Manta,In,The,Blue,Background,While,Diving,Maldives

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Offshore wind farms are now habitats for sharks and rays

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

Warmer Arctic temperatures have triggered cooler winters and springs in North America, which has weakened vegetation growth and lowered carbon uptake capacity in its ecosystems, according to a new study. 

Researchers analyzed an index of sea surface temperatures from the Bering Sea and found that in years with higher-than-average <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/delay-antarctic-ozone-recovery/">Arctic</a> temperatures, changes in atmospheric circulation affected climate throughout North America. 

In years of intense cold and low precipitation, the team found that the unfavorable conditions adversely affected vegetation growth—including crop yields—which decreased carbon uptake capacity by about 14 percent, the study said.

“If current warming trends continue, it is feasible to conclude that the ecosystems in regions affected by the anomalous climate will suffer greater damages due to the cold and dry spells,” the authors saId.

Further research is needed to obtain a “general conclusion” on the matter, but the research “delivers important implications for climate adaptation,” the authors added.

The study was conducted by Jin-Soo Kim and Jong-Seong Kug at <a href="http://www.postech.ac.kr/">Pohang University of Science and Technology</a> (POSTECH), in collaboration with Su-Jong Jeong from <a href="http://www.sustc.edu.cn/en/">South University of Science and Technology </a>in China. It  is published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/"> Nature Geoscience.</a>

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.postech.ac.kr/">Pohang University of Science and Technology</a>

Warmer Arctic is weakening vegetation growth in North America

Warmer Arctic temperatures have triggered cooler winters and springs in...

Home batteries used to store power from solar panels in individual houses could become commercially competitive in the 2030s, a new study found.

The findings from <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a> are based on a new analysis tool that predicts how much consumers will have to pay in the future for energy storage technologies.

"Energy storage has been recognized by leading figures such as Barack Obama and Bill Gates as one of the key technologies of a low-carbon 21st century,” said lead author Oliver Schmidt. “With this analysis tool we can quantify when energy storage becomes competitive and identify where to invest to make it happen, thereby minimizing investor and policy uncertainty."

Renewable energy sources like solar or wind only produce power intermittently and if excess amounts are not stored, they are wasted, the researchers said. Currently, most energy storage technologies are still very new and have a high cost, the study said.

As more units are produced, costs usually fall, researchers said, citing renewable power generators, such as <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tesla-solar-roof-tiles/">solar panels</a>.

With reasonable investment, energy storage technologies could soon become much cheaper, with electric cars leading the way as battery technology costs fall, the new study says.

The Hinkley Point C nuclear power plant in Great Britain is projected to cost £19.6bn, and produce 3.2 gigawatt (GW) of power on demand when it is completed in 2025, the study said.

If the same amount of money were invested in large-scale lithium-ion batteries, they would be able to deliver 21-41 GW of power when charged, the analysis said. That is more than ten times the UK's current electricity storage capacity, enabling the use of significantly more wind and solar energy.

"This tool allows us to combat one of the biggest uncertainties in the future energy system, and use real data to answer questions such as how electricity storage could revolutionize the electricity generation sector, or when high-capacity home storage batteries linked to personal solar panels might become cost-effective," said study co-author Iain Staffell.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.imperial.ac.uk/">Imperial College London</a>

Home solar power storage batteries could be competitive in 2030s

Home batteries used to store power from solar panels in...

Most air and water pollution in Europe is from coal-powered plants, with Great Britain among the worst polluters, the European Union said.

Half of the plants responsible for the largest releases of air and water pollution were in Britain, with a total of 14, <a href="https://www.eea.europa.eu/">The European Environment Agency</a> reported. Second was Germany with 7, followed by France and Poland, each with 5.

The report was based on 2015 data, the latest available, from 35,000 industrial plants including power stations, petrochemical refineries and metal processing units from the 28 EU members plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland and Serbia.

The report noted progress by the EU in reaching its climate and energy policy objectives for 2020 and 2030, but said <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/obama-protect-streams-forests-coal-mining/">coal</a> is still the most highly used fuel in large combustion plants despite a tripling in the use of biomass from 2004 to 2015.

Coal is still responsible for the largest releases of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides, although some plants have significantly decreased their emissions in recent years, the report said.

Plants with the highest emissions in 2015 were the Belchatow power plant in Poland, the Drax power station in Britain, Jaenschwalde in Germany, and Kozienice in Poland, the agency said.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/A/APFN_EU_EUROPE_POLLUTION?SITE=AP&amp;SECTION=HOME&amp;TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&amp;CTIME=2017-07-10-07-30-15"> AP</a>

Coal-powered plants found to be the worst polluters in Europe

Most air and water pollution in Europe is from coal-powered...

For the past decade or more, climate change has been one of the most newsworthy and heavily researched topics across the globe. Everyone from scientists to politicians (there’s often a wide gap in-between) seems to have an opinion on the impacts of climate change and where we currently stand in its progression. But how much does the common person know?

An opinion poll of 10,000 European citizens is the first in-depth study to assess public engagement with marine climate change issues across 10 European countries. While most of the European population is relatively well informed on marine climate change, “a surprising number are poorly informed, and even misinformed revealing a major failure at communicating climate change science to the public,” says Carlos Duarte, co-author on the paper and Director of the <a href="https://rsrc.kaust.edu.sa/Pages/Home.aspx">Red Sea Research Center</a> in Saudi Arabia.

For example, 54 percent of people polled think that humans play only a partial role or no role at all in climate change. On the other hand, about 30 percent of European citizens believe that loss of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-sea-ice-record/">Arctic sea-ice</a> in the summer and sea temperature increases of more than 2°C – impacts that are not expected to occur until at least the year 2100 – have already occurred. “This is hugely disturbing because if these changes have already occurred in their minds, what incentive do these citizens have to demand action to prevent such changes?” worries Duarte.

The study also showed that the public believes that ocean pollution is responsible for the most severe impact to climate change, but they lack understanding of ocean acidification caused by carbon dioxide emissions. Counter-intuitively, researchers found that nations that are currently coping with problems as a result of climate change – such as the Dutch with sea level rise and the Norwegians with sea-ice loss – are the least concerned by the impacts of climate change.

On another disturbing note, many that participated said that they have very little trust in government institutions and their scientists, and instead mostly trust scientists employed by universities. 

“The study shows that we don’t all engage with issues around climate change impacts on the coast and seas in the same way,” explains lead author Paul Buckley from the Centre for Environment, Fisheries, and Aquaculture Science in the UK. “We need to tailor our message given the differences in how audiences across Europe engage with these issues. Making issues that seem remote from people's everyday lives relevant is certainly a challenge.”

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: Frontiers

Study: Widespread misinformation on the effects of climate change

For the past decade or more, climate change has been...

<a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> researchers have made a breakthrough by capturing water freezing in a way that has never been done before. They commanded the process molecule-by-molecule and developed an unusual, dense form called ice seven, or ice VII, which occurs naturally in outer space.

The findings of this study will give researchers an unprecedented account of how liquids transition into solids, which may lead to the creation of materials with amazing new properties. The discovery of ice VII could also shed new light on mysterious <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/failed-planets-scarred-earth/">other worlds</a>.

Arianna Gleason is a visiting scientist in the Extreme Environments Laboratory of <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford</a>'s School of Earth, Energy &amp; Environmental Sciences and lead author of the study.

“These experiments with water are the first of their kind, allowing us to witness a fundamental disorder-to-order transition in one of the most abundant molecules in the universe," said Gleason. 

The transformation of materials into gas, liquid and solid states has been extensively studied, but the phase changes are too fast and miniscule to fully observe. Previous research has struggled with these challenges, and researchers resorted to working backward from stable solids in an attempt to view the molecular steps taken to reach this state.

"There have been a tremendous number of studies on ice because everyone wants to understand its behavior," said senior author Wendy Mao. "What our new study demonstrates, and which hasn't been done before, is the ability to see the ice structure form in real time."

The team used the Linac Coherent Light Source, the world's most powerful X-ray laser, for the study. They focused an intense, green laser beam at a small sample of water. The laser instantly vaporized layers of diamond on one side of the target with a force so powerful that it compressed the water to pressures exceeding 50,000 times that of Earth's atmosphere at sea level.

During this water compaction process, the team used a beam from an instrument called the X-ray Free Electron Laser to capture a series of images in only a femtosecond, or a quadrillionth of a second. The images revealed the progression of molecular changes while the pressurized water crystallized into ice VII. The phase change happened in a matter of nanoseconds. The water molecules bonded into rod shapes, which was a surprise to the scientists who expected the molecules would bond into sphere shapes.

The combination of high pressure and snapshot images used for this study could help researchers examine the various ways in which water water freezes depending on pressure and temperature. Due to the conditions of the Earth’s surface, water crystallizes in only one way on this planet known as ice Ih or hexagonal ice. The ice found outside of Earth such as ice VII will give scientists an opportunity to model remote environments.

"Any icy satellite or planetary interior is intimately connected to the object's surface," said Gleason. "Learning about these icy interiors will help us understand how the worlds in our solar system formed and how at least one of them, so far as we know, came to have all the necessary characteristics for life."

The study was published today in Physical Review Letters.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>

Scientists create alien ice on Earth

Stanford University researchers have made a breakthrough by capturing water...

An average of two vertebrate species go extinct every year but few people notice, according to a new study.

Extinctions often attract little attention because the rate seems relatively low and doesn’t pose an immediate threat to natural systems, according to the <a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a> study. 

"This is the case of a biological annihilation occurring globally, even if the species these populations belong to are still present somewhere on Earth," said co-author Rodolfo Dirzo. 

A 2015 study co-authored by Paul Ehrlich, Stanford Professor Emeritus of Biology, showed that Earth has entered an era of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-footprints-recovery-extinction/">mass extinction</a> unparalleled since the dinosaurs died out 66 million years ago. 

In the new study, researchers mapped the ranges of 27,600 species of birds, amphibians, mammals and reptiles - representing nearly half of known terrestrial vertebrate species - and analyzed losses in 177 well-studied mammal species between 1990 and 2015.

More than 30 percent of vertebrate species are declining in population size and range, the study found. All of the 177 mammals for which the researchers had detailed data have lost 30 percent or more of their geographic ranges, and more than 40 percent have lost more than 80 percent, the study said.

Tropical regions have been the hardest hit, particularly the mammals of south and southeast Asia, where all the large-bodied species of mammals analyzed have lost more than 80 percent of their geographic ranges.

As many as 50 percent of the number of animals on Earth have disappeared, as have billions of animal populations. This amounts to "a massive erosion of the greatest biological diversity in the history of Earth," the authors write.

"The massive loss of populations and species reflects our lack of empathy to all the wild species that have been our companions since our origins," said the new study's lead author, Gerardo Ceballos of the<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Autonomous_University_of_Mexico"> National Autonomous University of Mexico</a>. "It is a prelude to the disappearance of many more species and the decline of natural systems that make civilization possible."

The researchers call for curbs on human overpopulation and overconsumption - and challenge society to move away from "the fiction that perpetual growth can occur on a finite planet."

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://www.pnas.org/">Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="https://www.stanford.edu/">Stanford University</a>

Image: Gerardo Ceballos

Population declines underway, two species go extinct each year

An average of two vertebrate species go extinct every year...

Rangeomorphs – ancient animals ranging from centimeters to two meters in height – were much larger than the microscopic species that roamed Earth at the same time.

But what made the ocean-dwelling organisms so comparatively huge? 

"What we wanted to know is why these large organisms appeared at this particular point in Earth's history," said Dr. Jennifer Hoyal Cuthill of <a href="http://www.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge University</a>. "They show up in the fossil record with a bang, at very large size. We wondered, was this simply a coincidence or a direct result of changes in ocean chemistry?"

Rangeomorphs lived in Earth’s oceans between 635 and 541 million years ago. Their bodies branched into fractals, shapes that are still seen in modern organisms.

In some ways, the ancient animals resembled plants more than modern animal life.

Using micro-CT technology, the researchers looked at rangeomorph fossils from Canada, Australia, the UK and Newfoundland. What they discovered may be the earliest evidence of nutrient-dependent growth among ancient animals. This “shape-shifting” ability allowed rangeomorphs to grow larger depending on whether they were in water with more nutrients or oxygen.

The adaptation may have been a response to changes in the ocean’s chemistry during the Ediacaran Period, when rangeomorphs lived.

"During the Ediacaran, there seem to have been major changes in the Earth's oceans, which may have triggered growth, so that life on Earth suddenly starts getting much bigger," Hoyal Cuthill said in a press release. "It's probably too early to conclude exactly which geochemical changes in the Ediacaran oceans were responsible for the shift to large body sizes, but there are strong contenders, especially increased oxygen, which animals need for respiration."

The largest factor may have been a massive influx of oxygen into Earth’s oceans during the Ediacaran. Low oxygen levels prior to that time period may have keep ancient animals small. The study is finding clues that may explain how other animal species became so large.

When conditions changed again in the “Cambrian Explosion,” more large species developed and rangeomorphs were crowded out, the researchers said.

The study will be published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-017-0222-7">Nature Ecology &amp; Evolution</a>. 

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://www.earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Image Credit: Dr. Jennifer Hoyal Cuthill of <a href="http://www.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge University</a>

How and why did ancient animals grow so large?

Rangeomorphs – ancient animals ranging from centimeters to two meters...

One of the most invasive marine species in Europe has arrived on Egypt’s Mediterranean coastline in alarming numbers. According to the <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a>, the appearance of large swarms of nomad jellyfish is reviving a dispute over the Suez Canal.

The nomad <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/pee-jellyfish-sting/">jellyfish</a>, Rhopilema nomadica, is native to the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, yet has been showing up in the Mediterranean by way of the Suez Canal since the 1970’s. Despite this fact, many blame the recent invasion on the 2015 expansion of the Suez Canal.

The jellyfish interrupted the Eid al-Fitr holiday last month, as beach-goers avoided the water and took to social media with pictures of the unwelcome visitors. The numbers of nomad jellyfish appearing in the Mediterranean has steadily increased over the years, but this year they are especially dominant.

The Suez Canal has been expanded several times since it was built in 1869. However, the 2015 project was a multi-billion dollar transformation. Egyptian officials deny the expansion is to blame for this year’s unprecedented jellyfish invasion.

Mostafa Fouda, an advisor to the Environment Minister, points out that this is not the first time nomad jellyfish have appeared on Egypt's north coast. “This time the number was just larger than previous years,” explains Fouda.

Egypt’s environmental ministry has set up a team to assess the phenomenon. They believe there are many other factors to be considered for the abundance of alien jellyfish this year such as global warming, the availability of more food, or a lack of predators.

While experts agree that these environmental influences may have allowed a spike in the nomadic jellyfish population, many feel the larger waterway has increased the progression of the creatures from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean.

Jason Hall-Spencer is a marine biologist at Britain's Plymouth University. He says,"The primary cause of the invasion of jellyfish is the Suez Canal. Other ecosystem stressors have allowed them to thrive and become a plague.”

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">Associated Press</a>

Egypt’s Suez Canal blamed for jellyfish invasion

One of the most invasive marine species in Europe has...

Researchers from the <a href="http://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a> are taking a new look at past temperatures in Greenland to determine how quickly the country’s massive ice sheet is melting. 

Atmospheric scientists J. E. Jack Reeves Eyre and Xubin Zeng say that observing past and present surface air temperatures can help establish the rate at which the ice has melted and help predict how fast it will continue to disappear. Previous research suggests that the Greenland ice sheet began vanishing in 1900, and the annual rate of shrinkage has doubled since 2003. 

The loss of this enormous sheet could have a major impact on rising <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/measuring-sea-levels-rising/">sea levels</a>. Greenland’s ice covers an area of land larger than France, Germany, and Italy combined. The sea would rise an additional 7 meters, or 23 feet, in the event that all of Greenland’s ice melted.

"Greenland is particularly important to global climate change because it has the potential to cause a big change in sea level," explains Reeves Eyre. "Knowing how it's going to change over the next century is important."

Calculating the average temperature of Greenland in the 20th century is challenging due to the fact there were only coastal weather stations in the country until 1995. Remote sensing data, climate models, and other methods have been used to establish Greenland’s average temperatures last century, but the studies produced conflicting results.

For the current study, the scientists looked at data sets from 16 previous evaluations. They divided the temperature data into three categories to get an unbiased view of which studies were more accurate. The team ultimately combined the findings of the two best analyses.

"By studying a wide range of available data and combining two of the best data sources, we've come up with a combination that best represents the whole distribution of temperatures over Greenland from 1880 to 2016," says Eyre. "Using this dataset is the best way to evaluate climate models and their projection of temperature change over Greenland."

The findings of the study, published in the journal <a href="http://www.the-cryosphere.net/">The Cryosphere</a>, will be used to improve climate models to more accurately predict how Greenland will respond to future warming.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.arizona.edu/">University of Arizona</a>

Greenland is melting, but the question is how quickly?

Researchers from the University of Arizona are taking a new...

Volcanic activity in the oceans induced by falling sea levels may have caused an unusual decline in the Earth’s temperature 80,000 years ago, according to a new study.

Although temperatures dropped, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere remained relatively stable for several thousand years, according to the study by <a href="http://www.geomar.de/en/">GEOR MAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel</a> and the<a href="https://www.awi.de/en.html"> Alfred-Wegener-Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research</a>.

Normally, if the temperatures decline, CO2 values also decrease and vice versa, the authors said.

Researchers analyzed why <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/ocean-circulation-absorb-carbon-dioxide/">CO2</a> levels were stable during the temperature drop during the last transition to glacial conditions. They investigated the response of mid-ocean ridges and of 43 ocean island volcanoes to glacial sea level changes.

During the development of glacial conditions, temperatures decrease and ice sheets form, redistributing water from the ocean to continental regions. Sea level falls, decreasing pressure on the seabed and the Earth’s crust, and increasing magma production, the authors said.

"To better understand and quantify these processes, we developed a comprehensive computer model that we integrated with geodynamic data,” said Jörg Hasenclever, the lead author of the study. “In addition to this we analyzed paleo-climate data and carried out simulations with a model of the global carbon cycle." 

Close interactions between the solid earth and the climate system exist on geologically relatively short time scales of about 5,000 to 15,000 years, the study suggests.

"Such interactions could provide a novel component for earth system research to better understand the climate evolution at times of glacial sea level changes," co-author Gregor Knorr said. 

The study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.geomar.de/en/">GEOR MAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel</a>

Sea-level declines, volcanoes explain unusual temperature drop

Volcanic activity in the oceans induced by falling sea levels...

A new study reveals how strike-slip faults form in the Earth’s crust, as two tectonic plates slide past one another, generating <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/slow-earthquakes-tsunami-generation/">earthquakes</a>.

In addition to a video description, <a href="http://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts at Amherst </a> researchers re-enacted the events in wet clay in the lab.

"When I give talks to other geologists I put up a picture of a fault and ask, wouldn't you love to be able to see exactly how that formed?,” said structural geologist Michele Cooke. “Well, in my lab that's what we do. We set up the conditions for faulting on a small scale and watch them unfold.”

The researchers have developed methods that allow them to see faults grow in very, very fine detail, at a finer resolution than anyone has documented before," Cooke said.

In two-hour experiments, the researchers load a tray with kaolin, also known as china clay, prepared so its viscosity and length scale to that of the earth's crust. One scenario begins with a pre-existing fault, another with localized displacement beneath the clay, and a third that is characterized by a displacement across a wider zone of shear beneath the clay.

The scientists record strain localization and fault evolution that represents millions of years at the scale of tens of kilometers during the maturation of strike-slip faults. "We have captured very different conditions for fault formation in our experiments that represent a range of conditions that might drive faulting in the crust,” Cooke said.

One surprising finding was that faults “shut off along the way,” Cooke said. This is the first experiment to document this.

“Another especially surprising finding is that fault irregularities, which are inefficient, persist rather than the system forming a straight, efficient fault," she said.

The study identifies four stages in fault evolution: pre-faulting, localization, linkage and slip. The process starts simply, advances to a complex peak, and simplifies again before lengthening into a "through-going" or continuous single, surface crack, the research found.

“What you're left with at the end is a long fault with abandoned segments on either side, which is something we see in the field all the time,” Cooke said.”It's a nice confirmation that our lab experiments replicate what is going on within the Earth."

The study was published in the <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/01918141">Journal of Structural Geology</a>.

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By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.umass.edu/">University of Massachusetts at Amherst</a>

How strike-slip faults form and lead to earthquakes

A new study reveals how strike-slip faults form in the...

Scientists have discovered a geomagnetic “fingerprint” that will allow them to study the Earth’s magnetic field and its past with finer resolution.

"This is something of a Holy Grail discovery," said Maureen Walczak, a post-doctoral researcher at <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University</a> and lead author on the study. "It is an important first step in better understanding the magnetic field, and synchronizing sediment core data at a finer scale."

Researchers made the discovery while studying two high-resolution sediment cores from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/500-year-old-fish-trap-alaska/">Gulf of Alaska</a>. They compared those records with sediment cores from other sites in the Pacific Ocean to capture a magnetic fingerprint, which is based on the orientation of the magnetite in the sediment, which acts as a magnetic recorder of the past.

The magnetic signal found in the cores now covers an area spanning from Alaska to Oregon, and over to Hawaii, researchers said.

"Magnetic alignment of distant environmental reconstructions using reversals in the paleomagnetic record provides insights into the past on a scale of hundreds of thousands of years," Walczak said

It will allow scientists to compare events between ocean basins, and “really get down to the nitty-gritty of how climate anomalies are propagated around the planet on a scale relevant to human society,” said Walczak.

The Earth’s magnetic field changes, which shields the planet from solar winds and cosmic radiation, changes over over time, researchers said. About 800,000 years ago, the field was reversed, meaning that a compass would have pointed south. Magnetic field reversals occur every several hundred thousand years, the authors said.

The magnetic field is generated by a fluid outer core of iron, nickel and other metals that creates electric currents, which in turn produce magnetic fields. It is well known that the field changes but the new research can help explain the reasons why, the study authors said.

The research was published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0012821X">Earth and Planetary Science Letters</a>.

--

By: <a href="mailto:dbeasley@earth.com">David Beasley, </a><a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://oregonstate.edu/">Oregon State University </a>

Earth’s magnetic field is simpler than scientists thought

Scientists have discovered a geomagnetic “fingerprint” that will allow them...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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