When glaciers melt, they release water that carries sulfate-rich minerals previously trapped in the ice. This sulfate flows into streams and wetlands, increasing its concentration in watersheds.



As sulfate accumulates, it creates conditions that can trigger the production of toxic methylmercury, posing risks to ecosystems and wildlife.



Methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin, forms in waterlogged, sulfate-rich wetlands and enters water systems. It accumulates in fish, moves up the food chain to birds, and eventually reaches people who consume contaminated wildlife.



"Very little research has looked at methylmercury production in high-elevation wetlands," said Hannah Miller, a PhD student at <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">CU Boulder</a> and lead author of a recent study.



"This leaves important knowledge gaps regarding how much is being produced in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glacier-melting-threatens-global-water-supplies-and-coastal-communities/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">mountain</a> wetlands and how this may change with ongoing climate change."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-mercury-turns-toxic-in-wetlands">How mercury turns toxic in wetlands</h2>



Methylmercury production from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-are-reshaping-landscapes-and-national-borders-around-the-world/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">glacier</a> melt sulfate only occurs within a specific range in wetland soils. If glacier-derived sulfate levels are too low, the conversion process doesn’t start; too high, and it stalls.



The ideal range - 0.60 to 1.4 milligrams per gram of dry soil - creates optimal conditions for mercury to transform into its toxic methylated form.



Miller’s team pinpointed this “Goldilocks zone” after testing soil from peatlands, alpine meadows, and riparian zones. Above the treeline, methylmercury levels barely budged. Below the treeline, peatlands pulsed with microbial activity, converting mercury to its toxic form.



"We also found in our experiment that moderate sulfate additions to the subalpine peatlands resulted in the greatest production of methylmercury within the soils," Miller said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peatlands-as-mercury-hotspots">Peatlands as mercury hotspots</h2>



In the lab, Miller pumped different sulfate concentrations into soil samples. The response? Peatlands with moderate sulfate additions churned out the most methylmercury.



But there’s a catch. Wetlands above the treeline don’t have much vegetation. Fewer plants mean less carbon-rich material to feed the microbes that convert sulfate to methylmercury. But in the subalpine peatlands, dense vegetation and waterlogged soils create the perfect storm.



Sulfate-reducing bacteria thrive in these oxygen-starved <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-could-run-out-of-water-if-glaciers-continue-to-melt/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environments</a>. They grab onto sulfate, munch through carbon, and churn out methylmercury as a byproduct. And as glaciers keep melting, more sulfate keeps coming.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-melting-glaciers-spread-sulfate">Melting glaciers spread sulfate </h2>



Sulfate doesn’t stay put. It migrates downstream, riding currents and seeping into soils. In the past 30 years, sulfate levels in Boulder’s watershed have shot up by 200%. That spike mirrors a global pattern.



Glacier-fed streams in the Andes, Alps, and Himalayas show similar trends - up to a 2000% increase in sulfate concentrations. As these minerals flow, so does the risk of methylmercury contamination.



"It's a really interesting climate-driven signal that is starting to get more attention," Miller said. "And while increasing sulfate concentrations have direct implications for ecosystems, they can also have indirect impacts, including changing how mercury is transformed within wetlands."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mercury-moves-through-food-chains">Mercury moves through food chains</h2>



Methylmercury doesn’t just stay in the soil. It slips into <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/melting-glaciers-threaten-global-water-security/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">water</a>, where fish absorb it through their gills. Small fish pass it to bigger fish. Birds swoop down, eat the fish, and the toxin moves up the food chain.



"In semi-arid mountain ecosystems, poorly developed soils and limited water bodies make it easy to think there is a lower risk for mercury contamination," noted Miller.



"But our findings show there is a risk, particularly in subalpine peatlands, and raise important questions about how this toxin may impact the communities and wildlife that rely on that water source now and in the future."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sulfate-isn-t-the-only-player">Sulfate isn’t the only player</h2>



Sulfate takes the spotlight, but it’s not alone. Iron, carbon, and water levels also play crucial roles in the methylmercury cycle.



In Boulder’s watershed, dry conditions could limit the spread of peatlands, reducing the areas where methylmercury thrives. But increased precipitation could do the opposite - more wetlands, more methylmercury.



Miller’s study also hints at the role of iron. Sulfate additions alone triggered methylmercury production, but iron concentrations could magnify or mitigate that effect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-melting-glaciers-rising-mercury-levels">Melting glaciers, rising mercury levels</h2>



Glaciers worldwide are melting, releasing sulfate-rich minerals into nearby streams and wetlands. This surge in sulfate is not limited to Boulder but is occurring in mountain watersheds globally. 



As sulfate levels rise, so does the risk of toxic methylmercury formation, impacting ecosystems far beyond Colorado.



Glacial melt in Peru’s Andes has turned once-pristine wetlands into mercury-contaminated hotspots. The European Alps and the Himalayas face similar risks as warming temperatures increase sulfate runoff. 



As glaciers recede, more sulfate spills into wetlands, driving methylmercury production and threatening ecosystems globally.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-controlling-mercury-in-wetlands">Controlling mercury in wetlands</h2>



Monitoring sulfate is one thing. Mitigating its impact is another. Restoring wetlands, managing runoff, and regulating upstream mining could reduce sulfate flow. But Miller and her team aren’t stopping there.



"This research is timely, given the confluence of global changes, including climate warming, changes in the supply of reactive elements, and the occurrence of wildfires that are threatening sensitive high-elevation ecosystems," said Eve-Lyn Hinckley, co-author and CIRES Fellow.



Glaciers keep melting, releasing more sulfate into streams and wetlands. This ongoing process fuels methylmercury production, posing increasing risks to ecosystems. 



The outcome hinges on monitoring efforts and proactive intervention to manage these toxic threats.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/add8a5" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Environmental Research Letters</a>.



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Mountain wetlands are turning into mercury hotspots

When glaciers melt, they release water that carries sulfate-rich minerals previously trapped in the ice. This sulfate flows into streams and wetlands, increasing its concentration in watersheds. As sulfate accumulates, it creates conditions that can trigger the production of toxic methylmercury, posing risks to ecosystems and wildlife. Methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin, forms in waterlogged, sulfate-rich wetlands and enters water systems. It accumulates in fish, moves up the food chain to birds, and eventually reaches people who consume contaminated wildlife. "Very little research has looked at methylmercury production...

A team of researchers at the Department of Energy's <a href="https://www.lbl.gov/">Berkeley Lab</a> has investigated how the amount of fresh water that originates in the Sierra Nevada mountain snowpack will be affected by future <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-industrial-revolution/">global warming</a>. After analyzing the headwater regions of California's 10 major reservoirs, the experts are predicting a 79 percent drop in peak snowpack water volume by the end of this century.


The researchers also found that the timing of the peak snow melt could advance by four weeks, creating a delay between the time water is available and when it is needed the most. The investigation, which was focused on when and how snow melt would change, was based on climate simulations at the middle and the end of the century across five different climate models.

Alan Rhoades is a Berkeley Lab postdoctoral fellow and the study's lead author.

“This study is unique in that we're sampling across a community of models so we can see if models disagree at mid-century and end of century across a number of different snowpack measures, such as peak timing, total water volume, and melt rate,” said Rhoades. “What we found is the models usually disagree more at mid-century, but by end century they are pretty much in unison with another that under a high-emissions scenario there will be a dramatic decline in Sierra Nevada snowpack by 2100.”

Snowpack melt is a critical source of  water in California. Mountain snowpack provides the state with about two-thirds of its fresh water supply, much of which comes in a very narrow window. 

“Our precipitation is really intermittent and extremes-driven,” said Rhoades. “We basically get 50 percent of our annual precipitation in five to 15 days, or one to two weeks. Our water demand is highest during the summer months when we don't get a lot of precipitation, so we really rely on mountain snowpack as a stopgap for our water supply.”

The amount of snowfall is projected to decrease while rain could increase, which will contribute even more to the issue. Rhoades explained, “So as the world continues to warm, these storms will get even warmer and won't readily get to freezing, whereby you could have snowfall or snow accumulation and the persistence of snow on the surface.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://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 

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Global warming could drastically impact California water supply

A team of researchers at the Department of Energy's Berkeley...

The Arctic typically conjures up images of vast expanses of forbidding, snowy terrain with the occasional polar bear. However, the Arctic is also home to <a href="https://nsidc.org/cryosphere/arctic-meteorology/arctic-people.html">4 million people</a> who live in cities, towns, and settlements across the Arctic circle. 

While much attention has been paid to the increased rates of warming and sea ice loss in the Arctic, a new study shows that thawing permafrost, a worrying trend in the coldest regions of the world, presents a major building hazard. 

In the coming years, infrastructure in the Arctic could start to crumble, sink into the thawing permafrost, and collapse. 

Permafrost is the term given to soil that’s been frozen for two or more years, and in some parts of the Arctic, the permafrost has been frozen for thousands of years, according to <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/climate-change-permafrost-thawing-arctic-methane-infrastructure-1253152">Newsweek</a>. 

A team of researchers led by Jan Hjort from the <a href="http://www.oulu.fi/university">University of Oulu</a> in Finland discovered that three-fourths of the population in permafrost regions will have to deal with damaged buildings, roads, and other infrastructure by 2050. 

The researchers published their findings in the journal Nature. 

For the study, the researchers conducted a hazard risk assessment of permafrost regions in the Northern Hemisphere.

The researchers projected potential infrastructure damage based on several future climate change scenarios and focused on buildings and roads that were “fundamental” to communities in the Arctic. 

“We show that nearly four million people and 70 percent of current infrastructure in the permafrost domain are in areas with high potential for thaw of near-surface permafrost,” the researchers <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-018-07557-4">wrote</a>. 

What’s more, the results showed that even if the targets of the Paris Agreement are met, the Arctic will still suffer significant infrastructure damage due to melting permafrost. 

The researchers say that risk-assessments are key to protecting communities that may be at risk of suffering infrastructure damage due to thawing permafrost, and that while some damage is inevitable, combating climate change and preventing warming needs to be a priority.

“Permafrost—and its thaw—is mainly controlled by climate conditions. [To prevent the permafrost thawing], we need to stop climate warming,” Hjort told Newsweek.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

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Thawing Arctic permafrost threatens major infrastructure

The Arctic typically conjures up images of vast expanses of...

A new study from <a href="https://www.utexas.edu/">The University of Texas at Austin</a> shows that the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/indian-ocean-weather-south-america/">Indian Ocean</a> had a much larger impact on climate change during the last ice age than previously thought, and researchers fear history could repeat itself. 

A research team led by Pedro DiNezio, a research associate at the <a href="https://www.ig.utexas.edu/">University of Texas Institute for Geophysics (UTIG)</a>, a department within <a href="http://www.jsg.utexas.edu/">University of Texas Jackson School of Geosciences</a>, examined tropical climate change during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), a period within the last ice age 21,000 years ago, during which ice sheets covered most of North America, Europe, and Asia. They found that during the LGM, the tropics suffered huge changes like reversal of prevailing winds and a drastic shift in ocean temperatures.

For comparison, today the Indian Ocean stays uniformly warm and hosts stable rainfall thanks to the prevailing winds that move west to east, thus maintaining warmer waters in the eastern region and causing rainfall over Thailand and Indonesia.

"The geologic record tells us that [during the LGM] Indonesia and the monsoon regions of the east Indian Ocean became drier and cooler while the west became wetter and remained warmer," said Jessica Tierney, a paleoclimatologist at the <a href="https://uaonline.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> and the study’s co-author.

To figure out what caused these climate changes to occur, the team used a climate model to simulate how glacial conditions affected climate. Their findings, published December 12th in <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>, show that ice sheets advanced over Canada and Scandinavia, lowering sea level and creating continental bridges between Thailand and Australia. These new land masses are what reversed the prevailing winds, blew seawater westward, and allowed cold water to emerge on the surface of the eastern Indian Ocean.

Now, with a better understanding as to how the Indian Ocean is capable of causing massive climate change, researchers believe they can use this same model to predict future tropical climate changes. They add that the Indian Ocean must be taken into account within the discussion of global warming.

"The processes we have uncovered are particularly important for predicting future impacts of climate change," DiNezio said. "A big climate shift like this could have a huge impact on water availability over the heavily populated Indian Ocean rim."

"As greenhouse gases rise,” Tierney added, “we might see a different kind of reorganization," said Tierney. "If that happens, it could really change our predictions of what rainfall and climate extremes will be like in Indian Ocean rim countries."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

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The Indian Ocean could play a major role in future climate change

A new study from The University of Texas at Austin...

Researchers at <a href="https://www.princeton.edu/">Princeton University</a> have found that the potential for mitigating climate change through land management and the modification of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/meat-consumption-climate-change-2/">individual diets</a> has been greatly underestimated. The experts are reporting that the inefficient use of land for agriculture is a major contributor to harmful greenhouse gas emissions.

The team has developed a “carbon benefits index” that can be used to evaluate which land use changes are helpful for combating climate change, such as transitions from corn to soybeans or from cropland to grazing land.

“We have to take the implications of policies for land use even more seriously than people have been doing,” said study first author Tim Searchinger, who is a research scholar in Princeton's Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs.

“The fundamental problem is that policymakers and researchers have not truly confronted the fact that global land area is limited. Using any hectare (2.47 acres) for one purpose comes at the cost of not using it for another, and these opportunity costs have not been truly accounted for. The need is to make more efficient uses of land for all purposes.”

The need for food and carbon storage are both projected to increase over the next five decades. With this in mind, the researchers set out to investigate which changes in land or food consumption may help to meet both of these needs.


The team found that diets in wealthy nations have far higher greenhouse gas consequences than what has been calculated. They also determined that shifting away from meat-based diets that include beef, lamb, and dairy would reduce harmful emissions by up to 70 percent.

At the same time, the climate could benefit from changes in how food is produced. The study revealed that more careful management of grazing on one hectare of land in Brazil would increase the global carbon storage capacity by as much as planting one hectare of forest in Europe or the United States.

“It is important to increase both the efficiency of production on land and the efficiency of what we consume, but it's equally important that policymakers separate their efforts to influence each,” said Searchinger.

“For example, beef is very climate-inefficient and people can help the planet by eating less of it, but so long as people demand beef, farmers can help the planet by grazing beef more efficiently. Just discouraging a farmer from producing beef would hurt the climate because some less efficient farmer would likely produce the beef anyway.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Changes in land use and human diet can reduce harmful emissions

Researchers at Princeton University have found that the potential for...

The Arctic is has lost 95 percent of its oldest, thickest sea ice, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s <a href="https://www.arctic.noaa.gov/Report-Card">2018 Arctic Report Card</a>. 

The Arctic Report Card is a yearly report that has been issued since 2006 to provide a comprehensive view of the Arctic and any environmental changes through the years.  

This year’s report shows that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-sea-ice-extent-low/">Arctic sea ice covered less area</a> compared to previous years and was thinner and younger. 

The Arctic has experienced nearly record-breaking sea ice minimums yearly for the past 12 years, which highlights how vulnerable the Arctic is to climate change. 

Sea ice older than four years now makes up less than one percent of all sea ice in the Arctic, according to the report. 

If this trend continues, it could be disastrous for the native species that rely on sea-ice like polar bears but also for the world's oceans which are impacted by Arctic sea ice melt. 

“The oldest ice can be thought of as a kind of glue that holds the Arctic together and, through its relative permanence, helps keep the Arctic cold even in long summers,” wrote Chris Mooney, a reporter for the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/energy-environment/2018/12/11/arctic-is-even-worse-shape-than-you-realize/?utm_term=.ac7b60f95375">Washington Post</a>.

Without a blanket of ice over the Arctic, the ocean will only get warmer as heat from the sun previously reflected away by the ice could be absorbed by the ocean. 

“The Arctic is an indication of what’s coming to the rest of the globe,” Walt Meier, a sea ice expert at the National Snow and Ice Data Center told the Washington Post. “In the Arctic Ocean, a difference of 2 degrees can be huge. If it goes from 31 Fahrenheit to 33 Fahrenheit, you’re going from ice skating to swimming. … the Arctic is an early warning system for the climate.” 

Sea ice volume has declined by 78 percent between 1979 and 2012, and it’s this loss of volume that is a larger cause for concerns. 

“We’ve lost about half of the extent, we’ve lost half of the thickness, and if you multiply these two things, we’ve lost 75 percent of the September sea ice,” Axel Schwieger, the head of <a href="http://psc.apl.washington.edu/zhang/IDAO/data_piomas.html">Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System</a> at the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington</a> told the Washington Post. 

Using Schweiger’s and the Pan-Arctic Ice Ocean Modeling and Assimilation System, the Arctic has lost trillions of tons of ice over the years. 

The sea ice declines are directly related to warmer ocean and air temperatures, and the Arctic is warming nearly twice as fast as the rest of the world. 

As Arctic warming continues, unusual weather patterns and weather extremes driven by changes in the Arctic will become more and more frequent. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Report: Arctic has lost 95 percent of its oldest, thickest ice

The Arctic is has lost 95 percent of its oldest,...

The world's tallest geyser set a new record this past weekend when it erupted for the 30th time in 2018. Located in <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-biggest-threat/">Yellowstone National Park</a>, the Steamboat Geyser broke its previous record of 29 eruptions, which was set in 1964.

The explosive geyser can shoot hot water and steam as high as 400 feet into the air, which is over three times the reach of Yellowstone’s most famous geyser, Old Faithful. 

According to park officials, Steamboat went through about five decades of little to no activity before revving up in the 1960s. 

Yellowstone geologist Jeff Hungerford told <a href="https://www.localnews8.com/">Local News 8</a>: “The heightened activity at Steamboat this year is uncommon but not unprecedented. We have seen similar activity twice previously; once in the early 1960s, and again in the early 1980s.” 

“Conversely, the world’s tallest active geyser has also exhibited years of quiescence or no major eruptions, with the longest being the 50-year period between 1911 and 1961.”

Earlier this year, March 15 marked Steamboat's first eruption in three and a half years, which was followed by an explosion nearly every week over the summer. Most recently, the geyser erupted around 1:00 a.m. on Saturday.

Many of Steamboat's eruptions are powerful and extremely loud. The water phase of a major eruption can last anywhere from 3 to 45 minutes, while the subsequent steam phase can last for several days.

Currently, most of the roads are closed across Yellowstone National Park for the winter. Hungerford added: “We’ll continue to monitor this extraordinary geyser.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Yellowstone geyser breaks record for most eruptions in a year

The world's tallest geyser set a new record this past...

Alex Vail and Josh Stewart paddle a Bajau Sea Gypsy ourigger

Increased ocean temperatures and sea level rise are wreaking havoc on marine ecosystems, and coral bleaching events are occurring at an unprecedented rate. 

The <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/australia-save-great-barrier-reef/">Great Barrier Reef</a> experienced two mass back to back bleaching events in 2016 and 2017, raising the number of mass bleachings for the reef to four in the past two decades. 

But now, researchers from the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> and the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)</a> discovered that corals along the Great Barrier Reef that survived 2016’s bleaching event were more resilient in 2017. 

The discovery was part of a study published in the journal Nature Climate Change examining how ecological memory, or the imprint a past extreme event leaves on an ecosystem, impacts responses to future climate extremes. 

With the Great Barrier Reef, the researchers found that the quick succession of back to back bleachings caused corals that survived past bleaching event to be more resistant to temperature changes. 

“We were astonished to find less bleaching in 2017, because the temperatures were even more extreme than the year before,” said Terry Hughes, the lead author of the study. “The outcome in 2017 depended on the conditions experienced by the corals one year earlier. We called that ‘ecological memory,’ and show that these repeating events are now acting together in ways that we didn't expect.”

[caption id="attachment_1863724" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bleaching.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1863724" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/bleaching-1024x682.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="466" /></a> A researcher records coral bleaching severity, Image Credit: Justin Marshall[/caption]

Of the 2,300 kilometers of coral that make up the Great Barrier Reef, the researchers discovered that only seven percent escaped bleaching since 1998. After 2017, 61 percent of the reefs have experienced severe bleaching at least once. 

“We found, using the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's satellite-based coral bleaching tools, that corals in the north of the Great Barrier Reef were exposed to the most heat stress in 2016,” said Mark Eakin, a co-author of the study. “A year later, the central region saw the most prolonged heating.” 

The results of the study highlight the importance of understanding how climate-driven events impact future responses in an ecosystem and call for stronger measures to protect the world’s reefs from climate change. 

“We need urgent global action on greenhouse emissions to save the world's coral reefs. Australia should be - but regrettably isn't - at the forefront of tackling global heating,” said Hughes.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Tane Sinclair-Taylor

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Corals that survive bleaching are more resilient to high temperatures

Increased ocean temperatures and sea level rise are wreaking havoc...

The Trump administration has proposed a plan to overturn key regulations under the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/clean-water-act-benefits/">Clean Water Act</a> that were designed to protect thousands of miles of streams and millions of acres of wetlands from contamination. Critics say that the repeal is a blatant attack on the safety of American waterways and drinking water.

“Big polluters could not have crafted a bigger free pass to dump if they wrote it themselves,” said Blan Holman, who is a managing attorney for the <a href="https://www.southernenvironment.org/">Southern Environmental Law Center</a>. “This administration’s efforts to dismantle the Clean Water Act are a full-frontal assault on one of our country’s most important and longstanding environmental safeguards that has prevented unchecked and unlimited pollution from contaminating our waterways and drinking water sources for nearly 50 years.”

The proposal is taking direct aim at an Obama-era regulation, known as the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule, which President Trump has referred to as “a massive power grab.” He is arguing that the legislation restricts the rights of farmers, real estate developers, and landowners.

For example, the WOTUS rule prevents farmers from certain activities that may contaminate nearby rivers and streams, and requires them to get special permits to use fertilizers or pesticides that may result in runoff. These conditions, along with many other federal protections for rivers and streams, will be lifted under the new plan by the Environmental Protection Agency.

Kim Glas, the Executive Director of the <a href="https://www.bluegreenalliance.org/">BlueGreen Alliance</a>, said: “Every American wants to be sure that their family is safe, and that means clean, safe drinking water. However, the Trump administration today proposed to significantly weaken the Clean Water Rule, which safeguards the drinking water supplies for 117 million Americans. Enough is enough. The EPA should scrap their changes to this rule and instead enforce the existing rule that protects the water quality for millions of Americans.”
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

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Clean water protections to be rolled back by the Trump administration

The Trump administration has proposed a plan to overturn key...

High levels of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/extreme-weather-co2-emissions/">carbon dioxide</a> in poorly ventilated areas can affect the memory and concentration of employees. Scientists at <a href="https://www.ucl.ac.uk/">University College London</a> (UCL) are reporting that this effect may be felt across the entire population by the end of this century if the world continues burning fossil fuels at the current rate. 

In addition to causing a lack of focus, surging levels of greenhouse gas emissions can make workers feel tired, forgetful, and stupid. The UCL team compared these symptoms to afternoon fatigue in the office.

“Human cognitive performance declines with an increase in CO2,” wrote the researchers. “Direct impacts of CO2 emissions on human cognitive performance may be unavoidable.”

The study authors also warned that the natural level of atmospheric carbon dioxide will be four or five times higher by 2100. While the investigation is still ongoing, the findings suggest that London will see the biggest increase in CO2 levels above the global average.

This is not the first study to quantify the effects of rising greenhouse gas emissions on humans. In 2015, researchers at the <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/">Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health</a> found that carbon dioxide (CO2) “has a direct and negative impact on human cognition and decision-making.”

For their investigation, the Harvard team exposed 24 people to office environments with different levels of carbon dioxide over the course of six days. The study revealed that for “seven of the nine cognitive function domains, average cognitive scores decreased at each higher level of CO2.”

The study authors wrote in the journal <a href="https://ehp.niehs.nih.gov/">Environmental Health Perspectives</a> that their analysis was designed to represent the office environments in which large numbers of people work every day. 

‘These exposures should be investigated in other indoor environments, such as homes, schools, and airplanes, where decrements in cognitive function and decision making could have significant impacts on productivity, learning, and safety.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

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Exposure to higher CO2 levels can make people feel slow, forgetful

High levels of carbon dioxide in poorly ventilated areas can...

Triclosan Resistance v1

Researchers from <a href="https://www.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern University</a> have found an antimicrobial chemical in common dust spores. It’s called triclosan and is linked to changes in the dust’s genetic makeup. This means the organisms living within the dust spore could cause an antibiotic-resistant infection.

"There is this conventional wisdom that says everything that's in dust is dead, but that's not actually the case. There are things living in there," lead author Erica Hartmann, an assistant professor of environmental engineering in <a href="https://www.mccormick.northwestern.edu/">Northwestern's McCormick School of Engineering</a>, said. "Dust is the final resting place of everything that's been circulating in the air, so it can give us information about air quality."

The study, completed in partnership with the <a href="https://biobe.uoregon.edu/">Biology and the Built Environmental Center at the University of Oregon</a>, and published December 11th in <a href="https://msystems.asm.org/">mSystems</a>, was a thorough examination of the bacteria located in dust samples from 42 athletic facilities within the Pacific Northwest. 

Researchers found that dust with higher levels of triclosan often had more genetic markers that indicated antibiotic resistance.

 “Those genes do not code for resistance to triclosan," Hartmann explained. "They code for resistance to medically relevant antibiotic drugs."

The Federal Drug Administration (FDA) banned triclosan in 2016 after realizing it had negative side effects, including one that could damage the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/contaminants-water-supply-endocrine/">human endocrine system</a>. However, prior to 2016, the chemical was often used in antibacterial hand soaps and cleaning products. Unfortunately, because certain products fit within EPA guidelines rather than those of the FDA, triclosan is still often present in toothpastes, antimicrobial gym equipment, and some textiles.

Besides triclosan, other antimicrobial chemicals are still present on the market and in our cleaning products. Hartmann and her team will now study these other chemicals to see if they similarly affect dust.

As scary as antibiotic-resistant dust is, Hartmann believes there is an easy way to thwart potential antibiotic-resistant illnesses — we should simply stop using antimicrobial products.

"The vast majority of microbes around us aren't bad and may even be good," she concluded. "Wipe down gym equipment with a towel. Wash your hands with plain soap and water. There is absolutely no reason to use antibacterial cleansers and hand soaps."

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Vlad Tchompalov/Unsplash

Antibiotic-resistant organisms detected in everyday dust

Researchers from Northwestern University have found an antimicrobial chemical in...

In the warm ocean waters, there are microbes that produce natural fertilizer by “fixing” <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/plants-regulate-nitrogen-use/">nitrogen</a> from the atmosphere into a form which can be used by other organisms. This process was believed to be limited to tropical and subtropical waters, but researchers have now documented nitrogen fixation in the freezing waters of the Bering and Chukchi Seas.

Study senior author Jonathan Zehr is a professor of Ocean Sciences at the <a href="https://www.ucsc.edu/">University of California Santa Cruz</a>.

“This goes against all the textbook assumptions about where nitrogen fixation occurs. All the mathematical models for nitrogen input to the oceans are constrained by temperature because of this underlying assumption,” said Professor Zehr. 

Katie Harding is a graduate student in Professor Zehr's lab and first author of the paper. She explained that in many parts of the ocean, productivity is limited by the availability of nitrogen. 

"Nitrogen fixation fuels the food chain in some areas, so it's important to understand what all the sources are,” said Harding.

The nitrogen fixation that the team discovered in the Arctic is carried out by an unusual cyanobacteria called UCYN-A that lacks the capacity for photosynthesis. Back in 2012, it was discovered that UCYN-A lives in a close symbiosis with a type of single-celled algae. In this mutually beneficial partnership, UCYN-A provides fixed nitrogen while the algae provides fixed carbon through photosynthesis.

The current study has demonstrated that UCYN-A can function and fix nitrogen in Arctic waters with temperatures below 4 degrees Celsius. 

“It's not just cells drifting up into the Arctic on ocean currents. It's active, and it's the only real cyanobacterial nitrogen-fixer in the Arctic,” explained Professor Zehr.


Harding added, “One of the interesting questions from a biological standpoint is how UCYN-A can tolerate such a wide range of temperatures, especially when the temperature range for Trichodesmium is so narrow.”

The nitrogen fixation rates measured by the team in the Chukchi Sea were relatively low, but rates in the Bering Sea were similar to those found in much warmer waters. UCYN-A was responsible for all of the nitrogen fixation measured in the Bering Sea, but only accounted for a fraction of the fixation in the Chukchi Sea.

“The rates in the Arctic are pretty low, so UCYN-A may not be very important there now,” said Professor Zehr. “But if Arctic warming continues, it will become more and more important as a source of nitrogen in Arctic ecosystems.”

Next, the team will look for UCYN-A in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica.

The study is published in the <a href="https://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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

Ocean fertilization unexpectedly found in freezing Arctic waters

In the warm ocean waters, there are microbes that produce...

A new study has revealed how increases in ocean temperatures are changing the way that sharks swim.

Biologists from <a href="https://www.mq.edu.au/">Macquarie University</a> in Sydney incubated Port Jackson shark eggs in different water temperatures to see how projected changes in ocean temperature due to climate change might impact sharks. 

The researchers found that sharks incubated in warmer temperatures had a lower survival rate and were “right-handed,” meaning the sharks tended to swim to the right. 

Obviously, sharks don’t have hands, but the researchers are using a common term associated with lateralization to help describe the changes in shark swimming patterns if climate change continues unchecked. 

<a href="http://www.indiana.edu/~primate/brain.html">Lateralization</a> describes the sides of the brain that are more in control of specific tasks over others. 

In fish, lateralization helps determine which direction to swim and since climate change is projected to increase ocean temperatures, it will be important to gauge how these changes will impact <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-detrimental-to-sharks-hunting-abilities/">shark behavior</a> and lateralization. 

“Lateralization may enable sharks to process information more efficiently, even if their brains are smaller or less well-developed,” says Catarina Vila Pouca, the lead author of the study told <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/warming-waters-could-make-sharks-right-handed-and-deadlier/">Scientific American. 
</a>

For this study, which was published in the journal <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2073-8994/10/6/184/htm">Symmetry</a>, the researchers snorkeled for Port Jackson shark eggs off the coast of Eastern Australia. 

The researchers then incubated 12 eggs in a tank with temperatures comparable to the ocean waters where the eggs had been found.

Another 12 eggs were incubated in a tank meant to simulate ocean warming by the end of the century with temperatures gradually raised to 74.5 degrees Fahrenheit. Within a month of hatching, five of the sharks that had been incubated in the warmer tank died. 

To test how the water temperatures affected lateralization, the researchers placed a shark in a long tank with a y-shaped partition at the end. 

On the other side of the partition was a reward and all the shark had to do was go right or left. The sharks from the warmer tank were more inclined to veer right compared to the sharks incubated in ambient water temperatures. 

The research indicates that warmer temperatures force sharks to be smarter about energy conservation and allocation as climate change is projected to put a strain on development and metabolism for many creatures. 

“Elevated temperature significantly increased developmental rates and metabolism, with associated costs in terms of energy allocation to growth and physiological processes,” the researchers wrote in their study. “Therefore, stronger lateralization may arise as an energy-saving mechanism.”
--

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>

Climate change is altering the way that sharks swim

A new study has revealed how increases in ocean temperatures...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[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



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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 



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

[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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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