For decades, space engineers have imagined shipping steel, glass, and concrete to other worlds so that future explorers can build homes on Mars and even further from Earth.



A new study led by Robin Wordsworth at <a href="https://seas.harvard.edu/">Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences</a> turns that idea on its head. Rather than launching heavy construction kits, the team shows that habitats can, quite literally, grow themselves.



“If you have a habitat that is composed of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/nature-inspired-solutions-new-bioplastic-dissolves-rapidly-in-water/">bioplastic</a>, and it grows algae within it, that algae could produce more bioplastic,” Wordsworth said. “So you start to have a closed-loop system that can sustain itself and even grow through time.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turning-algae-into-architecture"><a></a>Turning algae into architecture</h2>



At the heart of the concept is Dunaliella tertiolecta, a type of hardy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-algae-in-lake-erie-may-be-hiding-toxic-deadly-compounds/">green algae</a> already used on Earth for aquaculture and biofuel research.



The researchers conducted a series of lab tests where they 3-D printed dome-shaped chambers using polylactic acid (PLA), a common bioplastic fermented from plant sugars.



The walls were only a millimeter thick, but strong enough to hold liquid water even when the outside pressure fell to Mars-like levels of about 600 pascals - more than a hundred times lower than on Earth.



Inside these tiny “greenhouses,” the algae were bathed in carbon-dioxide-rich air, fed with artificial sunlight, and left to do what algae do best: photosynthesize, grow, and multiply.



After ten days, cell counts in low-pressure chambers nearly matched those in cultures grown at normal Earth pressure. This confirmed that life could flourish despite the thin atmosphere.



Light management was another hurdle. Mars receives plenty of visible sunlight, but its surface is bombarded by harmful ultraviolet rays. 



Tests showed that a single millimeter of PLA blocks all UV-C radiation and much of UV-A and UV-B while still letting through the red and blue wavelengths that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/revealing-the-secrets-of-photosynthesis-through-pep/">photosynthesis</a> requires. In short, the plastic skin both protects and nourishes its green tenants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-self-growing-habitats-on-mars">Self-growing habitats on Mars</h2>



If the algae thrive, the cycle becomes self-amplifying. Researchers can convert extra biomass into fresh PLA, then print or mold it into new habitat walls.



A simple mass-balance analysis in the study suggests that with realistic conversion efficiencies, a foot-deep algae cultivation pond beneath each habitat could produce more than enough bioplastic to meet repair needs. 



This includes material to address routine weathering. Surplus production could even allow the living area to double every couple of years.



In theory, a single lander packed with starter cultures, nutrients, and a modest 3-D printer might seed an entire settlement that grows like coral over time. Operating at low pressure, the domes place far less stress on their walls than habitats built for full Earth pressure.



The team calculated that a one-millimeter PLA shell can comfortably withstand the loads. Reinforcement could come from additional biological materials, such as bacterial cellulose aerogels, which also provide insulation and help maintain plant-friendly temperatures between 10-30 °C (50-86 °F).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-algae-domes-for-deep-space">Algae domes for deep space</h2>



Although the experiments targeted Mars, similar biomaterial bubbles could help researchers design life-support systems for the Moon, free-floating space stations, or even harsh environments on Earth.



Wordsworth notes that a later phase of the project will test whether the same strategy can function in a complete vacuum. This is essential for lunar use and will test whether the algae-PLA loop can run without outside resources after kickoff.



“The concept of biomaterial habitats is fundamentally interesting and can support humans living in space,” he said. The progress in off-world <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-urgent-plea-sustainable-climate-solutions-save-earth-humanity/">sustainability</a> almost invariably “has spinoff benefits for sustainability technology here on Earth as well.”



One immediate benefit is the potential use of the domes as low-energy bioreactors. Unlike conventional indoor farms that rely on electric lamps, algae inside translucent shells harvest natural sunlight. That eliminates a major power drain - a critical advantage on distant worlds where every watt matters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-surviving-mars-extremes">Surviving Mars’ extremes</h2>



Of course, challenges remain. Mars swings through dramatic temperature cycles, and liquid water will freeze solid without extra heating or insulation. 



Perchlorate salts in Martian dust are toxic to many organisms, so engineers will need robust filtration or genetically tuned microbes.



Gas exchange will also need to be balanced. PLA walls allow carbon dioxide to seep in and oxygen to seep out, but water vapor escapes the same way, risking desiccation unless clever humidity controls are included.



Shielding human occupants from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-space-cosmic-rays-from-supernova-sparked-rapid-earth-evolution/">cosmic radiation</a> also demands thicker or layered shells, perhaps combining PLA with locally mined regolith.



Finally, the team is keen to move from flask-scale proofs to pilot-scale structures that people can walk into. The future domes could pair the algae chambers with silica-aerogel skylights. This technology, developed by Wordsworth’s group, captures sunlight while trapping heat to create temperate oases on an otherwise frigid plain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bioplastic-homes-grown-by-algae">Bioplastic homes grown by algae</h2>



The broader message of the study is that biology can be both passenger and partner in humanity’s push beyond Earth.



If algae build walls and microbes recycle plastic, habitats could grow and repair themselves instead of being shipped from Earth. Instead, they become living, self-healing ecosystems.



That vision aligns with <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>’s growing interest in in-situ resource utilization and with wider efforts to craft sustainable, circular economies at home.



In other words, the green slime that clings to your fish tank might one day help roof the first Martian village - and teach us a few lessons about building lighter, cleaner, and smarter back on the pale blue dot.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adp4985">Science Advances</a>.



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Bioplastic bubbles made with algae could sustain life on Mars

For decades, space engineers have imagined shipping steel, glass, and concrete to other worlds so that future explorers can build homes on Mars and even further from Earth. A new study led by Robin Wordsworth at Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences turns that idea on its head. Rather than launching heavy construction kits, the team shows that habitats can, quite literally, grow themselves. “If you have a habitat that is composed of bioplastic, and it grows algae within it, that algae could produce more bioplastic,”...

Five years ago, countries and corporations got together to set huge goals on limiting deforestation. But months away from their first deadline, their promises on forest protection have fallen apart. 

In 2014, more than 190 world governments, major businesses and other groups gathered to endorse the <a href="https://nydfglobalplatform.org/">New York Declaration on Forests</a>. Their stated goals were to halve deforestation by 2020, and end it entirely by 2030.

With 2020 less than four months away, that first goal for forest protection has failed miserably. Deforestation hasn’t been cut by half or at all. In fact, it’s increased worldwide by more than 40% since 2014, according to a new <a href="https://forestdeclaration.org/">five-year assessment</a> by an international group of researchers.

With that drastic spike in deforestation, the goal to halve by the end of 2020 is likely impossible to meet, the <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a> reports.

“It’s wake-up call. The situation now is more dire than five years ago,” Dr. Stephanie Roe of the <a href="https://www.virginia.edu/">University of Virginia</a> told the science and tech magazine.

That’s especially true as devastating wildfires burn vast sections of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellites-monitor-amazon-fires/">Amazon rainforest</a> in Brazil – a country that did not sign on to the Declaration on Forests. News media have reported that many of the Amazon fires were likely set intentionally by ranchers and mining companies seeking to clear parts of the forest.

Brazil and parts of Africa have seen the worst failures when it comes to forest protection, as commercial agricultural industries seek to expand. Many groups in the Congo basin, for example, are seeking economic expansion at the expense of tree cover.

“There is pressure to allow expansion of palm oil, cocoa and other commercial land uses,” said Dr. Constance McDermott at the <a href="http://www.ox.ac.uk/">University of Oxford</a>.

But the biggest problem, scientists said, is that there has been no widespread adoption of the Declaration on Forests. Only 8% of the world’s top companies have committed to forest protection across their supply chains, for example, the report found.

“It’s still more lucrative to clear forests than protect them,” Roe told New Scientist.

While the 2020 goal is out of reach, the 2030 goal of ending deforestation can still be met, the researchers said. But it will take a lot of work, both in finding alternatives to deforestation and in restoring forests.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Paid for by Earth.com.

Countries and businesses are missing the target on forest protection

Five years ago, countries and corporations got together to set...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rice-farming-environmental-impact/">way food is harvested</a>, how goods are manufactured, and where goods and food end up all have calculable environmental impacts, but tallying up the carbon footprint of a supply chain on a global scale is more than a challenge. 

For example, toilet paper purchased in one region of the United States may have started its journey along the supply chain with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/americas-toilet-paper-destroying-forests/">logging in Canada</a>.

Researchers have combined satellite data with artificial intelligence to analyze the environmental impacts of a global supply chain for the first time, according to a report from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/Tracing_the_environmental_impacts_of_supply_chains">European Space Agency </a>(ESA). 

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.wu.ac.at/en/">Vienna University of Economics and Business</a> developed a new way to evaluate global supply chain impacts as part of the <a href="https://www.wu.ac.at/ecolecon/research/global-resource-use/fineprint">ERC FINEPRINT project</a>. 

With FINEPRINT, images from the Copernicus Sentinel-2 and US Landsat satellites are used to map food production or mineral extraction sites and show the rippling environmental impacts. 

Researchers can take the satellite data and track the distribution of crops like soybeans and sugarcane. 

Machine learning is then used to map out changes in land use over time in these areas, and trade models like the <a href="https://www.fineprint.global/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/fineprint_brief_no_3.pdf">Food and Agriculture Biomass Input-Output Model</a> can track distribution from  production to consumption.  

“While remote sensing has been widely used to analyse a wide range of ecosystem changes such as deforestation, satellite data has rarely been connected to the underlying economic production, trade and consumption patterns that drive these changes,” said Victor Maus from the Vienna University of Economics and Business during a speech at <a href="https://www.esa.int/Our_Activities/Observing_the_Earth/ESA_s_-week_2019_opens_with_a_flourish">ESA’s ɸ-week</a> (Phi-Week). 

Having a way to monitor and assess the environmental impact of food or goods from production to consumption can help inform policymakers and ideally create more sustainable supply chains. 

“There is a huge, hitherto untapped potential to combine Earth observation and economic data to support efforts by business and policy in making supply chains more sustainable,” said Maus,

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Travel mania

What are the environmental impacts of global supply chains?

The way food is harvested, how goods are manufactured, and...

Scientists have reconstructed the lost continent of Greater Adria. In a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/gondwana-research">Gondwana Research</a>, researchers have reconstructed the lost continent of Greater Adria in more detail than ever before. The ancient landmass broke off of the supercontinent Gondwana about 240 million years ago, but ultimately smashed into southern Europe, where it is now mostly submerged.

Gondwana was a southern supercontinent made up of major landmasses such as Africa, Antarctica, South America, and Australia. Greater Adria was also included in these large landmasses, extending from what we now know as the Alps all the way to modern-day Iran.

According to <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science Magazine</a>, the remains of Greater Adria are still visible in some areas, such as in limestone and other rocks in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/alps-lose-glacier-volume-2100/">Alps</a>. 

The size and shape of the original landmass have been difficult to reconstruct. For example, due to the continent's violent tectonic history, its remnants are distributed across more than 30 countries from Spain to Iran. 

[caption id="attachment_1877815" align="aligncenter" width="634"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lost-continent.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1877815" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/lost-continent.jpg" alt="" width="634" height="335" /></a> Image Credit: Douwe van Hinsbergen[/caption]

Study lead author Douwe van Hinsbergen is an expert in Global Tectonics and Paleogeography in the Department of Earth Sciences at Utrecht University. He explained that some of Greater Adria's land was underwater, which means that it was likely a string of islands or archipelagos.

For more than ten years, van Hinsbergen and his team collected and analyzed rocks from Greater Adria. The researchers examined the orientation of tiny magnetic minerals trapped within the rocks, which indicates where they formed hundreds of millions of years ago.

[caption id="attachment_1877816" align="aligncenter" width="632"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/greater-adria.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1877816" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/greater-adria.jpg" alt="" width="632" height="614" /></a> Image Credit: Douwe van Hinsbergen[/caption]

The team also pieced together large rocks that were once ripped apart by moving faults. Van Hinsbergen said it was like a big jigsaw puzzle. "All the bits and pieces are jumbled up and I spent the last 10 years making the puzzle again." 

The researchers used software to create detailed maps of the ancient continent and found that it moved northward while slightly twisting before colliding with Europe about 100 million years ago. 

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/gondwana-research">Gondwana Research</a>.

--

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: Shutterstock/NASA/Nostalgia for Infinity

Scientists have reconstructed the lost continent of Greater Adria

Scientists have reconstructed the lost continent of Greater Adria. In...

This Friday night and early into Saturday morning, a full harvest moon will light up the night sky. 

Known by many names including the Barley Moon, the Fruit Moon, the Corn Moon, the Mid-Autumn Festival Moon, and the Chuseok Moon, this month’s full moon corresponds with the autumnal equinox and the end of summer, according to the <a href="https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/news/1057/september-2019-the-next-full-moon-is-the-harvest-moon/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). </a>

The harvest moon marks the start of several autumn harvest festivals worldwide including Chuseok, which is celebrated North and South Korea, and the Mid-Autumn Festival celebrated in China, Vietnam, and several other Asian countries. 

Around 25 minutes after the sun sets, the harvest moon will rise and appear full in the sky early Saturday morning. Because the harvest moon rises earlier than other full moons, there’s more light in the evening and more light to harvest for farmers.

The moon will appear full in the sky through Sunday. 

During this time the moon is positioned at a shallow angle with the eastern horizon, according to the <a href="https://www.almanac.com/content/what-harvest-moon#">Farmers Almanac</a>. During the spring or vernal equinox, the angle is steeper, which is why the spring equinox marks the start of longer days and shorter nights. 

With fall, the harvest marks the start of longer nights and shorter days. 

This year’s harvest moon won’t pack its usual punch because the moon’s orbit is at a point farthest from the Earth, meaning that while it will still be a full moon, it will appear around 14 percent smaller than an average <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-worm-moon-tonight/">full moon</a>. 

Because the moon will seem smaller, it’s being called a “<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/micro-moon-friday-the-13th_n_5d766876e4b0752102307612">micromoon</a>.”<a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/entry/micro-moon-friday-the-13th_n_5d766876e4b0752102307612"> </a>

If you’re superstitious, Friday’s full moon falling on the notorious date of Friday the 13th could signal lousy luck and bad omens, but the event is actually incredibly rare, and lunar fans can count their lucky stars when they see it. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Beth Swanson

Rare harvest moon falls on Friday the 13th

This Friday night and early into Saturday morning, a full...

In a new report from <a href="https://ioppublishing.org/">IOP Publishing</a>, an international team of researchers has evaluated <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mongolia-air-pollution/">China's</a> success in reducing emissions from coal-fired power plants (CPPs). The experts looked at whether policies designed to cut emissions and protect public health have been effective and measured their benefits.

"Between 2005 and 2015, the coal-fired power generation of CPPs in China grew by more than 97 percent. In 2010, CPPs' sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxide and fine particulate matter (PM2.5) emissions accounted for 33 percent, 33 percent and 6 percent of China's total national emissions, respectively," explained study lead author Dr. Qiang Zhang of Tsinghua University.

"The large amount of air pollutant emissions from CPPs causes fine particulate air pollution, which contributed 26 percent of the fine particulate nitrate and 22 percent of the fine particulate sulphate ambient concentration in 2012."

"To combat this, China introduced three primary policies for CPPs during 2005-2020. They aimed to improve efficiency energy by promoting large CPPs and decommissioning small plants during 2005-2020; brought in national emission cap requirements by installing of end-of-pipe control devices during 2005-2015; and introduced ultra-low emission standards between 2014-2020."

The team set out to measure the effect of these policies by developing two retrospective emission scenarios based on information from a high-resolution coal-fired power plant database for China.

The researchers also developed two emission scenarios to predict changes that may result from the implementation of ultra-low emission standards.

In addition, the experts used a regional air quality model and the integrated exposure-response model to investigate the air quality and health impacts associated with CPP emission changes from 2005 to 2020.

"Our results show that overall, China's efforts on emission reductions, air quality improvement and human health protection from CPPS between 2005-2020 were effective," said study co-author Dr. Fei Liu.

"We found that the upgrading of end-pipe control facilities could reduce PM2.5 exposures by 7.9 ug/m3 and avoid 111,900 premature deaths annually. Meanwhile, the early retirement of small and low-efficiency units could reduce PM2.5 exposures by 2.1 ug/m3 and avoid 31,400 annual premature deaths."

"This suggests similar measures could be taken in countries such as India, to enable the reduction of emissions alongside rapid economic development."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/1748-9326">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/chuyuss

China’s efforts to reduce coal plant emissions have been effective

In a new report from IOP Publishing, an international team...

More resources and collaboration urgently needed to adapt to climate change. Extreme weather events such as storms and floods are not only becoming more frequent as a result of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-heat-europe/">climate change</a>, but are also becoming more intense. For many experts and leaders, the immediate focus has shifted from preventing dangerous global warming to preparing for it.

Ban Ki-moon is the chair of the <a href="https://gca.org/global-commission-on-adaptation">Global Commission on Adaptation</a> and was the eighth Secretary General of the United Nations. In a feature for <a href="https://time.com/">Time Magazine</a>, Ki-moon emphasizes the urgent need for adaptation to climate change. 

"Hundreds of millions of people are living with the effects of global warming - some now irreversible. For those on the frontlines of climate change, developing coping mechanisms is a matter of survival. And yet the world is not paying enough attention to the need to adapt to a warming planet alongside our efforts to reduce our carbon emissions. We urgently need more resources, more collaboration and more political will to make adaptation a global priority," Ki-moon writes in Time.

He explains that well-executed adaptation methods also make the most sense economically.

"The Global Commission on Adaptation, which I co-founded about a year ago with Bill Gates and World Bank CEO Kristalina Georgieva, estimates that investing $1.8 trillion to improve climate resilience between now and 2030 in five critical areas - early-warning systems against cyclones and hurricanes, resilient infrastructure, better dryland agriculture, mangrove protection and water security - would yield up to $7.1 trillion in net benefits."

These findings are included in the organization's first report, which calls for changes that address underlying inequalities in society and involve more people in the decision-making process, particularly in those areas most affected by climate change. 

"Resourceful communities are already adapting to climate change with human ingenuity and solutions that range from green tech to biotech to high-tech. In 2017, Miami became the first city in the world to issue municipal bonds to finance climate adaptation at scale, and it could become a model for how governments finance investments in resilient infrastructure. Shanghai is greening districts with wetland areas, rooftop gardens, parks and permeable pavements to capture, slow down and filter stormwater. For about 20 years, Bangladesh has been investing in early-warning systems in the event of natural disasters; in building shelters; and in implementing evacuation drills," Ki-moon writes in Time.

"These are bright spots where adaptation has begun, but we need to do more of it, with more urgency and at scale. Let’s not compound our climate emergency with a failure of the imagination."

Most of the regions that are highly threatened by extreme weather and rising sea levels did the least to contribute to global warming, which makes adaptation even more imperative. 

"People everywhere are experiencing the devastating impacts of climate change. Those most impacted are the millions of smallholder farmers and their families in developing countries, who are struggling with poverty and hunger due to low crop yields caused by extreme changes in temperature and rainfall. With greater support for innovation, we can unlock new opportunities and spur change across the global ecosystem," said Bill Gates. More resources and collaboration urgently needed to adapt to climate change

"Adaptation is an urgent issue that needs support from governments and businesses to ensure those most at risk have the opportunity to thrive."

--

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/NASA/Sasa Kadrijevic

More resources and collaboration urgently needed to adapt to climate change

More resources and collaboration urgently needed to adapt to climate...

<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> has issued a warning that this Saturday, an <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/asteroids-surprise-near-miss/">asteroid</a> bigger than the Empire State Building will be passing close to the Earth at over 14,000 miles per hour. After recent close calls, space agencies meet to discuss asteroid defense

While this “close approach” estimated by NASA is about 3.3 million miles away, NASA policy dictates that any fast-moving space object within 4.65 million miles of Earth is to be considered “potentially hazardous.”

This asteroid has been creatively named Qw7, and is one of 878 asteroids currently at risk of hitting Earth in the next 100 years, according to the <a href="https://www.esa.int/ESA">European Space Agency</a> (ESA). 

The agency warns that an impact by even a small asteroid could result in “serious devastation,” which is why the ESA and several other groups have joined together to search for asteroids. 

These teams are also developing technology that could be used to deflect asteroids, and they will be meeting to discuss potential deflection tactics in Europe over the next few days.

The first meeting will take place in Rome, where experts will discuss NASA’s plans to crash its DART spacecraft into a 160-meter asteroid named Didymos-B. Experts will also meet in Munich to discuss asteroid 2006 QV89, which had already whizzed by Earth on September 9th.

ESA also plans to host an emergency response workshop in Germany alongside civil protection agencies from six countries, as well as the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs. 

The agency adds, “These three meetings illustrate the breadth of activity currently taking place across the globe to mitigate the risk of an asteroid impact, to ensure early warnings of such a threat, and to prepare on Earth in the unlikely event of a strike – planetary defense is heating up!”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/muratart

After recent close calls, space agencies meet to discuss asteroid defense

NASA has issued a warning that this Saturday, an asteroid...

Trump administration announces official repeal of the clean water rule. In yet another controversial move, the Trump administration has finalized the reversal of an <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/clean-water-protections-trump/">Obama-era rule</a> that was designed to protect the nation's waterways from pollution. President Trump made it clear before he was even elected that he wanted to overhaul the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, calling it "one of the worst examples of federal regulation."  

The deregulatory action represents the biggest rollback of Clean Water Act protections since the law was passed in 1972, removing federal safeguards for tens of thousands of miles of streams and millions of acres of wetlands.

Critics of the WOTUS rule said that it placed too many restrictions on farmers, land owners, and developers, and gave the government too much power over what people were allowed to do on their private properties. For example, farmers using land near streams and wetlands were restricted from planting certain crops and needed special permits to use chemical pesticides and fertilizers.

According to EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler, the new approach will make it simple for farmers to determine which water bodies on their property are subject to federal regulation without paying thousands of dollars for engineers and legal consultants.

"Today's final rule puts an end to an egregious power grab, eliminates an ongoing patchwork of clean water regulations and restores a longstanding and familiar regulatory framework while we consider public comments on our proposed revised definition of waters of the U.S.," said Wheeler.

However, not everyone agrees with the logic behind the repeal, which will take effect in just a few weeks. The replacement rule is still in the works, but some environmentalists are already prepared to seek legal action. 

"The clean water rule represented solid science and smart public policy. Where it has been enforced, it has protected important waterways and wetlands, providing certainty to all stakeholders," said Jon Devine, who is the director of federal water policy at the <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/">Natural Resources Defense Council</a>.

"The Trump administration's wild-eyed attempts to reward polluters, however, knows no bounds, so it is repealing these important protections without regard for the law or sound science."

Betsy Southerland is the former director of Science and Technology in the EPA’s Office of Water.

"This will mean that miners can do mountaintop removal and fill in streams, pipelines can cut across wetlands, land developers can build on wetlands without a permit,” Southerland told <a href="https://www.nbc.com/">NBC</a>. “What they are doing with this repeal, is leaving it to the states to handle it. I can tell you that there are very few states that have permitting and enforcement programs to do this. They have always depended on EPA.”

"The cumulative effect of all these wetlands being lost and all these headwater streams being destroyed is going to have an enormous negative impact on all the waters we use for drinking and recreation."

"Wetlands are big flood control functions and filter pollutants out before they get to streams that we drink from. All of that will be lost if we no longer have these protections, and once you lose them you can’t get them back.”

--

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/Sanimfocus

Trump administration announces official repeal of the clean water rule

Trump administration announces official repeal of the clean water rule....

Ten percent of Earth has warmed by more than two degrees, WaPo analysis shows. Hot spots are popping up around the globe, and researchers have identified pockets where temperatures have <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-two-degrees-warming/">crossed a dangerous threshold</a> in many regions.

An analysis conducted by the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/climate-environment/climate-change-world/">Washington Post</a> found that in the past five years, roughly ten percent of the Earth has warmed by more than two degrees Celsius and nearly twice as many areas have warmed by 1.5 degrees. 

Four global temperature data sets, dating back to the 1800s up until the present, were reviewed and analyzed by the Washington Post. 

The analysis found that the Arctic is not the only fast-warming region on Earth and parts of Europe, northern Asia, and the Middle East have experienced a warming of two degrees Celsius. 

The Washington Post defines a hot spot as an area where accelerating temperatures have reached a critical point, and geophysical processes intensify warming. 

Rising sea levels from shrinking sea ice and glaciers in the Poles are one of the biggest projected impacts of accelerated warming, but we are already witnessing the fallout from rising temperatures in many regions around the world. 

Wildfires, mass coral bleaching, record-breaking heat waves, severe hurricanes, and weather extremes have all been linked to human-driven climate change. 

The Washington Post analysis focused on the Brazil current, which has experienced rapid warming in recent years. The warming of key ocean currents is leading to the expansion of the tropics and heating up the oceans. 

For example, the Agulhas Current in the southwest Indian Ocean has warmed above 1.5 degrees Celsius in many areas, and as warm water spirals off from the current it mixes with the South Atlantic Ocean. 

In Uruguay, clams are dying en masse, strewn across beaches due to an ocean hot spot linked to the Brazil Current, according to the Washington Post. 

Unfortunately, the warm waters aren’t just impacting clams. Fish are dying off, algae blooms are getting more severe, and tropical species are spreading into fisheries.  

Can life on Earth catch up with the rising temperatures and adapt to the changing climates? 

“We’re really playing catch-up,” said Boris Worm, from <a href="https://www.dal.ca/">Dalhousie University</a> in Canada, told the Washington Post.“Everything we base our civilization on is based on the accumulated experience from the last 7,000 years, about how the world works, and how we can survive in this world that had an exceptionally stable climate. And we’re shifting away from that equilibrium at breakneck speed now. We’re living in a no-analog world that none of us has any experience with.”

--

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/Lane V. Erickson

Ten percent of Earth has warmed by more than two degrees, WaPo analysis shows

Ten percent of Earth has warmed by more than two...

In a new study from <a href="https://aru.ac.uk/">Anglia Ruskin University</a>, researchers have demonstrated that soil <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastics-human-food-chain/">microplastics</a> adversely affect earthworms by stunting their growth and potentially causing them to lose weight. Because of their contribution to soil structure and nutrient availability, earthworms play a crucial role in the soil ecosystem. 

"Earthworms can be called 'ecosystem engineers' as they help maintain a healthy soil. They do this through ingesting dead organic matter, therefore contributing to the availability of nutrients," explained study co-author Connor Russell.

"Their burrowing activity improves soil structure, helping with drainage and preventing erosion. It's therefore highly likely that any pollution that impacts the health of soil fauna, such as earthworms, may have cascading effects on other aspects of the soil ecosystem, such as plant growth."

The study was focused on endogeic worms, which live in the upper layers of soil. The team investigated the impact of biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and microplastic clothing fibers (acrylic and nylon) on earthworms.

High-density polyethylene is commonly used in the production of plastic bottles and carrier bags. After 30 days of exposure to HDPE, rosy-tipped earthworms had lost an average of 3.1 percent of their weight. By comparison, a group of earthworms living in control conditions without the presence of microplastics had weight increases of 5.1 percent in the same time frame.

High-density polyethylene was also found to decrease the soil pH, which is a measure of the acidity and alkalinity in soil.

When the team planted ryegrass across the affected and unaffected soil, dirt containing the biodegradable plastic PLA was much less productive and the shoot height of the grass was significantly reduced. At the same time, microplastic clothing fibers led to fewer ryegrass seeds germinating.

"The earthworms lost weight overall when certain microplastics were present and grew significantly in weight in soil without added microplastics. However, the specific reasons for this weight loss needs unravelling," said study lead author Dr. Bas Boots.

"It may be that the response mechanisms to microplastics may be comparable in earthworms to that of the aquatic lugworms, which have been previously studied. These effects include the obstruction and irritation of the digestive tract, limiting the absorption of nutrients and reducing growth."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock/photographyfirm

Microplastics are negatively affecting the ‘engineers’ of soil ecosystems

In a new study from Anglia Ruskin University, researchers have...

Earth may have already experienced an additional extinction event. Scientists have warned that Earth is in the midst of a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/warning-imminent-mass-extinction/">sixth mass extinction</a> due to plummeting animal and plant populations as human activities continue to ramp up climate change. 

However, researchers may need to rethink their count of extinction events. 

A potential sixth mass extinction event that occurred before the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs has been identified in a new study published in the journal<a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/08912963.2019.1658096"> Historical Biology</a>.

In Earth’s history, there have been <a href="https://theconversation.com/five-mass-extinctions-and-what-we-can-learn-from-them-about-the-planet-today-79971">five mass die-offs or extinction events</a>, and these events correlate with the end of geological periods. The first was the Late Ordovician which took place around 445 million years ago when global cooling wiped out a large majority of species. 

The second mass extinction, the Late Devonian, started around 380 million years and was characterized by “pulses” of extinctions spread over twenty million years. Nearly 70 to 80 percent of all animal species were wiped out during that time. 

The Middle Permian event occurred 252 million years ago, and more than 8o percent of all life on Earth went extinct. 

After the Middle Permian came the Triassic extinction event 201 million years ago, followed lastly by the Cretaceous extinction event which killed off the dinosaurs. 

This puts the total number of extinction events to five. 

But now, researchers from <a href="https://www.nyu.edu/">New York University</a> and<a href="https://www.nju.edu.cn/en/"> Nanjing University</a> in China argue that there was a sixth mass extinction 260 million years ago. 

The event, called the end-Guadalopian extinction, coincided with the Emeishan flood-basalt eruption which produced a major rock formation in southern China known as the Emeishan Traps. 

During the Guadalupian or Middle Permian period (272 to 260 million years ago), the Emeishan flood-basalt eruption released large amounts of greenhouse gasses which warmed up the planet. 

“Massive eruptions such as this one release large amounts of greenhouse gases, specifically carbon dioxide and methane, that cause severe global warming, with warm, oxygen-poor oceans that are not conducive to marine life,” said Michael Rampino, a co-author of the study. 

Looking at past events like the end-Guadalopian extinction which is characterized by global warming due to increases in atmospheric CO2 can help researchers predict future climate outcomes and understand what triggered past events. 

“It is crucial that we know the number of severe mass extinctions and their timing in order to investigate their causes,” Rampino, “Notably, all six major mass extinctions are correlated with devastating environmental upheavals--specifically, massive flood-basalt eruptions, each covering more than a million square kilometers with thick lava flows.”

--

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/xtock

Earth may have already experienced an additional extinction event

Earth may have already experienced an additional extinction event. Scientists...

Mercury and other high concentrations of pollutants were discovered in the skin and blubber of bottlenose dolphins that live in the English Channel. 

The levels of pollutants are some of the highest ever found in bottlenose dolphins in Europe, according to a new study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-019-48485-7">Scientific Reports.</a>

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uliege.be/">University of Liège</a> in Belgium measured levels of organic pollutants and mercury in the blubber and skin 82 bottlenose dolphins that inhabit the Normanno-Breton Gulf in the English Channel. 

In the blubber, the researchers found high concentrations of pollutants from industrial fluids containing chlorine and the pollutants were found in 91 percent of males and 92 percent of females. 

High concentrations of mercy in the skin of the dolphins matched mercury levels found in bottlenose dolphins in the Florida Everglades and the Mediterranean Sea.

Even though chlorine-containing pollutants were banned from many countries in the 1970s and 80s, marine biologists are still finding levels of harmful organic pollutants in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-white-sharks-mercury-arsenic/">marine life. </a>

When industrial waste and fertilizer runoff filter into the ocean, the organic pollutants carried with them can dissolve in the fat and oils of marine species like dolphins. 

This is why bottlenose dolphins serve as an excellent model for studying pollution because of the build-up of mercury and chlorine in the fatty tissues. 

Due to the high levels of mercury and pollutants discovered in the dolphins in the English Channel, the researchers recommend that Normanno-Breton Gulf become a conservation area to ensure that Europe’s largest population of coastal bottlenose dolphins is protected.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Hannah Stanbury

High levels of mercury and pollutants found in English Channel dolphins

Mercury and other high concentrations of pollutants were discovered in...

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 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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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