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.



-----



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...

The Himalayan balsam, which was introduced to the UK in 1839, is more frequently reported than some native plants, according to an annual survey of wild plants in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland. 

The <a href="https://www.npms.org.uk/">National Plant Monitoring Scheme</a> is the UK’s biggest wild plant survey and hundreds of volunteers study local wildflower patches across 30 different habitats from woodlands to heathlands starting in March and ending in September.

Conservation charity <a href="https://www.plantlife.org.uk/uk/about-us/news/is-himalayan-balsam-now-more-common-in-british-woodlands-than-native-wild-flowers">Plantlife</a> is one of the many enterprises that help run the NPMS, and recently the organization raised the alarm after analyzing four years of past NPMS data about the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/invasive-plants-change-environment/#.XJPyNihKhPY">invasive</a> Himalayan balsam. 

The plant has spread rapidly and is forcing out native wild plants in the process. Part of the reason it’s thriving is because of nitrogen emissions from diesel cars. The balsam absorbs these emissions and grows extremely fast. 

Himalayan balsam is more abundant in surveyed woodlands that bugle, woodruff, and wild garlic and it can grow as tall as ten feet. The plant also catapults its many seeds at distances up to 22 feet away from the parent plant. 

If Himalayan balsams are clustered together, surveys have recorded seed densities of 5,000 to 6,000 seeds per square meter. 

“It’s a very high nitrogen-demanding species, and it’s a great big thuggish thing, and it can flatten vegetation around it,” said Dr. Trevor Dines of Plantlife.

Nitrogen pollution isn’t just driving Himalayan balsam growth, as the NPMS data also showed that nettles, brambles, cleavers, hogweed, and cow parsley account for nearly half of all woodland plant sightings. 

Other favorite wildflowers are having a hard time competing and are declining. 

“These early data show a strong correlation between species frequency and soil fertility and are a stark reminder that more than 95% of the UK’s broadleaved woodlands are affected by excessive nitrogen deposition,” said Dines. “The biodiversity of our woodlands is at stake whilst this ‘invisible pollution’ singles out species unable to cope with excessive nitrogen deposition.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Invasive Himalayan balsam feeds on air pollution, chokes native flowers

The Himalayan balsam, which was introduced to the UK in...

Andrew Wheeler, the head of the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> and former coal lobbyist, spoke to <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/epa-administrator-andrew-wheeler-exclusive-interview/">CBS News</a> about what he considers to be the most pressing environmental issues that need to be addressed. 

Wheeler told CBS News chief correspondent Major Garrett that first and foremost is the matter of water and ensuring that people have access to safe and clean drinking water. 

“We have 1,000 children die everyday worldwide because they don't have safe drinking water," said Wheeler. “It takes resources, it takes infrastructure and the United States is working on that. But I really would like to see maybe the United Nations, the World Bank focus more on those problems today to try to save those children.” 

Around three in ten people worldwide do not have access to a safe source of drinking water and six out of ten lack proper sanitation, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/detail/12-07-2017-2-1-billion-people-lack-safe-drinking-water-at-home-more-than-twice-as-many-lack-safe-sanitation">World Health Organization</a>. 

Without safe water or sanitation, the risk of diseases like cholera and diarrhea increase drastically, and in some cases, these diseases can be life-threatening especially for younger people.   

For Wheeler and the Trump administration, clean drinking water “is the biggest environmental threat” currently facing the world right now, but when Garrett pressed the issue of climate change, the EPA head took a decidedly looser stance. 

When Garret asked Wheeler if climate change was human-made, Wheeler responded that we as humans “definitely contribute” to climate change but that in the United States, CO2 emissions are decreasing. 

Wheeler said that “most of the threats from climate change are 50 to 70 years out,” and that 2020 Democratic candidates are unreasonably focusing so much of their platform on the issue. 

While it’s true that the most significant impacts of climate change may not be felt until later in this century, climate scientists agree that the window of opportunity to limit emissions and prevent catastrophic sea level rise, drought, and climate extremes is closing quickly. 

If we wait to address climate change using Wheeler’s frame of thinking, it will be well past the point of no return. 

--

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>

Trump’s EPA head doesn’t consider climate change to be an urgent threat

Andrew Wheeler, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency and...

A federal judge is demanding that the government take climate change into account when opening up public lands for oil and gas leasing. U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras has blocked drilling across 500 square miles of federal land in Wyoming after ruling that laws were violated when the land was auctioned off.

Contreras said that when the <a href="https://www.blm.gov/">U.S. Bureau of Land Management</a> (BLM) auctions public lands for oil and gas leasing, officials must consider emissions from the past, present, and the foreseeable future. The judge explained in a written statement that, since greenhouse gas emissions are driving <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nyc-mayor-plans-climate-change/">climate change</a>, policymakers and the public have not been provided with a sufficient understanding of the drilling’s potential impact, which is required under the National Environmental Policy Act.

“Given the national, cumulative nature of climate change, considering each individual drilling project in a vacuum deprives the agency and the public of the context necessary to evaluate oil and gas drilling on federal land,” wrote Contreras.

This week’s ruling is the latest of many recent court decisions which suggest that the government is disregarding gas emissions while approving energy exploration projects on federal land. While previous rulings called out individual sales or leases, the current judgment involves hundreds of projects in Wyoming.

According to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, Contreras did not directly void the leases, but instead ordered the BLM to re-examine the extent of harmful greenhouse gas emissions that would be associated with the projects.

Jeremy Nichols is the director of the climate and energy program for <a href="https://wildearthguardians.org/">WildEarth Guardians</a>, one of the environmental advocacy groups that initiated the case.

“This is the Holy Grail ruling we’ve been after, especially with oil and gas,” said Nichols. “It calls into question the legality of oil and gas leasing that’s happening everywhere.”

Nichols told the Washington Post that the decision would force the Trump administration to reveal how its policies are helping to fuel climate change.

“It calls into question the legality of the Trump administration’s entire oil and gas program,” Nichols said on Twitter. “This forces them to pull their head out of the sand and look at the bigger picture.”

A recent report from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">USGS</a> revealed that 1.4 billion tons of CO2 emissions are generated by the extraction and burning of fossil fuels from federal land each year, which equals almost one quarter of the country's total annual CO2 emissions.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer
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Federal judge halts new drilling until climate change is considered

A federal judge is demanding that the government take climate...

An ecosystem is like a game of Jenga, where the more pieces you change or take out, the less stable and sustainable it becomes. The far-reaching impacts of <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/invasive-species-plants-animals/">nonnative lake trout</a> in Yellowstone Lake is the perfect example of how one species can upset an entire ecosystem. 

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a>, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/index.htm">National Park Services</a> and <a href="http://www.montana.edu/">Montana State University</a> analyzed more than four decades of data on species abundance, diet, and behavior collected from around Yellowstone Lake from 1972 to 2017. 

The data showed troubling declines in native cutthroat trout populations directly linked to the illegal introduction of invasive lake trout in the 1980s. From zooplankton to bald eagles, many of the species native to the area have been impacted by the lake trout. 

The new research was published in the journal Science Advances. 

“Our study illustrates the potential impact of a single, invasive predatory species on otherwise pristine ecosystems," the researchers wrote, providing further support for Yellowstone National Park's efforts to suppress the lake trout population in Yellowstone Lake.

Lake trout prey on cutthroat trout and declines in cutthroat trout populations has caused an increase in zooplankton in the lake. Osprey populations have sharply declined due to the lack of cutthroat trout, which are an essential food source for both osprey and bald eagles.

Bald eagles have changed their diet somewhat to compensate for the loss of cutthroat trout, but there are still fewer eagles now compared to before the lake trout were introduced. 

Otters have also had to adapt and make changes to their diets and river otter populations appear to be lower than ever before. 

Black bears and grizzly bears have also lost an important food source due to cutthroat trout declines, but luckily, bear populations in the area have remained stable. 

“Grizzly and black bear frequency of occurrence on spawning tributaries and use of cutthroat trout as a food resource were greatly reduced following the lake trout invasion,” the researchers wrote. “However, this was localized displacement, and their populations were not otherwise affected, because only bears with home ranges neighboring Yellowstone Lake lost spawning cutthroat trout as a food resource. Since bears are omnivore generalists, they could make use of other foods.”

The team also considered other environmental factors that might explain the rippling effects of cutthroat trout declines, such as a major wildfire that tore through Yellowstone in 1988 or the reintroduction of wolves in 1995. 

However, neither of these could have caused the same dramatic, long-reaching impacts that Yellowstone Lake is currently experiencing. 

Gill-netting lake trout is helping cutthroat trout slowly recover, according to the researchers, which is hopeful news for the many species that depend on lake trout for food. 

“After being absent for many years, spawning adult cutthroat trout are returning to some of the smaller tributaries, and bear use of these streams has increased as a result,” the researchers wrote. “Ospreys, however, have not yet responded to the recent increases in cutthroat trout prey. The outcome of restoration efforts to trophic levels with and across ecosystems in the Yellowstone Lake watershed remains uncertain.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Invasive lake trout are impacting an entire Yellowstone lake ecosystem

An ecosystem is like a game of Jenga, where the...

The <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association</a> (NOAA) has announced that the first two months of 2019 are the latest in a steady global warming trend that has lasted for 410 consecutive months. The two-month period of January and February was the fourth warmest that it has been since record-keeping began 140 years ago. 

In a recent monthly report, NOAA revealed that the global average land and ocean surface temperature in February reached 55.3 degrees Fahrenheit, which is 1.42 degrees above the 20th century average. There were some areas in the Northern Hemisphere, however, that were not feeling the heat.

“The most notable cool temperature departures from average were present across parts of the Northern Hemisphere, specifically across Canada and the contiguous U.S. as well as parts of central Asia, where temperatures were 5.4°F below average or cooler,” NOAA stated. 

“Meanwhile, much of Alaska, Europe, central Russia and the Far East had temperatures that were 7.2°F above average or higher. Additional areas with record warm February temperatures include parts of Alaska, Central America, the Barents Sea, the Southern Ocean off Australia's southeastern coast, the Indian Ocean, the East China Sea as well as parts of northeastern Brazil.”

Global <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/2018-hottest-ocean-temperatures/">ocean temperatures</a> reached their second highest temperature on record in February at 60.6°F. As a result of warming on both land and at sea, NOAA said there is a persistent decline in the amount of sea ice.

The impacts of rising temperatures can be seen the most clearly in the Arctic. According to a recent report from the U.N., even if global warming was successfully limited to the target set by the Paris Agreement, temperatures in the Arctic will still rise an additional three to five degrees Celsius by the year 2050. This will result in sea-level rise that could affect as many as four million people across the globe.

“What happens in the Arctic does not stay in the Arctic,” said Joyce Msuya, UN Environment’s Acting Executive Director. “We have the science; now more urgent climate action is needed to steer away from tipping points that could be even worse for our planet than we first thought.”
--
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>

A global warming trend has now lasted 410 straight months

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) has announced that...

Ocean currents play an important role in regulating water temperature and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/atlantic-ocean-currents-rainfall/">climate</a>. In the Atlantic Ocean, water from the tropics is carried into the North Atlantic as if it is riding on a massive conveyor belt, and the warmer water sinks to the deep ocean as it makes its way south again. 

This circulation of water in and out of the deep ocean impacts weather patterns in the Arctic and Europe. But unfortunately, the conveyor belt seems to be slowing down, which could have major consequences including causing more severe hurricanes. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a>, in collaboration with the <a href="https://www.norceresearch.no/en/">Norwegian Research Centre</a>, conducted a study examining how past changes in ocean current patterns in the Atlantic impacted or preceded major climate shifts. 

The research shows that between ocean current changes and noticeable temperature shifts in the past there was a lag, and the researchers were able to accurately calculate the length of these lags which could improve ocean current and climate modeling in the future.

The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. 

To determine past changes in the Atlantic’s conveyor belt system, the researchers focused on a section of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) where water from the tropics sinks to the bottom. 

The team analyzed data from sediment cores taken from the Norwegian Sea and a lake in Southern Scandinavia as well as ice cores from Greenland.

[caption id="attachment_1870035" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/atlantic.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1870035" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/atlantic.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="631" /></a> Diagram of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, Image Credit: Muschitiello et al., Nature Communications, 2019[/caption]

Using both lake sediments and marine sediments was key because it allowed the researchers to accurately calculate how long it took for water from the surface to make its way to the bottom by dating carbon 14 in the lake sediments first and comparing these to marine sediment cores. 

The ice cores from Greenland helped link climate changes in the area to the changes in circulation patterns identified in the sediment cores. 

The researchers discovered a pattern where the weakening of the AMOC preceded climate shifts by about 400 years. For instance, the sediment cores showed that the AMOC weakened around 400 years before a major cold snap called the Younger Dryas, which occurred approximately 13,000 years ago. 

At the end of the cold snap, the researchers found that changes in the AMOC again preceded a major warming period by about 400 years. 

“Our reconstructions indicate that there are clear climate precursors provided by the ocean state — like warning signs, so to speak,” said Francesco Muschitiello, the lead author of the study. 

Why these 400 year-long lags preceded climate changes is still unclear, and the researchers are not sure how current changes will impact future climate, but given past trends, these patterns should not be ignored. 

“It is clear that there are some precursors in the ocean, so we should be watching the ocean,” said Muschitiello. “The mere fact that AMOC has been slowing down, that should be a concern based on what we have found.”

--

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>

Atlantic Ocean’s circulation ‘conveyor belt’ is slowing down

Ocean currents play an important role in regulating water temperature...

Forests provide almost innumerable benefits for our species – as well as many others that inhabit this planet. From producing oxygen to providing shelter, it’s hard to imagine how we would ever have survived without our arboreal pals. Forests are also known to reflect less sunlight and have higher evapotranspiration than open vegetation, which is why <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/amazon-new-deforestation-threats/">deforestation</a> could lead to even higher temperatures.

A recent study published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/">PLOS ONE</a> details a new model that quantifies how forest change affects local surface temperatures by changing sunlight-reflection and evapotranspiration properties. The study uses this model to predict that Brazilian deforestation could result in a 1.45°C increase by 2050.

By using a global dataset from 2000-2010 to quantify the impacts of forest change on local temperatures, researchers from <a href="http://www.uerj.br/">Rio de Janeiro State University</a> in Brazil built a model to detail the relationship between forest cover, evapotranspiration rates, sunlight-reflection, and land-surface temperatures for tropical, temperate, and boreal regions. They found that deforestation and forestation have opposite effects of similar significance on local temperature. 

However, the type of effect and the magnitude of the temperature change depended on latitude. In both tropical and temperate regions, deforestation led to warming, while forestation had cooling effects. In the boreal regions, deforestation was followed by slight cooling. The model showed that the magnitude of forest change effects was greatest in tropical regions.

[caption id="attachment_1870029" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/deforestation.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1870029" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/deforestation.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="493" /></a> Image Credit: Prevedello et al, 2019[/caption]

This model was used by the study’s authors to predict local temperature change in Brazil between 2010 and 2050, assuming the current rate of illegal deforestation is maintained. The results showed an annual land surface temperature rise of up to 1.45°C in some regions. 

Given the amount of deforestation occurring in these areas, this finding is certainly a cause for concern. However, the authors point out that “forestation has the potential to reverse deforestation impacts on local climate, especially in tropical and temperate regions.” 

Clearly, there is a way to reverse the negative effects of deforestation, as long as we act quickly.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Deforestation in Brazil could increase local temperatures

Forests provide almost innumerable benefits for our species – as...

2019’s string of supermoons is drawing to a close tonight with March’s full Worm Moon, which will be the third and final supermoon of the year. 

On the evening of Wednesday March 20, coinciding with the Spring Equinox, lucky stargazers may catch a glimpse of the full moon which will be brighter and fuller than usual due the location of the relative positions of Earth and the Moon in proximity to each other and the Sun. 

When the moon is closest to the Earth and full, we get a supermoon. 

2019 started with a bang with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/super-blood-wolf-moon-eclipse/">Super Blood Moon</a> and a total lunar eclipse bathed the super moon in coppery orange. 

February had a Super Snow Moon, the fullest and brightest of all three of the year’s supermoons. 

This month, the third consecutive supermoon will be a Super Worm Equinox Moon because of where the full moon falls in relation to the first day of spring. 

The name Worm Moon is rooted in ancient traditions of using lunar cycles to track the changing seasons, and full moons were given names based on features associated with the seasons, according to <a href="https://www.timeanddate.com/astronomy/moon/worm.html">Date and Time</a>. 

The emergence of earthworms in the soil as the snow melts and winter comes to a close is why this month’s moon is a called a Worm Moon. 

Other names for March’s full moon include a Crust Moon due to the crusty frozen snow caused by spring thaws, and a Sugar Moon because this is when maple trees are tapped for sap to make syrup. 

The best time to look skyward will be at at 9:43 p.m. EST, as this will be when the moon will appear 14 percent larger and 12 percent brighter than it does on most nights, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Tonight a Super Worm Moon will close out 2019’s supermoon trilogy

2019’s string of supermoons is drawing to a close tonight...

Machine learning is most often associated with big business and military projects. Headlines regularly describe how these techniques are used for self-driving cars, surveillance, and advertising. However, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/algorithm-locate-solar-panel/">machine learning</a> is proving useful in more places than you might imagine, and many conservation biologists are taking advantage of these powerful tools.
<h2>The explosion of machine learning</h2>
Machine learning refers to a group of techniques that allow computers to learn from data. These techniques have been around since the 1980s, but they were still being developed and were also limited by the availability of powerful computers and large datasets. 

But over the last decade, machine learning has become widespread. This has been enabled by the availability of relatively cheap, powerful computers and big data. These are both needed for effective machine learning. 
<h3>Why machine learning is used in conservation.</h3>
Machine learning allows researchers to automate tasks that would otherwise be done by hand. This saves massive amounts of time and money, and in the underfunded world of conservation biology, this is essential. 

Machine learning can decrease the time it takes to answer key questions. Faster answers help save species before they disappear.

Machine learning also helps to discover hidden trends. These techniques can be used to help determine what species or areas are at the greatest risk. This helps researchers decide how to allocate limited resources.

A number of factors are contributing to the increase of machine learning in conservation. 
<ul>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The internet has enabled the exchange of data. </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Massive publicly available databases are becoming more common. </li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">More data can be collected due to cheaper remote sensors.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">Computing power is becoming more cost-effective.</li>
 	<li style="font-weight: 400;">The availability of open source tools.</li>
</ul>
<h2>Real-World Projects</h2>
There are many conservation biologists who are applying machine learning to their research. These tools continue to be applied to more projects every day. Below are a few examples of how machine learning is being applied to conservation today.
<h3>Counting Species and Individuals</h3>
<h4>In Images</h4>
Remote cameras are often used for detection and counting of animal species. These camera traps detect movement to snap pictures of animals. Once these images are collected, the number and species of animal must be identified. 

This can be tedious work requiring a human to annotate images. There are already large online databases of camera trap images such as <a href="https://emammal.si.edu/">eMammal</a>. <a href="https://www.amnh.org/our-research/center-for-biodiversity-conservation/research-and-conservation/machine-learning-for-conservation">Various</a> <a href="https://www.wildlabs.net">researchers</a> <a href="https://www.zsl.org/conservation/conservation-initiatives/conservation-technology/machine-learning">are working</a> to develop tools for automated identification of these images. Other researchers are working to help <a href="http://biodiversityinformatics.amnh.org/ml4conservation/animal-detection-network/species-identification-localization/">these projects compare results</a>.
<h4>And Audio</h4>
Another type of remote sensor is called an <a href="https://www.wwf.org.uk/conservationtechnology/acoustic.html">acoustic monitor</a>. These are microphones that can be used to record bird calls, bees wings and more. Traditionally researchers had to sift through hundreds of hours of audio. Machine learning can help greatly expedite this process.

Conservation biologist Marc Travers of the <a href="https://www.hawaii.edu/">University of Hawaii</a> is using these sensors in an interesting way. He realized that a unique noise is produced when birds collide with power lines. 

Travers is using acoustic monitors to measure just how frequently this happens. He is analyzing <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-019-00746-1">75,000 hours of audio a year to track this problem</a>. Machine learning allows this massive amount of audio to be processed.
<h3>Finding at-risk species</h3>
Another important task in conservation is knowing which species are at risk. The <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> (IUCN) classifies species based on their risk of extinction. Many plant species have not been evaluated yet. Researchers at the University of Maryland and Radford University wanted to estimate the risks for these species. They <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/machine-learning-threatened-species/">used machine learning to identify which species have a high risk of extinction</a>. 
<h3>Summarizing our knowledge</h3>
It is important to understand and analyze what we already about conservation. Most topics have many articles written about them, but <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/cobi.13117">researchers are using machine learning</a> to find relevant articles and summarize data.
<h3>Data mining social media</h3>
Another exciting application of machine learning finds data in an unexpected place. The images and text on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram are full of information. Researchers can collect data from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/detect-illegal-wildlife-trade/">social media to identify illegal wildlife trading</a>, while others are using <a href="https://www.fastcompany.com/40585495/the-worlds-animals-are-getting-their-very-own-facebook">data from social media to track individual animals</a>.
<h3>Modeling climate change</h3>
The climate is extremely complex. This makes it difficult to study and prepare for the effects of climate change. Machine learning is being used to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-tool-cloud-responses-climate/">predict the response of clouds to climate change</a>. This is an important part of creating more accurate climate change models.
<h2>Limitations</h2>
Though machine learning can save massive amounts of time, humans are still essential. The results of these models still need to be validated by humans.
<h2>The future of machine learning in conservation</h2>
The trends that have caused machine learning to grow are continuing. As the amount of available data grows, so will the applications of machine learning. 

Open source data and tools are essential. Researchers are starting to share more raw data, which provides training data for new models and also allows researchers to compare their results and find the best model.

--

By <a href="mailto:casey.hofford@gmail.com">Casey Hofford</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Machine learning can play an important role in conservation

Machine learning is most often associated with big business and...

A massive meteor exploded in the Earth's atmosphere over the Bering Sea last year, but the event has only just now been investigated. Despite releasing ten times the energy of the Hiroshima atomic bomb, the explosion went nearly undetected over this remote region between Russia and Alaska.

The event was spotted by Peter Brown, a professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Western_Ontario">University of Western Ontario</a>. He posted his findings on Twitter, suggesting that this was the second largest meteor explosion in the last 30 years, and the largest since the Chelyabinsk fireball of 2013.  


While meteor explosions occur often, large meteor events only occur several times a century. The space rock approached our planet in the middle of the day on December 18, 2018, bursting just 16 miles above the Earth's surface. 

The meteor was 30 feet wide, weighed over 1,500 tons, and was traveling at approximately 71,600 miles per hour. This means that the force behind its disintegration would have released the same amount of energy as 173 kilotons of TNT.

Kelly Fast is the near-Earth objects observations program manager at NASA. 

“That was 40 percent the energy release of Chelyabinsk, but it was over the Bering Sea so it didn't have the same type of effect or show up in the news,” Fast told the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/">BBC</a>. “That's another thing we have in our defense, there's plenty of water on the planet.”

Incredible images show a bright orange fireball against a blue and white background. The meteorite broke up into multiple pieces as it entered the atmosphere, and scientists believe that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/asteroid-impacts-earths-crust/">asteroid</a> may have been catapulted toward the Earth after colliding with another object. 
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Simon Proud, University of Oxford/Japanese Meteorological Agency

Meteor explosion over the Bering Sea had the force of 10 atomic bombs

A massive meteor exploded in the Earth's atmosphere over the...

Winter Storm Ulmer pummeled the Midwest, Plains, and Rockies, causing whiteout conditions and 70 miles an hour wind gusts last week. But the worst was yet to come when the storm became a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bomb-cyclone-winter-storm/">bomb cyclone</a> on Wednesday, March 13th. 

According to the <a href="https://weather.com/safety/winter/news/2019-03-13-bomb-cyclone-winter-storm-ulmer">Weather Channel</a>, when a winter storm undergoes a process of bombogenesis, the storm rapidly intensifies as pressures drop. For Ulmer, bombogenesis occurred when pressure dropped 994 millibars to 968 millibars as is reached the Central Plains. 

As a bomb cyclone, the storm produced <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/03/14/blizzard-powerful-storm-hit-central-u-s-heavy-snow-winds/3159959002/">tornadoes</a> and severe thunderstorms with torrential rains. 

For Nebraska and Iowa, the rain combined with winter snowmelt has led to some of the most severe flooding in the states’ histories. In Nebraska, 74 cities, 65 counties and 4 tribal areas have declared states of emergency. 

Flooding along the Platte, Missouri and Elkhorn Rivers reached historic levels and broke previous records. In one case, river flooding submerged so much land around Scribner, Nebraska, that the town became a temporary island with only one point of entry. 

<a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/144691/historic-floods-inundate-nebraska">Satellite imagery</a> shows the stark contrasts between river levels March of last year and March this year, and some residents in Sarpy County, Nebraska are still unable to go back to their homes due to flooding.

[caption id="attachment_1869949" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/march-20-2018.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869949" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/march-20-2018.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="465" /></a> Elkhorn, Platte, and Missouri rivers on March 20, 2018, Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory[/caption]

[caption id="attachment_1869950" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/march-16-2019.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869950" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/march-16-2019.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="464" /></a> Elkhorn, Platte, and Missouri rivers March 16, 2019, Image Credit: NASA Earth Observatory[/caption]

42 locations in the Plains and Midwest have set new record river levels due to the combination of storms, ice flows, and spring thaw. 

Flood gauges reported a crest of 40.62 feet for the Missouri River on Saturday while the Platte River reached 24.35 feet. 

In Stillwater, Minnesota, which sits along the St. Croix River, the town is expecting record-breaking flooding in the coming months and preparing for the worst. Plans are in place to build a mile or more of levee, according to <a href="https://www.mprnews.org/story/2019/03/14/blizzard-bringing-whiteout-flooding-in-minn">MPR News</a>, and in some areas, the dikes could be 15 feet high to prevent flood damage. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Historic flooding in Nebraska and Iowa prompt emergency declarations

Winter Storm Ulmer pummeled the Midwest, Plains, and Rockies, causing...

A new study led by the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> has enlisted the help Indigenous communities in the eastern Canadian Arctic to understand how climate change is affecting the semi-permanent trails they use for travel. 

When the researchers compared this knowledge with 30 years of weather records, they found that travel was not as limited as they expected - despite significant changes in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-locked-in/">climate conditions</a> from 1985 to 2016.

The trails used by Indigenous communities to navigate on sea-ice, rivers, and frozen ground are critically important for travel between settlements and for traditional hunting and gathering activities. Prior to this study, the impact of climate change on the trails was not clear, which has made it difficult to plan for future conditions.

The study findings suggest that trail availability has only declined by roughly one or two days in the last 30 years. Overall, the combined number of suitable travel days per year for three different types of travel has actually increased.

“Previous studies on Arctic transportation and climate change do not take into consideration different types of trail users,” said study lead author Professor James Ford.

“We found that an understanding of how trail conditions are affected by changing conditions, as well as a knowledge of alternative routes, and a well-developed skillsets, such as being adept with snowmobile or recognizing dangerous ice conditions, had a greater impact in determining whether trails were safe to use, more so than the change in travel conditions due to climate.”

“Highly skilled travelers are able to use the trails more than twice as often as travelers whose skillsets are not as well-developed.”

[caption id="attachment_1869942" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/arctic.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1869942" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/arctic.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="487" /></a> Image Credit: Dylan Clark, McGill University, Canada[/caption]

The study estimated that high-skilled travelers can expect roughly 100 more days of suitable travel conditions each year.

“While climate models can provide a bigger picture of the overall effects of climate change, it can be harder to determine how environmental variables are affecting specific activities within different communities in affected regions,” said Professor Ford.

“The study highlights how the close involvement of the people in question is essential to understanding how the ongoing changes to the environment will affect specific activities of different groups. Incorporating this practice, or a ‘bottom-up’ approach, is central for understanding what climate change means for people and developing responses tailored to specific contexts.”

“However, while the skill set of the Inuit community may be mitigating the effects of climate change on travel conditions for now, there is no doubt that the warming conditions in the Arctic are having detrimental effects on the region.”

“The shrinking sea-ice and shifts in seasonal temperatures are a serious threat, particularly to the region's native species and ecology which form an essential part of the Inuit community's tradition and culture. And while the effects of climate change to date on trail access were not totally what we expected, communities are very concerned about what future change may mean.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://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

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Dylan Clark, McGill University, Canada

Indigenous Arctic communities overcoming changing travel conditions

A new study led by the University of Leeds has...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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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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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