It is no secret that some lifestyles demand more resources than others. But recent climate findings highlight how individuals with vast wealth have exerted a larger influence on global warming and temperature shifts than previously realized.



In a 2025 <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02325-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">analysis</a>, the world’s wealthiest 10% are reported to have caused two-thirds of observed global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/astonishing-global-heat-in-january-2025-defied-climate-expectations/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warming</a> since 1990. 



This work was led by lead author Sarah Schöngart, an alumna of the 2024 Young Scientists Summer Program, who is currently associated with <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a>, and published by the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (<a href="https://iiasa.ac.at" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IIASA</a>).



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wealthy-emitters-drive-climate-warming">Wealthy emitters drive climate warming</h2>



Scientists indicate that the top 1% of high-income earners contributed 26 times the global average to monthly 1-in-100-year heat extremes worldwide, and 17 times more to intense drought <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-our-power-our-planet/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">events</a> in the Amazon region.&nbsp;



“We found that wealthy emitters play a major role in driving climate extremes, which provides strong support for climate policies that target the reduction of their emissions,” explained Schöngart at the end of her remarks.



Researchers also noticed that emissions from the richest 10% in major economies, such as the United States and China, caused a two- to threefold increase in dangerous heat conditions across vulnerable tropical areas. 



These hotspots include Southeast Asia, southern Africa, and other regions with limited resources to handle amplified environmental stress.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-consequences-for-vulnerable-regions">Consequences for vulnerable regions</h2>



“Addressing this imbalance is crucial for fair and effective climate action,” says coauthor <a href="https://iiasa.ac.at/staff/carl-schleussner" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Carl-Friedrich Schleussner</a>, who leads the Integrated Climate Impacts Research Group at IIASA. 



Communities in zones already prone to high temperatures and scarce rainfall are dealing with more frequent hazards linked to wealth-driven pollution.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg1/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Experts</a> have underscored how nations or groups with historically low <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-day-2025-innovation-takes-the-lead-in-environmental-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emissions</a> often face disproportionate impacts. Scientists note that these areas experience higher chances of weather disasters, yet have fewer means to respond or rebuild.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-finances-fuel-climate-warming">Finances fuel climate warming</h2>



Several analysts believe that climate discussions should not only focus on personal consumption but also on the massive financial investments of wealthy individuals. 



When these investments support high-emission ventures, the world sees greater rises in heat extremes and drought occurrences.



Groups like the <a href="https://www.unep.org/resources/emissions-gap-report-2021" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations Environment Programme</a> have called for policy measures that redirect funds to cleaner solutions. 



Advocates argue that this could help reduce future harm while encouraging fair contributions from top earners who have the greatest capacity to shift investments.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rebalancing-climate-responsibility">Rebalancing climate responsibility</h2>



Income-based emission studies raise questions about how to share the costs of adaptation and recovery. 



Observers suggest that policies aimed at rebalancing responsibility might also improve public acceptance of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-impacting-earths-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> strategies, since people often want to see genuine efforts toward equity in carbon reduction.



“If everyone had emitted like the bottom 50% of the global population, the world would have seen minimal additional warming since 1990,” says Schleussner. 



This observation hints that tailored policies targeting disproportionate emissions could produce meaningful changes.



Scientists stress that tackling climate threats involves more than quick technical fixes. 



Those with higher incomes often have greater capacity to choose low-carbon lifestyles or to fund transformational climate solutions, making their role especially crucial in reducing warming trends.



Researchers emphasize that individuals in affluent groups have a unique chance to spark large-scale shifts. 



That could entail demanding cleaner supply chains, backing renewable energy, or encouraging sustainable investment portfolios, all of which can shape future climate outcomes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-warming-inequality">Global warming inequality</h2>



The study estimates that the top 10% of earners contributed 6.5 times more to global warming than the average person, while the top 1% contributed 20 times more. 



For the top 0.1%, the figure skyrockets to 76 times the global average - an eye-opening statistic that illustrates how a small share of the population has driven a large share of climate disruption.



If everyone had emitted like the top 10%, global temperatures would have risen nearly 3°F (1.6°C) more since 1990. But if everyone had lived like the bottom 50%, there would have been almost no additional warming at all. 



That contrast highlights how the burden of global warming cannot be pinned on “humanity” in general - it’s coming from a concentrated source.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-happens-next">What happens next?</h2>



Climate experts believe that ongoing conversations about carbon taxes and financial regulations might incorporate these findings for more equitable action. 



Some advocate for measures that hold top emitters accountable and support the communities that are most affected by intensifying weather events.



Others propose progressive policy instruments that reflect actual emissions contributions. 



Policymakers are increasingly exploring how to ensure elite pollution is addressed, while resources for adaptation and recovery become more accessible in low-income nations.



The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41558-025-02325-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Climate Change</a>.



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Wealthy elite responsible for vast majority of global climate warming

It is no secret that some lifestyles demand more resources than others. But recent climate findings highlight how individuals with vast wealth have exerted a larger influence on global warming and temperature shifts than previously realized. In a 2025 analysis, the world’s wealthiest 10% are reported to have caused two-thirds of observed global warming since 1990. This work was led by lead author Sarah Schöngart, an alumna of the 2024 Young Scientists Summer Program, who is currently associated with ETH Zurich, and published by the International Institute...

Beautiful yet toxic: ‘Blue tears’ blooms in China’s seas are growing. The glowing bright blue waters that draw tourists from all over to the coast of the East China Sea may seem like a perfect example of bioluminescence at its best. However, the twinkling waves are harboring a toxic secret. 

The glowing waters around the East China Sea are caused by blooms of plankton called red Noctiluca scintillans, and satellite imagery shows that the blooms are spreading farther and wider than in previous years. 

Nicknamed “blue tears” or “sea sparkles,” blooms of red Noctiluca scintillans are a huge draw for tourists, but these blooms could be causing irreparable damage to the coastal marine and river ecosystems where they flourish. 

Like algal blooms, when nutrient levels are high enough to support expansive blooms, it can choke out other marine life by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/algae-blooms-baltic-sea/">lowering oxygen levels</a> in the water. 

In the first-ever satellite study of the plankton, researchers in China analyzed almost 1,000 images taken by the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/station/main/index.html">International Space Station</a> and the<a href="https://www.nasa.gov/"> National Aeronautic and Space Administration’s </a>Terra and Aqua satellites going back nearly 20 years. 

The researchers found that the blooms, which are easily visible from space due to the way the plankton absorb and scatter blue light, appeared between April and August over the past 18 years. 

Not only did the researchers recognize a pattern in the blooms, but the satellite images also showed that in recent years the plankton spread further and further from the shore.

[caption id="attachment_1873989" align="aligncenter" width="634"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Sheng-Fang-Tsai-National-Taiwan-Ocean-University.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-1873989" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Sheng-Fang-Tsai-National-Taiwan-Ocean-University.jpg" alt="" width="634" height="399" /></a> Image Credit: Sheng-Fang Tsai, National Taiwan Ocean University[/caption]

The blooms were observed in warmer waters than normal, and the researchers say that they are growing. 

As far as what could be causing the blooms to spread, the researchers say that fertilizer runoff and the Three Gorges Dam which generates massive amounts of energy could be feeding the blooms and encouraging the plankton to spread beyond their usual range. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Yu-Xian Yang, Lienchiang county government, Taiwan

Beautiful yet toxic: ‘Blue tears’ blooms in China’s seas are growing

Beautiful yet toxic: ‘Blue tears’ blooms in China’s seas are...

The climate of West Antarctica is greatly influenced by the tropical Pacific. According to a new study from <a href="https://www.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University</a>, warming waters in the western tropical Pacific Ocean have caused a substantial increase in rainfall and  thunderstorms. This activity has the potential to disrupt the stability of the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/volcano-west-antarctic-ice-sheet/">West Antarctic Ice Sheet</a> (WAIS) and add to global sea-level rise.

The WAIS, a huge ice sheet that rests on land, has been melting and contributing to global sea-level rise since the mid-1990s. In the decades that have followed, the rate of ice retreat has accelerated. Warm ocean water carried in by the wind melts the WAIS from underneath, while warm air melts its surface. The climate of West Antarctica is greatly influenced by the tropical Pacific

The Rutgers researchers found that the South Pacific Convergence Zone in the western tropical Pacific has a major influence on weather variability across West Antarctica.

"With so much at stake - in coastal communities around the globe, including in New Jersey - it is very important to understand the drivers of weather variability in West Antarctica," said study lead author Kyle Clem. 

"Knowing how all regions of the tropics influence West Antarctica, both independently and collectively, will help us understand past climate variability there and perhaps help us predict the future state of the ice sheet and its potential contribution to global sea-level rise."

Climate model simulations revealed that warming in the western tropical Pacific has triggered more frequent thunderstorms and rainfall activity in the South Pacific Convergence Zone. 

An increase of rainfall in this zone generates cold southerly winds over the Antarctic Peninsula and warm northerly winds over the Ross Ice Shelf, which is consistent with the recent cooling and warming that has been observed. 

The findings suggest that, even though West Antarctic is isolated from most of the planet, its climate is greatly affected by the conditions in the tropics. The research may help to inform future studies of the past West Antarctic climate that is recorded in ice cores.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: NASA/Jeremy Harbeck

The climate of West Antarctica is greatly influenced by the tropical Pacific

The climate of West Antarctica is greatly influenced by the...

A disturbing new report has revealed that you could be unknowingly eating 5 grams of plastic each week, which is the equivalent of a credit card.

The biggest culprits are tap and bottled water, according to the No Plastic in Nature: Assessing Plastic Ingestion from Nature to People report. But plastic was also found in shellfish, beer, and even salt. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.newcastle.edu.au/">University of Newcastle</a> conducted the report after the <a href="https://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund (WWF)</a> commissioned the project. 

Data from 52 peer-reviewed studies were reviewed and analyzed for the report which found for the first time that people eat around 250 grams (about half a pound) of tiny plastic pieces each year. 

It’s well known that microplastics are invading our world’s marine habitats, but the results of this study show that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-health-threats/">plastic pollution</a> is also spreading to our own food web. 

“These findings must serve as a wake-up call to governments. Not only are plastics polluting our oceans and waterways and killing marine life - it’s in all of us, and we can’t escape consuming plastics. Global action is urgent and essential to tackling this crisis,” said Marco Lambertini, WWF International Director General. 

The researchers found that tap and bottled water were the largest sources for plastic ingestion worldwide, but the report highlights regional plastic patterns that impact how much plastic people are exposed to in different areas. 

There was twice as much plastic discovered in drinking water in the US than drinking water in Indonesia or Europe. 

The sheer prevalence and abundance of plastic pollution leaked into food and water proves that this is a global problem and can not be overlooked. 

“If we don’t want plastic in our bodies, we need to stop the millions of tons of plastic that continue leaking into nature every year,” said Lambertini. “In order to tackle the plastic crisis, we need urgent action at government, business, and consumer levels, and a global treaty with global targets to address plastic pollution.” 

So far the WWF has collected 500,000 signatures on a petition in favor of a global treaty to combat marine plastic pollution. Such a treaty would create national targets for reducing plastic pollution and improve waste management. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Tiffy Tipsy

You could be accidentally eating enough plastic each week to make a credit card

A disturbing new report has revealed that you could be...

In the process of searching for planets orbiting around distant stars using the Kepler Space Telescope, <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> scientists observed stars releasing the occasional burst of energy known as a “flare” – but some of the flares they observed were thousands of times more intense than normal. Scientists now call these events “superflares,” and it’s still not exactly clear how they occur. But the more pressing issue was for researchers to determine whether or not our sun was capable of emitting a superflare.

A normal solar flare looks like an intense flash of light – often combined with the release of plasma – coming from the surface of the star. Our <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plasma-rain-sun/">sun</a> has flares all the time, but a superflare has a resulting energy blast of radiation that would disrupt electronics across the planet were it to hit the Earth. This could cause widespread blackouts and short out the communications satellites in orbit. Obviously, this would be a major issue if it happened in our technology-driven era. 

“When our Sun was young, it was very active because it rotated very fast and probably generated more powerful flares,” says astronomer Yuta Notsu, a visiting researcher at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a>. “But we didn’t know if such large flares occur on the modern Sun with very low frequency.”

In order to investigate this question, Dr. Notsu and an international team of researchers analyzed superflares detected from 43 Sun-like stars by using data from the European Space Agency’s Gaia spacecraft and New Mexico’s Apache Point Observatory. Their study was published in <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/journal/0004-637X">The Astrophysical Journal</a> and found that, while younger stars produce the most superflares, older stars such as our Sun are able to produce superflares too.

“'Young stars have superflares once every week or so. For the Sun, it’s once every few thousand years on average,” explains Notsu. “If a superflare occurred 1,000 years ago, it was probably no big problem. Now, it’s a much bigger problem because of our electronics.”

Notsu also believes that there is “some possibility” that a superflare on our sun could occur in the next 100 years. And while researchers don’t know exactly when the next superflare will hit Earth, they are certain that one will eventually happen. Before this occurs, we would need to develop shielding that protects electronics on the ground and in orbit from these destructive bursts of high-energy radiation. Hopefully, this study will have given us enough time to begin this process before our Sun has another superflare.

--

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/Jurik Peter

Is a destructive solar superflare less than a century away?

In the process of searching for planets orbiting around distant...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> (WHOI) and <a href="https://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> are unraveling the mystery of how small amounts of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/increasing-soil-carbon-storage/">organic carbon</a> get stored in rock and sediments instead of decomposing.

According to study lead author Jordon Hemingway, knowing exactly how that process occurs could help explain why the mixture of gases in the atmosphere has remained stable for so long, 

In the atmosphere, carbon dioxide (CO2) is inorganic. However, after it is pulled out of the air by plants and algae, inorganic carbon is transformed into an "organic" form during photosynthesis. As plants decompose, this process is reversed and the CO2 is released back into the air.

Hemingway explained that one of the key reasons Earth has remained habitable is that this chemical cycle is slightly imbalanced. This is because a small percentage of organic carbon is not broken down by microbes and stays preserved underground for millions of years.

"If it were perfectly balanced, all the free oxygen in the atmosphere would be used up as quickly as it was created," said Hemingway. "In order to have oxygen left for us to breathe, some of the organic carbon has to be hidden away where it can't decompose."

Scientists have developed two theories that may explain why some carbon remains preserved. The "selective preservation" theory suggests that some molecules of organic carbon may be difficult for microorganisms to break down. The "mineral protection" hypothesis states that molecules of organic carbon may be forming strong chemical bonds with the minerals around them, keeping them safe from bacteria. 

"Historically, it's been hard to tease out which process is dominant. The tools we have for organic geochemistry haven't been sensitive enough," said Hemingway. 

For the current study, the team used a method called ramped pyrolysis oxidation (RPO) to test both theories using sediment samples from around the globe. 

"If organic molecules are being preserved because of selectivity - because microbes aren't able to break them down - we would expect to see a pretty narrow range of bond strength in the samples. Microbes would have decomposed the rest, leaving only a few stubborn types of organic carbon behind," explained Hemingway. "But we actually saw that the diversity of bond strengths grows rather than shrinks with time, indicating that a wide range of organic carbon types are being preserved. We think that means they're getting protection from minerals around them."

While the study provides strong evidence for one theory over the other, the researchers emphasized that the puzzle is still not completely solved.

"We were able to put our finger on the mechanism by which carbon is being preserved, but we don't provide information about other factors, like sensitivity to temperature in the environment, for instance," said study co-author Valier Galy. "There are a lot of other factors to consider. This paper is intended as a sort of waypoint to direct biogeochemists in their research."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Chris Linder

How is some organic carbon spared from decomposition and stored underground?

Researchers at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) and Harvard...

Atmospheric oxygen leads to the development of fingers over webbed digits. The presence of webbed fingers on an animal typically indicate that the species either lives in an aquatic environment, or gets around by gliding through the air, as these are where webbed fingers have an advantage. On land, free fingers allow us and many other species to grasp objects and move around easily. But how does the developing body decide whether its fingers should be webbed or free? 

New research published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/developmental-cell/home">Developmental Cell</a> has found that during embryo development, some animal species detect the presence of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/evolutionary-booms-oxygen-levels/">atmospheric oxygen</a>, which causes the removal of interdigital webbing.Atmospheric oxygen leads to the development of fingers over webbed digits

Amphibians and amniotes – which includes mammals, reptiles, and birds – can have webbed digits. Amniotes rely on interdigital cell death to form fingers, while amphibians have differential growth patterns between the digits and the areas between them, known as interdigital regions. The researchers found that removal of the interdigital membrane through cell death by amniotes depends on the production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). Embryos are only able to produce ROS when they are exposed to sufficient oxygen levels during their development.

Because high oxygen levels are able to cause cell death in frogs, the researchers believe that this mechanism is shared by both amphibians and amniotes. 

“But amphibians do not employ cell death to shape their interdigital regions; it is the difference in growth rate between the digital and interdigital regions that will determine their final proportions,” explains Mikiko Tanaka of the <a href="https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/">Tokyo Institute of Technology</a>. “We think that interdigital cell death appeared in amphibians only as a by-product of the high oxygen levels, a first step in this evolutionary process. This new step eventually was integrated to the limb development and became essential to shape the limbs of modern amniotes.”

The study led by Tanaka involved analyzing embryos from a number of species. When oxygen levels were changed for chicken embryos – an amniote with interdigital cell death – this directly affected the number of dying cells. When oxygen levels were increased for African clawed frog embryos, interdigital cell death was induced, which is out of the norm for this amphibian.

[caption id="attachment_1873848" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Interdigital-Cell-Death-in-Tetrapods-.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1873848" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Interdigital-Cell-Death-in-Tetrapods-.jpeg" alt="" width="650" height="231" /></a> How interdigital cell death and environmental oxygen are correlated in various tetrapods. Image Credit: Cordeiro et al. / Developmental Cell[/caption]

In an effort to expand their evolutionary perspective, the research team also studied cell death and ROS in the Japanese fire-bellied newt and the coqui frog. Similar to the African clawed frog, the Japanese fire-bellied newt had not interdigital cell death, but coqui frogs did have cell death in their interdigital regions. But one important distinction is that, unlike the other two amphibians, coqui frogs grow as terrestrial eggs and breathe oxygen from the air. “This way, we show both experimentally and comparatively that interdigital cell death is correlated with life history strategy and oxygen availability in tetrapods (four-legged vertebrates),” Tanaka says.

While these findings being related to ROS is interesting, particularly because ROS is usually considered a detriment in aging and fertility, Tanaka also explains that “while both amniotes and amphibians can have either free or webbed fingers, they are formed in different ways in these two groups. The new developmental mechanism acquired by amniotes – interdigital cell death – allowed for the evolution of a great variety of limb shapes, such as the lobed fingers of coots, and even removal of some fingers in horses and camels.”

For future research, the researchers want to figure out exactly which pathways are regulated by ROS during development. They also are looking to discover how cell death became a key part of the limb development of amniotes. Furthering our understanding of these processes could help us gain insight into how drugs that combat excessive ROS production (i.e. ethanol, phenytoin, and thalidomide) may cause development defects.

--

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/Paikong

Atmospheric oxygen leads to the development of fingers over webbed digits

Atmospheric oxygen leads to the development of fingers over webbed...

Scientists at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> are reporting that migratory hoverflies are critical for pollination and controlling crop pests as many other <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/insects-extinct-century/">insects</a> decline. 

The study has revealed that up to four billion hoverflies migrate to and from Britain each year, and that these numbers have remained largely stable over the last decade. 

Recent studies have found that more than 40 percent of insect species worldwide are threatened with extinction, which jeopardizes the important ecosystem services they provide like the pollination of crops.

"The number of migrating hoverflies coming and going over Britain was much higher than we had expected," said Dr. Karl Wotton. "They are widely considered to be the second most important pollinators, after bees."

"They are especially important pollinators of wildflowers, soft fruits and brassica crops, and their larvae prey on various species of aphids - which are the key crop pest in Europe. This dual role makes them uniquely beneficial to humans."

Migrating hoverflies, which have only a month-long life span, arrive in Britain in the spring and their descendants leave when the summer ends.

"We are net exporters of hoverflies," said Dr. Jason Chapman. "Each female can lay up to 400 eggs and, though many die as eggs or larvae, the departing population in autumn is larger than that arriving in spring."

"As well as their vital pollinating and aphid-eating roles, migrating hoverflies provide food for a range of predators, including birds."

The researchers studied the movements of hoverflies using radar data. They discovered that the hoverflies wait for favorable winds before migrating between Britain and mainland Europe.

"Migrating insects are generally bucking the trend of decline that we're seeing with many other insects," said Dr. Chapman. "Their mobility is probably a key part of this, as it allows them to move on to find the best habitats."

"Hoverflies are also generalists - the adults feed on many kinds of pollen and the larvae eat many aphid species. Considering that many beneficial insects are seriously declining, our results demonstrate that migrant hoverflies are key to maintaining essential ecosystem services."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Will Hawkes

Migrating hoverflies play an important role as other pollinators vanish

Scientists at the University of Exeter are reporting that migratory...

A study led by <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> has found that the risk of violent armed conflict within countries will increase as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a> intensifies. The researchers estimate that over the last century, climate has influenced up to 20 percent of armed conflict risk and that this percentage will increase dramatically.

By simulating a scenario with 4 degrees Celsius of warming, the experts found that the influence of climate on conflicts would increase by more than five times. In addition the climate impact would still double even if warming is limited to 2 degrees Celsius, according to the study. 

"Appreciating the role of climate change and its security impacts is important not only for understanding the social costs of our continuing heat-trapping emissions, but for prioritizing responses, which could include aid and cooperation," said lead author Katharine Mach.

The extreme weather and disasters associated with climate change can damage economies, lower farming and livestock production, and intensify inequality among social groups. When combined with other drivers of conflict, these factors may increase violence.

"Knowing whether environmental or climatic changes are important for explaining conflict has implications for what we can do to reduce the likelihood of future conflict, as well as for how to make well-informed decisions about how aggressively we should mitigate future climate change," said study co-author Marshall Burke.

While the researchers agree that climate has affected organized armed conflict in recent decades, they also emphasize that other factors have a much larger impact on conflict within countries. These factors include the strength of government, inequalities in societies, and a recent history of violent conflict.

As societies face unprecedented future climate conditions, the consequences will likely be different from historical climate disruptions.

"Historically, levels of armed conflict over time have been heavily influenced by shocks to, and changes in, international relations among states and in their domestic political systems," said study co-author Professor James Fearon. 

"It is quite likely that over this century, unprecedented climate change is going to have significant impacts on both, but it is extremely hard to anticipate whether the political changes related to climate change will have big effects on armed conflict in turn. So I think putting nontrivial weight on significant climate effects on conflict is reasonable."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</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: Pablo Tosco/Oxfam

As climate change intensifies, the risk of armed conflict will increase

A study led by Stanford University has found that the...

A team of international scientists were able to measure how “bad” ozone levels have increased since the Industrial Revolution by studying ancient oxygen molecules trapped in air bubbles within old layers of snow and ice. 

"We've been able to track how much ozone there was in the ancient atmosphere," said lead author Laurence Yeung, a geochemist from <a href="https://www.rice.edu/">Rice University</a>. "This hasn't been done before, and it's remarkable that we can do it at all."

The team combined their new data with state-of-the-art atmospheric chemistry models to determine that <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/drought-ozone-pollution-levels/">ozone levels</a> in the lower atmosphere, also known as the troposphere, have increased by about 40% since 1850.

"These results show that today's best models simulate ancient tropospheric ozone levels well," said Yeung. "That bolsters our confidence in their ability to predict how tropospheric ozone levels will change in the future."

"These measurements constrain the amount of warming caused by anthropogenic ozone," Yeung continued. 

He explained that the most recent estimate from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicted that ozone in the troposphere is contributing 0.4 watts/square meter of radiative forcing to Earth’s climate. However, the margin of error for that estimate was 50% (0.2 watts/square meter). 

"That's a really big error bar," Yeung said. "Having better preindustrial ozone estimates can significantly reduce those uncertainties. It's like guessing how heavy your suitcase is when there's a fee for bags over 50 pounds. With the old error bars, you'd be saying, 'I think my bag is between 20 and 60 pounds.' That's not good enough if you can't afford to pay the penalty.’”

The majority of the Earth’s ozone resides in the stratosphere, where it’s considered “good” ozone because it blocks most of the sun’s ultraviolet radiation, thus making Earth habitable. The rest of the ozone lies in the troposphere, closer to Earth’s surface, where it is labelled “bad” due to its harmful reactivity that affects plants, animals, and humans. When you think of tropospheric ozone, think smog in urban areas.

"The thing about ozone is that scientists have only been studying it in detail for a few decades," Yeung said. "We didn't know why ozone was so abundant in air pollution until the 1970s. That's when we started to recognize how air pollution was changing atmospheric chemistry. Cars were driving up ground-level ozone."

Pre-1970s, “starch-paper tests,” where paper changes color after reacting with ozone, were used to measure ozone. But these tests are incredibly unreliable because of the barrage of outlying factors that could have influenced the results.

“But [starch-paper tests] suggest, nevertheless, that ground-level ozone could have increased up to 300% over the past century,” Yeung said. “In contrast, today's best computer models suggest a more moderate increase of 25-50%. That's a huge difference. There's just no other data out there, so it's hard to know which is right, or if both are right and those particular measurements are not a good benchmark for the whole troposphere."

To find new data, Yeung and his colleagues looked to ozone’s wake — the traces it leaves behind in oxygen molecules.

"When the sun is shining, ozone and oxygen molecules are constantly being made and broken in the atmosphere by the same chemistry," Yeung said. "Our work over the past several years has found a naturally occurring 'tag' for that chemistry: the number of rare isotopes that are clumped together."

These clumps are molecules that have the usual two atoms for molecular oxygen, but they also have rare isotopes of those atoms rather than the commonly found ones. These isotope clumps are called oxygen-18 because they contain two additional neurons in comparison to the common oxygen-16 atom.

Yeung and his team studied how many oxygen-18 clumps are in a given sample of air, and found that isotope clumps in molecular oxygen vary in number depending on where ozone and oxygen chemistry occurs. The odds of an oxygen-18 pair forming in the lower stratosphere are slightly increased due to the cold. However, where it is warmer in the troposphere, fewer oxygen-18 pairs get the chance to form.

During the Industrial Revolution in the mid-19th century, people began adding more ozone into the troposphere, and therefore, the number of oxygen-18 clumps should have decreased. The molecules found in ice confirm just that.

"We constrain the increase to less than 40%, and the most comprehensive chemical model predicts right around 30%," Yeung said.

"One of the most exciting aspects was how well the ice-core record matched model predictions," he continued. "This was a case where we made a measurement, and independently, a model produced something that was in very close agreement with the experimental evidence. I think it shows how far atmospheric and climate scientists have come in being able to accurately predict how humans are changing Earth's atmosphere — particularly its chemistry."

The findings are published in <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41586-019-1277-1">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Jeff Fitlow/Rice University

Ancient air bubbles show how much ‘bad’ ozone levels have increased

A team of international scientists were able to measure how...

The first analysis of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/bitcoin-growth-global-warming/">Bitcoin</a> power consumption based on data from IPO filings and IP addresses has revealed that the cryptocurrency has the carbon footprint of a small country. This level of energy consumption suggests that the contribution of cryptocurrencies to global carbon emissions must be considered for climate change mitigation.

Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies rely on blockchain technology, which provides users with a secure network without the use of a third party. To receive Bitcoin currency, "miners" must validate new transactions using a puzzle-solving process that requires enormous amounts of computational power.

Christian Stoll is a researcher at the Center for Energy Markets at the <a href="https://www.tum.de/en/">Technical University of Munich</a> and the MIT Center for Energy and Environmental Policy Research. "This process results in immense energy consumption, which translates into a significant carbon footprint," explained Stoll. 

Among experts, concerns are growing that Bitcoin mining is creating a larger demand for energy from questionable fuel sources, such as coal from Mongolia. Furthermore, the computing power required to solve a Bitcoin puzzle increased by more than four times in 2018. 

The current study was focused on the IPO filings disclosed in 2018 by all major mining hardware producers. This data enabled Stoll and his team to determine which machines miners are using and the power efficiencies of these machines. The use of IP addresses made it possible to estimate emissions for actual mining locations and to compare carbon emissions generated by Bitcoin miners across the globe. 

"Our model reflects how the connected computing power and the difficulty of Bitcoin search puzzles interact, and it provides a high precision of power consumption since it incorporates auxiliary losses," said Stoll. "However, the precision of our results strongly depends on the accuracy of the input data, such as the IPO filings for hardware characteristics. The carbon emissions strongly depend on the assumed carbon intensity of power consumption."

Based on this model, the team calculated Bitcoin's annual energy consumption at 45.8 terawatt hours, with associated carbon emissions of between 22.0 and 22.9 megatons of CO2. This estimate is equivalent to the annual CO2 emissions from Kansas City and establishes that Bitcoin's emissions rank between the 82nd and 83rd highest-emitting countries, Jordan and Sri Lanka. 

"We do not question the efficiency gains that blockchain technology could, in certain cases, provide," said Stoll. "However, the current debate is focused on anticipated benefits, and more attention needs to be given to costs."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/home">Joule</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/allstars

Bitcoin has the carbon footprint of a small country

The first analysis of Bitcoin power consumption based on data...

A new study led by <a href="https://www.mcmaster.ca/">McMaster University</a> has revealed that the pesticide DDT has persisted in remote lakes in North America for nearly 50 years after it was banned. The researchers detected levels of DDT that were still high enough to impact key aquatic species. 

"What was considered yesterday's environmental crisis in the 1950s through 1970s remains today's problem," said study lead author Dr. Josh Kurek of Mount Allison University. "Decades of intense insecticide applications to our conifer forests have left a lasting mark on these lakes - and likely many others in eastern North America."

Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) insecticides were widely used across eastern North American forests between 1950 and 1970 to manage pests such as the spruce budworm. Chemicals like DDT are highly persistent and can eventually wash into <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/lakes-green-environment/">lakes</a> from the surrounding landscape. 

For their investigation, the researchers analyzed sediments from the bottom of five remote lakes in north-central New Brunswick. As expected, high levels of DDT were found in sediment layers from the 1960s and 1970s. In addition, DDT and its toxic breakdown products were also found at surprisingly high levels in the modern sediments.

The concentrations of DDT detected in modern lake sediments were still toxic enough to cause biological harm to marine life within the lakes. The experts discovered that the small water flea, an important component of lake food webs, experienced significant declines which coincided with increases of DDT. These declines will result in greater algae production and fewer prey for fish. 

"We have learned a lot of tough lessons from the heavy use of DDT in agriculture and forestry. The biggest one is that this pesticide was concentrated through food webs to levels that caused widespread raptor declines in North America," said study co-author Dr. Karen Kidd. "The lesson from our study is that pesticide use can result in persistent and permanent changes in aquatic ecosystems."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Josh Kurek

Harmful levels of DDT have persisted in North American lakes for decades

A new study led by McMaster University has revealed that...

Sustainable net-zero energy (NZE) communities are popping up around the United States. These areas take advantage of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gas-electric-eco-friendly-home/">energy efficient buildings</a>, solar power panels, and other renewable energy sources to power homes and businesses and still maintain a net-zero balance at the end of the year. 

Even though this is a remarkable and eco-friendly achievement in of itself, the yearly net-zero averages don’t necessarily account for energy fluctuations that could be impacting cost or voltage limits. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.nrel.gov/">National Renewable Energy Laboratory</a> in Colorado, the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado,</a> and <a href="https://www.ncsu.edu/">North Carolina State University</a> created a new centralized modeling framework that considers both the supply and demand side of energy required for a net-zero community. 

The new framework could help create new NZE communities that ensure reliable energy production for the lowest possible cost with a centralized management system. 

“We had a unique partnership between electric utility suppliers, building developers, landowners and other stakeholders, which enabled us to look at this from a holistic perspective and come up with a solution that is better for everyone at a lower total cost,” said Bri-Mathias Hodge, the leader of the study. 

The researchers combined energy efficiency modeling with power distribution software and modeled the energy requirements for a 100-building solar-powered residential district, which is currently being planned in Denver, Colorado. 

The researchers factored in potential energy fluctuations at 15-minute intervals and went through a range of scenarios to achieve maximum cost-effectiveness without hindering energy production or supply. 

“The surprising thing was the magnitude of difference, from the power system perspective, between balancing NZE on the annual compared to the 15-minute basis,” said Hodge. 

Alternative energy sources would be required to power grids during the evenings and the winter when there is less daylight. 

The researchers also found that installing advanced solar power inverter control systems to convert solar energy would help keep costs down. 

The framework and analysis were published in the Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, and already NZE district planners are hoping to use the framework for their own developments. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/esbobeldijk

Planning for net-zero energy communities by using a holistic approach

Sustainable net-zero energy (NZE) communities are popping up around the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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.

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



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.

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



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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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