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>.



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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...

President Donald Trump is procrastinating a resolution on the Paris agreement. The White House previously stated that a decision would be made before President Trump attends the G7 summit in Italy at the end of this month. Now, White House spokesman Sean Spicer says the announcement will come after the summit.

The historical deal is the world's first comprehensive climate agreement which was arranged by 195 countries in 2015 during the Obama administration. All countries participating in the deal have pledged to significantly reduce carbon emissions over the next decade. During his campaign, President Trump vowed to renegotiate the terms of the deal, yet his current stance on the agreement remains unclear.

President Trump was expected to meet with top officials to get advice on the issue Tuesday, but the meeting was postponed for the second time. Environmental Protection Agency Administrator <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scott-pruitt-doubts-global-warming/">Scott Pruitt</a> was scheduled to attend a meeting with Ivanka Trump which was also canceled. 

Pruitt has conveyed the opinion that the Paris agreement is not a good move for America and will result in the loss of jobs. The former attorney general of Oklahoma has a history of suing the EPA over restrictions that do not favor big oil and gas companies. 

Through a series of executive orders, Trump has indicated he is not willing to make the regulation of climate change a priority. He has expressed more interest in protecting American jobs by lifting restrictions on energy. However, Spicer said that Trump will “continue to meet with his team” to determine what is best for both the economy and the environment. 

While President Trump has not announced whether or not he will withdraw the United States from the Paris agreement, U.S. Diplomat and environmental expert David Balton suggested Trump’s decision will not make a difference. 

"The U.S. will remain engaged in the work that the Arctic Council does on climate change throughout," said Balton.

Companies like Apple, Google, Walmart,  and Tiffany and Company have expressed unwavering support of staying in the Paris agreement. Ted Halstead is the president of the Climate Leadership Council. Halstead said that "there is a nearly unanimous position on the part of big business."

George P. Schultz, Secretary of State during the Reagan administration, co-authored a piece for the New York Times with Halstead that said, “American business leaders understand that remaining in the agreement would spur new investment, strengthen American competitiveness, create jobs, ensure American access to global markets and help reduce future business risks associated with the changing climate.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="https://www.ap.org/en-us/">AP</a>

Trump pushes back decision on Paris Climate Agreement

President Donald Trump is procrastinating a resolution on the Paris...

Climate change is melting permafrost soils that have been frozen for thousands of years, releasing ancient viruses and bacteria, the <a href="http://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170504-there-are-diseases-hidden-in-ice-and-they-are-waking-up">BBC</a> reported.

In August 2016, a 12-year-old died in a remote corner of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/batagaika-crater-siberia/">Siberian</a> tundra called the Yamal Peninsula in the Arctic Circle, and at least 20 people were hospitalized after being infected by anthrax, the BBC said.

The theory is that a reindeer was infected with anthrax more than 75 years ago, and its frozen carcass became trapped under a layer of frozen soil, known as permafrost. That is, until a heatwave in the summer of 2016 thawed the permafrost and released the deadly toxins.

The temperature in the Arctic Circle is rising about three times faster than in the rest of the world, the BBC said. As the ice and permafrost melt, other infectious agents may be released.

"Permafrost is a very good preserver of microbes and viruses, because it is cold, there is no oxygen, and it is dark," says evolutionary biologist Jean-Michael Claverie of <a href="https://www.igs.cnrs-mrs.fr/spip.php?article39&amp;lang=fr"> </a><a href="http://www.univ-amu.fr/en">Aix-Marseille University</a> in France. "Pathogenic viruses that can infect humans or animals might be preserved in old permafrost layers, including some that have caused global epidemics in the past."

In the early 20th Century alone, more than a million reindeer died from anthrax. It is not easy to dig deep graves, so most of these carcasses are buried close to the surface, scattered among 7,000 burial grounds in northern Russia, the story said. 

“However, the big fear is what else is lurking beneath the frozen soil,” the BBC said.

Scientists have discovered fragments of RNA from the 1918 Spanish flu virus in corpses buried in mass graves in Alaska's tundra. Smallpox and the bubonic plague are also likely buried in Siberia.

In a 2011 study, Boris Revich and Marina Podolnaya wrote: "As a consequence of permafrost melting, the vectors of deadly infections of the 18th and 19th Centuries may come back, especially near the cemeteries where the victims of these infections were buried."

NASA scientists successfully revived bacteria that had been encased in a frozen pond in Alaska for 32,000 years, the story said.

In the 1890s there was a major epidemic of smallpox in Siberia with one town losing up to 40 percent of its population. Their bodies were buried under the upper layer of permafrost on the banks of the Kolyma River. Now, 120 years later, Kolyma's floodwaters have started eroding the banks, and the melting of the permafrost has speeded up this erosion process.

In a project that began in the 1990s, scientists from the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Research_Center_of_Virology_and_Biotechnology_VECTOR">State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology </a>in Novosibirsk have <a href="http://www.istc.int/en/project/84980DF9853EABD94325690B000F3840">tested</a> the remains of Stone Age people  found in southern Siberia, in the region of Gorny Altai. They have also tested samples from the corpses of men who had died during viral epidemics in the 19th Century and were buried in the Russian permafrost.

The researchers say they have found bodies with sores characteristic of the marks left by smallpox. While they did not find the smallpox virus itself, they have detected fragments of its DNA, the BBC 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://www.bbc.com/earth/story/20170504-there-are-diseases-hidden-in-ice-and-they-are-waking-up">BBC</a>

Report: Climate change unleashing deadly viruses, bacteria

Climate change is melting permafrost soils that have been frozen...

In its early life, the Earth was likely flat, barren and almost completely underwater with only a few small islands, according to new study.

The findings by <a href="http://www.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a> were based on analysis of tiny <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rare-mineral-earths-mantle/">mineral</a> grains as old as 4.4 billion years. The zircon mineral grains were preserved in sandstone rocks in the Jack Hills of Western Australia, the oldest fragments of the Earth ever found, the university said.

"The history of the Earth is like a book with its first chapter ripped out with no surviving rocks from the very early period, but we've used these trace elements of zircon to build a profile of the world at that time," said lead researcher Antony Burnham.

The research indicates there were no mountains or continental collisions during Earth's first 700 million years or more of existence.

“It was a much more quiet and dull place,” said Burnham.

There are strong similarities between zircon and the types of rocks that predominated for the following 1.5 billion years, suggesting that it took the Earth a long time to evolve into the planet that we know today, Burnham said.

Zircon grains that eroded out of the oldest rocks were like skin cells found at a crime scene, he said.

"We used the granites of southeast Australia to decipher the link between zircon composition and magma type, and built a picture of what those missing rocks were," he said.

The first known form of life emerged some time later, around 3.8 billion years ago, Burnham said.

The samples of zircon from Jack Hills have been collected over the course of several decades by many people, while chemical analyses carried out by an ANU research group 20 years ago have proved invaluable," he said.

The study was published in Nature Geoscience. 

--

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.anu.edu.au/">Australian National University</a>

Study: Early Earth was flat and almost fully underwater

In its early life, the Earth was likely flat, barren...

Scientists believe that in the early days of Earth, there was a period of time during which roughly 150 massive meteorite impacts occurred. Thankfully, as time wore on, the number of devastating meteor landings slowed down and our planet was generally left alone.

However, these early impacts are thought to have played a significant role in the structure of our planet. “The intense bombardment of the early Earth had destructive effects on the planet’s surface but it may also have brought up material from the planet’s interior, which shaped the overall structure of the planet.” says Professor Balz Kamber of <a href="https://www.tcd.ie">Trinity College Dublin</a>.

Kamber and an international team of researchers recently analyzed rocks from an ancient geological structure in Canada, where it is believed that a gigantic meteorite landed around two billion years ago. The reserachers found evidence of rocks that had melted after this impact, along with volcanic fragments that indicate a history of violent eruptions.

These findings suggest that massive meteorite impacts can be a catalyst for intense <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/russias-kambalny-volcano-ash/">volcanic</a> activity that changes over time. The effects of this can drastically change the surface of the Earth, and even have an impact on the climate as the planet’s crust melts and enormous eruptions bring the interior of the Earth to its exterior.

The researchers found that in the years following this event, the composition of the volcanic materials changed. Initially, the acitivty was a part of the melting of Earth’s crust. But as it continued, the volcanic activity was spurred on by magma from the planet’s interior.

“This is an important finding, because it means that the magma sourcing the volcanoes was changing with time. The reason for the excitement is that the effect of large impacts on the early Earth could be more serious than previously considered.” explains Kamber.

This research gives scientists a better understanding of how meteorite impacts played a role in the structure of Earth. It also expands our understanding of the effects of extended volcanic activity and the factors that contribute to our planet dredging up its magma from deep within.

--

By <a href="mailto:certz@earth.com">Connor Ertz</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="https://www.tcd.ie">Trinity College Dublin</a>

Extreme meteorite impacts helped build the Earth we know today

Scientists believe that in the early days of Earth, there...

Prostate and breast cancer are strongly linked to poor environmental quality, a new study found.

Researchers at the <a href="http://www.uic.edu/">University of Illinois, Chicago</a> linked the Environmental Quality Index, a county-level measure of cumulative environmental exposures, with cancer incidence rates.

Counties with poor environmental quality demonstrated a higher incidence of cancer cases - on average 39 more cases per 100,000 people- than counties with high <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmentally-friendly-cool-summer/">environmental</a> quality.

Prostate and breast cancer in particular demonstrated strong links with poor environmental quality, according to the study which examined air, water, and land quality; sociodemographic environment; and built environment.

 "Our study is the first we are aware of to address the impact of cumulative environmental exposures on cancer incidence," said the University of Illinois’ Dr. Jyotsna S. Jagai. "This work helps support the idea that all of the exposures we experience affect our health, and underscores the potential for social and environmental improvements to positively impact health outcomes.”

Research has traditionally focused on individual environmental exposures, which is important for understanding specific mechanisms that can cause disease, Jagai said. However, cancer development is dependent on all exposures people face, including social stress.

"Therefore, we must consider the overall environment that one is exposed to in order to understand the potential risk for cancer development," she said.

The study, published online in <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-0142">Cancer</a>, a peer-reviewed journal of the American Cancer Society, may help to reduce the burden of cancer by allowing officials to identify vulnerable communities in need of attention, the authors 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://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1097-0142">Cancer</a>

Study: Poor environmental quality leads to higher cancer rates

Prostate and breast cancer are strongly linked to poor environmental...

If you live in a mobile home, you’re one of about 9 million people in the United States who could be in danger due to climate change, according to a new study.

The U.S. is home to more tornadoes than any other country on Earth – about 1,200 a year – and that number could increase with rising average global surface temperatures, researchers from <a href="https://msu.edu/">Michigan State University</a> believe. 

Any increase in the number tornadoes could lead to a lot more destruction and fatalities each year, they found, especially in low-income areas such as counties with several mobile home parks.

“Tornadoes are the most frequent of the natural hazards in the United States, causing significant yearly human and economic losses. Given the potential destructive power of tornado events and their largely unpredictable nature, it is important to identify the major determinants of vulnerability,” they wrote in their study.

The researchers looked at the number of fatal tornado events in the U.S. between 1980 and 2014. Most of the 2,447 tornado deaths occurred in the region known as “Tornado Alley.” 

Texas, Kansas, Oklahoma and Florida see the most tornadoes each year, the researchers found. Two of those states, Texas and Florida, top the list for most mobile home residents in the nation.

That puts people in those locations at risk, should predictions that global warming could increase tornado activity prove true. 

"If the climatologists are right about the continuing effects of climate change, then people living in mobile homes could be particularly vulnerable to tornadoes in the years to come," Dr. Mark Skidmore, an economics professor at Michigan State who co-authored of the study, said in a press release.

Scientists are already studying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/attribution-science-extreme-weather-events/">tornado outbreaks and other extreme weather events</a> to determine whether climate change has an impact, and if so, how bad things could potentially get. 

The mobile home study, however, is among only a few looking at how tornado activity impacts people across socio-economic tiers, and how stronger and more frequent tornadoes could affect people in low-income regions.

But even if tornado activity holds steady, the rise in mobile home construction could put more people at risk, the study found.

"Though mobile homes offer a relatively inexpensive but comfortable housing alternative, it appears that this trend has made the United States more vulnerable to tornadoes over time," the researchers wrote in their study. "Given this trend and our findings, it is critical that federal, state and local policymakers consider alternatives to reduce vulnerability for those living in this type of housing arrangement.”

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0166046216300333">Regional Science and Urban Economics</a>.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Live in a mobile home? Climate change could put you in danger

If you live in a mobile home, you’re one of...

Ice Age climate change altered the evolution of tiny, hand-standing skunks, a new study said.

"By analyzing western spotted skunk DNA, we learned that Ice Age climate change played a crucial role in their evolution," said lead author Adam Ferguson, Collections Manager of Mammals at <a href="https://www.fieldmuseum.org/">The Field Museum</a> in Chicago and affiliate of <a href="https://www.ttu.edu/">Texas Tech University</a>. "Over the past million years, changing climates isolated groups of spotted skunks in regions with suitable abiotic conditions, giving rise to genetic subdivisions that we still see today."

Western spotted skunks, smaller than the striped variety, have coats that are an almost maze-like pattern of black and white swirls. They often do handstands, hind legs and fluffy tail in the air, as they unleash smelly chemicals to ward off predators. These impressive skunks are found throughout the Western U.S. and Mexico.

During the Ice Age, western North America was mostly covered by glaciers. But there were also patches of suitable climates, called refugia, for the skunks separated by patches of unsuitable climates.

“When we analyzed the DNA of spotted skunks living today, we found three groups that correspond to three different climate refugia,"Ferguson said. "That means that for spotted skunk evolution, climate change appears to have been a more important factor than geographical barriers.”

Small carnivores such as skunks haven’t been extensively studied about how they responded to changing climates, Ferguson said.

"What we know about the past can inform what we expect to see in the future," he said. says "Understanding these genetic subdivisions that happened as a result of changing climatic conditions can help us conserve skunks and other animals in the future."

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)2045-7758">Ecology and Evolution</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.fieldmuseum.org/">The Field Museum</a>

What skunks can teach us about coping with climate change

Ice Age climate change altered the evolution of tiny, hand-standing...

Reducing global emissions of pollutants such as methane and black carbon could slow global warming while boosting public health and agricultural yields, according to a new analysis by an international research panel.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/video/tree-trunks-methane/">Methane</a> and black carbon are the second and third most powerful climate-warming agents after carbon dioxide, according to the policy forum article published May 5 in <a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/">Science</a>. They also contribute to air pollution that harms the health of billions of people worldwide and reduces agricultural yields, the analysis said.

"It's highly likely that we could cut methane emissions by 25 percent and black carbon by 75 percent and eliminate high-warming hydrofluorocarbons altogether in the next 25 years using existing technologies, if we made a real commitment to doing this," said Drew T. Shindell, professor of climate science at <a href="https://www.duke.edu/">Duke University</a>'s Nicholas School of the Environment and one of the authors of the peer-reviewed article.

Acting now to reduce these emissions would contribute to long-term goals set under the 2015 Paris Climate Agreement while providing governments with substantial benefits in the short term for investing in sustainable development - a set of goals through 2030 that countries also agreed to in 2015, the article said.

"The urgency in dealing with SLCPs now rather than later is that if we wait to address them, we continue to incur all these damages - increased public health burdens and reduced agricultural yields - along the way," Shindell said. "If we want to avoid those costs, and keep millions of people from dying, we need to do this now.”

The article builds upon previous work by the Climate and Clean Air Coalition, an international consortium of more than 100 countries and non-state partners working to reduce short-lived climate pollutants or SLCPs. 

--

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.duke.edu/">Duke University</a>

How we could both slow global warming and improve public health

Reducing global emissions of pollutants such as methane and black...

What’s not to love about an energy source that’s free, endlessly abundant and non-polluting? That’s what renewable energy advocates would say about wind power. And yet, it’s not ideal in a lot of ways. 

The turbines that harness the wind are tall and massive, using up a lot of steel and concrete in their construction, and they take up a lot of land. They’re not very efficient, they’re noisy and the spinning blades kill tens of thousands -- or millions -- of birds annually, depending on who’s tabulating. In addition, the big turbines frequently break down and are considered an eyesore by some. Take, for example, the fact that the late Senator Ted Kennedy was involved in legal proceedings to block the establishment of a wind farm off Cape Cod coastal waters in his sight line. If the liberal senator from Massachusetts couldn’t put up with the view, can you find enough available land to set up all of the massive-footprint turbines we’d need to even significantly power the nation by wind?

But what if you could solve all of the problems of wind energy production by adopting a whole new wind-capture technology. One with a much smaller footprint, much lower construction and maintenance costs and so visually and sonically unobtrusive that most people wouldn’t even notice it if they lived a mile away from such a wind farm. And what if that power could be generated at rates that were competitive to coal and natural gas?

Kite power

We’re talking about airborne wind energy, or kite power. The concept is to use the motion of huge tethered kites  or wings (some look more like 84-foot wide parachute canopies) to generate energy in a variety of ways. One technology places turbines on each of the wings to create electricity, and then sends it down a wire to the ground station. Another method sets pumping cycles  in motion as kites are reeled out and reeled in on its tether, generating the electricity at the ground station level.

Although both conventional and kite systems use wind to make electricity, that’s where the similarities end. Wind is hard to consistently catch near the ground, which is why turbines must be built so tall. It’s much windier, say, 300 or even 500 feet above ground, so that’s how high the blades must reach. In order to support building to such impressive heights, the platform base of the tower must be truly massive and deeply entrenched in the ground. The base for one turbine can be fifty feet in diameter, using more than a thousand tons of concrete and steel rebar, and might be anchored as much as thirty feet below surface.

Kite technology, on the other hand, consists of little more that one or more gigantic kites on cable tethers, and the low-lying ground station that houses the generator, tether motor, generator, gear box, pulleys, belts and the like. The kites can go thousands of feet in the air to find and continuously use constant and predictable wind patterns. There’s no such thing as a windless day when you go up that high. In some technologies, computer programs help reposition the kits to take advantage of the best winds.

Dr. Roland Schmehl, associate professor of aerospace engineering at Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, said this about the greater efficiency of kite power over standard wind turbines in a TED Time talk on YouTube. 

“We looked at the concept of the wind turbine and realized that the last 25 percent of the rotor blade actually makes more than 50 percent of the energy, so why don’t we decouple the rotor blade from the hub and move it as a free-flying wing into the air. That way we can move it at high speed and have a very high energy density on this wing.”

The Delft University group is only one that’s exploring the possibilities. Another, Makani Power, was recently bought by Alphabet, the parent company of Google, and is testing kite technology in California. In Europe, work is being done in Scotland, Italy and elsewhere.

Cutting energy production costs

One of the pioneering companies  in the technology is Kite Power Systems (KPS), a United Kingdom-based company testing the technology in a military airfield in Scotland. In an email exchange with Earth.com, KPS interim CEO and Business Development Director David Ainsworth had this to say about how he thinks kite power will impact conventional wind turbine technology.

“It’s too soon to say whether kite power will overtake conventional wind turbines, but our technology transforms the economics of offshore and onshore wind power,” Ainsworth wrote. “We are expecting our patented technology to cut offshore costs by 50-60% in a number of ways: reduced need for steel or concrete, lower transport, installation and deployment costs (no jack-up vessels required), cheaper running costs, and a higher capacity factor as the wind resource at high altitude is better.  In our view, the offshore market gives us greater scope and opportunity for our systems to be deployed. However, we do see that there is a significant onshore market for our technology.”

That lack of a footprint is a major consideration of kite power enthusiasts. The technology uses 90 percent less building materials than conventional turbines and, according to online information provided by Makani Power, it can generate 50 percent more energy.

Also consider maintenance costs. When a kite needs repairs, you reel it in and do the work on the ground. Not so much if it’s a turbine blade 300 feet high that goes haywire.

Future gains

Too good to be true? Well of course there are challenges to this, as well as any developing technology. KPS’s Ainsworth writes of some of those roadblocks.

“Like any early stage technology, we encounter challenges (mainly technical) but we are pleased with the progress that we are making. Additional challenges could be with airspace regulators and other users, and we are learning from the lessons learnt by Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine [regarding] impacts on the natural environment (bats and birds). The investment by Shell, E.ON and Schlumberger (announced in December 2016) is a massive endorsement of our work to date and a statement of intent.”

Ainsworth also wrote that the company anticipates showcasing three megawatt and several 500 kilowatt kite systems to demonstrate the technology within the next three to five years. KPS also plans to land its first customer within that time frame.

It’s a start. Visionary innovators within the field can see wind farms of 1,000 very high-flying kites powering our future. Or a single system energizing a community center in a desert village far off of the power grid. They see kites flying so high they’re barely dots in the sky, but they’re cleanly powering our homes and businesses. 

Stand by. The future of airborne wind technology is still up in the air. But it’s in sight.

--

By <a href="mailto:DSearls@earth.com">David Searls</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.nature.com/ngeo/index.html">Nature Geoscience</a>

Image Credit: <a href="http://www.kitepowersystems.com/">Kite Power Systems</a>

Will kite power fly high as the next renewable energy solution?

What’s not to love about an energy source that’s free,...

Producing up to 40 shooting stars per hour, the Eta Aquarids meteor shower will put on a beautiful light show tonight. The Eta Aquarids may not be as active as the Perseids which occur every August, but many of these shooting stars are more spectacular and brighter in appearance. 

The meteors will seem to emerge from the radiant point Eta Aquarii, which is one of the brightest stars of the constellation Aquarius. The best way to view this meteor shower from the Northern Hemisphere is in a dark place, under a sky that is free from light pollution, and with an unobstructed view of the southern horizon. Those in the Southern Hemisphere will have the best view of the meteor shower, particularly in places like Australia where this underrated meteor shower is most visible.

According to <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>, “The constellation of Aquarius - home to the radiant of the Eta Aquarids - is higher up in the sky in the Southern Hemisphere than it is in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-ice-age-northern-hemisphere/">Northern Hemisphere</a>. In the Northern Hemisphere, Eta Aquarid meteors can more often be seen as ‘earthgrazers.’ Earthgrazers are long meteors that appear to skim the surface of the Earth at the horizon.”

The best viewing time for the Eta Aquarids is tonight into tomorrow morning. The moon will set by the time the shower reaches the horizon, making the fireballs easier to see. The shooting stars will be most prevalent when the shower peaks in the hours just before dawn, but some meteors will still be visible through the middle of May.

Experts from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a> have some advice for viewing the Eta Aquarids tonight. They recommend to lie flat on your back with your feet facing east, and allow your eyes about thirty minutes to adjust to the darkness. 

“Be patient - the show will last until dawn, so you have plenty of time to catch a glimpse,” adds <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer 

Source: <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>

Don’t miss the meteor shower tonight and tomorrow night

Producing up to 40 shooting stars per hour, the Eta...

Alpine plants are different species of plants that exist together on Alpine tundra in high altitudes. For this reason, Alpine plants are adapted to extremely low temperatures. Global warming is causing a need for these cold-loving plants to seek higher ground. Emerging research shows that alpine plant species are at risk of extinction due climate change, even though the warning signs are not obvious. 

Previous research conducted on the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fossil-footprints-recovery-extinction/">extinction</a> risks to Alpine plant species was based on static models. These models did not take into consideration the adaptations of the plants in their response to climate change. Frederic Guillaume of the <a href="http://www.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a> collaborated with scientists from Grenoble and Vienna to develop an updated model. The team used supercomputers to simulate the adaptation of four Alpine plant species using three possible climate scenarios over the next 73 years.

The research found that the longevity of Alpine plant species is masking an underlying problem. The plants cannot adapt quickly enough to keep up with climate change. As the older plants persist in the worsening conditions, the younger plants cannot get into a position to advance. 

"The population numbers of these plants are dropping faster than the plants can adapt to the new conditions or spread to more favorable grounds," Frederic Guillaume says.

By looking at the climate scenarios, the team determined the Alpine plants may still recover if temperatures stop warming at such a high rate. 

“If climate change continues to develop without restraint, however," Guillaume says," the plants will have a big problem.”

The findings of the study suggest that an accurate measure of the density and distribution of Alpine plant species is needed in order to get a better indication of the extinction risks these species are facing. 

--

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.uzh.ch/en.html">University of Zurich</a>

Photo Credit: ©Stefan Dullinger

Alpine plants face unseen extinction risks

Alpine plants are different species of plants that exist together...

Anxiety disorders are very common mental diseases that are characterized by excessive worry, restlessness, and many other symptoms. These ailments affect more than 60 million people annually in the European Union, and the cost of treating anxiety disorders in the United States is estimated to be 42.3 million dollars each year. A new study examines the possibility that anxiety disorders may be caused by living in poor areas.

The exact causes of anxiety disorders are unknown, but scientists believe many of these disorders are caused by changes in the brain or environmental stress. Researchers from the <a href="http://www.iph.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge Institute of Public Health</a> set out to determine if the stress of living in a disadvantaged area could be to blame for some anxiety issues. They examined health surveys of over 21,000 residents of East England to gather data for their research. 

The findings of the study, published in BMJ Open, revealed that 1 and 40 women had a generalized anxiety disorder as opposed to 1 in 55 men. According to the research, women living in underprivileged areas were 60% more likely to battle anxiety, while the men seem to be largely unfazed by their surroundings.

While it is difficult for researchers to say that women in low-income areas are definitely at a higher risk of developing anxiety, the findings certainly indicate that this is the case. The team thinks one reason may be the simple fact that women are typically home more than men. The circumstances of living in a disadvantaged setting also may affect women more because they are the caretakers of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/chimps-learning-family-affair/">family</a>.

"Anxiety disorders affect a substantial number of people and can lead to poor health outcomes and risk of suicide. Now we know that women are particularly affected by deprivation, while men less so. This is intriguing and further research is needed on this, particularly in the most deprived regions,” said Professor Carol Brayne.

Even though men may not be as susceptible to anxiety due to living in challenging conditions, this does not mean they are immune to stress altogether. Research suggests men often turn to drugs and alcohol to deal with stress.

Dr. Louise Lafortune is a senior research associate at the Cambridge Institute of Public Health. "It's evident from our study that we need to take into account gender when determining what action to take. This is particularly important at a time of scarce economic and health-related resources," Lafortune said.

--

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.iph.cam.ac.uk/">Cambridge Institute of Public Health</a>

Women living in low-income areas more prone to anxiety than men

Anxiety disorders are very common mental diseases that are characterized...

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



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...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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

Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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



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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.

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



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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="http://www.ntu.edu.sg/">NTU Singapore</a> reveals that some plants can remove toxic heavy metals from soil.&nbsp;



The researchers analyzed samples of various tropical plant species to test for levels of heavy metals and metalloids. The study showed that there are existing plants with high levels of these contaminants, which means that these species are great candidates for drawing pollutants out of the soil.&nbsp;



Among the plants examined in the study, 12 species had accumulated several types of heavy metals and metalloids. These plants are widely available, including species that are native to Singapore.



“In a small nation like Singapore, land may be repurposed to support new development plans, so it is important that we have a green and sustainable way to remediate land that is contaminated," said Professor Lam Yeng Ming.



"We set out to uncover how to better make use of tropical plants to do phytoremediation and through advanced characterization techniques, we showed how some of these tropical plant species can be an environmentally friendly and literally a 'green' way to remove contaminants in soil."&nbsp;



"Phytoremediation also has benefits of cost effectiveness, simplicity of management, aesthetic advantages, and long-term applicability and sustainability. The strategy prevents erosion and metal leaching by stabilizing or accumulating heavy metals, so that helps reduce the risk of contaminant spread.”



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes why herbicides are not as effective in killing weeds anymore. In the 20th century, chemical companies developed thousands of herbicides. The most commonly used herbicide was glyphosate, which was introduced in 1974.



Over the past few decades, dozens of species of weeds have evolved resistance to glyphosate. Depending on the site of action, the part of the plant that an herbicide interacts with, weeds may even be resistant to herbicides that have not been developed yet.&nbsp;



With increasing resistance to glyphosate and other herbicides, weeds are - once again - becoming a major concern for farmers.&nbsp;



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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



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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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

Inhambane Bay in southeast Mozambique

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Kangerlussuaq Glacier on the Greenland ice sheet

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Ocean heat influences regional climate

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



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



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



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



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



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



Image/ Video Credit: ESA



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

Monitoring the dynamic shape of the sea surface

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