Floating photovoltaics (FPV), or “floatovoltaics,” are spreading across water bodies worldwide. From California’s vineyards to China’s massive energy projects, these solar systems glide atop irrigation ponds, reservoirs, and wastewater treatment plants. 



They produce clean energy without consuming precious land, a seemingly perfect solution in a space-constrained world.



But the water beneath these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-panels-could-power-entire-countries/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">panels</a> isn’t empty. It teems with life. Birds drift, dive, nest, and hunt in these waters. As FPV systems expand, they introduce a new dynamic to these habitats - and nobody knows yet what the consequences might be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-floating-solar-and-bird-habitats">Floating solar and bird habitats</h2>



A recent study from the <a href="https://www.ucdavis.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of California, Davis</a>, published in the journal Nature Water, raises a vital question: Can renewable energy and wildlife coexist without collateral damage? The researchers, part of the UC Davis Wild Energy Center, are among the first to examine how waterbirds respond to FPV systems.



“That’s why it’s so important to understand how waterbirds are going to respond to floating solar and if there is the possibility for conservation concessions at new floating solar facilities,” said Elliott Steele, a postdoctoral scholar with the UC Davis Wild Energy Center within the Energy and Efficiency Institute.



Steele’s words are urgent. Bird populations are plummeting. Habitat loss, climate change, pollution, and avian influenza have combined into a perfect storm of threats. If floating solar disrupts waterbird behavior, it could exacerbate an already dire situation.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bird-responses-to-floating-solar-systems">Bird responses to floating solar systems</h2>



Imagine a black-crowned night heron standing motionless on a solar <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floating-solar-panels-could-power-every-home-in-the-u-s/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">panel</a> before dawn. Below, cormorants dart through the water, jostling for a place to perch. A black phoebe builds a nest beneath the panels, sheltered but close to human-made structures.



These are not imagined scenes. During their fieldwork, the UC Davis researchers observed all these behaviors. Birds are not just interacting with FPV systems — they are adapting to them, sometimes in unexpected ways.



“Our team has been documenting such a diversity of bird <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/floridas-waterbirds-expert-divers-with-bold-hunting-techniques/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">behavior</a> with floating PV, so we immediately knew this was a very important interaction, especially given the precipitous decline in waterbird numbers globally,” said senior author and UC Davis Professor Rebecca R. Hernandez.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-and-risks-of-floating-solar">Benefits and risks of floating solar</h2>



Renewable energy projects have not always considered <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saving-americas-birds-scientists-declare-a-full-on-emergency-in-the-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wildlife</a>. Now, as FPV systems expand, researchers are determined not to repeat past mistakes. The UC Davis team identified five areas demanding urgent study.



First, the researchers are exploring how waterbirds interact with FPV structures, questioning whether these birds use the solar panels as nesting sites, hunting perches, or safe resting places.



In addition, they are investigating the direct and indirect effects of FPV systems on waterbirds. While a panel may provide shelter to one species, it may simultaneously deter another.



The team is considering how conservation strategies can be tailored to specific sites, regions, and seasons, recognizing that bird populations vary significantly in their behaviors and needs.



Furthermore, they are examining how best to design monitoring systems at FPV sites. Should they rely on cameras, sensors, or traditional bird counts to collect data effectively?



The researchers are also assessing the potential for pollutants to be released from FPV systems. If such contamination occurs, they aim to determine what can be done to mitigate the risks to aquatic and avian life.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-renewable-energy-design">Rethinking renewable energy design</h2>



Study co-author Emma Forester is a Ph.D. candidate with the UC Davis Land, Air and Water Resources department and the Wild Energy Center.



“There are some things we wished we’d known before other kinds of renewable energy were developed,” said Forester.



“While we’re at this critical threshold of renewable energy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/solar-panels-are-1000-times-more-powerful-with-new-tech-breakthrough/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">development</a>, we want to put more thought into the design that can benefit birds and other wildlife as we go forward.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-balancing-act-energy-vs-ecology">The balancing act: Energy vs. ecology</h2>



Floating solar systems present a compelling case for water conservation. They can reduce evaporation by shading the water surface, an added benefit in drought-prone areas. But there’s a catch.



While some birds, like the black-crowned night heron, seem to thrive on the panels, others might not. Researchers observed birds using FPV systems in various ways - nesting, perching, feeding - but the long-term impacts remain unclear.



And then there’s pollution. Solar panels are not inert objects. As they age, they can degrade, releasing chemicals into the water. What happens to the fish, algae or the birds? These questions linger, unanswered.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-designing-for-wildlife">Designing for wildlife</h2>



To ensure that FPV systems are truly green, wildlife considerations must be integrated from the start. 



Hernandez and her team emphasize that waterbirds are ideal subjects for these studies. They occupy both the water and the air, making them sensitive indicators of environmental change.



But there’s a deeper challenge. Conservation strategies that work in California may fail in Florida. Solutions for herons may not suit cormorants. Customization is key.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-at-stake">What’s at stake</h2>



Floating solar may be new, but the questions it raises are not. When energy projects collide with nature, unintended consequences often follow. As renewable energy scales up, researchers must consider not just the panels but the ecosystems they disrupt.



Floating solar has enormous potential. But without rigorous, long-term studies, that potential could come at a steep ecological cost. For now, the researchers at UC Davis are watching the waterbirds - and hoping the world will pay attention.



The study, funded by the <a href="https://uckeepresearching.org/california-climate-action/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">California Climate Action Seed Grant</a>, <a href="https://www.enelgreenpower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enel Green Power</a>, and several U.S. government agencies, is a starting point. 



The research team includes scientists from UC Davis, the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">U.S. Geological Survey</a>, the <a href="https://www.ucf.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Central Florida</a>, <a href="https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Lancaster University</a>, and <a href="https://www.enelgreenpower.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Enel Green Power</a> in Italy.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s44221-025-00429-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Water.</a>



Image Credit: Rebecca R. Hernandez, UC Davis.



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Floating solar panels affect bird habitats in unexpected ways

Floating photovoltaics (FPV), or “floatovoltaics,” are spreading across water bodies worldwide. From California’s vineyards to China’s massive energy projects, these solar systems glide atop irrigation ponds, reservoirs, and wastewater treatment plants. They produce clean energy without consuming precious land, a seemingly perfect solution in a space-constrained world. But the water beneath these panels isn’t empty. It teems with life. Birds drift, dive, nest, and hunt in these waters. As FPV systems expand, they introduce a new dynamic to these habitats - and nobody knows yet what the...

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately...” - Walden, Henry David Thoreau

Walden Pond is most famously known as the setting of Henry David Thoreau’s Walden, which details his two years of life in the woods near the lake in Concord, Massachusetts. As a naturist, Thoreau’s writings encompass the ideals of nature and simple living. 

The pond has been a popular tourist and recreational destination since the early 20th century. 

However, after years of human activity, climate change, and pollution, the Walden Pond of today is different from the iconic, idealistic setting Thoreau praised in his works. 

Researchers from <a href="http://www.paulsmiths.edu/">Paul Smith's College</a> conducted a study that examined the ecology, water quality and ecosystem of Walden Pond to better understand how its popularity as a recreational destination affected the area. The study was published in the open access journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0191755">PLOS ONE</a>. 

The results show that increased human activity and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sahara-desert-getting-bigger/">climate change</a> over the past 1,800 years have significantly altered the ecology of the lake. 

The researchers collected six sediment cores from the bottom of the lake in order to better understand the long-term impact that human activity has had on the ecosystem of Walden Pond. 

Radio-isotopic dating was used to help date the core samples, and glassy-shelled algae preserved in the layers of sediment through the years revealed water clarity and depth at the time the algae were alive. 

After analyzing the sediment data, the researchers discovered that phytoplankton levels increased after the 1920s, directly correlating with the early development of the shoreline. 

Sediment runoff disturbed by human activity and waste and pollution from swimmers likely created an influx of nutrients which then increased phytoplankton populations in the lake. 

Water clarity has declined over the years, and according researchers, will only get worse due to climate change in the future. 

The study shows the long-term impact that human activity can have on popular recreational destinations, and emphasizes the important role that climate change will continue to have on the lake’s ecosystem. 

“The sediments of Walden Pond record major ecological changes to this iconic lake since the time of Thoreau,” said Curt Stager, the study’s lead author. “They also warn of more changes to come in a warming future.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Image Credit: Curt Stager

Human activity, climate change have altered Walden Pond

“I went to the woods because I wished to live...

Saudi Arabia has announced that it will build a massive solar power plant with a capacity of 200 gigawatts. The project, which was announced last week in New York, is 200 times bigger than any solar farm that is now operating and is reportedly 100 times bigger than any <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wind-solar-power-supply/">solar project</a> currently planned.

Backed by the Japanese tech investor <a href="https://www.softbank.jp/en/">Softbank</a>, the initiative will require a $200 billion dollar investment in order to be completed by 2030. The solar farm would nearly triple the current solar generation capacity of Saudi Arabia, which is currently at 77 gigawatts.

Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is also backing the project, as part of his strategic plan to modernize the country’s economy, <a href="http://vision2030.gov.sa/en">Vision 2030</a>. The Prince has stated that he strives to free his country from its dependency on oil. 

A power station of this magnitude would not only help to facilitate Saudi Arabia’s transition from oil-fired power plants to renewable energy, but would also create an excess of oil that could be sold to other countries - resulting in billions of dollars of revenue.

In addition, the power plant would create tens of thousands of jobs, further boosting the economy.

“It’s a huge step in human history,” said Prince Mohammed bin Salman. “It’s bold, risky, and we hope we succeed in doing that.”

According to <a href="https://qz.com/">Quartz</a>, the solar farm would cover an estimated 5,000 square kilometers if completed, which is an area larger than any of the world's most sprawling cities. The news outlet derived this estimate by calculating the size of one of the world’s largest solar power plants in India, which covers about 24 square kilometers.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Saudi Arabia announces plans for enormous solar power plant

Saudi Arabia has announced that it will build a massive...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bottled-water-contaminated-microplastics/">Microplastics</a> are tiny specs of plastics, fibers, and microbeads that are the most <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html">abundant</a> type of debris found in the world’s oceans and lakes. 

According to one <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0111913">recent study</a>, there are over 5 trillion pieces of plastics floating in the oceans, but researchers have since suggested that number is a deep underestimation. 

Because of their tiny size, these microplastic particles (MPPs) wreak havoc on the food chain in marine and freshwater ecosystems. 

Much attention has been given to the presence of MPPs in the oceans, but now new research shows that organic fertilizers may also contain a worrying amount of microplastics. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="https://www.uni-bayreuth.de/en/">University of Bayreuth</a>, Germany who tested several types of organic fertilizers from biowaste fermentation. 

Previously considered environmentally friendly, the study shows that organic fertilizers act as vehicles for microplastics to enter the soil. 

The researchers screened different organic fertilizers produced at recycled biowaste plants, specifically looking for MPPs greater than one millimeter in size. 

Fertilizers made from composting plants (from processed household biowaste) and digester plants (which creates biogas from manure) were both used in the study. 

All the fertilizer samples had microplastic particles between two and five millimeters in size. The amount differed depending on how the organic fertilizers were treated and the plant type used. Digester plants produced the largest amount of MPPs in fertilizers. 

The study shows that microplastics should be a concern not just in terms of the world’s water systems, but also its terrestrial environment. 

According to the researchers, the results call for further studies into the environmental impacts of MPPs in fertilizers.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Organic fertilizers contributing to microplastic pollution

Microplastics are tiny specs of plastics, fibers, and microbeads that...

A new study led by the <a href="http://www.whoi.edu/">Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution</a> (WHOI) has revealed the flood history of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/freshwater-streams-polluted-salt/">Mississippi River</a> over the last 500 years. The researchers found a drastic increase in the size and frequency of extreme floods in the past century, primarily due to levee system construction.


The experts also linked flooding in the Mississippi with the natural shift of water flow and temperatures in the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans.

The newly-established record of flooding in the Mississippi River, which is the very first of its scope, highlights the fact that river engineering has intensified flooding to unprecedented levels in recent years.

“The floods that we've had over the last century are bigger than anything we've seen in the last 500 years,” said lead author Sam Muñoz. 

The study revealed that, in the past 150 years, the severity of a 100-year flood has increased by 20 percent. A flood of this magnitude only has a 1 percent chance of occurring in any given year.

“There's been a longstanding question about the extent to which all the changes we have made to the Mississippi River - one of the most engineered rivers in the world -have altered the probability of really large floods,” said Muñoz.


According to the research, at least 75 percent of the elevated flood risk can be directly attributed to human modifications of the river.

The experts also noted that when El Nino brings more storms and rainfall to North America, the ground surrounding the Mississippi River becomes unusually saturated. If extreme rainfall is also triggered by oscillation in the Atlantic Ocean, flooding is very likely.


“We're able for the first time to really parse out how the natural variability of the climate system influences flooding, and then how people have modified that,” said Muñoz.

The team plans to extend the flood record even further back in time to understand what drives flooding in other major river systems across the globe.


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Human changes to Mississippi River have increased risk of floods

A new study led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution...

Tropical cyclones can cause major damage to marine habitats, as well as our own coastal infrastructure and the people living in the affected areas. One of the many benefits of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hurricanes-damage-coral-reefs/">coral reefs</a> in these areas is that the reefs can act as a natural buffer to protect coastlines from at least some of the fury of tropical cyclones. They do so by reducing the impact of large waves before they hit the shore, according to a new study from the <a href="https://www.coralcoe.org.au/">ARC Centre of Excellence for Coral Reef Studies</a> (Coral CoE) at the <a href="https://www.uwa.edu.au/">University of Western Australia</a> (UWA).

“Reefs can effectively protect shorelines because of their ability to cause waves to break offshore, thus limiting the energy impacting the coastline,” explains Dr. Michael Cuttler of UWA. For coastlines facing direct cyclone impact, a fringing reef can protect the beach from significant erosion.

Dr. Cuttler and his colleagues at Coral CoE studied Ningaloo Reef, Australia’s largest fringing reef system, during Tropical Cyclone Olwyn. This cyclone was a Category 3 severe tropical cyclone, which caused extensive damage throughout the coast of Western Australia. Their observations showed that the shoreline was mostly unscathed by the storm, largely due to the protection of its offshore reef.

“The large waves generated by the cyclone were effectively dissipated by the reef situated offshore,” says Cuttler. “The little erosion that did occur was due to smaller waves that were generated by wind within the lagoon.”

Although coral reefs can effectively protect coastlines from some of the effects of tropical cyclones, the results show that local wind effects cannot be dismissed when scientists model or attempt to predict the impact of these storms.

The researchers also compared similar cyclone impacts on some coastlines that did not have protective fringing reefs, and found that erosion was up to ten times worse compared to Ningaloo Reef. 

However, Cuttler warns that the ability of reefs to protect adjacent coastlines is threatened by slowing rates of reef growth and sea level rise. “These changes may ultimately increase the amount of wave energy reaching the coastline and potentially enhance coastal erosion,” he says.

Ultimately, Cuttler and his team believe that the results may be useful in assessing coastal hazards facing reef-fringed coastlines as a result of severe tropical cyclone conditions. This could become even more relevant in the future as climate change negatively impacts reefs around the world.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Coral reefs provide coastlines protection from cyclones

Tropical cyclones can cause major damage to marine habitats, as...

In one of the first studies to ever investigate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastic-pollution-oceans-triple/">plastic pollution</a> in freshwater lakes, experts have found that these habitats are potentially threatened by plastic waste just as much as the ocean. 

Dr. Montserrat Filella is a researcher at the <a href="https://www.unige.ch/en/university/">University of Geneva</a> in Switzerland and the study's lead author.

“Plastic debris in freshwater lakes are likely to pose the same problems to wildlife as marine plastics. In this respect, entanglement and ingestion are of greatest concern,” said Dr. Filella.

“The hazardous chemicals we find associated with these plastics is also worrying. When they are eaten by animals mistaking them for food, the acidic and enzyme-rich conditions in the stomach could accelerate how quickly these toxins are released into the body, affecting the animals concerned.”

When the researchers analyzed plastic collected from the beaches of Lake Geneva, they found an abundance of toxic chemicals present.

These toxic chemicals, including cadmium, mercury and lead, were sometimes found in very high concentrations that exceed the maximum amounts currently permitted by law. This indicates that the plastic litter has persisted in the environment for a long time.

The research team obtained litter from 12 different pebble beaches around Lake Geneva, which is one of the largest freshwater bodies in western Europe.

More than 3,000 pieces of plastic debris were collected, including identifiable objects such as toys or pens, pieces of identifiable objects such as piping or plant pots, and plastic fragments that could not be traced back to their original sources such as foam.

“A lot of the plastic was similar to that found on marine beaches, such as bottle tops, straws and polystyrene,” said Dr. Filella. “In contrast, there was an absence of nurdles - pellets used as a basis for plastic production - and a lower incidence of plastic filamentous fibers from commercial fishing, such as rope, netting and cord.”

The researchers used X-ray fluorescence to look for toxins present on over 600 of the plastic pieces.

“We detected the frequent presence of hazardous elements, such as bromine, cadmium, mercury and lead, in very high concentrations in some cases,” said study co-author Dr. Andrew Turner. 

“The abundance of these toxic elements, which are now restricted or banned, reflects just how long the plastic has been in the lake. For example, mercury is a metal that to our knowledge has not been used in plastics for decades.”

Dr. Turner pointed out that freshwater systems have been largely overlooked when it comes to the impact of plastic pollution.

“The impacts of plastic-bound toxic elements on lake wildlife are currently unknown but should form the basis of future research,” said Dr. Filella.

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science">Frontiers in Environmental Science</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: <a href="https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Lake_Geneva_with_Vineyards_in_Lavaux.jpg">Wikimedia Commons</a>

Plastic pollution also contaminating lakes and freshwater bodies

In one of the first studies to ever investigate plastic...

A new GPS-based method that can model tsunamis could help coastal areas in Japan better prepare for potential disaster.

Following the catastrophic 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/study-seawalls-coastal-forests-in-japan-help-reduce-tsunami-damage/">tsunami</a>, the Japanese government asked for hazard assessment research that would identify the worst case scenarios for both earthquakes and tsunamis for the country. 

Researchers Hannah Baranes and Jonathan Woodruff from the <a href="https://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts Amherst</a>, along with colleagues from <a href="https://www.smith.edu/">Smith College</a> and the <a href="http://www.jamstec.go.jp/j/">Japanese Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology</a>, conducted a study hoping to model potential tsunamis along the Nankai Trough. 

 “The government guideline has focused attention on the Nankai Trough,” said Baranes. “It's a fault offshore of southern Japan that is predicted to generate a magnitude 8 to 9 earthquake within the next few decades.”

According to the research, a Nankai-induced tsunami could displace four times the number of people impacted by the 2011 tsunami. 

Modeling tsunamis based on potential seismic events would help show the kind of damage and flooding to expect if an earthquake in the region were to occur. 

First, the researchers collected sediment cores in Japan so that they could create a long-term record of tsunami flooding. 

Marine sediments get trapped within the lake bed as tsunamis flood coastlines, and the researchers looked for evidence of marine sediments with the samples they collected. 

“These sand deposits get trapped and preserved at the bottoms of coastal lakes,” said Baranes. “We can visit these sites hundreds or even thousands of years later and find geologic evidence for past major flood events.”

Sediments from Lake Ryuuou, a lake on an island in the Bungo Channel, had a layer of sand that came from seawater that flooded into the lake, making its way over a 13 foot-high barrier. 

The flooding corresponds with a Nankai Trough tsunami that occurred in 1707, but the location of the island within the Bungo Channel makes such high flooding unlikely and presented a major challenge for the modeling efforts. 

The researchers had to find a way to create a model that simulated an event similar to the 1707 event. If a Nankai-induced earthquake had reached there before, the island was at risk in the event of another Nankai Trough earthquake. 

At first, the models and scenarios created tsunamis that were only six-feet high, not nearly enough to breach the 13-foot high barrier. 

The researchers then turned to Jack Loveless, a professor at Smith College who uses GPS measurements of earth surface motion and who helped create earthquake scenarios based on GPS estimates of plate movement and frictional locking along the Nankai Trough. 

The GPS measurements created a similar scenario to the 1707 earthquake. 

“Our model earthquake scenarios showed the Bungo Channel region subsiding seven feet and lowering Lake Ryuuoo's barrier beach from 13 to six feet, such that a tsunami with a feasible height for an inland region easily flooded the lake,” said Baranes. 

The results of the study are promising and potentially could be used to help model future tsunamis in high-risk coastal areas worldwide. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Which parts of Japan are most at risk of a tsunami?

A new GPS-based method that can model tsunamis could help...

A large crack in southwestern Kenya collapsed part of the Nairobi-Narok highway and foreshadows the possibility of Africa splitting in half several million years. 

Movement along the plate boundaries in the earth’s lithosphere can cause rift valleys to appear, just like the one currently forming in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sophisticated-tools-ancestors-found/">Africa</a>.

Although the continent is millions of years away from breaking in two, the recent activity has spurred renewed interest in rift valleys and how they form. 

Lucia Perez Diaz, a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/earthsciences/research/gss/fdrg.aspx">Fault Dynamics Research Department</a> of the <a href="https://royalholloway.ac.uk/">Royal Holloway University of London</a>, recently wrote a piece in <a href="https://theconversation.com/large-crack-in-east-african-rift-is-evidence-of-continent-splitting-in-two-94056">The Conversation</a> describing the processes behind rift valleys. Diaz also addressed the tear in Africa and the projected timeline as the continent fully splits in two. 

According to Diaz, the lithosphere is the layer of our planet that contains the crust and the upper mantle and is broken up by tectonic plates. These plates move thanks to the viscous nature of the asthenosphere. 

The movement of these plates release large amounts of energy as they slip or move past one another, which is what causes earthquakes.

Sometimes plates can rupture, which is how rifts and new plate boundaries are formed. The new crack in Kenya is part of the East African Rift System. The source of this rift is a large mantle plume that rises up towards the lithosphere and puts stress on the Earth’s crust, stretching it to the breaking point. 

According to Diaz, evidence of a mantle plume called the African Superswell has been confirmed and it is splitting the African plate into two pieces, the Somali and Nubian plates. 

Over a span of tens of millions of years, the lithosphere will break apart in the East African Rift System and a new ocean will start to form. Eventually, the entire rift will flood and Africa will be markedly smaller as the continent is split in two. 

Most of the time, the extensive rifting process goes unnoticed unless accompanied by distinct seismic activity like large earthquakes. 

“Dramatic events, such as sudden motorway-splitting faults or large catastrophic earthquakes may give continental rifting a sense of urgency but, most of the time, it goes about splitting Africa without anybody even noticing,” Diaz told The Conversation.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Is Africa beginning to split into two halves?

A large crack in southwestern Kenya collapsed part of the...

It might be fair to say that the European-based American culture is uncomfortable with desert.  The very word invokes ideas of wastelands inhospitable to life. Images of vultures circling over people panting the word ‘water’ as they trudge over sand dunes come to mind.  Desertification is seen as an unmitigated negative, with no upside. In her book Refuge, Terry Tempest Williams gives perfect voice to how many who do not know the desert seem to feel when voicing the government’s stance:

“A blank spot on the map translates into empty space, space devoid of people, a wasteland perfect for nerve gas, weteye bombs, and toxic waste.  The army believes that the Great Salt Lake Desert is an ideal place to experiment with biological warfare.” 

The problem with this view of the desert as openly hostile is that it’s full of life, including human life.  It’s important to remember that humans took their first steps in rather arid environments in Africa. The roots of Western Civilization also started in dry places: Egypt and the fertile crescent of the Middle East.  The desert has long been inspiration for zealots and iconoclastic individuals. Those who have learned to know the desert have often found a love for the lean beauty, myself included. 

When big conservation concerns come to mind, many think of rainforest or maybe polar ice caps.  Desert rarely comes to the forefront in endangered places or endangered animals. The sad truth is that we could easily lose the landscape of the American desert, a place of stark beauty and uniquely American as New York City.      

According to a recent report from <a href="https://www.drought.gov/drought/">Drought.gov</a>, 26.1% of the U.S. is in drought, or 30.8% of the lower 48 states.  On maps, a stark red patch hovers over the four corners region of the Southwest, expanding across New Mexico into Oklahoma and part of Texas as well as cutting across the whole state of Arizona.  The red patch signifies extreme drought and covering most of the southwest as well as the southeast, and parts of the Midwest are varying hues of yellow meaning everything from ‘abnormally dry’ to  ‘severe drought’. It’s not breaking news that the southwestern U.S. has been very dry as of late. Anyone that watches the news with any regularity has heard of Californians pulling up orchards because of due to recent drought.  Mostly the concern seems to be with humans, but we are the most mobile, most adaptable and most to blame for the decline of the desert regions many of us call home. 

There is a disconnect between how people who live in cities in the desert go about their lives and the stark realities of the dwindling water they depend on.  Already this year, Grand Canyon National Park has been in level 3 water restrictions, just lifted. The water restrictions stopped showering and even dishwashing at Grand Canyon restaurants.  Meanwhile in other parts of Arizona, water waste is rampant. Outside the mall where the local Tucson REI resides, there is a cascade of artificial fountain water. At the city park where I often jog or take my dog to the dog park, there is also a grassy golf course.  People in Phoenix haven’t stopped using their swimming pools, Las Vegas is still littered with fountains and fake pirate battles on extravagant artificial seas. 

The future for the desert is grim as humans pull water from every river, aquifer and oasis for their gluttonous appetite.  It’s not just that we’re using more water, although we are, it’s that a lot of water is from aquifers and can’t replenish itself on a human timetable.  The Ogallala Aquifer underlying the center of the continent from northern Texas to Southern South Dakota is expansive at nearly 175,000 square miles. A <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">USGS</a> study shows a drop of 15.4 feet in the aquifer systems water level from predevelopment to 2013, and 2.1 feet of the water level drop occurred between 2011 and 2013.  

Adding to the conundrum is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">climate change</a>.  

In the iconic landscape of Joshua Tree National Park, a haven for climbers and desert rats of all sorts, the namesake Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) is in danger.  Due to climate change the giant, scraggly yucca tree the Mormons named after Joshua isn’t reproducing very quickly.  A study cited by <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/">National Geographic</a> shows that in 30% of the Joshua Trees range in the park there are few or no young trees.  Joshua Trees may be in extreme peril with higher temperatures and increasing droughts. 

Joshua Trees aren’t the only iconic desert plant threatened by climate change either.  It’s hard not to think of saguaros (Carnegiea gigantean), the giant cactus with arms when thinking of the American desert.  According to <a href="http://sweetwatercenter.org/">sweetwatercenter.org</a>, saguaros grow fastest in the wettest part of their range and slowest in the driest part of their range.  Besides growth rates, Buffelgrass (Pennisetum ciliare) an invasive introduced from Africa may outcompete native plants under the influence of climate change.  Saguaros and other Sonoran desert plants have evolved over the ages for a specific climate pattern of monsoons breaking up hot dry weather.  As the weather becomes more erratic, known patterns break down, pushing some species past the breaking point. 

If Saguaros and Joshua trees go, many other plants will go with them.  With no plants and less reliable water, the irony is an ecosystem defined by lack of water will be forever destroyed.  River systems like the Colorado are already over taxed. According to the <a href="https://sonoraninstitute.org/">Sonoran Institute</a>, the Colorado River once delivered 17 billion cubic meters of fresh water to the estuary at the top of the Sea of Cortez in Mexico.  Today there is a trickle of agricultural runoff and effluent from wastewater treatment. The Sonoran Institute is working hard to restore the estuary provided habitat for desert pupfish, Vaquita, Colorado Delta Clam and many others being unique to the region.  As we continue to drain the Colorado River faced with drought and lower water tables, the estuary will suffer more.

What can be done to save the American Desert?  I cannot claim to have the answer. I will say what I know is the first step.  You must know the desert, forgo the museum, pass by the library and hit the hiking trails.  Learn the names of the cactus stuck in your sock. Get sunburned. Blister your hands climbing a sandstone cliff.  Fall in love with the desert. No one fights as hard for something they don’t love. Remember the words of Ed Abbey, the great American desert rat, “Love implies anger.  The man who is angered by nothing cares about nothing.” 

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By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The end of the Great American Desert?

It might be fair to say that the European-based American...

While many people are relieved to see winter change to spring, the warmer weather and budding trees sometimes means a whole season of agony for allergy sufferers. 

You may have even heard the rumor that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/stress-sick-allergies/">allergies</a> seem to be getting worse in the United States, and there actually might be some truth to this.

It all boils down to a concept called “botanical sexism” which was first termed by horticultural epidemiologist Thomas Leo Ogren. 

Ogren has been studying the allergy-potential of common horticultural plants for 30 years and has even written several books on gardening techniques for mitigating allergies. 

Botanical sexism involves the process by which urban landscapers, in an effort to keep city streets and sidewalks clear of seeds and flowers, plant only male trees. 

The male trees lack the seeds of their female counterparts but have an abundance of pollen, and as the trees get bigger, their pollen counts increase. 

In an article for the <a href="https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/botanical-sexism-cultivates-home-grown-allergies/">Scientific American</a>, Ogren discusses the timeline of male trees dominating city streets. It all started after Dutch Elm Disease wiped out millions of trees across the country in the 1980s. In an effort to replace them, many landscapers opted to plant clonal male trees. 

“The problem is that while these trees and plants are “litter-free,” they all produce abundant allergenic pollen,” Ogren told Scientific American.

What’s worse is that the pollen congregates in the areas where the trees are planted, so people who live in cities with an abundance of male trees risk a high exposure to pollen. 

Ogren suggests that smart landscape management, planting more female trees, and stopping commercial growers from selling male only plants are all ways to help reduce pollen counts. 

“The more female plants in a landscape, the less pollen there will be in the air in the immediate vicinity,” Ogren told Scientific American. “By relying less on males and paying more attention to the allergy-potential of all the plants in our urban landscape, all of us may one day breathe easier.”

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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

Botanical sexism with trees making seasonal allergies worse

While many people are relieved to see winter change to...

DCIM100GOPRO

A new study has found that atmospheric carbon dioxide may have twice the impact on coastal estuaries compared to the ocean. According to experts from the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a>, human-caused <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/seagrass-co2-emissions/">carbon dioxide</a> weakens the ability of ecosystems to absorb its naturally-fluctuating levels.

The investigation was focused on an underwater seagrass habitat in Washington state's Puget Sound that is between one and four meters deep. Lead author Stephen Pacella collected data at the site for over two and a half months.

The research team found that, on a daily basis, marine organisms were exposed to significant variability in harmful levels of carbon dioxide. For example, the water had higher carbon dioxide, lower pH levels, and a lower saturation state at night time.

The study revealed that the threatening conditions which occured in the estuary overnight are changing twice as fast as the daily average. This will have a negative influence on shell-building animals including oysters, clams, and mussels.

Study co-author George Waldbusser is a Marine ecologist at <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>.

“In these environments that are dominated by marine plants, photosynthesis and respiration cause large differences in CO2 concentrations and the addition of anthropogenic carbon make these day-to-night differences even larger than they would be without that extra carbon,” said Waldbusser.

“The continued addition of CO2 to these waters results in the worst conditions changing twice as fast due to the loss of the system's ability to buffer itself.”

Pacella’s data was used to develop a model that can be used to estimate the daily carbonate chemistry during the summer dry season all the way back to the year 1765. The model can also be used to predict the conditions through the end of this century.

“Organisms, including us, experience the weather - and climate is what causes changes to the weather,” said Waldbusser. “However, we can't really ‘feel’ the gradual change in global temperature. We do, though, experience the extreme weather events or flooding, which are predicted to get worse due to gradual increases in sea level.”

“In this case, the carbonate chemistry history is changing more rapidly than we anticipated. As with sea level rise, the graduate increase becomes more important during events that amplify those otherwise naturally occurring cycles.”

The researchers say they are still investigating how these events affect the long-term health of species that are sensitive to ocean acidification.

“If, as we tend to believe, extreme events matter to marine organisms, the research suggests that more work is needed to define water quality criteria that incorporate daily changes in the highs and lows of CO2 rather than just utilizing average daily or annual conditions,” said Waldbusser.

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</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: <a href="https://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a>

Human-caused CO2 emissions are harming estuaries

A new study has found that atmospheric carbon dioxide may...

Nearly 500 species in the United States may face the threat of extinction, according to a concerning new wildlife report. 

The <a href="https://www.nwf.org/-/media/Documents/PDFs/NWF-Reports/2018/Reversing-Americas-Wildlife-Crisis_2018.ashx?la=en&amp;hash=B41BE77BAFA4252AA4C197233AB08AEBCC4613CC">report</a> was just released by the <a href="https://www.nwf.org/">National Wildlife Federation</a> and included data from the <a href="https://fisheries.org/">American Fisheries Society </a>and the <a href="http://wildlife.org/">Wildlife Society</a>. 

Habitat degradation, disease, pollution, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/political-split-climate-change/">climate change</a>, and invasive species have all been listed as major threats to American wildlife, prompting worrying species loss in the country. 

More than 150 species have already gone extinct in the United States, including the Carolina parakeet and the passenger pigeon.

At the current rate that populations are decreasing, almost one-third of all wildlife species in the country may not be far behind, according to the recent findings. 

Some notable species at risk include freshwater fish, monarch butterflies, and bats. 

Monarch butterfly populations have dropped by 90 percent in the last two decades, and bat species in North America have faced a 30 percent decline. 

Freshwater fish and bees were reportedly the hardest hit over the years, and 40 percent of freshwater fish in North America are rare or imperiled.

“America’s wildlife are in crisis and now is the time for unprecedented on-the-ground collaboration,” said Collin O’Mara, President and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Fish, birds, mammals, reptiles and invertebrates are all losing ground. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to prevent these species from vanishing from the earth.”

The report also outlines some successful conservation efforts, but reveals how endangered North American wildlife and biodiversity is. 

“Wildlife in America needs help,” John McDonald, the President of the Wildlife Society. “Species are increasingly at risk in all regions of the country and across all categories of wildlife. This decline is not inevitable. Wildlife professionals in every state have action plans ready to go to conserve all wildlife for future generations, but we need the funding to turn this situation around.”

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Nearly one-third of North American species could face extinction

Nearly 500 species in the United States may face the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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