Under the unforgiving Arctic sun, the wintry landscape swarms with shivers and whispers that tell tales of an unrelenting rise in temperatures. This icy expanse, our last bastion of frost, is experiencing a warming spree that outpaces the global average by three to four times. 



But here's a twist: new research suggests that the slow-down of a crucial ocean current could ironically, cool the rising heat in the Arctic.&nbsp;Could this be the solution we’ve been waiting for?



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-slowing-ocean-current-in-the-arctic">Slowing ocean current in the Arctic</h2>



For decades, scientists have sounded alarms on the consequences of unchecked Arctic warming. They warn of severe implications for wildlife, massive shifts in weather patterns, and more frequent&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-industrialization-how-will-it-impact-delicate-ecosystems/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">extreme events</a>.&nbsp;



Is there any respite? According to a study spearheaded by UC Riverside, there just might be.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-changes-in-atlantic-circulation">Changes in Atlantic circulation </h2>



The study explores the effects of the slowdown of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) on the Arctic climate. 



Think of AMOC as our planet’s heat distributor, transferring warmth from the tropics to higher latitudes.



According to projections, Arctic temperatures could shoot up by a whopping 10 degrees Celsius (18 degrees Fahrenheit) by the century's end.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-critical-component-of-the-climate-system">Critical component of the climate system</h2>



When factoring in the slowing AMOC, however, there’s a ray of hope. The study suggests that Arctic temperatures would only rise by 8 degrees Celsius (14.4 degrees Fahrenheit).



“The AMOC is a critical component of our <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-warming-permafrost-melt-devastating-role-accelerating-global-climate-change/">climate system</a> because it moves heat around the globe,” said Yu-Chi Lee, UCR graduate student in Earth and Planetary Sciences and first author of the study. 



“We found that its weakening reduces the amount of heat reaching the Arctic, which slows down the rate of warming.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-ecosystem-and-ocean-currents">Arctic ecosystem and ocean currents</h2>



While this slowdown may marginally lessen Arctic warming, it does not eliminate all of our concerns. The study underlines persistent worries regarding Arctic ecosystems. 



As sea ice takes a hit, polar bears face habitat loss, hindering their hunting activities and survival.



Plus, as the ice gives way, it reveals darker open water which soaks up more sunlight. This accelerates warming through a scenario known as the albedo effect.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effects-of-the-amoc-slowdown">Effects of the AMOC slowdown</h2>



While the ocean current slowdown could put a damper on Arctic warming, the researchers warn of other possible climate disruptions.



A noteworthy concern is a potential shift in the Intertropical Convergence Zone, a tropical rain belt. 



Should this rain belt shift southward, regions relying on its rainfall could encounter more frequent droughts - an outcome that spells trouble for agriculture and water supplies.



Additionally, the research clears up misconceptions linking sea ice melting to rising sea levels. When sea ice melts, it doesn't directly elevate sea levels. This is comparable to how a glass does not overflow when ice cubes in it melt.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-factors-behind-arctic-melting">Factors behind Arctic melting</h2>



The real culprits? Melting land ice, like glaciers, and water expansion as it heats up, contribute to rising sea levels. The AMOC slowdown may not heavily influence sea level rise, but it certainly stirs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/polar-bears-are-suffering-from-painful-ice-balls-stuck-on-their-feet/">significant changes</a> in the climate system.



“The AMOC slowdown may offer some temporary relief in the Arctic, but this is not a simple good-news story,” said study co-author Professor Wei Liu. “The overall impact on ecosystems and weather patterns, both in the Arctic and globally, could still be severe.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-model-simulations">Climate model simulations</h2>



The researchers turned to a coupled climate model, integrating interactions between the ocean, atmosphere, land, and sea ice, to trace the AMOC's influence.&nbsp;



By comparing two simulations - one where the AMOC slows due to rising greenhouse gases, and another where its strength is artificially maintained - they determined how much future Arctic warming is tied to the AMOC slowdown.



“Our simulations allowed us to clearly see how much of the future Arctic warming is tied to the AMOC slowdown,” Lee said. "Even though the slowdown reduces warming by a couple of degrees, the overall effects on Arctic ecosystems and the global climate system remain&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-sea-ice-is-headed-toward-a-historic-low/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">severe</a>.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-current-slowdown-and-the-arctic">Ocean current slowdown and the Arctic</h2>



Lee noted that the AMOC slowdown has only recently started, and the scientific community is actively debating its duration and continuity.



"While the AMOC slowdown might provide some short-term benefits, its broader impacts show us that even small shifts in ocean circulation can cause ripple effects across the planet," said Lee.



"Climate change is far from a one-region issue. The future of the Arctic - and the world - depends on how we respond today.”



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2402322121" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



-----



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The Arctic is melting fast, but a slowing ocean current could help

Under the unforgiving Arctic sun, the wintry landscape swarms with shivers and whispers that tell tales of an unrelenting rise in temperatures. This icy expanse, our last bastion of frost, is experiencing a warming spree that outpaces the global average by three to four times. But here's a twist: new research suggests that the slow-down of a crucial ocean current could ironically, cool the rising heat in the Arctic.&nbsp;Could this be the solution we’ve been waiting for? Slowing ocean current in the Arctic For decades, scientists have...

When we think about pollution, it’s not often that we consider our discarded clothing to be a significant source. However, pollution caused by the clothes we throw away – as well as by the process of making and dyeing clothes – contributes heavily to the release of <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/carbon-dioxide-atmosphere/">carbon dioxide</a> into the atmosphere.

Simone Haslinger, a doctoral candidate at <a href="http://www.aalto.fi/en/">Aalto University</a> in Finland, explains that when it comes to used clothing, “a small amount might be recycled as cleaning rags, but the rest ends up in landfills, where it degrades and releases carbon dioxide, a major greenhouse gas.” Even though some clothes get recycled and in some cases are shredded and incorporated into carpets or other products, most end up as trash.

This issue has only increased in recent years as “fast fashion” – clothing affordable enough to be disposable – has become more popular than ever. 

Luckily, scientists are now reporting new progress in the effort to recycle and even “upcycle” clothing. Upcycling refers to the reuse of a material in a product of increased quality or value, so that one-day a lowly t-shirt may become a stylish pair of boots. 

"We want to not only recycle garments, but we want to really produce the best possible textiles, so that recycled fibers are even better than native fibers," says Herbert Sixta, head of the biorefineries research group at <a href="http://www.aalto.fi/en/">Aalto University</a>. But this process is complicated, as cotton and other fibers are often blended with polyester. 

About five years ago, Sixta and his team discovered an ionic liquid that was able to dissolve cellulose from wood pulp, which produced a material they could spin into fibers. These fibers turned out to be an improvement on the industry standard for this process. The researchers were even able to dissolve cotton into a cellulose solution out of those tricky cotton-polyester blends.

"I could filter the polyester out after the cotton had dissolved," said Haslinger. "Then it was possible without any more processing steps to spin fibers out of the cellulose solution, which could then be used to make clothes." The next step for the researchers is to test whether or not the recovered polyester can also be spun back into usable fibers.

To become efficient, the process would need to be scaled up and steps for reusing dyes would be a necessary part of this endeavor – which would require a collaborative effort involving more than just these scientists.

Sixta explains: "We can handle the science, but we might not know what dye was used, for example, because it's not labeled. You can't just feed all the material into the same process. Industry and policymakers have to work on the logistics. With all the rubbish piling up, it is in everyone's best interest to find a solution."

--

By Connor Ertz, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en.html">American Chemical Society</a>

New breakthroughs made to recycle and upcycle used clothing

When we think about pollution, it’s not often that we...

We know that the global climate can exhibit odd patterns whereby weather activity in one part of the planet can affect climate change elsewhere, even continents away. This cause-and-effect climate phenomenon is known as teleconnections. Now, an international team of scientists, working with <a href="http://www.gfz-potsdam.de/en/home/">GPZ German Research Centre for Geosciences</a>, has used what we know about teleconnections and what they found in analyzing Japanese lake sediment to better understand the effect a local climate pattern had on another region of the world thousands of years ago.

The Younger Dryas was a cold 1,200-year period that settled on the planet to counteract a warming period between about 11,600 and 12,800 years ago. The scientists from Japan, Britain, Australia and Germany studied lake algae, spores and pollen in East Asia and ice cores and marine sediment in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-ice-caps/">Greenland</a> to compare climate activity in those two distant regions of the world.

The researchers were able to ascertain from these ancient clues that the Younger Dryas caused northern Europe’s climate to turn cold and dry during about the first 600 years, and then warmer and humid during the second half of the period.

In East Asia, the reverse was true. The first half of the Younger Dryas was relatively warm while the second half turned cold, with heavier snowfall.

The researchers attributed this mirror weather effect to teleconnections. The humid air masses in Europe transported some of that moisture farther east, causing heavy snowfall in central Asia. When a thick snow cover formed over East Asia it triggered a cooling of air masses there. This affected the Asian monsoon, with a stronger winter monsoon and a slightly weaker summer monsoon. What you got as a result was heavier snowfall in winter and drier summers.

Gaining a clearer understanding of these regional weather linkages might help us better predict local climate patterns of the future based on global warming.

The results of the study were published in Scientific Reports.

-- 

Written by David Searls, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://www.nature.com/srep/"> Scientific Reports</a>

12,000-year-old lake helps predict climate change tomorrow

We know that the global climate can exhibit odd patterns...

A tiny particle just might be at the center of a huge defense against climate change, said an international team of researchers led by <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell University</a>. The particle is microalgae, a microscopic version of the oceanic organism algae, which includes seaweed.

In studying microalgae, the researchers found that it had multiple means of combatting climate change. For instance, its lipids can be extracted from microalgae to make biofuels which could someday replace carbon-emitting fossil fuels. Then, what’s left of the microalgae can be converted into a highly nutritious feed additive for farm animals and fish farms. Chickens fed microalgae have been proven to lay eggs that have three times more nutritious omega-3 fatty acids.

The agricultural use of microalgae would improve the environment by reducing reliance on fossil fuels and fertilizer for growing traditional feed crops. Since microalgae requires one-tenth the space of corn and grains grown to feed livestock, more land could be converted for feeding a rapidly growing human population worldwide.

Lead author Charles H. Greene, professor of earth and atmospheric sciences at Cornell, sees microalgae as a valuable tool in working toward the aggressive climate stabilization goals established by COP21, the 2015 <a href="https://calculators.io/paris-climate-change-conference-agreement/">United Nations Climate Change Conference</a> held in Paris.

“We believe these climate goals are attainable,” he said. “But we must constrain carbon dioxide emissions rapidly and then start removing it from the atmosphere.”

His research team feels that microalgae can lead to meeting those challenging goals in numerous ways. Their article, “Geoengineering, Marine Microalgae and Climate Stabilization in the 21st Century,” was published in the March issue of Earth’s Future, a journal of the <a href="https://sites.agu.org/">American Geophysical Union</a>.

-- 

Written by David Searls, Earth.com staff writer

Source:<a href="http://news.cornell.edu/stories/2017/03/microalgae-could-play-key-role-relieving-climate-warming"> Cornell University</a>

Algae might be a secret weapon in fighting climate change

A tiny particle just might be at the center of...

The ice caps around the edges of Greenland cover almost 100,000 square kilometers, making up the largest glacierized area on the planet outside of the large ice sheets of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/antarcticas-granite-harbor/">Antarctica</a> and Greenland.

During the summer, a healthy ice cap will absorb meltwater into the depths of its tightly packed snow. In the winter, the water will refreeze and the total mass will remain mostly stable from year to year.

Unfortunately, rising temperatures have caused this cycle to go all out of whack. These days, the amount of meltwater is so significant that the ice caps are now completely saturated with refrozen meltwater, causing new meltwater to run off into the sea.

Concerned by this development, researchers studied 12 separate areas around Greenland. Disturbingly, their data found that every single one of these areas has been losing mass since 1997. They discovered that increases in meltwater run-off range from 17% in the south to 74% in the northernmost area.

Right now, Greenland’s ice caps are losing roughly three times as much mass per year as they were before 1997. Brice Noël, a PhD candidate at <a href="https://www.uu.nl/en">Utrecht University</a> and the study’s lead author, expects the meltwater run-off to continue to increase.

What is most worrisome to Noël is that the “melting line” is moving further north, to an altitude where the majority of Greenland’s ice mass is found. Noël says, "The main ice sheet in the interior of Greenland is much more elevated and isn't doing too bad yet. But we can already see an increase in the altitude of the 'melting line' there as well."

The study finds that the loss in ice mass is directly correlated with meltwater run-off, which is directly caused by rising temperatures. Since one third of today’s sea level rise is contributed by the melting of Greenland’s ice caps, increasing temperatures will almost certainly mean increasing sea levels. 

If global warming is to continue – and it shows no signs of stopping anytime soon – the ice caps surrounding Greenland may lose between 20 and 25 percent of their volume by the year 2100. This would mean an extra four centimeters of sea level rise, the consequences of which would reach much further than just Greenland’s ice caps.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.uu.nl/en">Utrecht University</a>

Greenland ice caps have been losing mass every year since 1997

The ice caps around the edges of Greenland cover almost...

The low cost of Chinese exports has resulted in extremely high demand for Chinese-made goods in the West. But while the monetary cost for these products may seem low, the air pollution emitted from such international trade has taken a massive toll on human lives.

International climate researchers studied premature death figures from air pollution during the year 2007 in terms of pollution caused by the production and international transport of goods from a total of 228 nations. They specifically considered deaths caused by PM2.5, which is particulate matter in the air that’s less than 2.5 micrometers in diameter. PM2.5, which is produced, in part, by industrial and transport emissions, can settle deep into the lungs to cause serious heart and lung diseases.

One statistical highlight they found was that 3.45 million people died worldwide in 2007 from causes associated with these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-emissions-flat-much/">emissions</a>, including lung cancer, heart disease, stroke and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.  The study also indicated that 16.3 percent of those PM2.5 deaths were caused by pollutants produced in other nations.

The researchers wrote, “PM2.5pollution produced in China in 2007 is linked to more than 64,800 premature deaths in regions other than China, including more than 3,100 premature deaths in western Europe and the USA; on the other hand, consumption in western Europe and the USA is linked to more than 108,600 premature deaths in China.”

The research, which was published this week in the journal Nature, carried the message that one nation’s environmental irresponsibility can seriously impact life expectancy in the rest of the world.

--

Written by David Searls, Earth.com staff writer

Source:<a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v543/n7647/full/nature21712.html"> Nature</a>

Air pollution from international trade blamed for killing millions

The low cost of Chinese exports has resulted in extremely...

Vitamin B might offer some protection against air pollution. The value of vitamin supplements has been long debated by medical researchers. Many say that they offer little for those who consume a nutritional diet and even that too many supplements can actually be dangerous. But a new study by <a href="http://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard</a> and <a href="http://www.columbia.edu/">Columbia University</a> researchers is pointing toward a new reason to add Vitamin B supplements to your daily intake. In conducting human tests of a specific Vitamin B complex, they found that it helps protect against the effects of the PM2.5 level of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smell-walking-maps-air-pollution/">air pollution</a>.

PM2.5 is particulate matter in the atmosphere with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers, which is only about 3 percent of that of a human hair. This particulate matter is frequently found in larger cities, especially the megacities now circling the globe. PM2.5 exposes inhabitants to such toxins as sulfate and black carbon and has the potential to reduce life expectancy with long-term exposure.

These tiny particles, which can only be observed with electron microscopes, can lodge deeply into the lungs and alter protective genes in the immune system, said the researchers.

In the human trials, test subjects with face masks were exposed to PM2.5 at levels common to large cities. Some were then given a B vitamin supplement containing 2.5 mg/d folic acid, 50 mg/d vitamin B6, and 1 mg/d vitamin B12, while others received placebos. It was found that a four-week course of the vitamins reduced the PM2.5 damage by as much as 76 percent at ten gene locations.   

The researchers cautioned that this was only one small-scale study and that additional research must be done, but their study offered hope that Vitamin B could offer some protection against the worst big-city air pollution.

In the abstract to their paper, the researchers wrote, “Our study indicates that individual-level prevention may be used to complement regulations and control potential mechanistic pathways underlying the adverse PM2.5 effects, with possible significant public health benefit in areas with frequent PM2.5 peaks.”

The research was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

-- 

Written by David Searls, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://www.pnas.org/content/114/13/3503.abstract"> Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>

Vitamin B might offer some protection against air pollution

Vitamin B might offer some protection against air pollution. The...

Most of us are aware by now of the disturbing implications <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-evidence-un/">climate change</a> may have on our planet. We’ve also seen the destruction caused by climate change-induced severe weather and natural disasters in recent years. However, what you may not be aware of is the effect climate change can have on mental health as well.

In a new report released by the <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a> and <a href="https://ecoamerica.org/">ecoAmerica</a>, entitled Mental Health and Our Changing Climate: Impacts, Implications, and Guidance, researchers found that individuals can suffer from mental health disorders as a result of climate change.

Obviously, natural disasters that cause injury, death, and loss of property can ignite fear and shock in just about anyone. Furthermore, those emotions may eventually disappear, but they might ultimately be replaced by post-traumatic stress disorder in those they have affected.

A study was done involving people living in areas affected by Hurricane Katrina back in 2005. Perhaps unsurprisingly, it determined that suicide and suicidal thoughts more than doubled in those populations. One in six people met the diagnostic criteria for PTSD and 49 percent developed an anxiety or mood disorder such as depression.

However, these mental health issues aren’t solely caused by climate change-induced natural disasters. Researchers found that long-term climate change also plays a role in poor mental health.

Climate change can negatively affect agriculture and infrastructure, impacting occupations and quality of life for millions of people. These changes may lead to loss of identity, vanishing social support structures, a sense of having no control or autonomy and many other mental health problems. Issues like stress and anxiety can also cause physical health effects, such as a weakened immune system.

These changes are occurring at a community level as well. Both short and long-term climate change events have been shown to increase hostility and interpersonal and intergroup aggression, which lead to the loss of social identity and cohesion. 

With climate change already having a physical impact, you may be wondering: how do we combat these psychological effects? According to the report, the key is to build resilience. This means building and maintaining your social networks – both online and in person – so that you can have people to turn to in times of need. 

The report further explains: “Individuals' personal capacity to withstand trauma is increased when they are connected to their networks off- and online. Researchers have found that higher levels of social support during and in the aftermath of a disaster are associated with lower rates of psychological distress.”

Furthermore, adopting environmentally friendly policies and lifestyle choices not only benefits the environment, but it can have a positive effect on mental health as well. Research shows that biking or walking to work has been linked to decreased stress. Likewise, the use of public transportation has been associated with boost in community cohesion and decrease in depression and stress – much to the surprise of anyone who has ever taken a public bus.

Increased accessibility to parks and other natural spaces may also be of benefit to one’s mental health, according to the report. So if you take these suggestions to heart, you may not only be benefitting your mental health, but you could be helping the planet as well.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.apa.org/">American Psychological Association</a>

Climate change may cause mental health issues

Most of us are aware by now of the disturbing...

In the face of President Donald Trump’s recently announced first step toward <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-executive-order/">dismantling</a> the Clean Power Plan, a carbon reduction plan of former President Barack Obama, the governors of California and New York released a joint statement yesterday. It outlined their commitment toward enacting policies to counteract climate change independent of the federal government.

"With or without Washington, we will work with our partners throughout the world to aggressively fight climate change and protect our future," governors Jerry Brown of California and Andrew Cuomo of New York wrote.

The two states announced ambitious carbon reduction targets that go even well beyond goals set by federal policies under Obama. Brown and Cuomo said that their states would both reduce greenhouse gas emissions 40 percent below 1990 levels by 2030 and 80 percent below that 1990 mark by 2050. In addition, they mandated that electricity in each of their states must be fully generated from renewable sources by 2030.

“Climate change is real and will not be wished away by rhetoric or denial,” the governors wrote. “We stand together with a majority of the American people in supporting bold actions to protect our communities from the dire consequences of climate change.”

Brown and Cuomo also pointed out that their two states were homes to about one in five Americans and totaled 20 percent of the nation’s gross domestic product.

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="https://www.nyserda.ny.gov/About/Newsroom/2017-Announcements/2017-03-28-Governor-Cuomo-and-Brown-Reaffirm-Commitment-to-Exceeding-Targets-of-Clean-Power-Plan"> NYSERDA</a>

California and New York team up against Trump climate policy

In the face of President Donald Trump’s recently announced first...

A new study from the <a href="http://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a> reports that the increasing role of the United States’ financial sector in the country’s emerging solar market in the 1980s and 1990s might have actually significantly impaired the solar industry.

At that time, the financial sector was shifting in focus from technology investment to speculating on future markets. Max Jerneck explains that as American conglomerates bought up small firms at the forefront of solar technology, less money was invested in improving the technology and was instead directed towards enriching managers and investors.

This conflict ultimately led to a disconnect between the solar industry and its financial stakeholders, which eventually resulted in the dismantling or selling of solar divisions across the country.

The consequence of this was that – between 1978 and 2005 – the American share of the global solar market dropped from 95% to about 9%. Sure would be nice to have that back.

By contrast, Japan – with an economy about half the size of the U.S. – had about a 50% global share of the solar industry by 2005. So why were they able to flourish as the U.S. fell apart?

Jerneck believes their success is due to their strong hold on semiconductor and electronics markets when the industry was in its infancy, which progressed without interference of corporate governance looking to make a quick buck. 

In Japan, manufacturers were shielded from the type of financial turbulence that was occurring in the U.S. at the same time. Investment into manufacturing was expanded and Japan’s share of the market grew.

With <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-executive-order/">environmental regulations</a> and alternative energy in the news so often these days, this study is also an important look into carbon mitigation strategies. Jerneck finds that while a carbon tax could make low carbon industries – such as solar – more competitive, many companies will end up failing, as innovation is always uncertain.

In other words, a simple carbon tax isn’t enough to make these new technologies competitive in the U.S. market. Instead, this study advocates for policies that bring productive and financial capital together in order to improve the future of the alternative energy industry.

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.aaas.org/">American Association for the Advancement of Science</a>

Solar industry financialization may have cost U.S. a global share

A new study from the American Association for the Advancement...

Marine litter continues to be a chronic problem for the world’s oceans. Recently, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/dying-whale-found-plastic-bags/">we told you</a> about the dying whale who was found to have 30 plastic bags in its stomach. Now, a new study from the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute</a> has set out to determine where marine litter is most concentrated and which species it affects. 

The full results of the study have been compiled in a comprehensive online database called <a href="http://www.litterbase.org/">AWI Litterbase</a>, which includes global maps and graphic analysis. According to the data, 34% of the species observed ingested litter, 31% colonized it, and 30% got entangled or trapped in it. All in all, the total number affected by marine litter reached 1,220 species, which is more than double the amount reported in the previous study.

"In AWI Litterbase we've for the first time analysed all groups of organisms, which were studied in connection with litter, and presented in map form," said Dr. Melanie Bergmann of the <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute</a>, <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research</a>. Bergmann developed the database alongside colleagues Dr. Lars Gutow and Mine Tekman. 

"Our global maps also show data in different units. However, we intentionally designed Litterbase with this feature, since it allows users to filter results by type of unit. In this way, values using the same unit can easily be compared -for the first time, for litter in different regions and ecosystems," added Dr. Gutow. "At the same time, Litterbase is also of tremendous scientific value. Our database will allow us to assess and better understand the global quantities and distribution patterns of litter in the ocean."

That said, its founders are quick to point out that Litterbase does not capture all polluted areas of the world’s oceans. Rather, the database helps to identify areas where more extensive research is needed.

"The maps document where researchers have identified litter,” said Dr. Bergmann. “But it's important to bear in mind that the blank areas of the map don't necessarily represent clean regions; instead they're blind spots."

--

By Rory Arnold, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:  <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Alfred Wegener Institute</a>, <a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html">Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research</a>

Marine litter significantly impacts all oceans and 1,220 species

Marine litter continues to be a chronic problem for the...

Jet airstreams cause <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/space-weather-forecast-data/">weather</a> patterns to move quickly – and greenhouse gases have been causing these patterns to slow down and stall. That’s the thinking behind one way that climate change is contributing to the frequency of extreme weather. The new research comes from an international team of climate scientists using computer simulations and real-world observations.

These jet streams distribute heat and moisture from the Arctic and the equator in huge planetary waves that traditionally move airflow quickly around the planet. But the researchers have found that the effect of greenhouse gases in our atmosphere can stall the air flow so that weather conditions stay in one place longer and turn extreme.

“The unprecedented 2016 California drought, the 2011 U.S. heatwave and 2010 Pakistan flood all belong to a most worrying series of extremes,” said study lead author and <a href="http://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a> professor Dr. Michael Mann. “The increased incidence of these events exceeds what we would expect from the direct effects of global warming alone. There must be an additional climate change effect.”

The team said that they now have a “clear fingerprint” of human activity responsible for the droughts, heatwaves, flooding and other extreme weather events seen and experienced globally. The jet stream stalls are the culprit, said the researchers.

“If the same weather persists for weeks on end in one region, then sunny days can turn into a serious heat wave and drought, or lasting rains can lead to flooding,” said study co-author Professor Stefan Rahmstorf of the <a href="https://www.pik-potsdam.de/pik-frontpage">Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research</a> (PIK) in Germany.

&nbsp;

One of the reasons for the air flow stalls is that global warming is causing the Arctic air to warm faster than the equatorial air, which means there’s less of a temperature contrast between the two air flows. In addition, land masses are warming faster than oceans, also contributing to the global air movement changes.

“We can limit the risks associated with increases in weather extremes if we limit greenhouse-gas emissions,” said Dr. Dim Coumou, of the Department of Water and Climate Risk at <a href="https://www.vu.nl/en/">VU University</a> in Amsterdam.

The researchers’ findings were published in Inside Climate News.

--

Written by David Searls, Earth.com staff writer

Source:<a href="https://insideclimatenews.org/news/27032017/climate-change-global-warming-extreme-weather-jet-stream-michael-mann-penn-state"> Inside Climate News</a>

Climate change triggers extreme weather, says new study

Jet airstreams cause weather patterns to move quickly – and...

Former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan had already been sidelined by the U.S. Supreme Court while its provisions were being legally challenged. But today, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order to begin to undo the act altogether. The order will also substantially reduce the federal government's role in climate regulation by eliminating six other Obama-era executive orders aimed at curbing climate change. According to the Trump administration, the changes are all in the interest of helping the American economy.

"It is an issue that deserves attention," a White House official told <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2017/03/27/politics/trump-climate-change-executive-order/index.html?adkey=bn">CNN</a> regarding climate change. "But I think the President has been very clear that he is not going to pursue climate change policies that put the US economy at risk. It is very simple."

The sidelined Obama plan established metrics for individual states to meet to reduce carbon pollution from coal-fired and natural gas power plants and encouraged faster transitions to renewable energy sources. In his former position, as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/oklahoma-is-latest-state-to-prevent-oil-fracking-bans/">Oklahoma</a> attorney general, Pruitt was one of many states attorney general suing the Obama administration to block the initiative from going into effect.

The idea behind the Clean Power Plan was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from fossil-fuel power plants by as much as 32 percent by the year 2030. By doing so, it signified the U.S. commitment to meeting carbon dioxide reduction standards established as part of the Paris Accord of 2015.

“We've made tremendous progress on our environment, and we can be both pro-jobs and pro-environment," Pruitt told <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/">ABC News’s</a> This Week host George Stephanopoulos on Sunday. “And the executive order's going to address the past administration's effort to kill jobs across this country through the Clean Power Plan.”

Among other objections, environmental groups say that by backing out of Paris Accord commitments, the U.S. will set a bad example in front of other nations in compliance.

Pruitt said that rejection of the Clean Power Plan is not a violation of the Accord and that the administration isn’t worried about legal obstructions.

-- 

By Earth.com Staff Writer David Searls

Source:<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/ThisWeek"> This Week</a>, <a href="http://www.cnn.com/">CNN</a>

&nbsp;

Trump signs executive order to drastically cut climate regulation

Former President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan had already been...

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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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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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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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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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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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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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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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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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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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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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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

[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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

[sendtonews key="sFFhiK9OOn-1720418-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> 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

[sendtonews key="yPSXGZek1I-2312529-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency </a>&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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Aerial,Photo,Of,River,In,Amazon,Rainforest,Jungle,In,Peru

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center</a> describes how scientists are using autonomous sound sensors to monitor deforestation in the Amazon. By recording soundscapes, the experts can determine which animals are present through their distinct sounds.&nbsp;



Using this method, sounds can be used as scientific measurements to analyze the effects of deforestation. The researchers will gain a better understanding of how the acoustics of a forest can be used to measure its health.&nbsp;



"From space, parts of the Amazon rainforest that have previously been logged or burned may look lush and green, like a place buzzing with activity and full of sounds. But inside the rainforest, the animal life may tell a different story, of a harsh environment and a quieter soundscape," says NASA.



Video Credit: NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center&nbsp;



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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 deforestation in the Amazon through sounds

[sendtonews key="u0TYxxqfF7-2186404-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA’s...