change, this may be good news for plankton, and for us."

Dissolved inorganic phosphate plays an important role in the ocean habitat, but it is notoriously difficult to detect. Unlike many of the other nutrients that are used by phytoplankton for survival, the amount of phosphorus is limited on our planet and it is rare in the ocean. 

By understanding how much phosphorus is available and where, scientists can better predict how the dynamics of the ocean food web will be chemically altered by climate change. To investigate, the UCI team analyzed more than 50,500 seawater samples collected on 42 research voyages covering all of Earth's ocean basins.

Professor Martiny said that in addition to identifying regions where the mineral is in short supply, the team was also able to discover previously unknown patterns of phosphate levels in major ocean basins in the Atlantic and Pacific.

"We have for too long had this simplistic view of a nutrient-rich ocean at high latitudes and ocean deserts at low latitudes," noted Professor Martiny. "However, in this paper we argue that our current predictions of nutrient stress may be too dire and marine organisms are able to handle a limited supply of phosphate better than we previously thought."

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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Elovich

Phytoplankton may be surprisingly resilient to nutrient stress

An international team of scientists led by UC Irvine (UCI)...

An international team of researchers led by <a href="http://www.sun.ac.za/english">Stellenbosch University</a> is reporting that plants are vanishing at a shocking rate across three biodiversity hotspots in South Africa. The study revealed that 79 plants have been confirmed extinct in the last 300 years in the Cape Floristic Region, the Succulent Karoo, and in Maputaland-Pondoland-Albany.

According to the researchers, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-loss-human-rights-issue/">biodiversity loss</a> estimated for these three hotspots represents almost half of the known plant extinctions in 10 of the regions that are recognized as having the most diverse wildlife on the planet. 

Led by Professor Jaco Le Roux and Dr. Heidi Hirsch, the researchers analyzed 291 plant extinctions that have taken place in ten biodiversity hotspots and six coldspots since the year 1700. Overall, the study area covered about 15 percent of the Earth's land surface.

Agriculture was found to be the primary driver of extinctions in South Africa, followed by urbanization and invasive species. 

The study also revealed that plant extinctions over the past three centuries have leveled off to about 1.26 extinctions per year since the 1990s. However, when this number hit its peak, it was at least 350 times the historical rate that was established prior to human disturbances. 

The scientists predict that, within the study area, an additional 21 plant species will vanish by 2030 and 110 plant species will be lost by the end of the century. These results are strikingly different from the findings of some previous studies which suggest that half of all the Earth's 390,000 plant species may disappear by 2100.

"This would translate into more than 49,000 extinctions in the regions we studied over the next 80 years, which seems unlikely, bar a cataclysmic event such as an asteroid strike!" explained the researchers.

Regardless, the study authors emphasised that biodiversity loss and climate change are the biggest threats faced by humanity. 

"Along with habitat destruction, the effects of climate change are expected to be particularly severe on those plants not capable of dispersing their seeds over long distances."

Professor Le Roux pointed out that regional datasets provide valuable data to make general inferences around plant extinctions and the drivers underlying these extinctions. However, data is still very much lacking for many hotspots, such as those in Madagascar and Hawaii, which is why these regions were not included in the study. 

"A lack of up-to-date lists prevents us from gaining a more complete and precise picture of what we are losing, and at exactly what rate," said Dr. Hirsch. 

The experts believe that the only way to truly understand the magnitude of the plant extinction crisis is by urgently initiating regional or national biodiversity assessments.

"While our study suggests that modern plant extinctions are relatively low, it is important to keep in mind that plants are exceptionally good at 'hanging in there.' Some of them are among the longest living organisms on earth today and many can persist in low densities, even under prolonged periods of unfavorable environmental conditions," said Professor Le Roux. "A recent report, for example, indicated that 431 plant species, previously thought to be extinct, have been rediscovered." 

In other words, plant species may not be completely doomed even when they are down to just a few remaining individuals. This makes it particularly challenging to accurately quantify plant extinction rates. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plants are vanishing from biodiversity hotspots at a shocking rate

An international team of researchers led by Stellenbosch University is...

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exotic-pet-trade-tiger-gecko/">Exotic pets</a> can be found in homes throughout the world. Unlike cats and dogs, these pets are not domesticated and are often difficult to care for, resulting in some owners releasing them into the wild. But not only does this practice threaten the survival of the animal, but the surrounding ecosystem as well.

In the United States, fish are the most common pet, followed by cats and dogs. Americans own 158.1 million fresh and saltwater fish, according to the <a href="https://www.iii.org/fact-statistic/facts-statistics-pet-statistics">American Pet Products Association’s 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey</a>. Other popular pets include birds and reptiles. While some of these pets may be indigenous to the area they are living in, exotic animals such as parrots and green iguanas are popular among pet owners.

Exotic pets have complex needs and can quickly become overwhelming for pet owners to care for. Many bird species are highly social, using an array of vocalizations to communicate, and need extensive stimulation to prevent stress. Green iguanas can become aggressive and bite and whip their tails at owners.

Pet owners trying to relinquish their exotic pet may have few options. While some rescue groups focus on exotic species, these under-resourced groups are inundated with requests to take people’s pets. Out of frustration, or the mistaken belief that the animals should be returned to the wild, exotic pets are often released outside by their owners. This practice is subject to varying laws and may be illegal depending on the state where it is done.

Many of the animals quickly die in an environment far removed from their native habitat. But others thrive living in an area with no natural predators.

In the wild, released pets compete with native species for resources such as food, habitat and nesting sites. Predator species may also prey on native animals.

Florida has the world’s worst invasive amphibian and reptile problem, and researchers from the <a href="https://www.ufl.edu/">University of Florida</a> found that the pet trade is the leading cause of this epidemic. The state is now home to 137 non-native amphibian and reptile species.

Green iguanas were first reported outside of captivity in Miami, Florida in the 1960s, according to the <a href="http://www.tsusinvasives.org/home/database/iguana-iguana">Texas Invasive Species Institute</a>. The species has since spread to the Everglades, Hawaii, Texas and Puerto Rico. 

Iguanas are now considered a pest in these areas and cause <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/225947311_Green_Iguanas_Iguana_iguana_in_Puerto_Rico_Is_it_time_for_management">considerable damage</a> to the local ecosystems. Iguanas invade the nesting sites for leatherback turtles by digging burrows that risk destroying the turtles’ eggs. Iguanas have also eaten all of the host plants the Miami blue butterfly uses to lay their eggs, preventing the species from recolonizing in the Florida Keys. 

Burmese pythons have also proliferated in Florida as a result of the exotic pet trade. Researchers examining the effects of Burmese pythons in Everglades National Park <a href="https://www.pnas.org/content/109/7/2418">found</a> a 99.3% decrease in the frequency of raccoon observations from 2003-2011, a 98.9% decrease in opossum observations, and an 87.5% decrease in bobcat observations. These species were more prevalent in areas where Burmese pythons were only recently introduced.

Even seemingly harmless pets can wreak havoc once released. Goldfish are one of the most common and well-recognized of the ornamental fish. The animal is also commonly disposed of by either releasing the fish directly into a waterway or by flushing it down the toilet. 

A <a href="https://www.facebook.com/BNWaterkeeper/photos/a.95430307146/10157452539187147/?type=3&amp;theater">photograph</a> showing a 14-inch goldfish found in the wild went viral this month. Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, who posted the photograph on Facebook, warns pet owners not to flush their fish down the toilet as some individuals can make it into the wild. Once there, they can destroy the habitat by spreading parasites and monopolizing resources. Scientists estimate that tens of millions of goldfish now live in the Great Lakes, according to the social media post.

The exotic pet trade continues to grow and <a href="https://esajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/fee.2059">researchers warn</a> that little focus has been placed on the ecological effects of exotic pet invasions. Without proper education to pet owners, the invasive pet problem is likely to spread.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/LesPalenik

The release of exotic pets threatens local ecosystems

Exotic pets can be found in homes throughout the world....

Tidewater glaciers, <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/glaciers/gallery/tidewater.html">valley glaciers</a> that flow down to the ocean, are undergoing faster rates of underwater melting than previously thought. 

A new study led by <a href="https://www.oceanice.org/">Dave Sutherland</a>, an oceanographer from the<a href="https://www.uoregon.edu/"> University of Oregon</a>, shows that current models have potentially underestimated the rates of subsurface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-glacial-meltwater-sea-level/">glacier melting</a>. 

Without a better understanding of glacier melting and how glaciers are impacted by changing global temperatures, researchers can’t accurately predict future sea-level rise. 

Sutherland and his team focused on the Leconte Glacier which flows into the Leconte Bay near Juneau, Alaska and tracked subsurface melting. 

Because tidewater glaciers end at the ocean, it’s impossible to collect and analyze data with the same methods used for measuring melting on Antarctic ice shelves. 

“We don’t have that platform to be able to access the ice in this way,” said Sutherland. “Tidewater glaciers are always calving and moving very rapidly, and you don’t want to take a boat up there too closely.”

In the past, theoretical modeling helped researchers calculate melt rates for these hard to study glaciers, but Sutherland wanted to test these models in the field, something that had not been done before. 

The researchers scanned the point where ocean and ice meet, the ocean-ice interface of the glacier, using a multibeam sonar. 

From August 2016 through May 2017, the researchers scanned the ocean-ice interface six times. 

The multibeam sonar showed large areas of the glacier underwater and provided the researchers a closer look at where the glacier drains into the ocean from the Stikine Icefield. 

Data on temperature, ocean salinity, and how fast water was moving downstream of the glacier were collected for the study. 

“We measured both the ocean properties in front of the glacier and the melt rates, and we found that they are not related in the way we expected,” said Rebecca H. Jackson, a co-author of the study. “These two sets of measurements show that melt rates are significantly, sometimes up to a factor of 100, higher than existing theory would predict.”

Studies of ocean-ice interactions typically focus on one kind of glacial melt, discharge-driven melt, where plumes of meltwater are released into the ocean below the glacier, and these plumes slowly chip away at the glacier’s edge. 

However, ambient melt is another type of glacial melt that impacts more of the glacier face than discharge-driven melt but is often disregarded by researchers as being insignificant. 

Subsurface melt rates across the glacier’s face were high through the study period, and the researchers found that the melt rate increased from spring going into summer. 

This shows the importance of considering all potential melting factors into glacier and ice sheet modeling.

“Future sea level rise is primarily determined by how much ice is stored in these ice sheets,” Sutherland said. “We are focusing on the ocean-ice interfaces, because that’s where the extra melt and ice is coming from that controls how fast ice is lost. To improve the modeling, we have to know more about where melting occurs and the feedbacks involved.”

The researchers published their findings in the journal Science. 

--

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: NOAA

Underwater glacial melting is happening faster than expected

Tidewater glaciers, valley glaciers that flow down to the ocean,...

Many of the oceanic islands that arise from undersea volcanoes have served as a natural laboratory for scientists to observe evolutionary and ecological processes. Because islands making up these archipelagos can differ in age by millions of years, scientists are able to analyze the long-term impacts of geology and evolution on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/biodiversity-loss-human-rights-issue/">biodiversity</a> over time.

A new study published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">PNAS</a> has found that – on the archipelago of Hawai’i – biodiversity is higher on older islands than it is on younger ones. Additionally, the research team found that introduced species are diluting the effects of island age within the patterns of local biodiversity. 

An international research team led by the <a href="https://www.uni-goettingen.de/en/1.html">University of Göttingen</a>, German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) and the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ), along with the <a href="https://manoa.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawai'i at Mānoa</a>, used data from over 500 forest plots across the Hawai’ian Islands. They wanted to determine how historical and recent ecological processes influenced the number of species that coexisted both on each individual island and within smaller areas of land on the islands. 

The results of their analysis showed that older islands had a greater number of both rare species and native species, even within the smaller plots of land. Their data spanned from older islands such as Kau'I – which is around 5 million years old – to islands like the Big Island of Hawai'I, which is only around 500,000 years old and is still growing.

[caption id="attachment_1875835" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-Koolau-summit-on-the-island-of-Oahu-in-Hawaii.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1875835" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/The-Koolau-summit-on-the-island-of-Oahu-in-Hawaii.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" /></a> The Ko'olau summit on the island of O'ahu in Hawai'i, Image Credit: William Weaver[/caption]

“To be honest, I was a bit surprised by the results. I expected that ecological mechanisms would outweigh the macroevolutionary forces at the scales of these small plots, and that there’d be no differences in local-scale diversity among the islands,” explains senior author Jonathan Chase of iDiv and Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenber. “So, to me, this is the coolest kind of discovery – one that challenges your assumptions.”

The researchers also found that widespread introduced species weakened the effect of island age on biodiversity. “We’re seeing evidence that human activity – such as planting introduced species in our gardens and parks – is starting to erase millions of years of history, of plants and animals interacting with one another and their environment,” says lead author Dylan Craven from the University of Göttingen. 

It’s rather concerning that human activity over such a relatively small period of time (compared to the amount of time it takes for an island ecosystem to form) can have such a clear effect on biodiversity. Studies such as this show how fragile these ecosystems truly are, even though they are formed by the after product of volcanic lava. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: William Weaver

Biodiversity suffers when new species are introduced to island ecosystems

Many of the oceanic islands that arise from undersea volcanoes...

Scorecard reveals which states rank best and worst for clean energy. The <a href="https://aceee.org/">American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy</a> (ACEEE) recently released its annual scorecard ranking 75 major cities in the US based on clean energy initiatives and climate goals.

The<a href="https://aceee.org/local-policy/city-scorecard"> 2019 City Clean Energy Scorecard</a> shows that cities are continuing to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-fuel-efficiency-standards/">climate change into their hands</a> even while the current Administration is working hard to pump the brakes on climate change policies. 

To create the scorecard, ACEEE researchers reviewed data on more than 265 clean and renewable energy initiatives between 2017 and 2019. More than 50 metrics were used to rank cities in five major policy areas. 

The researchers reviewed local government operations, buildings policies, energy and water utilities, and transportation policies. 

How well are cities reaching their climate goals and gearing towards an energy efficient economy? The scorecard shows that Boston holds the number one spot, followed by San Francisco, Seattle, Minneapolis and Washington, DC. 

However, the majority of cities in the survey are making minimal progress and will likely not meet their proposed climate goals. 26 of the cities don’t even have set targets for greenhouse gas emission reductions.

Only eleven out of the 75 cities with data on climate goal progress will come close to meeting their greenhouse gas targets the scorecard shows. 

“Cities are making impressive clean energy gains—taking big steps to waste less energy and encourage more renewable power. But they have more to do,” said David Ribeiro, the lead report author. “Cities must continue their push for innovative buildings policies, take greater steps to tackle transportation emissions, and better track progress to know which investments have the greatest impact.”

[caption id="attachment_1875737" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/scorecard.png"><img class="wp-image-1875737" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/scorecard.png" alt="" width="650" height="757" /></a> Image Credit: ACEEE[/caption]

All in cities made more progress in increasing energy efficiency for buildings, but more attention must be paid to the transportation sectors. 

The scorecard found that there was much room for improvement with cities investing in low-income communities and communities of color, which often face disproportionate pollution exposure and health risks. 

“It is vital that cities move quickly to reduce their carbon emissions and that they do so in ways that engage and benefit all residents, including low-income communities and communities of color,” said Lois DeBacker, the managing director of The Kresge Foundation’s Environment Program, which helps funds the ACEEE. “ACEEE’s City Clean Energy Scorecard offers a clear guide for local leaders to learn from one another how to transition to clean energy in an equitable manner.”

--

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>

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Sean Pavone

Scorecard reveals which states rank best and worst for clean energy

Scorecard reveals which states rank best and worst for clean...

A new study has revealed how climate change may negatively impact soils, posing a threat to water sources and crops.

Rising sea levels, habitat degradation, mass coral bleaching events, biodiversity declines, the spread of vector-borne diseases, and an increase in weather extremes are all projected effects of climate change.

But now, researchers from <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a> have revealed how climate change could also alter how soils absorb water.

How moisture, air, and CO2 infiltrate into the soil is crucial for healthy crops and vegetation. 

Water in the soil helps to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/increasing-soil-carbon-storage/">store carbon</a>, but if soils become degraded and less water infiltrates down into the ground, it could lead to higher levels of atmospheric CO2. 

“Since rainfall patterns and other environmental conditions are shifting globally as a result of climate change, our results suggest that how water interacts with soil could change appreciably in many parts of the world, and do so fairly rapidly,” said Daniel Giménez, a co-author of the study. “We propose that the direction, magnitude, and rate of the changes should be measured and incorporated into predictions of ecosystem responses to climate change.”

Giménez conducted a soil study last year and discovered that increases in precipitation reduce the soil’s ability to absorb water, leading to erosion and an increased risk of flash floods. 

Water infiltration rates can change as precipitation increases, and with less water making its way down into the soil, there will be less water available for plants and crops. 

One long-term experiment led by Rutgers researchers found that a 35 percent increase in rainfall over 25 years in Kansas resulted in a 21 to 33 percent decrease in water infiltration rates. 

With more rain, plants were spreading their thick roots and clogging the once porous soil leaving less room for water. 

The Rutgers team will next investigate how increases in precipitation due to climate change will impact water infiltration and soils in other parts of the world. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal Science Advances.

--

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: Edouard Sagues

How climate change could negatively impact soil and threaten crops

A new study has revealed how climate change may negatively...

Monkeys play an important role in bringing tropical forests back to life. A team of scientists led by the <a href="https://www.dpz.eu/en/home.html">German Primate Center</a> (DPZ) has found that monkeys play a critical role in the regeneration of degraded <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/taller-older-rainforests-drought/">tropical rainforests</a>. For more than two decades, the researchers observed two tamarin species in the rainforest of Peru. 

The study was focused on an area in the Peruvian Amazon rainforest which was cleared and used as pasture for water buffalos between 1990 and 2000. When the grazing was abandoned, the rainforest slowly began to regenerate. The researchers noted that moustached and black-fronted tamarins were temporarily in the early secondary forest.

"We wanted to find out whether the seed dispersal by monkeys has a demonstrable effect on the natural regeneration of forests," said study lead author Eckhard W. Heymann.

After the tamarins feed on tropical fruits, the seeds are excreted in their waste rather than digested. To investigate which seeds were dispersed from the primary forest to the regenerating secondary forest, the researchers identified seeds from the monkeys' feces.

A portion of these seeds germinated and the resulting seedlings belonged to eight different plant species, seven of which could only be found as adult plants in the nearby primary forest.

The seeds of the neotropic tree Parkia panurensis were exclusively dispersed by tamarins across the study area. To genetically confirm the significance of this seed dispersal, the team performed DNA tests to compare the new trees in the secondary forest to the adult Parkia trees. The tests revealed that half of the seedlings and young plants could be matched to parent trees in the primary forest. 

"Our data show for the first time that the moustached and black-fronted tamarins effectively disperse seeds from primary forest into secondary forest," said Heymann. "We were able to prove that the seeds germinate and form young plants, thus increasing the diversity of species in the secondary forest. The tamarins have been shown to contribute to the natural regeneration of areas destroyed by humans."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/srep/">Scientific Reports</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/ChameleonsEye

Monkeys play an important role in bringing tropical forests back to life

Monkeys play an important role in bringing tropical forests back...

Dust from an asteroid collision in space caused an ancient ice age on Earth. Dust from an <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/the-paths-of-thousands-of-asteroids/">asteroid</a> collision that rained down on Earth over two million years correlates with an ancient ice age, the cause of which was unknown until now. 

446 million years ago, the Earth experienced a period of global cooling. The poles started to freeze, and life flourished as evolving species adapted to the gradually decreasing temperatures. 

For the first time, researchers from the <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">Field Museum</a> and <a href="https://lunduniversity.lu.se/">Lund University</a> in Sweden have discovered what triggered this ice age. The culprit was dust from a 93-mile wide asteroid between Mars and Jupiter that broke apart around the same time as temperatures started dropping. 

Dust from outer space is continuously finding its way to Earth, but in such small quantities that there is little impact on the planet’s climate systems. 446 million years ago, though, it was a different story. 

“Normally, Earth gains about 40,000 tons of extraterrestrial material every year,” said Philipp Heck, a member of the research team. “Imagine multiplying that by a factor of a thousand or ten thousand. Our hypothesis is that the large amounts of extraterrestrial dust over a timeframe of at least two million years played an important role in changing the climate on Earth, contributing to cooling.” 

The researchers analyzed space dust in ancient rocks. First, the rocks were treated with an acid that disolved away the rock but left behind the important extraterrestrial matter for analysis. 

“We studied extraterrestrial matter, meteorites, and micrometeorites, in the sedimentary record of Earth, meaning rocks that were once sea floor,” said Heck. “And then we extracted the extraterrestrial matter to discover what it was and where it came from.”

The researchers were able to link global cooling millions of years ago to an increase in extraterrestrial dust in the atmosphere, which filtered out sunlight. 

The period of cooling was dramatic but gradual, slow enough that species could adapt and thrive.

“In the global cooling we studied, we’re talking about timescales of millions of years,” said Heck. “It’s very different from the climate change caused by the meteorite 65 million years ago that killed the dinosaurs, and it’s different from the global warming today--this global cooling was a gentle nudge. There was less stress.” 

The researchers are careful to highlight the differences between climate change today and the ice age 446 million years ago. Plans to artificially cool the planet by mimicking the same conditions that cooled Earth millions of years ago should be considered carefully. 

A study detailing the findings was published in the journal Science Advances. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Don Davis, Southwest Research Institute

Dust from an asteroid collision in space caused an ancient ice age on Earth

Dust from an asteroid collision in space caused an ancient...

Led by the <a href="https://au.int/">African Union</a>, the Great Green Wall (GGW) project was launched in 2007 to combat the effects of climate change. 

The project is expected to transform the lives of millions of people by creating productive landscapes across the Sahel in North Africa.

In particular, the initiative aims to plant a barrier of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/exotic-trees-uk-climate-change/">trees</a> that will cover 4,815 miles of the southern edge of the Sahara to protect fertile land in the Sahel from turning into desert. 

The Sahel, a semiarid stretch of grassland that spans the south-central latitudes of Northern Africa between the Atlantic Ocean and the Red Sea, is one of the most impoverished regions on the planet. 

In the last few decades, population growth, land degradation, deforestation, reduced rainfall, and many other factors have transformed a large portion of the Sahel into barren land. The $8 billion African Union project hopes to reforest 247 million acres of this degraded land across Africa.

According to <a href="https://time.com/">Time Magazine</a>, when the project is completed in 2030, the restored land will absorb an estimated 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, which is the equivalent of parking all of the cars in California for 3½ years.

By August, as the ground was prepared and the saplings were waiting to be planted, the lack of rainfall had become a major obstacle for the launch of the Great Green Wall in northern Senegal. El Hadj has spent the past nine years overseeing the project for Senegal’s forestry department. 

"The rain used to come in June. Here we are in August, and still there is no rain,” Hadj told Time Magazine. How is it possible, he said, to grow trees to combat climate change if climate change is making it impossible to grow trees?

To the south, women from many villages have been planting trees for the GGW project since 2012. Dienaba Aka explained to Time that the pay is good, but most women are participating in the project because they have been told it will bring back the rain, which in turn brings the grass that feeds their livestock.

Since Senegal’s first tree took root in 2008, the GGW agency says that 18 ­million trees have been planted on 99,000 acres of restored land. 

Chris Reij is a sustainable land management specialist and senior fellow at the World Resources Institute who has been working in Africa since 1978. He warned that the rate of land degradation and desertification is much higher than the amount of trees being planted, which greatly reduces their odds of survival.

On the other hand, the regreening is working in some high-density populations, such as Niger. The experts say this is because the farmers in this region are increasingly realizing that the trees can regenerate degraded land.

“It’s literally a story of more people, more trees,” said Reij. “The whole point is that the trees are not protected and managed by farmers for their environmental beauty, but because they are part of the agricultural production system.”

--

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: Great Green Wall Project

The Great Green Wall project is changing the landscape in North Africa

Led by the African Union, the Great Green Wall (GGW)...

Climate change predicted to increase range of sometimes fatal fungal infection. Along with sea-level rise, heat waves, drought, and rising temperatures, climate change will impact the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tick-mosquito-borne-disease-spreading/">spread of infectious diseases</a> like malaria, lyme disease, and dengue fever. 

In a new study, researchers from the<a href="https://uci.edu/"> University of California, Irvine</a> have found that climate change will increase the spread of a fungal disease endemic to the southwestern United States. 

Valley fever is a sometimes fatal fungal infection caused by breathing in the airborne spores of the Coccidioides fungus. In parts of California and the Southwest, Coccidioides grows beneath the surface during brief periods of precipitation. 

Once the soil dries, the fungus strands break apart into sports which can be inhaled by construction and agricultural workers, or anyone who disturbs the spores. 

Nearly 40 percent of people who breathe in the spores become sick with valley fever and fever, chills, and cough are all symptoms of infection. If the disease travels to the brain, it can be fatal. Most at risk are pregnant women, older adults, and people with HIV as well as people of Filipino and African descent. 

The researchers found that as temperatures climb due to climate change, it will increase the range of valley fever. By 2100, the number of individuals infected could grow by 50 percent, and the disease could spread to more states. 

Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Wyoming could see cases of valley fever in the coming years, and infection could become more widespread in states like Colorado and Idaho. 

“We made projections out to the end of the 21st century, and our model predicts that valley fever will travel farther north throughout the western United States, especially in the rain shadow of the Rocky Mountains and throughout the Great Plains, and by that time, much of the western U.S. will be considered endemic,” said Morgan Gorris, the lead author of the new study. 

The researchers started with a valley fever map that shows which states are endemic and then created a model using data on valley fever cases and climate conditions where the disease is common. 

“By 2100, for a business-as-usual scenario in which we do not take serious action to limit climate change, we would predict a doubling of the area where this disease is present,” said James Randerson, a co-author of the new study. “It’s a huge expansion and especially worrisome because Valley fever is going to impact previously untouched communities throughout the West.”

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1029/2019GH000209">GeoHealth</a>.

--

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: Shutterstock/Kateryna Kon

Climate change predicted to increase range of sometimes fatal fungal infection

Climate change predicted to increase range of sometimes fatal fungal...

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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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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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

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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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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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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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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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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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