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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Arctic warming fuels dangerous methane feedback loop

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

The consequences of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-hinder-agriculture/">climate change</a> are not only isolated to environmental pressures on animals – us humans will be faced with backlash from our environments as well. Natural disasters such as floods and hurricanes seem to be occurring more frequently and with more damage inflicted than ever before. These disasters often result in sudden population movements, as people attempt to find safe areas or follow government evacuation instructions. Using cell phone records and geo-located tweets, Spanish researchers have now developed a system that tracks human displacement caused by climate change.

This model was tested during a severe drought in La Guajira, Colombia in 2014, and determined that – during the six months of study – 10 percent of the population migrated due to the drought. This system used aggregated and encrypted cell phone metadata in order to predict the migration and “to identify population flows in the municipalities of the area affected by the drought,” explains Enrique Frías-Martínez, a researcher at <a href="http://www.tid.es/">Telefónica Research</a> in Madrid. 

This information “was then used to monitor migrations using radiation models, which take into account not only the characteristics of the population and the distance between origin and destination, but also the economic opportunities of the place where they end up.”

In the study, the researchers have applied the smartphone migration tracking system to climate change for the first time ever. They added a variation to the old model based on considering the climate of the destination area as an addition to the concept of economic opportunity, helping predict the migrations caused by climate change. 

According to Frías-Martínez, their results “indicate that the percentage of the population displaced during the drought in the Colombian region was 10% during the six months of the study.”

Their findings also show that the climate of the destination area plays a role in that decision. Patterns indicated that populations generally moved from rural areas to urban environments, which is likely due to urban areas having better economic prospects and proximity to food and water. 

“We have verified that, with cell phone traces, these migrations can be characterized with a success rate of over 60%, both in terms of the total number of people who migrate and the place where they move to,” says Frías-Martínez.

Because these populations displacements are likely to increase as climate change continues, the ability to track population migration could be very useful. As the technology improves over time, it may help us better prepare for mass migrations during natural disasters.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: David Taggart

Smartphones can track human displacement due to climate change

The consequences of climate change are not only isolated to...

Experts at <a href="https://medicine.wustl.edu/">Washington University School of Medicine</a> are reporting that outdoor air pollution is directly related to an increased risk of diabetes. This correlation was found to be strong even in regions where <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-delhi/">pollution</a> levels are considered to be safe.

Diabetes affects more than 420 million people worldwide including 30 million Americans, and is growing at one of the fastest rates of any disease. An unhealthy diet, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle are all major diabetes risks. The new study identifies outdoor air pollution as yet another factor contributing to the onset of diabetes.

Pollution is believed to reduce insulin production and trigger inflammation. This prevents the body from converting blood glucose into energy that the body needs.

“Our research shows a significant link between air pollution and diabetes globally,” said senior author Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly. “We found an increased risk, even at low levels of air pollution currently considered safe by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the World Health Organization (WHO). This is important because many industry lobbying groups argue that current levels are too stringent and should be relaxed. Evidence shows that current levels are still not sufficiently safe and need to be tightened.”

This study is the first to attempt to quantify the connection between air pollution and diabetes. 

“Over the past two decades, there have been bits of research about diabetes and pollution,” said Dr. Al-Aly. “We wanted to thread together the pieces for a broader, more solid understanding.”

The team collaborated with scientists at the <a href="https://www.stlouis.va.gov/services/Clinical_Epidemiology_Center.asp">Veterans Affairs' Clinical Epidemiology Center</a> to analyze the connection between particulate matter and the risk of diabetes. They examined data from 1.7 million U.S. veterans who did not have any history of diabetes and tracked them for an average of 8.5 years. 

The researchers compared medical information on the patients to data from the EPA's land-based air monitoring systems as well as satellite data from NASA.

The experts also reviewed all studies linking diabetes and outdoor air pollution, and developed a model that can be used to measure diabetes risks across various pollution levels.

Furthermore, by analyzing data from the Global Burden of Disease study, the researchers were able to estimate annual cases of diabetes and healthy years of life lost due to pollution.

According to the analysis, pollution contributed to 3.2 million new diabetes cases in 2016, which is around 14 percent of all new diabetes cases documented worldwide. That year, a total of 8.2 million years of healthy life were lost due to pollution-linked diabetes.

In the United States, 150,000 new cases of diabetes were attributed to air pollution annually, and 350,000 years of healthy life were found to be lost per year.

The findings of the study indicate that lower levels of pollution can lead to a significant drop in the number of diabetes cases around the world, including countries with the highest levels of pollution such as India and those with less pollution such as the United States.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(17)30013-X/fulltext">Lancet Planetary Health</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution linked to 3.2 million cases of diabetes in one year

Experts at Washington University School of Medicine are reporting that...

Alaskan volcano showing signs that a major eruption is underway. Experts are reporting that a volcano on a remote Alaskan island appears ready to violently erupt at any time. Since Wednesday, lava has been flowing in the summit crater of the Cleveland volcano, a 5,676-foot peak about 950 miles southwest of Anchorage.

According to the <a href="https://www.avo.alaska.edu/">Alaska Volcano Observatory</a>, the sight of lava is a sign of something more serious to come in the next days or possibly weeks.

<a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a> is reporting that the Cleveland alert code has been raised to orange, which is one level below what is issued for a major, ongoing eruption that could cause major aviation hazards.

While the volcano has been rumbling and spitting out ash periodically over the last 15 years, the appearance of lava is an indication of much more intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/volcanic-activity-west-antarctic/">activity</a> building up below the surface.

Jeff Freymueller is a scientist at the <a href="https://www.alaska.edu/">University of Alaska</a> and coordinates with the Alaska Volcano Observatory. He told Reuters that the lava “acts like a cap on Cleveland’s vent and there's a good chance of a powerful explosion to blow off that cap.”
He explained how a massive ash cloud over the Cleveland volcano could disrupt commercial air traffic.

“Things that get to 30,000 feet, or even close to that, would start affecting trans-Pacific flights,” said Freymueller.

In 2001, the volcano shot out an ash cloud that reached as high as 40,000 feet. Since that time, ash has only reached up to about half that height.

“The problem is we can never be sure it won’t do something bigger,” said Freymueller. “We just have to keep watching and make sure we have the information out.”

The Cleveland volcano is one of the most active in the Aleutian Islands, and has erupted at least 22 times in the last 230 years.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/NaturalHazards/view.php?id=6592">NASA Earth Observatory</a>

Alaskan volcano showing signs that a major eruption is underway

Alaskan volcano showing signs that a major eruption is underway....

As we’ve <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/air-pollution-high-blood-pressure/">reported recently</a>, air pollution can cause serious cardiovascular and respiratory problems.

Numerous studies have shown the danger of particulate and air pollution, and the <a href="http://www.who.int/news-room/detail/02-05-2018-9-out-of-10-people-worldwide-breathe-polluted-air-but-more-countries-are-taking-action">World Health Organization </a>(WHO) found that as many as nine out of ten people worldwide breath air with high levels of pollution. 

The WHO also reported that more than seven million deaths every year can be attributed to air pollution with low and middle-income countries carrying the burden of those deaths. 

Now, a new study found that in sub-Saharan Africa, moderate decreases in air pollution could save the lives of tens of thousands of infants every year. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> and <a href="https://ucsd.edu/">the University of California, San Diego</a> conducted a study that examined the link between air pollution and premature deaths in 30 countries in Africa. 

According to the study, published in the journal Nature, there is a “robust relationship” between the two.

<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/air-pollution-killing-thousands-of-infants-in-africa-study-says-2018-06-27/">CBS news</a> reported the new findings where the researchers combined air pollution particulate satellite data with household surveys about infant births and deaths between 2001 and 2005 in parts of Africa.

Dust, wood smoke from cooking fires, and vehicle exhaust all contribute to these air pollution levels. 

The researchers found that for every ten-microgram-per-cubic-meter increase in the particulate concentrations, there is a nine percent increase in infant mortality. 

If policies and regulations that reduced air pollution five micrograms per cubic meter were put in place, it could save thousands. The researchers say that a decrease that size could have prevented 40,000 infant deaths in 2015. 

“The principal sources of particulate matter differ across sub-Saharan Africa. As such, policies and approaches to reducing pollution may be most appropriately undertaken at the local and regional scale,” Sam Heft-Neal, one of the study's authors, told The Associated Press. “In booming urban areas, many of the relevant technologies and policies are the same ones that have been applied in more developed economies: moving away from coal to cleaner feedstocks for electric power production, putting particulate filters on buses and trucks, and reducing traffic congestion.”

Pollution regulations can be difficult to implement, especially in countries where the economic and financial potential of developing local industries outweighs health and safety concerns. 

However, according to CBS, Uganda has a draft law that proposed the ban importation of vehicles older than eight years because of the exhaust fumes they emit. 

Hopefully, as studies like this continue to find staggering statistics about preventable death and cardiovascular disease, more and more countries will work toward reducing pollution levels. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution kills thousands of infants in Africa every year

As we’ve reported recently, air pollution can cause serious cardiovascular...

An international team of scientists has discovered a previously unknown source of volcanic heat underlying the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/west-antarctica-bedrock-sea-level/">West Antarctic Ice Sheet</a> (WAIS). The hotspot may be accelerating the flow of the Pine Island Glacier, which is melting faster than any other glacier in Antarctica. 

Study lead author Brice Loose is a chemical oceanographer at the <a href="https://www.uri.edu/">University of Rhode Island</a> (URI) Graduate School of Oceanography. Professor Loose explained to <a href="https://today.uri.edu/">URI Today</a> that the findings are based on research conducted in 2014, when the team collected samples of seawater to test for certain gases that could provide insight into ice retreat at Pine Island Glacier.

“We were looking to better understand the role of the ocean in melting the ice shelf,” Loose told URI Today. “I was sampling the water for five different noble gases, including helium and xenon.  I use these noble gases to trace ice melt as well as heat transport. Helium-3, the gas that indicates volcanism, is one of the suite of gases that we obtain from this tracing method.”

“We weren’t looking for volcanism, we were using these gases to trace other actions. When we first started seeing high concentrations of helium-3, we thought we had a cluster of bad or suspicious data.”

A major volcanic rift system beneath the the West Antarctic Ice Sheet has been dormant for over 2,000 years. Volcanic activity was first documented in 2007 and is now confirmed by the 2014 expedition.

“When you find helium-3, it’s like a fingerprint for volcanism. We found that it is relatively abundant  in the seawater at the Pine Island shelf,” said Professor Loose.

“The volcanic heat sources were found beneath the fastest moving and the fastest melting glacier in Antarctica, the Pine Island Glacier. It is losing mass the fastest.”

The Pine Island Glacier, which helps to stabilize the flow of the massive WAIS, could become a substantial source of sea level rise if the current rate of melting continues or intensifies. 

According to the researchers, it remains unclear how the volcanic heat is distributed beneath the WAIS. The experts report that the volcano is clearly causing the ice to melt from underneath and could contribute in ways not yet known to the potential collapse of the ice sheet.

For example, the volcanic activity could also be driving the retreat of the Thwaites Glacier, which is adjacent to the Pine Island Glacier.

Professor Loose explained that climate change is responsible for most of the glacial melt, reducing the size and weight of the glaciers. As the pressure on Earth's mantle is reduced, additional heat can escape from the volcanic source and warm the seawater surrounding the ice sheet.

According to the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a> (NSF), the study provides the first geochemical evidence of a present-day volcanic heat source.

“Our finding of a substantial heat source beneath a major WAIS glacier highlights the need to understand subglacial volcanism, its interaction with the marine margins and its potential role in the future stability of the WAIS,” wrote the study authors.


Research efforts funded by the NSF and the <a href="https://nerc.ukri.org/">United Kingdom's Natural Environment Research Council</a> (NERC) will continue through 2021.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Galen Dossin, NSF

Volcanic activity discovered beneath the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

An international team of scientists has discovered a previously unknown...

What makes a volcano? Is it the iconic cone shape, or an active magma reservoir that steadily fills over time? 

Hawaii’s Big Island may soon be home to another active volcano thanks to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vog-kilauea-eruption-health-threat/">Kilauea's</a> eruptive past few months, but whether or not geologists and volcano experts will say that the volcano is separate from Kilauea is a matter of debate. 

Leilani Estates is a residential community on Big Island that was particularly hard hit dealt with lava-seeping fissures in early May that eviscerated cars, burned down buildings and emitted toxic gasses. 

The fissures were the result of fractures along a rift on the eastern side of the volcano opening up and now a new volcanic cone has formed close to Leilani Estates because of how magma flowed from the fissures. 

This new cone, called the fissure eight cone, could spout an eruption which has spurred the debate about how to classify new volcanoes, according to David Rothery, a professor of planetary Geosciences at <a href="http://www.open.ac.uk/">The Open University. </a>

Rother wrote a piece in <a href="http://theconversation.com/au">the Conversation</a> about Kilauea fissure eight activity and the problems that arise when geologists try to pinpoint what makes a volcano, a volcano. 

“If you look on the internet you will typically find 'volcano' defined as something like 'a landscape feature produced at a site where magma is erupted,” Rothery wrote in his article. “Such a simplistic definition would qualify the 'fissure 8' cone as a volcano, but I think just about every professional volcanologist would reject this, on the grounds that it is merely a subsidiary vent belonging to Kilauea.”

One of Rother’s main arguments against the assignment of the fissure eight cones as its own volcano is that fact that Kilauea is not just another part of Mauna Loa, another large active region, on Big Island. 

Both Kilauea and Mauna Loa use the same source for their lava, and so if Kilauea and the fissure eight cone share a magma wouldn’t that make it perfectly plausible that the fissure eight cone is a volcano?

“In this case, professional volcanologists generally agree that these are best regarded as separate systems, and the US Geological Survey rightly regards the situation that way,” Rother wrote. “That's because activity at Kīlauea has no discernible effect on Mauna Loa's magmatic system.”

One thing is for certain, Kilauea's recent activity has provided a wealth of information for volcano experts and geologists alike. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Is Kilauea’s eruption forming a new volcano?

What makes a volcano? Is it the iconic cone shape,...

El Chico in the state of Hidalgo is one of the oldest protected areas in Mexico and was the first forest reserve, originally decreed by President Porfirio Diaz in 1898.  In 1922, El Chico was upgraded to a park. Today the park is made up of 2,739 hilly hectares of forest. The park is only an hour and a half from Mexico City but the sleepy, relaxed feel of the area makes the city of 8.84 million people seem much further away.  Trails are easy to find and follow but maps are hard to find of the area. Unlike some in Mexico, the park is designed for the independent traveler with no tour guides available or needed for hiking or general exploration.

What struck me initially on visiting El Chico is the cool temperature.  Coming from lower elevations on the coast, El Chico is delightfully cool in June at elevations ranging from 7,550 to 10,140 feet above sea level.  

A lot of the trees are coniferous but there are also oaks; seeing a large conifer or oak hung with bromeliads sums up the habitat in a brief image.  Cool evenings are lit by fireflies dancing in the trees, rain is common but not as omnipresent as in wetter forest habitats. Pine, oak and Juniper dominate the forests and large volcanic rocks are prominent.  Particularly rare are cypress trees from the genus Cupressus.  

Cupressus are widespread throughout the world, ranging from northwest Africa and the middle east to the Himalaya, China and northern Vietnam.  Cupressus is a rare genus in Mexico despite its world-wide distribution.  There are two species of this cypress genus in the forests of El Chico.  There are also five species of oak, two pines, a juniper that grows in dense thickets, especially in those areas disturbed previously by fire.  There is a fir tree as well. The forest was like none other I’ve visited a mix of familiar and unfamiliar. Here you can find laurels growing, a plant most know for little more than crowning ancient Romans and Olympic athletes.            

Many of the trails end at or circle a ‘Peña’ or large rock rising from the forest.  From the tops of some of these boulders or rock spires, sitting next to climbing anchors bolted into the rock, you can see miles of rolling, forested hills and small villages.

Gray foxes are featured on the official park signs and share the place with opossums, vultures, salamanders, mountain rattlesnake, and according to the website for <a href="https://www.nps.gov/coro/learn/historyculture/sisterparks.htm">Coronado National Memorial</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/glowing-patterns-chameleons/">chameleons</a>.  Coronado, located in Arizona, is a sister park to El Chico.  As sister parks, Coronado and El Chico share information and mutual assistance to each other.  

El Chico is interesting in comparison to American parks in the presence of a number of local community projects as well as a small town within the park.  There are a number of ejido (community cooperative) driven campgrounds and fishing areas within El Chico as well as official government campgrounds. 

For a week we camped in El Cedro, a campground not far from the road but surrounded by towering trees.  Nearly every day I took our dog for a jog through a forested trail, jumping over logs and dodging the sharp spines of agave plants.  Later, after breakfast, my fiance Erin and our shih tzu, Zari ,joined us for hikes. The forest is varied and subtle, changing with elevation, the presence of water, clearings caused by old fires.  Hiking trails are well maintained and some bare signs proclaiming the trails or gazebos lined with benches along them were created by Peace Corps volunteers. Signs along trails identify birds, mammals and plant species you’re likely to encounter on hikes.  

Some of El Chico’s infrastructure has seen better days though.  The visitor’s center is little more than an empty building now. One of the Ejido managed campgrounds we visited had no one available to collect fees, appearing nearly abandoned.  There was a large concrete fire ring surrounded by stadium seating that appeared to be a platform for park talks but went unused. Maybe it was due to the season we visited but El Chico National Park had the feel of a place that over extended itself in terms of infrastructure that could not be maintained.                         

El Chico National Park also surrounds Mineral del Chico, a small mining town with a unique colonial flavor.  The town is dominated by a large, historic Spanish church. Restaurants and street food vendors line the main street and fill the plaza in front of the church.  Open air bars with small campfires at each table sit next to mountain bike shops along cobblestone roads. It was easy to find a dog friendly hotel in Mineral del Chico and everyone we met was very friendly.  We spent a few days wandering the streets, shopping for local wares and drinking everything from Mexican microbrews to delicious fresh coffee and orange juice. 

Mineral del Monte is another small mining town within El Chico National Park, a place we didn’t visit but which is said to be a quaint, colonial town with red tiled roofs.  Mineral del Monte is said to have produced 6% of the world’s silver. During its heyday a Cornish mining company operating out of Mineral del Chico employed 350 Cornish miners, according to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mineral_del_Monte#Mining">Wikipedia</a>.  The silver mining once made this region one of the wealthiest in Mexico.                                     

The highlands of El Chico National Park itself are part of the Pachuca Mountain Range, part of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt.  The volcanic belt is also known as the Sierra Nevada, a unique volcanic mountain range running east to west across Mexico, splitting the southern part of the country from the north.  The highest mountain of the Sierra Nevada is Pico de Orizaba, an 18,491 ft. giant. Pico de Orizaba is the third highest mountain in North America after Mt. Denali in Alaska and Mt. Logan in Canada.  Orizaba is especially impressive given its proximity to the ocean. Orizaba is also the second most prominent volcanic peak in the world, second to Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain. There are several other impressively high volcanoes in the region from 17,887 feet in elevation to 9,101 feet.  

The rocks of El Chico itself are small compared to the mountains of the surrounding areas, but they’re a perfect place to practice climbing.  The cliffs are well known and anchors for top roping are prominent. Mountain biking is also popular in the area, and we watched people hold wheelies as they pedaled uphill through Mineral del Chico, probably heading towards forest trails.  ATVs are rented out on streets too, an activity I find annoying at best but it was popular, especially during the weekend. 

Mineral del Chico was the last place we visited on a two month long trip through Mexico, the rest was quickly passing through towns and countryside on our way to the border.  The whole trip had many ups and downs but El Chico National Park and Mineral del Chico was perfect in leaving a lasting good impression for the whole adventure. A 12 hour drive from Brownsville, Texas, El Chico National Park is a world away.  El Chico is even a world away from the large beach city of Tampico, only six hours drive away. Three hours from the gulf of Mexico, Mineral del Chico rises into the mountains and exudes the feeling of being largely untouched by American tourists or the tentacular reach of sprawling Mexico City. Peace, near solitude and beauty are the defining characteristics of the park.  The towns inside the park are characterized by warm hospitality, laid back charm and fantastic food. El Chico is a special place in the world. 

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

El Chico: One of the oldest protected areas in Mexico

El Chico in the state of Hidalgo is one of...

The geological features of our planet are what tell the story of its formation over vast periods of time. Scientists closely study the rocks and minerals that make up the Earth’s crust, hoping to find clues about how these elements formed in the distant past. Granite in particular is an igneous rock that is made up of the minerals quartz and feldspar, containing the link between igneous processes that occur inside the planet and the volcanic rocks that are found on Earth’s surface.

In new research published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>, a team of scientists has found that granites from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-parks-trump-ghost-teddy-roosevelt/">Yosemite National Park</a> contain minerals that crystallized at significantly lower temperatures than ever thought possible. This discovery now changes our understanding of how granites form and what they can tell us about the Earth’s geologic history.

“Granites are the ultimate product of the processes by which our planet separated into layers and they are key to understanding the formation of the continental crust,” says Michael Ackerson of the <a href="https://carnegiescience.edu/">Carnegie Institution for Science</a>. “Minerals from granites record almost all of our planet’s history – from 4.4 billion years ago to today.”

Previously, it was believed that the minerals that make up granite crystallize as the molten rock cools to a temperature between 650 and 700 degrees Celsius. It was assumed that below these temperatures, the granites were completely crystallized. But past research had also shown that under certain conditions, some of the minerals that comprise granite could solidify at lower temperatures. This knowledge led the research team to use lab analysis in order to determine the temperatures of granite crystallization in granites at Yosemite National Park.

Using a technique called titanium in quartz thermometry, they measured the amount of titanium dissolved in quartz crystals. Through this, they could determine the temperatures at which it crystallized roughly 90 million years ago when granites formed deep within the Earth. 

From samples from a body of granite known as the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite in Yosemite, they found crystals that were formed at temperatures between 474 and 561 degrees Celsius, which is as much as 200 degrees cooler than previously thought possible. 

“These granites tell a different story,” says Ackerson. “And it could rewrite what we think we understand about how Earth’s continents form.”

This discovery could change our understanding of the conditions during the formation of the Earth’s crust in the Hadean and Archean. It may also help explain recent observations about the temperature at which volcanic magmas exist prior to eruption, as well as the mechanisms through which valuable ore deposits form.

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Yosemite discovery may change the story of Earth’s formation

The geological features of our planet are what tell the...

New research published by the <a href="http://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> has revealed that rivers and streams cover far more of the Earth's surface than what was previously realized.

A global map created using advanced satellite data suggests that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-polluted-cocaine-eels/">rivers</a> and streams have a total surface area that is about 44 percent larger than experts have documented.

There have only been two studies that have attempted to calculate the global surface area of rivers, and they were based on very limited data. 

However, it is critical to quantify this total area in order to help scientists understand the extent of complex chemical exchanges that happen between the atmosphere and biosphere at the interface of rivers. 

For example, rivers release around one-fifth of the carbon dioxide emitted by fossil fuel combustion and cement production.

The Global River Widths from Landsat (GRWL) Database, created by George Allen and Tamlin Pavelsky, is one of the most detailed databases of rivers and streams ever developed.

The map calculates the surface area of rivers greater than 90 kilometers in width. The experts also performed a series of calculations to account for smaller rivers, for which some data is available. 

Overall, the team estimated that global rivers and streams cover roughly 773,000 square kilometers of Earth's global non-glaciated land surface. This estimate is higher than previous calculations by tens of thousands of square kilometers.

The study authors found more river surface area coverage in the Arctic and found less coverage in Europe, the United States, and other regions. They explained that the new river surface area calculations may represent large-scale impacts by human-induced changes to river networks.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rivers and streams cover more of the Earth than was thought

New research published by the American Association for the Advancement...

Giant panda conservation is probably the most visible species conservation in the world today. The birth of a giant panda baby seems only to be usurped by the birth of the royal baby – and even then, there were likely a lot less people involved in that process compared to a giant panda birth. In China, this animal is a cultural icon, but conservation of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/panda-habitats-shrinking-splintered/">giant panda</a> faces criticism over its associated cost. 

Between 1990 and 2010, China’s National Conservation Project for the Giant Panda and Its Habitat (NCPGPH) doubled panda habitat. By 2010, more than 33,000 km2 had been established for 67 panda reserves, covering over half of suitable panda habitat. Needless to say, this incurred quite a cost – but was it worth it?

Luckily, a new study published in <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/home">Current Biology</a> has found that panda conservation actually has significant value that extends beyond protection of the pandas themselves. The study finds that the panda’s protection as an umbrella species generates 10 to 27 times as much value as it costs to maintain the current reserves. Additionally, the findings suggest that it actually could be worth expanding these reserves and increasing other investments into natural capital in China. 

“Many detractors have argued that spending valuable resources on panda conservation is wasteful,” says Fuwen Wei of the <a href="http://english.cas.cn/">Chinese Academy of Sciences</a>. “Our analysis contradicts this view and demonstrates clearly the great value of the panda, both for its cultural and intrinsic value and for the ecosystem services provided by panda reserves.”

The researchers used the Common International Classification of Ecosystem Services framework for their analysis. This includes three parts: provisioning services, regulatory services, and culture. For provisioning services, panda reserves are valued by locals as areas for growing crops, raising animals, procuring water supplies, and harvesting firewood and useful plants. Important regulatory services provided by panda reserves include the hydrologic benefits of managing precipitated water runoff, sediment retention, nutrient retention, and carbon sequestration – among others.

Using numerous studies, the researchers estimated the value of all these services, and found a median estimate of US$632 per hectare per year. This means that the 67 panda reserves create a value of between US$2.6 and US$6.9 billion per year. Obviously, these figures are encouraging news for those that wish to continue and expand panda conservation efforts.

“Now, we know that the system of reserves and protections [for pandas] are working to reverse the panda’s decline and that these efforts have benefits for society and nature at large,” Wei says. “This should provide added motivation for people to continue backing panda conservation to bring about the eventual recovery of the species.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Panda conservation can generate billions of dollars in value

Giant panda conservation is probably the most visible species conservation...

The midwestern part of the United States along with California are well known for their dairy industry and agriculture, however, farming plays a central role in many other areas as well.

Studies that focus on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/farming-changes-greenhouse-gases/">how climate change will impact crop yields</a>, irrigation, and weather extremes is vital for farmers worldwide. But now, new research has found dairy and corn industries in the northeastern United States could be severely impacted by climate change in the future. 

According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5888197/Northeast-Americas-corn-dairy-farming-industry-crisis-climate-change-2050.html">Daily Mail</a>, the northeast is predicted to be the fastest-warming region in the contiguous United States. By 2050, temperatures in the region could increase 5.4 degrees Fahrenheit, around 2 degrees more than the global average projections. 

Researchers from <a href="https://agsci.psu.edu/">Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences</a> examined how the increase in temperatures would affect Lancaster County in Pennsylvania. 

The warmer temperatures could devastate corn yields and, in turn, impact dairy farmers who rely on corn for feed. 

“If climate projections hold, it will threaten the dairy industry in Lancaster County,” said Heather Karsten, a member of the research team. “Depending on which climate scenario occurs, we could see severe impacts on corn production in that major dairy area. Lancaster County is looking like it is going to experience more days with extreme temperature stress that will reduce corn yields.”

For the study, the researchers analyzed projections from nine different climate models and compared this with data on future corn-growing conditions in New York and Pennsylvania. 

The results of the analysis showed that in order to keep up with heat waves and water shortages, farmers in Lancaster County would have to plant corn earlier in the year and use Midwestern irrigation techniques. 

“Climate models suggest that the higher temperatures will occur most often later in the growing season, and that's when corn plants are vulnerable - when they are silking, pollen is being formed, endosperm is dividing and kernels growing,” Rishi Prasad, an assistant professor of crop, soil and environmental sciences at Auburn University, told the Daily Mail. 

Unless measures are taken to ensure the future of Pennsylvania and New York’s corn and dairy industries, the changes could severely impact yearly harvests and the dairy production. 

“Our analysis suggests that management strategies such as shifting the planting dates based on last spring freeze and in some cases irrigation during the greatest water-deficit stages could partially offset the projected increase in heat and drought stress,” Karsten said. 

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Climate change could hinder agriculture in the northeast by 2050

The midwestern part of the United States along with California...

Susanne Jänecke, a geologist and professor at <a href="https://www.usu.edu/">Utah State University</a>, has been studying the location and geometry of the San Andreas Fault for more than ten years. In 2011, she teamed up with graduate student Dan Markowski and colleagues to document the faultline through geologic mapping and analysis.

The team discovered a sheared zone with two master faults and hundreds of smaller, rung-like cross faults that stretched across nearly 15.5 miles. The experts theorize that the well-organized structure, which they have named the “Durmid Ladder,” will be the site of the next major <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fault-lines-london-earthquake/">earthquake</a> in the region.

“We now have critical evidence about the possible nucleation site of the next major earthquake on the San Andreas Fault," said Professor Jänecke. “That possible nucleation site was thought to be a small area near Bombay Beach, California, but our work suggests there may be an additional, longer 'fuse' south of the Durmid Ladder within the 37-mile-long Brawley Seismic zone.”

Future earthquakes anywhere near the San Andreas Fault could potentially trigger a series of earthquakes leading to the major earthquake that scientists warn is overdue along the southern San Andreas fault zone, according to Professor Jänecke.

“Fortunately, the northern continuation of the newly identified East Shoreline strand of the San Andreas Fault is farther away from major population centers than we first thought.”

“The fault lies along the eastern edge of Coachella Valley. In addition, the broken rock throughout the ladder structure could damped ground-shaking associated with the next large earthquake.”

However, Professor Jänecke said that the Durmid Ladder presents an increase in the surface-rupture hazard in Durmid Hill and, if the Brawley Seismic Zone is involved, the next large earthquake might be slightly larger than scientists have predicted.

Until now, the main trace line has been the only well-studied active fault in the San Andreas area. 

“We need further study of the Durmid Ladder, the East Shoreline Fault and other fault zones of this area to identify the potential for surface-faulting hazards, ground sharing and cascading ruptures, to determine how to mitigate the risk posed by these important structures."

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/lithosphere">Lithosphere </a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The most likely site of the next San Andreas fault earthquake

Susanne Jänecke, a geologist and professor at Utah State University,...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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