Rivers worldwide now carry an invisible but potent threat - antibiotic pollution. A new study from McGill University uncovers the staggering extent of this contamination.



Researchers estimate that rivers annually receive approximately 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics - nearly a third of human consumption. Wastewater systems, designed to purify, fail to prevent these residues from infiltrating natural waterways.



As a result, antibiotic traces linger, endangering both <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-water-day-2025-preserving-glaciers-protecting-our-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aquatic</a> ecosystems and public health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rivers-carry-antibiotic-residues">Rivers carry antibiotic residues</h2>



The flow of antibiotics through river <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">systems</a> remains relentless. Wastewater treatment plants struggle to eliminate these compounds effectively. Residues from hospitals, households, and pharmaceutical facilities continue to infiltrate rivers, accumulating over time. 



Heloisa Ehalt Macedo is a postdoctoral research fellow at <a href="https://www.mcgill.ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">McGill</a> and lead author of the study.



"While the amounts of residues from individual antibiotics translate into only very small concentrations in most rivers, which makes them very difficult to detect, the chronic and cumulative environmental exposure to these substances can still pose a risk to human health and aquatic ecosystems," said Macedo.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antibiotics-rivers-and-human-health">Antibiotics, rivers, and human health</h2>



Even at low concentrations, antibiotic residues disrupt aquatic life. Fish, algae, and microbial communities all face risks from chronic exposure. 



The accumulation of these residues alters natural microbial diversity, potentially fostering antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Over time, these changes ripple through <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-plastic-pollution-lurks-beneath-the-surface-of-rivers/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ecosystems</a>, affecting entire food webs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-amoxicillin-a-leading-contaminant">Amoxicillin: A leading contaminant</h2>



Amoxicillin, a commonly prescribed antibiotic, emerges as the primary contaminant in rivers. Researchers utilized a global model, corroborated by data from 877 river sites, to identify hotspots of contamination. 



Southeast Asia, where antibiotic use continues to rise, faces particular risk. Poor wastewater treatment facilities fail to mitigate the amoxicillin surge, allowing residues to reach dangerous levels in river systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unintended-environmental-consequences">Unintended environmental consequences</h2>



Antibiotics, though vital for treating infections, carry unintended environmental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dolphins-face-serious-threats-from-chemical-pollution-and-ocean-warming/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">consequences</a>. The researchers stress that the study does not discourage antibiotic use. Instead, it highlights the unforeseen impacts on river ecosystems. 



"This study is not intended to warn about the use of antibiotics - we need antibiotics for global health treatments - but our results indicate that there may be unintended effects on aquatic environments and antibiotic resistance, which calls for mitigation and management strategies to avoid or reduce their implications," said study co-author Bernhard Lehner.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-unaccounted-sources-of-contamination">Unaccounted sources of contamination</h2>



Livestock farms and pharmaceutical factories, major sources of antibiotic residues, remain unaccounted for in the study. Despite their exclusion, the findings reveal extensive contamination from human antibiotic consumption alone. 



"Our results show that antibiotic pollution in rivers arising from human consumption alone is a critical issue, which would likely be exacerbated by veterinarian or industry sources of related compounds," said Jim Nicell, an environmental engineering professor at McGill.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-highest-river-antibiotic-contamination">Highest river antibiotic contamination</h2>



The consequences of antibiotic pollution do not spread evenly. India, China, and Pakistan account for 47% of rivers with the highest antibiotic dose concentrations. 



Rivers in densely populated regions suffer the most, as inadequate wastewater systems struggle to cope with rising antibiotic use. The study estimates that 750 million people live in close proximity to these contaminated rivers, facing the risk of exposure to antibiotic-laden water.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-monitoring-and-mitigation">Monitoring and mitigation</h2>



Monitoring programs play a pivotal role in combating river contamination. Identifying hotspots of antibiotic pollution enables targeted intervention, preventing further environmental degradation. 



"Monitoring programs to detect antibiotic or other chemical contamination of waterways are therefore needed, especially in areas that our model predicts to be at risk," said Nicell.



However, detection alone is not enough. Upgrading wastewater treatment facilities becomes imperative, particularly in low-income regions where untreated waste flows directly into rivers. 



Implementing advanced filtration systems could significantly reduce antibiotic concentrations, safeguarding both aquatic life and human health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-challenge">A global challenge</h2>



Antibiotic pollution in rivers represents a pressing environmental crisis. The McGill study highlights the urgent need for comprehensive mitigation strategies. 



Addressing this issue requires a multi-faceted approach, encompassing both monitoring programs and wastewater treatment upgrades.



Unchecked, antibiotic residues will continue to accumulate in river systems, threatening biodiversity and public health. Effective solutions must target the root causes - rising antibiotic consumption, inadequate waste management, and insufficient regulation.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/article/4/4/pgaf096/8113371" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">PNAS Nexus</a>.



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Human antibiotics detected in hundreds of rivers worldwide

Rivers worldwide now carry an invisible but potent threat - antibiotic pollution. A new study from McGill University uncovers the staggering extent of this contamination. Researchers estimate that rivers annually receive approximately 8,500 tonnes of antibiotics - nearly a third of human consumption. Wastewater systems, designed to purify, fail to prevent these residues from infiltrating natural waterways. As a result, antibiotic traces linger, endangering both aquatic ecosystems and public health. Rivers carry antibiotic residues The flow of antibiotics through river systems remains relentless. Wastewater treatment plants struggle...

Scientists at <a href="https://uci.edu/">UC Irvine</a> (UCI) and the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> have constructed the most detailed map of glacier flows in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-west-antarctica-pacific/">Antarctica</a> to date. The tool will provide insights into the behavior of the continent's ice, as well as its contribution to future sea level rise. 

The new map of Antarctic ice velocity is based on data obtained by six different satellite missions from 1994 to 2019. The reconstruction, which accounts for more than 80 percent of the continent, is 10 times more accurate than previous depictions. 

“By utilizing the full potential of interferometric phase signals from satellite synthetic-aperture radars, we have achieved a quantum leap in the description of ice flow in Antarctica,” said study lead author Jeremie Mouginot. “This more detailed representation will help improve our understanding of ice behavior under climate stress over a larger part of the continent, farther south, and will enable improved projections of sea level rise through numerical models.”

[caption id="attachment_1875917" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ice-flow.png"><img class="wp-image-1875917" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/ice-flow.png" alt="" width="650" height="450" /></a> Image Credit: UCI/Jeremie Mouginot[/caption]

The scientists charted the movement of ice sheets across the surface of Antarctica over 25 years. The data became much more available in the last decade, as more satellites had been positioned in space. 

The UCI team used a new approach to measure slower ice sheet movement in the vast interior regions of the continent.

"The interferometric phase of SAR data measures the ice deformation signal with a precision of up to two orders of magnitude better than speckle tracking,” said Mougino. “A drawback is that it requires a lot more data, namely multiple passes at different angles over the same point on the ground – a problem that was solved by a consortium of international space agencies pointing Earth-monitoring spacecrafts to this part of the world.”

The study revealed that, across more than 70 percent of Antarctica, ice is flowing at a rate of about 20 centimeters and is changing direction by five degrees each year.

“This product will help climate scientists achieve a number of goals, such as a better determination of the boundaries between glaciers and a thorough evaluation of regional atmospheric climate models over the entire continent,” said study co-author Eric Rignot. “It will also help in locating the most promising sites for ice core drilling to extract climate records and in examining the mass balance of Antarctica beyond its periphery.”

The map is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical 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

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Denis Burdin

New map of Antarctic ice flow is the most accurate to date

Scientists at UC Irvine (UCI) and the NASA Jet Propulsion...

Wild gibbons are some of the most endangered primates on Earth, which is primarily due to habitat loss. A new study suggests that gibbons in southern Borneo are even more vulnerable to habitat loss than what was previously realized. 

The research, led by Dr. Susan Cheyne at the <a href="http://www.borneonaturefoundation.org/en/">Borneo Nature Foundation</a>, has revealed that wild gibbons living in the peat swamps of Borneo require between 20 and 50 hectares of forest territory for each group.

While it is known that the natural habitats of gibbons are threatened by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dramatic-increase-brazilian-deforestation/">deforestation</a> and wildfires, relatively little has been studied about the size of their territories or how they use certain spaces for feeding and social activities. 

The researchers monitored four groups of wild Bornean southern gibbons in the Sebangau National Park between 2010 and 2018. The team tracked the GPS location of each group, and recorded observations of the creatures at five-minute intervals from dawn till dusk.

The experts determined that the Gibbons' territory spanned somewhere between 21 and 52 hectares, including where they sleep, socialize, and sing "duets" together with their mates. The apes were also found to forage over a larger home range of up to 148 hectares that they share with neighboring groups.

For three of the groups, the territories remained approximately the same throughout the nine-year study period. The other group, however, was forced to shift their range west when part of their habitat was damaged by forest fires in 2015.

The gibbons are highly territorial, and this behavior combined with the vast size of their ranges will make these animals extremely vulnerable to future habitat loss. They could ultimately be confined to areas of forest that are too small to accommodate multiple competing groups.

"Gibbons show high site fidelity for specific areas of forest and maintain these territories over many years. Understanding how Gibbons use the forest is critical to their conservation," said Dr. Cheyne. "These data can feed into creating protected areas of suitable size and habitat quality to maintain viable populations of the singing, swinging small apes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</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: Borneo Nature Foundation

Wild gibbons are severely threatened by habitat loss

Wild gibbons are some of the most endangered primates on...

One of the hardest pollution problems to solve also happens to a result of one of the smallest man-made pollutants. <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastic-pollution-remote-glaciers/">Microplastics</a> are often so small they can’t be seen with the naked eye, but they can be found in almost every environment – especially in the ocean. 

The plastic waste that inhabits our oceans and rivers has numerous health consequences for animals and ecosystems, as well as ourselves. But a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/matter/home">Matter</a> may have found a potential solution.

Researchers in Australia have developed a new strategy for ridding water sources of the microplastics that pollute them without causing harm to any microorganisms. Their work involves tiny coil-shaped carbon-based magnets in the form of carbon nanotubes laced with nitrogen. 

“Microplastics adsorb organic and metal contaminants as they travel through water and release these hazardous substances into aquatic organisms when eaten, causing them to accumulate all the way up the food chain,” explains senior author Shaobin Wang, a professor of chemical engineering at the <a href="https://www.adelaide.edu.au/">University of Adelaide</a>. “Carbon nanosprings are strong and stable enough to break these microplastics down into compounds that do not pose such a threat to the marine ecosystem.”

In the process of decomposing microplastics, the researchers needed to generate short-lived chemicals known as reactive oxygen species. These chemicals cause chain reactions that cut up microplastic molecules into smaller, harmless segments that dissolve in water. Unfortunately, reactive oxygen species are usually produced using heavy metals that become harmful pollutants, and as a result are generally not suitable for environmental clean-up.

The research team’s solution to this problem was these carbon nanotubules, which removed a significant amount of microplastics in just eight hours while staying stable in the harsh oxidative conditions needed for microplastic breakdown. The coiled shape of these nanosprings increase stability and maximize reactive surface area, and were able to be made magnetic with a small amount of manganese within the springs. 

“Having magnetic nanotubes is particularly exciting because this makes it easy to collect them from real wastewater streams for repeated use in environmental remediation,” says Xiaoguang Duan, a chemical engineering research fellow at Adelaide who also co-led the project. 

Moving forward, the researchers plan on testing whether the nanosprings work on microplastics of different compositions, shapes, and origins, as well as confirm the non-toxicity of any chemical compounds occurring as intermediates or by-products during microplastics decomposition. Additionally, the researchers believe these intermediates and byproducts have the potential to be used as an energy source for the same microorganisms that microplastics are currently affecting. 

“If plastic contaminants can be repurposed as food for algae growth, it will be a triumph for using biotechnology to solve environmental problems in ways that are both green and cost efficient,” says Wang.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/MikeDotta

Researchers develop potential microplastic pollution combatant

One of the hardest pollution problems to solve also happens...

Deep sea mining in international waters is taking a possible step forward despite criticism from <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/">GreenPeace</a> over decision making by the <a href="https://www.isa.org.jm/">International Seabed Authority</a>. 

For a long time, regulation over mining the sea bed was purely theoretical as most doubted it could be done economically, but that may now be changing. New technology and the diminishing returns from many terrestrial mines is pushing the industry closer to diving into deep sea mining. This potential new frontier is a cause for concern from many environmentalists and scientists as well as a cause for guarded hope in the mining industry itself. The potential of opening deep sea mining partially comes from greater demands for metals used in batteries, such as those found in electric cars. 

<a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/drive_to_mine_the_deep_sea_raises_concerns_over_impacts">YaleEnvironment360</a> reports that more than 24 permits have already been issued to prospect for potential deep sea mining. Much of the mining is likely to be focused around deep sea hydrothermal vents, where minerals well out of the deeper earth interior. 

These <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/hydrothermal-vents-play-enormous-role-in-global-climate/">hydrothermal vents</a> also nurture unique life in an otherwise largely lifeless deep ocean world. Life huddled around these vents is like nothing else on earth, completely independent of the sun, not even something most cave life can claim. Organisms in the deep ocean harvest minerals for food instead of photosynthetic plant life or animals. The ‘chimney like’ vent formations are reminiscent of cave stalagmites that spew warm to super heated (41 to 400 degrees Fahrenheit) mineral soups into the ocean. 

Microbes convert chemicals that are spewed from these spindly vents into energy, forming the basis of the deep sea ecosystems. Some of the waste products from this process – called chemosynthesis – are also nutritious for other life forms. Some microbes live inside strange hollow organisms called tube worms in a mutualistic relationship, supplied shelter inside the worms in exchange for nutrients produced by the microbes. Other microbes are preyed upon by crabs, mussels and limpets, which seem to reside near the top of this small food web. 

The whole strange ecosystem, entirely enclosed in darkness only pierced by the lights of human powered craft, is still much of a mystery and was completely unexpected. These alien islands of life huddled around weird chimneys of rock spewing chemicals have only been known of since the 1970s and research on such habitats is expensive and rare. Unfortunately, human avarice could decimate these unique places and their odd animals in a search for more mineral wealth. 

<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-02276-2">Nature</a> reports that the scaly-foot snail (Chrysomallon squamiferum) is the first animal to be officially declared endangered by the threat of deep sea mining. The snail lives in only three known deep sea thermal vents in the Indian Ocean. Some of the known habitats for the scaly-foot snail are also potential mine sites. Surveys of some mine sites have found more than 1,000 animal species living in those areas. The threat is also much broader than the destruction of a unique ecosystem most will never see. There is also a threat of the release of carbon trapped in sediments, speeding up global climate change. Despite these dangers, efforts to mine the deep sea are going forward. 

The International Seabed Authority (ISA)  is expected to finalize regulations on deep sea mining by 2020. Besides criticism from Greenpeace, a group of 28 marine scientists sent an open letter asking for the international authority to consult with independent scientists when issuing specific mining permits. There is already a conflict of interest baked into the ISA, as it has a mandate both to protect international seabeds as well as to exploit them. Scientists and environmentalists are concerned that the ISA is focusing unduly on their mandate to facilitate exploitation over protection.

The truth of the matter when it comes to deep sea mining is that no one really knows how much is at stake or how much mining could threaten it. Scientists are planning to test a prototype that would simulate deep sea mining activity, a large tractor like machine that will stir up sediment. The idea is to see how much sea mining could smother deep sea ecosystems with sediment and how that might be limited. 

On the other hand, <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/international/story/23397/four-reasons-why-the-international-seabed-authority-probably-wont-protect-our-oceans/">Greenpeace</a> supports a moratorium on mining until more can be known about the ocean, a reasonable request considering our deep ignorance. The organization as well as some scientists also calls for a stronger international sea treaty, one that could establish internationally protected areas, putting them off the table to mining and other exploitation. 

The environmental organization has already stated deep skepticism that the ISA will do anything meaningful to protect the oceans. Greenpeace generally rejects the authority of the 168 member ISA to create the international rules governing deep sea mining. Others are concerned about deep sea mining outside of international waters as well. 

<a href="https://e360.yale.edu/features/drive_to_mine_the_deep_sea_raises_concerns_over_impacts">YaleEnvironment360</a> reports that much of the potential future of deep sea mining centers around poorer parts of Asia, where governments don’t necessarily have substantial regulations in place to protect their own waters. Nautilus, a Canadian mining company, has already signed an agreement with the government of Papua New Guinea to mine for copper and gold in their waters. Nautilus plans on cutting into deep sea sediment and suctioning precious minerals out with a remote control operated vehicle. The minerals will then be pumped more than a mile to the surface. 

For those who are aware of the lasting contamination from many mining projects on the surface, including long term water pollution, this project seems all but certain to create long term problems. A court in New Zealand rejected a proposed mining plan, citing environmental concerns. Unfortunately, as mining waste all over the world shows, it only takes one mine mistake to create a tragedy. Mining companies will push against the law until they get their way and eventually, even in the best case scenario, something will go wrong. It’s just a matter of how long it will take for us to even notice.      

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/christianthiel.net

Sea mining regulations to be set by 2020 despite criticism

Deep sea mining in international waters is taking a possible...

An international team of researchers has found that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/china-generated-banned-cfc-emissions/">China</a> could reach its emissions targets many years ahead of schedule. The study revealed that carbon dioxide emissions across the country will likely peak in plenty of time for China to uphold its 2016 climate commitment. 

China is the world's largest greenhouse gas emitter, accounting for 25 percent of the total emissions across the planet. This means that emissions reductions here will produce enormous benefits. 

Under the Paris Agreement, China joined the worldwide effort to limit global warming to 2 °C or less this century by pledging to peak its carbon dioxide emissions by 2030 or sooner. 

Led by Haikun Wang of <a href="https://www.nju.edu.cn/en/">Nanjing University</a>, the researchers examined CO2 emissions produced by 50 Chinese cities from 2000 to 2016. The fact that cities are responsible for 35 percent of China's overall emissions provided the experts with a nationwide view, which was projected forward to predict a peak. 

The scientists identified a strong link between per capita emissions and per capita gross domestic product (GDP) for individual cities. In particular, they found that emissions usually peak at about 10.2 tons of CO2 per person when GDP hits around $21,000 per person.

Ultimately, the team concluded that China's CO2 emissions will most likely peak at 13 to 16 gigatons between 2021 and 2025. The researchers referred to this as a “a great contribution” to meeting the goals of the Paris Treaty. 

"It reflects China’s great efforts in mitigating climate change and the ‘new normal’ of the economy, from high speed to high quality, which might cause CO2 emissions to peak earlier,” Wang told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>.

The early peak has been largely driven by the shifting dynamics of China’s economy. "As China moves towards a higher tech and service economy, it is likely to show how the passage to a low-carbon economy and robust and sustainable growth in an emerging market economy can be mutually supportive,” Nicholas Stern explained to New Scientist. 

According to the <a href="https://www.wri.org/">World Resources Institute</a>, even though 57 countries are due to reach peak emissions by 2030, it will not be enough for global emissions to peak anytime in the next few years. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain/">Nature Sustainability</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/bonandbon

China will likely reach CO2 emissions targets years ahead of schedule

An international team of researchers has found that China could...

In the southwestern United States, it may not get hot enough to fry an egg on the sidewalk in the summer, but that doesn’t mean the pavement won’t cause severe burns. 

A new study found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/urban-heat-island/">pavement can get hot enough</a> to cause second degree burns on the skin almost instantly when temperatures surpass 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.unlv.edu/">University of Nevada, Las Vegas </a>reviewed hospital records of pavement burn admissions to a desert burn center from 2013 through 2017 and determined the outdoor temperature at the time each patient was admitted.  

Overall, the researchers identified 173 cases of pavement burns, and 149 of those burns were isolated incidents. The other 24 burns were related to other injuries like a car accident. 

Pavement burns can be a significant problem, especially in areas with notoriously hot and dry summers like the Southwestern US.  If temperatures are hot enough, any skin that comes in contact with a hot sidewalk, road, or driveway can be seriously damaged. 

“Pavement burns account for a significant number of burn-related injuries, particularly in the Southwestern United States,” the study authors wrote. “The pavement can be significantly hotter than the ambient temperature in direct sunlight and can cause second-degree burns within two seconds.”

153 of the burns, 88 percent occurred when temperatures were at 95 degrees or higher. As temperatures rose above 105 degrees, the risk of a patient being admitted into the burn center for pavement burns drastically increased. 

Pavement absorbs sunlight, and as sidewalks and roads bake in the hot afternoon sun, surface temperatures can far surpass the surrounding ambient temperatures. Pavement on a 111-degree day can get as hot as 147 degrees, for example. 

While it is sound advice to stay off the pavement when temperatures reach a certain point, for many, it’s unavoidable. 

Some people also may not know that the pavement is dangerous when it’s hot outside, like young children riding their bikes. If they fall, they risk getting burned. 

“This information is useful for burn centers in hotter climates, to plan and prepare for the coordination of care and treatment,” said Dr. Jorge Vega, the lead author of the study. “It can also be used for burn injury prevention and public health awareness, including increased awareness and additional training to emergency medical service and police personnel when attending to pavement burn victims in the field.”

The findings of the study were published in the Journal of Burn Care &amp; Research. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/welcomia

Hot sidewalks in the summer can cause second-degree burns

In the southwestern United States, it may not get hot...

Innovative flood mapping in Kansas holds potential to help the nation. A new study from Jude Kastens, an associate research professor with the Kansas Applied Remote Sensing Program at the <a href="https://biosurvey.ku.edu/kars">Kansas University Biological Survey</a>, finally addresses the lack of real-time, wide-area predictions for floodwater extent and depths, an information gap that has plagued officials during previous <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/historic-flooding-nebraska-iowa/">major flood events</a>.

"I worked with the Kansas Water Office in May," Kastens said. May 2019 was the wettest month ever recorded in Kansas. "The ground was saturated, and the reservoirs were getting full, and with a lot more rain in the forecast, major flooding across central and eastern Kansas was looking imminent.” 

“Some years ago we'd developed this inundation library largely in collaboration with the Water Office and the Kansas GIS Policy Board but had never had the chance to put it through its paces in real time,” he continued. “It was based on the approach that I developed for my dissertation, and we had flood libraries for the greater eastern half of Kansas, based on the gauged stream network.” 

“For instance,” he said, “if you drive south of Lawrence on Highway 59, you'll see a USGS stream gauge box by the bridge over the Wakarusa River. There are about 200 gauges in Kansas that collect real-time stream stage information, and in times of flood, the National Weather Service provides stage forecasts several days out for a lot of these. We can take these data and map estimated current or future flooding, between gauges or around one."

Kasten developed a model, dubbed FLDPLN, or "Floodplain,” which maps potential inundation as a function of stage height by using basic hydrologic principles and gridded elevation data. The model doesn’t include many inputs or much supervision, therefore has an advantage over existing mapping methods like the more complicated (though, more precise) FEMA hydrodynamic models, which map 100-year floodplains.

By working with Kansas officials, Kastens was able to narrow down three critical locations where his mapping model was most needed — a 100-mile stretch of the Neosho River south of the John Redmond Reservoir, the Neosho and Cottonwood rivers above John Redmond, and Salina, home to the Saline River and Mulberry Creek.

Kastens’ model helped the Army Corps of Engineers when they were planning a release of large volumes of water from the John Redmond Reservoir, which had almost reached capacity. He was able to inform local leaders and the public of the potential flooding extent.

He hopes to automate the mapping process in order to lessen the amount of work officials must do when rivers and streams threaten to flood. Innovative flood mapping in Kansas holds potential to help the nation

"Time is of the essence during major flood events,” Kastens said. “We need to develop software tools to help automate the mapping process and hand it off to these other agencies so they have the freedom to map whichever scenarios they want. So, when that next flood hits, emergency response personnel can just run the models as they see fit.”

Furthermore, Kastens has already worked with a private firm to commercialize his technology and provide services to emergency management officials and those with flood-prone properties outside beyond Kansas.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Civil Air Patrol - Kansas Wing

Innovative flood mapping in Kansas holds potential to help the nation

Innovative flood mapping in Kansas holds potential to help the...

Arctic wildfires are emitting massive amounts of carbon dioxide. As we reported, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unprecedented-wildfires-arctic/">‘unprecedented’ summer wildfires</a> are continuing to burn through the Arctic. More than 100 fires have been reported in the area since June, which was the hottest <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news/june-2019-was-hottest-on-record-for-globe">month on record for the globe</a>. 

Satellite images from the <a href="https://www.copernicus.eu/en">Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service</a> (part of the Earth Observation program of the European Commission) show great billowing clouds of smoke traveling across remote regions of Greenland. 

But scientists are now turning their attention to the massive amounts of carbon being released in the process. 

So far, the fires have released more carbon -- 121 megatons -- in 2019 than in any of the 20 years since satellite record-keeping began in the Arctic. Arctic wildfires are emitting massive amounts of carbon dioxide

The Arctic has emitted more carbon this year than Belgium’s annual carbon output. 

However, the Arctic's wildfire season, which can run to the end of August, is not yet over and more CO2 could be emitted over the coming weeks. 

This rapid release of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere will ramp up warming and feed into dangerous climate change feedback loops. 

What is unusual about the Arctic’s 2019 wildfire season is the duration of the fires themselves. In the past, fires usually lasted a few days, but some of the wildfires this year have been burning for over a month. 

Because the fires are burning up the Arctic’s dry peatland, there’s no telling how long the blazes will last or how far they will spread. So far fires have been reported in Russia, Alaska, and Greenland. 

“Boreal Alaska is having a severe fire year, and my guess is that fires will start affecting western Canada,” Merritt Turetsky at the <a href="https://www.uoguelph.ca/">University of Guelph </a>told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/2211013-huge-arctic-fires-have-now-emitted-a-record-breaking-amount-of-co2/?utm_medium=NLC&amp;utm_source=NSNS&amp;utm_campaign=2019-0726-GLOBAL-NSDAY&amp;utm_content=NSDAY">New Scientist</a>. 

With warmer than average temperatures, the permafrost will continue to thaw and provide more tinder for potential fires. Many of the Arctic’s fires likely started due to a lightning strike. 

“If the permafrost is melting and there’s more peat and fuel available, it’s dry enough, and there’s lightning, sure you would expect to see something [again],” Mark Parrington, a senior scientist at the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service, explained to New Scientist. 

Longer blazes and more fires mean more carbon emissions, which pose an immediate risk to human health in areas like Alaska, where air quality is low. 

A trending pattern in the Arctic is being established, and future wildfires are only projected to get worse. 

“The Arctic has historically experienced fire, and the area in Russia that is burning does have a history of fire,” said Turetsky. “But these Arctic fires are expected to occur more severely and more frequently in the future, and the CO2 measurements are a demonstration of how this will influence regional and potentially global emissions.”

--

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: NASA Earth Observatory

Arctic wildfires are emitting massive amounts of carbon dioxide

Arctic wildfires are emitting massive amounts of carbon dioxide. As...

Tiny bacteria could be the key to protecting coral reefs from climate change. The microorganisms may boost coral resilience, allowing the delicate reefs to adapt to warmer temperatures and environmental pollution.

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protect-coral-reefs-climate-change/">scientists brainstorm</a> the best way to preserve endangered coral reefs, a team of researchers from the <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Konstanz</a> set out to study how coral might be saved from predicted rising global temperatures. Led by Dr. Christian Voolstra, the scientists investigated two coral species that have different relationships with bacteria. 

Acropora hemprichii may associate with various types of bacteria, while Pocillopora verrucosa consistently harbors only certain microorganisms. The team studied the coral resilience of the two species at various sites in the Red Sea – a region greatly affected by human activity – over 21 months.

To ensure the test corals weren’t affected by genetic variations, the team used coral fragments from the same colonies – one for each species – for the various tests.

“We could show that some corals respond flexibly to changing environmental conditions by associating themselves with certain bacteria, while other corals looked the same everywhere," Voolstra said in a press release about the research.

The researchers found that coral resilience may rely on being able to form relationships flexibly with bacteria. Generalist coral species like A. hemprichii adapt better to changing water temperatures and pollution because they can associate with new and different bacteria without going through an evolutionary process to develop the new relationship. 

Species like P. verrucosa, on the other hand, seem to suffer when their preferred bacteria is not available. But that doesn’t mean they can’t adapt.

"We must remember that the species we examined are those that have survived the tremendous changes of the past decade – thus, both types of corals harbor successful strategies," Voolstra said.

Coral resilience is increasingly important as mass bleaching of reefs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-bleaching-altering-fish-communities/">affects the fish species</a> that depend on them.

Figuring out how to boost coral resilience in addition to recovering and replacing bleached coral could be key to protecting marine species.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-10969-5">Nature Communications</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Anna Roik, <a href="https://www.uni-konstanz.de/en/">University of Konstanz</a>

Paid for by Earth.com.

Bacteria boost coral resilience in warming oceans

Tiny bacteria could be the key to protecting coral reefs...

A scorching European heat wave knocked down <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/europe-heat-wave-by-the-numbers-record-breaking-temperatures-blasted-france-belgium-germany-netherlands-britain/70008926">record after record</a> this past week. Temperatures rose to nearly 110 in Paris, and the UK had to <a href="https://www.thejournal.ie/trains-uk-heatwave-4739885-Jul2019/">slow its trains</a> to avoid causing tracks to buckle in the heat. All-time heat records were set in Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and Scotland, and possibly England as well. 

The heat isn’t over yet – and it’s moving toward Greenland’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenlands-ice-sea-levels/">already struggling ice sheet</a>. That could make the thinning ice melt faster, bringing it close to – or even lower than – the record low set seven years ago in 2012. 

It’s also expected to affect sea ice in the Arctic, according to the <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en">U.N. World Meteorological Organization</a>. The heat may already be linked to an <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en/media/news/unprecedented-wildfires-arctic">unprecedented number of Arctic wildfires</a>.

The European heat wave has been driven by warm air circulating north from Spain and North Africa, the WMO said.

This month’s heat has followed the hottest June on record, according to the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>. Both the land and the sea temperature averages globally were the highest ever recorded, NOAA reported.

 “Such intense and widespread heat waves carry the signature of man-made climate change. This is consistent with the scientific finding showing evidence of more frequent, drawn out and intense heat events as greenhouse gas concentrations lead to a rise in global temperatures,” said Johannes Cullmann, director of the WMO Climate and Water Department.

Greenland’s ice sheet contains more frozen freshwater than anywhere else in the world except for Antarctica. Ice covers about 80% of Greenland’s surface. As that ice melts, it may be contributing to as much as 10% of the Earth’s sea level rise in recent years, researchers said.

“WMO expects that 2019 will be in the five top warmest years on record, and that 2015-2019 is to be the warmest of any equivalent five-year period on record,” Cullmann said in a statement on the WMO website.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Martin Helgemeir, <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock.com</a>

Paid for by Earth.com.

Record-shattering European heat wave aims for Greenland ice

A scorching European heat wave knocked down record after record...

Some of the biggest names in the automotive industry have been privately plotting the development of more fuel-efficient vehicles with the <a href="http://ww2.arb.ca.gov/homepage">California Air Resources Board</a> (CARB). The negotiations may counteract efforts by the Trump administration to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/trump-freeze-fuel-efficiency-standards/">freeze vehicle emissions</a> and gas mileage standards. 

According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, the agreement between Ford, Honda, Volkswagen, BMW of North America, and the state of California may ultimately result in the manufacturing of vehicles that have an average fuel efficiency of 50 miles per gallon within the next five years.

In 2012, the Obama administration established an average fuel economy standard of 51 miles per gallon by 2026. However, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration recently announced plans to freeze these standards at 37 miles per gallon in the same time frame.

Mary D. Nichols, chairwoman of CARB, hopes that the Trump administration will decide to join the new deal, which she said gives automakers flexibility in meeting emissions goals without "massive backsliding."

“What we have here is a statement of principles intended to reach out to the federal government to move them off the track that they seem to be on and onto a more constructive track,” said Nichols.

The four automakers said in a joint statement that the decision to strike a deal with California was driven by a need for predictability, lower compliance costs, affordable vehicles for customers, and also by the desire to be good environmental stewards.

"These terms will provide our companies much-needed regulatory certainty by allowing us to meet both federal and state requirements with a single national fleet, avoiding a patchwork of regulations while continuing to ensure meaningful greenhouse gas emissions reductions,” said the auto companies, which represent about 30 percent of the American market. 

The automakers have agreed to manufacture fleets that average nearly 50 miles per gallon over the next six years. The environmental benefits of these negotiations will grow substantially if more automakers choose to make the same commitment. 

For its part of the deal, California will certify vehicles from the four companies and will grant them flexibility in meeting each year’s emissions goal. The automakers pledged to improve their fleet’s average fuel efficiency by 3.7 percent a year, which is only slightly less than the standards set under former President Obama.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/TierneyMJ

California makes deal with automakers to improve fuel efficiency standards

Some of the biggest names in the automotive industry have...

Yasuní National Park in Ecuador is part of a legendary region of the Amazon. It is home to some of the reputedly fiercest indigenous people in the far western <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/destroyed-tropical-forests-restored/">Amazon rainforest</a>, the Huaoroni. First contact with these people ended typically in violent death to the outsider, sending a clear message for a desire of solitude.

Missionaries that arrived in an airplane in the 1950s are a typical example. Soon after arrival, the missionaries were speared to death. Unfortunately, this was just the beginning of hardship for the Huaoroni living in the area.

Over time, missionaries brought crippling European disease and slandered the indigenous culture, introducing clothes and customs not well adapted to the local environment. Some Huaoroni even suffered from polio. 

The Huaoroni also split into two groups – those who were influenced by the missionaries and became more westernized and those who fled deeper into the jungle. To this day, some of the Huaoroni live deep in Yasuní, uncontacted by outsiders. This leaves the Huaoroni contacted by missionaries and subsequent outsiders divided from their relatives and culturally impoverished.  

The creeping cultural influence of missionaries led to the end of cycles of violent revenge killings among the Huaoroni but it also allowed them to be taken advantage of by scrupulous outsiders. Without the imminent threat of death by the hands of the Huaoroni, Yasuní has slowly become more and more visited by outsiders. 

I visited the National Park myself as part of a tropical field biology course, passing by Huaoroni men with fishing spears boarding a bus and traveling down river past a huddle of huts that makes up a Huaoroni village. What most visitors view of Yasuní is a very small piece of a much larger park. But all of Yasuní represents the remaining territory that the Huaoroni must now share with tourists and other outsiders, and is still only about a third of their previous territory. 

From the beginning of contact, the Huaoroni have had a complicated relationship with the outside world, highlighted by differing views of land ownership and a changed cultural identity. Outsiders wanting to cash in on resources found on traditional Huaoroni land or control it complicate that relationship and challenge notions of indigenous territorial sovereignty.

Yasuní was made an Ecuadorian National Park in 1979, becoming Ecuador’s largest mainland national park (the Galapagos are part of Ecuador as well). This marked the government’s official control of the region as opposed to a land traditionally controlled by the Huaoroni. The 982,000 hectare park was declared a UNESCO International Biosphere Reserve in the same year. Bordering Yasuní is a Huaoroni Reserve as well. 

Despite the protection afforded a national park and International Biosphere Reserve, Ecuador opened Yasuní to oil drilling in 2016. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/oct/26/oil-drilling-underway-beneath-ecuadors-yasuni-national-park">The Guardian</a> reports that oil extraction began removing 23,000 barrels a day and the government reported little disturbance to the park. Despite the government’s comforting words, environmentalists and the Huaoroni have been less than pleased about drilling in Yasuní. 

Initially, Ecuadorian president Rafael Correa offered the chance to leave oil in the ground in Yasuní for a bribe. The president agreed to leave the area alone for a payment of $3.6 billion, after 6 years of waiting for the ransom, Ecuador had received only $200 million before opening the park to drilling. The government has been criticized by environmental groups for the move but defends the action, claiming that modern technology allow for drilling with little negative impact on the environment. These claims have been extremely hard to verify as the government has allowed no independent oversight of drilling in Yasuní at all. 

“The government has not allowed any independent monitoring by scientists, journalists, or civil society. The well site is militarised, and aerial flyovers and images are prohibited,” Kevin Koenig, Ecuador program director of Amazon Watch, told <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2016/10/exclusive-new-satellite-images-show-ecuador-drilling-next-to-yasunis-itt/">Mongabay</a>.

The consequences are likely to be much larger than the Ecuadorian government has been willing to acknowledge. Roads will leave an ecological impact for long periods of time, and the potential for water pollution could be catastrophic. The project also opens the doors to hundreds of workers that could come into violent conflict with the Huaoroni. Critics claim that oil field workers often return to areas now with already made roads as hunters, beginning the colonization of the area. Some claim that much of this potential destruction could have been prevented by flying to each oil well site by helicopter instead of building roads. 

Since the initial foray into Yasuní, the threat from oil exploitation has only grown. <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2014/06/oil-company-breaks-agreement-builds-big-roads-in-yasuni-rainforest/">Mongabay</a> reported in 2014 that oil company Petroamazonas had initially made an agreement with the Ecuadorian government to not make a road into a remote part of Yasuní called Block 31. Unfortunately, satellite photos confirmed that the company ignored the government agreement, building roads anyway. 

Despite not honoring the agreement, Petroamazonas has been granted more drilling rights in Yasuní. The government refusing independent oversight and overlooking rule breaking in one of Ecuador’s most remote and biodiverse regions is disturbing, especially so when indigenous people are concerned. Despite a history of drilling in Yasuní that already deeply concerns indigenous advocates and environmentalists, Ecuador is going even further in allowing drilling. 

Now, block 43, the last block in the most contentious areas for drilling within Yasuní has been opened to drilling, heralding drilling in the last part of the park <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/07/heart-of-ecuadors-yasuni-home-to-uncontacted-tribes-opens-for-oil-drilling/">Mongabay</a> reports. Energy minister, Carlos Perez delayed the decision to open the area to drilling last year when environmentalists and Indigenous leaders occupied his office in protest. But in the end, drilling in the contentious area, home to uncontacted Huaoroni that have been in voluntary isolation, was approved with a small reduction of the oil extraction area. 

If history is any sort of guide, oil extraction in the region will continue unabated until it’s all gone and the indigenous population are left sharing poisoned water with what’s left of the wildlife. Yasuní is still a paradise for the most, part but greed and short sightedness can destroy the irreplaceable very quickly.        

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Dr Morley Read

The last part of Yasuní, home to uncontacted tribes, now open for drilling

Yasuní National Park in Ecuador is part of a legendary...

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

[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 



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/">NASA Earth Observatory</a> reveals the evolution of the Columbia Glacier in southeastern Alaska. Columbia is among the fastest shrinking glaciers in the world, and the video documents its rapid retreat over the years.&nbsp;



Columbia Glacier is a large, multi-branched calving glacier that flows out of the Chugach Mountains to the Prince William Sound.&nbsp;



According to USGS, Columbia had a long history of stability prior to 1980, with a length 41 miles, and small, short-lived advances or retreats.



In the years since 1980, however, satellite images have captured Columbia’s alarming retreat. By using false-color images, scientists can distinguish between snow and ice, open water, vegetation, and rocky debris on the glacier’s surface.



The series of false-color images featured in today's video were acquired over the span of 35 years. You can see that by 2021, the glacier’s main branch had retreated about 15 miles from its initial position.



The Columbia Glacier has also lost more than 50 percent of its volume, mostly due to calving. <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/nasa-reveals-3d-visual-of-an-atmospheric-river/">NASA</a> reports that while climate change likely started the retreat, mechanical processes kept the disintegration going.



The NASA images are provided by Jesse Allen, Robert Simmon, Joshua Stevens, and Lauren Dauphin using data from Landsat satellites, from the U.S. Geological Survey, and data from MODIS on NASA’s Terra satellite. The structure of Columbia’s moraine played a large role in the stability of the glacier before 1980. 



Like other tidewater glaciers, the Columbia built up a moraine over time, and the mixture of ice and rock functioned like a dam keeping out the sea. It was supported on one end by the shoreline and by the underwater terminal moraine at the other.



Video Credit: NASA Earth Observatory/&nbsp; NASA’s Scientific Visualization Studio



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes how record-breaking heat expressed itself around the world in 2022.



Scientists have determined that 2022 was the 5th warmest year since 1880. Furthermore, the last nine consecutive years have been the warmest on record.



From devastating floods and wildfires to natural disasters like Hurricane Ian, 2022 showed us yet again how a warming climate affects people across the globe.&nbsp;



"As we look back at 20:22 and years past, we see that each year we better understand the challenges we face and how important it is to meet them," says NASA.



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes Earth’s interconnected systems, and how this network is affected by rising temperatures.&nbsp;



During 2020, average global temperatures matched the hottest year on record. The hurricane season was also record-breaking, with many of the storms intensifying at extraordinary speeds. Hot water in the ocean is fuel for hurricanes. The satellite data shows that it's all one interconnected system showing how Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected.



According to NASA, dust swept up from Northern Africa plays a major role in the formation of hurricanes, and is also a key source of fertilization in the Amazon rainforest. As a result of<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-wasting-disease-is-fueled-by-climate-change/"> climate</a> change, dust plumes are expected to decline, which will have an effect on vegetation far away.&nbsp;



Images from Earth-observing satellites show how the world’s plant life is affected by natural disasters, fires, and deforestation. Satellites also reveal how widespread changes in vegetation impact waterways,&nbsp; the climate, air quality. Satellites communicate by using radio waves to send signals to the antennas on the Earth. "Earth From Space" is a groundbreaking two-hour special that reveals a spectacular new space-based vision of our planet. 



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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



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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



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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



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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



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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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