The Mediterranean has long been a crossroads of trade and tourism, yet its deepest pocket, the Calypso Deep, seemed beyond the reach of day-to-day pollution. 



That hope ended earlier this year when researchers reported plastic bags, glass shards, and crumpled cans resting 16,770 feet beneath the waves in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionian_Sea" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ionian Sea</a>.



Their survey logged 167 items on the trench floor - 148 confirmed pieces of marine litter and 19 more that almost certainly came from people. 



By any measure, it is one of the densest concentrations of trash ever recorded in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-ocean-buffet-big-fish-are-surprisingly-reliant-on-the-twilight-zone/">dark zone</a> of the ocean.



The discovery arrives as global attention continues to focus on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprise-study-some-scientists-call-for-halting-ocean-plastic-cleanup-efforts/">plastic waste</a>. 



Videos of snagged sea turtles and bottle-strewn beaches have already ignited public concern, but those images barely hint at what sinks far below the reach of sunlight.



Now evidence from Calypso Deep shows that even the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/calypso" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mediterranean’s farthest recesses</a> are filling up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-calypso-deep-is-full-of-plastic-waste">Calypso Deep is full of plastic waste</h2>



The team used the submersible <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSV_Limiting_Factor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Limiting Factor</a> to reach the bottom of a kidney-shaped trench roughly 12.4 miles long and 3.1 miles across. 



During a 43-minute trek near the seafloor of the Calypso Deep, cameras captured thousands of objects per square mile, mostly plastic waste discarded by humans.



A single straight-line pass of 2,130 feet was enough to confirm that human trash blankets large stretches of the basin. Most pieces were flexible plastics; glass, metal, and paper rounded out the list. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_study-map_UBarcelona_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_study-map_UBarcelona_1s.webp" alt="(A) General location of the Calypso Deep (box) in the Ionian Sea. PP: Peloponnese Peninsula. (B) Close up and general bathymetry of Calypso Deep (box) and surrounding area. For depth ranges, see color scale. (C) Detailed bathymetry of Calypso Deep with depth contours in meters. The position of the deepest point is indicated by the white dot, while the dive area is indicated by the red dot. Credit: University of Barcelona" class="wp-image-1976573"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(A) General location of the Calypso Deep (box) in the Ionian Sea. PP: Peloponnese Peninsula. (B) Close up and general bathymetry of Calypso Deep (box) and surrounding area. For depth ranges, see color scale. (C) Detailed bathymetry of Calypso Deep with depth contours in meters. The position of the deepest point is indicated by the white dot, while the dive area is indicated by the red dot. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



Even without animals caught on camera, the piles raise alarms because deep-sea communities recover slowly from disturbance.



Calypso Deep lies about 37 miles west of the Peloponnese coast inside the Hellenic Trench, a zone of steep, stepped walls prone to earthquakes. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-waste-rides-currents">Plastic waste rides currents</h2>



Weak currents, usually under 0.8 inches per second and rarely reaching 7 inches per second, let debris settle instead of sweeping it away.



“It comes from various sources, both terrestrial and marine. It could have arrived by various routes, including long-distance transport by ocean currents or direct dumping,” explains <a href="https://web.ub.edu/en/web/directori/?accio=SEL&amp;id=v759w8s35bo5v72r&amp;lang=ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Miquel Canals</a>, professor at the Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics at the University of Barcelona.



“Some light waste, such as plastics, comes from the coast and escapes to Calypso Deep, just about 37 miles away. Certain plastics, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-bag-bans-have-drastically-reduced-ocean-pollution/">like bags</a>, drift just above the seabed until they are partially or completely buried or break down into smaller fragments," Canals continued.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_litter-photos_UBarcelona_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_litter-photos_UBarcelona_1s.webp" alt="Examples of identified litter items with category attribution per material type (cf. Table 2). (A) Plastic bag, J3. (B) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (C) Plastic sheet, J67. (D) Plastic food container made of hard plastic, J225. (E) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (F) Plastic bag, J3 (G) Cups and lids of hard plastic, J227. (H) Plastic rope &gt; 1 cm in diameter, J49. (I) Paper cartons/Tetrapak (non-milk), J151. (J) Metal drink can, J175. (K) Glass bottle. Note sediment shadow with side scouring downwards of the bottle J200. (L) Plastic drink bottle. Credit: University of Barcelona" class="wp-image-1976569"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Examples of identified litter items with category attribution per material type. (A) Plastic bag, J3. (B) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (C) Plastic sheet, J67. (D) Plastic food container made of hard plastic, J225. (E) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (F) Plastic bag, J3 (G) Cups and lids of hard plastic, J227. (H) Plastic rope > 1 cm in diameter, J49. (I) Paper cartons/Tetrapak (non-milk), J151. (J) Metal drink can, J175. (K) Glass bottle. Note sediment shadow with side scouring downwards of the bottle J200. (L) Plastic drink bottle. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



Rivers, wind, and ship traffic all feed the stream of refuse heading offshore. As algae and other organisms cling to floating polymers, the added weight turns buoyant scraps into sinking hazards. The trench’s closed shape then locks the pieces in place.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-calypso-deep-as-a-plastic-graveyard">Calypso Deep as a plastic graveyard</h2>



Surface eddies often corral floating trash into the trench. When these eddies form over the Calypso Trench, some debris slowly falls to the bottom, aided by degradation and ballasting processes that increase its density. 



Surface currents can also carry debris northward from the Adriatic Sea through the Strait of Otranto and from waters off northwestern Greece. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_3D-model_UBarcelona_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_3D-model_UBarcelona_1s.webp" alt="(A) 3D model generated from a subset of video frames by reference to a litter item of known size shown in B. The white dashed line in A represents the camera frames along the Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Limiting Factor moving path, whereas the red dashed line represents the frames counted between two items identified on the seabed. (B) Accumulation of litter items in the inner Calypso Deep with a litter item of known size (12 cm) used as a reference for 3D model generation. Credit: University of Barcelona" class="wp-image-1976567"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(A) 3D model generated from a subset of video frames by reference to a litter item of known size shown in B. The white dashed line in A represents the camera frames along the Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Limiting Factor moving path, whereas the red dashed line represents the frames counted between two items identified on the seabed. (B) Accumulation of litter items in the inner Calypso Deep with a litter item of known size (12 cm) used as a reference for 3D model generation. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



The same circular flows that drive marine life cycles are now channeling waste into permanent graveyards at the very bottom of Earth's deepest bodies of water.



<a href="https://web.ub.edu/ca/web/actualitat/w/a-sea-of-rubbish-ocean-floor-landfills-?" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earlier work in 2021</a> showed the Strait of Messina carrying the world’s heaviest load of undersea garbage, confirming that the Mediterranean is especially at risk.



“We have also found evidence of boats dumping bags of rubbish, indicated by piles of assorted waste followed by an almost straight furrow," said Canals, expressing his frustration.



That is why the bottom of the Calypso Deep is littered with humans' plastic waste, and also why the problem will do nothing but continue to worsen.



"Unfortunately, when it comes to the Mediterranean, it is fair to say that ‘not a single inch of it is clean.’”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-we-go-from-here">Where do we go from here?</h2>



Unlike beaches and coastlines, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/99-percent-of-the-deep-ocean-floor-has-still-never-been-seen-by-humans/">ocean floor</a> remains largely out of sight, making it difficult to build social and political momentum for its conservation. 



Yet what settles at the bottom can influence marine life, food webs, fisheries, climate feedback loops, and even geological stability.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-mediterranean-nearly-lost-all-of-its-water-6-million-years-ago/">The Mediterranean</a> is an enclosed sea, surrounded by humanity, with intense maritime traffic and widespread fishing activity.



“Scientists, communicators, journalists, influencers - everyone with a platform - must work together. The problem is vast, even if it is not directly visible, and we cannot ignore it," Canals implored.



The trail of refuse from shorelines to Calypso Deep underlines a plain truth: plastics and other debris do not vanish once tossed aside. They ride currents, sink in stages, and ultimately collect in the planet’s most secluded hollows. 



The evidence provided by this research should galvanize global efforts - especially in the Mediterranean - to curb dumping, particularly of plastics, in line with the pending <a href="https://www.globalplasticlaws.org/un-global-plastics-treaty" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UN Global Plastics Treaty</a>.



From the North Atlantic’s first recorded litter in 1975 to the record densities documented across the Mediterranean today, the pattern remains the same - human waste reaches everywhere water flows.



We must do more, we must do better, and we must do it now.



-----



Thanks to the leaders of this research team - Miquel Canals of the <a href="https://web.ub.edu/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Barcelona</a>, Georg Hanke of the European Commission’s <a href="https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/joint-research-centre_en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joint Research Centre</a>, François Galgani of <a href="https://www.ifremer.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IFREMER</a>, and Victor Vescovo of <a href="https://caladanoceanic.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caladan Oceanic</a>



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25000852">Marine Pollution Bulletin</a>.



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Scientists make disturbing discovery on the deepest parts of the seafloor: 'Not a single inch of it is clean'

The Mediterranean has long been a crossroads of trade and tourism, yet its deepest pocket, the Calypso Deep, seemed beyond the reach of day-to-day pollution. That hope ended earlier this year when researchers reported plastic bags, glass shards, and crumpled cans resting 16,770 feet beneath the waves in the Ionian Sea. Their survey logged 167 items on the trench floor - 148 confirmed pieces of marine litter and 19 more that almost certainly came from people. By any measure, it is one of the densest concentrations of...

Scientists from the<a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/"> University of Southampton</a>, the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a>, the <a href="https://www.uea.ac.uk/">University of East Anglia</a>, and the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute</a>, have found that, contrary to prior understanding, the biological processes far off the coast of Antarctica in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/southern-ocean-acidification/">Southern Ocean</a> are the most important factors in determining how the ocean absorbs carbon dioxide.

"The Southern Ocean is a hugely important region for the drawdown of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, with major impacts on global climate,” said Michael Meredith from the British Antarctic Survey. “This study overturns a commonly-held belief relating to how this works, and emphasises the need for joined-up biological and physical studies in the open-ocean regions some distance offshore from the Antarctic continent. This will be a key priority going forward, in order to improve our ability to reliably predict future climates."

Carbon dioxide is initially absorbed in the surface ocean and is then transferred into the deep ocean where it is stored for hundreds to thousands of years. 

It was thought that the transformation of water from light to dense, caused when water is cooled at the ocean’s surface, was the main key in determining whether carbon is released into the atmosphere or stored in the deep ocean. Therefore, most research is conducted in the shallow waters on Antarctica’s coastline. 

However, after studying ocean circulation and carbon concentration of the Weddell Gyre region of the Antarctic Peninsula, as well as data collected by the ANDREX project (Antarctic Deep water Rates of Export), which measured the physical, biological, and chemical properties of the gyre’s waters between 2008 and 2010, the research team found that dense water formation is not the dominant factor driving the atmosphere-to-ocean carbon uptake. Instead, biological processes further out in the ocean are the main driving force.

The team discovered that as phytoplankton in the middle of the gyre grow and sink, they remove carbon from the surface ocean and move it into the deep ocean. This process is known as the “biological carbon pump.”

"The results carry implications for our understanding of how the high-latitude Southern Ocean, close to the Antarctic continent, influences atmospheric carbon and global climate on 100 to 1000-year timescales,” said study leader Graeme MacGilchrist, from the University of Southampton. “This is important both for our understanding of climate transitions in the past, such as the ice ages, as well as our projections of future climate change.”

“We also expect that it will help to shift the focus of future research towards the critical processes taking place in the Antarctic Gyres, rather than the historical focus on the shelf-sea regions,” MacGilchrist concluded.

This study is published in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Mike Meredith, British Antarctic Survey

Interactions in the Southern Ocean impact how carbon dioxide is absorbed

Scientists from the University of Southampton, the British Antarctic Survey,...

According to a new report in the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, President Trump is now pursuing weaker logging, mining, and road construction regulations in Alaska’s <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/cut-largest-us-national-forest-opposition/">Tongass National Forest</a>. The president has asked the United States Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, to lift federal restrictions on the 16.7-million-acre stretch of forest.

Combined with British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest to the south, the Tongass National Forest represents the largest intact temperate rainforest on the planet.

In 2001, more than half of the Tongass became off limits to road construction and logging when Bill Clinton adopted the Roadless Rule, which aimed to protect 58.5 million acres of forest across the country. 

Alaskan officials, including Senator Lisa Murkowski, have been fighting for exemption from the Roadless Rule. Murkowski said in a statement that Alaska’s governor, along with the entire congressional delegation, have sought to block the rule.

“It should never have been applied to our state, and it is harming our ability to develop a sustainable, year-round economy for the Southeast region, where less than one percent of the land is privately held,” said Murkowski. “The timber industry has declined precipitously, and it is astonishing that the few remaining mills in our nation’s largest national forest have to constantly worry about running out of supply.”

On June 26, Governor Mike Dunleavy announced to reporters that the president has "done everything he can" to work with Alaskan leaders and understand their concerns. According to three anonymous sources, President Trump has expressed support for exempting the Tongass from the Roadless Rule.

Just three years ago, U.S. Forest Service officials finalized a plan that would put an end to old-growth logging in the Tongass within a decade. If federal restrictions are lifted, it is not yet clear how much land would be opened back up for logging because the Forest Service would have to amend its 2016 plan, which recommended for no more than 568,000 acres to be logged.

New legislation by the Trump administration would not affect the 5.7 million acres of the forest that have been designated by Congress as wilderness. These areas receive the government's highest level of land protection and become part of the National Wilderness Preservation System.

--

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/Lee Prince

Trump looks to lift logging restrictions in Alaska’s Tongass National Forest

According to a new report in the Washington Post, President...

David Koch, billionaire and co-owner of <a href="https://www.kochind.com">Koch Industries</a>, has been remembered in the media as a businessman, political activist, and philanthropist who helped reshape American politics. Koch died last Friday of unspecified causes although he’d long battled prostate cancer. He was 79. 

Koch Industries is a multifaceted business involved in producing ethanol and agricultural products as well as CORDURA® fabric used in military uniforms and outdoor equipment. Koch industries was inherited by David and his brother Charles Koch from their father, Fred Koch. The two built it into the second largest privately owned business in America.

Fred Koch made his money from oil. Leading the way for his sons, Koch also became involved in politics, being one of the founding members of the John Birch Society. In a letter, President Eisenhower warned against conservative organizations of his time, like the John Birch Society:

“Should any political party attempt to abolish social security, unemployment insurance, and eliminate labor laws and farm programs, you would not hear of that party again in our political history. There is a tiny splinter group, of course, that believes you can do these things. Among them are H. L. Hunt (you possibly know his background), a few other Texas oil millionaires, and an occasional politician or business man from other areas. Their number is negligible and they are stupid,” Eisenhower wrote to Edgar Newton Eisenhower in November 1954.

These are the causes that Fred Koch and later his sons championed, a small government with few taxes on the wealthy and few regulations if any in the way of increasing wealth. 

Initially, David Koch tried to influence American politics directly by running for office. In 1980, David Koch was paired with Ed Clark as the libertarian vice presidential nominee. Given the political rules at the time, this allowed Koch to pour more money into a political race than would otherwise be legal. The platform that Clark and Koch ran on was one of abolishing Social Security and welfare, the Federal Reserve board, corporate taxes and the minimum wage. 

The Libertarian Party only received one percent of the vote during that election, but it was the largest vote received by the party during an election at that point. Since his failed bid for Vice President, David Koch and his brother have been using their money to push change in American politics from behind the scenes.

Inline with their pro-industry and anti-regulation ideals, the Koch brothers pushed climate change denial as well. According to <a href="https://www.greenpeace.org/usa/global-warming/climate-deniers/front-groups/american-enterprise-institute-aei/">GreenPeace</a>, the Koch brothers donated over $2 billion dollars to <a href="http://www.aei.org">American Enterprise Institute</a> (AEI), a conservative think tank, over the course of a decade. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2007/feb/02/frontpagenews.climatechange">The Guardian</a> reports that AEI offered cash payments of $10,000 to scientists and economists to dispute climate change science. David Koch painted himself as a ‘social liberal’ but there’s a clear connection between human rights and the environment. 

As I’ve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmental-destruction-hurts-people-color/">previously reported</a>, people of color and the poor are more likely to suffer from industrial pollutants, smog and will probably shoulder the worst consequences of climate change as well. The Koch brothers didn’t support Trump but they pushed similar ideals, contributing to an atmosphere in America where he could be elected. David Koch also made sure to push an agenda allowing a larger voice for the ultra wealthy like he and his brother than those with less affluence. 

The 2010 <a href="https://www.oyez.org/cases/2008/08-205">Citizens United court ruling</a> allowed David and his brother broader power to influence elections and politicians. Through their non-profit Americans for Prosperity, the Koch brothers pushed a right wing anti-environment, pro-industry agenda.

<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/08/23/politics/david-koch-charles-koch-brothers/index.html">CNN</a> reports that both Koch brothers donated millions of dollars to several political campaigns designed at creating long term changes in American politics. Many see this change in American politics and the millions of dollars it allowed to flow into campaigns as what allowed the rise of the Tea Party and the Trump presidency. The Koch brothers were critical of Trump on trade and immigration but his views on deregulation and climate denial are completely inline with theirs. 

While some media outlets like <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/business-leaders/david-koch-spent-billions-giving-back-to-charity-heres-where-it-all-went">Fox News</a> remember Koch for the small percentage of his $50 billion worth donated to charity, it’s worth noting that most of the charitable giving can be seen as self serving. Koch gave a lot of money to high profile causes like the American Museum of Natural History. Koch also gave $50 million to the <a href="https://www.pcf.org/c/remembering-david-h-koch/">Prostate Cancer Foundation</a> after he himself was diagnosed with prostate cancer. 

Just like with his political giving, Koch’s charitable giving was designed to profit him personally. How many remember the man, though, is through his determined effort to remove obstacles from big business exploiting the environment for their greatest benefit. 

Environmentalist Bill McKibben <a href="https://mobile.twitter.com/billmckibben/status/1164918587439628294">tweeted</a>, 

“David Koch lived long enough to see his dreams come true. Massive tax cuts for the rich, rampant environmental deregulation, America out of Paris accords. He got what he paid for.”

Comedian Bill Maher was even more blunt, <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/bill-maher-david-kochs-death-jokes-real-time-end-painful-1456028">saying</a>,

“He was 79, but his family says they wish he could live longer. At least he lived long enough to see the Amazon catch fire…”

Despite the death of David Koch, the threat he posted to the environment will continue on. Skepticism of climate change among conservatives is unlikely to change overnight and the non-profits that both brothers funneled billions into continue to operate. The tactics of quietly funding politicians without fully disclosing where the money comes from will go on. Industry with less legal responsibility will continue to pillage the Earth and the poor majority for a tiny fraction of the elite wealthy. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Roschetzky Photography

David Koch’s political influence leaves behind an anti-environmental legacy

David Koch, billionaire and co-owner of Koch Industries, has been...

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/20/us/politics/trump-cancels-greenland-trip.html">Greenland is not for sale</a>, and Denmark made that perfectly clear when the president of the United States floated around the idea of buying the autonomous Danish territory. 

As reports of Trump’s proposal to buy Greenland made the rounds, it put the world’s largest island in the spotlight.

The U.S. isn’t the only country with an eye on Greenland. Many of the world’s nations are looking toward to the Arctic for its potential as an economic and geopolitical asset. 

Beneath the thick layers of ice and snow that cover Greenland could be an untapped reservoir of minerals, oil, and natural gas, and as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-lose-ice-summer-melting/">climate change-driven melting</a> chips away at the swaths of ice, these reserves could soon be accessible. 

<a href="https://time.com/5660306/greenland-arctic-climate-change-economic-asset/?utm_source=emailshare&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=email-share-article&amp;utm_content=20190826">Time</a> recently reported that Russia, China, and other countries are setting their sights on Greenland due to the potential goldmine of minerals and oils just waiting to be extracted. 

The Arctic reportedly contains a quarter of the world’s yet to be extracted oil and gas. Earlier this spring, Russia announced plans to re-establish its Arctic claims and build up a Russian presence in the area. 

For China, Greenland could be an important shipping route and hold an abundance of rare earth minerals. 

According to the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, there could be 17.5 billion barrels of oil and 148 trillion cubic feet of natural gas offshore of Greenland, but as of yet, no significant quantities of oil have been found in the region. 

“It’s very speculative, but in theory they could have a lot of oil,” Michael Lynch, president of Strategic Energy &amp; Economic Research Inc, told Time. “It’s perceived as being the new Alaska, where the old Alaska was thought to be worthless and turned out to have huge reserves. And it’s one of the few places on Earth that’s lightly populated, and it’s close to the U.S.”

As temperatures climb, it could make mineral mining, oil drilling, and development easier but could also come at a dangerous cost. Calving events will become more common, and ships will have to watch out for more icebergs as they navigate through Arctic waters. 

The Arctic also has a long and complicated history of strategic military importance, and the Arctic and Greenland provide a crucial corridor for North Atlantic and Arctic Naval operations, according to Time.

Greenland is finding itself at the center of a race for Arctic investments, but it’s important to consider the environmental and economic risk factors before further options for purchasing the island or drilling for oil in the Arctic are circulated through the press.

--

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/Jonas Tufvesson

Greenland debate highlights how the Arctic may become a promising investment

Greenland is not for sale, and Denmark made that perfectly...

The Amazon rainforest is still burning, as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazon-rainforest-burning/">thousands of fires are spreading across the region</a> that supplies a significant amount of oxygen to Earth’s atmosphere. The smoke is visible from space, and there are concerns about how the fires will impact the indigenous groups that live in the Amazon.

Brazil’s president Jair Bolsonaro is reportedly reconsidering accepting the $22.2 million in international aid to help fight the fires and is now demanding an apology from French President Emmanuel Macron. 

The aid package was announced at the Group of Seven nations (G-7) summit, and several of the world’s wealthiest countries pledged to help Brazil and the Amazon. 

Bolsonaro <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/08/27/world/americas/brazil-amazon-aid.html">initially rejected the pledge</a>, but now the President is willing to accept the aid if Macron apologizes and withdraws comments that the French President directed at Bolsonaro. 

“Before speaking or accepting anything from France, even if it comes from the best possible intentions, he must retract his words. Then we can talk,” Brazil’s President told journalists.

The aid package has added fuel to an escalating feud between the two presidents. Last week, Macron announced potentially blocking a free-trade agreement between the EU and South America. Bolsonaro responded with an apparent joke about Macron’s wife. 

Although Bolsonaro is on the fence about accepting aid from the Group of Seven, other countries are offering aid and resources. 

Ricardo Salles, the Environmental Minister of Brazil, said that aid was crucial as the fires are spreading and burning up land at a rapid rate. 

“I think we need to aggregate as many tools as possible to resolve this,” Salles said on Brazilian television. 

The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/brazil-rejects-g-7-amazon-aid-citing-its-lack-of-involvementin-decision-to-grant-it/2019/08/27/4d8b0eb8-c8b6-11e9-9615-8f1a32962e04_story.html">Washington Post </a>even reported that Amazon governors were considering negotiating with the EU directly rather than wait for Bolsonaro. 

There are concerns that because the aid is coming from the G-7 and not the United Nations, it could be a political tactic to gain some control of the Amazon, according to Bolsonaro and some of his officials. 

Meanwhile, fires in the Amazon have increased more than 75 percent this year, according to the Washington Post. The unprecedented rate of deforestation could jeopardize Amazon’s role as a carbon sink and transform large areas of the rainforest into savanna in the near future. 

--

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: ESA/NASA–L. Parmitano

Bolsonaro puts politics over financial aid to fight Amazon fires

The Amazon rainforest is still burning, as thousands of fires...

Standing nearly 400 feet tall and looming over the Castle Valley in Utah, Castleton Tower is a popular destination for rock climbers. It’s one of the largest freestanding rock towers, and the formation is constantly gently swaying, vibrating at a low frequency.

In a new study, researchers from the <a href="https://www.utah.edu/">University of Utah</a> measured Castleton Tower’s vibrations to understand how rock formations vibrate, their resonance, and how human-made sounds impact these vibrations. 

“We often view such grand and prominent landforms as permanent features of our landscape, when in reality, they are continuously moving and evolving,” said Riley Finnegan, a co-author of the study. 

Energy is continuously moving through the Earth, and even a small gust of wind can <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/rock-arches-can-be-monitored-by-their-vibrations/">impact rock formations and cause vibrations</a>. 

The researchers measured rock formations with seismometers that record movement in three dimensions. 3-D imagery is also used to measure the dimensions and structure to help provide insights into the vibrations. 

Data from the seismometers can sometimes be sped up into an audible audio file. 

Studying Castleton Rock was a challenge because skilled climbers were needed to place a seismometer at the top of the tower and bring it back down. Luckily, the researchers were able to enlist the help of two professional climbers in March 2018. 

The two climbers carried a seismometer to the top and waited for three hours while the equipment recorded seismic data before returning.

Once they had the equipment back, the researchers were able to analyze the data and found that that Castleton tower resonates at frequencies of .8 and 1.0 hertz. One hertz is equal to one cycle per second, which means that the tower sways back and forth once per second in a constant movement. 

“The distant sources that excite the unique resonance of Castleton Tower are always active and transferring energy into the rock mass,” said Paul Geimer, a member of the research team. 

The researchers still have much to learn about the rock formation and its vibrations. The team will continue to collect measurements, examine the structural integrity, and see how energy from far away sources like an earthquake or the rumbling traffic of a freeway impacts rock formation vibrations. 

“As with the desert landscape in which it resides, Castleton Tower is dynamic and energetic, subtly responding to changes in the surrounding environment,” said Geimer. 

The researchers published the findings in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Shutterstock/EastVillage Images

Famous Utah rock formation vibrates at the same rate as a heartbeat

Standing nearly 400 feet tall and looming over the Castle...

Researchers from <a href="https://newbrunswick.rutgers.edu/">Rutgers University, New Brunswick</a> have found that carbon absorption in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rising-co2-levels-southern-ocean/">Southern Ocean</a> off the West Antarctic Peninsula has been drastically altered by climate change, which could ultimately have a global impact.

Presently, the Southern Ocean absorbs nearly half of the carbon dioxide, which is the key greenhouse gas connected to climate change, that is absorbed by all the world's oceans.

The researchers found that carbon dioxide absorption by the surface waters in the Southern Ocean is linked to the stability of the upper ocean. A stable upper ocean is the perfect environment for growing algae, and when algae goes through photosynthesis, it removes carbon dioxide from the surface ocean, therefore taking it out of the atmosphere. 

"Understanding how climate change will affect carbon dioxide absorption by the Southern Ocean, especially in coastal Antarctic regions like the West Antarctic Peninsula, is critical to improving predictions of the global impacts of climate change," said lead author Michael Brown, an oceanography doctoral student in the Center for Ocean Observing Leadership in the Department of Marine and Coastal Sciences at Rutgers’ <a href="https://sebs.rutgers.edu/">School of Environmental and Biological Sciences</a>.

The study, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>, analyzed 25-years worth of oceanographic measurements in the Southern Ocean, and highlights the need for more monitoring of the region.

Between 1993 and 2017, the upper ocean off the West Antarctic Peninsula was stabilized by changes in sea ice dynamics, thus resulting in larger algal concentrations and a major increase in carbon dioxide absorption during the summer months. 

However, the scientists believe that upper ocean stability off the West Antarctic Peninsula could decrease in the coming decades as sea ice continues to melt. The less ice, the less prevention of wind-driven mixing of the upper ocean. Carbon dioxide absorption will most likely decline in response to the dwindling amount of algae as a result of destabilization in the upper ocean.

Therefore, this trend could lead to more carbon dioxide in the air, and thusly, more warming worldwide.
--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Drew Spacht/The Ohio State University

Climate change has altered CO2 absorption along the West Antarctic Peninsula

Researchers from Rutgers University, New Brunswick have found that carbon...

Wildfire activity and global warming are transforming forests in Alaska. A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Berkeley Lab</a> has determined that the combination of climate change and increased wildfires could permanently change the composition of forests in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nurturing-hotspots-salmon-alaskan-rivers/">Alaska</a>. According to the study, the state's evergreen conifer trees may be largely replaced by broadleaf deciduous trees, which shed their leaves seasonally.

"Expansion of deciduous broadleaf forests in a warmer climate may result in several ecological and climatic feedbacks that affect the carbon cycle of northern ecosystems," explained study first author Zelalem Mekonnen.

Using a well-tested ecosystem model, the experts predicted that through the end of this century, the relative dominance of evergreen conifer trees will decline by 25 percent and plants such as moss and lichen will decline by 66 percent. At the same time, broadleaf deciduous trees will nearly double in abundance and become dominant. 

"We predict the forest system will remain a net sink for carbon, meaning it will absorb more carbon than it emits," said study co-author William J. Riley. "But will it be more or less of a sink? Our next study will quantify the carbon and surface energy budgets. This study focused more on how vegetation types are expected to change."

Large shifts in vegetation and changes in forest cover type may alter the ecosystem and climate in various ways. For example, increased leaf shedding from deciduous broadleaf trees could result in more rapid microbial decomposition and increased transpiration, two processes that contribute to climate warming. 

On the other hand, when more snow is exposed because of fewer evergreen trees, higher surface reflectance may have a cooling effect. Furthermore, deciduous trees are less flammable than evergreen trees. Wildfire activity and global warming are transforming forests in Alaska

The researchers found that both climate change and increased wildfires were required for broadleaf deciduous trees to become more dominant. When the team modeled an increase in fires, this shift was projected to occur around the year 2058. However, if warming continues without an increase in fire activity, or vice versa, evergreen conifers are expected to remain the dominant tree in Alaska through 2100.

The modeling technique used for this study could also be applied to other geographic areas to investigate how climate change and wildfire activity may affect vegetation. "Our modeling approach is applicable to other northern regions because the fundamental mechanisms that control these dynamics are similar everywhere," said Mekonnen.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nplants/">Nature Plants</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: Scott Rupp, University of Alaska Fairbanks

Wildfire activity and global warming are transforming forests in Alaska

Wildfire activity and global warming are transforming forests in Alaska....

The Southern Ocean may become much less productive due to acidification. The oceans have absorbed more than 40 percent of the carbon dioxide emitted through human activities, and most of this CO2 has been captured by the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/rising-co2-levels-southern-ocean/">Southern Ocean</a>, which is one of the most important carbon sinks in the world. The acidification that results from carbon absorption, however, may have serious consequences for marine life.

A team of researchers led by the <a href="https://www.uts.edu.au/">University of Technology Sydney</a> has found that ocean acidification (OA) is transforming the structure of Antarctic phytoplankton communities.

Study lead author Dr. Katherina Petrou explained that while changes in ocean acidity have been shown to impact marine calcifying organisms, the effects on silicifying diatoms have remained largely unknown. 

"Previous studies reported a range of responses to OA (in phytoplankton) yet rarely considered how environmental pH shifts might affect silicification rates in diatoms," said Dr. Petrou.

"Diatoms are unique phytoplankton in that they need silicic acid to produce silica cell walls. Under the microscope they look like beautiful glass jewellery boxes, but importantly, this dense, glass-like armor promotes sinking, which makes diatoms an important conduit for transport of carbon to the deep ocean where it can be stored for millennia."

Diatoms contribute to around 40 percent of ocean productivity, playing a major role in supporting marine food webs and sustaining life.

In the current study, the team set out to investigate the impacts of predicted future changes in ocean acidity on the community structure of the Antarctic phytoplankton. At the Australian Antarctic base, the scientists conducted experiments using large tanks and temperature-controlled seawater 

"We were alarmed to find that diatoms were so negatively affected, with some species likely to have diminished silica production before the end of this century," said Dr. Petrou.

In the context of global climate change, study co-author Kai Schulz said that these findings are important because they reveal that ocean acidification can not only alter phytoplankton community composition, but can also reduce the sinking ability of diatoms. 

This means that fewer diatoms will end up on the ocean floor, resulting in less atmospheric CO2 being removed from our atmosphere and transported for storage in the deep ocean. "The only genuine way to circumvent this outcome, is to cut our greenhouse gas emissions and limit the acidification of our oceans," wrote the researchers.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</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: Katherina Petrou

The Southern Ocean may become much less productive due to acidification

The Southern Ocean may become much less productive due to...

As the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/moisture-vegetation-climate-change/">climate changes</a> and temperatures rise, many species of plants and animals are showing noticeable changes as well. In the UK, two exotic trees have now produced both male and female cones for the first time in an estimated 60 million years, and experts say this is a direct result of milder winters and hotter summers.

Cycads are seed plants that are found in tropical regions of the world. Around 280 millions years ago, these trees were much more diverse and widely distributed. The three Cycad families that survived the Triassic-Jurassic extinction event have changed very little since that time, which is why they are considered "living fossils."

Native to Japan, cycads are commonly kept as indoor houseplants in the UK because they thrive in warm conditions. At the Ventnor Botanic Garden on the Isle of Wight, botanists can grow plants that would not usually survive in the British Isles. 

According to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>, the Isle of Wight is an average of five degrees Celsius warmer than the rest of mainland Britain. Chris Kidd, the curator of Ventnor Botanic Gardens, explained that his team started growing cycads 15 years ago as an experiment. 

"Fifteen years on, they're not only surviving winters, growing and producing leaves. Five years ago we had a male cycad that produced a cone, and this year we have a male and female both producing cones," Kidd told CNN. "This is the first time that cycads have produced male and female cones in the British Isles since 60 million years ago."

[caption id="attachment_1876973" align="aligncenter" width="640"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/exotic-trees.png"><img class="size-full wp-image-1876973" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/exotic-trees.png" alt="" width="640" height="739" /></a> Image Credit: Phil LeMay[/caption]

Kidd said that the intense heat over the last two summers helped to stimulate the production of the cones, and the mild winters have also contributed. 

“This is not something that’s happened with a short-term mild spell. It’s a longer-term warming which is making these things happen," said Kidd.

“Twenty years ago we couldn’t have grown them. In 1986, the cycads at the gardens were very badly damaged by cold weather, since then we’ve not had any conditions even close to giving them any problems." 

"These are relics from flora that dominated the Earth when dinosaurs were here, their demise led to the arrival of flowering plants, but that was a catastrophic event, and I can see a similar change happening before my eyes right now.”

Kidd said that the phenomenon is further proof of climate change in action. "It is a strong indicator of climate change being shown, not from empirical evidence from the scientists but by plants."

--

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: Lily Bartlett

Exotic trees in the UK are proof of climate change in action

As the climate changes and temperatures rise, many species of...

What triggered the Atlantic Ocean’s current system?. Planet Earth has undergone drastic periods of cooling and warming over its 4.5 billion year history. 

As the age of the dinosaurs was coming to a close 34 million years ago, Earth switched from a warm “greenhouse climate” to a cooler “icehouse climate.” This cooling caused Antartica to freeze over. 

While ice sheets were covering Antarctica, the Atlantic’s current system, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/slowdown-atlantic-circulation-system/">Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC)</a>, was switched on carrying warm water and nutrients on its global conveyor belt. 

Today this Atlantic heat pump keeps Europe's winters warm, but until recently, researchers were unsure what switched the system on. 

In a new study, researchers from Stockholm University’s <a href="https://bolin.su.se/">Bolin Center for Climate Research</a> used geophysical data and climate modeling to understand what triggered the AMOC during the Eocene-Oligocene Transition, 34 million years ago. 

The modeling showed that increases in ocean salinity and changes in freshwater concentrations helped kickstart the AMOC. 

[caption id="attachment_1876951" align="aligncenter" width="548"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/atlantic-current-system.gif"><img class="size-full wp-image-1876951" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/atlantic-current-system.gif" alt="" width="548" height="465" /></a> Image Credit: NASA[/caption]

When the climate was still in its “greenhouse” phase, freshwater flooded out of the Arctic, but as things cooled and the Arctic-Atlantic Gateway closed, the Atlantic’s saltwater concentrations increased. 

“We found that the Arctic-Atlantic gateway closed due to tectonic forces, causing a dramatic increase in North Atlantic salinity,” said David Hutchinson, the lead author of the study. This caused warming of the North Atlantic and Europe, and kickstarted the modern circulation that keeps Europe warm today.” 

The climate models then showed how increases in salinity correlated with the formation of deeper water in the Atlantic. 

“Not only did deep water start forming in the Atlantic Ocean, it also stopped forming in the North Pacific at the same time, which matches geological evidence,” said Hutchinson. “We were surprised to find that our computer simulations can explain both of these changes due to salty ocean currents connecting the Pacific to the Atlantic. Our study is the first to show that these two events are linked, which is very exciting.” 

The study helps show what climate conditions might look like if the Arctic undergoes warming again due to high levels of atmospheric CO2. The AMOC keeps Europe warm, but if the current system is disrupted, Europe could soon experience colder winters and much drier and hotter summers. 

“Our study helps to bridge the gap between climate modelling and geological observations of the deep past,” said Hutchinson. “We hope this will inspire further research from both communities on the deep circulation of the ocean.” 

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-019-11828-z">Nature Communications. </a>

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock/Harvepino

What triggered the Atlantic Ocean’s current system?

What triggered the Atlantic Ocean’s current system?. Planet Earth has...

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical forest on Earth and is connected to the longest river in the world, the Amazon River. Older figures claimed the Nile was longer and some geographers still dispute which river is truly longest. 

Newer research has found the Amazon to be 4,225 miles long, outstretching even the Nile, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/2007/06/amazon-longer-than-nile-river/">National Geographic</a>. The Amazon is undisputedly the largest river in the world by volume, containing 20% of the earth’s fresh water. According to <a href="http://wwf.panda.org/knowledge_hub/where_we_work/amazon/about_the_amazon/">WWF</a>, the Amazon River accounts for 15 to 16% of total river discharge into the world’s oceans. 

This water is important because it carries nutrients from the plants, animals, fungi and minerals in the forest far out into marine ecosystems. The Amazon itself holds enormous amounts of carbon and creates oxygen as well as fresh water but it also supports life in the oceans. Plankton, besides being food for whales and other marine animals, produce most of the earth’s oxygen. According to <a href="https://eos.org/research-spotlights/worlds-biggest-oxygen-producers-living-in-swirling-ocean-waters">EOS</a>, plankton produce about 80% of earth’s oxygen. 

Of course, the Amazon rainforest itself is also extremely important. The forests surrounding the river have long supported stunning biodiversity and unique, isolated human cultures. The Amazon rainforest holds at least 10% of the world’s biodiversity. Familiar animals like jaguars and armadillos that have wandered as far as the southwestern US live in the Amazon. There are also strangely patterned freshwater stingrays with colorful spots reminiscent of butterflies, frogs whose tadpoles live on mother’s back in high humidity. 

There are also vines with mind bending hallucinogenic properties and the fiber producing kapok tree sacred to the Maya. 

The Amazon is a literal manifestation of so much of the bright and dark beauty lingering in the shadowy corners of the human consciousness. The Amazon is indescribably beautiful and a thing unto itself. But now, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/amazon-rainforest-burning/">the Amazon is burning like never before</a>. 

The <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/weather/2019/08/21/amazonian-rainforest-is-ablaze-turning-day-into-night-brazils-capital-city/">Washington Post</a> reports that the Brazilian Amazon has experienced an 85% increase in fires since January compared to last year. There have been 74,115 fires in the Amazon since January. The fires of course come during the Amazon’s dry season, which is only slightly drier than usual. The climate of the Amazon this year is actually well within normal ranges. 

The cause of the increase in fires seems to be traced to humans. Most of the Amazon’s fires are caused by people, clearing land for agriculture or other activities that create fires on purpose or by accident. The fires were so large this year that 1,700 miles away, the sky over the city of São Paulo was blackened as if day turned to night for about an hour. The smoke was far reaching to the point that it can be seen from space. 

The Brazilian state of Amazonas has already declared a national emergency due to the urgency of the fires there. Amazonas is the fourth most affected state in Brazil by the fires. The peak of fire season in Brazil comes in September so the fires haven’t ended yet. No matter how many more come, the fires are part of a political shift in Brazil. 

The fires are potentially connected directly to changes in policy in Brazil’s government and an increasingly friendly attitude towards deforestation fostered by president <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/president-brazil-amazon-rainforest/">Jair Bolsonaro</a>. Satellite photos from Brazil’s space agency show that in 2019, 3,700 square kilometers of forests have been <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dramatic-increase-brazilian-deforestation/">removed</a> in Brazil. This number represents a more than <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-brazil-environment/brazil-deforestation-exceeds-88-in-june-under-bolsonaro-idUSKCN1TY1VU">88% increase</a> in deforestation in June from the same month in 2018. Combined with other months, this means that deforestation in Brazil is well on its way to far surpass deforestation last year. The deforestation increases the likelihood of fires. 

Interestingly, deforestation laws under Bolsonaro haven’t changed and people who clear more of their land than allowed by law can still face substantial fines. What has changed is the rhetoric. Bolsonaro has been outspoken on developing the Amazon and talks as if conservation is merely a stumbling block to progress. It’s thought that the increase in deforestation is merely from people clearing more land with less than adequate law enforcement intervention. The fires and connected deforestation are likely to have long lasting and widespread consequences in Brazil and perhaps the world. 

The Amazon may be close to a tipping point. A recent report from <a href="https://www2.gmu.edu/">George Mason University </a>and <a href="https://dwih.com.br/en/brazil-research-institutions">Brazil’s National Institute of Science and Technology</a> published in <a href="https://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a> shows that the Amazon generates about half of its own rainfall. This means that deforestation to a certain level could create a dangerous feedback loop, increasingly drying out the Amazon, causing more forest fires, fewer trees, and less and less rain. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-fires-may-help-dieback-emit-carbon-hurry-climate-change-2019-8">Business Insider</a> calls this scenario a “Doomsday ‘Dieback’ scenario” in which the Amazon rainforest continues to spiral towards a drier savanna. 

Scientists warn that the tipping point when we enter this terrible feedback loop may be close at hand. Factors like climate change and fires exacerbate the possibility of an ecological shift to a non-forest environment in the Amazon region. As little as 20 to 25% deforestation rates in certain parts of the Amazon could potentially trigger the ecological shift in certain regions. Some scientists have even suggested that recent large <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drought-damage-amazon-rainforest/">droughts</a> may indicate that the Amazon is close to reaching its tipping point. The loss of the Amazon rainforest would be catastrophic locally as well as globally. 

<a href="https://amazonaid.org/medicinal-secrets-amazon-rainforest/">Amazon Aid Foundation</a> reports that 25% of modern drugs come from plant compounds. Only a tiny portion of the enormous plant diversity in the Amazon rainforest has been tested for medicinal properties, leaving a huge potential. The cultural integrity and autonomy of indigenous and Caboclo cultures also depend on the survival of the Amazon, to say nothing of the plants and animals themselves. 

To a degree survival on the Earth as we know it is dependent on the Amazon. When rainforest is burned, it ruins not only the potential for carbon capture but also directly releases carbon into the atmosphere. The destruction of the Amazon would only speed up and intensify climate change as well as damage oceans and regional fresh water supplies. The Amazon is an important part of the vast and intricate ecosystem we’re all connected to physically and psychologically.  

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS)

Amazon fires could have long-lasting and devastating impacts

The Amazon Rainforest is the largest tropical forest on Earth...

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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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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



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.

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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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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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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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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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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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



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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



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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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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="http://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz. This strait provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean.



Qeshm is separated from the Iranian coast by the Clarence Strait, also known as Khuran.&nbsp;The Hara Forest Protected Area is a network of shallow waterways and forest located between the island and the mainland. This protected region is home to sea turtles, snakes, and more than 150 species of migrating birds.



Qeshm is famous for its wide range of&nbsp;ecotourist&nbsp;attractions, such as the&nbsp;Hara marine forests. According to environmentalists, about 1.5 percent of the world birds and 25 percent of Iran's native <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/female-hummingbirds-avoid-sexual-harassment-by-looking-like-males/">birds</a> annually migrate to the forests, which are the first national geo park in Iran.



Tourists are also drawn to the island to see an age-old Portuguese&nbsp;fort, historic mosques, the&nbsp;Seyyed Mozaffar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Bibi Maryam&nbsp;shrines, and the "Valley of Stars."



The average temperature on the island is 81 degress and the region is often hot and humid. From June to August, the island is described as being oppressively hot. The ideal time to visit is during the winter season. 



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique.&nbsp;



"Inhambane Bay is a deep inlet into which the small Mutamba River flows," says ESA. "On one side of the bay lies the historical city of Inhambane, capital of the Inhambane Province, while the sister city of Maxixe, the economic capital of Inhambane, sits across from it. The province is the second largest grower of cashews, after Nampula, and it also produces coconut and citrus fruits."



The beaches of Barra and Tofo are popular with tourists. There are also coral reefs along the long coastline of Inhambane, making it an ideal destination for scuba diving and snorkeling.



"Mozambique’s extensive coastline heightens the country’s vulnerability to tropical cyclones that develop in the Indian Ocean as well as storm surge flooding," says ESA.



"More than half of the population lives in low lying coastal areas, putting communities at risk. Inhambane Bay was dangerously close to where Cyclone Idai made landfall in 2019 causing widespread destruction to the country."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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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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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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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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