Western wildfires send smoke across the country, so it sounds obvious that they always make air quality worse everywhere. New research shows that is not the whole story.



During severe fire seasons in the West, the intense heat from those <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/forest-thinning-cuts-wildfire-severity-and-saves-carbon/">fires</a> can change weather patterns and rainfall in ways that actually lower fine particle pollution in the eastern United States. That result surprised even seasoned atmospheric scientists.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfire-heat-and-air-quality">Wildfire heat and air quality </h2>



Qihan Ma of <a href="https://www.tsinghua.edu.cn/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Tsinghua University</a> and colleagues analyzed observations and climate simulations that account for the daily heat released by fires. The researchers found that strong fire heat can reduce fine particle levels in the East during the fire season.



Scientists track fine particle pollution called PM2.5, which refers to particles smaller than 2.5 micrometers across. PM2.5 gets deep into the lungs and bloodstream, and its <a href="https://www.epa.gov/pm-pollution/health-and-environmental-effects-particulate-matter-pm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">effects</a> include higher risks of heart and lung disease and premature death.



The results did not just point to smoke. The team showed how fire-driven <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/human-wildfire-exposure-rises-worldwide-despite-less-land-burning/">heat</a> boosts convection, the upward movement of warm air. This suppresses eastward smoke transport and increases rain that washes particles out of the air, a process called wet deposition. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-air-quality-in-the-east-and-west">Air quality in the East and West</h2>



Observations from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wildfire-seasons-are-now-overlapping-worldwide/">air</a> monitors revealed a dipole pattern during extreme western fire events, with PM2.5 rising in the West and falling in the East by a comparable amount. 



Model simulations for the full fire season showed similar contrasts of about 1.71 micrograms per cubic meter in the West and minus 1.21 micrograms per cubic meter in the East.



Satellite analysts also mapped smoke plumes over long distances during these events. NOAA confirmed that smoke often spread across parts of the East, yet many eastern monitors still recorded lower PM2.5.



To represent fire inputs day by day, the researchers used the <a href="https://www.globalfiredata.org/data.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">GFED4.1s</a> dataset, which estimates burned area, emissions, and heat release. The data helped quantify how much energy the fires pumped into the atmosphere.



The air quality and weather responses were simulated with the Community Earth System Model (<a href="https://www.cesm.ucar.edu/models" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CESM</a>). To separate the drivers, the team ran simulations with smoke alone, heat alone, and with both.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wildfires-shift-weather-across-the-country">Wildfires shift weather across the country</h2>



Heat from large western fires increased convective available potential energy (CAPE) over the West, which favors stronger thunderstorms. It also nudged broader circulation patterns that reshaped wind and moisture across the country.



As the central United States dried and warmed near the surface, low level pressure dropped and winds shifted toward anomalous easterlies over the eastern half of the country.



The East grew more humid and unstable, and convective rain increased, which removed more particles from the air. These heat-driven shifts can modulate long range smoke impacts.



“Heat produced by wildfires, a commonly neglected effect, can reduce fine particle concentrations in the eastern United States,” wrote Ma.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-for-health-and-policy">Lessons for health and policy</h2>



The results do not suggest that wildfires are harmless. The West still sees higher PM2.5 during fire season, and people there bear the brunt of smoke exposure and related health burdens.



The research shows that ignoring fire heat in national assessments can skew results. The authors report that leaving heat out of models overestimates health and economic losses by about 1,200 premature deaths and 3.3 billion dollars nationwide for the fire season. 



Those numbers are driven by the East’s large population and the modeled reductions in PM2.5 when heat effects are included.



Public health guidance should still emphasize reducing exposure wherever smoke raises risk. Strategies include wearing masks during high pollution days and targeted help for sensitive groups like children, older adults, pregnant women, and those with heart or lung disease.



For modeling and policy, the message is straightforward. Future national air quality planning and wildfire risk assessments need to incorporate fire heat, not just smoke emissions, to capture regional differences accurately.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-limitations-and-open-questions">Limitations and open questions</h2>



The researchers emphasize that no model is perfect. In global models with coarse grids, convection is parameterized, meaning certain local storm processes are simplified.



The team validated a subset of cases with a superparameterized model that more explicitly resolves clouds. The results showed the same overall pattern, though the heat effects were weaker in magnitude - providing a useful constraint for future research.



Better heat estimates at subdaily timescales will also help. Averaging heat over a day can smooth out fire bursts that may drive the strongest convective responses.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-daily-life">Implications for daily life</h2>



People in the West should continue to prepare for smoke season and protect their lungs, because local pollution still rises during major fires. 



Communities in the East should not assume they are safe, since many days still exceed health guidelines and smoke episodes remain disruptive.



The broader lesson is about getting the physics right. Accounting for heat shows how the same fires can worsen air in one region and temporarily ease it in another, and that nuance matters for equitable investments in health and resilience.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.ads1957" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Wildfires in the West can actually improve air quality in the East

Western wildfires send smoke across the country, so it sounds obvious that they always make air quality worse everywhere. New research shows that is not the whole story. During severe fire seasons in the West, the intense heat from those fires can change weather patterns and rainfall in ways that actually lower fine particle pollution in the eastern United States. That result surprised even seasoned atmospheric scientists. Wildfire heat and air quality Qihan Ma of Tsinghua University and colleagues analyzed observations and climate simulations that account for...

Netflix’s Our Planet, an eight-part series, may seem like just your average nature documentary with stunning footage of sweeping forests, aerial shots of herds of elephants trekking across the Savanna, and schools of fish leaping from the waves. 

None other than award-winning nature narrator Sir David Attenborough is the sole voice of the series, would may lead the casual viewer into thinking that it’s nothing you haven’t seen before in Planet Earth or Blue Planet. 

These comparisons make even more sense when you see that the show was produced by Alastair Fothergill, who produced the first Planet Earth BBC series. 

But while other series offer a glimpse at nature, Our Planet delivers a strong warning at a time when Earth has never been more vulnerable due to climate change.

This isn’t just an educational program leading you on a trip around seven of our planet’s vast ecosystems from forests to oceans. It’s a series that highlights how connected everything is, from the phytoplankton in the seas to the ants that march in droves across the jungle floor. 

Through Attenborough’s soothing voice, we learn all life on Earth is connected and dependant on its respected habitats. Add a wrench to the mix, like deforestation, droughts due to climate change, or overfishing, and those delicate ecosystems are thrown out of balance resulting in habitat and species declines. 

Research has shown that millions of plants and animals could soon <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-hunted-6th-extinction/">face extinction</a> directly related to human activities and climate change, but Our Planet gives you both a macro and micro perspective of how exactly ecosystems are being impacted. 

In this way, Our Planet offers what few nature documentaries have before it, a chance to directly see the impact that humans are having on the natural world. 

In Borneo’s jungle, we learn that orangutans take a long time to become independent apes, spending most of their early years observing and learning from their mothers. 

We then hear that 100 orangutans die every week due to their jungle habitats being transformed into monocultures of oil palms and that the orangutans we just spent time getting to know could soon be the last generation to live in the wild. 

Perhaps the biggest takeaway of the series is that what we do now to protect and manage our natural resources will determine the fate of all life on Earth. 

As David Attenborough says in the first installment of the series, there has never been a more critical time to understand how our planet works. The first episode gives an overarching view of the series and delves into how the Earth’s climate systems and weather benefit different ecosystems as well as our globe’s incredibly rich biodiversity. 

For example, off the coast of Peru we see masses of sea birds and dolphins diving in and out of nutrient-rich waters to feed on shoals of anchovies. The anchovies are an abundant food source thanks to wind patterns and ocean currents that bring nutrients to the region. 

Cut to the vulnerable poles where the impacts of climate change are felt with increasing severity and the audience is presented with awe-inspiring footage of glacier calving where massive chunks of glaciers split and break off into the ocean. 

Starting with a calving glacier in the Arctic helped anchor the primary message of the series -- how human activities and climate change are reshaping the poles which, in turn, impacts global currents, wind patterns, climate systems, and weather patterns. 

It was also an ambitious scene to shoot, and producers of the show contacted a glacier expert to find just the right calving event to film. 

“The starting point was that we wanted to illustrate, through natural phenomena, climate change and that the Arctic is increasingly warming,” Keith Scholey, a producer of the series, told <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/our-planet-netflix-david-attenborough_uk_5ca7964ce4b0dca033011273?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGajbhQnm6LkhyO9JMVaZQ9cKPekksSEne1uaCnnDaUdpJiLGFllRuioTKhg2RHYT50eXfER6gnIwnjAPsaWW0Q5yHxCH6rCUeyZE1HQBNIOumir0Rd0uceZF2TlM0lLys5RRJNuhFlLPp0bY-Vks4TUqaH2UqhGeelW25dxlK_L">Huffington Post</a>. “People have often filmed glaciers with bits falling off, but in the moment you’re referring to, when a huge skyscraper block breaks away and does that huge rotation, it’s never really been filmed properly before.”

The care and attention to detail shine through from the opening credits to the final shot. Our Planet was a mammoth undertaking that took years to film, involved 600 crew members, and was filmed in over 50 countries. 

Each episode tackles a different ecosystem from jungles, to coastal seas, forests, and deserts and in each installment of the series, the majestic panning nature shots, aerial shots, and close-ups are unparalleled. 

You’ll feel like you’re swimming along with dolphins on the high seas trying to evade their killer whale predators. 

A harrowing scene of wildebeests being chased by cheetahs in the Serengeti will have you at the edge of your seat. In the polar north, you’ll see a mother sea lion look in vain for her pup which was triumphantly snatched up by a polar bear only to understand that the melting sea ice is making it harder for both sea lions and polar bears to thrive. 

One of the more gruesome scenes involves walruses tumbling to their deaths from cliffs forced onto beaches in droves by the thousands due to retreating sea ice. 

The famous scene, which has since <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2019/04/why-are-walruses-walking-off-cliffs/586510/">raised questions about its relation to climate change</a>, shows walruses bouncing, rolling, leaping, and plummeting to their deaths in an attempt to get back to the water. 

It’s only one of the many shocking and uncomfortable moments in the series. 

Our Planet invites the viewer to witness how our actions are changing the very landscapes we depend on for food, fuel, and medicine.

Climate change and human activities are taking the delicate balancing act that is mother Earth and throwing everything off kilter, forcing species to adapt to inhospitable habitats, driving species to extinction, and decimating marine ecosystems. 

When priority is given to conservation, Our Planet also highlights how degraded habitats have a surprising resilience and can bounce back when given the chance.

Whether it’s Polynesian shark nurseries, increasing humpback whale populations, or the incredible transformation taking place in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chernobyls-exclusion-zone-wildlife-refuge/">Chernobyl exclusion zone</a> where forests are overtaking the abandoned cities and buildings around the plant, wolves have returned, and animals are thriving in areas untouched by humans for years. 

Our Planet’s message is certainly a call to action set against some glorious scenery. It’s an important message that must hit home if we are to mitigate the impacts of climate change, prevent mass extinction, and create a sustainable future for generations to come. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Netflix

‘Our Planet’ delivers stunning images and an ominous warning

Netflix’s Our Planet, an eight-part series, may seem like just...

Experts at <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a> have determined that the heat stress associated with climate change will play a larger role in reducing the yields of major U.S. crops than the stress induced by <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/drought-ozone-pollution-levels/">droughts</a>. This topic has been the subject of a high-stakes debate among climate scientists and crop experts. 

"There is a big divide in this field, and we thought there must be some way to resolve this puzzle," said study co-author Ariel Ortiz-Bobea, who is an assistant professor of Applied Economics and Management. Understanding which factor will have the biggest impact on crops has major implications for crop management as well as plant breeding.

Based on decades of data from the government and other sources, the researchers developed a statistical crop yield model for maize, cotton, sorghum, soybeans, spring wheat, and winter wheat.

The study revealed that soil moisture was the single best predictor of annual variations in crop yield over the past four decades. Harvests were found to be particularly sensitive to drought stress in the middle of the growing season.

The researchers applied their statistical model to climate change scenarios ranging from mild to severe. The model predicted that temperature, or heat stress, will be the primary climatic driver of crop yields in 2050 and 2100. Under the least severe climate conditions, yields for the six crops are expected to decrease by up to 19 percent. The most severe conditions would reduce the same yields by up to 48 percent.

Study co-author Professor Toby Ault explained that climate change projections show many of the food-producing counties in the United States becoming drier in the summer, even if rainfall increases. 

"The work highlights two major challenges for adapting to a changing climate," said Professor Ault. "First, how do we deal with increases in temperature that through higher evaporation rates could surpass increases in precipitation? And second, how can we start to envision an agricultural system of the 21st century that is equipped to handle the remarkable shifts in seasonality that might occur?"

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/erl">Environmental Research Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

US crop yields will be more impacted by heat stress than drought

Experts at Cornell University have determined that the heat stress...

A new study has revealed that sponges provide a unique way for monitoring marine biodiversity. As the sponges filter-feed, the DNA left behind in the water from other animals is collected in their tissues. The researchers identified fish, seal, and penguin <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/neanderthals-woolly-mammoths-dna/">DNA</a> in sponges from the Antarctic and Mediterranean.

Study co-author Stefano Mariani is a marine ecologist and population geneticist at the <a href="https://www.salford.ac.uk/">University of Salford</a>.

"Sponges are ideal sampling units because you find them everywhere and in every aquatic habitat, including freshwater," said Mariani. "Also, they're not very selective filter-feeders, they don't run away, and they don't get hurt by sampling - you can just grab a piece, and they will regenerate nicely."

The researchers found that the presence of sponge DNA did not interfere with their ability to identify the DNA of other species caught within its tissue. By using a particular DNA primer, they were able to selectively amplify vertebrate DNA without amplifying the DNA of the sponge itself. This technique was combined with metabarcoding, which sorted through the DNA in the tissue sample and organized it into distinguishable species.

[caption id="attachment_1873415" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/sponge.jpeg"><img class="wp-image-1873415" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/sponge.jpeg" alt="" width="650" height="702" /></a> Sponge specimen, Aplysina aerophoba, Image Credit: A. Riesgo[/caption]

The team identified 31 taxa, which mostly consisted of fish. One sponge sample from Antarctica included DNA from Weddell seals and chinstrap penguins. The sample was ultimately linked to a specific region offshore of a penguin breeding colony. "This was a really exciting find and also makes a lot of sense, because the penguins would be in and out of the water a lot, eating, swimming, and pooing," said Mariani.

Next, the researchers plan to investigate the ability of other animals to act as DNA samplers, particularly in open waters where sponges are unavailable or inaccessible. According to Mariani, organisms such as jelly fish or salps may be better options in the open ocean. 

The ultimate goal of the research is to improve how environmental DNA is collected in order to better monitor biodiversity in areas that may not be suitable for other methods. "I am hopeful that this method will prove itself to be useful," said Mariani. "It's the quintessential environmentally friendly biodiversity assessment tool."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Main Image Credit: A. Riesgo

Sponges pick up DNA from other sea creatures as they filter ocean water

A new study has revealed that sponges provide a unique...

One-fifth of the world’s population are at risk of severe water shortages. Researchers at the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a> have determined that nearly 20 percent of the global population lives in a stressed water basin where <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/crop-production-climate-change/">climate change</a> could threaten water availability for agriculture, industry, and for everyday use.

The investigation was focused on trends in global water usage from 1980 to 2016, with an emphasis on what is known as inflexible consumption. Crop irrigation, cooling thermal power plants, livestock, and humans all have a demand for water that is inflexible.  

"Many studies evaluating water scarcity have mainly centered on the share of the available supply being consumed by humans, but this ignores the fact that some uses are more flexible or productive than others," said study lead author Yue Qin. "By looking at how water is actually used, we can begin to see what water is really difficult to do without and if there are any opportunities for savings in other areas."

The scientists developed a water stress index that takes into account the scarcity, flexibility, and variability of global water supplies. The study, which was focused on watersheds on six continents, pinpointed numerous hot spots where a drought or heat wave could put a major strain on reserves. The researchers also identified numerous opportunities to conserve resources through new technologies and better management practices.

The investigation showed that the top 10 percent of the most stressed river basins support about 19 percent of the world's population, 19 percent of thermal electricity generation, and one-third of irrigated agricultural production. Over the course of the 37-year study period, there was a significant increase in water stress for the worst-impacted regions.

According to the study, Asia faces an even greater dilemma due to their high stress indices combined with the total human and livestock population, reservoir capacity, electricity generation, and production of irrigated crops. North America is in the same predicament, but to a lesser degree. These areas are particularly vulnerable to shocks triggered by droughts and heat waves.One-fifth of the world’s population are at risk of severe water shortages

"The new index tells us where water issues are greatest and for what reasons, so decisions now don't limit our options and ability to be resilient in the future," said Thomas Torgersen, who is a program director in the National Science Foundation's Division of Earth Sciences, which funded the research.

The scientists evaluated the productivity and flexibility of water use in specific basins, and discovered that the Nile basin in Africa and the Tigris-Euphrates and Lake Balkhash basins in Asia all have high water stress indices and elevated consumption.  The study authors determined that water could be saved by switching from cooling power plants with fresh water to dry cooling technologies. They found that this strategy could decrease cooling water use in the Lake Balkhash basin by 95 percent.

"Given the limited political capital and resources when you're developing new technologies and policies, where do you focus those efforts for the most potential benefit?" said co-author Professor Julie Zimmerman. "We can't solve these problems in isolation. This study reinforces the linkages between these systems and why we need to be holistic in our approaches."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Steven Davis / UCI

One-fifth of the world’s population are at risk of severe water shortages

One-fifth of the world’s population are at risk of severe...

In an unprecedented study, a team of experts at <a href="https://www.osu.edu/">The Ohio State University</a> has created high-resolution maps pinpointing where <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/microplastic-contamination-groundwater-sources/">groundwater</a> meets the ocean. The research will provide insight that could help protect drinking water as well as the ocean itself. 

The study revealed that nearly half of fresh submarine groundwater discharge flows into the ocean near the tropics. Regions near active fault lines were found to release even larger amounts of groundwater into the ocean. 

On the other hand, the researchers determined that arid regions have very little groundwater discharge, which makes these water supplies more vulnerable to saltwater intrusion.

In collaboration with NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the University of Saskatchewan, the team combined topographical data from satellites and climate models to examine the flow of groundwater along the coastline. 

"Freshwater-groundwater discharge is a natural line of defense against saltwater intrusion," said study co-author Professor Audrey Sawyer. "And saltwater intrusion is a concern in places like Miami, Georgia, Cape Cod--it's up and down the coast. It's a problem that dry regions have as little groundwater discharge as they do because these are also the places where people are going to tend to look for groundwater to meet their freshwater needs."

This type of monitoring is more difficult than tracking the water quality of a river or stream because groundwater enters another water body from below where it cannot be detected on land. 

"If you've ever been swimming in a lake or in the ocean in the summertime and you go through a cold patch, that is probably a place where groundwater is coming out," said Professor Sawyer. "And that's just one way that groundwater affects surface water - in that case, it's affecting temperature, but it also affects the chemistry of the water. These effects can be hard to measure over large scales."

The research showed that groundwater could be polluting oceans and lakes with nutrients and other chemicals. For example, groundwater can carry higher concentrations of nitrates and mercury.

"This study draws attention to the idea that surface water and groundwater are all connected, and if you start to extract groundwater, you're affecting that connection to our surface water bodies, and that can affect surface water quality, too," said Professor Sawyer. "There is competition between the outward push of groundwater towards the coast and the saltwater that wants to come in, and if we don't have as much of an outward push because we're taking that fresh groundwater out of the ground instead of letting it flow to the coast, it puts us in a more vulnerable position. It's not that we can't use groundwater, but we need to monitor our impact and remember that groundwater is not an inexhaustible resource."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Shutterstock

New maps reveal where groundwater enters the ocean

In an unprecedented study, a team of experts at The...

The long-term effects of extreme weather events on communities may influence whether the individuals who live there believe in climate change.

Recent studies have shown that simply experiencing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/local-weather-climate-change-beliefs/">severe weather</a> can influence those beliefs, but new research from scientists at <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a> and the <a href="http://www.ucdenver.edu/">University of Colorado, Denver</a> found that witnessing lasting damage has more of an impact.

"How our community or neighborhood fares – the damages it suffers – may have a stronger and more lasting effect on our climate beliefs than individual impacts do," Duke’s Dr. Elizabeth A. Albright said. "We found that damage at the zip-code level as measured by FEMA was positively associated with stronger climate change beliefs even three or four years after the extreme flooding event our study examined."

The researchers surveyed people living in six Colorado communities in 2016 and 2017. All of the communities had been flooded during the storms of September 2013. The survey asked participants about how they had perceived the flood damage, their political beliefs, and their beliefs about climate change.

Surveys were sent randomly both to neighborhoods that had seen long-lasting damage and those that had been spared.

They found that people who had lived through flooding that left long-lasting, broad damage throughout the community were more likely to believe in climate change than those who had not seen widespread damage, even if their own home was harmed. The beliefs held by the first group lasted longer as well.

They also found that political beliefs were linked to participants’ views on climate change – but not on whether they considered future extreme weather events to be a danger. 

"These findings speak to the power of collective experiences and suggest that how the impacts from extreme weather are conceptualized, measured and shared matters greatly in terms of influencing individual beliefs," said Dr. Deserai Crow of UCD.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10584019024612">Climate Change</a>. Funding was provided by the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">U.S. Environmental Protection Agency</a>

Paid for by Earth.com.

Extreme weather events can influence climate beliefs

The long-term effects of extreme weather events on communities may...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey (BAS)</a> has found that Asia’s high-mountain glaciers act as a buffer to protect the region from drought. 

With these glaciers shrinking in size due to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/melting-small-glaciers-sea-levels/">climate change</a>, these findings, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>, have serious implications for surrounding areas susceptible to drought.

"This study is about answering the question — why do glaciers matter?” said lead researcher, BAS glaciologist Dr. Hamish Pritchard.  “Even in high-mountain Asia, they are remote and cover quite a small part of the region. It turns out that they are particularly valuable to society as a natural store of water that keeps the rivers flowing through summer, even through long droughts.”

During drought seasons, Asia’s glaciers step in to become the largest supplier of water to major river basins, and are therefore crucial to those living downstream. 

These glaciers release an average 36 cubic kilometres of water (equivalent to 14 million Olympic swimming pools) each summer, which is enough water to fulfil the needs of 221 million people.

However, Dr. Pritchard estimates that climate change is causing the glaciers to lose 1.6 times more water than they gain every year from new snowfall.

"Against a background of increasing drought-related water and food shortages and malnutrition, which have been predicted with high confidence for the coming decades, Asia's glaciers will play an increasingly important part in protecting downstream populations from drought-induced spikes in water stress — spikes that, without mitigating changes in the way water is stored and used, are the potential trigger for a sudden jump in the price of water that could be profoundly destabilising for this region,” he concluded.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Nowak Lukasz

Asia’s glaciers relieve drought in the surrounding region

A new study from the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) has...

In the last two weeks, at least 225 tornadoes have been confirmed in states across the U.S., and many people are questioning whether <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a> is the driving force behind this powerful cluster of storms.

According to James Elsner, an atmospheric scientist and professor at <a href="https://www.fsu.edu/">Florida State University</a>, we are not currently seeing an increase in the number of annual tornado outbreaks. Instead, the number of tornadoes associated with each individual outbreak is on the rise.  

"The overall trend is not upwards, but what was surprising and sharply up is the fact that when conditions become favorable for tornadoes, we’re seeing more tornadoes per outbreak," said Professor Elsner.

Victor Gensini is a climatologist at <a href="https://www.niu.edu/">Northern Illinois University</a> and one of the leading tornado experts in the world. 

"We’re not 100 percent sure what’s causing that,” said Professor Gensini. "There are theories that for any given outbreak, there’s more instability or fuel available for storms, but it’s really difficult to know."

The <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> reports that there have already been 935 tornadoes across the country so far this year. According to Professor Gensini, this is more than the yearly average from 2005 to 2015 of 743 tornadoes.

Detailed records of tornadoes only date back to the 1950s, which limits the ability of scientists to investigate the role that climate change may have in tornadic activity. 

"The analogy I like to use is with baseball’s steroid era," said Professor Gensini. "It’s a very difficult question to answer if this one home run was caused by steroids, but when you look at the batting average or the number of home runs over that time period, it’s easy to say that, yes, statistically a lot of those home runs were likely caused by steroids."

Professor Gensini suggests that, while climate change does not directly cause extreme weather events such as the tornado outbreak this month, it does alter the probability that the environmental conditions will be right.

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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

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Jennifer Princ

Is climate change to blame for this month’s tornado outbreak?

In the last two weeks, at least 225 tornadoes have...

Why the centralized approach to limit global warming is not working. In 2015, representatives from nearly 200 nations pledged to take the necessary action to lower harmful greenhouse gas emissions in an unprecedented worldwide effort to address climate change. The primary goal was to limit global warming to well below 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels, while pursuing efforts to limit warming to 1.5 degrees.

The targets would help to avoid the acceleration of climate change and its potentially catastrophic effects, such as sea-level rise, more extreme weather events, and the loss of sea ice. The climate will inevitably continue to change, but to what extent depends mainly on whether the global community can reduce the heat-trapping gases that are being released into the atmosphere. 

But now, five years after the historic <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/trump-decision-paris-climate-agreement/">Paris Climate Agreement</a>, the emissions of carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases are still on the rise. At the current rate of emissions, the 2°C limit will be exceeded over the next three decades. 

Experts at the <a href="https://www.iass-potsdam.de/en">Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies</a> (IASS) are reporting that, since the centralized approach to addressing global warming has failed, only greater democratic engagement can reanimate global climate politics.

"Temperatures are continuing to rise, CO2 levels are setting new records every year, and it is becoming increasingly unlikely that we will succeed in even meeting the 2°C goal," said study co-author Professor Mark Lawrence. 

According to the researchers, states have clung for too long to unrealistic scenarios for achieving the global targets. For example, too much emphasis has been placed on techniques for Carbon Dioxide Removal (CDR), which is also referred to as negative emissions. 

"The development of CDR is not expected to reach a point where these techniques could remove CO2 from the atmosphere on a climate-relevant scale until the middle of this century," explained Professor Lawrence, "However, in order to keep temperature rise below two degrees, we need to reduce climate-harming emissions to zero already by 2050." 

The study authors identify "a problematic reliance on future technologies" that are not yet proven to work. They argue that the centralized system has failed to provide an adequate basis for the development and implementation of measures that can effectively halt global temperature rise. As a result, the IASS team warns that humanity must now prepare itself for a future in which global temperature rise will most likely exceed the 2°C target.

The researchers believe that the system of Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) offers a more promising approach to addressing global warming because it opens new opportunities for democratic engagement. 

"The democratic character of the Paris Agreement acknowledges the diversity of local contexts, and provides a means to reanimate global climate politics and advance transformation processes at more local levels," said study co-author Stefan Schäfer. "A more democratic politics will also enable us to cope better in a world in which global warming eventually does exceed the 2°C target."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</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

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Olga Gordeeva

Why the centralized approach to limit global warming is not working

Why the centralized approach to limit global warming is not...

The United States and Brazil are leading an alarming global trend of stripping away and rolling back environmental policies in protected areas to bolster mining and industry. 

Some more notable examples of rollbacks of protected areas (PAs) in the US include President Donald Trump’s decision to reduce the Bears Ears National Monument by 85 percent and the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/grand-staircase-escalante-bee-diversity/">Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument</a> by 51 percent.

Reducing the protected areas has now opened the landscape up to mining and energy development. 

Currently, PAs cover 15 percent of the Earth’s land, and these areas are hotspots for biodiversity. Protected areas help ensure the world’s natural resources, culturally and environmentally significant landmarks, and biodiversity are protected and sustainably managed. 

In one of the largest comprehensive reviews to date, researchers from the <a href="https://www2.gmu.edu/">George Mason University</a> led a grand-scale analysis of protected area downgrading, downsizing, and degazettement (PADDD) events. 

PADD covers the legal processes and changes made to alter, reduce, and remove protected status from an area. 

While PADD events are made to honor indigenous claims, many PADD events are implemented to benefit mining or expansion. 

For the study, the researchers reviewed PADD events going back more than 200 years, specifically focusing on developments in the US and Amazonia.

Since 1982, nearly two million square kilometers of PAs worldwide were stripped entirely of their legal PA status, downgraded, or reduced. 

78 percent of these global PADD events took place after the year 2000, and the majority of the decisions were in favor of industrial development. 

The researchers worry that taking a cue from the US and Brazil, other countries may decide to reduce local PAs, and so understanding how these trends are spreading on a global basis is essential for conservation and management. 

The comprehensive report was published in the journal Science. 

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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 

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Shutterstock/Kris Wiktor

Protected areas are at serious risk in the US and Brazil

The United States and Brazil are leading an alarming global...

A new study led by Timothy Jones of the <a href="https://depts.washington.edu/coasst/what/vision.html">University of Washington’s citizen science program COASST</a> and Lauren Divine from the <a href="https://www.kucb.org/term/aleut-community-st-paul-island-s-ecosystem-conservation-office-eco#stream/0">Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Ecosystem Conservation Office</a> reports that climate change is most likely partially responsible for a mass starvation-based die-off of puffins in the Bering Sea.

Rising ocean temperatures have caused massive shifts in sea ecosystems, and thus damaged the natural predator-prey cycle within the Bering Sea. 

For four months, Jones, Divine, and their colleagues tracked the die-off of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/puffins-migrate-struggle-breeding/">puffins</a> as well as the Crested auklet on St. Paul Island.

In October 2016, community and tribal members of St. Paul Island collected 350 emaciated carcasses, most which were in the stressful process of molting. 

A lack of food resources due to rising ocean temperatures — which affect the amount of plankton and therefore fish for puffins to eat — before the molting process may have led to the birds’ demise.

The team estimated that between 3,150 and 8,500 birds could have died during the event.

"This paper is a successful application of citizen science in the real world,” Divine said in the paper, published in <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0216532">PLOS One</a>. “Island residents collected high quality data in real time and provided COASST with a detailed context for their analysis. Without the positive and mutually beneficial relationship built over years of collaboration, this massive die-off of Tufted Puffins would have gone unreported in the scientific community."

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By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Image Credit: Nick Pecker/Shutterstock

Climate change may be to blame for mass die-off of puffins in the Bering Sea

A new study led by Timothy Jones of the University...

A new study led by scientists at the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a> suggests that CO2 is a better hydraulic fracturing fluid than water. The findings may ultimately lead to a more environmentally friendly form of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/fracking-seismic-ripple-effect/">fracking</a> that could also serve as a way to store atmospheric CO2.

Fracking is a method of injecting water mixed with sand and chemicals into solid rock to extract the resources from within. After the extraction is complete, 30 to 50 percent of the fracking fluid remains in the rock formation. Hydraulic fracturing has been very controversial due to its high water consumption and environmental risks.

"Non-aqueous fracturing could be a potential solution to circumvent these issues," said study co-author Nannan Sun. "We chose CO2 fracturing from a range of options because the process includes multiple benefits. However, we were still lacking a fundamental understanding of the technology, which is greatly important for its further development and deployment."

To investigate whether CO2 may be a more effective alternative to water as a fracking fluid, the researchers collected shale outcrops from China and fractured them with both fluids. The study revealed that CO2 outperformed water, creating complex networks of fractures with significantly higher stimulated volumes.

"We demonstrated that CO2 has higher mobility than water, and, therefore, the injection pressure can be better delivered into the natural porosity of the formation," said Sun. "This changes the mechanism by which the fractures are created, generating more complex fracture networks that result in more efficient shale gas production."

[caption id="attachment_1873301" align="aligncenter" width="650"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/shale-sample-.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1873301" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/shale-sample-.jpg" alt="" width="650" height="971" /></a> A shale sample ready for fracturing with CO2. Image Credit: Xuehang Song[/caption]

Using CO2 for fracturing would eliminate an excessive amount of water waste, reduce the risk of damage to reservoirs, and would provide an underground repository for captured CO2. However, CO2 from emissions sources is currently too expensive to use as an industry-wide replacement for water. 

Next, the researchers plan to test the limits of CO2 fracturing technology to gain a better understanding of how it can be used. 

"Further investigations are needed to identify the effects of type of reservoirs, geomechanical properties and conditions, CO2 sensitivity of the formation, and so forth," said Sun. "Additionally, cooperation with industries will be carried out to push forward the practical deployment of the technology."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.cell.com/joule/home">Joule</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>

Main Image Credit: Shutterstock

CO2 may provide an eco-friendly alternative to water for fracking

A new study led by scientists at the Chinese Academy...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHHxOej4QfE
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic pollution.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invisible-threat-in-urban-air">Invisible threat in urban air</h2>



City dwellers face an unseen danger with every breath. New findings from Emory University researchers suggest that fine particulate matter from <a href="http://earth.com/news/traffic-related-air-pollution-might-increase-alzheimers-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vehicle emissions may significantly elevate the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease</a>. The study examined brain tissue samples from 224 individuals who had confirmed diagnoses and volunteered their brains for scientific research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disturbing-connections-emerge">Disturbing connections emerge</h2>



Scientists analyzed neuritic plaques — protein clusters that characterize Alzheimer's — while mapping each participant's exposure to PM2.5 particles based on residential location and surrounding traffic density. The correlation proved more alarming than anticipated. Individuals experiencing higher pollution exposure showed nearly double the likelihood of elevated plaque accumulation in brain tissue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-timing-matters">Timing matters</h2>



The research team discovered that pollution exposure during the final year before death demonstrated the strongest association with brain changes. This timeline suggests relatively rapid impacts from environmental toxins on neural health. The connection remained robust even after accounting for various demographic and health factors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-vulnerability-patterns">Genetic vulnerability patterns</h2>



Perhaps most concerning, people lacking the APOE gene—which naturally predisposes individuals to Alzheimer's — exhibited more than twice the susceptibility to pollution-related brain damage. Study author Dr. Anke Huels noted this indicates environmental elements like air contamination could trigger the disease in cases where hereditary factors don't explain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-implications">Public health implications</h2>



These findings, published in <a href="https://www.neurology.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neurology</a>, underscore the critical importance of air quality regulations in urban planning. The research suggests that implementing stricter emission controls and promoting alternative transportation could serve as powerful tools in Alzheimer's prevention.



As cities worldwide grapple with growing traffic congestion and aging populations, this study highlights an urgent need for comprehensive approaches to environmental health that protect both our lungs and our minds.



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Traffic fumes may trigger Alzheimer's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHHxOej4QfE Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-astrobiology">Implications for astrobiology</h2>



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-earth-became-a-frozen-wasteland">When Earth became a frozen wasteland</h2>



Imagine Earth as a giant snowball, frozen solid from the North Pole to the equator. This wasn't the plot of a science fiction movie – it was our planet's reality 700 million years ago during an extreme ice age that has puzzled scientists for decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-discovery">The discovery</h2>



Australian researchers from the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sydney</a> have finally cracked one of geology's greatest mysteries: what caused the Sturtian glaciation and why it persisted for an unprecedented 57 million years. This period occurred long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, when no complex plants or multicellular animals existed.



Dr. Adriana Dutkiewicz, the study's lead author, describes a world completely unlike today's climate. "Imagine the Earth almost completely frozen over," she explained. "The planet was blanketed in ice from poles to equator, and temperatures plunged."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-combination-of-climate-factors">The combination of climate factors</h2>



The research team discovered that this massive freeze resulted from a "double whammy" of geological events. First, plate tectonic activity reduced volcanic carbon dioxide emissions to historically low levels. Volcanic activity typically releases CO2 into the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that keeps Earth warm.



Simultaneously, weathering of volcanic rocks in what is now Canada actively absorbed atmospheric CO2, further reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. When atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dropped below 200 parts per million – less than half of today's levels – glaciation engulfed the entire planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-climate-implications">Modern climate implications</h2>



Published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geology</a>, this research provides crucial insights into Earth's climate system. While geological climate changes occur over millions of years, the study emphasizes that human-induced climate change is happening at a pace ten times faster than previously observed natural changes, highlighting the urgent need to understand our planet's delicate climate balance.



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What caused the planet's longest ice age

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY 57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists....

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals 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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://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



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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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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