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A new survey of North Sea waters has revealed that several shark and ray species move through Dutch offshore wind farms and may even use them as shelter.



By reading traces of DNA suspended in seawater, scientists from <a href="https://www.wur.nl/en.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Wageningen University &amp; Research</a> have shown that these high-tech energy sites could also play an unexpected part in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ocean-conservation-credit-system-could-reduce-costs/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">marine conservation</a>. 



The research provides new evidence that renewable-energy structures can interact with marine life in complex ways - sometimes for the better.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sharks-and-rays-at-wind-farms">Sharks and rays at wind farms</h2>



The team collected 436 water samples inside and around four wind-farm zones: Borssele, Hollandse Kust Zuid, Luchterduinen, and Gemini. Each sample was filtered in the lab for fragments of genetic material shed by passing animals. The method, known as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dna-fishing-helps-scientists-survey-marine-life-in-the-deep-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">environmental DNA</a> or eDNA, is sensitive enough to confirm a species’ presence without nets or hooks.



“We're trying to understand whether these animals are actually using the wind farms as habitat, or whether they're being displaced by them,” said lead author Annemiek Hermans, a PhD candidate at Wageningen University &amp; Research.



Five elasmobranchs - <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mediterranean-sharks-face-growing-threats-despite-conservation-efforts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">sharks</a> and rays - left a clear genetic signature at wind farms. Thornback rays appeared most often and in three of the four farms throughout the year.



Starry smooth-hound sharks and blonde rays showed up in multiple seasons. Basking sharks, famous for their long migrations, were detected in Hollandse Kust Zuid during winter, hinting at cold-season routes previously unknown in Dutch waters.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-reading-the-water-for-clues">Reading the water for clues</h2>



“It's like finding a fingerprint in the water,” Hermans explained. “Even if you don't see the shark, the DNA tells you it's been there.”



Because the technique is quick and does not disturb wildlife, it opens new doors for large-scale monitoring in rough offshore conditions. It also lets scientists compare many sites over time, revealing patterns that traditional surveys might miss.



The study drew on earlier data gathered by <a href="https://www.therichnorthsea.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Rich North Sea program</a>, then added fresh fieldwork to paint a broader picture. By merging datasets, the researchers confirmed that sharks and rays are not just skirting the turbine fields - they are moving through them in measurable numbers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turbines-sharks-and-rays-find-shelter">Turbines: Sharks and rays find shelter</h2>



Turbine safety zones ban bottom-trawling and other gear that gouges the seabed. Those restrictions give benthic habitats a break from constant disturbance, allowing worms, shellfish and small fish to rebound. Such changes create richer feeding grounds and hiding spots for predators higher up the food web.



“We must tread carefully,” Hermans cautioned. “If we start allowing bottom trawling in these areas, we risk losing the very protection these zones may offer.”



Vulnerable elasmobranchs, which mature slowly and lay few eggs, could benefit most from these inadvertent sanctuaries.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wind-farms-influence-sharks-and-rays">Wind farms influence sharks and rays</h2>



The findings arrive just as the European Union rolls out the Nature Restoration Law and updates its Habitats Directive.



Policymakers face a delicate task: scaling up <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tapping-into-the-natural-power-of-plants-for-renewable-energy/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">renewable energy</a> without harming the ecosystems they hope to safeguard. Evidence that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/offshore-wind-farms-threaten-marine-life-hotspots/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">wind farms</a> can double as conservation assets offers a rare chance for a “win-win” approach.



The six-year <a href="https://www.wur.nl/en/project/elasmopower-1.htm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ElasmoPower project</a>, under which this study falls, also looks at how electromagnetic fields from subsea power cables might influence shark and ray behavior.



Future work will blend lab trials with camera arrays, sensors, and more eDNA sampling to see whether the animals linger, feed, or breed inside turbine clusters - or simply pass through.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-next-steps-for-north-sea-wildlife"><a></a>Next steps for North Sea wildlife</h2>



Using non-invasive genetics, the team now has a baseline for tracking seasonal movements and long-term trends. Repeating the survey in different years and depths could reveal whether the number of elasmobranchs rises as benthic life recovers beneath turbine blades.



The same approach might be applied to other protected species, guiding spatial plans that place turbines where they help rather than harm.



For now, the study demonstrates that wind farms are more than power plants. They are new structures in a busy sea, shaping habitats in ways still being mapped. Whether those changes become a net gain for threatened sharks and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ancient-rays-were-more-diverse-than-previously-thought/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">rays</a> will depend on careful management - and on keeping the trawls out.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-beneath-the-waves">Beneath the waves</h2>



The North Sea is a crowded stage of shipping lanes, fishing grounds and growing energy grids. Environmental DNA offers a swift, animal-friendly way to see how each new addition affects life below the surface.



In this case it has been shown that, under the right rules, rows of spinning turbines might turn into corridors of relative calm for some of the ocean’s most ancient fish.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2025.107671" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Ocean &amp; Coastal Management</a>.



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Offshore wind farms are now habitats for sharks and rays

A new survey of North Sea waters has revealed that several shark and ray species move through Dutch offshore wind farms and may even use them as shelter. By reading traces of DNA suspended in seawater, scientists from Wageningen University &amp; Research have shown that these high-tech energy sites could also play an unexpected part in marine conservation. The research provides new evidence that renewable-energy structures can interact with marine life in complex ways - sometimes for the better. Sharks and rays at wind farms The team...

Ecosystems and the species within them rely heavily on the timing of the changing of the seasons, making the predictability of temperature and weather patterns extremely important for the survival of many species.

Unfortunately, a new study published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a> has found evidence that animal species are changing the timing of their seasonal activities – known as phenology – at different rates in response to shifting seasonal temperatures and precipitation patterns.

These effects on the daily functioning of ecosystems can also have significant impacts on human food supplies and the spread of diseases. 

“We rely on honeybees to pollinate seasonal crops and migratory birds to return in the spring to eat insects that are crop pests and vectors of human diseases,” explains lead author Jeremy Cohen, a postdoctoral researcher at the <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a> Department of Integrative Biology. “If the timing of these and other seasonal events are off, ecosystems can malfunction with potentially adverse effects on humans.”

After the researchers reviewed thousands of records of phenological shifts, dating back to the 1950s, they discovered some interesting patterns. The results showed that cold-blooded species and species with smaller body sizes are breeding or aggregating earlier than warm-blooded or large-bodied species in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earlier-spring-carbon-emissions/">spring</a>. 

“Our research elucidates the drivers of phenological responses and the traits of organisms that influence their ability to track changing climates,” says co-author Jason Rohr, PhD, a professor at the <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a>. “We expect these findings to improve our ability to forecast the locations, systems and species that might be at the greatest risk from climate change and ideally mitigate any adverse effects that these changes might have on the services that ecosystems provide to humans.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Jeremy Cohen, PhD, <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a>

Shifting seasons and changing weather are altering ecosystems

Ecosystems and the species within them rely heavily on the...

According to the <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/esophageal-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20356084">Mayo Clinic,</a> esophageal cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer deaths around the world.

It has long been known that smoking and excessive alcohol intake increase the risk of esophageal cancer, but a new study has found that drinking hot tea in combination with cigarettes and alcohol raises the risk of esophageal cancer even more. 

The study was conducted by researchers from the <a href="http://www.nsfc.gov.cn/publish/portal1/">National Natural Science Foundation of China </a>and<a href="http://www.most.gov.cn/eng/programmes1/200610/t20061009_36224.htm"> National Key Research and Development Program</a>, who set out to study the link between drinking hot tea and esophageal cancer. 

China has one of the highest rates of esophageal cancer in the world, and according to the researchers, Chinese tea drinkers are also more likely to smoke and drink alcohol. 

It was previously suggested that hot tea might increase the risk of cancer, but the researchers wanted to prove if there was a connection. 

The study was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine. 

The researchers surveyed 456,155 participants who were part of the <a href="http://www.ckbiobank.org/">China Kadoorie Biobank</a> study. If a person already had been diagnosed with cancer or reported reducing tea or alcohol consumption, they were excluded. 

A little over nine years later, the researchers followed up to see how many of the participants had been diagnosed with esophageal cancer and if this could be linked to drinking hot tea. 

After the follow-up, 1,731 cancer cases were reported, and the results of the study showed that drinking hot, near boiling tea increased the risk of esophageal cancer in combination with either smoking or excessive alcohol consumption. 

Drinking hot tea, smoking, and excessive alcohol correlated with a five times great risk of cancer than those who didn’t smoke or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/adolescent-drinking-liver-problems/">drink</a>. 

The study also found that drinking tea alone did not increase the risk of esophageal cancer. 

The results suggest that if someone can’t give up smoking or drinking, it may be crucial to avoid hot tea based on its connection to an increased risk of esophageal cancer. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Hot tea, smoking, and alcohol increase risk of esophageal cancer

According to the Mayo Clinic, esophageal cancer is the sixth...

In September 2017, Mexico experienced <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/severe-earthquake-mexico-city/">two major earthquakes</a> about two weeks and several hundred miles apart. Now, new research has found that Mexico’s early earthquake warning system gave residents almost 2 minutes of advance warning.

On September 7th, an 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck with an epicenter near the states of Chiapas and Oaxaca, with tremors that were felt as far as Mexico City. 

A little over a week later on September 20th, Mexico City experienced a 7.1 magnitude quake, and both earthquakes were the result of movement along the Cocos Plate. 

The strong earthquakes show how important early warning systems can be to saving lives.

Mexico’s early warning system, SASMEX, gave almost two minutes of warning before the September 7th quake tremors reached Mexico city, according to a report published in the journal Seismological Research Letters. 

However, the system only offered a few seconds of warning before the second quake.

The report details how SASMEX consists of a expensive connection of networks along with checks and balances that ensure that warnings can be broadcast, even if one communications system is affected by a quake. 

SASMEX also decreases the time needed to receive and broadcast alerts but the system, is by no means perfect. 

The early warning system focuses on the subduction zone off the southern coast of Mexico. 97 seismic monitoring stations constantly track the plate movement and send information to data collection centers where SASMEX alerts are received through an insured system of satellite links, internet links, and radio. 

According to Gerardo Suárez, the lead author of the Seismological Research Letters paper, researchers at the <a href="http://www.cires.org.mx/">Centro de Instrumentación y Registro Sísmico</a> are working on a new algorithm that could provide even more warning time by speeding up seismic data processing.

Suárez notes that the new algorithm could have warned Mexico City of the second quake eight to ten seconds earlier, which is still very little time for government agencies to respond, but earlier than the warning SASMEX did give. 

For Suárez, the new algorithm could be helpful for early earthquake warning and detection, but he says that caution should be exercised. 

“To me, this shows that we should not enamored of the technology and simply install seismic early warning systems without thinking of the social issue,” said Suárez. “Any early warning system should have a clearly thought-out strategy as to who will be warned. After more than 25 years, the Mexican seismic early warning system is still lacking these procedures that I believe should be a governmental responsibility."

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Mexico’s earthquake warning system gave residents advance notice

In September 2017, Mexico experienced two major earthquakes about two...

The results of a new study suggest that the recovery of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/proof-ozone-hole-recovery/">ozone layer</a> may be limited to the Antarctic region. The researchers found that the bottom portion of the ozone layer at more populated latitudes seems to be declining, possibly due to changes in the atmosphere.

The Montreal Protocol of 1987 led to the elimination of CFCs and, as a result, scientists have recently documented the first signs of recovery of the Antarctic ozone layer. However, the stratospheric ozone does not appear to be recovering at lower latitudes.

“Ozone has been seriously declining globally since the 1980s, but while the banning of CFCs is leading to a recovery at the poles, the same does not appear to be true for the lower latitudes,” said study co-author Professor Joanna Haigh.

“The potential for harm in lower latitudes may actually be worse than at the poles. The decreases in ozone are less than we saw at the poles before the Montreal Protocol was enacted, but UV radiation is more intense in these regions and more people live there.”

For their investigation, the researchers compared data collected from a long-term series of studies by multiple international teams.

While the cause of the deterioration of ozone in the lower stratosphere is not yet known, the experts believe that a changing climate may be altering the atmospheric circulation pattern, causing more ozone to be carried away from the tropics.


The decline could also be attributed to very short-lived substances (VSLSs), solvents such as paint strippers and degreasing agents. Previously, scientists thought that VSLSs did not persist long enough in the atmosphere to affect the ozone.

“The finding of declining low-latitude ozone is surprising, since our current best atmospheric circulation models do not predict this effect,” explained lead author Dr.William Ball. “Very short-lived substances could be the missing factor in these models.”

The experts said that further research is needed to determine what is causing the ozone decline. The study is published today in the European Geosciences Union journal <a href="https://www.atmospheric-chemistry-and-physics.net/">Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The ozone layer is struggling to recover at lower latitudes

The results of a new study suggest that the recovery...

Polyacrylfasern im Erdreich

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.igb-berlin.de/en">Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB)</a> are reporting that plastic particle pollution is just as threatening on land as it is at sea. The experts believe that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/worlds-tap-water-contains-plastics/">microplastics</a> are having the same, if not worse, impacts on terrestrial ecosystems compared to marine habitats. 

According to the research team, the presence of microplastics in soils, sediment, and in freshwater bodies could have long-term consequences across the globe.

This image features a look at polyacrylic fibers caught in soil.

While the dangers of marine plastic pollution have been widely documented, the IGB researchers set out to investigate the effect of microplastics on land animals.

“Although only little research has been carried out in this area, the results to date are concerning: fragments of plastic are present practically all over the world and can trigger many kinds of adverse effects,” explained lead author Anderson Abel de Souza Machado. 

“The previously observed effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on terrestrial ecosystems around the world indicate that these ecosystems may also be in serious jeopardy.”

Over 400 million tons of plastic are produced globally each year, and it is estimated that one third of all plastic waste ends up in soils or freshwater bodies. The majority of this plastic disintegrates into microplastics, which are particles smaller than five millimeters.

Depending on the environment, terrestrial microplastic pollution is between four and 23 times higher than marine microplastic pollution. 

Sewage is a major contributor to this issue, due to the fact that 80 to 90 percent of the plastic particles contained in sewage persist in the environment. For example, sewage sludge is often used as fertilizer, which results in the delivery of several thousand tons of microplastics into soils every year.

Microplastics have been detected in fish, salt, sugar, seafood, and beer. The researchers believe that these plastics already commonly exist within terrestrial organisms.

The research from IGB emphasizes a need for more scientific evidence and reliable data on the presence and degradation behavior of terrestrial microplastics in order for an accurate assessment and an effective response.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Anderson Abel de Souza Machado

Plastic pollution also poses major threat on land

Researchers from the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries...

The most recent <a href="http://www.lung.org/about-us/media/top-stories/state-of-the-air-2017.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/">State of the Air</a> report conducted by the <a href="http://www.lung.org/">American Lung Association</a> found that four in ten Americans live in areas with dangerous levels of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ozone-pollution-cardiovascular-health/">ozone</a> or particulate pollution. 

Ozone pollution is a major health concern and exposure can cause issues with breathing, aggravate lung diseases, and cause chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Even though there are areas with unhealthy levels of ozone in North America, ozone pollution has decreased in Europe and North America over the past 15 years, according to a new global assessment of surface ozone. 

The research, published in the journal Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene, also found that ozone is increasing in parts of eastern Asia due to economic development and a rise in emissions. 

“Despite improvements in air pollution emissions in Europe and North America, ozone levels that are harmful to human health are still a cause for concern across the world and ozone is rising in East Asia,” said Zoë L. Fleming, the first author of the report.  

The report is the first of its kind to show surface ozone around the world, and the report is now publicly available with access to statistics and maps of ozone levels between 2000 and 2014. 

The global surface ozone measurement was part of the Tropospheric Ozone Assessment Report (TOAR), which is an international effort to understand better how ozone is distributed and where ozone exposure is dangerous. 

An international team of researchers from 14 different institutions collected data from over 4,800 monitoring stations around the world. 

The data was then analyzed, and the researchers noted how ozone levels had changed over the years, and what regions had unhealthy or potentially dangerous levels of ozone that could be harmful to health and wellbeing. 

Previous ozone studies were limited, showing smaller regional areas and their ozone levels, but not depicting the broader scale of global surface ozone. Now thanks to this new research and report, scientists will have easy access to global surface ozone maps. 

“TOAR is the most ambitious project to date to assess global ozone levels at the surface of the Earth, helping us to understand potential human health impacts better,” said Fleming. 

The results show that ozone levels are decreasing across Europe and North America but increasing steadily in East Asia as emissions also increase, and will be helpful in future studies monitoring ozone exposure and regions where ozone could affect respiratory health. 

"There is an increasing awareness of the issues of human health from poor air quality and making such a database freely available and disseminating the results from the study will inform the public on the health implications of ozone,” said Fleming. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Ozone pollution decreasing in North America, increasing in Asia

The most recent State of the Air report conducted by...

Experts are reporting that environmental noise may damage the body on a cellular level, increasing the risk of common heart disease factors. This research supports a growing collection of evidence that links <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noise-pollution-reproduction-birds/">noise pollution</a> to heart disease. 

Many studies have established an association between traffic noise and a higher risk of heart disease factors such as coronary artery disease, arterial hypertension, stroke and heart failure. However, the specific underlying mechanisms which lead to noise-induced heart disease remain unidentified. 


The research team examined a collection of noise studies which focused on related topics such as which molecular mechanisms impair vascular function, the non-auditory effects of noise and how they can damage the cardiovascular system, and evidence of noise-induced cardiovascular disease.


Based on their collaboration, the researchers theorize that noise induces a physiological reaction which is characterized by activation of the sympathetic nervous system and increased hormone levels. They believe this stress response initiates abnormalities which ultimately cause cardiovascular damage. 

The results of this study substantiate the idea that traffic noise leads to the development of heart disease risk factors such as hypertension.

Due to the adverse effects of environmental noise on the health of both humans and animals, the experts also concentrated on mitigation strategies that are currently being used like traffic management and regulation. 

The team found that the development of low-noise tires and air traffic curfews could help reduce hazardous noise, but also determined that more strategies are needed.

Lead author Dr. Thomas Munzel said that “as the percentage of the population exposed to detrimental levels of transportation noise are rising, new developments and legislation to reduce noise are important for public health.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.onlinejacc.org/">Journal of the American College of Cardiology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New research links noise pollution to heart disease

Experts are reporting that environmental noise may damage the body...

Researchers have found evidence that fragments of a 62-mile-wide comet collided with Earth 12,600 years ago. The event, which was likely witnessed by ancient humans, triggered fires across ten percent of the planet followed by massive shock waves. 

The analysis is based on geochemical and isotopic data from over 170 sites across the world. Adrian Melott is a professor of Physics &amp; Astronomy at <a href="https://www.ku.edu/">The University of Kansas</a> and one of the study's 24 authors.

“The hypothesis is that a large comet fragmented and the chunks impacted the Earth, causing this disaster,” said Melott. 

“A number of different chemical signatures - carbon dioxide, nitrate, ammonia and others - all seem to indicate that an astonishing 10 percent of the Earth’s land surface, or about 10 million square kilometers, was consumed by fires.”

The catastrophic event happened toward the end of the last Ice Age, and the subsequent climate conditions would have been extreme enough to extend the glacial episode by a thousand years.

The experts theorize that the widespread fires filled the sky with dust and blocked out the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greener-sunscreens/">Sun</a>. The climate dramatically cooled off, ocean currents shifted, and glaciers began to advance again.

Humans experienced health issues that substantially lowered the global population. Plants and animals suffered as well, and many species were totally wiped out.

The scientists believe that this event may be the cause of the extinctions of larger species and “human cultural shifts and population declines” during the late Pleistocene.

“Computations suggest that the impact would have depleted the ozone layer, causing increases in skin cancer and other negative health effects,” said Melott. 

“The impact hypothesis is still a hypothesis, but this study provides a massive amount of evidence, which we argue can only be all explained by a major cosmic impact.”

The study is published in the <a href="http://www.journals.uchicago.edu/toc/jg/current">Journal of Geology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Massive comet likely caused a near apocalypse 12,600 years ago

Researchers have found evidence that fragments of a 62-mile-wide comet...

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a> are reporting that melting ice sheets in the Northern Hemisphere during the last <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/barely-missed-ice-age/">Ice Age</a> impacted the climate in other regions of the world. 

The experts discovered that the deterioration of the Laurentide Ice Sheet, which covered present-day North America 16,000 years ago, significantly changed climate conditions in the tropical Pacific and in West Antarctica. 

Tyler Jones is a research associate in CU Boulder's Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research (INSTAAR) and the lead author of the study.

“The results demonstrate how seemingly localized effects in one part of the world may have a large impact on climate elsewhere on Earth,” said Jones.

For their investigation, the researchers analyzed an ice core from the West Antarctic Ice Sheet that provided year-to-year climate variability for the last 30,000 years.

“This ice core is really important because it contains long-term climate information that relates to the timescales that humans experience and remember,” said Jones.

The team melted the ice core, and then vaporized it using laser absorption spectroscopy to determine the isotopic composition of the water.

The researchers found an abrupt change in the ice core’s year-to-year climate signals 16,000 years ago. They linked this shift to the melting of the Laurentide Ice Sheet.

“When there is a large ice sheet over North America, the circulation of the atmosphere becomes very different than today,” said Jones. 

The findings of this analysis back up the results of a previous study which indicated ice sheet changes in the same time period shifted the climate in the tropical Pacific so extremely that terrestrial ecosystems of present-day Indonesia were transformed from grasslands to rainforest.

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

Melting ice sheet altered southern hemisphere climate

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are reporting that...

When a team of researchers estimated the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cowspiracy-film-review/">sustainability</a> of resources in 151 countries, they found that no nation is capable of meeting the basic human needs of its population. 

The unprecedented analysis revealed that human needs are not being met when social and global requirements are both taken into consideration.

Dr. Daniel O'Neill from the Sustainability Research Institute at the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> is the study's lead author.

“Almost everything we do, from having dinner to surfing the Internet, uses resources in some way, but the connections between resource use and human well-being are not always visible to us,” said Dr. O'Neill.

“We examined international relationships between the sustainability of resource use and the achievement of social goals, and found that basic needs, such as nutrition, sanitation, and the elimination of extreme poverty, could most likely be achieved in all countries without exceeding global environmental limits.”

Dr. O'Neill explained that other social goals, such as secondary education and life satisfaction, are not as clearly attainable. 

The current study expands upon previous research by the <a href="http://www.stockholmresilience.org/">Stockholm Resilience Centre</a>, which identified nine crucial environmental processes as being “planetary boundaries.” Crossing these limits, such as freshwater and land use, could lead to devastating climate change.

“Meeting these goals could require a level of resource use that is two to six times the sustainable level,” said Dr. O’Neill.

The research team developed an evaluation based on each country's resource use and well-being achievements.

“Our results suggest that some of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, such as combating climate change and its impacts, could be undermined by the pursuit of other goals, particularly those focused on growth or high levels of human well-being,” said study co-author Dr. Andrew Fanning.

The researchers examined seven planetary boundaries as they related to each country's population, and then compared these limits to resource consumption while accounting for international trade.

The experts also rated countries on 11 social objectives that represented a “safe and just” level of development. Life expectancy and democratic quality were observed, among other objectives.

Ultimately, the researchers found that no country performed well under the conditions of both planetary boundaries and social indicators.

“In general, the more social thresholds a country achieves, the more planetary boundaries it exceeds, and vice versa,” said co-author Dr. William Lamb.

“Although wealthy nations like the US and UK satisfy the basic needs of their citizens, they do so at a level of resource use that is far beyond what is globally sustainable. In contrast, countries that are using resources at a sustainable level, such as Sri Lanka, fail to meet the basic needs of their people.”

The study is published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/natsustain">Nature Sustainability</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

No country is meeting its sustainability needs, says new study

When a team of researchers estimated the sustainability of resources...

Agroforestry is an agricultural system that combines crops and livestock with trees on the same area of land. It’s popular in developing countries due to its ability to allow small shareholder farmers with little available land to maximize their resources. Farmers can plant vegetable and grain crops around trees that produce fruit, nuts, and firewood. Trees also provide shade for the animals that provide milk and meat.

Along with the benefit of maximizing land use, researchers from <a href="http://www.psu.edu/">Penn State</a> have found that agroforestry could also play a role in mitigating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-confuses-climate-change/">climate change</a>, as it sequesters more atmospheric carbon in plant parts and soil than conventional agriculture. Researchers assessed data from 53 published studies from around the world — all tracking changes in soil organic carbon after land conversion from forest to crop cultivation and pasture-grassland to agroforestry.

The results showed that the transition from agriculture to agroforestry significantly increased soil organic carbon an average of 34 percent. Conversion from pasture/grassland to agroforestry resulted in average soil organic carbon increases of roughly 10 percent. And although forests sequester about 25 percent more carbon than any other land use, agroforestry stores significantly more carbon than agriculture, on average.

“We showed that agroforestry systems play an effective role in global carbon sequestration, involved in carbon capture and the long-term storage of atmospheric carbon dioxide,” says Michael Jacobson, a professor of forest resources at Penn State. “The process is critical to mitigating or deferring global warming.”

Andrea De Stefano, lead researcher and a graduate student at Penn State during the study, points out that carbon was not stored equally in different soil levels. “The conversion from forest to agroforestry led to losses in soil organic carbon stocks in the top layers, while no significant differences were detected when deeper layers were included," explains De Stefano. “On the other hand, the conversion from agriculture to agroforestry increased soil organic carbon stocks at all levels, in most cases.” They also observed significant increases in the top layers in the transition from pasture/grassland to agroforestry.

Although prior research has previously shown that forests are greater storages of carbon than agricultural systems, this study is the first to show that agroforestry lies somewhere in between the two when it comes to carbon sequestration. 

In countries in the tropics — such as Brazil, Kenya, and Indonesia — government programs are paying farmers to grow trees on their land to mitigate climate change. It is a strategy that is widely embraced where farmers are poorer and in need of such economic benefits. “In the United States, you can see agroforestry much more from an environmental point of view and the economic benefits — while important — are secondary,” says Jacobson. “But in the tropics, you must have the economic benefits to make it work or farmers won’t do it. Most only have an acre or two of land and they need all these products for their families to survive, so the trees are vital. That is an important distinction, I think.”

While agroforestry is closely connected to the sustainable agriculture movement in the United States, it still is not a heavily-integrated practice. Jacobson explains, “Unfortunately, there is a tendency to treat agriculture and forestry separately when addressing natural-resource concerns, but agroforestry offers a set of conservation and production technologies that can help to integrate forestry and agriculture efforts beyond carbon cycles, such as water quality and biological diversity.”

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By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: USDA National Agroforestry Center

Agroforestry could help agriculture mitigate climate change

Agroforestry is an agricultural system that combines crops and livestock...

Cape Town, South Africa, is set to be the world's first major city to run out of water in less than three months, and the significance of rainfall seems more important than ever before.

When rain falls, the water either evaporates, is transpired by plants, collects in streams, or settles in soil and rocks. 

Rainfall patterns are drastically shifting with Earth’s changing climate, yet some regions of the world are blessed with steady amounts of precipitation. The following places receive more consistent rain than anywhere else in the world.

&nbsp;

Mawsynram, Meghalaya State, India

Record monsoon seasons bring an annual rainfall average of 467 inches to Mawsynram, making this region of India and its surrounding villages the wettest places in the world.

&nbsp;

Cherrapunji, Meghalaya State, India

With rain falling up to three weeks straight, Cherrapunji accumulates over 463 inches of rain each year.

&nbsp;

Tutendo, Colombia, South America

Two rainy seasons dump an average of 463 inches of rain in Tutendo, and nearby Quibdo is considered to be the wettest city in the world.

&nbsp;

Cropp River, New Zealand

An incredible 453 inches of rain fills this river annually. The record amount of rainfall in this region is 708 inches in a single year.

&nbsp;

Bioko Island, Equatorial Guinea

San Antonio de Ureca on Bioko Island is the wettest place in Africa, collecting around 411 inches of precipitation each year.

&nbsp;

Debundscha, Africa

A yearly total of 405 inches of rainfall can be expected in this village at the foot of Mount Cameroon.

&nbsp;

Big Bog, Maui, Hawaii

With an average annual rainfall total of 404 inches, Big Bog experiences precipitation almost constantly.

&nbsp;

Puu Kukui, Maui, Hawaii

Puu Kukui, the highest peak in the West Maui Mountains, receives an average of 386 inches of rain.

&nbsp;

Mount Waialeale, Kauai, Hawaii

A record of 683 inches of rain fell in Mount Waialeale in 1912. The yearly average is 384 inches.

&nbsp;

Mount Emei, Sichuan Province, China

Mount Emei is one of the Four Sacred Buddhist Mountains of China and collects around 321 inches of rain every year.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The top 10 rainiest places in the world

Cape Town, South Africa, is set to be the world's...

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



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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



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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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

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

Closeup,Of,Fresh,Green,The,Napier,Bush,Grass,As,Animal

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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



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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