A new phenomenon dubbed "ice piracy" is unfolding in the frigid wilderness of West Antarctica, where one glacier appears to be stealing ice from its neighbor. 



This unusual behavior - once believed to take hundreds or even thousands of years - has now been recorded happening in under two decades.



Scientists from the University of Leeds, working with international collaborators, have used high-resolution satellite data to reveal that a fast-moving glacier is redirecting ice flow away from its slower neighbor.



This surprising event is changing how scientists understand the dynamics of glaciers - and how such shifts may contribute to future sea-level rise. Their findings, now published in The Cryosphere, provide rare insight into these rapid changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fast-paced-shift-in-the-ice">Fast-paced shift in the ice</h2>



Between 2005 and 2022, researchers observed that seven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-streams-move-unpredictably-due-to-hidden-quakes/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice streams</a> in the Pope, Smith, and Kohler (PSK) region of West Antarctica sped up significantly. 



One glacier nearly doubled its speed - an 87% increase - at the point where it meets the ocean. 



Three other glaciers accelerated by 60% to 84%. By 2022, six of these streams were moving at more than 700 meters (0.4 miles) per year. That’s the equivalent of covering just over seven football fields in just one year.



This kind of acceleration, especially so close to the grounding line - the point where a glacier starts to float - is a warning sign. 



Grounding lines help track the stability of ice sheets. Changes in their position or speed suggest the system is out of balance and can influence how ice flows inland.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slowing-glaciers-leads-to-ice-piracy">Slowing glaciers leads to ice piracy</h2>



But not every glacier followed the same pattern. The Kohler West glacier actually slowed down by 10% during the same time period. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Glacier-velocity-change_2005-2022_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Glacier-velocity-change_2005-2022_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The image depicts the average change in velocity of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2005 to 2022. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1969732"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The image depicts the average change in velocity of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2005 to 2022. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



This stood in stark contrast to nearby glaciers like Kohler East and Smith West, which sped up dramatically - by about 560 meters per year.



The slowdown puzzled scientists, until they looked at the ice flow patterns.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-kohler-west-and-kohler-east">Kohler West and Kohler East</h2>



“We think that the observed slowdown on Kohler West Glacier is due to the redirection of ice flow towards its neighbor - Kohler East," explained lead author Dr. Heather L. Selley from the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Leeds</a>.



"This is due to the large change in Kohler West’s surface slope, likely caused by the vastly different thinning rates on its neighboring <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-glaciers-flow-faster-during-the-summer-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glaciers</a>.” 



She added that because Kohler East’s ice stream is flowing and thinning faster as it travels, it absorbs, or ‘steals’ ice from Kohler West. 



"This is effectively an act of ‘ice piracy’, where ice flow is redirected from one glacier to another, and the accelerating glacier is essentially ‘thieving’ ice from its slowing neighbor,” explained Selley.



“We didn’t know ice streams could ‘steal’ ice from each over such a short period, so this is a fascinating discovery. It’s unprecedented as we're seeing this from satellite data and it’s happening at a rate of under 18 years, whereas we’ve always thought it was this extremely long, slow process,” she added.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-watching-ice-piracy-from-space">Watching ice piracy from space</h2>



To track this shift, the research team used satellite images and a technique that follows the movement of surface features like crevasses and rifts. 



They also incorporated data on ice thinning from the European Space Agency’s <a href="https://www.esa.int/Applications/Observing_the_Earth/FutureEO/CryoSat" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CryoSat mission</a>.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_speed-direction_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_2015-2022_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_speed-direction_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_2015-2022_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The image depicts the average speed and direction of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2015 to 2022. The arrows show change in direction of flow. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1969725"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The image depicts the average speed and direction of multiple glaciers flowing into the Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves in West Antarctica from 2015 to 2022. The arrows show change in direction of flow. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



Data was sourced from satellites operated by ESA, NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.



“This study provides an interesting demonstration of ice piracy, where flow into one glacier gradually switches to flow into another glacier, as the ocean melts the grounding zone and re-configures ice flow,” said Pierre Dutrieux, climate researcher at the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Antarctic Survey</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-does-any-of-this-matter">Why does any of this matter?</h2>



The research team looked into several factors that influence ice flow, including <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-temperatures-are-rising-faster-than-expected-and-likely-to-accelerate/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ocean temperatures</a>, circulation changes, air temperature, and snowfall. 



They discovered that ice redirection is affecting the amount of ice reaching the floating ice shelves fed by these glaciers.



Two major ice shelves - the Crosson and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctica-ice-shapes-never-seen-by-humans-dotson-ice-shelf-ran-submersible/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dotson</a> - are already among the fastest-changing outlets in West Antarctica. 



Crosson spans roughly 40 miles (60 kilometers), and Dotson stretches about 30 miles (48 kilometers). Both are thinning and retreating at their grounding lines.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_map_ESA_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Antarctica_ice-piracy_Crosson-Dotson-Ice-Shelves_map_ESA_1s.webp" alt="The Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves are situated in West Antarctica. These huge ice shelves are fed by numerous glaciers flowing towards the Amundsen Sea. Credit: ESA" class="wp-image-1969723"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The Crosson and Dotson Ice Shelves are situated in West Antarctica. These huge ice shelves are fed by numerous glaciers flowing towards the Amundsen Sea. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ESA</figcaption></figure>



“The changes in flow direction have substantially altered the ice mass flux into Dotson and Crosson Ice Shelves, likely playing an important role in maintaining Dotson and accelerating the deterioration of Crosson," explained Professor Anna Hogg, co-author and Professor of Earth Observation at the University of Leeds.



“This suggests that ice flow redirection is an important new process in contemporary <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-sheet-fracture-sets-a-speed-record-in-antarctica/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ice sheet dynamics</a>, which is required to understand present-day structural change in glaciers and the future evolution of these systems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ice-piracy-rising-seas-global-impacts">Ice piracy, rising seas, global impacts</h2>



The stakes are high. Sea levels are already rising due to climate change, and over 410 million people could be affected by coastal flooding by the year 2100. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-sea-levels-spiked-dramatically-in-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global sea levels</a> have increased by more than 10 centimeters over the past decade.



“This new study highlights the unique ability of satellites to provide both the temporal and spatial coverage required to assess change in the polar regions,” remarked Dr. Martin Wearing, ESA Digital Twin Earth Scientist and Polar Science Cluster Coordinator.



Using data from Copernicus Sentinel-1 and ESA's Earth Explorer CryoSat, the team has revealed the complex evolution of ice flow in part of West Antarctica over the past few decades. 



Understanding these changing dynamics and what drives them is crucial for improved projections of future ice-sheet change and contributions to sea-level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-does-it-all-mean">What does it all mean?</h2>



To sum it all up, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-ice-sheet-past-present-and-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Antarctic ice sheet</a> - once thought to be sluggish and stable over millennia - is changing much faster than we realized, and in unexpected ways. 



This discovery of "ice piracy" shows that glaciers can dynamically interact, competing for ice and rerouting flow like rivers shifting course, which completely reshapes how we model future sea-level rise.



If one glacier can weaken another by stealing its ice, entire ice systems may destabilize quicker than predicted, feeding more ice into the ocean and raising sea levels. 



In plain terms: Antarctica isn’t just melting - it’s reorganizing itself in ways that could have big consequences for coastal cities around the world.



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The study brought together experts from the University of Leeds, the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">British Antarctic Survey</a>, and the UK Centre for Polar Observation and Modelling (<a href="https://cpom.org.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CPOM</a>), which is led from <a href="https://www.northumbria.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northumbria University</a>. 



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://tc.copernicus.org/articles/19/1725/2025/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Cryosphere</a>.



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Ice piracy: Antarctic glacier discovered 'stealing' ice from its neighbor, and that's not a good thing

A new phenomenon dubbed "ice piracy" is unfolding in the frigid wilderness of West Antarctica, where one glacier appears to be stealing ice from its neighbor. This unusual behavior - once believed to take hundreds or even thousands of years - has now been recorded happening in under two decades. Scientists from the University of Leeds, working with international collaborators, have used high-resolution satellite data to reveal that a fast-moving glacier is redirecting ice flow away from its slower neighbor. This surprising event is changing how scientists...

Discussion surrounding the impacts of climate change typically include all the usual suspects such as sea level rise linked to sea ice melt, or increases in global temperatures linked to increases in atmospheric greenhouse gas emissions. What might not immediately come to mind is how <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/high-co2-levels-stratus-clouds/#.XJvDxihKhPY">cloud cover impacts temperatures</a>.

This is because the feedback loop between cloud cover and temperature, although a crucial player in climate change, is little understood among researchers and a major uncertainty in climate modeling.

Researchers from Sweden, Finland, and Norway led by <a href="https://www.swansea.ac.uk/">Swansea University</a>’s Tree Ring Research Group conducted a study analyzing tree ring data to understand how cloud cover impacts temperature over both the long and short term.

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2018GL081046">Geophysical Research Letters.</a>

Northern Fennoscandia, which encompasses parts of Finland, Norway, and Sweden along with the Scandinavian Peninsula, has not experienced the same rates of summer warming as other parts of the world due to climate change.

The region should be strongly affected by climate change, but temperature trends tell a different story, and the researchers theorize that increases in cloud cover over northern Scandinavia are keeping the region relatively cool.

“The surface warming caused by rising greenhouse gases is modified by many complicated feedbacks - one thing changing in response to another - meaning that there are large geographical variations in the temperature of a particular place at a particular time, as the global average temperature rises. One of the most important, and most poorly understood, climate feedbacks is the relationship between temperature and clouds,” said Mary Gagen, an author of the study. “We might think that, simply, when it is cool it is cloudy, and when it is warm it is sunny, but that is not always the case.”

For the study, the researchers analyzed tree ring records, using both tree ring width and carbon measurements to help reconstruct summer cloud cover over the years for northern Scandinavia.

Tree rings can tell researchers much more than just the age of the tree including how cloudy it was when each ring was formed.

“We found that over short timescales, increased cloud cover lead to cooler temperatures and vice versa in the past,” said Danny McCarroll, a co-author of the study.”

However, McCarrol also explained that over longer periods of time, from decades to centuries, cloud cover correlated with warmer cycles and reduced local temperatures.

“One of the main sources of uncertainty about future climate change is the way that clouds are going to respond to warming, cloud cover has a really big influence on temperature at the surface of the Earth,” said Gagen. “What is really worrying is that climate models have shown that, if greenhouse gas emissions are allowed to continue...then some of the most important clouds for cooling our planet, the big banks of oceanic clouds that reflect a lot of sunlight back to space, could stop forming altogether and this would really accelerate warming.”

--

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: Professor Mary Gagen, Swansea University

Increased cloud cover buffers against warming temperatures

Discussion surrounding the impacts of climate change typically include all...

The <a href="https://public.wmo.int/en">World Meteorological Organization (WMO)</a> has issued its annual <a href="https://library.wmo.int/index.php?lvl=notice_display&amp;id=20799#.XJ4nTZhKhPY">Statement on the State of the Global Climate</a>, which reveals that the impacts of climate change are ramping up.

2018 was a year of record <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coastal-communities-sea-level-flooding/#.XJ4xcphKhPY">sea level rise</a>, and over the past four years, ocean and surface temperatures skyrocketed due to the increase in greenhouse gas emissions, according to the 25th edition of the WMO report.

“Since the Statement was first published, climate science has achieved an unprecedented degree of robustness, providing authoritative evidence of global temperature increase and associated features such as accelerating sea level rise, shrinking sea ice, glacier retreat and extreme events such as heat waves,” said Petteri Taalas, the WMO Secretary-General.

When the WMO first released its State of the Global Climate in 1994, CO2 levels were at 357.0 parts per million, and in 2017 that number increased to 405 parts per million with no signs of slowing down.

Data from the national meteorological services were analyzed for the report, and agencies from the<a href="http://www.un.org/en/"> United Nations</a> and scientific experts helped provide important input.

Flooding, severe storms, wildfires, and extreme heat all linked to climate change caused serious devastation in 2018.

In the US, Hurricane Florence and Hurricane Michael were just two of 14 US disasters that cost billions of dollars in disaster relief and recovery. More than 1,600 deaths worldwide were due to heat waves and wildfires.

The number of undernourished people in the world has also increased due to a decrease in food security caused by climate change and weather extremes.

When severe disasters occur, people are displaced sometimes permanently from their homes. and The report found that as of September 2018, over two million people had been displaced because of weather and climate-related disasters.

As climate change impacts are speeding up, it further jeopardizes coastal communities, crop yields, the future of food security and unfortunately, 2019 is looking to be just as severe.

“Extreme weather has continued in the early 2019, most recently with Tropical Cyclone Idai, which caused devastating floods and tragic loss of life in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi. It may turn out to be one of the deadliest weather-related disasters to hit the southern hemisphere,” said Taalas.

--

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>

The impacts of climate change are accelerating, WMO report finds

The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has issued its annual Statement...

The benefits of urban green spaces go far beyond just helping spruce up a city neighborhood. Research has shown that urban green spaces can help guard against <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-spaces-decline-dementia/#.XJ0g6phKhPY">mental decline</a>, improve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/green-spaces-good-health/#.XJ0X75hKhPY">overall health and wellbeing</a>, and help mitigate the impacts of exposure to CO2 emissions. 

Now, a new study has found that tree cover can help combat the “urban heat island” effect where human activities, vast stretches of blacktop and concrete, and an increase in emissions cause cities to be significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Madison</a> conducted an extensive study examining how tree cover impacts city temperatures on a block by black basis. 

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Enough tree cover can reduce daytime summer temperatures by as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and as summer temperatures are getting more extreme in cities across the world, it will become increasingly important to find sustainable and green solutions to help keep areas cool. 

“We knew that cities are warmer than the surrounding countryside, but we found that temperatures vary just as much within cities. Keeping temperatures more comfortable on hot summer days can make a big difference for those of us who live and work there,” said Monica Turner, the co-author of the study.

Previous studies researching the “urban heat island” effect used satellite measurements of ground surface temperatures, but these measurements are not precise enough to show how temperatures vary from neighborhood to neighborhood, and the researchers needed a way to collect temperature data on a much smaller scale. 

The solution to this problem was rather unique. Carly Ziter, the lead author of the study, attached air temperature sensors to a bike and rode all around the city of Madison, Wisconsin in the summer of 2016, capturing air temperature readings every second. Ziter biked across ten different transects of the city. 

The data showed that the “heat island effect” is more like a “heat archipelago” where patches of the city are hotter than others due to lack of shade. 

The researchers analyzed the data and found that tree cover exceeding 40 percent or more was required to reap the maximum cooling benefits. 

Once that 40 percent threshold was crossed, air temperature was significantly cooler compared to other less shady areas. 

Unfortunately, the researchers say that it’s not just enough to go out and plant more trees, but that city planners need to carefully consider which areas will benefit most from more trees and which areas can easily expand to include more tree cover. 

“It's not really enough to just kind of go out and plant trees, we really need to think about how many we're planting and where we're planting them,” said Ziter. “We're not saying planting one tree does nothing, but you're going to have a bigger effect if you plant a tree, and your neighbor plants a tree and their neighbor plants a tree.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: UW-Madison

Tree cover can help cool the urban heat island effect in the summer

The benefits of urban green spaces go far beyond just...

Tropical mountains are becoming increasingly important places of refuge for plants and animals that perform vital functions such as carbon storage and nutrient retention. However, just as plants and animals are coming under intense pressure from climate change, these tropical mountain regions are threatened by the spread of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/conservation-agriculture-water-california/">agriculture</a> and human land use changes. 

An international team of researchers led by scientists at <a href="https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julius-Maximilians-Universit%C3%A4t_W%C3%BCrzburg">Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg</a> (JMU) set out to study how human land use impacts biodiversity and ecosystem functions on the southern slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro. For six years, data was collected at different elevations by 50 researchers from 30 universities and research institutes.

“The present study is unique in terms of the number of recorded species groups and ecological functions, the number of studied sites and the elevation gradient from tropical savanna to Afroalpine ecosystems,” said Professor Ingolf Steffan-Dewenter, who initiated the research.

On Mount Kilimanjaro, the highest mountain in Africa, the climate conditions change with elevation, as well as the plant and animal species that live there. Maize is most commonly grown in the foothills, while coffee and livestock are raised in higher elevations. 

After studying the richness of individual species and ecosystem functions such as pollination and soil nutrient content, the research team determined that human land use leads to a significant loss of biodiversity and alters the ecosystem functions of tropical mountains. The intensity of the changes varied by elevation.

“In the savanna zone at the foot of the mountain, up to 50 percent of species are lost even when land use is moderate and the functionality of ecosystems exhibits significant changes. In contrast, the ecosystems at medium elevations with a moderate climate are slightly more robust,” said study co-author Marcell Peters.

“Our study underpins that different drivers of global change cannot be addressed separately; the impact of land use is also influenced by the climatic situation and vice versa,” said Professor Steffan-Dewenter. “We hope that our study will contribute to a better understanding of how global environmental changes affect biodiversity and ecological functions on tropical mountains and will help to preserve these unique ecosystems in the long run.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Antonia Mayr / University of Würzburg

Human land use changes affect performance of tropical mountain ecosystems

Tropical mountains are becoming increasingly important places of refuge for...

Farmers are having an increasingly difficult time as a result of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-hinder-agriculture/">climate change</a>, and developing countries are getting hit the hardest. Climate scientists have developed a tool to determine where farmers are the most susceptible to the changing conditions in an effort to guide the distribution of limited funding to where it is needed most.

The Climate Risk Vulnerability Assessment (CRVA) was created using the latest crop models to simulate the suitability of present and future climate conditions for specific crops. The scientists applied this data, as well as expertise from local farmers, to the current trajectory of high greenhouse gas emissions.

“While climate change impacts on dominant crops will have global and national ramifications, marginalized, poor communities that rely on small-scale agriculture will be the most affected,” said study lead author Louis Parker. “CRVA goes a step further in helping to identify where those vulnerable communities are.”

The study was conducted by the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS) in Vietnam, Uganda, and Nicaragua. These three developing countries are particularly vulnerable to extreme droughts, flooding, and heat. 

The CRVA is different from existing vulnerability assessments because of its ability to integrate a wide range of crops, natural hazards, and social factors into a standardized score.

Study co-author Peter Läderach is a CCAFS researcher at the <a href="https://ciat.cgiar.org/">International Center for Tropical Agriculture</a> (CIAT).

“CRVA is a big step forward for decision-makers, especially in countries across the tropics that are hard-hit by climate change,” said Läderach. “It has major potential to increase the efficiency of climate-related development projects for the most vulnerable smallholder farmers.”

The researchers used the definition of vulnerability outlined by the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which describes a community’s vulnerability as a combination of its exposure, sensitivity, and adaptive capacity.

“Both the approach and information derived from the study can inform decision-makers and NGOs on ensuring strategic interventions that are targeted to best support rural communities most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change,” said Parker.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Georgina Smith - International Center for Tropical Agriculture

New tool measures how vulnerable farming regions are to climate change

Farmers are having an increasingly difficult time as a result...

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a somewhat legendary place that seems unique in the world in many aspects.  The wildlife of PNG is certainly unusual, as the large island is home to tree climbing kangaroos. A large island nation of 178,704 square miles, it’s also remote and extremely rugged, with much of the interior little known to science.  Even so, there are probably at least 200,000 plant and animal species on PNG, where half of the species are estimated to be still unnamed.

PNG is home to a large portion of the world’s third largest <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/woody-vines-smothering-trees/">tropical rainforest</a>.  Many aspects of human culture are unusual in Papua New Guinea as well. Geographic features such as mountain chains and rivers that divide animal populations and create more speciation (and biodiversity) also lead to the formation of different human cultures.  

Perhaps due to PNG’s rugged landscape, the country has the largest diversity of human languages, with 841 living languages and 12 extinct, according to <a href="https://www.ethnologue.com/country/PG">Ethnologue</a>.  840 of the living languages are indigenous languages.  Of this diversity of languages, 124 are threatened and 40 seem to be actually dying.  Similar to factors that drive diversity in culture and biology, similar environmental factors can favor simplification and extinctions.  

Some animals like the Norwegian rat (Rattus norvegicus) are so successful in new environments they outcompete native species, driving them towards extinction and simplifying a complex ecosystem.  Similarly, certain cultural aspects such as religion (Christianity and Islam are good examples) spread and outcompete in many cases indigenous beliefs.  This is true in the case of language as well, as some languages such as English and Mandarin are thriving the world over, while others such as Haida or Kawishana are becoming rarer and rarer.  

The reasons for the relative success of both species and cultural elements are usually contextual, as the animal or language survives because it fits well into the environment it is competing in.  This is all to say that in Papua New Guinea, cultural diversity and biodiversity are both threatened and the key to saving one may be the key to saving the other.

All the regulations needed to protect the unique environment of Papua New Guinea are in place.  Unfortunately, <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2019/02/beautiful-legislation-fails-to-protect-pngs-environment-landowners/">Mongabay</a> reports that enforcement of environmental law leaves the regulations toothless.  Much of the environmental legislation in PNG is actually part of a legacy of colonialism left by Australia.  Independence was declared in Papua New Guinea in only 1975, so colonial rule is still in living memory and it’s not surprising that it isn’t a memory many want to re-live.  Beyond that, much of the environmental laws were originally crafted for use in England or Australia and simply imported into PNG without any thought to the difference in environment and cultures.  

<a href="https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/11713/In-Papua-New-Guinea-an-Indigenous-Tribes-Journey-to-Protect-its-Forest.aspx">Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) Newsroom</a> reports that 25% of New Guinea’s rainforest has been destroyed in the last 30 years.  <a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/11/evicted-for-a-showpiece-project-this-png-community-fights-for-justice/">Mongabay</a> found that often development that destroys PNG’s natural forests also disenfranchises local people.  As host of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in 2018, Papua New Guinea evicted thousands of people near a conference hall for development of a show piece.  As APEC’s poorest member nation, it seems the government of PNG put perception of their nation over the realities faced by their own populace. Top-down government hasn’t traditionally held sway in Papua New Guinea, though.      

[caption id="attachment_1870436" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lake-papua.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1870436" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/lake-papua.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="438" /></a> Lake near Mount Wilhelm in Papua New Guinea, Image Credit: Michal Knitl[/caption]

Today, 97% of land in Papua New Guinea is customarily owned, not private or state property.  The land is governed instead by the customs of tribes and clans which use land for hunting, fishing, living and farming.  It’s actually illegal to sell this communally owned land as private property in PNG. All decisions on land management must be made by consensus of the community managing the land.  Many see this ‘bottom up’ community-led governance system as a way forward for conservation in Papua New Guinea, while the modern ‘top down’ government is a relic of the colonial period.  

<a href="https://news.mongabay.com/2018/07/decolonizing-conservation-qa-with-png-marine-activist-john-aini/">Mongabay</a> reports that John Aini is a traditional community leader in Papua New Guinea as well as an award winning conservationist and fisheries scientist.  Aini believes that conservation projects that balance indigenous communities with scientists are more successful than the older colonial approach to conservation.  John Aini and his brother, Miller Aini and anthropologist Paige West, founded The Roviana Solwara Skul (Salt water School), a school that teaches both western conservation science and traditional knowledge.  John Aini has spoken out about ‘decolonizing’ conservation. The local, indigenous model of conservation Aini is promoting in Papua New Guinea flies in the face of the United States model of big government protecting each park with little regard to local desires, traditions or cultures.  The American model has often led to evicting indigenous people in North America as well as other places, such as Africa where it has been implemented. Besides the injustice, this model also distorts views of nature as an ‘other’ place, somewhere people can’t and shouldn’t live instead of a view of humans as an integral part of nature.  

Unfortunately, the grassroots, indigenous approach to conservation isn’t popular with large NGOs.  Many organizations pay lip service to working with local communities, but the reality often falls short.  Sometimes local people are given jobs but rarely are whole conservation efforts and high end leadership roles given over to indigenous or local communities.  John Aini told Mongabay that he’s given up on trying to work with large NGOs, instead finding other means of funding his efforts.  

Papua New Guinea is a rapidly changing place that only very recently came into contact with the ‘outside’ world.  Not only are forests at risk but also ways of living with those forests that have held sway and developed in isolation over 60,000 years since humans first arrived on PNG.  Social justice for the local people in places like Papua New Guinea is intimately tied to environmental justice. 

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Conservation in Papua New Guinea relies on community-led efforts

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a somewhat legendary place that...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.rug.nl/?lang=en">University of Groningen</a> shows that the wildlife in Africa’s Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is being “squeezed” to the core by increasing <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/human-activity-shrink-natural-habitats-species/">human activity</a>. After analyzing 40 years worth of data, researchers realized that, in some areas within the Serengeti-Mara region, there has been a 400% increase in human population and a 75% decrease in Kenyan wildlife populations in a single decade.

"This finding alters our view on what is needed to protect biodiversity,” said lead author Dr. Michiel Veldhuis, via the study published in <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

Although the Serengeti-Mara ecosystem, which spans 40,000 square kilometers, is protected, human activity around the protected area borders has a negative impact on plants, animals, and soils. Human population growth and increase in livestock within the buffer zones between protected and unprotected land has limited the space for wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle migration. Therefore, these larger species are spending more time grazing less nutritious grasses than in decades past, thus changing the vegetation, occurrence of natural fires, and changing grazing habits of other native species.

[caption id="attachment_1870410" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/border-of-Maswa-Game-Reserve.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1870410" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/border-of-Maswa-Game-Reserve.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="488" /></a> The border of the Maswa Game Reserve, Image Credit: Michiel Veldhuis, University of Groningen[/caption]

"The intense compression of a large protected area, such as the Serengeti-Mara, should ring alarm bells because most other protected areas are far smaller in size and therefore experience even more intense pressures from human activities impinging on their borders,” said contributing researcher Dr. Joseph Ogutu from the <a href="https://www.uni-hohenheim.de/en/english">University of Hohenheim</a>. “In countries where far more wildlife are still found outside than inside protected areas, such as Kenya where more than 65% of wildlife occur outside protected areas, expanding human population size, livestock and human activities pose serious and unprecedented threats to wildlife populations."

The effects of human population increase trickle down the entire natural food chain, and has the potential to damage microorganisms that help the ecosystem absorb nutrients necessary to fight the effects of climate change, such as drought.

[caption id="attachment_1870411" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Wildebeest-in-the-Serengeti-National-Park-Tanzania.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1870411" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Wildebeest-in-the-Serengeti-National-Park-Tanzania.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="433" /></a> Wildebeest in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania, Image Credit: James Probert, University of Liverpool[/caption]

"There is an urgent need to rethink how we manage the boundaries of protected areas to be able to conserve biodiversity,” Dr. Veldhuis said. “The future of the world's most iconic protected area and their associated human population may depend on it."

"We should rethink our protected area strategy, making sure that conservation efforts do not stop at protected area boundaries,” added contributing researcher Dr. Simon Mduma.

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: Han Olff, University of Groningen

The iconic Serengeti-Mara ecosystem is being stifled by human activity

A new study from the University of Groningen shows that...

Scientists have found 53 alien marine species that have made the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/galapagos-islands-ban-fireworks/">Galápagos</a><a href="http://www.earth.com/news/galapagos-islands-ban-fireworks/"> Islands</a> their home. Prior to this study, published in <a href="http://www.aquaticinvasions.net/">Aquatic Invasions</a>, only five species were previously documented.

"This increase in alien species is a stunning discovery, especially since only a small fraction of the Galápagos Islands was examined in this initial study," said coauthor Greg Ruiz, a marine biologist with the <a href="https://serc.si.edu/">Smithsonian Environmental Research Center</a>.

"This is the greatest reported increase in the recognition of alien species for any tropical marine region in the world," added lead author James Carlton, an emeritus professor of the <a href="https://mystic.williams.edu/">Maritime Studies Program of Williams College-Mystic Seaport</a>.

Ruiz and Carlton began their study in 2015 with field surveys of Santa Cruz and Baltra — two of the larger Galápagos Islands. The pair, along with Inti Keith of the <a href="https://www.darwinfoundation.org/en/">Charles Darwin Foundation</a>, hung settlement plates from docks one meter underwater to see what species would begin to grow. The team also took samples from mangrove roots, floating docks and other coastal debris, as well as scanned records to see if identified marine species had been previously overlooked.

The researchers identified 30 new alien species believed to have been on the islands for decades, yet went unnoticed. Another 17 non-native species were previously falsely identified as native, however Ruiz, Carlton, and Keith found that they were actually alien. And a final alien species, called the bryozoan Watersipora subtorquata, was discovered in 1987, yet remained unidentified until now.

[caption id="attachment_1870371" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Amathia-verticillata.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1870371" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Amathia-verticillata.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="488" /></a> Amathia verticillata, Image Credit: Dan Minchin/Marine Organism Investigations[/caption]

According to the research, most of the non-native species found were sea squirts, marine worms, and moss animals (bryozoans), and they all arrived on ships traveling from distant tropical locations, the team believes. 

Some of these alien species are invasive. The the bryozoan Amathia verticillata, for example, is known to damage pipes and fishing gear, as well as killing native seagrasses. And the date mussel Leiosolenus aristatus has already begun to attach itself to Galápagos coral.

"This discovery resets how we think about what's natural in the ocean around the Galápagos, and what the impacts may be on these high-value conservation areas," said Carlton.

Although the Galápagos have a very strict biosecurity program, instated to protect the native species of the islands by way of employing divers to inspect and turn away incoming marine vessels for inadvertently carrying non-native species, the risk for alien species invasion remains high.

The researchers say that the expansion of the Panama Canal in 2015 could cause the the predatory lionfish to the Galápagos, where it could wreak havoc on the native fish species. As could the invasive Indo-Pacific snowflake coral, which has already brought death to native coral in South America.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Galápagos Islands have far more invasive species than previously thought

Scientists have found 53 alien marine species that have made...

A research team led by Salim Al-Babili, an associate professor of plant science at the <a href="https://kaust.edu.sa/en">King Abdullah University of Science and Technology</a>, has found that by using plant hormones, they can hinder the growth of pesky weeds that threaten food security in Africa. 

Their findings will be published in <a href="https://nph.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/25722611">Plants, People, Planet</a>.

Striga hermonthica, also known as purple witchweed, is a <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/invasive-plants-change-environment/">mega-invasive plant</a> that is estimated to ruin up to 40% of the food crops in sub-Saharan Africa, thus putting 300 million people in danger. 

Striga is a parasitic plant that attaches itself to the root of other host plants. However, the scientists realized that if Striga has no host to attach to, it will die out.

Al-Babili and his colleagues therefore exploited a hormone in Striga called strigolactones, which is responsible for Striga’s germination. 

When treating a bare crop with strigolactones, the Striga plants were tricked into believing a host plant is near by. But when the Striga germinates and finds there is no host to attach its seeds to, the plant dies.

With this method, Al-Babili and team were able to reduce the number of Striga plants by more than half.

Al-Babili has been rewarded with a $5 million grant from the Bill &amp; Melinda Gates Foundation to further his work reducing Striga population spread. 

The team notes that this method of treating the Striga problem doesn’t require additional water — it simply works when the rain falls — and can be applied to crop fields throughout crop rotation.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Plant hormones can be used in the fight against crop invaders

A research team led by Salim Al-Babili, an associate professor...

Researchers have compared the number of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/antibiotic-resistant-organisms-dust/">antibiotic resistance</a> genes found in the water treatment plants of seven European countries. The study revealed that the number of antibiotic resistance genes in wastewater corresponds with the number of such bacteria collected in samples from patients in that region. This number was also found to coincide with the overall antibiotic consumption in any given area.

On a positive note, the investigators determined that modern, well-functioning wastewater plants are effective in removing bacteria resistant to antibiotics from the water during the treatment process.

On the other hand, the study produced evidence that shows it is possible for a treatment plant to function as an incubator of antibiotic resistance under certain conditions. Out of 12 treatment plants studied, the number of antibiotic resistance genes increased during the purification process in one facility.

“In this study, 11 of the 12 wastewater treatment plants under investigation mitigated the resistance problem, which seems to indicate that modern plants work well in this regard,” said Marko Virta, a microbiologist at the <a href="https://www.helsinki.fi/en">University of Helsinki</a>.

“At the same time, an older plant or otherwise deficient purification process may end up increasing antibiotic resistance in the environment. We need more research findings from countries with high antibiotic consumption and less developed wastewater treatment practices.”

The researchers found that antibiotic use varies greatly by country in Europe. Southern Europeans use much more antibiotics compared to people in the north, which was reflected in the finding that residents of southern Europe tend to carry a much higher number of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

Antibiotic use was also found to be higher in Spain, Portugal, Cyprus, and Ireland, while antibiotics are prescribed and used less in Finland, Norway, and Germany. According to the study, the number of resistance genes found in wastewater bound for purification accurately represented the levels of usage in these countries. 

The treatment plants were successful in eliminating resistance from most of the samples. The share of antibiotic resistance genes found in the wastewater only increased during purification at one Portuguese treatment plant, which turned the plant into an incubator of antibiotic resistance.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Levels of antibiotic resistance in a region can be measured in wastewater

Researchers have compared the number of antibiotic resistance genes found...

A new study from <a href="https://www.pdx.edu/">Portland State University</a> has revealed that there is greater potential for flooding and extreme heat in East Portland's low-income neighborhoods where there are fewer green spaces. In particular, the research was focused on nuisance flooding, which is the kind of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/historic-flooding-nebraska-iowa/">flooding</a> that shuts down roads, overwhelms storm drains, and flows into basements.

Portland is burdened with extreme heat in the summer months and frequent flooding in the winter and spring, and these conditions will only become worse as a result of climate change. 

The PSU researchers mapped winter flood and summer heat hazard potential and then compared it to sociodemographic and physical variables across individual neighborhoods, including population density, income, and green space.

The study revealed that the areas with the greatest combined hazard potential were poorer communities clustered in East Portland, Southeast Portland, and North Portland. By contrast, the city's wealthier neighborhoods in the western hills, central Northeast, and in the Southwest showed the lowest risk for extreme heat and flooding.

Heejun Chang is a Geography professor in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at PSU and the director of the Water as an Integrated System and Environment (WISE) research group.

“Not surprisingly, those poorer, low-lying areas on the eastside along Highway 205 are disproportionately exposed to floods and urban heat islands,” said Professor Chang. “Those are the potential target areas where the city needs to pay attention to.”


According to Professor Chang, planting trees is an easy and effective action to ease both urban heat and flooding. 

“If you can better manage land, you can better manage water in the urban areas. During the summer, trees can provide shading and reduce the heat island effect. But during winter, they can intercept the rainwater, hold water in the soils longer, and release water gradually.”

Professor Chang said that in some areas where impervious surface areas are too high, green roofs might be a better alternative. His team will continue to explore ways to expand green infrastructure to reduce the potential for extreme heat and nuisance flooding.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/international-journal-of-disaster-risk-reduction">International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Low-income areas are more vulnerable to severe heat and flooding

A new study from Portland State University has revealed that...

Emissions from coal plants are climbing even amidst warnings that continued fossil fuel use will make <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/2030-limit-climate-change-warming/#.XJo0ZChKhPY">limiting global warming</a> to 1.5 Degrees Celsius almost impossible.

The <a href="https://www.iea.org/">International Energy Agency</a>, an organization that analyzes energy use for 30 of the world’s countries (the US included), recently released a report showing that CO2 emissions are increasing to meet growing energy demands. 

According to the report, energy demand increased by 2.3 percent in 2018. Fossil fuels, particularly coal plant emissions, met 70 percent of that growing demand. 

Greenhouse gas emissions to meet energy demand reached 33.1 billion tons last year, a record high and emissions overall increased 1.7 percent. 

Newer coal-fired power plants in Asia emitted more than ten billion tons of CO2, and these plants could continue emitting for the next 40 years.

What the report illustrates how that energy demand is outweighing efforts to reduce emissions. Even though more and more countries are turning to renewables, fossil fuels still reign supreme.

The United States is using less coal overall, but instead of relying more on renewables, the US is using more natural gas, which is still a fossil fuel.  

In India, 50 percent of the growing demand for energy was met using coal plants. 

If we want to limit warming and prevent catastrophic climate change on a global scale, there would have to be a drastic shift in energy use and CO2 emissions would have to decline by 78 percent in the next decade. 

“The growth in fossils is still greater than all the increases in renewables,” Rob Jackson, a professor of Earth system science at Stanford University, told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/03/26/blow-climate-coal-plants-emitted-more-than-ever/?utm_term=.5efa5ccd3c75">Washington Post</a>. “What’s discouraging is that emissions in the U.S. and Europe are going up, too. Someone has to decrease their emissions significantly for us to have any hope of meeting the Paris commitments.”

--

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>

Coal plant emissions were higher than ever in 2018

Emissions from coal plants are climbing even amidst warnings that...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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 



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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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Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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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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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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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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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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Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the complex relationship between ocean and climate. ESA's Climate Change Initiative will help us understand how oceans influence the climate and how climate change is impacting the oceans.&nbsp;



"Earth’s oceans are huge heat stores, soaking up 93% of the excess heat from human activity over the past 70 years. Ocean currents redistribute heat around the planet, from the Equator to the poles. Where this ocean heat goes influences weather patterns and regional climate," explains ESA.



"As well as absorbing heat, oceans are a natural carbon sink, absorbing a quarter of carbon dioxide emissions from human activity. This has led to the acidification of ocean water, threating marine life."



The amount of heat and carbon dioxide soaked up by the ocean depends on specific variables, including phytoplankton, temperatures, waves, salinity, and ice cover. Satellites can be used to measure these variables from space.



"From their unique vantage point, satellites provide key information for understanding the complexities of our planet and monitoring environmental issues," says ESA.



Video Credit: ESA



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



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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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