Climate change solutions might be closer than we think - not in labs or remote forests, but in the microbes living in our homes. James Henriksen, a microbiologist at <a href="https://www.colostate.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Colorado State University</a>, believes the secret to fighting climate change could be hiding in dishwashers, air conditioners, and water heaters.



Henriksen wants everyone to join the hunt for extremophiles - organisms that thrive in extreme <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-wins-in-2025-came-from-unexpected-places/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">conditions</a>. They’re tiny, they’re tough, and some might be surprisingly useful.



These microbes have adapted to harsh environments, evolving traits that could potentially absorb carbon dioxide or clean up pollutants.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-home-microbes-fighting-climate-change">Home microbes fighting climate change</h2>



<a href="https://citsci.org/projects/the-extremophile-campaign-in-the-wild/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Extremophile Campaign: In Your Home</a> is a new initiative from CitSci, the Two Frontiers Project, and SeedLabs. It kicked off in October, rallying citizen scientists to search for hidden organisms.



“We believe that we have found new organisms, and we know that they have unique characteristics purely from the fact that they're growing and thriving in some of these unusual environments,” Henriksen said. Already, the campaign has led to some intriguing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/south-africas-land-is-continuously-rising-as-water-disappears-climate-change/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discoveries</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-microbe-with-a-big-appetite">A microbe with a big appetite</h2>



Deep in the volcanic ocean vents off the island of Vulcano, Henriksen and his team stumbled upon Chonkus. This cyanobacterium isn’t just any microbe. It devours carbon dioxide and then sinks, locking away CO2 in the ocean depths.



Unlike plants, Chonkus can absorb far more CO2, using photosynthesis to turn the gas into biomass. It’s a microscopic powerhouse that might one day help mitigate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/todays-children-will-face-more-climate-extremes-than-ever-before/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate</a> change.



Henriksen isn’t surprised. “Half the air you're breathing comes from microbes,” he said. “They play essential roles in carbon and nitrogen cycles.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-microbes">Mapping the microbes</h2>



Henriksen co-founded the Two Frontiers Project to hunt for microbes in extreme environments – from the depths of the ocean to outer space. But what about the extreme environments right under our noses?



“There’s not just unknown species,” he said. “It’s like there’s a rainforest everywhere you look, and we know almost nothing about the organisms there and what they can do.”



Our homes, it turns out, are teeming with unseen life - and Henriksen wants us to pay attention.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-microbes-hidden-in-the-home">Microbes hidden in the home</h2>



If you’re feeling brave, take a closer look at your appliances. What’s lurking inside your dishwasher or around the base of your water heater? If it’s slimy, crusty, or gooey, Henriksen wants to hear about it.



Instead of scrubbing away the weird spots and unpleasant odors, you can help scientists by documenting them. That slimy film? It could be home to a whole community of extremophiles - microbes that might hold the key to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-now-impacting-earths-rotation/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">climate solutions</a>.



Participating is easy. Snap a photo of your odd discovery. Fill out an online survey at <a href="https://citsci.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CitSci.org</a>. If researchers need more information, they’ll send a collection kit.



Henriksen’s team will then analyze the samples using metagenomic sequencing. Each microbe’s DNA will be studied, cataloged, and possibly saved for future research. Some samples might even lead to new scientific breakthroughs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-in-the-slime">What's in the slime?</h2>



Metagenomic sequencing sounds complex, but the goal is simple: figure out what’s living in that slimy mess. Henriksen and his team are looking for microbes that can absorb CO₂, degrade <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollutants-from-fossil-fuels-are-embedded-in-coral-skeletons/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">pollutants</a>, or perform other useful tasks.



The DNA data will be stored for future study. Some organisms might be cultivated and tested further. Every sample holds the potential for new discoveries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-nature-s-hidden-survivors">Nature's hidden survivors </h2>



Beyond homes, the Extremophile Campaign: In the Wild asks people to keep an eye out for microbial hotspots in nature. Springs in places like Colorado and California often contain unusual chemistry - acidic water, carbonation, and, yes, slime.



"Life is surviving and thriving in this hot water, in water that is as carbonated as soda pop and as acidic as lemon juice,” Henriksen said. “Microbes are pulling high concentrations of CO₂ out of the water, out of the air, and they're building that slime or the green algae that you see.”&nbsp;



If you spot something slimy, crusty, or just plain weird, the researchers want to know.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-platform-to-fight-climate-change-nbsp">A platform to fight climate change&nbsp;</h2>



Both extremophile campaigns run through CitSci.org, a platform that connects researchers with citizen scientists. The site was developed at Colorado State University’s Natural Resource Ecology Laboratory two decades ago and now hosts nearly 1,500 projects.



“CitSci has been an amazing partner in helping get this up and running,” Henriksen said. 



Through CitSci, Henriksen hopes to gather data from as many people and places as possible. With more eyes on the ground, the chances of finding new microbial allies in the climate fight increase.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-your-gunk-might-save-the-planet">Your gunk might save the planet</h2>



Henriksen sees potential in every home. That gross gunk in your appliance? It might contain the next Chonkus – a microbe that could capture <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mountains-both-carbon-sinks-and-carbon-sources/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon</a> or break down pollutants. All it takes is a photo, a survey, and a bit of curiosity.



“We believe that everybody can contribute and participate in science," Henriksen said. &nbsp;



From volcanic vents to kitchen sinks, the next big climate solution might be hiding in plain sight - and researchers want you to help find it.



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Slime found in home appliances could help fight climate change

Climate change solutions might be closer than we think - not in labs or remote forests, but in the microbes living in our homes. James Henriksen, a microbiologist at Colorado State University, believes the secret to fighting climate change could be hiding in dishwashers, air conditioners, and water heaters. Henriksen wants everyone to join the hunt for extremophiles - organisms that thrive in extreme conditions. They’re tiny, they’re tough, and some might be surprisingly useful. These microbes have adapted to harsh environments, evolving traits that could potentially...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-krill-ocean-acidification/">Krill</a> are a key food source for many marine animals including whales, penguins, seabirds, seals, and fish. Krill are small, shrimp-like crustaceans that swim in vast swarms that are sometimes dense and wide enough that they can be viewed from space, according to <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/group/krill/">National Geographic</a>.

Unfortunately, Antarctic krill populations appear to be declining. A new study has found that climate change is driving Antarctic krill southward and changing species distribution which could have an irreversible impact on the Southern Ocean food web.

The study was led by researchers from the <a href="https://www.pml.ac.uk/">Plymouth Marine Laboratory</a> and the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a> and published in the journal Nature Climate Change.

Not only did the researchers find that krill are shifting towards the South Pole, but the further north you go, the steeper the declines in krill density.

The shifts are bad news for the many species that rely on krill, and the study shows that krill distribution predictions based on environmental changes are coming true.

Researchers have been collecting data on Antarctic Krill since the 1920s. At first, the data was meant to help inform whale conservation efforts but the researchers identified an interesting trend in krill distribution in the data.

The researchers say that from the 1980s onwards, the data shows clear changes in distribution and density in Antarctic krill populations.

“Our results suggest that over the past 40 years, the amount of krill has, on average, gone down, and also the location of the krill has contracted to much less of the habitat,” Simeon Hill, a lead author of the study, told <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-46953652">BBC News</a>. “That suggests all these other animals that eat krill will face much more intense competition with each other for this important food resource.”

Krill feed on phytoplankton, and the distribution changes likely have a lot to do with the krill’s search for abundant food and a more hospitable habitat with more sea ice.

The late 80s saw a climate oscillation called the Southern Annular Mode which produced warmer temperatures and reduced sea ice coverage.

According to the BBC, the Southern Annular Mode is one of the main drivers of krill distribution changes in recent years. The researchers also found changes in krill size. 

“And that's because the population has increasingly become dominated by older and larger animals,” Hill told BBC News. “This is a result of a decline in the number of krill entering the population - what we call juvenile recruitment.”

The study shows how sensitive the Antarctic ecosystem is to climate change and calls for stronger climate change mitigation to protect the Southern Ocean food web from collapsing as krill get more scarce.

--

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>

Changes in Antarctic krill numbers could disrupt an entire food web

Krill are a key food source for many marine animals...

A subglacial <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/operation-icebridge-returns-to-antartica/">Antarctic</a> lake buried beneath a kilometer of ice contains the remains of ancient life that have been preserved for thousands of years. 

Researchers that drilled into Lake Mercer to study the lake and collect sediment samples found carcasses of crustaceans, a tardigrade, and even preserved plant material in the mud collected from the lake floor. 

The discovery was part of the <a href="https://salsa-antarctica.org/concept-and-purpose/">Subglacial Antarctic Lakes Scientific Access</a> expedition which used a high-pressure water drill to melt a small hole through the thick layer of ice that sits above Lake Mercer. 

This is the first time that the lake has ever been explored in depth, as previously, radar and remote sensing technology were the only way to access the lake. 

After cleaning mud off a water temperature instrument, David Hardwood, a micro-paleontologist who was part of the SALA expedition, examined the mud under a microscope, according to a release from <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

Hardwood found diatom shells and crustacean carcasses that looked relatively new. 

“It looked really fresh,” Hardwood told Nature. “Like something that had been living.”

Lake water samples that were collected were also analyzed and revealed that the lake was teeming with bacteria and had plenty of oxygen to support life. 

At first, Hardwood was concerned that the equipment used to measure the water temperature might have been contaminated, and so the SALA team cleaned the equipment and dropped it back in the lake for another test. Again, Hardwood found ancient animal remains. 

The ancient signs of life are both exciting and puzzling for the researchers who discovered them, according to Nature.

It is unclear how the carcasses, shells, and microbes got there in the first place, especially since some of the ancient species discovered used to live on or near land.

One potential theory is that the creatures originated from ponds in the Transantarctic Mountains near Lake Mercer and a period of warming washed sediment and organic material into the lake which was then covered by ice as temperatures shifted. 

The next step for the SALA researchers is to carbon date the organic material found in the mud, which could help show exactly how and when the different animals ended up in Lake Mercer. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Billy Collins/SALSA Science Team/Nature

Ancient fossils found preserved in Antarctic subglacial lake

A subglacial Antarctic lake buried beneath a kilometer of ice...

A new study has revealed that the growing popularity of Prosecco may come along with a high environmental cost. Researchers have found that the Veneto region of northeastern Italy is losing an enormous amount of soil across its steep hillside in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/winemakers-switch-grapes-climate/">vineyards</a> used for Prosecco production.  

The worldwide demand for Prosecco is growing at the fastest rate of any sparkling wine. For example, a 2016 assessment of global wine and spirits trends by <a href="https://www.theiwsr.com/">IWSR</a> predicted that Prosecco would grow by 36 percent through 2020, while Champagne would show only around one percent growth over the same time period. 

Currently, Northeast Italy is producing 400 million bottles of Prosecco per year, with 90 million bottles coming out of the historical Prosecco sector between the towns of Valdobbiadene and Conegliano. This area is defined as the Controlled and Guaranteed Designation of Origin (DOCG), where the highest quality wine standards are enforced.

A team of experts led by the <a href="https://www.unipd.it/en/">University of Padova</a> set out to investigate the soil erosion rate among vineyards in the DOCG area. The goal of the study was to calculate a type of “soil footprint” for Prosecco production, identify the hardest hit areas, and to develop mitigation strategies. 

The investigation revealed that 400,000 tons of soil is lost every year in the vineyards. While wine production is not the only source of soil erosion in the DOCG area, the research suggests that vineyards are responsible for nearly 75 percent of the total loss.

Based on an annual production of 90 million bottles of Prosecco, the experts calculated that each bottle was associated with a loss of 4.4 kilograms of soil.

Caroline Mazzey, a plant scientist at Hadlow College, was shocked by the results of the study. Mazzey told <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/">New Scientist</a>: “I find myself in disbelief. It’s more soil than the physical volume of the bottle.”

Vineyards have very little vegetation, which makes the soil highly susceptible to being washed away by rainfall. The researchers suggested that erosion could be substantially reduced by allowing grass to grow between rows of vines. 

However, an association representing DOCG Prosecco producers told New Scientist that this is already a common management practice. The consortium also disputed the findings of the study, with a representative stating: “These soil erosion estimates are, in our view, inaccurate. Managing erosion is a primary interest of the winegrower.”

The study, which has not yet been peer-reviewed, is published online at <a href="https://www.biorxiv.org/">bioRxiv.org</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Prosecco production is eroding the steep hillsides of Italy

A new study has revealed that the growing popularity of...

“We were journeying to the bottom of the world’s largest sinkhole, an unexplored legend of the deep filled with Mayan mysteries and myths of monsters and wonder. What would we discover?”

This is the beginning of Virgin founder Richard Branson’s <a href="https://www.virgin.com/richard-branson/journey-bottom-belize-blue-hole">personal account </a>of diving down to the bottom of the Great Blue Hole in Belize. Unfortunately, what they found at the bottom was <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-ocean-floor/">plastic</a>.

The findings of the expedition emphasize yet again the extent of the world’s plastic problem and prove that no corner of the ocean remains free of plastic pollution.

Branson was part of the first-ever submersible dive to the bottom of the Blue Hole, alongside Fabian Cousteau, a submersible pilot and the grandson of famed ocean explorer Jacques Cousteau and Erika Bergman.

The goal of the expedition was to dive down to the bottom of the large sinkhole and explore the underwater cave system. Two three-person submersible submarines were sent to explore the hole, according to the <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-6606919/What-bottom-Belizes-Great-Blue-Hole-Plastic-bottles.html">Daily Mail</a> which reported on the expedition.

Divers, geologists, and other researchers conducted companion research projects as part of the expedition, including a 3D scan of the Blue Hole and cave system.

Belize’s Great Blue Hole is a famous landmark and tourist site that was once part of dry land before being submerged by rising sea levels around 10,000 years ago.

Expedition data may help provide insight into this event and show how climate change has impacted land masses and changed Earth’s geography over time.

Data collected during the dive was limited due to the extreme conditions at the bottom of the hole. The hole is 410 feet deep and pitch black at the lowest depths.

The expedition marks the first time that a modern submersible has traveled to the bottom of the sinkhole and diving down to the bottom was only the beginning according to Custeau.

“There's a lot of discoveries left to be had there, including finding the sediment, looking at the variations in the walls, the oxygen, and CO² content,” Custeau told the Daily Mail. “There's a whole laundry list of things that we are going to be doing there that haven't been done.”

But perhaps the most concerning takeaway of the expedition is the plastic water bottles that have made their way to the bottom of the Great Blue Hole.

“The real monsters facing the ocean are climate change – and plastic. Sadly, we saw plastic bottles at the bottom of the hole, which is a real scourge of the ocean. We’ve all got to get rid of single-use plastic,” Branson wrote in his blog.

--

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>

Plastic found at the bottom of Belize’s Great Blue Hole

“We were journeying to the bottom of the world’s largest...

Greenland <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-melting-impacts-global-ocean/">ice loss</a> has long been one of the biggest drivers of sea level rise worldwide, and between 2002 and 2016, Greenland lost around 280 gigatons of ice each year. 

Researchers have pointed to the massive iceberg-size chunks that routinely fell from glaciers in the southeast and northwest regions of the island that floated out into the Atlantic Ocean and melted as the main culprits. But now, a new study has found that this isn’t the case.  

Not only is Greenland melting faster than realized, but researchers from <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">Ohio State University </a>discovered that ice loss was more significant in the southwest region of the island, a long-overlooked area without glaciers, between 2003 and 2013. 

The results of the study show that climate change will further speed up Greenland ice loss in the southwest area which will also lead to faster sea level rise. 

The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

“Whatever this was, it couldn't be explained by glaciers, because there aren't many there,” said Michael Bevis, the lead author of the paper. “It had to be the surface mass--the ice was melting inland from the coastline.”

Instead of icebergs calved from glaciers, the researchers realized that meltwater rivers and streams that flowed into the ocean had a much more significant impact on Greenland’s overall ice loss over the years.

“We knew we had one big problem with increasing rates of ice discharge by some large outlet glaciers,” said Bevis. “But now we recognize a second serious problem: Increasingly, large amounts of ice mass are going to leave as meltwater, as rivers that flow into the sea.”

For the study, the researchers analyzed data from the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/Grace/overview/index.html">Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment </a>(GRACE) which is a collaborative monitoring project led by the <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration</a> (NASA) and Germany which measured Greenland ice loss with satellites. 

The researchers also examined records from GPS stations placed along Greenland’s coast and identified worrying ice loss trends. Between 2002 and 2016, Greenland ice loss contributed to about .03 inches of sea level rise per year, but the rates of ice loss were not steady. 

By 2012, the data showed the rate of ice loss had quadrupled compared to 2003, and the largest ice losses came from the southwestern region of Greenland. 

Bevis and his team linked the increases in melting to changes in the North Atlantic Oscillation and global atmospheric warming which help speed up summer melting inland. 

“These oscillations have been happening forever,” said Bevis. “So why only now are they causing this massive melt? It's because the atmosphere is, at its baseline, warmer. The transient warming driven by the North Atlantic Oscillation was riding on top of more sustained, global warming.”

There’s no going back now, according to the researchers. Climate change has already firmly set in place an irreversible pattern of Greenland ice loss and sea level rise. 

“The only thing we can do is adapt and mitigate further global warming--it's too late for there to be no effect,” said Bevis. “This is going to cause additional sea level rise. We are watching the ice sheet hit a tipping point.”

--

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>

Greenland ice loss has sped up drastically since 2003

Greenland ice loss has long been one of the biggest...

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/save-endangered-killer-whale/">Southern resident killer whale population</a>, a community of whales made up of three pods that spend much of the year swimming in the Salish Sea off the coasts of Washington State and British Columbia, has reached a 35-year low, according to the <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/i-am-worried-and-i-am-afraid-two-more-puget-sound-orcas-predicted-to-die-in-critically-endangered-population/">Seattle Times</a>. 

After 3 deaths in just four months, only 74 members of the population remain. 

Conservationists have identified many threats that are causing orca whale declines in the Pacific Northwest including fishing and boat traffic, ocean pollution, and climate change. 

But now, a new report has identified a new threat never before considered that has a huge impact on Southern resident killer whales. 

A group of four biologists from <a href="https://nrccorp.com/">Natural Resources Consultants</a> in Seattle, the <a href="https://www.uaf.edu/">University of Alaska at Fairbanks</a>, the<a href="https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/"> Alaska Department of Fish and Game</a>, and an independent researcher on salmon recently examined data on Pacific Northwest orca whale populations and discovered an interesting biennial trend. 

The researchers reviewed data from the <a href="https://www.whaleresearch.com/">Center for Whale Research</a> and found that over the past two decades, whale declines were more noticeable in even-numbered years. 

This every other year pattern was then linked to pink salmon, an abundant species of salmon which form massive salmon runs back to their home streams, completing a two-year life cycle. 

Other salmon like the Chinook, which is a crucial food source for Orca whales, tend to stay in the ocean longer, according to <a href="https://komonews.com/news/local/scientists-id-another-possible-threat-to-orcas-pink-salmon">KOMO News</a> which reported on the surprising new findings.  

Pink salmon populations have thrived as of late due to both increases in salmon protections and changes in ocean conditions. 

The researchers found that from 1998 to 2017, the Southern resident killer whale population dropped to 76 and more whales were dying in even years compared to odd years. There were also fewer calves that survived in even years.

It didn’t take long for the researchers to find correlations between these biennial declines and the surges in pink salmon populations in recent years that have benefited from new protection efforts and changes in ocean currents. 

Orcas prefer Chinook salmon and do not eat pink salmon. The researchers theorize that the large numbers of pink salmon that enter the Salish sea every other year disrupt the orca’s ability to hunt and echolocate properly. 

The researchers published a paper on the pink salmon as soon as they discovered the pattern in the hopes of getting the information out to the public as quickly as possible. Orca whales may soon face extinction unless more is done to protect the species.

“The main point was getting out to the public word about this biennial pattern so people can start thinking about this important, completely unexpected factor in the decline of these whales,” Greg Ruggerone, a member of the research team and author of the paper told KOMO News. “It's important to better understand what's occurring here because that could help facilitate recovery actions.”

--

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>

Pink salmon identified as new threat to orca populations

The Southern resident killer whale population, a community of whales...

New research from the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/home">University of Edinburgh</a> shows that rocks found in the North Sea off the UK coast could be used as long-term storage locations for <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/california-renewable-2045/">renewable energy</a> production.

Researchers believe that pressurized air in porous rocks can be trapped via an advanced technique that uses electricity from renewable technologies. The pressurized air could then later be used to drive a turbine that would generate large amounts of electricity — perhaps enough to meet the UK’s electricity needs during winter, when demand for such is highest.

Engineers and geoscientists from the Universities of Edinburgh and <a href="https://www.strath.ac.uk/">Strathclyde</a> developed the process, which they have dubbed compressed air energy storage (CAES), and calculated its potential via mathematical models. Using estimates from these models and a database of geological rock formations in the North Sea, the team believes porous rocks off the UK coast could store about one and a half times the UK's average electricity demand for January and February.

CAES would work by using electricity generated by renewable technologies to power a motor that generates compressed air. The compressed air would be stored in sandstone pores via a well drilled into the rock. This pressurized air could then be released during times of energy shortage and used to generate turbine electricity.

Their study and findings were published January 21st in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nenergy/">Nature Energy</a>.

"This method could make it possible to store renewable energy produced in the summer for those chilly winter nights. It can provide a viable, though expensive, option to ensure the UK's renewable electricity supply is resilient between seasons. More research could help to refine the process and bring costs down." said study leader Dr. Julien Mouli-Castillo, of the <a href="https://www.ed.ac.uk/geosciences">University of Edinburgh's School of GeoSciences</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rocks off the UK coast could be used for renewable energy storage

New research from the University of Edinburgh shows that rocks...

<a href="http://www.mit.edu/">MIT</a> researchers have discovered a link between high levels of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/annual-air-pollution-crisis-asia/">air pollution</a> and low levels of happiness among urban populations in China. This may explain why satisfaction levels have not risen as much as expected during the country’s significant economic growth.

Previous research from <a href="http://www.cuhk.edu.hk/">Chinese Hong Kong University</a> found that air pollution is responsible for 1.1 million premature deaths each year in China. Furthermore, experts have demonstrated that air pollution is damaging to health, cognitive performance, labor productivity, and educational outcomes.

According to lead author Professor Siqi Zheng, the findings of the current study show that air pollution also has a broader impact on people's social lives and behavior. For example, people may move to a new region, buy protective masks and equipment, or spend less time outdoors to avoid high levels of air pollution.

“Pollution also has an emotional cost,” said Professor Zheng. “People are unhappy, and that means they may make irrational decisions.”


On days with higher levels of pollution, people are known to be more likely to engage in impulsive and risky behavior. Professor Zheng said this could be the result of short-term depression and anxiety. “So we wanted to explore a broader range of effects of air pollution on people's daily lives in highly polluted Chinese cities,” she explained. 


The team compared data from social media and information on urban levels of fine particulate matter to track how daily pollution levels may have impacted the happiness of residents in 144 Chinese cities. The researchers applied a machine-learning algorithm to analyze the 210 million tweets from China's largest microblogging platform, Sina Weibo.

The experts found evidence of a significant correlation between pollution and happiness levels. They also determined that women were more sensitive to higher pollution levels than men.

When the researchers examined where the tweets originated from, they found that residents of the very cleanest and very dirtiest cities were the most affected by pollution levels. According to Professor Zheng, this may be because those people who are particularly concerned about their health and air quality tend to move to clean cities, while those in very dirty cities are more aware of the damage to their health from long-term exposure to air pollution.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nathumbehav/">Nature Human Behaviour</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>

Higher levels of air pollution linked to lower levels of happiness

MIT researchers have discovered a link between high levels of...

Helping plants and pollinators may be as simple as turning off street lights for a couple of hours a night.

That was the conclusion of a team of researchers from <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a> and <a href="https://www.yorku.ca/">York University</a> who wanted to determine how light affects nocturnal pollinators like moths.

"Artificial light at night is an increasingly important driver of global environmental change and sky brightness is increasing by about 6 percent a year," study co-author Dr. Darren Evans said. "Understanding the ecological impact of this artificial light on the ecosystem is vital.”

The study found that bright street lights at night draw moths upward to flit around the light source rather than pollinate as usual. That has a large effect on the plants that rely on moths for pollination, including pea, soy and rapeseed crops. 

But turning off the street lights – even if only for a couple of hours – sent moths back to the plants they prefer to feed on. 

The researchers found that while constant overnight light badly disrupted pollination, even just a partial “lights out” period had a similar effect on moths’ feeding patterns as full darkness.

"We know that light pollution significantly alters moth activity and this in turn is disrupting their role as pollinators. But what our study showed was that while full-night lighting caused significant ecological disruption, part-night lighting did not appear to have any strong effect on pollination success or quality,” Evans said.

Whether street lights use sodium or LED bulbs had no apparent effect. It wasn’t the type of light, but the amount, that seemed to throw off moth feeding patterns. 

It’s the latest in a number of studies about the effects of light pollution on humans and the world around us. Studies have shown that light pollution can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-sleep-problems/">disrupt sleep</a>, leading to chronic insomnia and dependence on sleep aids.

Light pollution from street lights doesn’t just affect humans and moths. It can <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-migrating-bats/">endanger migrating bats</a>, harm the various bugs that live in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/light-pollution-streams-wetlands/">wetlands</a> and disrupt the food chain, disorient sea turtles and fool plants into thinking <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/artificial-light-pollution-causes-spring-to-come-early/">spring has come early</a>.

"Often, as conservationists, we have to make difficult trade-offs between development and environmental protection,” lead author Dr. Callum Macgregor said. "However, our study suggests that turning off street lights in the middle of the night is a win-win scenario, saving energy and money for local authorities whilst simultaneously helping our nocturnal wildlife."

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Scientists: time to turn off street lights for a few hours a night

Helping plants and pollinators may be as simple as turning...

The U.S. oil and gas drilling boom has been a boost to the economy, especially in states like Oklahoma and North Dakota. But it may be leading to a climate disaster.

Last year, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a> reported that the U.S. had become the <a href="https://money.cnn.com/2018/09/12/investing/us-oil-production-russia-saudi-arabia/index.html">world’s largest oil producer</a>, unseating Saudi Arabia, Russia and other top oil countries. Last March, U.S. oil companies were preparing to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-second-wave-fracking/">expand their fracking operations</a> on a massive scale.

But the fracking and drilling boom spells disaster for the environment, activist group <a href="http://priceofoil.org/">Oil Change International</a> said. The organization and 17 partners outlined the potential damage in a <a href="http://priceofoil.org/2019/01/16/report-drilling-towards-disaster/">new report</a> released Thursday.

“The United States should be a global leader in winding down fossil fuel use and production. Instead, the U.S. oil and gas industry is gearing up to unleash the largest burst of new carbon emissions in the world between now and 2050,” Oil Change International reported. “At precisely the time in which the world must begin rapidly decarbonizing to avoid runaway climate disaster, the United States is moving further and faster than any other country to expand oil and gas extraction.”

The U.S. drilling boom could push global carbon emissions above the target set in the landmark <a href="https://unfccc.int/process-and-meetings/the-paris-agreement/the-paris-agreement">Paris Agreement</a>, the coalition reports.

“Between 2018 and 2050, U.S. drilling into new oil and gas reserves could unlock 120 billion metric tons of new carbon pollution, which is equivalent to the lifetime CO2 emissions of nearly 1,000 coal-fired power plants,” the report states. “If not curtailed, U.S. oil and gas expansion will impede the rest of the world’s ability to manage a climate-safe, equitable decline of oil and gas production.”

The report also points to the environmental dangers linked to fracking, or hydraulic fracturing to extract natural gas from shale. 

Fracking is connected to health risks caused by air and water pollution caused by the operations, as well as heavy truck traffic. Oil pipelines connected to the projects raise the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pipeline-leaks-soaring-with-increased-oil-production-2/">leaks and soil contamination</a>. Fracking has also been linked to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wastewater-injection-regulation-oklahoma/">man-made earthquakes</a>.

It’s time to put the environment above the economic payout of the drilling boom, Oil Change International said in a <a href="http://priceofoil.org/2019/01/16/us-oil-and-gas-industry-is-drilling-us-towards-climate-disaster/">press release</a>.

“Real climate leadership requires decisively saying ‘no’ to further expansion of the fossil fuel industry while enthusiastically saying ‘yes’ to a renewable energy transition on the pace and scale of a Green New Deal,” the organization said.

--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Image credit: Tom Reichner, <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/">Shutterstock.com</a>

U.S. oil, gas drilling boom spells disaster, group says

The U.S. oil and gas drilling boom has been a...

Almost 50 years ago, two men did what no one had ever done before: walked on the lunar surface.

When they landed on the Moon, astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin left behind an American flag and plaque that read: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot upon the moon July 1969 A.D. We came in peace for all mankind.”

In seven missions between 1969 and 1972, a dozen astronauts walked on the Moon, with the help of six pilots. According to the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a>, they’ve brought back more than 800 pounds of moon rocks, soil and other material from the lunar surface.

But the Moon was an object of fascination long before anyone landed on its surface. 

How much do you know about the Earth’s closest neighbor? Test yourself with these trivia questions; find the answers at the end. 
<ol>
 	<li> How many moon landers and moon rovers have visited the lunar surface?</li>
 	<li> What shape is the Moon?</li>
 	<li> How long did it take astronauts to reach the Moon?</li>
 	<li> How far away from Earth was the Moon when it first formed?</li>
 	<li> What color is the sky when standing on the lunar surface?</li>
 	<li> How long does it take to radio the Moon?</li>
 	<li> What are lunar flashes, also known as “transient lunar phenomena”?</li>
 	<li> How old is the Moon?</li>
 	<li> How much would you weigh on the lunar surface?</li>
</ol>
Don’t forget to catch tonight’s <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/super-blood-wolf-moon/">Super Wolf Blood Moon</a> and total lunar eclipse, which will be visible from the Americas. 
<h3>Answers:</h3>
<ol>
 	<li> 19 landers and six rovers have landed on the Moon. </li>
 	<li> The Moon looks round from Earth, so you might assume it’s shaped like a sphere – but it’s actually egg-shaped, according to a 2014 study published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13639">Nature</a>. One of the smaller ends is pointed toward Earth, so it looks rounder than it actually is.</li>
 	<li> It took the Apollo missions approximately three days to journey from Earth to the Moon.</li>
 	<li> The Moon was originally about 14,000 miles from Earth, but is now 238,900 miles away, scientists told the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-12311119">BBC</a> in 2011. It’s moving away from Earth at a rate of about 1.48 inches per year.</li>
 	<li> Because the moon has very little atmosphere, the sky appears black. Earth’s blue sky is created by light passing through the atmosphere.</li>
 	<li> According to the ESA, it takes about 1.27 seconds for a radio signal to reach the lunar surface from Earth. It would take another 1.27 to get a reply, for a total of 2.54 seconds.</li>
 	<li> Lunar flashes occur every few hours, when meteorites strike the surface of the Moon.</li>
 	<li> The Moon is about 4.5 billion years old, according to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>.</li>
 	<li> The Moon’s gravity is 1/6 that of the Earth’s, so if you divide your weight by six, you can find out approximately how much you’d weigh on the Moon.</li>
</ol>
--

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Test your knowledge: Landing on the lunar surface to tonight's eclipse

Almost 50 years ago, two men did what no one...

For those of us located in North and South America – as well as a large portion of Europe and Africa – on the night of January 20-21, we will be able to observe a full moon in total lunar eclipse. At this time, the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/china-landing-moon/">Moon</a> will have a red glow that has come to be known as the Blood Moon. 

Because the moon will be at the closest point to Earth in its orbit, it will also be a Super Moon. And to add to the exciting name, January’s moon is known as a Wolf Moon, thus earning this event the haunting title of a Super Blood Wolf Moon.

The full moon will be in Earth’s shadow from 3:34 GMT to 6:51 GMT, beginning with the shadow moving in from the left. According to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>, the total eclipse will last about an hour. For people located in Europe and Africa, it will be observable just before sunrise, while for anyone in North and South America, the eclipse can be seen at the beginning or in the middle of the night. 

While you may know that a lunar eclipse is caused by Earth’s shadow blocking the light from the sun reflecting off the Moon, you may still be wondering why it causes the Moon to turn red. This red color is a result of the same phenomenon that causes sunsets to appear red, pink, or orange as well. 

“A little bit of sunlight is refracted by the Earth’s atmosphere and reaches the Moon, bending around the edges of the Earth,” explains Walter Freeman, an assistant teaching professor at Syracuse University's physics department. “This small amount of red light still illuminates the Moon enough for us to see it. Instead of being bright and white, the Moon will be very dim and red, 10,000 or so times dimmer than usual.”

Total lunar eclipses happen about one to three times per year on average, but there will be a three-year gap between this upcoming total eclipse and the next one in 2022. So if you want to say you saw the Super Blood Wolf Moon way back in 2019, make sure to stay awake this Sunday night.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The Super Blood Wolf Moon is arriving tonight

For those of us located in North and South America...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"] Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected...

Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://welcome.miami.edu/">University of Miami</a> Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science explores how changes in water temperatures have affected tiger shark habitats and movements in the North Atlantic Ocean. The study reveals that rising temperatures have caused the sharks to shift toward the poles over the past 40 years.



“Tiger shark annual migrations have expanded poleward, paralleling rising water temperatures,” explained study lead author Neil Hammerschlag. “These results have consequences for tiger shark conservation, since shifts in their movements outside of marine protected areas may leave them more vulnerable to commercial fishing.”



The researchers analyzed nine years of tracking data from satellite-tagged tiger sharks, combined with four decades of conventional tag and recapture data provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Cooperative Shark Tagging Program.



The experts found that during the last decade of record heat, for every one-degree Celsius increase in water temperatures, tiger sharks migrated further poleward by over 400 kilometers. They also migrated two weeks earlier than usual to waters off the northeastern coast of the United States.



“Given their role as apex predators, these changes to tiger shark movements may alter predator-prey interactions, leading to ecological imbalances, and more frequent encounters with humans,” concluded Professor Hammerschlag.



Video Credit: University of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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Saturn,-,High,Resolution,3d,Images,Presents,Planets,Of,The

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard Space Flight Center</a> features images of Saturn from NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope. The photographs capture the start of the mysterious "spoke season" on Saturn - when unexplained features appear on its rings. 



According to NASA, both the cause of the spokes and their seasonal variability have yet to be fully explained by planetary scientists.



"Like Earth, Saturn is tilted on its axis and therefore has four seasons, though because of Saturn's much larger orbit, each season lasts approximately seven Earth years. Equinox occurs when the rings are tilted edge-on to the Sun," explains NASA.



"The spokes disappear when it is near summer or winter solstice on Saturn. (When the Sun appears to reach either its highest or lowest latitude in the northern or southern hemisphere of a planet.) As the autumnal equinox of Saturn's northern hemisphere on May 6, 2025, draws near, the spokes are expected to become increasingly prominent and observable."



Experts believe that the spokes may be a product of the planet's variable magnetic field. When magnetic fields interact with solar wind, an electrically charged environment is created. This phenomenon is visible on Earth as the northern lights.&nbsp;



"Scientists think that the smallest, dust-sized icy ring particles can become charged as well, which temporarily levitates those particles above the rest of the larger icy particles and boulders in the rings," says NASA.



The spokes were first observed in the early 1980s by NASA's Voyager mission. Depending on the angle of the rings, the spokes can appear dark or light.



"Thanks to Hubble's OPAL program, which is building an archive of data on the outer solar system planets, we will have longer dedicated time to study Saturn’s spokes this season than ever before," said NASA senior planetary scientist Amy Simon, head of the Hubble Outer Planet Atmospheres Legacy (OPAL) program.



"Despite years of excellent observations by the Cassini mission, the precise beginning and duration of the spoke season is still unpredictable, rather like predicting the first storm during hurricane season."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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