Imagine Earth has a giant set of underground “storage lockers” where we can tuck away carbon dioxide (CO₂) for centuries so it doesn’t heat the planet. Scientists call this geologic carbon storage. 



It sounds simple: capture CO₂ from factories, power plants, or even the air, pipe it deep underground into the tiny spaces inside certain rocks, and lock it there.



For years, underground storage of carbon dioxide looked and felt like a clever climate trick. Capture the gas, lock it in rock layers, and keep burning fossil fuels while claiming progress. 



The idea seemed safe because early estimates suggested nearly limitless space.



That illusion has collapsed. New research shows the planet’s usable underground storage capacity is far smaller than imagined. Instead of centuries of security, this cushion could run out within 200 years.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-storage-drops-sharply">Carbon storage drops sharply</h2>



Industry once placed global capacity at around 14,000 gigatons. A closer look, however, strips away risky regions - earthquake zones, fragile <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/construction-materials-could-store-carbon-in-homes-and-buildings-helping-the-climate/">ecosystems</a>, and crowded cities. What remains is only about 1,460 gigatonnes.



This tenfold drop changes everything. What once seemed endless is now a resource with strict boundaries, one that must be managed carefully. Every choice about how it is used carries long-term consequences. 



If reserved for short-term fixes, the world risks burning through it quickly. If protected for carbon removal, it could become a critical lifeline for stabilizing temperatures far into the future.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-risks-hidden-beneath-the-surface">Risks hidden beneath the surface</h2>



Underground storage carries hazards. Injecting carbon can stir up seismic activity, reactivate faults, or open escape paths. Leaks into aquifers could acidify water and release toxic metals. 



Offshore storage avoids some human risks but adds cost and geopolitical disputes. Public pushback also limits expansion, with some governments blocking projects altogether.



Opposition often stems from fears of leaks, distrust of industry promises, and concerns that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/">storage</a> will be used to justify continued fossil fuel use. 



These challenges mean underground storage cannot expand smoothly or universally; every project faces technical, political, and social barriers that slow progress and shrink real-world potential.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-storage-s-uncertain-future">Carbon storage’s uncertain future</h2>



Climate plans already assume storage will be vital to reach net zero. But if it mainly serves fossil fuel plants, reserves could vanish by 2200 - and every decade of delay accelerates that timeline. 



Deep emission cuts now ease future pressure, while procrastination forces heavier reliance on shrinking storage space. 



One promising strategy is to prioritize underground capacity for carbon removal rather than fossil fuel capture.



Direct air capture and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/abandoned-farmland-can-be-used-for-climate-change-mitigation/">bioenergy</a> with carbon storage could actively draw carbon out of the atmosphere, offering a cooling effect. 



If the full capacity were dedicated to this role, global temperatures could fall by as much as 0.7 °C (1.3 °F), though in practice the impact may be closer to 0.4 °C (0.7 °F) because the climate system doesn’t respond perfectly symmetrically to removal and emission.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reserves-unevenly-spread-worldwide">Reserves unevenly spread worldwide</h2>



Storage is not shared fairly across the globe. The United States, Russia, and Australia hold large, stable reserves. Europe and India lose far more under stricter risk rules.



Meanwhile, some nations in Africa and South America have vast potential but little historic responsibility for emissions. That imbalance raises thorny questions of justice - who gets to use the storage, and on what terms. 



Should wealthy nations pay for access to reserves in countries that contributed less to the crisis? Or should those with the largest reserves prioritize their own development needs first? 



These questions highlight deep inequalities that will shape future climate negotiations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-storage-can-only-buy-time">Storage can only buy time</h2>



Some experts argue the true potential is larger, pointing to decades of safe use in oil and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-largest-natural-hydrogen-deposit-discovery-is-worth-a-staggering-184-billion/">gas reservoirs</a>. 



They note that many depleted fields have held fluids securely for millions of years and could continue to hold injected carbon just as reliably.



Supporters of this view see existing infrastructure and technical expertise as proof that storage can operate at much greater scale than the conservative estimates suggest.



Even so, most researchers caution against treating underground storage as a limitless solution. It was never designed to be the final answer to climate change. 



At best, it should function as a bridge - a temporary measure that buys time while renewables expand, low-carbon industries mature, and societies shift away from fossil fuels.



In that sense, storage is less a cure and more a stabilizer, easing the transition without promising permanence. Its real value lies in supporting broader change, not replacing it.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-carbon-future-depends-on-choices">Carbon future depends on choices</h2>



The message is clear: underground storage is limited, risky, and unevenly distributed. It can help, but only if used strategically. 



That means prioritizing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/states-taking-action-on-their-own-can-cut-half-of-u-s-emissions/">emission cuts</a>, expanding clean energy, and reserving storage for removing carbon already in the air.



Treating it as infinite would squander one of the few tools that could still reverse warming, leaving future generations with fewer options, higher risks, and a far narrower path to a stable climate.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09423-y" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Earth has 10x less space for underground carbon storage than we thought - any other ideas?

Imagine Earth has a giant set of underground “storage lockers” where we can tuck away carbon dioxide (CO₂) for centuries so it doesn’t heat the planet. Scientists call this geologic carbon storage. It sounds simple: capture CO₂ from factories, power plants, or even the air, pipe it deep underground into the tiny spaces inside certain rocks, and lock it there. For years, underground storage of carbon dioxide looked and felt like a clever climate trick. Capture the gas, lock it in rock layers, and keep burning fossil...

Earth’s permafrost is warming on a global scale. The world’s permafrost, layers of frozen soil that currently cover around one-sixth of the Earth’s land areas, is getting warmer due to climate change and could release dangerous greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Permafrost is soil that has remained frozen for at least two consecutive years, but in some regions, that ground has been frozen for millions of years. In the Arctic, the permafrost provides a sturdy foundation for infrastructure. 

As permafrost soil temperatures increase, it jeopardizes the roads, houses and power lines currently built on top of it. 

The Arctic and other frozen regions of the world also house large amounts of carbon and methane in the soil, and as the permafrost warms up, all of these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-thawing-release-co2/">greenhouse gasses will be released into the atmosphere</a> and further drive climate change and warming. 

Permafrost has been on the radar of many researchers, but a new comparative study shows for the first time how temperatures have increased in permafrost on a global scale. 

The study was conducted by researchers by the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research</a> and was published in the journal Nature Communications. 

The researchers analyzed ten years worth (2007 to 2016) of data collected from over 123 boreholes in the Arctic, Antarctic, and different high mountain ranges.

At 71 of the 123 borehole sites, the researchers tracked temperature increases in the permafrost, five of the sites had thawing permafrost while in twelve areas soil temperatures dropped. In some of the regions, soil temperatures were unchanged. 

Upon further analysis, the researchers found that the Arctic has experienced the most significant warming shifts and in some areas, temperatures rose by one degree Celsius. 

“There, in regions with more than 90 percent permafrost content, the soil temperature rose by an average of 0.30 degrees Celsius within ten years,” said Boris Biskaborn, the first author of the study. 

In Arctic areas with less permafrost cover, soil temperatures only rose by .2 degrees Celsius, and Biskaborn explained that this is because there is more snowfall to insulate the soil. 

Overall though, the researchers found a troubling warming trend in the world’s permafrost layers. 

 “All this data tells us that the permafrost isn’t simply warming on a local and regional scale, but worldwide and at virtually the same pace as climate warming, which is producing a substantial warming of the air and increased snow thickness, especially in the Arctic,” said Guido Grosse, a co-author of the study and the Head of the Permafrost Research Section at the Alfred Wegener Institute. “These two factors in turn produce a warming of the once permanently frozen ground.” 

Currently, the boreholes analyzed in the study are maintained and examined by over 50 different research groups that together pooled their data to make this recent study possible thanks to the efforts of the virtual <a href="https://gtnp.arcticportal.org/">Global Terrestrial Network for Permafrost (GTN-P)</a>. 

 “Monitoring global permafrost temperatures and gathering the data in the freely accessible GTN-P database is tremendously important – and not just for researchers, educators, and communicators, but for various other users,” said Hanne H. Christiansen, a co-author of the study. “The permafrost temperature is one of the most universally accepted climate variables. It offers a direct insight into how the frozen ground is reacting to climate change.”  

--

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>

Earth’s permafrost is warming on a global scale

Earth’s permafrost is warming on a global scale. The world’s...

3 times more asteroids are hitting Earth than in the age of dinosaurs. A new study from the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a> has found that the number of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/nasa-deflect-asteroids/">asteroids</a> hitting the Earth and Moon has increased by up to three times over the past 290 million years. These findings were published January 17th in <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

Researchers have turned to the Moon for answers regarding Earth’s developing asteroid impact rate. Previously, scientists have used craters in the Earth to determine age and rate of impact, however erosion and other geological processes have most likely changed said craters over time, therefore impacting age estimates. The Moon, on the other hand, is hit by asteroids at the same rate as Earth and is not impacted by Earthly processes like shifting tectonic plates. Also 3 times more asteroids are hitting Earth than in the age of dinosaurs

“The only obstacle to doing this has been finding an accurate way to date large craters on the Moon", the study’s co-author and asteroid expert at the <a href="https://www.swri.org/">Southwest Research Institute</a> in Boulder, Colorado, William Bottke, said.

However, the team was able to do so using thermal data and images from the Moon, collected by NASA’s Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO). LRO’s thermal radiometer revealed how heat radiates off of the Moon’s surface and how larger rocks give off more heat than smaller ones. 

Co-author Rebecca Ghent, a planetary scientist at the <a href="https://www.utoronto.ca/">University of Toronto</a> and the <a href="https://www.psi.edu/">Planetary Science Institute</a> in Tucson, Arizona, was then able to calculate the rate at which Moon rocks break down into soil. She found that the number of larger rocks surrounding a crater correlate with the crater’s age — younger craters are often covered by rocks and boulders, whereas boulders in and around older craters have been worn down over the years by constant meteorite showers. Using her technique, the team dated all the lunar craters that are younger than a billion years old.

After comparing the ages of craters on the Moon to those on the Earth, the team found that the crater ages are similar. 

“This means that the Earth has fewer older craters on its most stable regions not because of erosion, but because the impact rate was lower prior to 290 million years ago," Bottke said.

“Proving that fewer craters on Earth meant fewer impacts — rather than loss through erosion — posed a formidable challenge,” added co-author Dr. Thomas Gernon, Associate Professor in Earth Science at the University of Southampton. 

Gernon realized that older craters should still be in existence due to the fact that extinct diamond volcanoes called kimberlite pipes that formed over the past 650 million years are still intact. Because of this, ancient asteroid craters should also still be intact. But, because they aren’t, this means that not many craters formed before 290 million years ago.

The rate of crater formation caused by asteroid strikes has tripled within the past 290 million years, and the reason for this is still unknown. But the team hypothesizes that the uptick in asteroid hits could have been caused by large collisions taking place in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter more than 290 million years ago. Therefore, the debris from these collisions could have reached the inner solar system and come into contact with the Moon and Earth.

--

By <a href="mailto:oliviagharvey24@gmail.com">Olivia Harvey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

3 times more asteroids are hitting Earth than in the age of dinosaurs

3 times more asteroids are hitting Earth than in the...

The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/15/climate/government-shutdown-climate-change.html">New York Times</a> reports that the current U.S. government shutdown, which has just rolled into its fourth week, has halted <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> and the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)</a> from releasing their annual temperature analysis — a crucial set of data to show how global warming had progressed in 2018.

And because NASA and NOAA data is so widely used around the world, other world governments, like Britain’s national weather and climate monitoring service, the <a href="https://www.metoffice.gov.uk/">Met Office</a>, have also been held back from releasing their yearly <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change reports</a>.

“Usually, we would have received [the NOAA data] by now,” John Kennedy, a scientist at the Met Office Hadley Centre, which specializes in climate research, told the New York Times. “But this month, we haven’t.” 

However, temperatures aren’t the only numbers Americans are currently in the dark about because of the government shutdown. The publishing of NOAA’s annual natural-disaster cost estimate, a report that has been published yearly since 1980, has also been delayed. 

2017’s natural-disaster cost estimate ranked as the highest on record due to the climate changed-induced, tag-teaming storms, Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria, plus the severe drought in the Great Plains. But the cost of 2018’s Hurricane Michael and Florence, paired with the sweeping California wildfires, will remain offline until the shutdown as ended.

Researchers and scientists say that the withholding of this data, plus the lack of government funding and support, is putting their current research at risk. The longer the shutdown is dragged on, the more time is wasted, money lost, and potentially life-saving discoveries are pushed back even further.

“You just can’t turn the lights off and close the door and then when the government reopens, come back and turn on the lights and open the door and the turn the computer on and, O.K., now everything’s fine and we’re going again,” Dr. Bob Peterson, president of the <a href="https://www.entsoc.org/">Entomological Society of America</a> and a professor at <a href="http://www.montana.edu/">Montana State University</a>, told the new York Times Times.

Furthermore, early-career researchers cannot do their jobs because of the lack of government funding. Chris Horvat, a polar oceanographer based at <a href="https://www.brown.edu/">Brown University</a> told the New York TImes, “We’re supposed to be the future of climate science and we can’t do our jobs” — a sentiment that is echoing throughout the U.S. research and science sector. 

--

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>

Climate data is waiting in the wings due to government shutdown

The New York Times reports that the current U.S. government...

Parts of China, India, Thailand, South Korea, and Hong Kong are all enduring dangerous levels of air pollution in the form of thick <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/smog-alert-beijing-warns-people-stay-indoors-week/">smog</a>. Although these conditions have come to be expected this time of the year, several factors such as weather patterns and emissions are making matters far worse. 


According to the <a href="https://www.bangkokpost.com/">Bangkok Post</a>, officials in the Thai capital will be using a pollution mitigation technique known as cloud seeding. On Tuesday, planes will be deployed to inject clouds with certain chemicals that will induce rainfall. 

Bangkok is experiencing high levels of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pollution. These fine particles pose an exceptional threat to human health because they are small enough to enter the body by penetrating the lungs.

<a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a> meteorologists are reporting that a cloud of fine dust that has lingered over parts of South Korea for five days has now reached “very unhealthy levels.” Residents of Seoul are trying to avoid the outdoors and wearing masks, while other South Korean cities are restricting traffic and emissions. 

In the industrial region of northeast China, the central meteorological administration issued an “orange alert” over the weekend for heavy smog. The visibility dropped to as low as 50 meters in the most affected regions. The Air Quality Index (AQI) reading in Shanghai reached 183 on Tuesday, which is classified as “unhealthy.”

Pollution across India is blamed for up to a million premature deaths every year. On Tuesday, parts of Delhi reached “ hazardous” levels - the worst classification possible - with an AQI reading that exceeded 300.

Professor Randeep Guleria at the <a href="https://www.aiims.edu/">All India Institute of Medical Sciences</a> said, “The upsurge in respiratory problems in the winter months with peak air pollution is well known, but what is now also becoming better understood is that air pollution is a year-round phenomenon particularly in north India which causes health impacts far beyond the seasonal rise of respiratory illnesses.” 

“Air pollution is now the leading risk factor for chronic obstructive lung disease in India, and a major contributor to pneumonia and lung cancer.”


Worldwide, nine out of every 10 people breathe air containing unhealthy levels of pollution, according to the <a href="https://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a> (WHO).

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Annual air pollution crisis is getting worse across Asia

Parts of China, India, Thailand, South Korea, and Hong Kong...

Researchers consider ocean temperatures as the best determinant of <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-weather-patterns/">global warming</a> progress driven by human-caused greenhouse gas emissions. This is because 90% of the heat generated by these greenhouse gasses is absorbed into the ocean. 

According to ocean temperature analysis conducted by the <a href="http://english.iap.cas.cn/">Institute of Atmospheric Physics (IAP) at Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>, 2018 is now the warmest year on record in regards to global ocean temperatures, and this should be concerning for all inhabitants of Earth.

The international team who conducted this analysis published their ocean heat content observations January 16th in <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00376-019-8276-x">Advances of Atmospheric Sciences</a>. The data shows that ocean temperatures in 2018 reached about 19.67 x 1022 Joules — Joules being a unit measure of heat. 

The increase in temperature between 2017 and 2018 is estimated to be about 388 times the electricity generated by China in 2017 and about 100 million times the heat from the Hiroshima bomb.

“The new data, together with a rich body of literature, serve as an additional warning to both the government and the general public that we are experiencing inevitable global warming, “ said lead author Dr. Lijing Cheng. “The ocean and global warming have already taken place and caused serious damage and losses to both the economy and society.”

Ocean temperatures are only expected to rise in the future if no immediate action is taken, researchers warn. Higher temperatures will increase sea levels, salt water will contaminate fresh water, thus affecting freshwater species and drinking water, coastal infrastructure will be compromised, and storms, draughts, and natural disasters will only worsen.

The IAP team will continue to measure trends in order to benefit the general public. "These scientific activities will eventually serve the general public and government by enabling them to make informed decisions and thus create a better and more sustainable future for all," Dr. Cheng 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>

2018 was the hottest year recorded for global ocean temperatures

Researchers consider ocean temperatures as the best determinant of global...

Greek philosopher Theophrastus damned it with faint praise in terming it “pseudo-emerald.” But anyone who has seen photographs of the stunning <a href="http://www.hermitagemuseum.org/wps/portal/hermitage/explore/buildings/locations/room/B10_F2_H189/?lng=en">Malachite Room</a> in the Winter Palace in Saint Petersburg, designed in 1839 as a place where Nicholas I’s wife, Empress Alexandra Fyodorovna could receive state guests, knows that there’s nothing pseudo- about this striking and immediately recognizable copper carbonate mineral. 

Even on a small scale, the intricate rings of various tints of rich green make malachite among the most stunning and sui generis of Earth’s lapidary offerings. It’s name, bestowed by Pliny the Elder, derives from the Greek word for “mallow,” a green herbaceous plant; the present spelling dates to 1661. Though its viridian hues invite such comparison, really, malachite is an imitation of nothing. Calling it a pseudo-emerald is like calling a lake a pseudo-ocean. The contrast gives short shrift to its unique beauty. 

The multi-hued rings of the stone form over time when aqueous solutions containing dissolved copper come into contact with calcium carbonate (limestone) or when calcium carbonate solutions come into contact with rocks containing copper. Malachite deposits usually occur as stalactites or botryoidal clusters—shaped like bunches of grapes. Occasionally they occur in crystalline form—even sometimes as <a href="https://www.mineralienatlas.de/lexikon/index.php/MineralData?mineral=Malachite">bizarre, fragile spirals</a>—though the crystals are usually minute. 

They may also occur as pseudomorphs—so there is actually something pseudo- about them after all. Pseudomorphs are mineral deposits in which the original mineral has slowly been replaced by another. Malachite typically occurs as a pseudomorph of azurite, a blue mineral as its name suggests, and specimens in which this process is incomplete display both the green of malachite and the blue of azurite. On rare occasions, this is reversed and azurite replaces malachite. Malachite may also form as a pseudomorph of chalcopyrite, gypsum, calcite, or pyrite, among others. And it is frequently found alongside other minerals, including chrysocolla, cuprite, turquoise, and limonite. The mineral, which may contain as much as 58% copper, typically forms in the oxidizing zones above copper deposits and has long been used as an indicator of the presence of copper below.

Copper has been mined for millennia—and thus, so has the malachite that usually sits atop it. Copper was, in fact, the first metal to be used on a wide scale by early man, though older gold artifacts have been found. The <a href="http://www.regeszet.org.hu/images/angol/a_005.pdf">Copper Age</a>, also known as the Eneolithic or Chalcolithic, predates even the Bronze Age. (Dates are inexact. The Chalcolithic may have begun as early as 6000 B.C. and as late as 4500 B.C.) A copper ornament found in Iraq dates to 8700 B.C., suggesting that use of copper predates even the age bearing its name. Deposits along Lake Superior were mined as early as 5000 B.C. and formed the basis of a Native American culture known as the <a href="https://www.mpm.edu/research-collections/anthropology/online-collections-research/old-copper-culture">Old Copper Complex</a> due to the rich trove of copper artifacts it left behind. 

There is evidence that malachite was smelted to derive copper at Ei Bunar, a mine in Bulgaria, around the same time or even earlier—the first evidence of smelting to isolate metals from the rocks in which they are found. And the ancient <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ancient-egyptians-worshipped-baboons/">Egyptians</a> began mining malachite—and smelting it—in the Timna Valley of Sinai in Israel beginning around 4000 B.C. (The Romans later took over this operation in the 2nd century A.D. and <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/272060120_Egyptian_Timna-_Reconsidered">it was likely used by other cultures</a> as well.)

[caption id="attachment_1865236" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/malachite.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1865236" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/malachite.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="430" /></a> Ancient Egyptian art, Image Credit: Rosana Prada/Flickr[/caption]

They also valued the mineral itself. They fashioned it into jewelry, including protective amulets. In <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=SiqCAwAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT6&amp;dq=malachite&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=0ahUKEwiq7MSUzuDfAhUJnq0KHRGFDOY4ZBDoAQg-MAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=malachite&amp;f=false">one Egyptian legend</a>, a young woman drops her malachite ornament in a lake while boating with the pharaoh. Though he promises to replace it, she insists on finding the gem. The pharaoh then orders the court magician to retrieve it. Casting a spell, he removes half of the lake’s water and stacks it atop the rest, allowing the ornament to be recovered. The Egyptians also ground the mineral and used it as a cosmetic and as paint—malachite has been isolated from Egyptian tomb paintings. 

Malachite was exploited in other parts of Europe as well. <a href="http://www.iceman.it/en/the-iceman/">Ötzi the Iceman</a>, a mummy found in the Ötztal Alps between Italy and Austria, dates to 3300 B.C. The copper axe he was carrying at the time of his death in <a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/transcripts/2518iceman.html">known to have been derived from smelted malachite </a>and concentrations of copper and arsenic in his hair suggest that he may have himself been involved in smelting operations. 

The <a href="https://www.greatormemines.info/">Great Orme mines</a> in Wales, which are full of malachite that was smelted to derive copper, are thought to have been first exploited around 1800 B.C. Disturbingly, many of the tunnels appear to have been <a href="http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20160420-the-ancient-copper-mines-dug-by-bronze-age-children">dug by children</a>. Later copper mining and smelting operations have been unearthed in other corners of the world too—from China to West Africa to South America. And, as one might expect, malachite ornaments have been found in many of these places. <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/archaeology-and-history/magazine/2017/05-06/Maya_Red_Queen/">A stunning malachite mask</a> dating to 700 A.D. was discovered in 1994 in a Mayan tomb in Mexico belonging to a woman known as the “Red Queen” due to the fact that her body was coated with cinnabar powder.

Of the later malachite enthusiasts, the Russians made perhaps the most spectacular use of the mineral. Enormous quantities were extracted from extensive deposits in the Ural Mountains beginning in the 1800s and deployed on a massive scale. Aside from the Malachite Room, Saint Isaac’s Cathedral provides perhaps the best example of the lavish abandon with which malachite was used as a decorative material. Ten columns comprising some 16 tons of the green stone decorate the <a href="http://petersburg.blogs.wm.edu/2010/09/14/st-isaacs-cathedral-isaakievskii-sobor/">church’s sanctuary</a>. And Tsar Alexander gifted Napoleon with a massive suite of objects made from malachite, including tables, vases, and candelabras, now housed in the eponymous <a href="http://en.chateauversailles.fr/discover/estate/estate-trianon/grand-trianon#the-state-apartments-of-the-grand-trianon">Salon des Malachites</a> in the Grand Trianon at Versailles. 

Large scale use of Russian malachite can also be seen in a set of enormous doors in Mexico City’s Chapultepec Castle; they were originally displayed at the 1851 Great Exhibition in London. The significance of malachite in Russia even extends to its folklore. In one tale, “<a href="http://askural.com/2012/02/russian-legends/">The Queen of Copper Mountain</a>,” a young man attracts the attention of a female figure believed to guard the copper deposits of the Urals. She offers him access to her wealth, but he declines, deciding to remain with his human love. The queen was said to disguise herself as a lizard when mortals approached, but when she appeared in human form, she was garbed in shimmering malachite-toned robes. The legend inspired the 1946 film <a href="https://www.festival-cannes.com/en/films/kamennyj-cvetok">The Stone Flower</a>, in which a stone carver attempts to carve a realistic flower from malachite and is ensnared by the queen when he seeks her help.

[caption id="attachment_1865237" align="aligncenter" width="700"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/malachite-2.jpg"><img class="wp-image-1865237" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/malachite-2.jpg" alt="" width="700" height="452" /></a> Malachite basin given to Napoleon by Czar Alexander, Image Credit: Chris Waits/Flickr[/caption]

Today, the deposits in the Urals are somewhat depleted, and mines in the Democratic Republic of the Congo meet much of the world’s demand. Other sources include Australia, China, Chile, Arizona, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Utah in the United States, and Zambia. Demand for this gorgeous stone is as high as ever. Looking at the concentric circles of a polished specimen, it’s easy to see why it entranced the ancients. While modern lapidary enthusiasts may be skeptical of the magical powers attributed to it by their ancestors, it’s difficult not to be a little spellbound by malachite’s verdant rings.

--

By <a href="mailto:rtpallardy@gmail.com">Richard Pallardy</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

What makes malachite so mesmerizing

Greek philosopher Theophrastus damned it with faint praise in terming...

According to the <a href="https://www.vaisala.com/en/vaisala-annual-lightning-report">Vaisala Annual Lightning Report</a>, Florida and Texas had the highest number of lightning strikes last year. Overall, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-lightning-strikes/">lightning flashes</a> in the United States were 11 percent lower in 2018 compared to the ten-year average.

There were a total of 2,483,805 cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning flashes across the state of Texas and 1,385,710 CG lightning strikes in Florida. 

Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska rounded out the top five with a combined total of more than 2.7 million lightning strikes. In addition, the Sunshine State topped the list for the highest flash density per square mile at 9.34.


Environmental measurement specialist Vaisala, which is based in Finland, uses data from its National Lightning Detection Network to generate the annual report. 

There was a total of 17.8 million lightning strikes in the United States during 2018. A spokesman for Vaisala said: “This marks the third-fewest flashes in the last 10 years and a 1.9 million flash decrease from the 2009 - 2018 average of 19,728,634 lightning flashes across the U.S. annually.”  

Ryan Said, a lightning expert at Vaisala, explained that the lower number of lightning strikes was due to fewer big storms. “Specifically, there were fewer days with very strong air mass contrasts across the Central Plains and Upper Midwest during the spring and summer of 2018, which contributes to the severe weather season.”

This finding is consistent with reports that tornadic activity at the highest end of the Enhanced Fujita scale was lower in 2018.

The research was presented at the annual meeting of the <a href="https://www.ametsoc.org/index.cfm/ams/">American Meteorological Society</a> in Phoenix.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Which U.S. states had the most lightning strikes in 2018?

According to the Vaisala Annual Lightning Report, Florida and Texas...

Record payment for tuna highlights decline of ocean fish. Once I travelled to Jamaica as part of a team making a documentary film about over fishing in that country. <a href="http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/news/caribbean-fisheries-threatened-by-overfishing-reef-decline_101359?profile=1373">The Jamaican Observer</a> reported in 2017 that fisheries throughout the Caribbean are threatened by overfishing and decline of the reefs that fish depend on. A report from the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">IUCN</a> from 2017 showed that of 2,800 marine species surveyed 11% were threatened with extinction.  It’s easy to see this problem as one that can be changed by local governments of countries operating in relatively small patches of ocean.  

Unfortunately, things aren’t that simple.  Unlike islands, the Earth’s oceans are connected to each other in a global system.  The Jamaican fishermen I witnessed shirtless, gutting fish on beaches next to modest boats, blamed international fleets and pollution from large hotels for the decline in their fish numbers.  Those fishermen are of course also a part of the problem but they remain relatively powerless to confront the problem alone without international changes. In a horrible way, the poverty of hard-working Jamaican fishermen is connected directly to riches being made on tuna sales in Japan.

<a href="https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2019/01/05/national/record-3-1-million-paid-toyosu-markets-first-new-years-tuna-auction/#.XDEXBFVKhPY">The Japan Times</a> reports that a ‘sushi entrepreneur’ recently paid a record ¥333.6 million (roughly $3 million US) for a tuna weighing about 612 pounds.  Kiyoshi Kimura, the man who won the bid for the fish, is the owner of a sushi restaurant. <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/01/05/tuna-sells-for-record-3-million-in-auction-at-tokyos-new-fish-market.html">CNBC</a> reports the Kimura paid twice what he paid for a similar fish six years ago.  The rising price is directly connected to the increasing rarity of tuna, especially of this size. Record payment for tuna highlights decline of ocean fish

The fish was an endangered bluefin tuna. According to <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2017/09/01/547903557/countries-pledge-to-recover-dwindling-pacific-bluefin-tuna-population">NPR</a>, the bluefin population was just 2.6% of historic numbers in 2017, that’s a population drop of more than 97%.  Mexico, Japan, Korea and the U.S. have all exceeded tuna quotas within recent years. <a href="https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/04/20/pacific-bluefin-tuna-population-has-dropped-97-percent-new-report-says/">Mercury News</a> reports that Japan owns a lion’s share of the blame though.  80% of bluefin tuna caught worldwide are consumed by Japan. In fact, Japan has been known in recent years to fish over a bluefin quota created by international consensus, as reported by <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/apr/24/japan-criticised-exceed-bluefin-tuna-fishing-quota">The Guardian</a>.  

The heart of the problem seems to be something like the classical environmental conundrum, the tragedy of the commons.  When there is a financial incentive to take more than your portion of a shared resource, often people or groups of people overuse that shared resource.  In this case, the ocean’s fish are being depleted at an alarming rate because of every nation’s failure to fish at a sustainable rate and everyone loses.  In Japan, fisheries workers who ignore the restrictions on fish caught go largely unpunished, instead profiting from (illegal) fish sales. Other fisheries are following the same pattern of iniquitous overfishing.  

Japan has recently clashed with China over that country’s overexploitation of marine fishes.  <a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Politics/International-Relations/China-blocks-Japan-s-proposed-fishing-caps-on-saury">Nikkei Asian Review</a> reports that China blocked limits on catching Pacific Saury proposed by Japan at a meeting of the North Pacific Fisheries Commission (NPFC) last year.  Pacific Saury is one of the most popular fish in China and lives off the coasts of Japan, <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/intense-summer-fires-in-arctic-russia/">Russia</a>, China and international waters in the Pacific throughout its life cycle.  The saury population is in steep decline with the NPFC reporting 266,000 tons of the fish caught in 2017, the lowest catch since 2000. Many blame the low numbers on overfishing, but China argued that the data to support overfishing as the cause of decline isn’t there.  This type of denial seems to be the norm for international overfishing, where each group of fishermen blames other fishing groups or other causes for the fish population crisis. The truth is overfishing both legally and illegally is incredibly common throughout the world’s oceans today.

<a href="https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/supply-trade/chinese-vessel-detained-by-us-coast-guard-fishing-for-salmon-with-illegal-driftnets">Seafood Source</a> reported last year on a Chinese fishing vessel captured for suspected illegal fishing by the U.S. Coast Guard.  This type of illegal fishing isn’t uncommon as fish populations drop and desperation among many fishermen increases.  <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2018/jun/09/the-dark-fleet-global-fishing-watch-shines-a-light-on-illegal-vessels">The Guardian</a> reported in June 2018 on a ‘dark fleet’, fishing vessels unmonitored and unregulated on the high seas across the world.  About two thirds of the high seas fishing, which is hard to monitor is carried out by only four countries, Japan, China, Taiwan and South Korea.  According to the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/world/asia/chinas-appetite-pushes-fisheries-to-the-brink.html">New York Times</a>, 90% of the world’s fisheries are already fully exploited or ready to collapse.  China is a leading cause of that problem too.

Chinese vessels travel as far afield as off the coast of Peru or West Africa where many fishermen head to sea in unmotorized dugout canoes and hand nets.  It’s fishermen like these as well as those in Jamaica and the world over that will suffer from mechanized overfishing by global fleets. 

According to a paper in <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00050/full">Frontiers in Marine Science</a>, Chinese vessels cost several West African economies $2.3 billion a year.  That is a lot of money for groups of people many of which have no regular access to electricity or indoor plumbing, living on very little money by western standards.  Illegal fishing is estimated to account for the equivalent of 65% of legal, reported fishing in much of West Africa. Fishing is not only a major food source in western Africa but also supports approximately 7 million jobs.  Chinese and other international fishing vessels have literally been stealing food from Africa as well as threatening fish with extinction. 

In September of last year, <a href="https://chinadialogueocean.net/4239-china-cracks-down-on-illegal-distant-water-fishing/">China Dialogue</a> reported that the Chinese government seems to finally be hardening punishment for overfishing from vessels working far from China itself.  For the first time, the Chinese Department of Agriculture released a list of vessels penalized for overfishing in 2017. The list included a vessel that illegally fished in Ecuador’s Galapagos Marine Reserve, the hull of the ship contained endangered species including hammerhead sharks.  20 of the crewmen on the ship were sentenced to prison for 1 to 4 years. Some fishing vessels and captains were then blacklisted, banned from fishing by the Chinese Department of Agriculture. 

The change in publishing stiff punishment and banning fishermen from working on Chinese vessels is encouraging.  If the world’s fish are to be saved, the whole world must be on board. Unfortunately, history shows a tendency by rich nations to rob the earth and the poor for short term gains.  Willingness in Japan to pay $3 million US for an endangered tuna but not forgo a food for the world’s future shows that we have a long way to go. 

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer        

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

Record payment for tuna highlights decline of ocean fish

Record payment for tuna highlights decline of ocean fish. Once...

A new study has revealed that ice mass loss in Antarctica has increased by 280 percent in recent decades, and as a result the world’s oceans will <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ice-sheet-florida-coastline/">experience significant sea level rise</a> over the coming years. 

A team of researchers from the <a href="https://uci.edu/">University of California, Irvine</a>, the <a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/">National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> (NASA JPL) and <a href="https://www.uu.nl/en">Utrecht University</a> in the Netherlands calculated Antarctic ice mass loss between 1979 and 2017. 

The four-decade assessment, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, covered 18 regions, 176 basins, and Antarctica’s surrounding islands. 

The researchers examined Anatrica’s remaining ice mass and discovered that the continent experienced a sixfold increase in annual ice mass loss between 1979 and 2017, which raised sea levels by more than half an inch in the same period. 

“That's just the tip of the iceberg, so to speak,” said Eric Rignot, the lead author of the study. “As the Antarctic ice sheet continues to melt away, we expect multi-meter sea level rise from Antarctica in the coming centuries.”

The researchers analyzed aerial photographs from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/icebridge/index.html">NASA’s Operation IceBridge</a>, satellite radar data and satellite imagery to compare snowfall accumulation over the years and calculate ice mass loss. 

Between 1979 and 1990, the researchers calculated ice mass losses of 40 gigatons per year, but between 2009 and 2017, ice mass losses skyrocketed to 252 gigatons per year. 

The comprehensive study sheds insight on how east Antarctica has been impacted over the years and how ice mass in that region contributed to ice mass loss totals. East Antarctica is more susceptible to climate change and increases in ocean temperatures than was previously thought, according to the researchers. 

“The Wilkes Land sector of East Antarctica has, overall, always been an important participant in the mass loss, even as far back as the 1980s, as our research has shown,” said Rignot. “This region is probably more sensitive to climate [change] than has traditionally been assumed, and that's important to know, because it holds even more ice than West Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula together.”

The study also projects that the increases in ice mass loss will have major impacts on sea level rise in the future. 

“As climate warming and ozone depletion send more ocean heat toward those sectors, they will continue to contribute to sea level rise from Antarctica in decades to come,” said Rignot.

--

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>

Antarctica is experiencing a sixfold increase in ice mass loss

A new study has revealed that ice mass loss in...

Bees are not the world’s only disappearing pollinators. 

Essential pollinators like butterflies, honey bees, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mice-birds-bats-pollination/">bats, and hummingbirds</a> all face an increasing number of threats including habitat loss, climate change, and disease which are impacting biodiversity and populations. 

Without pollinators, the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/pollinators/what-is-a-pollinator.htm">world’s food supply would suffer</a> and ecosystems would quickly collapse. 

The use of pesticides and other pest deterrents on crops and habitat loss due to agricultural operations have put a great deal of pressure on pollinators to find other sources of food and plants to pollinate. 

But now, a new study had found that community and residential gardens could offer a lifeline to pollinators and could help efforts to conserve and protect pollinating insects. 

The research was conducted by researchers from several academic institutions across the United Kingdom and published in the journal Nature Ecology. The study is the first of its kind to consider cities as a whole and their potential impacts on pollinator conservation. 

According to the research, both residential gardens and community gardens benefit pollinators, and the researcher found that plants like lavender, dandelions, and thistles attract pollinators and serve as important food sources. 

The researchers also developed a way to measure pollinator “robustness” to help identify which communities of pollinators are most at risk of population declines and which pollinators are more adaptable to environmental changes. 

Robustness is a way to measure how well a community responds to species loss. Some pollinator communities can adapt to losing certain species, but other communities are more fragile. 

Having a measurement of community robustness for pollinators will help with conservation efforts and identify which pollinators need the most attention and management. 

“Rather than simply asking about how management affects the number of pollinator species or their abundance, we also ask how potential strategies affect the ability of pollinators to cope with species losses associated with environmental change,” said Jane Memmott, a member of the research team. “A good management intervention leads to more sustainable communities.”

Overall, the researchers found that gardens in cities could help sustain pollinator populations and the study offers several recommendations for managing urban and residential greenspaces to best benefit pollinators. 

Some of the team’s suggestions include managing public greenspaces to specifically benefit pollinators, increasing the number of community gardens, and planting pollinator-friendly plants like lavender that will attract more pollinating insects.

“By understanding the impact of each urban land use on pollinators, whether it's gardens, allotments, road verges or parks, we can make cities better places for pollinators,” said Katherine Baldock, the lead researcher for the study. 

--

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: Nadine Mitschunas

Better city greenspace management could help struggling pollinators

Bees are not the world’s only disappearing pollinators. Essential pollinators...

New research published January 14th in <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a> provides a link between growing energy of global ocean waves and ocean warming. This recent study focused in on wave power — the energy within <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ocean-waves-antarctic-ice-loss/">ocean waves</a>, transmitted by wind and transformed into wave power — in relation to upper ocean warming.

The team found that wave power has been growing alongside ocean temperatures. Upper ocean warming, the measured upward trend in sea-surface temperatures, has affected global wind patterns, thus increasing wave power. 

"For the first time, we have identified a global signal of the effect of global warming in wave climate,” said lead author Borja G. Reguero, a researcher in the <a href="https://ims.ucsc.edu/">Institute of Marine Sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz</a>. “In fact, wave power has increased globally by 0.4 percent per year since 1948, and this increase is correlated with the increasing sea-surface temperatures, both globally and by ocean regions.”

"This study shows that the global wave power can be a potentially valuable indicator of global warming, similarly to carbon dioxide concentration, the global sea level rise, or the global surface atmospheric temperature," added coauthor Inigo J. Losada, director of research at the <a href="http://www.ihcantabria.com/en/">Environmental Hydraulics Institute at the University of Cantabria (IHCantabria)</a>.

Exposing the link between ocean warming and wave power is crucial for coastal communities, many of whom have seen heightened wave power impact their infrastructure and coastline.

 "Our results indicate that risk analysis neglecting the changes in wave power and having sea level rise as the only driver may underestimate the consequences of climate change and result in insufficient or maladaptation," concluded coauthor Fernando J. Méndez, associate professor at the University of Cantabria.

--

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>

Ocean warming is making big waves more powerful

New research published January 14th in Nature Communications provides a...

A new study has revealed that variations in the Earth's axial tilt are linked to dramatic shifts in the the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/east-antarctic-ice-sheet-melting/">Antarctic Ice Sheet</a>. A research team led by the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu/">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a> has matched the planet’s celestial motions with the geologic record of Antarctica's ice.

The findings sum up the entire history of the Antarctic Ice Sheet throughout most of the past 34 million years, including its formation. The research also highlights the sensitivity of the Earth's climate system to changes in the planet's axial cycles.

Study co-lead author Stephen Meyers is a UW-Madison professor of Geoscience and an expert on how the climate responds to changes in solar radiation from Earth's astronomical motions.


“What this study does is characterize the growth and decay of the Antarctic Ice Sheet and sheds light on what is forcing it to change,” explained Professor Meyers. “What has become apparent through this work and other studies is that the Antarctic Ice Sheet isn't just sitting there. It is vulnerable to decay.”

The West Antarctic Ice Sheet, which is miles deep in some places, contains enough ice to raise the sea level by roughly five meters. The researchers discovered that the ice sheet is so heavy that much of it is resting on land thousands of meters below sea level, which means that it is a marine ice sheet in some places.


According to the experts, marine ice sheets are particularly sensitive to heat carried in by ocean currents. The new study suggests that retreating sea ice will erode the barrier holding the ice sheet in place, including the parts of it that are below sea level.

“Sea ice creates a barrier between the ocean and the ice. If we fail to achieve carbon dioxide emissions targets and Earth's average temperature warms more than 2 degrees Celsius, sea ice will diminish and we jump into a world that is more similar to that last experienced during the early to mid-Miocene,” said co-lead author Richard Levy of New Zealand's GNS Science and Victoria University of Wellington.

Prior to this study, scientists struggled to understand why the ice sheet responded differently to the same astronomical cycles at different times. By linking those cycles to a detailed chemical record, the team found that elevated carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and the resulting loss of sea ice around the Antarctic played a big role in amplifying the impacts of changes in the Earth's astronomical motions on Antarctic sea ice. 

“All of these data suggest we need to get cracking and reduce our greenhouse gas emissions,” said Levy, who pointed out a decline in Antarctic sea ice over the last two years after several decades of growth. “We don't want to lose that sea ice.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Earth’s axial cycles impact the rise and fall of Antarctic sea ice

A new study has revealed that variations in the Earth's...

<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.



—–



Like what you saw and read?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a>&nbsp;for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



—–



Check us out on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth.com</a>.



—–

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.



—–



Like what you saw and read?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a>&nbsp;for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



—–



Check us out on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth.com</a>.



—–

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.



—–



Like what you saw and read?&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a>&nbsp;for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



—–



Check us out on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth.com</a>.



—–

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>.



—–



Like what you saw and read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



—–



Check us out on&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthsnap/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EarthSnap</a>, a free app brought to you by&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/author/eralls/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Eric Ralls</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth.com</a>.



—–

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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----



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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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>



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.

<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://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>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.



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



-----

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter 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://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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

News coming your way