For decades, oceanographers assumed the surface waters circling Antarctica were becoming progressively fresher - a shift that helped lock deep heat away and nurture expansive winter sea ice.



However, new observations show the opposite is now happening. An international team led by the <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/">University of Southampton</a> reported a sudden rise in surface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/salinity-is-rising-in-coastal-areas-and-hurting-farmlands/">salinity</a> south of 50° latitude. This shift coincided with the steepest drop in Antarctic sea-ice extent ever recorded.



The analysis combines European satellite data with readings from autonomous floats that profile the water column. The result reveals an unanticipated pivot in the Southern Ocean’s salt balance sometime after 2015.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-excessive-salt-melts-sea-ice">Excessive salt melts sea ice</h2>



Cold, fresh surface water normally overlies warmer, saltier layers at depth, creating strong density “stratification” that traps heat below. When the surface grows saltier, that barrier weakens. Heat then mixes upward, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarcticas-melting-ice-shelves-threaten-global-sea-levels/">melting sea ice</a> from beneath and preventing extensive winter growth.



“Saltier surface water allows deep ocean heat to rise more easily, melting sea ice from below," said lead author Alessandro Silvano, an oceanographer at the University of Southampton. "It's a dangerous feedback loop: less ice leads to more heat, which leads to even less ice.” 



Since 2015, the continent has shed sea ice equivalent to the area of Greenland. Researchers call it the largest environmental shift detected anywhere on Earth in recent decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sea-ice-hole-returns-after-decades">Sea ice hole returns after decades</h2>



One striking symptom is the re-opening of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/massive-hole-polynya-the-size-of-switzerland-appeared-in-the-antarctica-sea-ice/">Maud Rise polynya</a> - a yawning hole in the Weddell Sea ice cover. It spans nearly four times the size of Wales and last appeared in the late 1970s.



“The return of the Maud Rise polynya signals just how unusual the current conditions are,” Silvano said. “If this salty, low-ice state continues, it could permanently reshape the Southern Ocean - and with it, the planet.”



Reduced Antarctic ice darkens the ocean, absorbing more sunlight and already feeding back into the global climate system. This, as Silvano put it, will give rise to “stronger <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rapid-antarctic-sea-ice-loss-is-causing-severe-storms-around-the-world/">storms</a>, warmer oceans, and shrinking habitats for Antarctic wildlife.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-old-predictions-fall-short">Old predictions fall short</h2>



Climate models had projected eventual Antarctic sea-ice loss under greenhouse forcing. However, many scientists believed that enhanced snowfall and increased melt from continental ice sheets would keep surface waters fresh for decades, delaying large declines. The new evidence challenges that assumption.



“While scientists expected that human-driven climate change would eventually lead to Antarctic sea ice decline, the timing and nature of this shift remained uncertain,” said co-author Aditya Narayanan, a physical oceanographer at the University of Southampton.



“Previous projections emphasized enhanced surface freshening and stronger ocean stratification, which could have supported sustained sea ice cover. Instead, a rapid reduction in sea ice - an important reflector of solar radiation - has occurred, potentially accelerating global warming.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-eyes-on-the-southern-ocean">Eyes on the Southern Ocean</h2>



Because this turnaround was detected only after <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/satellites-reveal-a-sudden-drop-in-global-freshwater-levels/">satellites</a> began tracking sea-surface salinity in detail, researchers worry that other rapid transitions might be missed without constant observation.



“The new findings suggest that our current understanding may be insufficient to accurately predict future changes,” said senior author Alberto Naveira Garabato, a professor of physical oceanography at the University of Southampton.



“It makes the need for continuous satellite and in-situ monitoring all the more pressing, so we can better understand the drivers of recent and future shifts in the ice-ocean system.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sea-ice-loss-changes-the-planet">Sea ice loss changes the planet</h2>



Antarctic sea ice acts as a reflective shield, bouncing sunlight back to space and modulating heat exchange between ocean and atmosphere.



Its precipitous decline could amplify warming worldwide, disturb wind patterns, and alter the formation of the deep water masses that power global ocean circulation.



Saltier surface layers may also influence how much carbon the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carbon-storage-mystery-emerges-in-the-southern-ocean/">Southern Ocean</a> can absorb, potentially weakening one of Earth’s most important climate buffers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-heat-and-salt-reinforce-sea-ice-loss">Heat and salt reinforce sea ice loss</h2>



The study leaves open questions about what triggered the sudden salinity jump. Possibilities include shifts in wind patterns, changes in precipitation, or increased intrusion of warm Circumpolar Deep Water onto the continental shelf.



Whatever the cause, the new feedback between salt and sea ice could lock the region into a self-reinforcing cycle of warming and ice loss.



Scientists stress that only sustained measurements - combining satellites, autonomous floats, and ship-based surveys - will reveal whether the Southern Ocean snaps back to its former fresher state or continues toward an unfamiliar, saltier future.



For now, the message is clear: Antarctica’s floating fringe, once thought relatively resistant to near-term change, is undergoing a rapid transformation that matters far beyond the frozen continent.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2500440122">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.



-----



Like what you read? <a href="https://www.earth.com/subscribe/">Subscribe to our newsletter</a> for engaging articles, exclusive content, and the latest updates.&nbsp;



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



-----

Antarctic sea ice collapse linked to a sudden surge in ocean salt

For decades, oceanographers assumed the surface waters circling Antarctica were becoming progressively fresher - a shift that helped lock deep heat away and nurture expansive winter sea ice. However, new observations show the opposite is now happening. An international team led by the University of Southampton reported a sudden rise in surface salinity south of 50° latitude. This shift coincided with the steepest drop in Antarctic sea-ice extent ever recorded. The analysis combines European satellite data with readings from autonomous floats that profile the water column. The...

Scientists are uncovering more and more about how the Earth was first formed, but there are still many variables left unknown. Now, researchers from the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> may be one step closer to understanding how life on Earth got its start, and it turns out fungi were major players in creating the optimal environment for life to thrive. 

Scientists believe that the Earth developed an oxygen-rich atmosphere about 400 to 500 million years ago, in part due to early plants photosynthesizing carbon dioxide. 

According to the new study, it was fungi that helped these early plants succeed in their photosynthesis process by ‘mining’ phosphorus from rocks and transferring it to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-respond-total-eclipse/">plants</a>. 

Early plants would have depended on fungi to provide nutrients because there was no mineral-rich soil in early Earth’s wholly different ecosystem. 

As fungi grow across rocks, they produce organic acids that break down rocks and mineral grains in a process called biological weathering. 

Millions of years ago, fungi would have transferred the nutrients from biological weathering to plants, and in turn, benefitted from the plants’ photosynthesis. 

To prove that this symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi could have established the atmosphere necessary for life to thrive hundreds of millions of years ago, the researchers conducted several lab experiments. 

The team grew plants and fungi in a lab mimicking an atmosphere similar to ancient Earth and observed how the fungi transferred phosphorous to the plants and the change in atmosphere to a more oxygen-rich one. 

"The results of including data on fungal interactions present a significant advance in our understanding of the Earth's early development,” said Dr. Benjamin Mills, a member of the research team. “Our work clearly shows the importance of fungi in the creation of an oxygenated atmosphere.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Life on Earth got a jumpstart thanks to an unlikely source

Scientists are uncovering more and more about how the Earth...

With growing concerns of a potentially catastrophic volcanic eruption in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-eruptions-changed-planet/">Yellowstone National Park</a>, researchers from the <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> have closely examined the geological history of the region. Their investigation into the subsurface land of Yellowstone reveals that volcanic activity in this area is far more complex than previously realized.

"The heat needed to drive volcanism usually occurs in areas where tectonic plates meet and one slab of crust slides, or subducts, under another. However, Yellowstone and other volcanic areas of the inland western U.S. are far away from the active plate boundaries along the west coast," said lead author Lijun Liu. "In these inland cases, a deep-seated heat source known as a mantle plume is suspected of driving crustal melting and surface volcanism."

Using a technique called seismic tomography, the research team was able to closely observe the subsurface of the western United States, which enabled them to assemble the geologic history that drove volcanic activity in the region. 

The geologists used supercomputers to simulate various tectonic scenarios in order to explore the range of possible geologic histories of this region over the past 20 million years. The results of their analysis do not support the traditional mantle plume theory.

"It appears that the mantle plume under the western U.S. is sinking deeper into the earth through time, which seems counterintuitive," said Liu. "This suggests that something closer to the surface - an oceanic slab originating from the western tectonic boundary - is interfering with the rise of the plume."

The mantle plume concept has been heavily debated for many years, and the findings of this study indicate the need for a revised tectonic scenario, according to the researchers.

"A robust result from these models is that the heat source behind the extensive inland volcanism actually originated from the shallow oceanic mantle to the west of the Pacific Northwest coast," said Liu. "This directly challenges the traditional view that most of the heat came from the plume below Yellowstone."

While the experts are not predicting a violent eruption in Yellowstone National Park, they explain that the conditions have not changed significantly enough to rule one out.

"Of course, our model can't predict specific future super-eruptions,” said Liu. “However, looking back through 20 million years of history, we do not see anything that makes the present-day Yellowstone region particularly special - at least not enough to make us suspect that it may do something different from the past when many catastrophic eruptions have occurred.”

"More importantly, this work will give us a better understanding of some of the mysterious processes deep within the earth, which will help us better understand the consequences of plate tectonics, including the mechanism of earthquakes and volcanoes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geosciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Heat from the Pacific drove volcanic activity in Yellowstone

With growing concerns of a potentially catastrophic volcanic eruption in...

Scientists now have a better understanding of how cosmic rays from supernovae can affect Earth's cloud cover and climate. They have identified how atmospheric ions produced by cosmic rays promote the development of cloud condensation nuclei, which form clouds.

When there are changes in atmospheric ions, there is also a shift in the number of cloud condensation nuclei. More of these nuclei lead to more clouds and result in a cooler climate. 

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles raining down from exploded stars that knock electrons out of air molecules. This produces ions, or positive and negative molecules in the atmosphere.

Cloud condensation nuclei are formed from small molecular clusters called aerosols. It has been assumed that additional small aerosols could not grow and become cloud condensation nuclei. 

But now, the researchers have demonstrated that interactions between ions and aerosols promote this growth by adding new materials to the aerosols which strengthen them. This allows the aerosols to become stable against evaporation, and linger long enough in the atmosphere to form cloud condensation nuclei. 

Henrik Svensmark from DTU Space at the <a href="http://www.dtu.dk/english">Technical University of Denmark</a> is the lead author of the study. 

"Finally we have the last piece of the puzzle explaining how particles from space affect climate on Earth,” said Svensmark. “It gives an understanding of how changes caused by Solar activity or by supernova activity can change climate."

Clouds make a huge difference in the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface. This breakthrough may help explain climate variation in the past and also help future climate change be more accurately predicted.

The study is published today in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exploding stars can affect clouds and climate on Earth

Scientists now have a better understanding of how cosmic rays...

As the world attempts to transition away from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-conference-fossil-fuels/">fossil fuels</a> to renewable forms of energy, there is heightened interest in solar power. However, photovoltaic panels require a lot of space and can potentially interfere with agricultural land and other protected regions. A team of experts has now determined that it is feasible to generate large quantities of solar energy without impacting valuable areas of land.

Previous research demonstrated that solar panels are often installed in untouched land areas and croplands. An analysis in Lecce, Italy, revealed that 51 percent of the city's solar panels were located on natural and agricultural land, including century-old olive groves. 

A team of researchers including Rebecca R. Hernandez, Michael F. Allen and Madison K. Hoffacker set out to see if it is possible to expand solar power generation without invading preserved areas of land and farms. 

The team focused their study on four alternative solar installation sites in California's Central Valley. For the investigation, the team examined how solar panels could be installed on rooftops and buildings inside of urban areas, on land that is too salty for crops, in water reservoirs, and on contaminated land sites.

The researchers identified the number of these unconventional solar production sites that exist within Central Valley, and calculated how much energy could be produced by installing photovoltaic panels in all of these available areas. 

The team found that the alternative surfaces which could accommodate solar power production totalled more than 1.5 million football fields. This staggering amount of space could generate more than 19,000 terawatt-hours of energy per year without interfering with farmlands or conserved areas, according to the study. 

Overall, the level of energy production established by the researchers is far more than California's projected electricity demand for 2025, which is 321 terawatt-hours.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Solar energy does not have to interfere with valuable land

As the world attempts to transition away from fossil fuels...

According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/18/trump-drop-climate-change-national-security-strategy">new reports</a>, U.S. President Donald Trump plans to drop climate change from the list of global threats in his National Security Strategy.

Instead of regulating emissions, Trump plans to put more of an emphasis on fossil fuels, coal, and economic development. 

Trump’s announcement earlier this year to remove the United States from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-decision-paris-climate-agreement/">Paris Climate Agreement</a> means that the U.S. is now the only country not participating in the global climate agreement.  But Trump argues that the focus should instead be put on American workers. 

Now, in a new release to be presented later today, Trump will announce his new defense strategy and the removal of climate change from the list of National Security Threats. 

President Obama worked hard to make great strides toward mitigating climate change, but Trump maintains that other threats deserve priority.

Any mention of climate change by Trump is linked to economic development rather than keeping warming temperatures in check.  

“'U.S. leadership is indispensable to countering an anti-growth, energy agenda that is detrimental to U.S. economic and energy security interests,” reads a draft of the new defense strategy obtained by the <a href="http://thefederalist.com/2017/12/15/trump-admin-to-remove-climate-change-from-list-of-national-security-threats/">Federalist</a>. “'Given future global energy demand, much of the developing world will require fossil fuels, as well as other forms of energy, to power their economies and lift their people out of poverty.” 

This is the exact opposite stance that other global leaders are making. 

Trump feels that an emphasis on clean energy and policy regulations will unfairly disadvantage manufacturing jobs and general job growth in the United States. 

However, as the last few years have proven, clean energy jobs could create an unprecedented <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/24/news/economy/solar-jobs-us-coal/index.html">economic boom</a>. 

Time will tell if global policy combating climate change will outweigh or influence the United State’s stance on climate change and if the clean energy sector can grow and perhaps compete with fossil fuels. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trump will remove climate change from National Security Strategy

According to new reports, U.S. President Donald Trump plans to...

Research published this week in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a> reveals that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, which holds more water than any other ice sheet on the planet, is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/east-antarctic-ice-sheet/">not as stable</a> as previously thought. Scientists are now examining the contribution that this massive ice sheet could make to global sea level rise, and they warn that the effects could drastically alter the coastline of Florida.

Dr. Amelia Shevenell is an associate professor at the <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a> and co-lead author of the study.

"Antarctica may seem far away from Florida, but all Floridians should care about what is happening in Antarctica," said Dr. Shevenell. “As ice melts, global sea levels rise. Most of Florida is at or several feet above sea level.”

The East Antarctic Ice Sheet has been long believed to be much more resilient than the ice cover of West Antarctica and Greenland, but an unprecedented survey of East Antarctica's Sabrina Coast revealed that this is not the case. 

Using marine seismic technology and ocean sediments, the research team reconstructed the progression of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Sabrina Coast region over the past 50 million years. The scientists discovered that this ice sheet has been sensitive to climate change for millions of years.

During warmer climates, the ice sheet was wetter and much less stable. The experts found that this instability occurred when atmospheric temperatures and carbon dioxide levels were similar to, or slightly higher than, what they are today.

“We are already seeing the effects of rising seas caused by melting ice sheets and ocean warming,” said Dr. Shevenell. “There is enough ice in our study region alone to raise global sea level by as much as 15 feet. This, in isolation, would be catastrophic to Florida."

Dr. Shevenell explained that loss of ice mass is primarily due to warming ocean waters which melt ice shelves and glaciers from below.

"Our records of surface-meltwater production during past warm climates indicate that in the future, Antarctica will also experience ice melt from above, as air temperatures warm and carbon dioxide increases," said Dr. Shevenell.

"Thus, we might expect regional glaciers to become more unstable as atmosphere and ocean temperatures warm. This observation suggests that existing climate and ice sheet models likely underestimate East Antarctica's contribution to global sea level rise."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Steffen Saustraup/The University of Texas at Austin

Melting ice sheet could dramatically impact the Florida coastline

Research published this week in the journal Nature reveals that...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sierra-nevada-mountains-taller/">Droughts</a> are common in the western United States, with parts of California in a seemingly perpetual state of drought. Megadroughts, however, occur when a drought lasts 30 years or more, and have happened only a handful of times in the past 1200 years. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell</a> set out to determine if megadroughts are random natural occurrence, or if climate change could cause an increase in their frequency.

The researchers created a “robust null hypothesis,” or a hypothesis that rejects or nullifies other commonly held hypothesi dealing with drought. 

“We're establishing a baseline. We're looking for the normal pulse of a megadrought. How often do they occur? Do they happen more in periods of climate change?” asked Toby Ault, the lead researcher. 

The study could help with future drought predictions and aid with planning and conservation efforts should a megadrought occur. 

A megadrought in the southwestern United States would put a strain on resources, agriculture, and the ecosystem. In order to calculate the statistical likelihood of megadrought, data has to be collected on megadroughts as far back in recorded climate history as possible. 

“We're examining things happening over the last 1,200 years - including the period known as the 'Medieval Climate Anomaly' from about 800 to 1300 A.D. - and we're applying that understanding to see what could happen in the next 100 years,” said Ault. 

For the study, the researchers analyzed tree rings and identified five instances of megadrought from 800 to 1300 AD. 

The main question for the researchers then becomes, was a warming climate, similar to what we face today the cause of those droughts? 

The researchers concluded that even if megadroughts are natural variability, it is very likely that external forces play a role in the development of megadrought. Only time will tell if the unmitigated impact of climate change could trigger the next devastating megadrought.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Could climate change trigger a megadrought in the United States?

Droughts are common in the western United States, with parts...

You cannot beat a trip to the beach for relaxation and rejuvenation, and just simply being near the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/end-ocean-plastic-litter/">ocean</a> has proven health benefits. A climate by the sea is particularly good for the respiratory organs and the skin, and is also known to strengthen the body's immunity and improve circulation. Before you plan your next trip to the coast, take a look at this list of the most stunningly beautiful beaches in the world.

&nbsp;

Trunk Bay Beach 

St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands

Conserved within the Virgin Islands National Park, this beach is among the most photogenic places on the planet. Trunk Bay Beach has breathtaking views of white beaches against the aquamarine waters of the Caribbean.

&nbsp;

Pink Sands Beach

Harbour Island, Bahamas

Featuring three miles of pink sand and clear, turquoise water, Pink Sands Beach is a heavenly escape. The ocean is warm year-round, making it is the perfect spot for swimming.

&nbsp;

Whitehaven Beach

Queensland, Australia

This pristine white beach features the purest silica sand in the world. The unique sand does not retain heat so it is comfortable no matter how hot it gets along this stretch of Whitsunday Island, Australia.

&nbsp;

Beach Below the Ruins

Tulum, Mexico

Miles of white sandy beaches stretch out just below the ancient ruins of Tulum, and the views are incredible. This beach is known as a slow-paced, spiritual experience.

&nbsp;

Elafonissi Beach

Crete, Greece

Bright white sand against blue-green waters make Elafonissi Beach one of most gorgeous destinations on any coastline. This small island in western Crete also features black rocks, white lilies, and exotic animals.

&nbsp;

Grace Bay Beach

Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

Known for peace and quiet, Grace Bay Beach is widely considered the best beach in the world. Grace Bay Beach has turquoise waters and soft white sand that stretches out for 12 miles.

&nbsp;

Tortuga Bay Beach

Galapagos, Ecuador

Tortuga Bay Beach is a well-preserved and isolated beach on Santa Cruz Island. This destination is world famous for its immaculate white sand, volcanic rocks, and exotic wildlife.

&nbsp;

Blue Lagoon
Oludeniz, Turkey

The Blue Lagoon is located on the Turquoise Coast of southwestern Turkey where the Mediterranean and Aegean seas meet. The lagoon is a national marine sanctuary with unique panoramic views of lush green mountains.

&nbsp;

Matira Beach

Bora Bora, French Polynesia

Located on “the Romantic Island" of Bora Bora, Matira Beach features crystal clear waters and soft sand. This magical setting in the South Pacific is perfect for swimming, snorkeling, or just relaxing under a palm tree.

&nbsp;

Sunset Beach

Oahu, Hawaii

Known for big wave surfing in the winter, Sunset Beach becomes as calm as a lake in the summer months. The two-mile stretch of wide beach located on the North Shore of Oahu looks like paradise, especially at sunset.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

10 of Earth’s most beautiful beaches

You cannot beat a trip to the beach for relaxation...

We felt the truck rocking and looked at each other, concerned. We were in South Dakota, parked near the edge of a bison heard wandering across and around a road. One of the furry animals had passed us in the truck and now was behind the cab, rocking the whole truck a little. Bison are large, strong and dangerous. I looked in the mirror to get a view of the animal and laughed. The bison was licking the truck. It had snowed not long ago, the roads were salted and the Bison was licking salt from the bed of the truck we were sitting in. It’s rare to see bison, much less hundreds of bison wandering the prairie as they must in the past. Moving to South Dakota opened a world of grass, a place of Bison and we were thrilled to be there.

We drove back through Custer’s wildlife loop to see the bison when they were calving, my partner smiled to see them, calling them little cheese puffs. They did look like cheese puffs, with orange-ish fur puffed out over their bodies. The babies ran and jumped like any young animal, thrilled to be alive and young.

We hiked in Wind Cave National Park, Jewel Cave National Monument and Badlands National Parks, all great places to see Bison. We walked through enormous prairie dog towns and spotted burrowing owls. We howled back at coyote packs and listened for their yippy reply. We hiked in snow and sun; we slept in a tent.

The Bison’s survival has depended on a complete change of policy and practice for both the American government as well as its citizens. Bison were once plinked away by the millions for hides or simply to decimate Native peoples. While killing bison, many commercial hunters poisoned the carcasses after they were skinned, indiscriminately killing eagles, foxes, coyotes, wolves, mountain lions, bears and more. Bison were a hated symbol of the wild, of enemy cultures of everything not brought under the rule of government.

Things changed when it was almost too late for the Bison. Bison were bred by ranchers in the west and the American Zoological Society at New York’s Bronx Zoo. Now zoo animals, Bison were reintroduced to places like Yellowstone and Wind Cave. Bison were stamped into nickels, the flipside of a stereotypical ‘Indian’ head.

Bison are now the official national mammal of the US. What was once the symbol of the ‘other’ has become one of our own cherished national symbols. The problem is the bison was never our symbol for the taking. The National Bison Legacy Act, which designated the Bison as our national mammal had Native American support. So, in a way the symbol of the Bison was given, not taken. I would argue it was given in the same way a treaty may be signed by the defeated: with no other option viable.

Before the Bison could be thought of as a symbol of the United States by officials, it had to be stripped of the original mythological trappings. For centuries, before white settlers set foot on American shore, bison were fraught with symbolic power. Bison were literally life to many Native American tribes. Beyond being a source of food, shelter and materials, Bison nourished Native American spirit. Tatanka is the Lakota word for Bison or Bison bull. A literal translation of Tatanka is more like, ‘He who owns us’. Tankafund.org elaborates, saying that for traditional Lakota, you cannot say what you own because the Bison owns you.

The deep cultural and ecological connection between Bison and many Native Americans is what lead to near annihilation of the Bison. If the US could smash the Bison, they could smash the plains Indians. Eventually of course a sort of peace was reached between the federal government and native peoples. Native American groups were pushed into small reservations and fed with rations from the government. Bison for a while were forgotten.

Over time things changed, the actually history of hatred and destruction was forgotten. Things were romanticized. Native Americans became a romantic, noble race who fought valiantly for freedom. Native Americans became a symbol of a west that never was to a people who have never had any love for them. Bison too became something different. With the destruction of most of what could be called wilderness imminent across North America, we became nostalgic. Bison had been tamed, herded up and redistributed into fenced parks. Why not make them a national symbol?

The problem is that by making the Bison the national symbol of the US, we declared a unity between the federal government and the enemies of the government. The US and state governments within it are still rather ambivalent about wolves, which play their own important role in Bison ecology. The same is true of bears, mountain lions, coyotes, prairie dogs and many, many more. The government still leases out prime bison habitat for cattle ranching.

The <a href="https://www.earth.com/animals/american-bison-bison-bison/">Bison</a> as official symbol, like many American promises is one that still must be kept. Equality was an American byword for a long time before women could vote, before African Americans and Native Americans could vote. I hope as a symbol the bison with a shake of shaggy head can lead us to a place where the Bison can be what it’s really always been: a wild animal.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/bison.png"><img class="aligncenter wp-image-988061 size-full" src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/bison.png" alt="" width="536" height="355" /></a>

--

By <a href="zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Bison: An American survival story

We felt the truck rocking and looked at each other,...

Among the many limited resources that are dwindling on our planet, it seems like the resource of our own willpower can now be added to that list – figuratively speaking of course. But there may be a scientific answer to why you have such a hard time resisting that end-of-the-day <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/men-harder-quitting-drinking/">drink</a> or midnight snack. Researchers from <a href="https://www.tamu.edu/">Texas A&amp;M University</a> say they have found the “strongest evidence yet” that willpower is a limited resource, and gets used up as we go about our day.

 In a set of two experiments, the scientists found that attempting to resist temptation early in the day leads us to have less self-control at night. This is an effect known as “ego-depletion.”

The first experiment consisted of 657 students either writing for five minutes about a recent trip, or writing about a trip without using the letters “A” or “N” – a task that requires more self-control. After this written part, participants completed one of two versions of the Stroop task. This means that they either had to name the ink color of color-denoting words (like the word “green” written in red ink) or the ink color of emotional or neutral words. Obviously, ignoring the meaning of color words and focusing on the ink color took more self-control.

The results showed that participants who had done the more difficult version of the writing task responded just as fast, but made more mistakes on the Stroop tasks than the control group. “This pattern represents unambiguous evidence for poorer attention control under ego depletion,” says lead researcher Dr. Katie Garrison.

In the second experiment, 350 participants completed either one of the two writing tasks, followed by the Attention Network Test. This test requires the taker to repeatedly indicate the direction of arrows on a computer screen while simultaneously ignoring the direction of other, distracting arrows. The results of this second experiment showed that participants who completed the more difficult writing task also made more errors on the Attention Network Test.

Both of these findings are consistent with the researchers’ ego depletion theory, although the reasons behind why ego depletion occurs are still undiscovered. The researchers look to further explore the factors behind the phenomenon, saying, “The evidence for an ego-depletion effect on attention control reported here should encourage explorations into mechanisms driving the effect.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Self-control may be limited, and depletes as your day goes on

Among the many limited resources that are dwindling on our...

In the next couple of decades, the United States is expected to have more days with extreme heat, more frequent and persistent heat waves, and longer growing seasons. The demand for resources such as water and energy will rise substantially. Researchers at the <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> have developed high-resolution climate models to help local officials anticipate these increasing needs.

The scientists set out to demonstrate how modeling that uses increased resolution gives more accurate future climate projections. Models that rely on spatial resolution are acceptable when looking hundreds of years into the future, but they are unable to account for local atmospheric events.

"Our new models work at a spatial resolution of 12 km, allowing us to examine localized changes in the climate system across the continental U.S.," said study co-author Donald Wuebbles. "It is the difference between being able to resolve something as small as Champaign County versus the entire state of Illinois - it's a big improvement."


For their investigation, the researchers considered two future <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenhouse-gas-thawing-permafrost/">greenhouse gas emissions</a> scenarios. One condition represented the current rate of emissions, while the other showed fossil fuel consumption that is significantly reduced by the end of the century.

The team generated future data for both scenarios over the next two decades and compared it with historical data from 1995 to 2004.

"One of the most alarming findings in our business-as-usual projection shows that by late-century the southeastern U.S. will experience maximum summer temperatures every other day that used to occur only once every 20 days," said co-author Zach Zobel.

The study revealed that other regions of the country will experience significant changes in temperature as well, yet not as severe.

"The Midwest could see large unusual heat events, like the 1995 Chicago heat wave, which killed more than 800 people, become more common and perhaps even occur as many as five times per year by the end of the century," said Wuebbles. "Heat waves increase the mortality rate within the Midwest and the Northeast because people in these densely populated regions are not accustomed to coping with that kind of heat that frequently."

The researchers explained that the extreme temperatures are likely to cause significant changes in crops and in the ecosystem.

"The concept of global climate change can be somewhat abstract, and people want to know how these projected changes are going to affect them, in their community," said Wuebbles. "Our models are helping answer those questions, and that is what separates our work from the larger, global-scale studies."

The study is published in the journal <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2328-4277/">Earth's Future</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New models show extreme weather conditions for the U.S.

In the next couple of decades, the United States is...

Research from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> reveals that the <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/snowpack-atop-the-sierra-nevada-mountains/">Sierra Nevada mountains</a> grew almost an inch taller after losing water from rocks in extreme drought conditions from 2011 to 2015. The total amount of water lost during the record-breaking drought was 10.8 cubic miles, or 45 times the amount of water consumed by Los Angeles in a year.

Study lead author Donald Argus is a research scientist at NASA's<a href="https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/"> Jet Propulsion Laboratory</a> in Pasadena, California. Argus says the findings of the analysis indicate that “the solid Earth has a greater capacity to store water than previously thought.”

Heavy snowfall and rain in 2016 and 2017 have helped the mountains begin to recuperate, and they have recovered about half the amount of water that was lost. According to the researchers, the mountains have shrunk back down in height by almost half an inch. 

The research team took advantage of 1,300 GPS stations located across the Sierra Nevada mountains which were installed to monitor tectonic motion in active faults and volcanoes throughout in the region. These receivers can detect elevation change within a few millimeters.

Using advanced processing methods on data from the GPS stations, the team was able to calculate the amount of height gained by the mountains. The researchers determined that the amount of water lost from fractured mountain rock during the drought and then gained back during heavy precipitation is underestimated by hydrology models.

Study co-author Jay Famiglietti said that the results of the study answered some questions for hydrologists.

"One of the major unknowns in mountain hydrology is what happens below the soil,” said Famiglietti. “How much snowmelt percolates through fractured rock straight downward into the core of the mountain? This is one of the key topics that we addressed in our study."

Famiglietti explained that approach used in this study will enable hydrologists to further investigate uncertainties about groundwater in the mountains. 

"What does the water table look like within mountain ranges? Is there a significant amount of groundwater stored within mountains? We just don't have answers yet, and this study identities a set of new tools to help us get them."

The study is published in the <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/jgr/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2169-9356/">Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth</a>. Argus is presenting the research at the 2017 American Geophysical Union fall meeting in New Orleans.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

The Sierra Nevada Mountains grew taller from extreme drought

Research from NASA reveals that the Sierra Nevada mountains grew...

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.



<figure class="wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="f8fukm28Vz-2491833-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="0879czfG3k-1785905-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

[sendtonews key="3UUsNkFOuS-2487333-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JbW4VsY53O-1632195-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



---



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

[sendtonews key="qARzJPSabQ-2270617-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

[sendtonews key="fxH3eJHEkQ-2010196-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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



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

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

[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

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="6SdlLLbt0t-1988946-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from NTU...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="gRpsplpwpe-2251464-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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

[sendtonews key="gRpsplpwpe-2251464-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="eAVLRk51oJ-1826888-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="eAVLRk51oJ-1826888-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="sFFhiK9OOn-1720418-12187" type="single"]</div>



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;



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="yPSXGZek1I-2312529-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="EPdZexVR30-1731237-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="EPdZexVR30-1731237-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="uwirCufwYv-2012371-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="uwirCufwYv-2012371-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

<div class="wp-block-sendtonews-playerselector">[sendtonews key="JrMLDXHmjl-1911953-12187" type="single"]</div>



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



---



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

[sendtonews key="JrMLDXHmjl-1911953-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

News coming your way