The Mediterranean has long been a crossroads of trade and tourism, yet its deepest pocket, the Calypso Deep, seemed beyond the reach of day-to-day pollution. 



That hope ended earlier this year when researchers reported plastic bags, glass shards, and crumpled cans resting 16,770 feet beneath the waves in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ionian_Sea" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ionian Sea</a>.



Their survey logged 167 items on the trench floor - 148 confirmed pieces of marine litter and 19 more that almost certainly came from people. 



By any measure, it is one of the densest concentrations of trash ever recorded in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/deep-ocean-buffet-big-fish-are-surprisingly-reliant-on-the-twilight-zone/">dark zone</a> of the ocean.



The discovery arrives as global attention continues to focus on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/surprise-study-some-scientists-call-for-halting-ocean-plastic-cleanup-efforts/">plastic waste</a>. 



Videos of snagged sea turtles and bottle-strewn beaches have already ignited public concern, but those images barely hint at what sinks far below the reach of sunlight.



Now evidence from Calypso Deep shows that even the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/earth-and-planetary-sciences/calypso" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Mediterranean’s farthest recesses</a> are filling up.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-calypso-deep-is-full-of-plastic-waste">Calypso Deep is full of plastic waste</h2>



The team used the submersible <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DSV_Limiting_Factor" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Limiting Factor</a> to reach the bottom of a kidney-shaped trench roughly 12.4 miles long and 3.1 miles across. 



During a 43-minute trek near the seafloor of the Calypso Deep, cameras captured thousands of objects per square mile, mostly plastic waste discarded by humans.



A single straight-line pass of 2,130 feet was enough to confirm that human trash blankets large stretches of the basin. Most pieces were flexible plastics; glass, metal, and paper rounded out the list. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_study-map_UBarcelona_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_study-map_UBarcelona_1s.webp" alt="(A) General location of the Calypso Deep (box) in the Ionian Sea. PP: Peloponnese Peninsula. (B) Close up and general bathymetry of Calypso Deep (box) and surrounding area. For depth ranges, see color scale. (C) Detailed bathymetry of Calypso Deep with depth contours in meters. The position of the deepest point is indicated by the white dot, while the dive area is indicated by the red dot. Credit: University of Barcelona" class="wp-image-1976573"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(A) General location of the Calypso Deep (box) in the Ionian Sea. PP: Peloponnese Peninsula. (B) Close up and general bathymetry of Calypso Deep (box) and surrounding area. For depth ranges, see color scale. (C) Detailed bathymetry of Calypso Deep with depth contours in meters. The position of the deepest point is indicated by the white dot, while the dive area is indicated by the red dot. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



Even without animals caught on camera, the piles raise alarms because deep-sea communities recover slowly from disturbance.



Calypso Deep lies about 37 miles west of the Peloponnese coast inside the Hellenic Trench, a zone of steep, stepped walls prone to earthquakes. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-waste-rides-currents">Plastic waste rides currents</h2>



Weak currents, usually under 0.8 inches per second and rarely reaching 7 inches per second, let debris settle instead of sweeping it away.



“It comes from various sources, both terrestrial and marine. It could have arrived by various routes, including long-distance transport by ocean currents or direct dumping,” explains <a href="https://web.ub.edu/en/web/directori/?accio=SEL&amp;id=v759w8s35bo5v72r&amp;lang=ca" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Miquel Canals</a>, professor at the Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics at the University of Barcelona.



“Some light waste, such as plastics, comes from the coast and escapes to Calypso Deep, just about 37 miles away. Certain plastics, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-bag-bans-have-drastically-reduced-ocean-pollution/">like bags</a>, drift just above the seabed until they are partially or completely buried or break down into smaller fragments," Canals continued.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_litter-photos_UBarcelona_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_litter-photos_UBarcelona_1s.webp" alt="Examples of identified litter items with category attribution per material type (cf. Table 2). (A) Plastic bag, J3. (B) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (C) Plastic sheet, J67. (D) Plastic food container made of hard plastic, J225. (E) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (F) Plastic bag, J3 (G) Cups and lids of hard plastic, J227. (H) Plastic rope &gt; 1 cm in diameter, J49. (I) Paper cartons/Tetrapak (non-milk), J151. (J) Metal drink can, J175. (K) Glass bottle. Note sediment shadow with side scouring downwards of the bottle J200. (L) Plastic drink bottle. Credit: University of Barcelona" class="wp-image-1976569"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Examples of identified litter items with category attribution per material type. (A) Plastic bag, J3. (B) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (C) Plastic sheet, J67. (D) Plastic food container made of hard plastic, J225. (E) Plastic heavy-duty sack, J36. (F) Plastic bag, J3 (G) Cups and lids of hard plastic, J227. (H) Plastic rope > 1 cm in diameter, J49. (I) Paper cartons/Tetrapak (non-milk), J151. (J) Metal drink can, J175. (K) Glass bottle. Note sediment shadow with side scouring downwards of the bottle J200. (L) Plastic drink bottle. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



Rivers, wind, and ship traffic all feed the stream of refuse heading offshore. As algae and other organisms cling to floating polymers, the added weight turns buoyant scraps into sinking hazards. The trench’s closed shape then locks the pieces in place.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-calypso-deep-as-a-plastic-graveyard">Calypso Deep as a plastic graveyard</h2>



Surface eddies often corral floating trash into the trench. When these eddies form over the Calypso Trench, some debris slowly falls to the bottom, aided by degradation and ballasting processes that increase its density. 



Surface currents can also carry debris northward from the Adriatic Sea through the Strait of Otranto and from waters off northwestern Greece. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_3D-model_UBarcelona_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/marine-trash_Calypso-Deep-region_Mediterranean_3D-model_UBarcelona_1s.webp" alt="(A) 3D model generated from a subset of video frames by reference to a litter item of known size shown in B. The white dashed line in A represents the camera frames along the Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Limiting Factor moving path, whereas the red dashed line represents the frames counted between two items identified on the seabed. (B) Accumulation of litter items in the inner Calypso Deep with a litter item of known size (12 cm) used as a reference for 3D model generation. Credit: University of Barcelona" class="wp-image-1976567"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">(A) 3D model generated from a subset of video frames by reference to a litter item of known size shown in B. The white dashed line in A represents the camera frames along the Deep Submergence Vehicle (DSV) Limiting Factor moving path, whereas the red dashed line represents the frames counted between two items identified on the seabed. (B) Accumulation of litter items in the inner Calypso Deep with a litter item of known size (12 cm) used as a reference for 3D model generation. Click image to enlarge. Credit: University of Barcelona</figcaption></figure>



The same circular flows that drive marine life cycles are now channeling waste into permanent graveyards at the very bottom of Earth's deepest bodies of water.



<a href="https://web.ub.edu/ca/web/actualitat/w/a-sea-of-rubbish-ocean-floor-landfills-?" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earlier work in 2021</a> showed the Strait of Messina carrying the world’s heaviest load of undersea garbage, confirming that the Mediterranean is especially at risk.



“We have also found evidence of boats dumping bags of rubbish, indicated by piles of assorted waste followed by an almost straight furrow," said Canals, expressing his frustration.



That is why the bottom of the Calypso Deep is littered with humans' plastic waste, and also why the problem will do nothing but continue to worsen.



"Unfortunately, when it comes to the Mediterranean, it is fair to say that ‘not a single inch of it is clean.’”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-do-we-go-from-here">Where do we go from here?</h2>



Unlike beaches and coastlines, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/99-percent-of-the-deep-ocean-floor-has-still-never-been-seen-by-humans/">ocean floor</a> remains largely out of sight, making it difficult to build social and political momentum for its conservation. 



Yet what settles at the bottom can influence marine life, food webs, fisheries, climate feedback loops, and even geological stability.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-mediterranean-nearly-lost-all-of-its-water-6-million-years-ago/">The Mediterranean</a> is an enclosed sea, surrounded by humanity, with intense maritime traffic and widespread fishing activity.



“Scientists, communicators, journalists, influencers - everyone with a platform - must work together. The problem is vast, even if it is not directly visible, and we cannot ignore it," Canals implored.



The trail of refuse from shorelines to Calypso Deep underlines a plain truth: plastics and other debris do not vanish once tossed aside. They ride currents, sink in stages, and ultimately collect in the planet’s most secluded hollows. 



The evidence provided by this research should galvanize global efforts - especially in the Mediterranean - to curb dumping, particularly of plastics, in line with the pending <a href="https://www.globalplasticlaws.org/un-global-plastics-treaty" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UN Global Plastics Treaty</a>.



From the North Atlantic’s first recorded litter in 1975 to the record densities documented across the Mediterranean today, the pattern remains the same - human waste reaches everywhere water flows.



We must do more, we must do better, and we must do it now.



-----



Thanks to the leaders of this research team - Miquel Canals of the <a href="https://web.ub.edu/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Barcelona</a>, Georg Hanke of the European Commission’s <a href="https://commission.europa.eu/about/departments-and-executive-agencies/joint-research-centre_en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Joint Research Centre</a>, François Galgani of <a href="https://www.ifremer.fr/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">IFREMER</a>, and Victor Vescovo of <a href="https://caladanoceanic.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Caladan Oceanic</a>



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025326X25000852">Marine Pollution Bulletin</a>.



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Scientists make disturbing discovery on the deepest parts of the seafloor: 'Not a single inch of it is clean'

The Mediterranean has long been a crossroads of trade and tourism, yet its deepest pocket, the Calypso Deep, seemed beyond the reach of day-to-day pollution. That hope ended earlier this year when researchers reported plastic bags, glass shards, and crumpled cans resting 16,770 feet beneath the waves in the Ionian Sea. Their survey logged 167 items on the trench floor - 148 confirmed pieces of marine litter and 19 more that almost certainly came from people. By any measure, it is one of the densest concentrations of...

The oldest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rocks-contribute-nitrogen-atmosphere/">rocks</a> on the planet, which date back over four billion years, are felsic rocks that are rich in silicon and found in Canada's Acasta River. A new study has found that these rocks must have formed at extremely high temperatures, and at a surprisingly shallow depth in the Earth's crust.

The research, which will be presented for the first time at the <a href="https://www.geochemsoc.org/programs/goldschmidtconference">Goldschmidt Conference</a> in Boston on August 14th, suggests that these rocks were most likely formed by heavy meteorite bombardment.

Scientists have acknowledged for years that the Acasta rocks are not the same as the majority of felsic rocks we see today, such as widely-used granites.

A research team from Australia and China has modeled the formation of the Acasta felsic rocks and has determined that they could only have been formed at low pressures and very high temperatures.

“Our modeling shows that the Acasta River rocks derived from the melting of pre-existing iron-rich basaltic rock, which formed the uppermost layers of crust on the primitive Earth,” said lead author Tim Johnson from <a href="http://www.curtin.edu.au/">Curtin University</a> in Perth.

“We used phase equilibria and trace element modelling to show that the Acasta River rocks were produced by partial melting of the original mafic rocks at very low pressures. It would have needed something special to produce the 900°C temperatures needed to generate these early felsic rocks at such low pressures, and that probably means a drastic event, most likely the intense heating caused by meteorite bombardment.”

“We estimate that rocks within the uppermost 3km of mafic crust would have been melted in producing the rocks we see today. We think that these ancient felsic rocks would have been very common, but the passage of 4 billion years, and the development of plate tectonics, means that almost nothing remains.”

Johnson explained that these rocks may be the only surviving remains of a series of extraterrestrial impacts that characterized the first 600 million years of our planet.

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

The oldest rocks on Earth come from a barrage of meteorites

The oldest rocks on the planet, which date back over...

The evolution of life on Earth is classically envisioned as a tree. 

In this model, species diverge from their parent organisms and head off on their own paths, never to fraternize with their progenitors, or any of their other offshoots, again. This calcified and rigid view of the evolutionary process became dogma in the works of scientists such as Ernst Mayer. In the 1940s, Mayer argued that the definition of a species rested on its inability to breed successfully with other species and that hybridization was usually an accidental and evolutionarily useless event. Nonetheless, the notion that hybridization plays a role in evolutionary processes has been the subject of speculation for ages—it was worthy of a chapter in Charles Darwin’s On the Origin of Species. 

A large body of research now supports the notion that not only does hybridization play a significant role in evolution, but in some cases it may serve as a primary driver of the process. Hybridization is thought to occur in 25% of plants and 6-12% of animals worldwide per a <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/3e10/a88eb6547b66158c1d2aaaf1dafd094ce7f9.pdf">2006 study</a>. Remarkably, in some environments, hybrid tendencies are even more prevalent. Some 25% of all plant species in Great Britain hybridize with at least one other species and 75% of British ducks are known to mate with other species of duck. (British ducks aren’t the only ones who step out on their conspecifics; they’re <a href="http://www.10000birds.com/hybrid-mallards.htm">notoriously promiscuous</a> worldwide.) 

Though on a short timescale, cross-specific, or introgressive, mating is somewhat rare, on a longer timescale it has been shown to be quite common. And even though only a few individuals in a population may mate outside the population, the genetic transfer can have major effects down the line if the genes from the other species provide adaptive benefits to the species as a whole. This suggests that life is best envisioned as reticulated rather than terminally branching. That is: it is a net or web rather than a tree. Branches diverge and then converge again, as in the delicate fretwork of a lichen or bryozoan.

This process is most visible and perhaps most important during disruptive events, such as the formation of islands and lakes, where enormous stretches of ecosystem are uncolonized. So, too, when overlapping species hybridize at the edge of their respective ranges, novel gene combinations allow adaptive radiation into new territories, often quite rapidly. 

A <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/David_Rosenthal/publication/10622009_Major_Ecological_Transitions_in_Wild_Sunflowers_Facilitated_by_Hybridization/links/0fcfd508156d868458000000/Major-Ecological-Transitions-in-Wild-Sunflowers-Facilitated-by-Hybridization.pdf">2003 study on sunflowers</a> in the southern United States demonstrated that the harshest habitats were occupied mainly by ancient hybrids of sunflowers that occurred at the edges of differing ecosystems. While the parent species were unable to grow in salt marshes or dry sandy deserts, the new gene combinations in the hybrids allowed them to radiate into these difficult environments. 

Most <a href="https://academic.oup.com/jhered/article/96/1/4/2187599">British dog roses</a> have been found to have hybrid origin due to the presence of tetraploid eggs and haploid pollen, which indicate separate parent species early in their lineage. This has also happened with cichlids in Lake Malawi and Lake Tanganyika and with sculpins in Lake Baikal. The few initial species radiated into hundreds, assisted by frequent backcrosses to parent and related species. 

Interestingly, this still happens. A <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a409/42c3254ad715326f7acb931932779b8a4eb5.pdf">2004 study</a> found that a hybrid between a species of cichlid from one end of Lake Malawi introduced to the other end hybridized with a species native to the area. The hybrids colonized the perimeter of an entire island. Even Darwin’s finches, which are thought to have diverged perhaps 2-3 million years ago in response to their sui generis island home, are thought to have developed partially through hybridization at the overlap zones between the various species. And hybridization <a href="https://artsci.uc.edu/content/dam/artsci/departments/biology/Docs/publications/2005GrantPetrenAmNat.pdf">continues to happen in the Galapagos to this day</a>. 

Newer disruptions may also cause hybrid events. Species of butterfly fish around Christmas Island were <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1002/ece3.83">found to hybridize</a> with formerly allopatric, or geographically separated species brought into contact by <a href="http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/5/2/258.short">changing temperatures</a> and currents. 

One of the more <a href="http://rsbl.royalsocietypublishing.org/content/early/2009/09/23/rsbl.2009.0575.short">sensational instances of recent hybrid evolution</a> has happened within the last 90 years in the United States and Canada. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/eastern-coyotes-wolves/">Coyotes</a>, once mostly restricted to the Great Plains, moved up through Canada, where they hybridized with wolves, and then colonized the eastern seaboard, where native wolves were largely extirpated. The “eastern coyote” is actually a hybrid between wolves and coyotes. This is evidenced both in its morphology, which is intermediate between coyotes and wolves, and in its behavior. The eastern coyote hunts in packs like wolves and takes down large prey such as deer, unlike the western coyote, which is largely solitary and hunts small mammals and birds. Though larger than the western coyote, it is smaller than a wolf. Sexual dimorphism is also more wolf-like in the eastern coyote; western coyotes are not nearly as sexually dimorphic. The eastern coyote filled the niche abandoned by wolves on the east coast when they were eliminated from the area early in the 19th century. The rapid occupation of abandoned niches like this is known as hybrid swarming. 

The phenomenon of hybrid evolution has major implications for humans as well. Some of our food species have evolved through hybrid evolution, notably in certain varieties of cacao. And other species of economic important have hybrid origins as well, <a href="https://watermark.silverchair.com/mbe0311.pdf?token=AQECAHi208BE49Ooan9kkhW_Ercy7Dm3ZL_9Cf3qfKAc485ysgAAAbIwggGuBgkqhkiG9w0BBwagggGfMIIBmwIBADCCAZQGCSqGSIb3DQEHATAeBglghkgBZQMEAS4wEQQMEtcJlLlda5ejKHm4AgEQgIIBZZCSC1DCXc582DxBUvFx-BoXNZsJqpe5geAfosCpxjjQuPN3SJqZkWyHt8S9UJ5XVJGCZ3m4wjrTtX7P_7sQRLolaI3NO26S3JjoEZrlOuSxSmf_xA_1Y-SJYKp1f56wXS5jGrVtbXq1j-MlbVog_tl24mtFTv6aXLVWcoAP-5Z5bYQ1EL0X0QNwSRRPHgnKGfzjwj6nbtfRW4U2FUvTFxzZmCsL-vI_XO2lMPiCe7v5DQ5wRk0HG4nftvTHylw-k-iujhFqBm_XW35rAf0e93JpjqbsAkq44bquPoW7gjSGq8r_j_z92MEURjkKRRt2c72rjxFxjMNeHGOnskgupt2Jhx1ij-Fs_S9nd7BCvowerkLW3TEoVXXPCi6_6ESr8UQSzhCgo-27qCGS3Vf55u3kOw_VlUfPQSlofzu0b1VlSFh7TXcc2jiURwm6tCIAkUQFEJmiU7q84NKfogoQuO3E7IsMTQ">notably tobacco</a>. And we’ve caused hybrid evolution ourselves through the introduction of non-native species that may hybridize with natives and take over entire ecosystems, and through climate change, which has brought previously allopatric species back into contact. The so-called pizzly, a hybrid between a grizzly bear and a polar pear, is a great example. Polar bears evolved from grizzly bears. While once separated by their ecological niches, warming climates have brought polar bears further south and grizzlies further north. Due to their remaining genetic similarities, they are still able to breed. 

We as a species have hybrid origins as well. Homo sapiens is known to have interbred with two other supposedly distinct species, Neanderthals and the Denisovans. This is mirrored in the behavior of other primates, which often interbreed at so-called hybrid zones. Studies of these zones and their hybrid products are invaluable in analyzing possible hominid hybrids in the fossil record. Because fossil bones may not be useful in genetic analysis, morphological characteristics become important in discerning possible hybrids. Hybrid zones between the various species of baboon have <a href="https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/c465/5dc1f912c5ad76b127f0fbf0bb1679eb2a94.pdf">proven useful in this regard</a>. They have shown that even in cases of hybridization, morphology may or may not be a useful indicator. Sometimes, hybrids favor one parent or the other. 

Genetic studies have determined definitively that modern day humans express genes from both Neanderthals and Denisovans. So, ponder this: what is a human? Amd what is a species?

--

By <a href="mailto:rtpallardy@gmail.com">Richard Pallardy</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

The net of life: Hybridization and evolution

The evolution of life on Earth is classically envisioned as...

There’s a saying in the Great Plains: “Rain follows the plow.” Like the suburban legend about rain falling once the cars have been washed, it refers to the way rain always seems to fall once it’s no longer needed, or when it will be most inconvenient.

But is it true? And more importantly, do these myths affect how scientists compile data about rainfall?

In the 1800s, settlers used the “rain follows the plow” myth as impetus to clear the Great Plains. The theory went that turning up the soil would help it collect moisture, and then the moisture would add humidity to the air. That would lead to rain.

No one’s quite sure if it worked, or if the myth itself is making people want to see evidence that it did.

"In addition to, and partly motivated by, the ‘rain follows the plow’ myth, many scientific papers have been published with conflicting results: wet soil would increase, decrease or not change precipitation in different papers. Our goal was to resolve this controversy," said Dr. Xubin Zeng, a professor at the <a href="https://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> who worked with doctoral student Josh Welty to  examine whether the myth held any truth.

The pair looked at data from June to September of each year from 2002 to 2011, collected by the U.S. Department of Energy's <a href="https://www.arm.gov/sites/sgp">Southern Great Plains observatory</a>.

They found that the amount of moisture in the soil in the morning can have an effect on afternoon rain on the Great Plains it two different ways. On days when less moisture is carried on the wind, dry morning soil can increase any afternoon rain. 

"The dry soils that enhance afternoon rain are acting like conveyor belts for warm air that's being sent into the upper atmosphere," Zeng said. "Combine that upward motion with moisture and a water vapor source, and the result is afternoon rain."

But on days when the wind is damp, moist soil leads to more rainfall, the researchers said.

Human activity – like plowing – may play a role, but so does the climate and how much moisture the wind carries over the Great Plains. Manipulating the moisture content of soil under the right climate conditions could encourage rainfall, the researchers said.

The study has been published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/19448007">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Scientists wonder: could Great Plains rain follow the plow?

There’s a saying in the Great Plains: “Rain follows the...

On Friday, a jury made a stunning decision in a lawsuit against chemical giant Monsanto: it awarded almost $290 million to a former school groundskeeper who said his use of the weedkiller Roundup led to untreatable cancer.

Dewayne Johnson was awarded $39 million in compensatory damages and $250 in punitive damages in the case. He believes that his use of the weedkiller, which he applied 20 to 30 times per year at the San Francisco-area school where he worked, led to his now terminal non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. 

The case could set a precedent as hundreds of other cancer patients turn on the chemical company. <a href="https://monsanto.com/">Monsanto</a> was facing more than 800 lawsuits from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma patients, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a> reported last year.

While the cause of cancer is difficult to prove, Johnson’s attorney said, there appears to be a link between Roundup and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. 

"You can't take a lung cancer tumor and run a test that proves that tobacco caused that cancer. ... You're seeing the same thing here," lawyer Timothy Litzenburg told CNN. "I think we're in the beginning of that era of this dawning on us as a country – as a public – the connection between these two things."

Johnson, 46, believes that his use of the weedkiller Roundup led to his terminal cancer, which has left him near death and covered up to 80 percent of his body in painful lesions. He testified in court that on two occasions, he accidentally spilled the chemical on himself, the first in 2012. His cancer was diagnosed in 2014.

Monsanto denies that allegations despite the ruling.

"More than 800 scientific studies, the U.S. EPA, the National Institutes of Health and regulators around the world have concluded that glyphosate is safe for use and does not cause cancer," said Scott Partridge, Monsanto's vice president of strategy. 

One of those studies, he pointed out, looked at the effects of pesticides – including glyphosate – on farmers and their families between 1993 and 2013.

The <a href="https://www.iarc.fr/">International Agency for Research on Cancer</a>, part of the <a href="http://www.who.int/">World Health Organization</a>, announced findings that linked glyphosate to non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in March 2015. But Monsanto shows that other studies have refuted that, finding no links between the weedkiller Roundup and cancer of any kind, including lymphoma.

"We all have sympathy for Mr. Johnson," Partridge said. "It's natural he's looking for answers. Glyphosate is not the answer."

Litzenburg says it’s the combination of glyphosate and other chemicals in Roundup that make it dangerous, but Monsanto spokespersons argue that regulatory agencies have tested the weedkiller and judged it to be safe.

Litzenburg and his attorneys have found more than 2,000 cases in states around the U.S., and another 400 have been filed in federal multidistrict litigation.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Cancer patient wins $289 million over weedkiller Roundup

On Friday, a jury made a stunning decision in a...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> have found that historic fires which occurred before the first Industrial Revolution in 1750 may be having a cooling effect on the planet that has been underestimated. 

According to the study, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/local-winds-accelerate-wildfires/">fires</a> were much more common during pre-industrial times than what was previously realized, and large amounts of aerosols released during the fires have likely persisted in the atmosphere. Aerosols cool the planet by reflecting sunlight away from the Earth and increasing cloud brightness.


Prior to this investigation, experts thought that fires were far less common before 1750, and the experts pointed out that fires from agricultural practices in the same timeframe have also been largely overlooked. 

The current study has found that fires were just as common, if not more common, before 1750 compared to modern times.


“We know aerosols in the atmosphere have always had a significant impact on climate, but until now, the influence they had historically has been underestimated,” said study lead author Dr. Douglas Hamilton.

“It has been a case of not having the correct tools for the job as global fire models have mostly been designed to simulate present-day fires and long-term observational records of fire activity are sparse.”

“Our findings show there may be a significant gap between previous estimations and what was actually taking place in the pre-industrial atmosphere. This suggests the high possibility of a much smaller difference in aerosol cooling between pre-industrial and present-day than we have previously thought. The implication is that the cooling effect of additional present-day man-made aerosol pollution may have been overestimated.”


The researchers emphasized that the climate models used to represent atmospheric conditions in the past should be updated to account for this new evidence.

“To continue to study the history of the planet's environment accurately, as well as more accurately predict how human activity impacts the Earth system, we now need to reassess our understanding of how much fires contributed in the pre-industrial era,” said Dr. Hamilton.

The team used fire models that incorporate the influence of humans on global fire activity. This allowed the scientists to reassess pre-industrial fire occurrence and estimate what the subsequent aerosol emissions were in 1750.

The fire models revealed a substantial difference in atmospheric composition that has not been accounted for in climate models.

“It's impossible to evaluate how present-day society's impact on climate has changed over the years without a firm understanding of what the atmosphere was like historically and how it has evolved,” said study co-author Dr Catherine Scott.

“Our study suggests that the level of particles in the pre-industrial atmosphere might have been more similar to the level we have today than we thought.”

“Additionally, whilst this study focused on improving understanding of aerosol emissions from pre-industrial fires we also have to remember that historic and present-day fires have many other effects on the atmosphere, such as the carbon dioxide emitted during burning, and the impact of the fire on the capacity of the remaining forests to take up and store carbon.”

“These factors play an important role in the overall impact of fires on the climate and we need to develop a much deeper understanding of how fires evolved over the pre-industrial era and into present day to appreciate how these impacts fit together.”

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

Historic fires from centuries ago still impact the planet today

Researchers at the University of Leeds have found that historic...

The recent <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/heatwaves-severe-frequent/">heatwaves</a> many people have been suffering through in the United States have been affecting our friends in the United Kingdom as well. Britain has been experiencing high temperatures in excess of 90°F as an “Iberian plume” moved in from the continent, resulting in a heatwave that has been responsible for hundreds of deaths. During the height of the heatwave in a 15-day period in June and July, almost 700 more deaths than average resulted due to excessive heat.

Unfortunately for the Brits, a shocking new study gives evidence that these heatwaves are not likely to end as the years go on. Scientists at the <a href="http://www.bristol.ac.uk/">University of Bristol</a> used computer simulations from around the world to determine the probability of future occurrences of a heatwave with the same temperature as 2018, using the predicted changes to future global temperatures set out in the Paris Agreement. 

Their models showed that if temperatures increase by 2.7°F, heatwaves such as these would occur every other year. And if global temperatures increase by 3.6°F, almost every summer will have a heatwave at least as hot as this year.

“'As the extreme European heatwave persists into August, with notable droughts, wildfires and impacts on human health, the question being asked is how often would a similar heatwave re-occur in the future? We show that in our current climate, heat waves similar in temperature to the present one would occur about once every five to six years, on average,” explains Dr. Dann Mitchell, one of the researchers on the study. “Our climate models are not perfect, and they cannot capture all aspects of the current heatwave, but they can give us a reasonable estimate as to what to expect in the future.”

There would be numerous consequences to continued heatwaves – heat-related mortality being one of the more obvious ones. Mitchell also believes migration would be another issue, as people in less developed countries may migrate from rural to urban areas during long heatwaves and droughts. Agricultural practices could also change, and productivity could drop as it would be less practical and more dangerous for people to be working in high heat.

The researchers point to cutting greenhouse gases as the best way to curtail this warming. This would mean governments coming together to determine how to go about reduce their country’s carbon footprint, as well as citizens reducing their own carbon footprint on an individual level. With this summer having the potential to be the hottest on record in the UK, it seems like time is running out for us to maintain a planet where these types of heatwaves are not a common occurrence.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Paid for by <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>

UK heatwaves show no sign of slowing or disappearing

The recent heatwaves many people have been suffering through in...

An iconic fish that dates back before the days of the dinosaurs has become the latest subject of outrage by campaigners against marine <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-polar-bear-plastic/">plastic litter</a>. The coelacanth was found dead off the coast of Indonesia with a plastic bag from Lay's potato chips wrapped around its intestines.

Coela­canths were once believed to have gone extinct alongside the dinosaurs and were known for a long time only through fossils. In 1938, a living specimen was unexpectedly discovered in the western Indian Ocean. 

These “living fossils,” as they are called, date back around 400 million years and were widely distributed across the planet at one point in time with over 90 species. Today, only two known species remain.

There is some unsettling irony in the fact that coelacanths managed to survive the catastrophic extinction that killed the dinosaurs, but are now threatened by plastic litter from human activities. The image of the dead fish alongside the trash that it choked on is being described as “exactly what is wrong with our society” by activists.

 According to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html">Daily Mail</a>, Frito-Lay owner Pep­siCo described the picture as “up­set­ting.” The company said it is has a target of 100-percent re­cy­clable, com­postable, or biodegrad­able pack­ag­ing by 2025.


John Hourston, the founder of <a href="http://blueplanetsociety.org/">Blue Planet Society</a>, told <a href="http://www.iflscience.com/">IFLScience</a> that large companies “are all fully aware that public opinion is against them. But some are resisting change because of cost, marketing, shelf-life, etc. None are making changes quick enough.”

Last year, the Daily Mail launched its “Turn The Tide on Plastic” campaign, a move which was applauded by <a href="http://www.unenvironment.org/">UN Environment Programme</a> head Erik Solheim.

“We’re facing an ocean armageddon. Every year, we’re dumping at least eight million tons of plastic in our oceans,” said Solheim.

“If we continue to allow this to happen, by 2050 there is going to be more plastic in the ocean than fish. To tackle the problem of marine pollution we have to make this a kitchen table conversation."

“This is happening. For example, the Daily Mail, one of the most widely read newspapers in the world, is putting the message out and this is really positive, really fantastic.”

--

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://twitter.com/Seasaver/status/1027020054314070016">Blue Planet Society</a>

Primitive fish found dead after choking on Lay’s potato chip bag

An iconic fish that dates back before the days of...

Cats, by some estimates, <a href="http://science.sciencemag.org/content/304/5668/259">have been our commensals for 9,500 years</a>, though more conservative estimates place the length of our relationship at closer to 4,000 years. Since the first wildcats were drawn to grain stores in search of rodents, and were consequently tolerated and even venerated, they have dispersed, along with our own species, across the globe. 

In both domestic and feral form, cats inhabit most of the world, from subarctic to subantarctic. Though they have inarguably provided our species with valuable services as rodent controllers and companions, in recent years, a heated debate has broken out between feline allies and conservationists over the place of cats in the current ecological landscape.

An enormous body of literature backs the notion that cats have almost exclusively detrimental effects on the outdoor environments they inhabit. They decimate wildlife through both hunting and the spread of disease. And, further, their own lifespans are <a href="http://www.mobilespca.org/Portals/0/downloads/documents/Your%20Cat%E2%80%94Indoors%20or%20Out.pdf">substantially shortened by al fresco existence</a>. Nonetheless, even in the Western world, many still persist in believing that outdoor cats, whether domestic or feral, have negligible impacts on wildlife and that they in fact require time outdoors to be happy. 

Even in light of the profound love shown by humans to Felis domesticus—your humble writer included—this myth is surprisingly resilient given the nearly overwhelming evidence contravening it. Enough ink has been spilled on the subject to dye all the world’s cats black. The <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/science/that-cuddly-kitty-of-yours-is-a-killer.html">New York Times</a>, prestigious scientific journals, the corridors of social media...all regularly feature studies and anecdotal reports of the havoc wreaked by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dogs-cats-charge/">cats</a>.

There may be as many as 120 million feral cats in the United States. Add to that the probable 30 million owned cats who are allowed outside and you have a recipe for catastrophe, both for the animals themselves and their prey. A <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms2380">2013 study</a> by the <a href="https://nationalzoo.si.edu/conservation">Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute</a> and the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service</a> estimated that these stray felines may be responsible for the deaths of some 1.3 to 4.0 billion birds and 6.3 to 22.3 billion mammals each year. Another <a href="http://www.ace-eco.org/vol8/iss2/art3/">2013 study</a> found that there were up to 4.2 million feral cats in Canada and that they may be responsible for the deaths of as many as 350 million birds each year. And a <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-10-04/cats-killing-one-million-birds-in-australia-every-day-estimates/9013960">2017 study</a> at <a href="https://www.cdu.edu.au/">Charles Darwin University</a> suggested that the 2.1 to 6.3 million ferals in Australia kill up to 377 million birds a year in Australia. The IUCN has dubbed Felis domesticus one of the <a href="https://s3.amazonaws.com/academia.edu.documents/33655728/100_world_worst_invasive_alien_species_English.pdf">100 worst invasive species</a>. 

Noticing a pattern yet? While the estimates of populations and their kill rates vary due to research methodologies and study locations, it’s clear that this is a very damaging trend.

Cats are a particularly pernicious problem in island environments, where animals such as seabirds breed and where residents may not have adapted to the presence of predators and thus serve as easy pickings. Similar effects are noted in other environments with few, if any, apex predators, either naturally or due to extirpation. Hence, the problem in places like the U.S. and Australia, where large predators are absent from all but a few protected areas.

With no larger predators to control them, <a href="http://umanitoba.ca/institutes/natural_resources/pdf/CrooksSoule1999Nature.pdf">cat populations explode and decimate prey species</a>. And they don’t just target birds and mammals, though those are their preferred prey. Reptiles, amphibians, and even <a href="https://ccal.ucsc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Bonnaud_2010.pdf">insects and fish</a> are on the menu as well. Cats may even <a href="https://cals.arizona.edu/pubs/adjunct/snr0704/snr07042l.pdf">prefer native species in some environments</a>, puncturing the long-held notion that they provided an environmental service by targeting other invasives such as house mice and brown rats. 

A <a href="http://img2.timg.co.il/forums/1_112700308.pdf">2007 University of Sheffield study</a> demonstrated that the effects are not limited to predation. The presence of cats also stresses breeding birds and diminishes the likelihood of fledgling healthy young. And the spread of diseases like rabies, feline leukemia, distemper, and Toxoplasma gondii has affected species as diverse as otters, seals, and Florida panthers.

And yet: bizarrely, even some wildlife scientists are convinced that their moggies are owed time to roam, per a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/09/02/cats-are-bird-killers-these-animal-experts-let-theirs-outside-anyway/?utm_term=.7c2bb966ee30">Washington Post survey from 2016</a>. Worse still than pet cats allowed to patrol their neighborhoods are wholly or partially feral cats, who often have no choice but to subsist on the prey available to them. Ultimately, it may not make much difference whether the cat in question is feral or domestic: even if well fed, cats kill for fun.

 In the face of this, the rancor expressed by advocates of letting cats roam is somewhat surprising, particularly in regards to companion animals. The solution to the havoc wreaked by those animals is simple and widely agreed upon by <a href="http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/cats/tips/bringing_outside_cat_indoors.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/">animal advocacy organizations</a> and conservationists alike: keep your cat indoors (or only allow him or her outside under supervision). Period.

Stickier is the problem of feral cats. Though cases have been made for trap-neuter-return (TNR) programs, in which cats that are temperamentally unsuited to adoption are neutered and returned to managed colonies, these programs have come under fire as well. Though the principle suggests that such programs keep feral colonies from growing, in many cases, too few cats are sterilized to have a significant effect. Reproduction of the remaining fertile cats often makes up for the reductions in short order and new, unfixed cats will always join the colonies and amplify this effect. <a href="https://now.tufts.edu/articles/cat-eat-bird-world">One intriguing study</a> suggests that performing vasectomies and hysterectomies on ferals, leaving their gonads intact, rather than removing them as is typical in spaying and neutering, might have a suppressive effect on breeding. 

Culling programs have understandably raised the most ire among advocates for cats. Australia plans to cull some 2 million by 2020 and New Zealand aims to <a href="https://www.doc.govt.nz/nature/pests-and-threats/predator-free-2050/">eliminate all ferals by 2050</a> as part of its plan to rid the country of invasives, which have driven numerous species to the brink of extinction. Hunting, trapping, and even <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/17/robots-lasers-poison-the-high-tech-bid-to-cull-wild-cats-in-the-outback">laser-powered poison applicators</a> have all been suggested as means of reducing the numbers of ferals. While this is less than ideal, and raises ethical questions regarding human obligations to our commensal species, advocates of such measures underscore their necessity. Unchecked, feral cat numbers may drive more species to extinction. They have already been implicated in the disappearance of some 33 types of animal. 

Nonetheless, as evidenced by sites like <a href="http://www.voxfelina.com/">Vox Felina</a>, which counters research on the effects of ferals, advocates for cats aren’t giving up and the tension between our obligations to wild species and our feline friends is unlikely to resolve any time soon.

--

By <a href="mailto:rtpallardy@gmail.com">Richard Pallardy</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Cat fights: The debate about outdoor felines

Cats, by some estimates, have been our commensals for 9,500...

New research by scientists at the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu/">University of California Davis</a> has found that lichen communities, which are essential to life across conifer forests, are not always returning after wildfires. According to the study, lichen have still not recovered in some western regions many years after the land was scorched by <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mendocino-complex-fire-largest/">fires</a>.

Lichen forms leaf-like layers over tree bark and rocks, providing food and critical resources for deer, birds, and many other species. Lichen also makes an important contribution to the nutrient cycle, as it helps to facilitate nitrogen fixation in the soil.

Study lead author Jesse Miller is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Environmental Science and Policy at UC Davis.


“Lichen are beautiful, ecologically important, are all around us and tell us important things about the environment,” said Miller. “But even if you don't notice lichens, you would notice the consequences in ecosystems when they are lost.”

The researchers sampled lichen communities in about 100 study sites across the Sierra Nevada region of California. Between four and 16 years prior to the research, wildfires had burned in and around the plots with different levels of severity.

Lichen communities were found to be largely unaffected by low-severity fires, which indicates that natural wildfires as well as prescribed burns do not sacrifice lichen diversity.

On the other hand, sites where wildfires had been more intense were found to have significantly less lichen diversity or abundance. In burned areas where most of the trees had died, lichen were nearly all gone and had not yet returned in as many as 16 years.

The researchers explained that the recovery of lichen is probably limited by the loss of tree canopy after the fire. The dry microclimate that is left behind after a fire is not conducive to lichen growth. Therefore, lichen communities will not likely return across burned regions of the Sierra Nevada forests until mature trees reappear and the forest canopy is restored.

"If the species could keep pace with the rate of climate change, the effects of fire might not be so bad,” said Miller. “But the concern is they might not. These fires happen so quickly and in such a large area, they could cause species ranges to contract faster than they are expanding.”

The trend of more intense fires and increasingly dry forests could cause irreparable harm to lichen diversity, which would impact nutrient cycling and food-chain interactions across forest ecosystems.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</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: Jesse Miller/UC Davis

Lichen communities destroyed by wildfires are not returning

New research by scientists at the University of California Davis...

Wildlife populations are under siege throughout most of the world, due to increasing urbanization and the effects of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-record-breaking-heatwave/">climate change</a> on their habitats. Overall, their habitats are shrinking as human land-use increases. And although wildlife plays a major part in both economies and ecosystems, not much is known about the geographic distribution of most species, particularly those that migrate seasonally across large areas.

Luckily, some scientists have recognized this problem and are seeking ways to increase our understanding of wildlife distribution. A team of researchers at <a href="https://www.usu.edu/">Utah State University</a>, the <a href="https://www.umd.edu/">University of Maryland</a>, and the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> have used NASA satellite imagery with wildlife surveys conducted by state natural resources agencies to model the effects of plant productivity on populations of mule deer and mountain lions. They were able to map the abundance of both species over a climatically diverse region across multiple western states.

The models these researchers have put together can provide new insights into how climate variation affects the food chain from the bottom to the top. Plant productivity is controlled by temperature and precipitation, which then has an effect on prey and predator abundance. But a lack of plant productivity results in animals foraging over larger areas, which may lead to more conflict with humans.

“We expected to see that satellite measurements of plant productivity would explain the abundance of deer,” says David Stoner, lead author of the study published in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/13652486">Global Change Biology</a>. “However, we were surprised to see how closely the maps of productivity also predicted the distribution of the mountain lion, their major predator.”

The study also shows the impact that machine learning, “big data” computation, and the “cloud” can have on how scientists study the biosphere. “We’re now mining global archives of satellite imagery spanning nearly forty years, we’re updating our maps in pace with ecosystem changes, and we’re getting that information out to government agencies and private land managers working in the field,” explains Joseph Sexton, Chief Scientist at <a href="https://www.terrapulse.com/">terraPulse, Inc.</a> and a coauthor on the study.

The study’s authors believe that enabling land managers to monitor rangeland and agricultural productivity, forest loss and regrowth, urban growth, and the dynamics of wildlife habitat will allow the constant flow of information to inform us on how we can adapt to the disruptions that will come with climate change.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: D. Stoner

Satellites monitor wildlife populations in a changing climate

Wildlife populations are under siege throughout most of the world,...

Spring and summer usually coincide with what is known as tornado season, when the midwestern United States and plains states know to brace for the occasional twister touchdown.

But this year, tornado season got off to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/twister-season-tornado-alley/">an unusually quiet start</a>, by April 26, it was officially the longest Oklahoma had gone without seeing any tornado activity in recorded history. 

In the last decade, researchers have noticed fewer and fewer tornadoes in the United States and it may be because of declining sea ice in the Arctic. 

Researchers from the <a href="https://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> analyzed 30 years of weather and climate data and found that changes in sea ice shift the path of the jet stream, which in turn impacts climate conditions in the US decreasing the risk of tornados. 

The research found that large-scale declines in sea ice correlate with quieter tornado seasons, especially in July. 

Arctic sea ice is facing all-time lows, and the <a href="http://nsidc.org/arcticseaicenews/2018/03/arctic-sea-ice-maximum-second-lowest/">National Snow and Ice Data Center</a> reported this year that Arctic sea ice was at its second-lowest maximum in 39 years of recorded history. 

Increasing temperatures due to climate change are largely driving sea ice melt and ice sheet loss in the polar regions of the world. 

The declines in sea ice shift the path of the jet stream further north and change conditions to be less favorable for tornadoes which require wind shear and moisture.

“A relationship between Arctic sea ice and tornadoes in the US may seem unlikely,” said Robert Jeff Trapp, a professor of atmospheric sciences at the University of Illinois “But it is hard to ignore the mounting evidence in support of the connection.”

Now thanks to this research, climatologists, and meteorologists may be better equipped to predict severe weather events.

“We can use this property to help make long-term predictions for tornadoes and hail, similar to the way predictions are made for hurricane seasons,” said Trapp. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

This year’s quiet tornado season may be due to retreating sea ice

Spring and summer usually coincide with what is known as...

A new study from the <a href="https://www.ornl.gov/">Oak Ridge National Laboratory</a> has found that hotter temperatures cause peatland plants to develop earlier and grow for longer periods of time. The findings may ultimately improve the accuracy of global forest models.

The researchers found that warmer weather accelerated spring greening among mature trees, shrubs, and mosses. Hotter temperatures also delayed color changes in the fall.


“This is the first time we've been able to confirm the response of vegetation to this range of temperatures, which exceed what can be found in the historical record,” explained study co-author Andrew Richardson of <a href="https://nau.edu/">Northern Arizona University</a>. “We did not foresee the major role that temperature plays in extending plant activity in the fall.”


The analysis was based on the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments (SPRUCE) study, which is a unique ecosystem experiment developed by the <a href="https://www.energy.gov/">Department of Energy</a>. The greenness of plants was measured over three years using direct observations and digital repeat photography. 

The study revealed that elevated temperatures prompted plant activity - even as exposure to sunlight decreased in the fall. Plants in the warmest study regions, which were heated by 16.2 degrees Fahrenheit above ambient temperatures, remained green and functional up to six weeks longer. 

The warmest vegetation also lost its protection against cold earlier in the spring, leaving plants vulnerable to leaf and stem damage in the event of a frost.

“SPRUCE has given us the opportunity to achieve a fair glimpse of alternative environmental futures that can't be observed through historical records," said SPRUCE coordinator and study co-author Paul Hanson.

The extension of the growing season could greatly affect the carbon cycle, and further research will be needed to establish how this phenomenon may influence <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rice-lose-nutritional-value-co2/">carbon dioxide</a> emissions.

“These SPRUCE results demonstrate the importance of direct experiments for expanding our understanding of peatland carbon cycling processes,” said Hanson.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Rising temperatures extend the growing season for some plants

A new study from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory has...

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



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



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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
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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



---



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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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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



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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



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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



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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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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



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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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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



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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



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Ocean heat influences regional climate

[sendtonews key="uwirCufwYv-2012371-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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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

[sendtonews key="JrMLDXHmjl-1911953-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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