Forests have always been symbols of resilience and endurance. Towering trees stand tall for centuries, forming ecosystems that nurture countless species. They inspire awe, acting as natural archives of Earth’s long history. Yet, today’s rapidly shifting climate is testing this strength like never before.



Scientists now warn that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/traditional-forest-farming-is-an-overlooked-climate-solution/">forests</a> might struggle to keep pace with the speed of current climate change. This concern isn’t new, but recent research puts into perspective just how slow forest responses can be.



Long before industrial activities fueled modern warming, forests adapted gradually to changes. Over thousands of years, tree populations shifted according to cooling and warming periods. 



During glacial advances, they migrated southward, following milder climates. When the Earth warmed again, they moved north. This dance of migration was a slow process, unfolding over centuries.



But today, the world faces climate shifts at an alarming rate. Forests are locked in place, unable to shift swiftly enough.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-struggle-with-climate-change">Forests struggle with climate change</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/creating-forests-cant-realistically-cancel-out-fossil-fuel-emissions/">Trees</a> cannot migrate quickly. They grow slowly, and their seeds disperse over limited distances, despite help from wind and animals. Mature trees may live for hundreds of years, meaning populations shift at a glacial pace.



Current climate change, driven by human activities, is happening faster than many forests can adapt. This creates a worrying gap between the pace of warming and the ability of forests to respond.



A recent study published in the journal Science has brought this issue into sharper focus. Led by David Fastovich, a postdoctoral researcher at <a href="https://www.syracuse.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Syracuse University</a>, the study provides concrete evidence of how slowly forests react to climate changes.



Fastovich works in the Paleoclimate Dynamics Lab under Tripti Bhattacharya, the Thonis Family Professor of Paleoclimate Dynamics. Their team examined pollen records from lake sediments, revealing tree population shifts over hundreds of thousands of years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-adjusting-to-climate-shifts">Forests adjusting to climate shifts</h2>



The study focused on mapping the time required for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/protecting-forests-helps-birds-and-humans-in-many-ways/">forests</a> to adjust to climate shifts. Some of the sediment cores analyzed date back up to 600,000 years, capturing long-term changes in forest composition.



“We’ve known these time lags have existed, but no one could put a firm number on them,” said Fastovich. 



“We can intuit how long a tree lives. We can count the rings on a tree and estimate from there. But now we know that after one to two centuries, very close to how long a tree lives on average, entire forest ecosystems begin to turnover as trees die and are replaced in response to climate.”



The results emphasize the deep disconnect between the rapid pace of modern climate change and the natural rhythms of forest migration and replacement.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revealing-forest-patterns">Revealing forest patterns</h2>



To study these long-term changes, the researchers turned to spectral analysis. This statistical method is common in physics and engineering. It allowed the team to compare the relationship between tree populations and climate shifts across varying time scales, from decades to millennia.



The analysis focused on three key aspects: migration patterns, tree mortality, and disturbances like forest fires. By observing these factors together, the team uncovered how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-carbon-credits-are-failing-so-what-needs-to-change/">forests</a> change over both short and long timescales.



Spectral analysis provided a way to create a unified view of forest dynamics. This approach helped bridge the gap between different disciplines that study forests.



“This gives us a common language for people who observe forest change, ecologists, paleoecologists and paleobiologists, to talk to one another about those changes no matter if we study forests on annual or millennial timescales,” said Fastovich.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-forests-shift-but-bigger-changes-emerge">Forests shift but bigger changes emerge</h2>



The research showed that, over the span of a few years or decades, forests change slowly. Small adjustments occur gradually, often unnoticed in the short term. However, significant changes begin to emerge over longer periods.



After about eight centuries, the study found that forest shifts tend to grow more dramatic. These larger changes often align with natural fluctuations in the planet’s climate.



“With this new technique, we can think about ecological processes on any timescale and how they are connected,” said Fastovich. “We can understand how dispersal and population changes interact and cause a forest to change from decades to centuries, and even longer timescales. That hasn’t been done before.”



This insight shows that while forests may appear stable, they are slowly shifting in response to deeper climate rhythms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urgent-need-for-human-help">Urgent need for human help</h2>



One of the study’s most important findings points to the need for human intervention. Forests are unlikely to adjust fast enough on their own to survive the rapid pace of modern warming.



One promising approach is assisted migration. This method involves deliberately planting tree species from warmer climates into cooler regions. The goal is to help forests adapt by jumpstarting their natural migration processes.



Fastovich emphasized that this kind of intervention is far from simple. Forest adaptation is a slow, complicated process that demands careful, long-term planning.



“There’s a mismatch between the timescales at which forests naturally change to what’s happening today with climate change,” said Fastovich. 



“Population-level changes aren’t going to be fast enough to keep the forests that we care about around. Assisted migration is one tool of many to keep cherished forests around for longer.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reminder-of-the-challenges-ahead">Reminder of the challenges ahead</h2>



The research serves as a stark reminder of the challenges ahead. Forests are not static. They are ancient, slow-moving communities shaped by time and climate. While their changes might seem imperceptible over a human lifespan, they remain in constant motion.



Now, humanity must make tough choices. Without careful action, many forests may not survive the speed of climate change. 



The tools we choose, whether assisted migration, conservation efforts, or other interventions, will shape the forests of the future. Their survival depends not only on nature’s resilience but also on human responsibility.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr6700" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Forests are lagging centuries behind in climate adaptation

Forests have always been symbols of resilience and endurance. Towering trees stand tall for centuries, forming ecosystems that nurture countless species. They inspire awe, acting as natural archives of Earth’s long history. Yet, today’s rapidly shifting climate is testing this strength like never before. Scientists now warn that forests might struggle to keep pace with the speed of current climate change. This concern isn’t new, but recent research puts into perspective just how slow forest responses can be. Long before industrial activities fueled modern warming, forests adapted...

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...

Fast fashion has risen in popularity in recent years by allowing consumers to quickly and cheaply buy the latest styles. While this growing market may be great for consumers who want to try out luxurious clothing at a fraction of the cost, it comes at a steep environmental price.

Fast fashion generally refers to when inexpensive clothing is rapidly produced by retailers to mimic high-end trends. Retailers selling clothing for ridiculously low prices can be found throughout the internet, from ads on social media sites to Amazon.

The fast fashion industry is believed to be propelled largely by young consumers who are conscientious of their style and wallets at the same time. Today, consumers can buy fashionable clothing for as cheap as $5 with the intention of simply discarding it when the item is no longer in style. The industry has even been referred to as “McFashion” because of the speed at which consumers can purchase styles that were just featured on the catwalk.

Every year, consumers around the world buy around 80 billion new pieces of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microfibers-clothing-polluting-oceans/">clothing</a>, up 400% from just two decades ago, according to <a href="https://truecostmovie.com/learn-more/environmental-impact/">The Trust Cost</a>, a documentary on the fashion industry. 

“It is estimated that more than half of fast fashion production is disposed of in under a year, and one garbage truck full of textiles is landfilled or burnt every second. This factor combined with a very low rate of recycling - less than 1% of material used - leads to an ever-expanding pressure on resources,” states a<a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/assets/downloads/publications/A-New-Textiles-Economy_Full-Report_Updated_1-12-17.pdf"> report</a> by the Ellen McArthur Foundation.

In addition to concerns about the rate of disposal of fast fashion products, environmentalists and politicians have expressed concern over the production of these clothes. For factories to keep up with the high demand for new clothing, they require a large supply of resources such as water, chemicals, raw fabrics and oil. The report by the Ellen McArthur Foundation found that textile production produced 1.2 billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions every year.

Once bought by the consumer, fibers from synthetic clothing can enter waterways through our washing machines exacerbating the plastic pollution crisis. These microfibers can accumulate in our oceans where they release dangerous chemicals or be consumed by fish species that humans eat.

Many environmentalists believe this model of production and consumption is unsustainable and are calling for a change to the industry. The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee, a committee in the Parliament of the United Kingdom, has responded by investigating the effects of fast fashion on the environment and workers. In November 2018, the committee reached out to leading retailers to ask questions about their current practices.

The committee believes change is urgently needed for this industry. Chairwoman Mary Creagh told<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-45745242"> BBC News</a>, “They [the fashion industry] will account for more than a quarter of our total impact on climate change by 2050.”

The fashion industry itself is starting to shift. A new<a href="https://www.ellenmacarthurfoundation.org/our-work/activities/make-fashion-circular"> initiative</a>, called Make Fashion Circular, brings together industry leaders, NGOs and innovators to ensure that products are made using environmentally friendly practices.

While legislators and industry leaders work towards a solution, consumers can create change. But the solution to fast fashion may not be that simple. There is clearly demand for fast fashion among consumers who may not be willing to replace their purchases with expensive, sustainably sourced products. 

A<a href="http://admin.umt.edu.pk/Media/Site/STD/FileManager/OsamaArticle/FastFashionSustainability.pdf"> study</a> of young, fast fashion consumers found that participants were not concerned about their fashion purchasing decisions, even though they generally cared about the environment. Educating consumers about an issue is often not enough to cause wide-scale change.

For now, the <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/business/committees/committees-a-z/commons-select/environmental-audit-committee/">Environmental Audit Committee</a> will be publishing their recommendations in February.

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By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

How fast fashion is taking a toll on our environment

Fast fashion has risen in popularity in recent years by...

Europe is phasing out coal faster than ever before. A new report from the nonprofit organization <a href="https://sandbag.org.uk/">Sandbag</a> suggests that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/phasing-out-coal-gas/">coal</a> era may have finally reached its peak in Europe. In the sharpest decline ever recorded, electricity generation from coal power plants dropped by nearly 20 percent across European countries during the first half of 2019.

According to the experts, the decrease in coal-generated power can be attributed to the use of renewables such as solar and wind, as well as a recent increase in the use of gas-based power. 

Although Europe's use of coal has been in a long-term state of decline, lower gas prices combined with a higher EU carbon price have now accelerated this decline. 

The study revealed that countries with the most wind and solar capacity experienced the largest declines, with coal consumption dropping by 79 percent in Ireland and 44 percent in Spain. In the UK, coal power generation dropped by 65 percent and the nation has committed to completely getting rid of coal by 2025. 

Dave Jones is a carbon &amp; power analyst at Sandbag who is leading the organization's efforts to phase out coal in Europe. Based on data from EU energy network operators, the researchers determined that Europe's dirtiest coal plants are no longer profitable due to carbon prices, power prices, and running costs. 

"People have been slow to pick up on how big and aggressive this (switch) is,” Jones told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>. He said the transition to renewables will continue year after year, but that the substitution of gas for coal will be more of a short-lived event because new gas plants are no longer being built.

"Europe has a coal problem. Even as clean energy sources grow, many countries are still reliant on generating power from coal. It has huge impacts – on climate change and on health," Sandbag states on its website.

"Our research shows that in 2017, coal produced 15% of the EU’s greenhouse gas emissions and 38% of the EU ETS CO2 emissions. In 2015, the latest year for which health figures are available, coal was responsible for at least 19,500 premature deaths across Europe."

Sandbag reports that eliminating coal is the "simplest and quickest way to achieve substantial reductions in CO2 emissions," and the organization has a goal of phasing out coal in European countries by 2030.

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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

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Rudmer Zwerver

Europe is phasing out coal faster than ever before

Europe is phasing out coal faster than ever before. A...

The updated <a href="https://www.escardio.org/">European Society of Cardiology</a> (ESC) Guidelines advise the reduction of pollution and noise to benefit those with <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/preventable-heart-disease-deaths/">chronic coronary syndromes</a>.

"Air pollution and environmental noise increase the risk of heart attack and stroke, so policies and regulations are needed to minimise both,” said Professor Juhani Knuuti, Chairperson of the guidelines Task Force and director of the <a href="http://turkupetcentre.fi/">Turku PET Centre, Finland.</a> “Patients with chronic coronary syndromes should avoid areas with heavy traffic congestion and may consider wearing a respirator face mask. Air purifiers with high efficiency particulate air filters can be used to reduce indoor pollution."

These new guidelines are an update to previously published stable coronary artery disease (CAD) ESC guidelines.

"This reflects the fact that CAD can be acute (covered in separate guidelines) or chronic and both are dynamic conditions," said Professor William Wijns, Chairperson of the guidelines Task Force and professor in interventional cardiology at the <a href="https://www.nuigalway.ie/clinicaltranslationalresearch/">Lambe Institute for Translational Medicine</a>. "Therapy is lifelong and aimed at preventing progression of the disease and cardiac events such as heart attacks."

Furthermore, this new set of guidelines, published in <a href="https://academic.oup.com/eurheartj">European Heart Journal</a>, put more emphasis on lifestyle changes necessary to make in order to thwart and/or prevent the development of a chronic coronary syndrome. 

Examples of these lifestyle changes include refraining from smoking and drinking alcohol, eating a diet rich in vegetables, fruit, and whole grains, and engaging in 30 to 60 minutes of physical activity per day.

Counseling and cognitive behavioral therapy is also advised for CAD patients who experience anxiety, depression or stress, and may also benefit those who are having a hard time transitioning into a healthier lifestyle or maintaining a healthy weight, as is taking appropriate medications.

The updated guidelines also outline the six most frequently encountered clinical scenarios that result in the diagnosis of chronic coronary syndromes. These scenarios involve patients with suspected CAD and stable chest pain (angina) or shortness of breath, patients without symptoms or with stable symptoms less than one year after an acute coronary syndrome or with recent revascularisation, patients with and without symptoms more than one year after initial diagnosis or revascularisation, patients with new onset of heart failure or left ventricular dysfunction and suspected CAD, patients with angina and suspected vasospastic or microvascular disease, and asymptomatic patients in whom CAD is detected at screening.

"Each of these scenarios requires different diagnostic and therapeutic approaches,” Prof Wijns said. “But in general, treatment of a chronic coronary syndrome demands long-lasting healthy habits, medication adherence, and interventions in selected patients."

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/pixelheadphoto digitalskillet

Pollution and noise put those with chronic coronary syndromes at risk

The updated European Society of Cardiology (ESC) Guidelines advise the...

Ancient civilizations across the globe had an impact on the environment dating back as far as 10,000 years ago, a new study has found. 

As climate change continues to rev its engines, fueled by human activities and greenhouse gas emissions, we tend to limit our scope of how humans have impacted the planet to recent centuries.

A team of 250 researchers, led by Lucas Stephens from the <a href="https://home.www.upenn.edu/">University of Pennsylvania</a>, studied <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-land-use-tropical-mountain/">land use</a> long before the Industrial Revolution to understand how humans have been changing and affecting the environment through the years. 

The study, published in the journal Science, is part of the <a href="https://dataverse.harvard.edu/dataverse/ArchaeoGLOBE">ArchaeoGLOBE</a> project which uses surveys to collect data on regional land use worldwide. 

By looking at land use in ancient civilizations, we may be able to gain a better hold on our current climate crisis the authors say. 

“Through this crowdsourced data, we can see that there was global environmental impact by land use at least 3,000 years ago,” said Gary Feinman, an author of the study. “And that means that the idea of seeing human impact on the environment as a newer phenomenon is too focused on the recent past.”

As hunting and gathering societies transitioned into farming, people started to clear out forests for grazing pastures and to plant food. 

“About 12,000 years ago, humans were mainly foraging, meaning they didn’t interact with their environments as intensively as farmers generally do,” says Feinman. “And now we see that 3,000 years ago, we have people doing really invasive farming in many parts of the globe.”

The researchers note that the rate of environmental changes due to human activities is much more drastic now compared to past societies, but ancient civilizations still had an impact. 

An essential aspect of the study is having a timeline of when humans started significantly reshaping and impacting the environment. The ability to pinpoint the beginnings of environmental impact can help with creating new solutions to land degradation and overuse today. 

“There’s such a focus on how the present is different from the past in contemporary science,’ said Feinman. “I think this study provides a check, a counter-weight to that, by showing that yes, there have been more accelerated changes in land use recently, but humans have been doing this for a long time. And the patterns start 3,000 years ago. It shows that the problems we face today are very deep-rooted, and they are going to take more than simple solutions to solve.” 

--

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: Ryan Williams, Field Museum

Even ancient civilizations were already altering the environment

Ancient civilizations across the globe had an impact on the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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



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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