Tropical trees are dying at faster rates than ever before. While deforestation continues to be a major issue, even untouched forests are seeing increased rates of tree death. 



Scientists have long pointed to drought, extreme heat, and wildfires as key contributing factors to tropical tree mortality. But now, they are highlighting another powerful and often-overlooked force: thunderstorms.



Unlike the more familiar hurricanes and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/are-bomb-cyclones-increasing-due-to-climate-change/">cyclones</a>, these storms are short but intense. Their high winds and lightning can be devastating to trees.



According to a recent study from researchers at the <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies</a>, these storms are becoming more frequent due to climate change - and they’re causing serious harm to tropical forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-climate-cost-of-tropical-tree-death">The climate cost of tropical tree death</h2>



“<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tropical-forests-are-struggling-to-keep-pace-with-climate-change/">Tropical forests</a> have massive effects on global climate. They're like the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/the-amazon-rainforest-and-the-looming-threat-of-drought/">lungs of the Earth</a>, and we're seeing trees in them dying at higher rates than in the past, and the composition of forests is changing, too,” said Evan Gora, a forest ecologist at&nbsp;Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies. 



“That could be really problematic for the future of not just tropical forests, but for the planet.”



While storms might seem like fleeting events, their impact on tropical forests can be lasting. These powerful bursts of wind and lightning can injure or topple even the largest trees, disrupting forest structure and biodiversity in seconds.



“Being in the forest during a tropical storm is unforgettable,” said study co-author Vanessa Rubio. “As the storm quickly builds, the sky darkens, humidity changes drastically, and strong winds shake the trees. 



"Then, thunder and lightning come. Leaves and branches fall to the ground, rain pours down, and your instinct is to get back to the field station as quickly as possible.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-silent-driver-of-tree-death">A silent driver of tree death</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/thunderstorms-are-becoming-more-intense-due-to-climate-change/">Thunderstorms</a> haven’t been given the same attention as other climate-related threats. But that’s starting to change. The team re-examined data from earlier studies on tropical tree death and forest carbon levels. They found that storms are just as significant - if not more so - than <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-drought-crisis-un-warns-of-unprecedented-emergency/">drought</a> or heat.



“We were surprised to find that storms may be the largest single factor causing tree death in these forests, and they’re largely overlooked by research into carbon storage in the tropics,” said Gora. 



“Our estimates suggest that storms are responsible for 30 to 60% of tree mortality in the past, and that number must be increasing as storm activity increases by 5 to 25% each decade.”



When the researchers added storms to the largest plot-based study on tropical forest carbon, the picture changed dramatically. The previous data showed a sharp drop in carbon when temperatures rose above a certain point. But adding storms made that link disappear.



“But when you add storms, that relationship goes away,” Gora said. “It basically shows that you have to include storms, or you might not get the answers right.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-double-trouble-for-tropical-trees">Double trouble for tropical trees</h2>



The team found that storms and drought often hit the same forests. The southern <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-rings-show-amazon-rainfall-is-getting-more-extreme/">Amazon</a>, for instance, experiences both frequent storms and severe water stress. These combined threats are reshaping the region’s ecology.



“During my studies on threats to tropical forests, my professors, our textbooks, and even overall climate policy never mentioned small, convective storms as a potential source of forest mortality,” said study co-author Ian McGregor.



“I don't remember seeing them in global climate models used to inform climate policy. Given our findings, however, it's clear we need a more thorough understanding of these storms to have more accurate climate models, and thus more effective policy,” he added.



So why have storms flown under the radar until now? Part of the reason is that heat and drought are easier to measure. Tools like weather stations and long-term satellite tracking make it simpler to monitor those threats. 



But storms are different. They strike quickly and cause scattered damage. Satellites often miss the evidence of tropical tree deaths, and it’s nearly impossible for researchers to check vast forests manually after every storm.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-trees-from-sky-to-soil">Tracking trees from sky to soil</h2>



To address these challenges, the team launched the Gigante project, co-led by the University of Birmingham. It uses a combination of lightning-tracking systems, drones, and field experts to monitor large areas of tropical forest. 



This enables scientists to pinpoint the location and extent of tree death, when the damage occurs, and which species are most at risk.



“If we make decisions about which species to plant or conserve based on an incorrect understanding of what's actually killing these trees and which species are most vulnerable, those forests won’t reach their full potential,” said Gora. 



Mature trees are especially vulnerable to storm damage. Without clearer insight, we might not realize our reforestation choices were flawed until decades later.



“However, if we can build a more holistic picture of what’s driving forest change, we can be a lot more confident in guiding forest management practices for long-term sustainability," noted Gora.



Understanding why tropical trees are dying isn’t just a scientific concern - it’s a climate priority with global consequences.



The study is to be <a href="https://www.caryinstitute.org/news-insights/press-release/thunderstorms-are-major-driver-tree-death-tropical-forests">published</a> in a perspective article in the journal Ecology Letters.



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Tropical tree deaths are increasing, even in untouched forests

Tropical trees are dying at faster rates than ever before. While deforestation continues to be a major issue, even untouched forests are seeing increased rates of tree death. Scientists have long pointed to drought, extreme heat, and wildfires as key contributing factors to tropical tree mortality. But now, they are highlighting another powerful and often-overlooked force: thunderstorms. Unlike the more familiar hurricanes and cyclones, these storms are short but intense. Their high winds and lightning can be devastating to trees. According to a recent study from researchers...

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...

Early Earth has always had a volatile reputation. Previous studies have estimated various scenarios ranging from an ice-covered, snowball Earth to a sweltering environment complete with acidic oceans. 

It turns out that the first few eons of our planet may have been much more habitable and mild than previously theorized, according to a new study. The research, published in journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, could indicate that other planets could also sustain life.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.washington.edu/">University of Washington </a>used seafloor weathering data to run simulations of what conditions were like during the Archean Era around four billion years ago. 

“Ideas about the early Earth's environment are all over the place, from a very hot world, to one locked in a permanent ice age, from a world with acidic oceans to one with seawater so alkaline it would sting your eyes,” said David Catling, a UW professor of Earth and space sciences. “These simulations show that our early world had about the same average temperature as today, and a seawater pH within roughly one unit of neutral.” 

For the study, the researchers created a computer simulation of the Earth’s temperatures over the past four billion years, and seafloor weathering data played a key role in the research. 

Seafloor weathering occurs when the seabed erodes due to seawater circulating through cracks in the Earth’s crust. Carbon dioxide in the water is then trapped in the Earth’s crust which helps regulate the ocean’s acidity and temperatures. 

“Seafloor weathering was more important for regulating temperature of the early Earth because there was less continental landmass at that time, the Earth's interior was even hotter, and the seafloor crust was spreading faster, so that was providing more crust to be weathered,” said Joshua Krissansen-Totton, first author of the study.

The researchers ran several simulations with varying scenarios accounting for different continent sizes, temperature sensitivity, and chemical weathering in order to get the most accurate picture of early Earth. 

The results showed likely temperatures during the Archean ranging from 0 to 50 degrees Celsius (32 to 122 Fahrenheit). 

“We got this initial answer that early Earth had moderate temperatures and slightly acidic ocean pH,” said Krissansen-Totton. “I tried really hard to break that, looking for assumptions that could possibly change that answer. But I found that this is a really robust result. It's hard to imagine a realistic scenario where temperatures or pH were more extreme.”

The exciting results provide a more accurate understanding of our planet’s first few billion years. 

The study also points to the possibility that there are more planets with mild temperatures within the habitable zone and these could easily support <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/incomplete-fossils-distorted-view/">life</a>. 

"There's nothing particularly remarkable about these processes," said Krissansen-Totton. "They can occur on any rocky planet with oceans. So other planets that are in the habitable zone are likely to have their climates stabilized to moderate values by these weathering feedbacks. And that's a good thing for the search for life, because you need moderate temperatures for billions of years to have a stable environment for life to evolve."

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Early Earth’s mild climate may signal life on other planets

Early Earth has always had a volatile reputation. Previous studies...

One of the most crucial parts of understanding the impact of climate change is assessing how changes in radiation and precipitation will affect Earth’s water cycle.

It had been previously thought that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sahara-desert-getting-bigger/">climate change</a> and rising emissions will make the planet a drier, hotter environment.

However, researchers from the <a href="http://engineering.columbia.edu/">Columbia University School of Engineering</a> have found that vegetation actually has the biggest impact on the water cycle, and that plants will regulate water resources for the future.

The results, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, show how climate research coupled with plant physiology is critical to predicting the future of our planet’s water cycle.

“Our finding that vegetation plays a key role future in terrestrial hydrologic response and water stress is of utmost importance to properly predict future dryness and water resources,” said Pierre Gentine, the leader of the research. “This could be a real game-changer for understanding changes in continental water stress going into the future.”

In a scientific first, Gentine’s research separated the vegetation response to rising carbon emissions from the total global warming complex response, which includes the impact climate change has on the water cycle, soil moisture, and runoff. 

By isolating the vegetation response, that the researchers discovered plants were the dominant force controlling the water cycle and would play the biggest role in explaining future water stress. 

For the study, the researchers took Earth system models of vegetation physiology and the atmosphere and their responses to carbon dioxide.

These decoupled models were then combined with a multi-model statistical analysis from the fifth phase of the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project (CMIP5). CMIP5 is the most current set of coordinated climate model experiments created for the <a href="http://www.ipcc.ch/">International Panel on Climate Change</a>

There were three different scenarios or runs tested. First was a control run that examined CO2 response at the leaf level and in the atmosphere. The second scenario specifically looked at vegetation and its response to a rise in carbon emissions. The third run focused instead on the atmospheric response to a rise in CO2. 

The results showed that changes in plant physiology in response to CO2 emissions had the greatest influence on evapotranspiration and the hydrologic cycle. 

As the effects of climate change worsen, this research will help provide valuable insight into predicting the impact that rising emissions will have on Earth’s most valuable resources.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Kevin Krajick/Earth Institute

Plants will have the biggest impact on the world’s water cycle

One of the most crucial parts of understanding the impact...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/limit-global-warming/">Global warming</a> is threatening the Arctic region with ice-free summers, and a new study has revealed that a global mean temperature rise of merely one degree Fahrenheit will make all of the difference for summer sea ice in the Arctic.

The researchers found that limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius would lead to a 30 percent chance of an ice-free Arctic summer by the year 2100. However, warming by 2 degrees Celsius would make at least one ice-free Arctic summer inevitable.

Study author Alexandra Jahn is an assistant professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences at the <a href="https://www.colorado.edu/">University of Colorado Boulder</a>.

“I didn't expect to find that half a degree Celsius would make a big difference, but it really does,” said Jahn “At 1.5 degrees Celsius, half of the time we stay within our current summer sea ice regime whereas if we reach 2 degrees of warming, the summer sea ice area will always be below what we have experienced in recent decades.”

The team used simulations from the Community Earth System Model (CESM) at the National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCAR) to evaluate warming scenarios ranging from 1.5 degrees Celsius to 4 degrees Celsius. The analysis demonstrated how drastically different the outcome of the each scenario would be for Arctic summer sea ice.

“This dataset allows us to predict how soon we're likely to see ice free conditions as well as how often,” said Jahn. 

“Under the 4-degree Celsius scenario, we would have a high probability of a three-month ice free period in the summer months by 2050. By the end of century, that could jump to five months a year without ice. And even for half that warming, ice-free conditions of up to 2 month a year are possible by the late 21st century.”


Jahn pointed out that, if warming is limited to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the probability of ice-free summers would drop by 70 percent and could likely be avoided altogether or at least delayed. 

The experts hope that the findings of this study may motivate countries to work harder at achieving the warming target that was set forth at the Paris Climate Agreement of 1.5 degrees Celsius.

“The good news is that sea ice has quick response times and could theoretically recover if we brought down global temperatures at any point in the future,” said Jahn. “In the meantime, though, other ecosystems could see permanent negative impacts from the ice loss, and those can't necessarily bounce back.”

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/nclimate/">Nature Climate Change</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Arctic could experience ice-free summer by 2100

Global warming is threatening the Arctic region with ice-free summers,...

A new study has revealed that warm ocean water is building up beneath the floating edge of Antarctica's ice sheet. As a result, ice is rapidly melting from underneath and shifting the grounding line, which is the boundary between floating ice and anchor ice.

Researchers at the <a href="https://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> have developed the first complete map that shows how the grounding line of Antarctica's great ice sheet is retreating. Between 2010 and 2016, the Southern Ocean melted 1,463 square kilometers, or 361,514 acres, of ice across <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/supercolony-adelie-penguins-antarctica/">Antarctica</a>.

According to the study, eight out of the 65 largest glaciers in Antarctica are losing ice at a rate of 25 meters per year, while the grounding lines at these sites are retreating at five times that rate.

“Our study provides clear evidence that retreat is happening across the ice sheet due to ocean melting at its base, and not just at the few spots that have been mapped before now,” said study lead author Dr. Hannes Konrad. 

“This retreat has had a huge impact on inland glaciers, because releasing them from the sea bed removes friction, causing them to speed up and contribute to global sea level rise.”

[caption id="attachment_1183113" align="aligncenter" width="946"]<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ice-sheet.png"><img class="wp-image-1183113 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/ice-sheet.png" alt="" width="946" height="811" /></a> Hannes Konrad et al, University of Leeds[/caption]

The experts were surprised to find that retreating ice in one glacier did not predict the same behavior in neighboring glaciers. The researchers discovered, for example, that the erosion of the grounding line at Thwaites Glacier has sped up, yet the erosion of the grounding line at nearby Pine Island Glacier has come to a halt.

“These differences emphasize the complex nature of ice sheet instability across the continent, and being able to detect them helps us to pinpoint areas that deserve further investigation,” said Dr. Konrad.


The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geoscience</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The grounding line of Antarctica's great ice sheet is shifting

A new study has revealed that warm ocean water is...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/humans-driving-climate-change/">Climate change</a> is the instigator behind many international issues currently being discussed, and will only have a hand in even more global problems in the future. One of these problems – according to new research led by the <a href="https://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a> – could be increased risk of food shortages in numerous countries. 

For the study – published in the journal <a href="http://rsta.royalsocietypublishing.org/">Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A</a> – the researchers assessed how climate change may affect the vulnerability of different nations in regards to food insecurity, which occurs when the public is unable to access a sufficient quantity of nutritious, affordable food.

The researchers looked at 122 developing and least-developed countries, mainly in Asia, Africa, and South America. They analyzed the difference between global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C – compared to pre-industrial levels – and found that the effects would be worst for most countries at 2°C. However, food vulnerability would increase in both scenarios. 

“Climate change is expected to lead to more extremes of both heavy rainfall and drought, with different effects in different parts of the world,” says Richard Betts, Chair in Climate Impacts at the University of Exeter. “Such weather extremes can increase vulnerability to food insecurity. Some change is already unavoidable, but if global warming is limited to 1.5°C, this vulnerability is projected to remain smaller than at 2°C in approximately 76% of developing countries.”

On average, warming attributed to climate change is expected to result in wetter conditions, which means an increased risk of flooding. But in some areas, agriculture could also be affected by more frequent and sustained droughts. Wet conditions are expected to have the greatest impact in South and East Asia, with the most extreme projections predicting that the flow of the River Ganges could more than double at a 2°C temperature increase. For droughts, the areas expected to be significantly affected are southern Africa and South America – where the flow of the Amazon is projected to decline by as much as 25 percent.

Clearly, the path of climate change seems to be leading to more extreme weather, which could spell disaster for areas already vulnerable to droughts or flooding. 

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Food insecurity risks increase with climate change

Climate change is the instigator behind many international issues currently...

Sicily is known for its unique history, the swath of cultures that have shaped its food, literature and arts – and, of course, Mount Etna.

The iconic active volcano has lured tourists to take in Sicily’s natural beauty for decades, and caused havoc for local settlements for centuries. It’s one of 16 “Decade Volcanoes” selected by the <a href="https://www.iavceivolcano.org/">International Association of Volcanology and Chemistry of the Earth's Interior</a> for more focused study, due to their history of violent eruptions and the location of nearby cities and towns.

But Mount Etna may owe its iconic cone to more than just centuries of eruptions, a new study found.

The study, by Dr. Iain Stewart of the <a href="https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/">University of Plymouth</a>, looked at geological changes at Mount Etna over the past 130,000 years. The volcano switched from a shield volcano to a cluster of stratovolcanoes during that period, he said.

“Previous geological studies infer that the switch reflects a tectonically-driven rearrangement of the major border faults that direct the Etnean plumbing system,” Stewart wrote in his paper, published in the journal <a href="http://www.episodes.org/articleDetail.do?p=1963">Episodes</a>.

Stewart, however, believes that the forces that shaped Mount Etna were external, not internal – at least partially.

“Mount Etna is arguably one of the most iconic volcanoes on the planet, but 100,000 years ago there would have been no cone-like structure such as you see today,” Stewart said in a press release.

The structural changes at the volcano were abrupt, he said, and coincided with a period of abnormally high sea levels in the Mediterranean. Stewart believes that the sea level rise may have played a role in Etna’s shifting geology.

The high seas may have also had a hand in similar shifts at Stromboli, another Sicilian volcano, and a volcano on Montserrat in the Caribbean, Stewart said.

Another new study, released in the <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00445-018-1209-1">Bulletin of Volcanology</a> on March 23, found that Mount Etna is moving toward the sea. That could add more weight to his belief that ocean waters can influence volcanoes, Stewart said.

"For me, the fact that Etna's dramatic switches in eruptive behaviour coincide with past abrupt changes in ocean levels implies that Etna's antics are at least in part orchestrated by fluctuating waters of the Mediterranean Sea," he said in the news release.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

High sea levels may have shaped volcanic Mount Etna

Sicily is known for its unique history, the swath of...

A climate investigation into Exxon Mobil can move forward after a federal judge ruled against the energy giant.

Judge Valerie Caproni, of the U.S. District Court’s Southern District of New York, ruled that Exxon Mobil could not sue to stop state officials from investigating whether the energy company misled the public and investors about its research into climate change. 

“The relief requested by Exxon in this case is extraordinary: Exxon has asked two federal courts – first in Texas, now in New York – to stop state officials from conducting duly-authorized investigations into potential fraud,” <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/sites/default/files/2018_03_29_opinion_order.pdf">Caproni wrote in her decision</a>.

The complaint Exxon had leveled against New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman and Massachusetts AG Maura Tracey Healey was dismissed with prejudice, Caproni ruled.

Exxon Mobil filed the complaint against the two attorneys general after the two officials launched the climate investigation into the company’s dealings in 2015. Exxon first sued in Texas, claiming that the investigation was political and a violation of the company’s constitutional rights.

The Texas judge ruled that he had no jurisdiction over the case, and transferred the case to New York.

The bulk of Exxon’s complaint was that Schneiderman and Healey had met with climate advocates. The company claimed in its filing that this showed the officials were acting in bad faith in the climate investigation.

Caproni disagreed.

“Some statements made at the press conference were perhaps hyperbolic, but nothing that was said can fairly be read to constitute declaration of a political vendetta against Exxon,” she wrote in her decision. “Exxon’s allegations that the AGs are pursuing bad faith investigations in order to violate Exxon’s constitutional rights are implausible and therefore must be dismissed for failure to state a claim.”

Schneiderman praised the judge’s ruling <a href="https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/statement-ag-schneiderman-victory-over-exxon-federal-lawsuit">in a statement</a>, calling Exxon’s complaint an attempt at “legal jiu jitsu.”

“At every turn in our investigation, Exxon has tried to distract and deflect from the facts at hand. But we will not be deterred: our securities fraud investigation into Exxon continues,” he said.

Exxon plans to review the decision and then explore its next steps, spokesman Scott J. Silvestri told the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>.

“We believe the risk of climate change is real and we want to be part of the solution,” he said.

—

By Kyla Cathey,<a href="http://www.earth.com"> Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image credit: Philip Lange, <a href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/dallas-tx-usa-apr-17-2016-447111472">Shutterstock.com</a>

Judge to Exxon Mobil: climate investigation can continue

A climate investigation into Exxon Mobil can move forward after...

Major cities must devote a great deal of space to accommodate parking lots, which ultimately increases their carbon footprint and environmental impact. 

But now, researchers from the<a href="http://www.engineering.utoronto.ca/"> University of Toronto Faculty of Applied Science and Engineering </a>have found that <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/self-driving-electric-taxis/">self-driving cars</a>, or autonomous vehicles (AVs), could significantly reduce the amount of space needed for parking. 

After dropping off their passengers at their destination, AVs would then be able to head to a designated parking space.

According to the new study published in the journal Transportation Research Part B, self-driving cars would be able to make much more efficient use out of less space than traditional parking lots today. 

“In a parking lot full of AVs, you don't need to open the doors, so they can park with very little space in between,” said Matthew Roorda, the senior author. “You also don't need to leave space for each car to drive out, because you can signal the surrounding AVs to move out of the way.”

Parking lots are designed specifically so cars can pull in out of each spot, no car is boxed in and unable to get out. 

But with an AVs parking lot, cars could easily be packed together and move aside to let cars get in and out. 

The researchers wanted to find the optimal size parking lot grids for AVs in order to maximize storage and still make sure that it wouldn’t take too long for any one car to get out. A computer model and algorithm was used to find the best design. 

The results showed with a certain number of cars, an optimal parking lot could fit 62 percent more cars than current parking areas today. The algorithm even showed that square-shaped grids could fit 87 percent more cars. 

Less space devoted to parking lots means a much smaller environmental impact for cities.

“Right now, our downtown cores have giant municipal parking lots next to major attractions,” said Roorda. “AVs could allow us to both shrink and relocate these parking lots, opening up valuable space in cities.”

The new design concepts could also have some unintended negative consequences, such as parking lots far away from major attractions, meaning it would take longer to retrieve your car when you needed it. 

The researchers say that AVs parking lots as a reality are a long way off, but if and when they become commonplace, the researchers have a potentially efficient, eco-friendly, and time-saving solution for parking. 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Self-driving cars to alleviate parking headaches in major cities

Major cities must devote a great deal of space to...

El Niño and other large-scale weather cycles affect two-thirds of the world’s crops, according to a new study. 

The research was conducted by researchers from <a href="http://www.aalto.fi/en/">Aalto University</a> in Finland and is the first of its kind to measure the global impacts of the El Niño-Southern Oscillation, the North Atlantic Oscillation, and the Indian Ocean Dipole on crops. 

With increasing food shortages caused by drought and climate change, understanding the impact of major climate cycles on world harvests will be crucial for agriculture planning in the coming years. 

The findings were published in the journal Nature Communications. 

With climate cycles or climate oscillations, temperatures and precipitation patterns change dramatically due to fluctuations in sea level temperature and air pressure. 

For example, when meteorologists declare an <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/el-nino-ice-shelves/">El Niño</a>, it's because they have observed warm water in the western Pacific Ocean shifting east along with rainfall. 

Predicting El Niño and other climate cycles has become much easier, and with this new study, the researchers suggest that this could aid in protecting important cropland. 

“During recent years, researchers' ability to predict these oscillations has improved significantly,” said Matias Heino, an author of the study. “With this research, we highlight the potential of utilizing this improved forecasting skill in agricultural planning. This could improve the resilience of agriculture to climate-related shocks, which can improve food security in many areas across the globe.” 

The effects of El Niño on corn, soy and other vital crops in South Asia, Latin America and South Africa are well known, but the researchers found that other oscillations have similar impacts in different regions. 

“Our study showed that the North Atlantic Oscillation, NAO, significantly affects crop production in many parts of Europe, but also in North Africa and the Middle East,” said Matti Kummu, an assistant professor at Aalto University.

The researchers discovered that when the NOA creates a high difference in air pressure, it reduces crop productivity in Europe by two percent and six percent in North Africa and the Middle East.  

Spain and the Balkans are particularly sensitive to these changes, as the researchers found crop production can drop by ten percent during NOA high-pressure changes. 

The Indian Ocean Dipole, an oscillation that causes water to be warmer in the Western Indian Ocean and lower in the Eastern Indian Ocean, affects crops in Australia. 

The study highlights the major impact that climate oscillations beyond just El Niño can have on global cropland and crop productivity. 

Predicting drops in crop productivity by looking at global climate oscillation patterns could help protect crops and avoid potential food shortages. 

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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

El Niño and climate cycles have a huge impact on crops worldwide

El Niño and other large-scale weather cycles affect two-thirds of...

A new report from China's environment ministry has revealed that nationwide pollution sources have skyrocketed in the last 8 years, growing from 5.9 million in 2010 to an estimated 9 million sources today. 

Earlier this month, the environment ministry was delegated the responsibility of analyzing damage caused by pollution in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pollution-chinas-solar-energy/">China</a> over the last few decades. 

The Ministry of Ecology and Environment (MEE), as the new and improved environmental agency is now called, is currently conducting a nationwide census to identify all sources of pollution across China. 

The survey, which will be completed in 2019, is being directed by the office of Hong Yaxiong. 

“The goal for the census is to do thorough data collection so that it can reflect the extent of the pollution,” Yaxiong told reporters.

According to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/">Reuters</a>, preliminary results of the census have placed the number of pollution sources at 9 million, which is up by over 3 million since 2010, and includes 7.4 million sources of pollution identified in the industrial sector alone.

As one of the countries most responsible for global carbon emissions pursues a cleaner future, the MEE will reportedly broaden its search to include more pollution sources in the current survey.

A recent <a href="https://news.uchicago.edu/article/2018/03/14/chinas-war-against-pollution-shows-promising-results-study-finds">investigation</a> revealed that China's aggressive strategies to combat air pollution, in particular, seem to be working. In the country’s most populated cities such as Beijing, air pollution levels were found to have dropped by as much as 39 percent.

Michael Greenstone, the director of the Energy Policy Institute at the <a href="https://www.uchicago.edu/">University of Chicago</a>, conducted the study.

“The data is in - China is winning its war against pollution,” said Professor Greenstone. “By winning this war, China is due to see dramatic improvements in the overall health of its people, including longer lifespans, if these improvements are sustained.”

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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

Pollution sources in China have risen dramatically this decade

A new report from China's environment ministry has revealed that...

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 



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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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



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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