Floating photovoltaics (FPV), or “floatovoltaics,” are spreading across water bodies worldwide. From California’s vineyards to China’s massive energy projects, these solar systems glide atop irrigation ponds, reservoirs, and wastewater treatment plants. 



They produce clean energy without consuming precious land, a seemingly perfect solution in a space-constrained world.



But the water beneath these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-panels-could-power-entire-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">panels</a> isn’t empty. It teems with life. Birds drift, dive, nest, and hunt in these waters. As FPV systems expand, they introduce a new dynamic to these habitats - and nobody knows yet what the consequences might be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-floating-solar-and-bird-habitats">Floating solar and bird habitats</h2>



A recent study from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Davis</a>, published in the journal Nature Water, raises a vital question: Can renewable energy and wildlife coexist without collateral damage? The researchers, part of the UC Davis Wild Energy Center, are among the first to examine how waterbirds respond to FPV systems.



“That’s why it’s so important to understand how waterbirds are going to respond to floating solar and if there is the possibility for conservation concessions at new floating solar facilities,” said Elliott Steele, a postdoctoral scholar with the UC Davis Wild Energy Center within the Energy and Efficiency Institute.



Steele’s words are urgent. Bird populations are plummeting. Habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and avian influenza have combined into a perfect storm of threats. If floating solar disrupts waterbird behavior, it could exacerbate an already dire situation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bird-responses-to-floating-solar-systems">Bird responses to floating solar systems</h2>



Imagine a black-crowned night heron standing motionless on a solar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-panels-could-power-every-home-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">panel</a> before dawn. Below, cormorants dart through the water, jostling for a place to perch. A black phoebe builds a nest beneath the panels, sheltered but close to human-made structures.



These are not imagined scenes. During their fieldwork, the UC Davis researchers observed all these behaviors. Birds are not just interacting with FPV systems — they are adapting to them, sometimes in unexpected ways.



“Our team has been documenting such a diversity of bird <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floridas-waterbirds-expert-divers-with-bold-hunting-techniques/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behavior</a> with floating PV, so we immediately knew this was a very important interaction, especially given the precipitous decline in waterbird numbers globally,” said senior author and UC Davis Professor Rebecca R. Hernandez.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-and-risks-of-floating-solar">Benefits and risks of floating solar</h2>



Renewable energy projects have not always considered <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-americas-birds-scientists-declare-a-full-on-emergency-in-the-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a>. Now, as FPV systems expand, researchers are determined not to repeat past mistakes. The UC Davis team identified five areas demanding urgent study.



First, the researchers are exploring how waterbirds interact with FPV structures, questioning whether these birds use the solar panels as nesting sites, hunting perches, or safe resting places.



In addition, they are investigating the direct and indirect effects of FPV systems on waterbirds. While a panel may provide shelter to one species, it may simultaneously deter another.



The team is considering how conservation strategies can be tailored to specific sites, regions, and seasons, recognizing that bird populations vary significantly in their behaviors and needs.



Furthermore, they are examining how best to design monitoring systems at FPV sites. Should they rely on cameras, sensors, or traditional bird counts to collect data effectively?



The researchers are also assessing the potential for pollutants to be released from FPV systems. If such contamination occurs, they aim to determine what can be done to mitigate the risks to aquatic and avian life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-renewable-energy-design">Rethinking renewable energy design</h2>



Study co-author Emma Forester is a Ph.D. candidate with the UC Davis Land, Air and Water Resources department and the Wild Energy Center.



“There are some things we wished we’d known before other kinds of renewable energy were developed,” said Forester.



“While we’re at this critical threshold of renewable energy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-panels-are-1000-times-more-powerful-with-new-tech-breakthrough/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">development</a>, we want to put more thought into the design that can benefit birds and other wildlife as we go forward.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-balancing-act-energy-vs-ecology">The balancing act: Energy vs. ecology</h2>



Floating solar systems present a compelling case for water conservation. They can reduce evaporation by shading the water surface, an added benefit in drought-prone areas. But there’s a catch.



While some birds, like the black-crowned night heron, seem to thrive on the panels, others might not. Researchers observed birds using FPV systems in various ways - nesting, perching, feeding - but the long-term impacts remain unclear.



And then there’s pollution. Solar panels are not inert objects. As they age, they can degrade, releasing chemicals into the water. What happens to the fish, algae or the birds? These questions linger, unanswered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-for-wildlife">Designing for wildlife</h2>



To ensure that FPV systems are truly green, wildlife considerations must be integrated from the start. 



Hernandez and her team emphasize that waterbirds are ideal subjects for these studies. They occupy both the water and the air, making them sensitive indicators of environmental change.



But there’s a deeper challenge. Conservation strategies that work in California may fail in Florida. Solutions for herons may not suit cormorants. Customization is key.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-at-stake">What’s at stake</h2>



Floating solar may be new, but the questions it raises are not. When energy projects collide with nature, unintended consequences often follow. As renewable energy scales up, researchers must consider not just the panels but the ecosystems they disrupt.



Floating solar has enormous potential. But without rigorous, long-term studies, that potential could come at a steep ecological cost. For now, the researchers at UC Davis are watching the waterbirds - and hoping the world will pay attention.



The study, funded by the <a href="https://uckeepresearching.org/california-climate-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">California Climate Action Seed Grant</a>, <a href="https://www.enelgreenpower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enel Green Power</a>, and several U.S. government agencies, is a starting point. 



The research team includes scientists from UC Davis, the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, the <a href="https://www.ucf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Central Florida</a>, <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lancaster University</a>, and <a href="https://www.enelgreenpower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enel Green Power</a> in Italy.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00429-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Water.</a>



Image Credit: Rebecca R. Hernandez, UC Davis.



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Floating solar panels affect bird habitats in unexpected ways

Floating photovoltaics (FPV), or “floatovoltaics,” are spreading across water bodies worldwide. From California’s vineyards to China’s massive energy projects, these solar systems glide atop irrigation ponds, reservoirs, and wastewater treatment plants. They produce clean energy without consuming precious land, a seemingly perfect solution in a space-constrained world. But the water beneath these panels isn’t empty. It teems with life. Birds drift, dive, nest, and hunt in these waters. As FPV systems expand, they introduce a new dynamic to these habitats - and nobody knows yet what the...

UN expert: Better infrastructure needed to sustain climate change extremes. While you’re likely to hear about the more significant <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-slowing-down-hurricanes-making-them-stronger/">natural disasters</a> that occur around the world, the smaller-scale catastrophes are less likely to make the news cycle – yet, scientists believe that climate change is resulting in these natural disasters happening nearly every week. 

Cyclones, heatwaves, droughts, and other natural phenomena have been occurring at a rapid rate across many regions of the world. In many of these areas, developing countries are not prepared to deal with the fallout. 

<a href="https://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> (UN) disaster expert Mami Mizutori told <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us">The Guardian</a> that more emphasis needs to be placed on investments into resilient infrastructure, along with emission cuts. Mizutori believes the focus should be on nature-based solutions to addressing climate hazards, such as protecting the growth of mangrove swamps and wetlands to limit flooding.

The <a href="https://www.un.org/en/">UN</a> warns that while tropical cyclones such as Idai and Kenneth have been largely covered by the news, smaller “lower impact events” are happening at a higher rate and many are not being covered in the headlines. UN expert: Better infrastructure needed to sustain climate change extremes.

It’s possible to prepare for these small-scale events by building up infrastructure, particularly in developing countries. Protections such as increased flood defenses, improved severe weather warning systems, water stocks to prepare for drought, and enhanced government oversight would be of great benefit.

“This is not about the future, this is about today,” Mizutori told The Guardian. “People need to talk more about adaptation and resilience.”

And while this issue does have a major effect on developing regions, the world’s more wealthy countries also face infrastructure and risk-mitigation problems. Recent heatwaves and Europe and forest fires in the US show that money doesn’t buy perfect protection from the wrath of Mother Nature. 

It’s estimated that climate-related disasters cost roughly $520 billion annually. Estimates for the cost of building infrastructure resistant to the effects of climate change only increase this figure by 3% for a total of $2.7 trillion over the next two decades. 

“Resilience needs to become a commodity that people will pay for,” says Mizutori.

Currently, efforts to address climate change have mainly been focused on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, rather than adapting to the inevitability of new climate conditions. 

“We talk about a climate emergency and a climate crisis, but if we cannot confront this, we will not survive,” Mrs Mizutori warns. “We need to look at the risks of not investing in resilience.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: fivepointsix / Shutterstock

UN expert: Better infrastructure needed to sustain climate change

UN expert: Better infrastructure needed to sustain climate change extremes....

CA Earthquake

Fissures, fires and thousands of aftershocks after California earthquakes. After a 7.1 earthquake struck Southern California on Friday night, a large fissure formed, stretching across the Mojave Desert eleven miles outside of Ridgecrest, California. 

The earthquake was the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/southern-california-earthquake/">second of two major tremblers</a> to occur in the area, ending an unusually long Earthquake drought. 

The first was a 6.6 magnitude quake that struck on the morning of July 4th. While no fatalities have been reported, the second larger earthquake opened cracks along a state highway, triggered electrical fires, and caused at least one building to collapse. 

Satellite imagery from the company <a href="https://www.planet.com/">Planet Labs</a> shows the huge fissure making its way across the desert. 

It’s been decades since Southern California was hit by such powerful tremors, and the quakes have been categorized as strike-slip earthquakes, meaning that they were caused by two plates shifting horizontally and scraping past each other.  

The quakes occurred in the shear zone of eastern California, where the Pacific Plate grates along the North American Plate. 

Interestingly, the first quake broke two sections of faults that nearly cut across at a right angle, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2019/07/science-behind-californias-two-big-earthquakes/">National Geographic</a>. 

Earthquake expert Dr. Lucy Jones accurately predicted that the first major quake was a foreshock, and thousands of more tremors are predicted to occur over the next few weeks. 

However, the chances of another even larger quake occurring in that period are less than one percent, according to the <a href="https://prod-earthquake.cr.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/ci38457511/oaf/commentary">US Geological Survey</a>. 

Ridgecrest and surrounding residents should prepare for lots more aftershocks, though. 

“For a while, Ridgecrest was known as the earthquake capital of the world because it had so many small quakes,” Dr. Egill Haukson, a California Institute of Technology seismologist, told<a href="https://ktla.com/2019/07/06/southern-california-reels-from-biggest-quake-region-has-seen-in-20-years/"> KTLA 5</a>. “So, it’s not a surprise that the earthquake happened.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Planet Labs

Fissures, fires and thousands of aftershocks after California earthquakes

Fissures, fires and thousands of aftershocks after California earthquakes. After...

A decades-long program monitoring the butterfly abundance in Ohio has shown that the general abundance of butterflies in the region has declined 33% in the past 21 years. 

Although the study was limited to one geographic area and one group of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/monarch-butterflies-lose-migration-ability/">butterflies</a>, the findings show the broader effects of climate change and other human-caused disturbances on insect populations. 

This study is published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

"These declines in abundance are happening in common species," said study leader Tyson Wepprich, an <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> researcher. "Declines in common species concern me because it shows that there are widespread environmental causes for the declines affecting species we thought were well adapted to share a landscape with humans. Common species are also the ones that contribute the bulk of the pollination or bird food to the ecosystem, so their slow, consistent decline is likely having ripple effects beyond butterfly numbers."

Wepprich used more than 24,000 butterfly surveys from trained citizen scientists in Ohio, completed between 1996 and 2016, to come to his conclusion. The data collected was then used to estimate population trends for 81 butterfly species.

"Because it's easier to monitor butterflies than other insects — lots of people like butterflies and enjoy keeping track of them — butterflies tend to be the best source of abundance data for tracking insect population declines and increases," Wepprich said. "Environmental assessments use them as an indicator for the general trajectory of biodiversity since they experience the same types of pressures from land-use changes, climate change and habitat degradation as other insect groups."

Wepprich found that three times as many butterfly species were trending downward as upward. In fact, three out of every four species with a positive or negative trend grew less abundant during the course of the study. Forty of the species looked at had no significant trend up or down.

"Species with more northern distributions and fewer annual generations declined the most rapidly," Wepprich said. He explained that these species are adapted to cooler regions and therefore could do worse in Ohio with warming temperatures. And some invasive species linked to human-dominated landscapes are on the decline, which suggests that trends are rooted in broader environmental causes.

"Analyses of insect declines are dominated by European studies about butterflies, but our study is showing that the rate of change in Ohio butterfly abundance is very similar to that found in monitoring programs in the UK, the Netherlands and Spain," he said. "The rate of total decline and the proportion of species in decline mirror those documented in comparable monitoring programs. What's common among all of the monitoring programs is that they are in areas with a high human impact and made possible by dedicated volunteer recorders."

Common butterfly species are not close to extinction, however, there is still a shocking negative impact on their populations, which trickles down to larger ecosystems. Furthermore, Weppich noted that within the past twenty years, the population of the migratory eastern North American monarch has declined by more than 85% and the western North American monarch by more than 95%. 

"Monarchs and rare species were monitored because people are worried about them going extinct," Wepprich said. "In Ohio, they monitored every species they could and found declines in species previously not on the radar for conservation."

This study shows that the butterfly decline rate in Ohio is greater than the global rate of 35% over four decades, but it’s closer to the estimated rate for insects in general — a 45% decline over 40 years.

"Our study adds another example of declines in common butterfly species thought to be well suited to human-modified habitat," Wepprich said.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Common butterfly species on the decline, decades-long study reveals

A decades-long program monitoring the butterfly abundance in Ohio has...

Greenwashing: Trump’s environmental policies speak louder than his words. President Donald Trump has been accused of <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/donald-trump-environment-greenwashing-false-1448136">'greenwashing' his record</a> after telling the American public in a press conference that keeping the environment clean is a top priority and claiming that he has done more for the environment than any prior administration.

“Everyday of my presidency we will fight for a cleaner environment,” Trump said.

It’s a bold claim considering how much the President has worked to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-eases-safety-offshore-drilling/">roll back environmental protections</a> put in place during the Obama Administration. 

Andrew Wheeler, Environmental Protection Agency Administrator, gave a press call on Monday saying that there have been significant improvements in air and water quality since the EPA was established in the 1970s. Greenwashing: Trump’s environmental policies speak louder than his words

However, if you look at pollution levels since the President took office, rather than over the past 49 years, you see that air pollution has increased. One <a href="https://www.apnews.com/d3515b79af1246d08f7978f026c9092b">analysis</a> found that the US had more polluted air days in the past two years compared to the past five years. 

But Trump continues to insist that air and water quality have improved during his term. 

Throughout the President’s campaign and term, there has been a clear “energy first” message, with a push for coal, the disbanding of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/federal-climate-panel-regrouped/">climate change committee</a>, and creating a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/white-house-panel-climate-change/">potential panel to dispute climate change research</a>. 

Recently, the mention of climate change was stripped from a <a href="https://www.eenews.net/climatewire/stories/1060709857/search?keyword=usgs">US Geological Survey study press release</a>. The Administration also changed its methods for studying the health impacts of exposure to CO2 emissions. 

During the speech, there was also no mention of climate change, although the President had strong opinions about the Green New Deal. Greenwashing: Trump’s environmental policies speak louder than his words

“While we’re focused on practical solutions, more than 100 Democrats in Congress support the so-called Green New Deal,” Trump said. “Their plan is estimated to cost our economy nearly $100 trillion. A number unthinkable. We will defend the environment, but we will also defend American sovereignty, American prosperity, and we will defend American jobs.”

As much as the President may tout his pro-environment sentiments, the many rollbacks and policies to put economic gains over environmental protections tell a different story. 

“Donald Trump is resorting to greenhouse gaslighting the public to try and cover-up the fact that he is the worst president in history for the environment, climate, and public health,” Michael Brune, Sierra Club Executive Director, said in a statement. “Trump’s relentless attacks on our clean air, clean water, climate and public lands threaten the health and safety of millions of Americans and no speech he gives can ever change the reality of his actions.”

--

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/yotily

Greenwashing: Trump’s environmental policies speak louder than his words

Greenwashing: Trump’s environmental policies speak louder than his words. President...

Noise from ships induces stress-related changes in mussels. A new study has found that mussels are impacted on a molecular level by the sounds of ship motors. Researchers discovered that fluctuating <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/traffic-noises-robins/">noise levels</a> in their environment cause mussels to experience stress, which was detected through changes in their DNA integrity.

A team of scientists from <a href="https://www.napier.ac.uk/">Edinburgh Napier University</a> collected mussels on the coast of Musselburgh to analyze how they respond to noise. Tests were conducted in a lab at the <a href="http://marinestation.co.uk/">St. Abbs Marine Station</a>, a nonprofit research center dedicated to protecting the marine environment.

Karen Diele is the co-director of research at the marine station. She explained that the blue mussel is extremely important in the UK. 

"It is commercially valuable and it plays an essential ecological role as a reef builder and a filter-feeder that keeps the water clean," said Diele. "Mussels don't have ears but they can detect changing sound levels in their environment."

"We recorded and played the sound of a ship's motor to a sample of blue mussels in a controlled setting, and measured biochemical and behavioral changes in the mussels."

"For the first time in a marine species, we detected noise-induced changes in DNA integrity, indicating an underlying source of stress."

According to study co-author Matt Wale, the mussels that were exposed to noise consumed 12 percent less oxygen. He explained that this could lead to a higher rate of energy use and a slower rate of growth.

"The filtration rate, or how much algae they consume, decreased by over 80% and there was a 60% increase in valve gape, which means the mussels are spending more time vulnerable to predators," said Wale.

Study co-author Mark Hartl is a professor in the Centre for Marine Biodiversity at <a href="https://www.hw.ac.uk/">Heriot-Watt University</a>. He said that the wide distribution of mussels in areas where they may be exposed to noise indicates that the effects are not fatal or immediately dangerous for mussels.

"However, this doesn't mean it isn't having a long-term effect on mussel populations in high noise areas, it could be affecting their growth, reproductivity and may help explain the decline of mussel banks in some areas of the UK.," said Professor Hartl.

'It's important that we understand how noise is stressing mussels in environmental risk assessments so that we can ensure environmental policy and regulation is effective."Noise from ships induces stress-related changes in mussels

The research was supported by the Marine Alliance for Science and Technology for Scotland.

--

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/Charlotte Bleijenberg

Noise from ships induces stress-related changes in mussels

Noise from ships induces stress-related changes in mussels. A new...

An international team of researchers has determined that Arctic sea ice may disappear even if the targets of the Paris Agreement are achieved. The experts created a new statistical approach to estimate the likelihood of an ice-free <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-canadian-arctic-thawing/">Arctic</a> for various levels of future warming. 

"Our work provides a new statistical and mathematical framework to calculate climate change and impact probabilities," said Professor Jason Evans of the <a href="http://www.ccrc.unsw.edu.au/">Climate Change Research Center</a>.

Climate projections are typically derived from climate models that are based on several hundred thousand lines of computer code. The models are developed to solve physical equations involving many environmental factors, including the state of the atmosphere and the ocean. 

By applying anticipated greenhouse gas concentrations, scientists can use computer models to observe the potential future of Earth's climate. However, basing practical decisions on this data presents a challenge due to uncertainties in the magnitude of future climate change on regional scales. Such decisions require an understanding of the probability that certain events will occur.

In an effort to more accurately predict future climate change in the Arctic, the research team has developed a new statistical method which translates the results from a set of climate computer model simulations to probabilities. 

Study co-author Won Chang is an assistant professor in the Department of Mathematical Sciences at the <a href="https://www.uc.edu/">University of Cincinnati</a>.

"Translating model dependence into mathematical equations has been a long-standing issue in climate science. It is exciting to see that our method can provide a general framework to solve this problem," said Professor Chang.

The team used their new method for climate projections from 31 different models. The analysis revealed that there is at least a 28-percent probability that summer sea ice in the Arctic Ocean will disappear at 2°C warming above pre-industrial levels. 

Study lead author Roman Olson is a researcher at the <a href="https://www.ibs.re.kr/">Institute for Basic Science</a> (ICCP) in South Korea.

"Up to now, there was no established mathematical framework to assign probabilities on non-exclusive theories. While we only tested the new approach on climate models, we are eager to see if the technique can be applied to other fields, such as stock market predictions, plane accident investigations, or in medical research," said Olson.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</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/Oksana Shokalenko

The Arctic may be ice-free after just two degrees of global warming

An international team of researchers has determined that Arctic sea...

Outdoor air pollution increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), speeds up the aging process, and causes declines in lung function, according to a new study that adds to a growing body of research proving the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/harmful-effects-air-pollution-exposure/">dangers of air pollution</a>. 

COPD, a condition where inflammation in the lungs makes breathing difficult, is the third leading cause of death worldwide, according to the <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/gbd">Global Burden of Disease project</a>. 

The number of deaths due to COPD are expected to increase in the coming years. 

In a new study published in the European Respiratory Journal, researchers from the<a href="https://le.ac.uk/"> University of Leicester</a> set out to thoroughly examine how outdoor air pollution impacts respiratory health. 

“There are surprisingly few studies that look at how air pollution affects lung health,” said Anna Hansell, a member of the research team. “To try and address this, we assessed more than 300,000 people using data from the UK Biobank study to examine whether air pollution exposure was linked to changes in lung function, and whether it affected participants’ risk of developing COPD.” 

An air pollution model was used to calculate outdoor air pollution levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5), particulate matter, and nitrogen dioxide that people enrolled in the UK Biobank study were exposed to. 

Data from the Biobank study included data from health questionnaires and spirometry tests measuring lung function. 

The researchers used the Biobank data and conducted tests to investigate the impact of long-term exposure to different levels of pollutants on lung function. 

Each increase of five micrograms per cubic meter of PM2.5 correlated with reduced lung function comparable to two years of aging. 

In areas where the participants were exposed to PM2.5 levels above what is recommended by the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a>, COPD prevalence was four times higher compared to homes where second-hand smoke was present

“In one of the largest analyses to date, we found that outdoor air pollution exposure is directly linked to lower lung function and increased COPD prevalence,” said Hansell. “We found that people exposed to higher levels of pollutants had lower lung function equivalent to at least a year of aging.”

The researcher found that lower-income households were more affected by outdoor air pollution compared to higher income residents. 

“Air pollution had approximately twice the impact on lung function decline and three times the increased COPD risk on lower-income participants compared to higher-income participants who had the same air pollution exposure,” said Hansell.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Adam Cowell/Shutterstock

Outdoor air pollution decreases lung function

Outdoor air pollution increases the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary...

Antarctica has the potential to contribute far more to sea level rise than the Arctic.

In the last six years alone, the rate of ice loss for five major glaciers in the South Pole has doubled. Now, a new study has found this rate will continue to accelerate and drive up sea level rise even faster than previously predicted due to glacier instability.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a>, <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a>, and the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> factored in instability into different ice flow simulations to model future sea level rise contributions from Antarctica.

It all boils down to triggering instability and speeding up glacial ice flow into the ocean, which will increase sea level rise. 

Unfortunately, projecting this tipping point and coming with an accurate timeline is impossible due to variability and unpredictable fluctuations that impede consistent data collection in Antarctica.

The researchers included instability into 500 ice flow simulations for the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-glacier-cavity-collapse/">Thwaites Glacier</a>. 

Using math from statistical physics, the researchers were able to calculate how random variables like temperature changes will impact ice flow predictability.

Each end scenario result differed drastically from the other, but each pointed to an eventual tipping point, triggering instability and speeding up ice flow into the ocean.

As with many of climate change’s dangerous feedback loops, even if emissions are reduced and climate change mitigated, instability would keep pushing more ice into the ocean.

“If you trigger this instability, you don’t need to continue to force the ice sheet by cranking up temperatures. It will keep going by itself, and that’s the worry,” said Alex Robel, the leader of the study “Climate variations will still be important after that tipping point because they will determine how fast the ice will move.

The researchers estimate that after the tipping point is reached, the Thwaites Glacier could be ice-free in 150 years, contributing a little over one and a half feet to sea level rise.

“There’s almost eight times as much ice in the Antarctic ice sheet as there is in the Greenland ice sheet and 50 times as much as in all the mountain glaciers in the world,” said Robel.

As these glaciers make their way to the ocean, instability can occur when the ice, seafloor, and bedrock meet.

[caption id="attachment_1874914" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/glacier.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1874914" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/glacier.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="365" /></a> Thwaites Glacier's outer edge, Image Credit: NASA/James Yungel[/caption]

The point where ice meets the sea floor and starts floating over the water is called the grounding line, and if the bedrock below the ice slopes down it can increase the risk of cavities forming in the glacier. 

“Once ice is past the grounding line and just over water, it’s contributing to sea level because buoyancy is holding it up more than it was,” Robel said. “Ice flows out into the floating ice shelf and melts or breaks off as icebergs. The process becomes self-perpetuating,” Seroussi said, describing why it is called “instability.”

The researchers say that catastrophic ice loss in Antarctica could occur in the next 200 to 600 years depending on the topography of the bedrock below the Thwaites Glacier.

The researchers published their findings in a new study in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a><a href="https://www.earth.com/">,</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: NASA/OIB Jeremy Harbeck

Antarctic ice instability could accelerate sea level rise

Antarctica has the potential to contribute far more to sea...

For thousands of years, commercial and industrial processes like mining, ore smelting, and fossil fuel burning, have emitted lead into the atmosphere. That lead travelled via wind currents to the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-canadian-arctic-thawing/">Arctic</a>, where it settled on the ice sheet and became a record of economic activity throughout the past 1,500 years.

Now, a team of international researchers from the <a href="https://www.dri.edu/">Desert Research Institute</a> (DRI), the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>, the <a href="https://www.nilu.no/OmNILU/tabid/67/language/en-GB/Default.aspx">Norwegian Institute for Air Research</a> (NILU), the <a href="https://www.ku.dk/english/">University of Copenhagen</a>, the <a href="https://www.rochester.edu/">University of Rochester</a>, and the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research</a> have successfully measured, dated, and analyzed lead emissions captured in Arctic ice cores taken from Greenland and the Russian Arctic. These emissions were entrapped in ice between 500 and 2010 CE — a period of time spanning from the Middle Ages through the Modern Period to present day. Their findings are published in<a href="https://www.pnas.org/"> PNAS</a>.

These results have been added to a study published by a group of the same researchers in 2018 which showed how lead pollution in a single ice core from Greenland depicted the ebbs and flows of the European economy between 1100 BCE and 800 CE, which includes the Greek and Roman empires.

"We have extended our earlier record through the Middle Ages and Modern Period to the present," said lead author Joe McConnell, Ph.D., Director of DRI's Ultra-Trace Ice Core Chemistry Laboratory in Reno, Nevada. "Using an array of thirteen ice cores instead of just one, this new study shows that prior to the Industrial Revolution, lead pollution was pervasive and surprisingly similar across a large swath of the Arctic and undoubtedly the result of European emissions. The ice-core array provides with amazing detail a continuous record of European — and later North American — industrial emissions during the past 1500 years."

Increases in lead concentration within the cores align with periods of European expansion and economic prosperity, and decreases in lead concentration aligned with wars, plagues, famines, and climate disruptions. 

"Sustained increases in lead pollution during the Early and High Middle Ages (about 800 to 1300 CE), for example, indicate widespread economic growth, particularly in central Europe as new mining areas were discovered in places like the German Harz and Erzgebirge Mountains," McConnell said. "Lead pollution in the ice core records declined during the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Period (about 1300 to 1680 Ce) when plague devastated those regions, however, indicating that economic activity stalled."

Despite the rise and fall of lead concentrations, there has been a steady incline in lead pollution in the Arctic during the last 1,500 years.

"We found an overall 250 to 300-fold increase in Arctic lead pollution from the start of the Middle Ages in 500 CE to 1970s," said coauthor Nathan Chellman, a doctoral student at DRI. "Since the passage of pollution abatement policies, including the 1970 Clean Air Act in the United States, lead pollution in Arctic ice has declined more than 80 percent. Still, lead levels are about 60 times higher today than they were at the beginning of the Middle Ages."

"What we're finding is interesting not just to environmental scientists who want to understand how human activity has altered the environment," said coauthor Andrew Wilson, Ph.D., Professor of the Archaeology of the Roman Empire at Oxford. "These ice-core records also are helping historians to understand and quantify the ways that societies and their economies have responded to external forces such as climate disruptions, plagues, or political unrest."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Robert Szymanski

Lead in Arctic ice reveals the economic impact of ancient plagues and wars

For thousands of years, commercial and industrial processes like mining,...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> warns that rising temperatures in the northern tundras could negatively affect microbial communities in ways that could increase their production of greenhouse gasses. Due to the amount of carbon stored in the frozen soils of the tundra, the study warns warming temperatures could release this carbon and exacerbate <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/forest-restoration-climate-change/">climate change</a>. 

These findings are published in <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">PNAS</a>.

"We saw that microbial communities respond quite rapidly — within four or five years — to even modest levels of warming," said corresponding author Kostas T. Konstantinidis, a professor in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the School of Biological Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology. "Microbial species and their genes involved in carbon dioxide and methane release increased their abundance in response to the warming treatment. We were surprised to see such a response to even mild warming."

Konstantinidis and colleagues began their research in 2008 at a moist, acidic tundra in Alaska’s Denali National Park. The team observed the snow cover in six experimental zones as well as control zones, eventually taking soil cores from each at several different times — 1.5 years after the experiment began, as well as 4.5 years post-beginning. They extracted microbial DNA from the cores and sequenced it using the Genomics Core at Georgia Tech.

"Our analysis of the resulting data showed which species were there, in what abundances, which species responded to warming and by how much — and what functions they possessed related to carbon use and release," said Eric R. Johnston, who conducted the analysis as a Georgia Tech PhD student, and who is now a postdoctoral researcher at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

The cores from both the experimental and control zones were compared to see how warming affected the contents.

"The response we observed differed markedly between the two soil depths (15 to 25 centimeters and 45 to 55 centimeters) that were sampled for this study," said Johnston. "Specifically, at the upper boundary of the initial permafrost boundary layer — 45 to 55 centimeters below the surface — the relative abundance of genes involved in methane production (methanogenesis) increased with warming, while genes involved in organic carbon respiration — the release of carbon dioxide — became more abundant at shallower depths."

The shallower depth corresponds to an active layer near the surface that freezes during the winter but thaws during warmer months, thus exposing the carbon. And the deeper measurements corresponds to soil just above the permafrost that thaws very briefly each year. Therefore, fundamental variations in the biology and chemistry can be found in the soil at each depth.

"We expected to observe warming responses that differed between the two sampling depths," Johnston said. "Ongoing thaw of permafrost soil is being observed on the global scale, so we were particularly interested in evaluating microbiological responses to thawing permafrost."

Furthermore, experimental zones that were warmed showed a higher release rate of carbon dioxide and methane.

"Similar measurements have also shown that these gases are being released at a greater rate throughout the entire region in recent years as a result of climate warming," Johnston said.

"Because of the very large amount of carbon in these systems, as well as the rapid and clear response to warming found in this experiment and other studies, it is becoming increasingly clear that soil microbes — particularly those in the northern latitudes — and their activities need to be represented in climate models," Konstantinidis said. "Our work provides markers — species and genes — that can be used in this direction."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Professor Ted Schuur, Northern Arizona University

Microbial communities are negatively affected by rising tundra temperatures

A new study from the Georgia Institute of Technology warns...

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Ancient megafauna helped drive plant dispersal prior to domestication. As humans shifted from a hunter-gatherer lifestyle to permanent settlements, plants and livestock were domesticated. This shift saw a rise in agriculture and innovation, but a new study has found that without the help of grazing animals, plant domestication may not have been possible. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.mpg.de/en">Max Planck Institute</a> and <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> found that large grazing animals during the Pleistocene drove evolutionary changes in key grains like quinoa and buckwheat and these changes paved the way for domestication. 

The researchers focused on herds of ancient large herbivores to study how migrational patterns and habitats influenced the evolution of small-seeded grain crops. 

Herd animals feeding on plants and dispersing them near rivers would have created dense patches that early hunter-gatherers could have easily <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-start-baking-bread/">harvested</a>, later cultivating their own crops from the same plants. 

This could explain why certain plants were so popular. Because the plants were abundant due to animal dispersal, they were easy for humans to domesticate. 

7,000 to 5,000 years ago, our ancestors first started cultivating plants for seeds or grain and wheat and rice were among the earliest domesticated plants. 

While researchers have extensively studied the domestication of large-seeded cereals, less is known about the evolution and domestication of small-seeded grain crops like millets or buckwheat. 

The researchers developed a model to help explain the dispersal of small-seeded grains by humans showing that animal dispersal would have created abundant patches of the plants and as humans foraged through these areas, the plants evolved to better fit human dispersal and farming. 

Many researchers debate why early humans preferred small-seeded grains and domesticated these plants first, and this study, published in the journal Nature Plants, helps shed light on the mystery.

 “Currently, we’re studying the ecology of fields where modern herd animals graze as proxies to what the ecology would have looked like during the last Ice Age, when large herds of bison, mammoths, and wooly horses dictated what kinds of plants could grow across the American Midwest and Europe,” said Robert Spengler, the first author of the study. “We hope these observations will provide even greater insight into the process of domestication all over the world.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Robert Spengler

Ancient megafauna helped drive plant dispersal prior to domestication

Ancient megafauna helped drive plant dispersal prior to domestication. As...

A tiny earthquake island off the coast of Pakistan has finally, after six years, disappeared under the sea. 

The island was formed during the Balochistan earthquake series. On September 24, 2013, a 7.7-magnitude quake rocked southwestern Pakistan, killing at least 825 people in the sparsely populated region. The mainshock was felt throughout the region and as far away as Delhi, India and Muscat, Oman.

One of the effects was to raise the earthquake island – called Zalzala Jazeera or Zalzala Koh – in the northern Indian Ocean. The little island became a popular tourist draw, even though it was known to spew toxic and flammable gas from cracks in its surface. 

“The island is really just a big pile of mud from the seafloor that got pushed up,” Dr. Bill Barnhart of the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> told the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html">Daily Mail</a> in 2013.

Zalzala Jazeera was not the first earthquake island to form in the area. Others appeared in 1945, 1999, 2001 and 2010. That area of the Indian Ocean is also known for its underwater mud volcanoes, which are common in subducting plate boundaries.

But the little islands tend to reach the surface only when there is a massive quake like the 7.7-magnitude disaster in 2013. 

“This area of the world seems to see so many of these features because the geology is correct for their formation. You need a shallow, buried layer of pressurized gas – methane, carbon dioxide, or something else – and fluids,” Barnhart said in 2013. “When that layer becomes disturbed by seismic waves (like an earthquake), the gases and fluids become buoyant and rush to the surface, bringing the rock and mud with them.”

Massive earthquakes often bring changes to the landscape. A 7.8-magnitude quake near Kaikoura, New Zealand in November 2016 <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/new-zealand-earthquake-exposes-land-kaikoura/">raised the seabed floor</a> to create new coastal land and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/kaikoura-earthquake-islands-closer/">pulled some islands closer together</a>. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/how-much-did-the-earth-move-during-nepal-gorkha-earthquake/">2015 Gorkha earthquake in Nepal</a> actually changed the shape of the Earth’s crust in that region.

In this case, however, the new island was only temporary. Ocean waves have been eroding 2013 earthquake island since its formation, and it’s now entirely submerged, though it can still be seen below the water’s surface.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: <a href="http://www.nasa.gov">NASA</a>

Earthquake island in Indian Ocean finally engulfed by sea

A tiny earthquake island off the coast of Pakistan has...

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"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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



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

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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

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

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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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