The Arctic, known for its icy landscapes and frozen permafrost, is rapidly transforming due to the intensifying effects of climate change. As temperatures rise, a silent but potent threat emerges: methane emissions. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane is not as widely discussed, yet its impact on global warming is profound. 



A new study published in the journal Nature highlights the growing concern over methane emissions in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-climate-will-permanently-change-by-2050-scientists-warn/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arctic</a> and their role in creating a feedback loop that could accelerate climate change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-methane-traps-more-heat">Why methane traps more heat </h2>



Methane isn’t as abundant as carbon dioxide, but it’s far more potent. Over a century, it traps 30 times more heat. 



Xin (Lindsay) Lan, a climate scientist at <a href="https://www.colorado.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CU Boulder</a>’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences (CIRES), sees the urgency.



“Methane is a very potent greenhouse gas that we need to address urgently,” Lan said. “Our study suggests that a significant portion of the recent rise in atmospheric methane originates from natural <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-may-fuel-the-spread-of-diseases-by-unleashing-frozen-viruses/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sources</a> driven by climate change. Our emission reduction efforts need to be more aggressive.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-methane-levels-climb-steadily">Arctic methane levels climb steadily</h2>



For years, Lan has tracked methane levels at NOAA’s <a href="https://gml.noaa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Global Monitoring Laboratory</a> in Boulder. Methane emissions have steadily climbed since 2007. 



Scientists had pointed fingers at fossil fuels, responsible for 30% of emissions. Yet, Lan’s research points elsewhere - to tiny, ancient microbes thriving in new, warmer habitats.



Archaea - microbes that have lived for millennia in wetlands, landfills, and the guts of livestock - produce methane. They may be small, but they’re mighty emitters. Microbial emissions now make up nearly half of all global methane output. Yet, pinpointing specific sources remains tricky.



Lan isn’t just watching long-term trends. Seasonal fluctuations in methane also reveal what’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-meltdown-is-accelerating-global-warming-already-changing-earth-in-unimaginable-ways/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">changing</a> underground.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-permafrost-fuels-methane-emissions">Permafrost fuels methane emissions</h2>



Lan’s team dove into decades of data. Methane’s seasonal amplitude - the swing from highest to lowest levels in a year - is shrinking in northern latitudes. 



Why? Wetlands in the Arctic are expanding. Thawing permafrost is unlocking ancient carbon stores, creating perfect conditions for archaea.



Computer models show the Arctic’s wetlands have grown by 25% in the warmer months, feeding the microbes with more decomposing organic matter. The result: more methane.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-feedback-loop-accelerates">The feedback loop accelerates</h2>



When permafrost melts, more carbon enters the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/drastic-warming-will-transform-the-arctic-beyond-recognition/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">atmosphere</a>. As temperatures rise, more permafrost melts. A cycle begins. Lan’s research shows that since 2007, this loop has intensified. What was once a trickle of methane is becoming a flood.



“This study, along with a few previous studies, has provided indirect evidence on potential climate feedback on methane emissions, which would be beyond our ability to control directly,” Lan said.



In previous work, Lan's team analyzed connections between today’s methane surge and dramatic warming events that ended past ice ages.



As Arctic ice sheets melted, vast stores of methane escaped, causing rapid temperature increases. That was thousands of years ago. Now, it’s happening again - but faster.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-underestimated-methane-removal">Underestimated methane removal</h2>



Methane doesn’t linger forever. Hydroxyl (OH) radicals act like atmospheric scrubbers, breaking down methane. Lan’s team discovered that since 1984, these radicals have increased by 10%.



Unfortunately, OH levels are hard to measure - they disappear within seconds - scientists had assumed they remained constant. But Lan’s study suggests that the atmosphere has been removing more methane than previously thought.



“Our result showed that we’ve been underestimating how much methane the atmosphere has been removing, which means that there’s actually more methane being emitted than we previously estimated,” Lan said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-methane-feedback-loop">Arctic methane feedback loop</h2>



If the atmosphere is cleaning itself more efficiently, then methane emissions are higher than we realized. 



That’s a big problem. Emission reduction plans rely on accurate data. If those numbers are off, efforts to control methane may miss the mark.



Lan stresses that understanding methane’s sources is critical. Microbial emissions are surging, but fossil fuels still account for a major chunk of global output. 



And the Arctic’s permafrost holds double the carbon currently in the atmosphere. If warming continues, thawing permafrost could unleash catastrophic carbon releases.



“We need to aggressively cut all greenhouse gas emissions from the sources we can control,” Lan said. “We need to address the feedback loop before reaching that tipping point.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-urgency-amid-uncertainty">Urgency amid uncertainty</h2>



Time is not on our side. Methane’s rise mirrors past warming events, but this time, human activities amplify the effect. 



Lan’s work highlights a critical truth: the Arctic is changing faster than expected, and methane is slipping through the cracks.



Now, the question is - how much longer before the feedback loop spirals beyond control?



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08900-8" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Arctic warming fuels dangerous methane feedback loop

The Arctic, known for its icy landscapes and frozen permafrost, is rapidly transforming due to the intensifying effects of climate change. As temperatures rise, a silent but potent threat emerges: methane emissions. Unlike carbon dioxide, methane is not as widely discussed, yet its impact on global warming is profound. A new study published in the journal Nature highlights the growing concern over methane emissions in the Arctic and their role in creating a feedback loop that could accelerate climate change. Why methane traps more heat Methane isn’t...

Experts at the <a href="https://sydney.edu.au/">University of Sydney</a> have found that insects are vanishing at a rate of 2.5 percent per year, which is eight times faster than mammals, birds, or reptiles. At this rate, it is possible that insects could disappear entirely within a century.

The research adds to a growing collection of studies which suggest that Earth has entered into its sixth mass extinction. If this is the case, then we are now experiencing the first major extinction event in 66 million years. 

The current study represents the first global scientific survey of the state of insects. The research team determined that 41 percent of all insect species are currently in decline. Scientists are warning that the loss of these insects will trigger a “catastrophic collapse” of ecosystems across the globe.

While critics argue that the claims are exaggerated, the study authors insist that they are not. The researchers hope that the shocking findings will help to raise awareness about insect conservation.

<a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6689581/Scientists-warn-insects-extinct-century.html">MailOnline</a> reports that the alarming decline of insects discovered by the study authors prompted them to use a forceful approach that is highly unusual for scientific papers. Both the researchers and the journal editors agreed that a condescending tone was necessary to draw attention to the urgency of this global crisis.

Over the past decade, 53 percent of butterfly species have declined, along with 46 percent of bees species. Dragonflies and beetles are also in a major state of decline, while 68 percent of all caddisfly species are dwindling.

Dr. Andrew Bladon is a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge. He explained to MailOnline that it is unlikely that all insects will ever die out, but their numbers will drop so low that it will minimize their ecological function.

“It is probably very unlikely that you would lose every single insect, but highly likely that if we do not change agricultural practices we will lose the vast majority of species and individuals,” Dr. Bladon told MailOnline. “An important point to make is that long before the last one died it would be ecologically extinct and unable to perform their function.”

“They would offer no pollination or pest control services and be an insufficient food source for many animals. If this was to happen, humanity would be in a poor place.”

While the experts found that intensive agriculture is the “root cause of the problem,” they identified additional threats to insects including climate change, habitat loss, and disease.

“The trends confirm that the sixth major extinction event is profoundly impacting life forms on our planet,” wrote the study authors. “Unless we change our ways of producing food, insects as a whole will go down the path of extinction in a few decades. The repercussions this will have for the planet's ecosystems are catastrophic to say the least."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.journals.elsevier.com/biological-conservation">Biological Conservation</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>

Insects may be completely wiped out within a century, scientists warn

Experts at the University of Sydney have found that insects...

After an extensive <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/civil-penalties-for-polluters-dropped-dramatically-in-trumps-first-two-years-analysis-shows/2019/01/24/7384d168-1a82-11e9-88fe-f9f77a3bcb6c_story.html?utm_term=.e0f3b2fe897a">Washington Post</a> report found that the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) issued fewer <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/epa-fewer-penalties-polluters/">fines and penalties</a> under the current administration compared to previous years, a new report by the agency shows that there was also a significant drop in inspections and evaluations in 2018. 

According to recent EPA data, the release of which was postponed due to the government shutdown, there were just 10,600 inspections and evaluations in 2018. Civil cases were at a 10-year low, and civil penalties were the lowest they have been in 25 years. 

The trending declines are a cause for concern because the EPA’s mission since it was <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/epa-protect-environment/">established in 1970</a> has been to monitor, regulate and enforce environmental protection. Inspections and evaluations are key to upholding this mission. 

“You have to have inspections and evaluations in order to support civil enforcement,” Matthew Thurlow, a partner of a law firm that took on environmental enforcement cases at the Justice Department, told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/02/08/under-trump-epa-inspections-fall-year-low/?utm_term=.fda0229dc5c9">Washington Post</a> in an interview.  “Since you’re doing fewer inspections and evaluations, there are less violations that you’re finding, and less cases being brought.”

While budget cuts over the past few years can explain some of these declines and the push for self-regulation for companies started under former President Obama, these trends have only accelerated under the Trump administration. 

In 2018, EPA officials reported that criminal charges were brought against 105 defendants which amounted in 73 total years in prison for the sentences. This number is half what sentences were in 2017. 

The EPA is quick to counter claims of going easy on enforcement, stating that the declines are the result of cooperating with companies to prevent pollution rather than fining polluters after the fact.

In 2018, the EPA reported that it secured commitments to reduce 268 million pounds of pollution equaling $268 million worth of environmental benefits, but this number is about one-fifth of what was achieved in 2013. 

“EPA is trying to convince media and the public that EPA is still doing its job on enforcement, despite all of the reports showing that isn’t the case,” Cynthia Giles, a top enforcement official under President Obama, said in an email to Washington Post. “Not only are the Trump EPA’s enforcement numbers at historic lows, they are on track to get worse.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Report shows a dramatic drop in EPA inspections under Trump

After an extensive Washington Post report found that the Environmental...

As the Arctic continues to warm up twice as fast as the rest of the world, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/earths-permafrost-warming/">permafrost</a> is beginning to thaw that has been frozen for thousands of years, releasing carbon dioxide and methane into the air and the surrounding lakes. The amount of carbon dioxide stored in the frozen soil and vegetation across the Arctic is twice the amount of CO2 that is currently in the atmosphere. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> and the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> set out to estimate how much carbon is being transferred into thousands of Arctic lakes and making its way into the atmosphere. They found that, at this point, the lakes are not a major threat to global carbon levels.

Study lead author Matthew Bogard is a postdoctoral researcher in the UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences.

“We found that not all high-latitude lakes are big chimneys of carbon to the atmosphere, and that lakes in the region are not actively processing much permafrost or plant carbon from land,” said Bogard. “Documenting the heterogeneous nature of northern lakes, as we have done here, will better define the role of Arctic lakes in the global carbon cycle.”

The researchers surveyed 20 lakes in the Yukon Flats area of northeastern Alaska to track the flow of carbon through the food web and test the water for signs of carbon from permafrost. The study revealed that many lakes are functioning like self-contained units and are not releasing much carbon dioxide.

“The implications are that not all lakes are hot spots for releasing carbon from land,” said study senior author Professor David Butman. “But we don't yet know how these particular landscapes will change in a warmer climate, since this is the first time they've been studied.”

The team discovered that nearly every lake that was tested showed no sign of ancient carbon from permafrost and much less CO2 production than what was expected. 

“The problem that we overcame in this study is getting to some logistically very difficult places in order to get a better picture of what's happening across the Arctic, which literally has millions of lakes,” said Professor Butman. “These findings show the need to better understand the diversity of the ecosystems in this region.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: David Butman/University of Washington

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

For now, Arctic lakes do not pose a threat to global carbon levels

As the Arctic continues to warm up twice as fast...

Light pollution artificially brightens the sky over the majority of the world's most important wildlife areas, according to experts at the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>. The investigation was focused on <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-streams-wetlands/">light</a> that is scattered into the atmosphere, known as skyglow, which can be reflected at great distances.


The study revealed that not even one-third of the world's Key Biodiversity Areas (KBAs) are unaffected by light pollution, and more than half are directly located under artificial lights. Light pollution has been linked to a variety of negative impacts on people, animals, and on entire ecosystems.

“These results are troubling because we know many species can respond even to small changes in night-time light,” said study lead author Dr. Jo Garrett. “Night-time lighting is known to affect microbes, plants and many groups of animals such crustaceans, insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals.”

“It has an enormous range of effects, including causing trees to produce leaves earlier in the season and birds to sing earlier in the day, changing the proportion of predators in animal communities, and changing the cycling of carbon in ecosystems. Some effects can occur at very low light levels.”


The researchers used a recent atlas of skyglow to identify locations where it was present above KBAs, which are sites that are classified as being important for preserving global biodiversity. For the study, pristine skies were defined as those with artificial light that is no more than one percent above the natural level. When light pollution measures at least eight percent above natural conditions, this pollution extends straight upwards and the entire sky is considered polluted.

Overall, the experts found that 29.5 percent of KBAs had pristine night-time skies, 51.5 percent contained no area with pristine night skies, and 21 percent of KBAs were located entirely under night skies that were polluted from the horizon to the zenith.

“Unsurprisingly, the likelihood of skyglow tends to increase in areas with higher GDP, and in areas with higher human population density,” said study senior author Professor Kevin Gaston. “This suggests that the proportion of KBAs experiencing skyglow will increase in parallel with the development of economies.”

“Skyglow could be reduced by limiting outdoor lighting to levels and places where it is needed, which would also result in considerable cost savings and lower energy use.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://zslpublications.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/14691795/">Animal Conservation</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Skyglow: Important wildlife areas affected by light pollution

Light pollution artificially brightens the sky over the majority of...

IDL TIFF file

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-crack-greenland-glacier/">discovery of a long crack</a> running through one of Greenland’s largest glaciers is raising concerns that an iceberg calving event is on the way, an event that could speed up the glacier’s movements as it flows toward the ocean. 

Glaciologists from the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research </a>(AWI) in Germany analyzed ten years of recent satellite imagery of Greenland’s Petermann Glacier and spotted cracks in the glacier’s floating tongue. 

The Petermann Glacier is one of Greenland’s most prominent glaciers and is one of only three glaciers in the region with a floating ice tongue, a part of the glacier that floats on the water and extends 43 miles into the Petermann Fjord. 

Miles of cracks along the tongue suggest that soon an iceberg could calve from the glacier and float out to sea.

This isn’t the first time a major calving event has occurred with the Petermann glacier. In 2010, 25 percent of the floating tongue fell off, and in 2012, an iceberg the size of Manhattan calved from the glacier. 

After analyzing the satellite data, the researchers realized that the 2012 calving event increased the glacier’s flow rate by 10 percent. 

“The satellite data shows that Petermann Glacier had a flow speed of roughly 1,135 meters [3,800 feet] per year in the winter of 2016,” said Niklas Neckel, a member of the AWI research team, in a <a href="https://blogs.agu.org/geospace/2019/02/06/cracks-herald-the-calving-of-a-large-iceberg-from-petermann-glacier/">statement</a>. “That equates to an acceleration of about 10 percent in comparison to the winter of 2011, and we asked ourselves what was responsible for the increased speed.”

[caption id="attachment_1867399" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/glacier-cracks.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1867399" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/glacier-cracks.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="410" /></a> Left: ASTER satellite taken just after the 2012 calving event on 7/21/2012. Right: Sentinel-2 captured on 7/31/2018 revealing new fractures. Credit: ASTER/NASA; Sentinel-2/ESA, AWI[/caption]

In a new study published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, the researchers ran a series of model simulations to project how a future calving event would impact ice flow rate. 

If the cracks do bring about a calving event, the Petermann Glacier will speed up and send more ice out to sea, which will have a major impact on sea level rise. 

The reason the glacier will speed up has to do with the fjord rock walls on either side of the floating tongue and glacier. The walls serve as the brakes for the glacier and hinder the glacier’s forward flow. 

“If a major iceberg breaks away from the end of the glacier’s tongue, it will reduce the tongue’s overall length, and with it, the route along which the ice masses scrape against the stone. This in turn limits the walls’ braking effect, so that the glacier begins flowing faster,” said Martin Rückamp, the first author of the study.

The researchers can’t say when a calving event will occur or to what extent the crack and ice flow rates are impacted by climate change, only that if a calving event does happen, it will accelerate the glacier’s flow. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Main Image Credit: NASA/Landsat 8

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

New cracks in Greenland glacier prompt fears of iceberg calving event

The discovery of a long crack running through one of...

New research published by <a href="https://www.unl.edu/">University of Nebraska-Lincoln</a> shows that in Earth’s largest mass extinction, plants were likely killed off before animals started to wink out.  While this pattern of death is somewhat intuitive, it has real implications to our lives today.

About 252 million years ago, 70% of land vertebrates like you and me died off.  Along with animals living on land, 96% of ocean life also died off. The cause of the extinction seems to be from massive volcanic eruptions in what is now modern Siberia triggered by collision of tectonic plates.  

The volcanic eruptions threw ash and other pollutants into the air, creating a global cooling event, similar to a hypothetical nuclear winter.  Nickel from the eruption in particular may have killed off plants now fossilized in Australia 400,000 years before most of the marine extinctions occurred.  Scientists with University of Nebraska-Lincoln have been studying pollen fossils in the sea cliffs of Australia’s Sydney Basin where high levels of nickel have been found associated with pollen.  The scientists hypothesize that the nickel was turned into an aerosol by the volcanic eruptions in Siberia, and rained down on plant life, poisoning it and kicking off the mass extinction event. Unexpectedly high levels of nickel have been recorded in other parts of the world as well.    

The extinction, commonly called the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/permian-mass-extinction/">end Permian extinction event</a>, came along at a time of great change in the history of life on Earth.  In the Permian oceans, there was a rich diversity of shellfish. There were cephalopods that looked much like the modern nautilus with coiled snail-like shells enclosing bodies more like squids.  On land, enormous primitive dragonflies were fearsome predators. Mammals were just on the verge of evolving from reptiles. The whole planet was alien to modern eyes but full of an abundance of wildlife.  Plants of the time were mainly ‘primitive’; flowering plants not having evolved yet. Still the primitive forms supported entire ecosystems and filled niches later occupied by more ‘advanced’ forms. Ferns, mosses, gymnosperms and equisetum are a few examples of the plants that dominated the Permian landscape.      

If nickel did indeed kill off large amounts of plants, it’s easy to see how this would devastate whole ecosystems.  When there are no plants, herbivores starve and die. When there are no herbivores, carnivores starve and die. It’s a pretty straightforward connection between the extinction of plants and the extinction of animals.

An earlier paper in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0921818110002286">Global and Planetary Change</a> discusses how plant composition changed at the extinction at the end of the Permian.  Before the end Permian extinction event, gymnosperms seem to be the most prevalent plants.  Gymnosperms are best represented today by conifers such as pine trees, that is plants bearing cones are gymnosperms as opposed to flowered plants.  Gymnosperms are more often pollinated by wind than insects like flowering plants. After the end Permian extinction event, there is a shift from a dominance of gymnosperms in the fossil record to a dominance of lycopods.  Lycopods are plants much more easily missed than gymnosperms. Commonly known as ground pines or creeping cedars, lycopods reproduce via spores, similar to ferns. Lycopods are small and inconspicuous for the most part, looking a little like mosses with small cones that bear their spores sticking above the soil.

Interestingly, the shift from gymnosperm dominance to that of lycopods was relatively short-lived.  Despite plants being the first to die off, they also seem to be some of the first organisms to rebound from the massive extinction.  All major plant groups ended up surviving the end Permian extinction and helps to explain the lesser extent to which land animals died off when compared to marine organisms.  Perhaps even more interestingly, the turnover of different plant regimes and the rebound of plant diversity are linked to carbon in the atmosphere. 

A study published in <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/362/6419/eaat1327">Science</a> suggests that indeed, it was carbon and related ocean warming that drove the extinction of marine species.  The research shows that oceans at the end of the Permian rose in temperature by a staggering 20°F, and caused the loss of 80% of the ocean’s oxygen.  This change in temperature and dissolved gases obviously had devastating effects on life. In the long run, we can say that the oceans ‘recovered’ meaning that an abundance of new species evolved and again filled the waters with life.  In another view, something was lost forever. Individual species lost are lost forever but diversity can again recovery over extremely long periods of time. It’s easy to think of it like this – an individual child may die and the parents of that child might have three more.  We can say that on some level the family recovered from the loss of the child but we know on another level, they will never be the same.

An article in <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/priyashukla/2018/12/10/what-we-can-learn-from-a-252-million-year-old-ocean-extinction/#535a08f4706e">Forbes</a> asks, ‘What can we learn’ from the Permian extinction?  As we are in a new age of mass extinction, partially caused by carbon emissions, there is a lot we can learn.  One disturbing takeaway is that ocean life may suffer more from climate change than terrestrial biota. Another lesson is that plant life is of utmost importance to the resilience and survival of terrestrial biodiversity.  It’s disturbing that along with carbon emissions, humans are also destroying millions of acres of forests. We’re also massively altering plant communities with agriculture. Sadly, we can only learn so much from the end Permian extinction because it happened at a much slower pace than our current extinction event.  The Permian event was on a scale of millions of years, now we’re working on a scale of hundreds or thousands of years. Beyond climate, habitat destruction, resource overuse, overhunting, and many more human created problems are driving our current extinction event. Only time will tell if plants can lead another rebound in diversity of life once humans are done wreaking destruction.      

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

The plants go first: Lessons from Earth’s largest mass extinction

New research published by University of Nebraska-Lincoln shows that in...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/house-mouse-human-life/">Vikings</a> have a reputation of having been bloodthirsty explorers who took to the high seas in search of countries to invade. Rarely do we see Viking warriors in movies and television without layers of fur and iron armor, because it’s also been long assumed that Vikings originated from a cold and forbidding Norse climate. 

Separating fact from fiction when it comes to the legendary Vikings is challenging, especially when you start to delve in records of Viking conquests. 

However, a new study has found that Viking settlements in Greenland were likely much warmer than previously realized and perhaps the familiar picture of the fur-clad Viking is inaccurate. 


Researchers from <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> reconstructed 3,000 years of southern Greenland’s past climate in the first study of its kind to investigate climate conditions in Greenland when the Vikings settled there between 985 and 1450.

The results, published in the journal Geology, show that the Vikings settled in Greenland when temperatures were comparatively mild to the years before and after. Summers at that time would have seen temperatures of around 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

“People have speculated that the Norse settled in Greenland during an unusually, fortuitously warm period, but there weren't any detailed local temperature reconstructions that fully confirmed that. And some recent work suggested that the opposite was true,” said Yarrow Axford, the senior author of the study. “So this has been a bit of a climate mystery.”

Axford, along with Everett Lasher, a Ph.D. candidate, analyzed lake sediment cores from Southern Greenland to determine past climate conditions over 3,000 years. 

Sediment cores consist of layers of sediment and organic material and analyzing the layers can tell researchers what the climate was like and what kind of wildlife thrived in those conditions. 

The researchers found preserved chironomids, a species of lake fly, trapped in the layers of sediments. Oxygen isotopes in the exoskeletons of the flies helped the researchers gain a fuller understanding of climate in the region. 

“The oxygen isotopes we measure from the chironomids record past lake water isotopes in which the bugs grew, and that lake water comes from precipitation falling over the lake,” said Lasher, the first author of the paper. “The oxygen isotopes in precipitation are partly controlled by temperature, so we examined the change in oxygen isotopes through time to infer how temperature might have changed.” 

After analyzing the sediment samples and chironomids, the researchers found that, contrary to popular belief, the Vikings settled in Greenland during a brief warm period. 

Towards the end of the warm period, temperature fluctuations became so varied that record highs and lows may have driven the Vikings to abandon their settlements. 

Warmer ocean currents in the area may be the reason for the warming trend, but the researchers can’t say for sure what drove the climate to warm as it did. 

The team notes that looking to the past and understanding climate fluctuations thousands of years ago could help with future climate projections for Greenland. 

“Unlike warming over the past century, which is global, Medieval warmth was localized,” said Axford. “We wanted to investigate what was happening in southern Greenland at that time because it's a climatically complex part of the world where counterintuitive things can happen.”
--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: G. Everett Lasher/Northwestern University

Vikings may have settled in a surprisingly warmer Greenland

Vikings have a reputation of having been bloodthirsty explorers who...

It started with President Donald Trump, who ordered the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) to maximize water for the farmers of the San Joaquin Valley as drought and climate change continue to plague the arid western United States.  Evidence shows that fish in the estuary of the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta are in decline. Despite this, Trump’s plan proposes to pump water from the delta southward. The plan is largely supported by agri-business that would potentially profit from more water.  Those opposed to the Trump plan include commercial fishermen that would suffer as well as environmentalists and those concerned with water quality near the delta itself. 

As for now, the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta is part of an ecosystem supporting a diversity of species despite the human impact of water usage.  The <a href="https://www.watereducation.org/aquapedia/sacramento-san-joaquin-delta-fish-and-wildlife">Water Education Foundation</a> reports that the delta is home to more than 55 fish species as well as more than 750 wildlife and plant species.  Four separate runs of Chinook Salmon spawn in the San Joaquin River, identified by the different times of year they cross under the Golden Gate Bridge.  The Winter-run Chinook Salmon are an endangered species and the spring-run Chinook are a threatened species. In addition to the native species, there are over 200 introduced species living in the area.  Invasive species include fish that were introduced for fishing.

Competition from exotic species along with contaminants, water usage and overfishing have led to a decline of native wildlife in the delta.  Studies from 2002 and 2004 have shown a decline in pelagic species and especially a decline in juvenile striped bass and Delta smelt. The Delta smelt is a small, three inch long fish found only in the Sacramento-San Joaquin delta.  The smelt is naturally vulnerable, besides living in such a small area, it has a lifespan of only one year and has a limited diet. Overall the decline of the delta due to human causes has led to 100 wildlife species, 140 plant species and 13 fish to be protected in one way or another by state or federal regulation.            

<a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/01/08/editorial-block-trump-plan-to-pump-delta-water-south-to-the-central-valley/">The Mercury News</a> reports that the California state government is trying to block the Trump administration’s plan to allocate less water to the fragile Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Currently, as little as 20% of the San Joaquin River reaches the ocean, making it one of the most overused rivers in California.  Preliminary proposals by California’s State Water Resources Board would raise the amount of water reaching the sea to 45-65%. More detailed water usage plans are to follow. 

Trump won support of the California farmers he would now supply with water, saying on the campaign trail, “It’s is ridiculous where they’re taking the water and shoving it out to sea.”

Now it appears President Trump is trying to fulfill promises by promoting a maximum water delivery plan.  Unfortunately for the president, the state of California has very different ideas on how to allocate water.          

<a href="https://www.sacbee.com/latest-news/article214437104.html">The Sacramento Bee</a> reported last year on a new plan for water allocation in California.  California’s State Water Resources Control Board boldly proposed allocating less water for humans and agriculture and more for fish.  The board cited the decline of several fish species and the possibility of a looming environmental catastrophe as justification for the plan.  Not only does allowing more water to flow to the sea support wildlife and communities in the delta region, it also allows more water to refill the ground water, including aquifers that are being used for agriculture.  

The plans by the board are also in conflict with plans by California’s former governor Jerry Brown, who proposed new pipes in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to move water south.  Under Jerry Brown’s plan, water flow of the San Joaquin to the sea would increase to 30%-50% of its natural state. 

For an idea of the impact of less or more water flow into the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, it’s helpful to look at salmon numbers of salmon caught that were hatched during <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/california-drought-winners-losers/">historic drought conditions</a>.  <a href="https://fishbio.com/field-notes/the-fish-report/value-california-salmon">Fish Bio</a> reports that salmon and the profits made from fishing them declined from 2013 to 2015. The profit from commercial salmon fishing in 2013 was $244 million in economic impact and $104.5 economic impact from recreational fishing.  Those numbers dropped to $88.4 million economic impact for commercial fishing and $33 million for recreational fishing in 2015. The fish being caught in 2015 were hatched during drought conditions. The other side of the issue is farmers who feel more water would help them succeed.  

According to the <a href="https://www.ppic.org/wp-content/uploads/californias-water-water-for-farms-november-2018.pdf">Public Policy Institute of California</a>, agriculture in California produced $50 billion in sales in 2017.  California farmers also use 40% of available water, while cities use only 10% of the state’s water, and the rest is categorized as ‘environmental’.  Farmers have steadily shifted to crops that create more profits and jobs per share of water, the financial value of farming more than doubling since the 1960s when adjusted for inflation.  Still, other businesses in California have grown, overshadowing agriculture which now is only about 2% of California’s economy. The main issue is still that everyone needs water and every industry is dependent on agriculture to feed workers at very least.

Efficiency in water delivery systems has improved, with water being more often delivered with drip and micro irrigation systems than the previous flood systems.  Unfortunately the new systems also leave no water to seep back in and recharge ground water, leading to an overall drop in ground water levels. Farmers are also growing more crops like nuts, fruits and vegetables as opposed to grains, which create more income per acre allowing them to drill deeper wells, further decreasing the ground water levels.  Unfortunately these new crops are also thirstier and less drought resistant than previous crops. Nitrates from farm runoff have also started to damage the quality of groundwater. 

California’s State Water Resources Board argues that agriculture and conservation can co-exist.  With the decline of quality water throughout California and the western US as a whole, it becomes obvious that extreme efforts at efficiency and good planning on the part of all parties is necessary.  We stand at a crossroads and the quality of life for humans and non-humans alike in the western US is at stake.

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Conservation vs agriculture: The battle over water in California

It started with President Donald Trump, who ordered the Bureau...

For the first time, experts have managed to quantify the volume of marine sediments that were remobilized by the 2011 Tohoku-oki earthquake and transported to the Japan Trench, a submarine trench that is more than 8,000 meters deep in the North Pacific Ocean. The study produced evidence of a surprising link between earthquakes and the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/carbon-cycle-driven-seafloor/">carbon cycle</a>. 

The research, which was led by geologists at the <a href="https://www.uibk.ac.at/index.html.en">University of Innsbruck</a>, was based on samples and data collected during several offshore research expeditions between 2012 and 2016. The team estimated that a total carbon mass of more than 1 teragram (Tg), or one million metric tons, was released by this single tectonic event into the depths of the water. 

“The results surprised us and our colleagues,” said study co-author Tobias Schwestermann. “This is much higher than expected from carbon fluxes observed in other deep-sea trench systems worldwide.”

The team carried out high-resolution bathymetric surveys, conducted sub-seafloor structure imaging, and collected new sediment cores from the Japan Trench to analyze carbon content. The findings highlight the importance of the carbon cycle in the deep sea. 

“The results show that when we talk about the global carbon cycle, we also have to think about the deepest and most-underexplored deep-sea trenches of our world's oceans in the future,” said Professor Michael Strasser.


Study co-author Arata Kioka added, “All in all, the deep sea is arguably even less explored than the moon. This is exactly what fascinates us.”

The study represents the first trench-wide quantification of organic carbon mass at such depths in the ocean. This was made possible by the use of some measurement techniques that had never been attempted in the deep sea. “One of the research vessels, the German Sonne, was also decisive for the results. It is one of the technically best equipped research vessels currently available,” said Kioka.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/scientificreports">Scientific Reports</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>

Surprising link discovered between earthquakes and the carbon cycle

For the first time, experts have managed to quantify the...

Scientists from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> have figured out how and why species “hotspots” of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/dams-tropical-forest-biodiversity/">biodiversity</a> from California to the Galapagos have accumulated such a wide variety of species. Thanks to a “big data” study, published February 6th in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, scientists now know evolution speed is reliant on climate.

According to the study’s findings, tropical hotspots located near the equator have generated new species at a faster rate during the last 25 million years in comparison to areas surrounding them. However, biodiversity hotspots in more temperate areas of the world are mostly populated by immigrant species that evolved elsewhere but moved to warmer climate to either escape long-term “geological processes” like glaciers, and/or needed a location with more shelter.

“We've known for decades that just a subset of places on Earth, no more than 20%, contain about half of all vertebrate species. However, we lacked the tools and data to understand why these patterns exist," said senior author Dr. Andrew Tanentzap, from the <a href="https://www.plantsci.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge's Department of Plant Sciences</a>. "Large-scale initiatives to map species across the planet and in the Tree of Life, as well as advances in computing, are expanding our understanding of evolution in exciting ways. This study can now provide an answer to the old question of why diversity varies so much across the world."

Researchers used computational techniques to combine datasets that included global distribution of 11,093 bird species and 5,302 mammals, as well as the evolutionary trees that track the origin of thousands of organisms through history. Using these datasets, researchers could then follow the development of specific species-rich areas.

By doing so, researchers found that tropical biodiversity hotspots had higher rates of speciation, the development of new species, over the last 25 million years.

"Species generation is faster in the tropics, but we can now see it is extra-quick in these hotspots of biodiversity," said lead author D.r Javier Igea, also from Cambridge's Department of Plant Sciences. "More rainfall and hotter temperatures bolster the ecosystems of tropical hotspots, producing more plants, more animals that feed on those plants, and so on. The greater available energy and range of habitats within these hotspots supported the acceleration of species diversification."

For example, Madagascar has 12 species of lemurs that diversified over the last 10 million years. And the Philippines’ 17 species of earthworm mice popped up over the last 6 million years.

But biodiversity hotspots in temperate areas of the world told a different story. "Biodiversity hotspots in temperate zones have been shaped mainly by migration that occurred during the last 25 million years," Igea said. "We suspect that this influx of immigrant species resulted from climate fluctuations across millions of years, particularly cooling. Biodiversity hotspots may have acted as a refuge where more species could survive in harsh climatic conditions.”

The Iberian lynx, for example, is now a native of the Mediterranean Basin, however it was initially found in central Europe during the Pleistocene, before the last Ice Age. And the yellow-billed magpie of California most likely was cut off to its ancestral species due to glaciations over three million years ago.

"We found that hotspots across the world all have a greater complexity of habitats and more environmental energy, but the processes that drive the biodiversity are very different for tropical and temperate zones," Igea said.

Tanentzap added, "Many of these hotspot regions have species found nowhere else on Earth, yet face devastating levels of habitat loss. Protecting these areas is vital to conserving the natural world's diversity.”

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate dictates evolutionary speed in biodiversity hotspots

Scientists from the University of Cambridge have figured out how...

Elk have developed a number of adaptations for surviving harsh environments, and are even known to persevere after major forest disturbances such as <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/amazon-forest-fires-carbon/">forest fires</a> and logging. However, a new study has revealed that elk seem to be avoiding areas hit by the bark-beetle epidemic.

Across the northern portions of the Rocky Mountains in the United States, a large beetle outbreak has killed millions of trees. Researchers discovered that during the summer, elk are not returning to areas with extensive tree mortality. 

This behavior will greatly limit the amount of  land that will be occupied by elk in the summer months. The findings will be important to many wildlife and land managers who are responsible for managing elk populations in regions that are impacted by the bark-beetle epidemic.

“Although it is common following forest disturbances for elk to seek out and capitalize on the resulting increases in highly palatable and nutritious forage, during the summer months, elk in our study area fairly consistently avoided beetle-kill. This result is somewhat counter to how we typically think elk respond to forest disturbances,” said study lead author Bryan G. Lamont of the <a href="http://www.uwyo.edu/">University of Wyoming</a>. “It appears there are some subtle, but real differences between disturbances such as forest fires and the bark-beetle epidemic.”

Lamont pointed out that elk examined in the study were much more influenced by the presence of downed trees and the loss of canopy cover compared to the small increases in understory found in areas affected by beetles. 

“Ultimately this means that if elk are avoiding beetle-kill areas, this translates to much less forest habitat that elk typically would utilize during the summer.”

The study is published in the <a href="https://wildlife.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19372817">Journal of Wildlife Management</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The bark-beetle epidemic is pushing elk out of their natural habitats

Elk have developed a number of adaptations for surviving harsh...

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/earths-magnetic-field-nearly-collapsed/">magnetic north pole</a> has been shifting so quickly that the <a href="https://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/geomag/WMM/DoDWMM.shtml">World Magnetic Model</a> (WMM), which maps the current position of the magnetic field every five years, had to be updated by NOAA scientists almost a year early. The new model shows that the magnetic north pole is moving away from the Canadian Arctic toward Siberia at a rate of around 34 miles per year.

While the geographic north pole is in a fixed location, the Earth's magnetic field is constantly shifting. This can cause problems for many consumer devices that have built-in digital compasses such as smartphones and digital cameras. According to the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA), the WMM is now pre-installed in Android and iOS devices, which means it is used in more than a billion devices around the world.

NOAA geophysicist Arnaud Chulliat, the lead author of the newly-issued WMM, pointed out that airplanes and boats rely on magnetic north, usually for backup navigation. The WMM is also used by the military, NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the U.S. Forest Service.


Since the magnetic north pole was first measured in 1831, it has moved about 1,400 miles across the Canadian Arctic. The rate of its movement increased from about 9 miles per year in 2000 to 34 miles per year by 2019.

The dynamics of the magnetic field are caused by changes of the fluid flow in the Earth's outer core. Daniel Lathrop, a geophysicist at the University of Maryland, explained to <a href="http://time.com/">Time Magazine</a> that there is a hot liquid ocean of iron and nickel in the planet’s core where the motion generates an electric field. “It has changes akin to weather,” said Lathrop. “We might just call it magnetic weather.”

As Earth’s magnetic field gets weaker, experts predict that it will eventually flip, with the north and south pole changing polarity. “It’s not a question of if it’s going to reverse, the question is when it’s going to reverse,” Lathrop told Time.

This transition would not be instant, but would happen gradually over thousands of years. The magnetic poles have reversed many times in Earth's history, but this has not happened in 780,000 years. The main concern of scientists, however, is that the magnetic field may continue to weaken, which could potentially expose the planet to dangerous radiation.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth’s magnetic North Pole is rapidly shifting toward Siberia

The magnetic north pole has been shifting so quickly 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"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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.

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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (JPL) describes a dust storm on Mars that was nearly twice the size of the United States. As the storm covered the southern hemisphere of the planet, some of NASA’s explorers had to delay their normal activities.



NASA’s Insight lander put itself in a "safe mode" for 11 days to conserve battery power because solar power was disrupted by the dust. The Ingenuity Mars Helicopter postponed flights until conditions improved.



"A fleet of NASA orbiters monitor Martian dust storms like this one and serve as lifelines to Earth by relaying data from the rovers and lander on the ground back to the team. This includes the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, MAVEN, and Odyssey," reports JPL.



"Dust storms like this recent one start close to the ground and are spread by wind as they rise – warming the cold Martian atmosphere."



The images in the video were captured by NASA’s Curiosity as the dust rolled in. A fleet of orbiters monitored the dust storm from above, relaying data from Mars’ explorers back to scientists on Earth.



Video &amp; Image Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/ASU/MSSS



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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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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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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Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&nbsp;features the Kangerlussuaq Glacier, one of the largest tidewater outlet glaciers in Greenland. The glacier is located on the east coast of the Greenland ice sheet.



As human-induced climate change continues to drive up temperatures, global ice loss is accelerating at an alarming rate. ESA reports that, over the past decade alone, 3.5 trillion tons of ice have melted from the Greenland ice sheet. This is enough to cover the UK with meltwater 15 meters deep.



Based on satellite imagery, researchers determined that Kangerlussuaq entered a new phase of rapid retreat and acceleration in 2017. In their study, published in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2019.00123/full">Frontiers in Earth Science</a>,&nbsp; the experts report that the glacier's ice front is now at its most retreated position since the early 20th century.



"Given Kangerlussuaq’s previous impacts on both the magnitude and pattern of ice sheet wide mass loss, we predict that its new phase of retreat, acceleration and thinning will markedly enhance the south-east region’s contribution to increasing discharge from the ice sheet," wrote the study authors.&nbsp;&nbsp;



"More broadly, accurate forecasting of the ice sheet’s contribution to sea level rise will require a deeper understanding of, and responses to, these non-linear ice dynamic processes."



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> describes the importance of monitoring the shape of the sea surface, which is constantly changing. These observations have many applications, such as ship routing, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-modem-ocean-is-a-tough-place-for-whales-to-survive/">ocean</a> current forecasting, and debris tracking.



"A project supported by the Discovery element of ESA’s Basic Activities recently investigated a new technique to measure sea surface topography very precisely," reports ESA.



"The technique involves looking at satellite navigation (GNSS) signals that have been reflected off of the sea surface at very low angles. At these so-called grazing angles, waves and surface roughness have very little impact on the reflection process; the sea surface acts as a very smooth mirror."



Estel Cardellach is the principal investigator at the Institute for Space Studies of Catalonia, who first submitted the idea for the project.



“In a mirror-like reflection the phase of the signal can be tracked – it is continuous," said Cardellach. "Different surface heights result in different phase measurements. It gives a very precise measurement of the surface altitude at a few centimetres’ precision.”



The researchers developed a GNSS receiver and set up an experiment in the Balaeric Islands to collect signals from the receiver that were reflected off the sea surface. Ultimately, these signals will provide improved measurements of the shape of the sea surface.



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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