The Arctic has always seemed like the perfect place to hide secrets. Thick ice, biting winds, and months of darkness. For years, people believed that during the coldest ice ages, the Arctic Ocean vanished beneath an enormous ice shelf, one as thick as a skyscraper is tall.



That idea has stuck around for decades. A slab of ice, nearly a kilometer deep, covering the entire Arctic? It sounded dramatic. But not every dramatic story survives forever. A new study now shatters this icy myth.



In a study published in the journal Science Advances, scientists explain why this old theory no longer holds up. Their findings suggest something else happened during the last 750,000 years. 



The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-climate-will-permanently-change-by-2050-scientists-warn/">Arctic</a>, even in its most brutal days, wasn’t entirely sealed under thick ice. Instead, it had patches of open water. Life kept going. The sea ice came and went with the seasons.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ancient-mud-shows-open-arctic-seas">Ancient mud shows open Arctic seas</h2>



The researchers dug deep. They drilled into the seafloor of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-peatlands-are-spreading-as-temperatures-rise/">Arctic</a>-Atlantic gateway and the Nordic Seas. There, buried in the mud, they found tiny fingerprints left by algae.



Some of these algae bloom only in open waters. Others live under seasonal sea ice, the kind that melts and freezes every year. These ancient traces told a clear story.



“Our sediment cores show that marine life was active even during the coldest times,” said Jochen Knies, lead author of the study from <a href="https://en.uit.no" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">UiT The Arctic University of Norway</a>, Tromsø. 



“That tells us there must have been light and open water at the surface. You wouldn’t see that if the entire Arctic was locked under a kilometre-thick slab of ice.”



That’s not all they found. A molecule called IP25 showed up again and again in the sediments. This molecule comes from algae that thrive in seasonal sea ice. Its steady presence revealed a world where sea ice wasn’t permanent. It came. It melted. It returned again.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-life-survived-through-ice-ages">Arctic life survived through ice ages</h2>



Sea ice wasn’t the only thing that moved with the seasons. The <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-grazers-secretly-shape-plant-growth-and-survival/">ocean</a> itself stayed alive. Phytoplankton, the tiny floating plants of the sea, kept growing, even when the cold hit hard.



Biomarkers of phytoplankton like epi brassicasterol and dinosterol showed up consistently in the sediment cores. These tiny clues pointed to a surprising fact. Life did not vanish during glaciations. It slowed down, but it never stopped.



Even during the Last Glacial Maximum, around 21,000 years ago, the sea ice still followed a seasonal rhythm. The same thing happened about 140,000 years ago during an even colder spell.



The Arctic breathed. It froze in winter. It opened in summer. And where light could sneak through, life flourished.



Some giant icebergs also roamed the seas during these cold spells. They were like wandering giants, breaking free from Greenland and the Canadian Arctic. 



The icebergs sometimes got stuck on shallow shelves, leaving deep marks on the seafloor. Yet, these icebergs were visitors, not rulers. They never formed a permanent lid over the entire ocean.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-ice-was-not-permanent">Arctic ice was not permanent</h2>



To double-check their findings, the scientists turned to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-meltdown-is-accelerating-global-warming-already-changing-earth-in-unimaginable-ways/">climate</a> models. They used the AWI Earth System Model, a detailed computer simulation of ancient climates.



These simulations showed the same thing the sediments revealed. Even during extreme cold, warm Atlantic waters kept sneaking into the Arctic. This flow of water stopped the ocean from freezing solid.



“The models support what we found in the sediments,” said Knies. “Even during these extreme glaciations, warm Atlantic water still flowed into the Arctic gateway. This helped keep some parts of the ocean from freezing over completely.”



The models also captured the restless movement of sea ice. It spread in winter. It melted back in summer. It drifted along powerful ocean currents like the Transpolar Drift and the Beaufort Gyre.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-glimpse-of-the-arctic-at-its-coldest">A glimpse of the Arctic at its coldest</h2>



There was one chapter in this icy story that stood out. It happened during Marine Isotope Stage 16, about 650,000 years ago. That’s when the biomarkers nearly vanished.



It looked as if the Arctic locked itself down for a brief time. No sign of open water. No hint of seasonal ice. Just endless cold.



This period lines up with the coldest known stretch of the Quaternary period. Carbon dioxide levels dropped to their lowest point, around 180 parts per million. Everything about this time screams extreme cold.



“There may have been short-lived ice shelves in some parts of the Arctic during especially severe cold phases,” said Knies. “But we don’t see any sign of a single, massive ice shelf that covered everything for thousands of years.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-giant-ice-shelf-theory-now-disproved">Giant ice shelf theory now disproved</h2>



For years, scientists pointed to strange patterns on the seafloor as proof of an ancient Arctic ice shelf. Deep scours, ridges, and grooves looked like evidence of ice pressing down on the ocean floor.



But this study offers a new explanation. Those marks may have come from huge icebergs drifting through the Arctic. These giants could easily gouge the seafloor during their journeys.



The researchers also stress a crucial difference. Sea ice is not the same as ice shelves. Sea ice forms and melts every year. Ice shelves are thick, massive slabs of ice that grow from glaciers on land.



If the Arctic ever had an ice shelf, it likely existed long ago - perhaps during the Mid Pleistocene transition between 950,000 and 790,000 years ago. Since then, the Arctic has danced between ice and water, never staying frozen solid for long.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-s-past-shows-it-may-survive-future">Arctic’s past shows it may survive future</h2>



This isn’t just a story about ancient ice. It’s also a warning for today. The Arctic is changing fast. The more we understand its past, the better we can predict its future.



“These past patterns help us understand what’s possible in future scenarios,” said Knies. “We need to know how the Arctic behaves under stress and what tipping points to watch for as the Arctic responds to a warming world.”



The Arctic has shown time and again that it doesn’t like to sit still. Even at its coldest, it found ways to stay partly open. It allowed life to hold on.



Today, the Arctic faces a new kind of challenge. Warming is accelerating faster than anything in the past. But this study reminds us that the Arctic has always been more dynamic than we thought. It has never been just a frozen wasteland.



Its icy history tells a story of change, survival, and resilience. The future may still surprise us, just like its hidden past has done.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adu7681" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Arctic Ocean stayed partly open during harsh ice ages

The Arctic has always seemed like the perfect place to hide secrets. Thick ice, biting winds, and months of darkness. For years, people believed that during the coldest ice ages, the Arctic Ocean vanished beneath an enormous ice shelf, one as thick as a skyscraper is tall. That idea has stuck around for decades. A slab of ice, nearly a kilometer deep, covering the entire Arctic? It sounded dramatic. But not every dramatic story survives forever. A new study now shatters this icy myth. In a study...

The world’s coral reefs are in jeopardy, but a new study examining “reef oases” offers hope for potential reef recovery and sustainability. 

“Coral reefs are in rapid, global decline but the severity of degradation is not uniform across the board and what we have identified are coral reefs that are doing better than their neighbors against the worst effects of climate change and local impacts,” said James Guest, the lead author of the study from <a href="https://www.ncl.ac.uk/">Newcastle University</a>. 

Guest, along with a team of researchers, developed a framework to identify reefs that are still thriving while others are dying out. 

The study was published in the Journal of Applied Ecology and the researchers hope that the results will shed light on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricanes-damage-coral-reefs/">pockets of recovery and resilience</a>, not just in reefs but also in other important ecosystems. 

Data was collected from reef sites in the Pacific and Caribbean that have been monitored for the past few decades. The researchers found small pockets of coral oases that were categorized as either escaping, resisting, or rebounding. 

Escape oases are coral communities that avoided coral bleaching, impacts from storms, and coral-eating sea star invasions. 

Resist oases are just as their name suggests, coral reefs that have been unaffected by threats to their environment and are hardier in the face of climate change. 

Rebounding corals are oases of coral communities that have successfully recovered after experiencing significant damage. 

One example of a rebound oasis was found among reefs in Moorea, French Polynesia that were nearly decimated in the early 2000s but soon recovered nearly 80 percent of lost corals. 

“We started working there in 2005, and almost immediately encountered hordes of coral-eating sea stars that quickly consumed the tissue of the corals,” said Peter Edmunds, the principal investigator for the study. “By 2010, there was as close to zero coral on the outer reefs as I have seen in my entire career. And yet, within eight years, that coral has regrown. In places, about 80 percent of the seafloor is now covered by live coral. It is a remarkable example of an oasis.”

Guest and his team offered several possibilities to why these pockets were better suited to recovery than others. 

“It could be that the location is simply better for survival - deeper water that is outside the storm tracks, for example,” said Guest. “The coral communities could possess biological or ecological characteristics that make them more resilient and able to resist damage. Or there may be ecological processes at play which means that the reef community is able to rebound more quickly after a disturbance.”

The researchers note that reef oases do not offset reef loss around the world or put reefs in any less peril, but it does show that reef recovery and resilience is possible.  

"However, there are kernels of hope in places where corals are doing better, or where they are doing less badly than elsewhere and these places provide us with a focus of attention that might be used to enhance coral conservation efforts,” said Edmunds. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Pockets of thriving reefs called oases offer hope for corals

The world’s coral reefs are in jeopardy, but a new...

At least 30 giant hogweed plants have been found in Virginia for the first time, prompting officials to warn that the weed can cause severe burns.

Giant hogweed is an invasive plant from the <a href="https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/profile?PID=458">Caucasus area in West Asia</a>, and although it was first planted for its aesthetic look, it’s sap can cause serious burns and blindness. 

Virginia is now one of the few states in the US where the plant has been found, and it can grow over 14 feet tall with large white flower clusters that can reach 2 and a half feet in diameter. 

The plant, also known as Heracleum mantegazzianum, has a watery sap that makes the skin extremely sensitive to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/california-sunny-fire-danger/">sun</a>. Chemical compounds called <a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/72556.html">photosensitizing furanocoumarins in the sap can cause phytophotodermatitis</a> resulting in third-degree blisters and burns when the sap comes in contact with skin. 

It’s advised to immediately wash the affected area and limit sun exposure for 48 hours after coming in contact with the plant because of how sensitive the skin is due to the sap. 

It can also cause blindness as well, and healing from the burns can take years according to environmental officials in Virginia. 

“Giant hogweed makes poison ivy look like a walk in the park,” said an <a href="https://www.facebook.com/iwcva/posts/1889433494410724">official Facebook post </a>from the Isle of Wight County where the plants were recently discovered. 

The plant’s sap is so hazardous that it can only be handled with protective clothing and gloves. Mowing or cutting the plant only increases the risk of it spreading or growing back.

It has been listed as a noxious weed by the <a href="https://plants.usda.gov/core/profile?symbol=hema17">United States Department of Agriculture National Resources Conservation resources</a> and has been found along West and East Coast states. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Invasive plant that causes third-degree burns found in Virginia

At least 30 giant hogweed plants have been found in...

Marine reserves can only do so much to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coral-recovery-florida-reef-tract/">protect struggling reefs</a> as climate change and human activities like fishing degrade reefs worldwide, but a new study has found that even some protection is better than no protection at all. 

Researchers led by the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> at<a href="https://www.jcu.edu.au/"> James Cook University</a> conducted a worldwide reef survey to assess the effectiveness of marine reserves in protecting biodiversity. 

The results show that reefs near highly populated areas with no protections have few fish and predators, while marine reserves that with high-human pressure still had higher fish populations. 

“Fish stocks were extremely depleted on reefs that were accessible to large human populations,” said Josh Cinner, leader of the research. “Compared to marine reserves far from these human pressures, reserves near high human pressure had only a quarter of the fish and were a hundred times less likely to have top predators such as sharks.” 

1,800 coral reefs around the world were surveyed for the study which was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 

The researchers compared reef management strategies and examined differences in ecological conditions between marine reserves where fishing is not allowed and open fishing areas. 

Even in highly populated areas, if fishing was prohibited it had a substantial impact on the reef biodiversity and fish biomass. There were five times more fish in marine reserves compared to openly fished reefs. 

Predators like sharks were still few and far between along reefs where human pressure was high, and instead top predators were more abundant in reefs far away from human interaction. 

The findings indicate that management strategies that ban fishing could have a major impact in restoring vital reefs worldwide. However, some coastal areas depend on reef fishing and so preventing all fishing isn’t an option. 

The researchers found that limiting fishing or fishing gear could also help with fish populations if fishing is a must. 

“So, we also looked at how effective other forms of reef conservation were, such as restricting the types of fishing gear that people use,” said Michele Barnes, a member of the research team “Our results were promising - these restrictions certainly had better outcomes than doing nothing, but not as good as marine reserves. They were a sort of compromise.” 

The research shows how even minimal protection and conservation can improve reef biodiversity which is crucial for reef health and recovery. 

“Our research shows where managers will be able to maximize certain goals, such as sustaining top predators or improving the biomass of key fisheries species, and likewise, where they will be wasting their time,” said Cinner. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

For coral reefs, some protection is better than nothing

Marine reserves can only do so much to protect struggling...

A study published in <a href="https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2684596?utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social_jama&amp;utm_term=1585129396&amp;utm_content=followers-article_engagement-image_stock&amp;utm_campaign=article_alert&amp;linkId=52856999">The Journal of the American Medical Association</a> this week examined the health effects of President Donald Trump’s environmental policies. The Trump administration’s attacks on environmental protections have been made clear, but this new research provides a glimpse of the human costs of these policies.

According to the authors, the administration has already reversed or proposed to reverse more than 60 environmental rules. With such a large scale overhaul of environmental protections it is sadly not surprising that there will be negative consequences.

The study found that the largest health consequence will be a result of changes to air quality policies. <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt has issued a proposed repeal to a rule limiting greenhouse-gas emissions from existing power plans under the Clean Power Plan. The Clean Power Plan was a signature policy in Obama’s work to mitigate the effects of climate change.

The study estimated that the proposed rule would lead to “an estimated 36 000 deaths each decade and nearly 630 000 cases of respiratory infection in children alone.”

The Trump administration’s disapproval of policies controlling air pollution from motor vehicles could also have huge ramifications. 

According to the study, “Nothing formal has been proposed, but Trump has spoken about rolling back new rules put in place by the Obama administration. Based on the regulatory impact analysis performed when those rules were proposed, it was estimated that they would lead to a reduction of 5500 deaths and 140 000 cases of respiratory ailments in children over a decade—benefits that would be lost if the rules are rolled back.”

The planned repeal of emission requirements for glider vehicles would also result in negative impacts. The EPA describes glider vehicles as “cab assembly that is generally produced by a vehicle manufacturer without a new engine, transmission, or rear axle.” 

Most of these vehicles use engines from 2001 or older which do not meet current environmental standards. This repeal could cost as many as 41,000 premature deaths per decade and 900,000 cases of respiratory tract symptoms.

While the study was able to quantify the costs of many policies, the authors point out areas where it is still difficult to assess the human impacts.

Trump’s decision to withdraw from the Paris agreement will likely cause deaths across the United States from increased and<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricanes-stronger-climate-change/"> stronger natural disasters</a>, rising sea levels and heat-related illnesses, among other reasons.

The authors conclude, “Overall, an extremely conservative estimate is that the Trump environmental agenda is likely to cost the lives of over 80 000 US residents per decade and lead to respiratory problems for many more than 1 million people. This sobering statistic captures only a small fraction of the cumulative public health damages associated with the full range of rollbacks and systemic actions proposed by the Trump administration.”

The Trump administration’s attack on environmental policy will also affect other areas such as clean jobs, consumer savings and wildlife protection.

While the results of this study are grave, it can also serve as a reminder for us to work to ensure harmful environmental policies are not approved.

--

By <a href="mailto:brianna.grant134@gmail.com">Brianna Lynne</a> <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Contributing Writer

Trump environmental policies could cost 80,000 deaths per decade

A study published in The Journal of the American Medical...

DCIM100MEDIADJI_0026.JPG

As <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-commercial-fish-industry/">climate change</a> threatens the world’s ecosystems and biodiversity, environmental conservation planning is more crucial than ever.

Conservation targets like the <a href="https://www.cbd.int/sp/targets/rationale/target-11/">Aichi Target 11</a>, established by the Convention on Biological Diversity, were created as a means to fill the gaps between protected spaces and those open areas that are not necessarily safeguarded but are still provide critical resources. 

Target 11 states that 17 percent of terrestrial land and 10 percent of coastal and ocean areas will be effectively managed and protected by 2020. 

However, researchers from the <a href="https://www.uq.edu.au/">University of Queensland </a>and the <a href="https://www.wcs.org/">Wildlife Conservation Society</a> argue that these current conservation goals do not go far enough, and that the world needs a large scale ambitious conservation plan if the world’s resources are to be truly sustained and protected. 

The Aichi Target 11, for example, could still leave 83 percent of land and 90 percent of the world’s oceans unprotected. 

In a new paper published in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, the researchers say that bolder targets are necessary even with the understanding that most of the ecosystems that humans rely on can’t be feasibly protected given their expansive size. 

However, focusing on those areas, the 80-90 percent of unprotected eco-systems will determine the success of the Aichi Targets and the <a href="https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/sustainable-development-goals/">United Nations Sustainable Development Goals </a>according to the researchers. 

“Humanity asks a lot of the natural world. We need it to purify our water and air, to maintain our soils, and to regulate our climate,” said Maron, the study’s lead author. “Yet even as we increase the extent of protected areas, they don't necessarily prevent the loss of natural systems. They're often located in areas that might not have been lost anyway - and the current target of protecting 17 percent of terrestrial systems will never be enough to protect species as well as provide the benefits humanity needs.”

As it stands, there aren’t any effective conservation policies and area-based targets that can protect enough of the world’s resources to sustain humanity. 

Given the impact climate change, infrastructure, population increases, and human activities have had on the world’s resources so far, the researchers call for urgent reforms that look at just what needs to be protected and where. 

Even optimistic ideas like the “half-Earth” plan, where goals include the protection of half the planet may still not be enough to ensure a stable climate. 

“There is no doubt that when we add up the different environmental goals to halt biodiversity loss, stabilize run-away climate change and to ensure other critical ecosystems services such as pollination and clean water are maintained, we will need far more than 50 percent of the earth's natural systems to remain intact,” said James Watson, a senior author of the research.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: JB Deffontaines

Current conservation goals are not enough protect ecosystems

As climate change threatens the world’s ecosystems and biodiversity, environmental...

A new study led by scientists at the <a href="http://www.iiasa.ac.at/">International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA)</a> has found that investment into low carbon solutions will have to increase dramatically for the world to have a chance at limiting global warming to two degrees Celsius, the target established at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/paris-agreement-climate-goals/">Paris Agreement</a>.

According to the researchers, the transformation of the global energy system will only require a modest increase in overall investments, but a major shift away from fossil fuels and toward renewable energy is mandatory. 

At the Paris Agreement in 2015, many countries defined Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs), or plans to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions. The study finds that current incentives, including the NDCs, will not be sufficient to produce the “pronounced change” that is needed to successfully reshape the energy system.

Investments in low carbon energy and energy efficiency will need to exceed investments in fossil fuels as early as 2025 and then grow far higher to limit global warming to two degrees Celsius. The researchers identified shocking “investment gaps” between what is now spent on carbon alternatives and what must be invested in order to meet the world’s climate target.

To meet the NDCs alone, an additional US$130 billion of investment will be needed by 2030. To achieve the 2°C target, the investment gap is US$320 billion, and for 1.5°C it is US$480 billion.

IIASA researcher David McCollum is the study’s lead author.

“We know that limiting global temperatures to well below 2°C demands that renewables and efficiency scale up rapidly, but few studies have calculated the energy investment needs for a fundamental system transformation, at least not with an eye toward 1.5°C and using multiple scientific modelling frameworks running side-by-side,” explained McCollum.

The six tools used by the researchers to model different scenarios, which are known as integrated assessment models, are often used by experts to evaluate the costs, potential, and consequences of different energy, climate, and human development conditions in the future.

“This is the first scientific study to conduct a systematic and detailed analysis of the energy investment needs for futures including the very ambitious target of 1.5°C,” said IIASA Energy Program Director Keywan Riahi. “We find that a 1.5C investment strategy will be quite different from one to reach 2°C. Particularly investments into energy transmission and storage as well as for renewables and efficiency would need to be scaled up more rapidly for reaching 1.5°C.”

“On the other hand, both targets (1.5°C and 2°C) will mean that upstream investments into coal extraction and unabated fossil power generation without carbon capture and storage will need to scale down rapidly to avoid further lock-in of the system into fossil fuel infrastructure.”

The researchers are hopeful that their findings will be used worldwide by analysts and policymakers working in the areas of energy, climate change, and sustainability.

Study co-author Elmar Kriegler is the vice chair of the research domain “Sustainable Solutions” at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK).

"It's important for  professionals in the finance sector to be aware how much more investment in low carbon solutions is needed if the world is to meet the Paris targets,” said Kriegler. “The NDC pledges are a step in the right direction, though much deeper changes in the energy investment portfolio are clearly necessary.”

The research is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nenergy">Nature Energy</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Major shift in energy investment needed to meet climate goals

A new study led by scientists at the International Institute...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/india-cannon-air-pollution/">Air pollution</a> levels were too high to be measured in Delhi this week, and the worst part of the year for air quality is still months away. The toxic levels of a thick cloud of smog which hovered over the city were measured by pollution monitors at 999, which is the highest level these instruments can detect.

Dust from storms in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan moved in on Tuesday and air quality declined sharply, but there is fear that the dust is not the only issue, and that dense smog is going to start persisting year-round in the city of Delhi.

By Friday, steady winds helped to decrease the air pollution levels, but the air quality index remained over 500, which was classified as “severe” for the fourth day in a row.

The movement of the dust has now started to slow down, yet PM10 pollution is still up to a level of 650 in Delhi. On the other hand, PM2.5 levels are showing a bit of improvement, dropping from 267 on Thursday to 164 on Friday.


According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk">The Guardian</a>, the air quality in Delhi usually takes a turn for the worse in October, when pollutants are trapped closer to the ground by cooler temperatures and slower winds. However, data published by the government reveals that air quality has been categorized as “very unhealthy” for the past three years in April and May.

The <a href="http://berkeleyearth.org/">Berkeley Earth</a> science research group compared breathing the air in Delhi last November to smoking 44 cigarettes per day. India has the highest rate of respiratory diseases of any country, and children are the most vulnerable.

On Thursday, Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal ordered all civil construction activities across the city to stop until Sunday. Residents have been advised to stay indoors, and there is hope that thunderstorms will arrive in the next few to clear the dusty air.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Air pollution in Delhi hit levels too high to be measured

Air pollution levels were too high to be measured in...

When it comes to the primate family, humans aren’t sharing well with their cousins. Now, as the growing human population eats away at chimp, orangutan, and other non-human primate habitats, extinction looms for some species.

The majority of primate species – a full two-thirds – are found in just four countries around the world: Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Sixty percent of them are facing the threat of extinction before the end of the century, a new study claims.

And as humans convert wild lands to agriculture, housing developments and other human uses, their habitat is shrinking and fragmenting. As a result, researchers said, non-human primate populations are in decline around the world.

“Many iconic species will be lost unless these countries, international organisations, consumer nations, and global citizens take immediate action to protect primate populations and their habitats,” Dr. Anna Nekaris of <a href="https://www.brookes.ac.uk/">Oxford Brookes University</a> told the <a href="http://dailymail.co.uk/">Daily Mail</a>.

The university, which led the study, used data from the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a> and the <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/">World Bank</a> to predict how non-human primate populations will change in the near future.

They found that if the status quo doesn’t change, by 2100 the habitat for primates will have shrunk dramatically in all four countries – most drastically, by 78 percent in Brazil and 72 percent in Indonesia. 

In short, without changes, extinction looms for humans’ closest cousins in those four countries.

Primate populations are small elsewhere. In Europe, for example, the only native population of wild monkeys is on the rock of Gibraltar. 

Expanding protections of primate habitat in Brazil, Indonesia, Madagascar and the Congo is vital, but it’s not the only way humans can help their closest relatives on the evolutionary tree.

“People do not realise that in their daily lives, by consuming less and making more ecologically friendly consumer choices, such as reducing use of single use plastic and eating food grown locally, they can have direct impacts on tropical forests and the long-term sustainability of biodiversity,” Nekaris said. 

The research has been published in the journal <a href="https://peerj.com/articles/4869/">Peer J</a>.

—

By Kyla Cathey, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Possibility of extinction looms for chimps, orangutans

When it comes to the primate family, humans aren’t sharing...

New research shows that the United Kingdom was submerged beneath an ice sheet around 1.4 million years earlier than previously thought. 

Understanding the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/east-antarctic-ice-sheet/">glaciation of early Earth</a>, or how frequently ice sheets formed, melted, and merged, can help give researchers a better idea of how the Earth responds to changes in climate.

Researchers from <a href="https://www.manchester.edu/">Manchester</a> and <a href="https://www.abdn.ac.uk/">Aberdeen Universities</a> conducted a new study examining ice sheets during the Early Pleistocene period and found that Britain was repeatedly submerged beneath an ice sheet that formed giant icebergs. 

It was previously believed that this kind of glaciation around the North Sea occurred 1.1 million years ago, but the results show that ice sheets formed and merged in the North Sea much earlier, around 1.4 million years to be exact. 

For the study, the researchers analyzed ancient sediment from core samples in the North Sea. 

The bottom of the North Sea contains millions of years worth of preserved layers of sediment, and analyzing these layers can reveal important insights about climate, ocean temperatures, and ancient ice sheets at the time the layers were formed. 

The researchers also reviewed seismic data for the study which was published in the journal Science Advances. 

During the Early Pleistocene, the core samples showed that Ireland and the UK were repeatedly covered in ice sheets and a large ice sheet was spread across Scandinavia. 

The North Sea at this time was more like a fjord and around 2.5 million years the two sheets spread into the North Sea and occasionally merged together. All of this occurred earlier than previous research had estimated. 

“Coalescence of the British ice sheet and ice from Scandinavia, which we show occurred at about 1.9 million years ago, wasn't thought to have happened until about 780,000 years ago,” said Brice Rea, the lead author of the study, in an interview with the Daily Mail. “Our findings completely change our understanding of how far back in time large ice sheets covered the British Isles and merged with ice from Scandinavia.”

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By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette,</a> <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Millions of years ago, Britain was buried beneath an ice sheet

New research shows that the United Kingdom was submerged beneath...

As we’ve reported, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/great-barrier-reef-death-events/">Great Barrier Reef</a> now lives under threat of coral bleaching events prompted by warming ocean waters. But what about coral reefs off the coast of the United States?

The <a href="https://www.coralrestoration.org/">Coral Restoration Foundation</a> (CRF), in collaboration with the<a href="https://www.georgiaaquarium.org/conserve/research/corals"> Georgia Aquarium</a>, is currently taking on one of the largest coral restoration efforts in the world. 

The Florida Reef Tract is a vital reef at the core of an extremely diverse and vibrant ecosystem, and the work being done by the CRF could lay the groundwork for bringing reefs back from the brink worldwide 

The Florida Reef Tract is one of the largest in the world, and although it’s size pales in comparison to the famous Great Barrier Reef, the Florida Reef Tract has significant economic and environmental importance.

However, the reef is struggling to adapt to the damaging effects of climate change, human activities, and 2017’s particularly devastating hurricane season. 

A unique blend of local and global stressors, including pollution and ocean acidification, have become too much for the reef to overcome and are causing <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2017/06/coral-reef-bleaching-global-warming-unesco-sites/?beta=true">staggering reef loss</a> around the world. 

So far, the Florida Reef Tract has lost almost 97 percent of its staghorn and elkhorn coral cover, two coral species that previously dominated the reef but are now critically endangered. 

Enter the Coral Restoration Foundation, which has worked to cultivate coral nurseries along the ocean floor, growing corals that will eventually be attached to local reefs in an effort to restore the reef and promote natural reef growth and spawning. 

On World Oceans Day, June 8th, the CRF along with aquarists and volunteers from the Georgia Aquarium hosted the <a href="http://www.worldoceansday.org/events-current-year/coralpalooza-2018">4th annual Coralpalooza</a>, a huge coral planting event where several hundred coral clippings were attached to sections of the Florida Reef Tract.  

The CRF currently has seven offshore coral tree nurseries in South Florida which are home to ten different species of coral. 

Once the corals in the nursery are big enough, they are attached directly to the reef using an epoxy that helps the clipping cement itself to the reef. 

“The coral nurseries are anchored to the bottom with a PVC and fiberglass frame that allows the corals to dangle and twist,” Steve Hartter, the senior aquarist at the Georgia Aquarium, told <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a>.

According to the CRF, the organization has planted more than 66,000 corals onto the Florida Reef Tract. 

Nursery maintenance occurs four times a year, and Hartter compared the nurseries to an underwater farm given the way the nurseries are laid out on the ocean floor and the clippings harvested. 

Spawns are also captured from the nurseries as a way to help promote genetic diversity and boost healthy coral growth. Collecting and analyzing this material has offered important insights into coral genotypes. 

For example, some genotypes are better suited to adapting to climate change than others which could aid in reef preservation down the line. 

“Genetic diversity is an important component of population health.  A diverse population is more likely to be able to adapt to changes or threats that coral species face,” said Hartter. “This is particularly important with ecosystems like coral reefs, where multiple threats such as climate change, ocean acidification, eutrophication, and disease outbreaks are occurring simultaneously.”

Coral spawns are an important part of the recovery process because some corals like Staghorn and Elkhorn are not able to self-fertilize. 

“With Staghorn and Elkhorn populations in such dire condition, natural spawning and recruitment is becoming increasingly rare, as the spawn cannot reach each in the ocean currents while still active,” said Hartter. “By out planting corals with different genotypes in close proximity, this will increase successful natural spawning in the future.”

The CRF is doing groundbreaking work in recovering the Florida Reef Tract and with coral planting events like Coralpalooza, that work is making its way into the public’s eye. 

If coral reefs are to have any kind of chance to adapt and recover from climate change in the coming years, the methods employed by the Coral Restoration Foundation could prove vital for worldwide reef management. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: <a href="https://www.coralrestoration.org/">Coral Restoration Foundation</a>

Coral recovery offers hope to degraded Florida Reef Tract

As we’ve reported, the Great Barrier Reef now lives under...

Many countries around the world have powerful nuclear arsenals, which has of course caused tension and worry surrounding how these weapons could be used.

While a nuclear attack would have devastating consequences for the country targeted, it would also have lasting worldwide effects.

Now, a new study has found that the use of 100 nuclear weapons would put a nation past its tipping point and kill millions, cause mass food shortages, and change the global landscape. 

While it only would take 100 weapons, there are around 15,000 nuclear weapons in the world, according to the <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-5841569/Scientists-warn-best-case-scenario-nuclear-war-devastating-global-effects.html">Daily Mail</a>. The United States alone has a <a href="http://time.com/4893175/united-states-nuclear-weapons/">nuclear arsenal</a> of nearly 7,000 warheads. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.mtu.edu/">Michigan Technological University</a> modeled the extent of damage that different nuclear attacks would cause. 

The study was published in the journal Safety, and the researchers argue that nations should have no more than 100 nuclear weapons in their arsenal rather than the thousands that some do. 

“No country should have more nuclear weapons than the number necessary for unacceptable levels of environmental blowback on the nuclear power’s own country if they were used,” the researchers told the Daily Mail. 

Three different hypothetical scenarios of nuclear attacks were investigated for the study, the launch of 7,000 weapons, 1,000 weapons, and 100 weapons. 

The environmental impacts of the different attacks were also calculated with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pope-warns-oil-execs-climate-change-could-destroy-civilization/">climate</a> and crop simulations in order to assess the damage to agriculture that would occur. 

An attack of 100 nuclear weapons, the best case scenario, could still kill 30 million people in a densely populated city and cause food shortages and mass starvation. 

“With 100 nuclear weapons, you still get nuclear deterrence, but avoid the probable blowback from nuclear autumn that kills your own people,” Joshua Pearce, a member of the research team told the Daily Mail. “If we use 1,000 nuclear warheads against an enemy and no one retaliates, we will see about 50 times more Americans die than did on 9/11 due to the after-effects of our own weapons.”

According to the study, a large scale attack could cause soot from the explosions to block out sunlight which would severely impact agricultural production. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Study identifies nuclear war tipping point for global devastation

Many countries around the world have powerful nuclear arsenals, which...

A new report from <a href="https://www.ippr.org/north">IPPR North</a> has found that toxic levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/uk-fines-air-pollution/">air pollution</a> in Manchester are threatening human health as well as the region's economy. People living in the Greater Manchester area have an average reduced life expectancy of six months, according to the study.

At the current rate, an estimated 1.6 million life years will be lost over the next century. IPPR North Director Sarah Longlands said that the “human cost of the air pollution crisis” in Manchester cannot be overemphasized.

“People’s lives are being cut short, our children’s health is being put at risk and this is before you even consider the £1bn annual economic burden that poor quality air places on the local economy,” said Longlands.

“For too long, the debate on air pollution has been focused on London. But now for the first time, we understand the full extent of the problem in Greater Manchester. We simply cannot allow this to continue.”

According to the report, the rate of emergency hospital admissions for asthma in Central Manchester is more than double the national average. The city ranks as the second worst in England for PM10 particulate pollution, which can cause damage to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems.

Alison Cook is the Director of Policy at the British Lung Foundation.

“Air pollution is a threat to us all. Children, the elderly and people with a lung condition are the most vulnerable,” said Cook. “Breathing in dirty air is linked to lung cancer, asthma, heart disease and stroke. It can also stunt children’s lung development, leading to chronic health problems later in life.”

“Greater Manchester is one of the most polluted areas in the UK. This report provides more detail on the health impact of air pollution on the city than we’ve had before. Ambitious and concrete measures from the Mayor and central government must now follow, such as rolling out charging Clean Air Zones in the most polluted areas.”

The IPPR North report is based on research by <a href="https://www.kcl.ac.uk/">King's College London</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Manchester air pollution impacting human health and the economy

A new report from IPPR North has found that toxic...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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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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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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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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