The thin line of gold behind every tap, swipe, and click on our electronic devices rarely enters daily conversation, yet the metal keeps digital life running, then eventually turn into landfills full of toxic e-waste. 



From the contacts in a phone jack to the chips inside a smartwatch, gold moves electrons smoothly and shrugs off corrosion. 



Mining more, however, blasts mountains, drains rivers, and spews carbon. With the global appetite for electronics still climbing, attention has turned to the growing junkyard of cast‑off gadgets.



E‑waste is now the quickest‑rising waste stream on the planet - roughly 63 million short tons in 2024 according to <a href="https://www.unep.org/ietc/what-we-do/e-waste-management" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">United Nations estimates</a> - and only a small share gets recycled in certified facilities. 



Most of our old electronics end up in landfills or backyard workshops, which then leak metals into the groundwater, creating toxic brews. A cleaner strategy is to reclaim precious metals safely before our devices make their way into the garbage heaps.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cheese-e-waste-and-gold">Cheese, e-waste, and gold</h2>



A research team is now working to change that script. Professor Raffaele Mezzenga at <a href="https://ethz.ch/en.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">ETH Zurich</a> and senior scientist Mohammad Peydayesh assembled colleagues in search of a simpler tool than acid vats or cyanide baths. Their unlikely inspiration bubbles up in cheese factories.



Cheese makers separate <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cottage-cheese-is-making-a-comeback-due-to-its-nutritional-benefits/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">curds from whey</a>, leaving behind nearly nine pounds of watery by‑product for every pound of cheddar. Whey is rich in proteins that twist into hair‑thin amyloid fibrils when warmed in acid. 



The Zurich group realized those fibrils could be coaxed into a feather‑light sponge that prefers gold over the other metals lurking in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/electronic-waste-is-growing-five-times-faster-than-recycling/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">shredded phones and laptops</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-adding-a-cheesy-twist-to-golden-e-waste">Adding a cheesy twist to golden e-waste</h2>



The researchers stirred the fibrils into a gel, then dried it into an aerogel - think Styrofoam’s airiness on a nanoscale. Microscopic pores criss‑cross the material, offering miles of surface area inside a crumb‑sized cube. 



When a slice of this sponge meets a beaker filled with dissolved circuit boards, gold ions rush toward the proteins and cling tightly.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_schematic_credit-ETH-Zurich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_schematic_credit-ETH-Zurich_1s.webp" alt="Schematic route followed to generate neat value via pure gold, extracted from food waste (whey) and e-waste as starting source materials. Credit: Advanced Materials" class="wp-image-1968796"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Schematic route followed to generate neat value via pure gold, extracted from food waste (whey) and e-waste as starting source materials. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Advanced Materials</figcaption></figure>



Early trials showed the aerogel collecting a far higher share of gold than plastic resins that recyclers often use. Better yet, the process skips noxious solvents. 



Water, moderate heat, and the natural chemistry of protein do the heavy lifting, which slashes both hazard and cost.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-aerogel-and-a-protein-sponge">Aerogel and a protein sponge</h2>



For a head‑to‑head laboratory test, the team stripped metal parts from twenty <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/international-day-of-zero-waste-a-global-commitment-to-a-sustainable-future/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">discarded computer motherboards</a>, dissolved them in acid, and dropped in a fingernail‑sized piece of aerogel. 



Copper, nickel, and cobalt swirled in the brew, yet gold ions settled on the sponge far more efficiently. After a short soak, the solution cleared, signaling that most of the precious metal had left the liquid.



Numbers tell the story. The sponge drew out gold that was about 90.8 percent pure - close to 22‑karat jewelry - on its first pass. Competing adsorbents usually require extra purification steps to reach similar purity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-e-waste-ions-to-gold-nuggets">From e-waste ions to gold nuggets</h2>



Pulling ions from solution is useful; turning them back into solid metal is crucial. The Zurich group warmed the loaded sponge until the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fools-gold-may-be-a-valuable-source-of-lithium/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">gold ions</a> shed their charge and merged into shimmering flakes. 



Heating continued until the flakes fused into a nugget weighing roughly 450 milligrams. Chemical analysis showed the lump was 91 percent gold and 9 percent copper, again hitting the mark for 22 carats.



This step also freed the protein skeleton. Burned away under controlled heat, the whey‑derived matrix leaves no synthetic residue, easing cleanup. Conventional resin beds cannot claim the same neat exit.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_gold-nuggets-recovered_Credit-ETH-Zurich_1m.jpg" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/electronic-devices_gold-extraction-process_gold-nuggets-recovered_Credit-ETH-Zurich_1s.webp" alt="The gold nugget obtained from computer motherboards in three parts. The largest of these parts is around five millimeters wide. Credit: ETH Zurich/Alan Kovacevic" class="wp-image-1968794"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The gold nugget obtained from computer motherboards in three parts. The largest of these parts is around five millimeters wide. Click image to enlarge. Credit: ETH Zurich/Alan Kovacevic</figcaption></figure>



Recycling lives or dies on the balance sheet. Here the math looks encouraging. 



Procurement and energy costs for the entire operation are about fifty times lower than the market value of the gold retrieved. Even after accounting for labor and overhead, that margin hints at solid profit for commercial recyclers.



Lower operating costs open doors for smaller regional plants. Instead of shipping obsolete electronics overseas, communities could process them nearby, cutting transportation emissions and keeping revenue local.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-e-waste-has-more-than-just-gold">e-Waste has more than just gold</h2>



Gold steals headlines, yet the technique need not stop there. By tweaking pH or tailoring the protein structure, the same sort of sponge could sort copper, cobalt, or <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/water-captured-on-video-forming-out-of-thin-air-for-the-first-time/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">palladium</a> - metals vital for batteries and sensors. 



The team is already experimenting with pea‑protein waste from plant‑based milk production and collagen from fish scales. Success would guard against supply bottlenecks tied to a single dairy stream.



E‑waste is not the only target. Industrial rinse water from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/quantum-computer-defeats-a-supercomputer-in-crucial-annealing-optimization-task/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">microchip fabrication</a> and gold‑plating shops also carries trace metals worth reclaiming. A modular protein sponge could slip into those lines, trimming costs and curbing runoff.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-taking-the-next-steps">Taking the next steps</h2>



“The fact I love the most is that we’re using a food industry byproduct to obtain gold from electronic waste,” Mezzenga says. In a very real sense, the method transforms two waste products into gold. “You can’t get much more sustainable than that!”



If pilot projects scale as hoped, tomorrow’s recycling centers may sit beside creameries and food processors, quietly turning yesterday’s whey and last decade’s gadgets into tomorrow’s circuit traces. 



The approach will not halt mining overnight, but every recovered ounce delays a blast, a slurry pond, or a diesel haul truck. 



That shift, multiplied across millions of phones and laptops, offers a straightforward path toward lighter footprints and longer‑lived resources - no new mountains required.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202310642" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Advanced Materials</a>.



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Invention turns our electronic waste into 22-carat gold nuggets instead of toxic trash

The thin line of gold behind every tap, swipe, and click on our electronic devices rarely enters daily conversation, yet the metal keeps digital life running, then eventually turn into landfills full of toxic e-waste. From the contacts in a phone jack to the chips inside a smartwatch, gold moves electrons smoothly and shrugs off corrosion. Mining more, however, blasts mountains, drains rivers, and spews carbon. With the global appetite for electronics still climbing, attention has turned to the growing junkyard of cast‑off gadgets. E‑waste is now...

Who are America’s super-polluters? According to the Center for Public Integrity, just 22 companies produce far more than their share of both greenhouse gases and air pollution.

Enormous, coal-fueled plants are among the worst on the list, according to CPI.

Over the past year, the <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/">Center for Public Integrity</a> has worked with the <a href="https://weather.com/">Weather Channel</a> and USA Today to gather and analyze data about carbon emissions and air pollution from American power plants and industrial sites.

They started with a list of 20,000 power plants and factories that reported their air pollution levels to the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> in 2014. Of those plants, a mere 100 produced a third of all industrial air pollution. About 7,000 facilities reported their greenhouse gas emissions, and again, about 100 produced a third of the total.

Twenty-two companies were on both lists. Using their scores, CPI calculated a ranked list of America’s super-polluters. At the top: Duke Energy Corp.’s Gibson power plant in Owensville, Indiana. Facilities in Rockport, Indiana, Cumberland City, Tennessee, Drakesboro, Kentucky, and Crystal River, Florida also made the top five.

“Across the country, the top 100 facilities releasing greenhouse gases — almost all of them coal plants — collectively added more than a billion metric tons to the atmosphere in 2014,” CPI <a href="https://www.publicintegrity.org/2016/09/29/20248/america-s-super-polluters">wrote in its report</a>.

Since 2014, eight of the super-polluters have closed their doors, but the rest continue to operate. All of the top five are still open.

Each year, the <a href="https://www.peri.umass.edu/">Political Economy Research Institute</a> based at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, also lists major polluters in its <a href="https://www.peri.umass.edu/toxic-100-air-polluters-index-2016-report-based-on-2014-data">Toxic 100</a>.

Unlike the CPI listing, PERI takes each company into account as a whole rather than rating individual sites. They also consider global corporations, not just American companies. It bases its ratings on toxicity, emissions, and population exposure.

PERI’s worst five for 2016, based on 2014 data, were Alcoa, DuPont, Bayer, General Electric, and Exxon Mobil.

Scientists have linked carbon emissions, particularly the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, to climate change. Researchers also link air pollution to higher rates of diseases from asthma to heart conditions.

The nine-month investigation found that a lot of the worst producers are located in low-income communities.

The Center for Public Integrity has been under fire in recent years after critics questioned some of the group’s ethical decisions. In 2011, <a href="http://www.politico.com/">Politico</a> accused the center of working with <a href="http://www.greenpeace.org/usa/">Greenpeace</a> on a report regarding <a href="http://www.kochind.com/">Koch Industries</a>.

In 2008, the center published a report on tobacco funded by advocacy group <a href="http://www.tobaccofreekids.org/">Tobacco Free Kids</a>, and in 2010, CPI admitted to illegally accessing an intergovernmental database for a story about tuna. They’ve also been accused of working with groups seeking to limit campaign financing.

The Center for Public Integrity is a nonpartisan, nonprofit investigative journalism organization.

PERI promotes original research into ecological issues at the University of Massachusetts.

Center for Public Integrity calls out 22 U.S. 'super-polluters'

Who are America’s super-polluters? According to the Center for Public...

At midnight on December 31, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pushed the button that made New Year's Eve's glittering ball descend toward Times Square. It was his last act as the leader of the United Nations, after 10 years as the spokesman and director of the international organization.

Ban called his decade at the U.N.’s helm an “unceasing test,” pointing to ongoing conflicts in Syria, Central African Republic, and South Sudan, among others. He also decried global poverty.

But he counted a few accomplishments among his legacy. Among them are the steps the U.N. has taken to protect the environment, primarily the landmark <a href="http://unfccc.int/paris_agreement/items/9485.php">Paris Agreement</a>. The Secretary-General guides the United Nations, Ban noted, but only the member states can create new policies and agreements. Still, he kept his environmental goals in front of world leaders in hopes of encouraging them.

During his first five-year term, Ban pushed climate change to the top of the agenda for the <a href="http://www.un.org/en/">United Nations</a>, but the agreement he would point to as his legacy didn’t come until the end of his second term.

In December 2015, U.N. member nations at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change adopted the Paris Agreement. The voluntary pledge calls on each ratifying country to lower its total greenhouse gas emissions.

A total of 194 parties signed the agreement in April 2016. It entered into force in October, after countries accounting for 55 percent of the world’s carbon emissions ratified it.

“This is our chance to set us on course towards a safer, more sustainable and more just future for all on a healthy planet,” Ban said at the time.

Ban didn’t wait on the Paris Agreement, though. From the beginning of his leadership, he was also at the forefront of sustainable development initiatives. His goals were to help countries and non-governmental organizations craft development projects that would limit damage to the environment and boost the world’s poor.

He made a point of visiting melting glaciers, as well as the island nations being drowned by rising seas.

“I’m not a climatologist. I’m not a scientist. I’m not an economist,” he told the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2016/05/06/u-n-chief-from-day-one-i-made-climate-change-the-top-priority/">Washington Post</a> in May 2016. “But I know that what I have seen is true.”

Ban put environmental issues first because he believed that the drought, floods, and extreme weather that many scientists link to rising global temperatures fuel conflict around the world. Solving environmental problems might help solve political conflicts, he said.

During his tenure, Ban Ki-moon also created U.N. Women to address gender inequality. He set 17 new U.N. goals with the unanimous support of the organization’s member nations, aimed at reducing poverty and gender disparity, protecting the environment, and ensuring better governance.

Ban Ki-moon grew up in South Korea during the Korean War. As an adult, he helped guide negotiations between North and South Korea on nuclear weapons. He hoped to visit North Korea’s leaders in Pyongyang as Secretary-General; it was a goal he did not achieve.

Antonio Guterres of Portugal took the mantle of leadership on January 1. He has made peace his priority, calling on the world to put aside the violence that has stained the past few years.

Outgoing U.N. head Ban Ki-moon proud of his climate change legacy

At midnight on December 31, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon pushed...

After weeks of seismic activity and eruptions, a remote Alaskan volcano seems to be settling down, geologists said.

Agasagook Island, also known as Bogoslof Island, is a tiny sliver of land in the Bering Sea. It’s also the tip of an active volcano that has been rising from the ocean floor.

That's not unusual off the coast of Alaska. Agasagook is one of dozens of islands that make up the Aleutian Island chain. They share a staggering 57 volcanoes among them, and there are more on the mainland.

Alaska is on the edge of a subduction zone where the Pacific Ocean tectonic plate is slowly sliding beneath the North American plate. That slow movement causes plenty of earthquakes and volcanic activity. More than 50 of Alaska’s volcanoes, including several in the Aleutians, have been active over the past 300 years.

In mid-December, Agasagook Island joined them once again. Bogoslof Volcano woke up for the first time since 1992.

On December 16, the first of a series of at least eight eruptions was recorded by scientists. Though the area is often overcast, satellites have been able to track some of the volcano’s ash cloud.

At one point, the <a href="https://www.faa.gov/">Federal Aviation Administration</a> had to reroute flights around the plume of smoke and ash spewed by the remote Alaskan volcano.

After a final eruption on December 30 that shot ash 20,000 feet into the air, the island appears to have settled, according to scientists with the <a href="https://www.avo.alaska.edu/">Alaskan Volcano Observatory</a>.

But that brief period of activity may have drastically changed Agasagook Island, the scientists said. The new volcanic vent is slightly off of the island’s coast rather than on the island, they said. More study will be needed once the researchers are sure the seismic activity has settled, but at first glance the explosive eruptions seem to have destroyed part of the island, but also to have created a new sliver of land just off its coast.

Agasagook Island is part of the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/Alaska_Maritime/">Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge</a>. The refuge stretches 3.4 million acres and includes several of the Aleutian chain’s volcanic islands. It provides habitat for marine mammals such as otters, sea lions, and seals, along with seabirds and migratory birds.

No information is available about how the series of eruptions affected animals living on Agasagook Island. The island is a favorite of northern fur seals in the region.

Remote Alaskan volcano may be calming down after eruptions

After weeks of seismic activity and eruptions, a remote Alaskan...

A tide of dead fish has washed ashore on Nova Scotia over the past six weeks, but there’s no need for concern yet, according to one Canadian scientist.

Since late November, thousands of dead herring have turned up on more than 60 miles of the peninsula’s southwestern coastline. That would be weird enough on its own, but scores of lobsters, clams, starfish, and other marine creatures have joined them in the weeks since.

A week ago, a decaying humpback whale carcass washed up on the shore.

Even so, tests of the area’s waters have shown no cause for alarm, Dr. Kent Smedbol, the <a href="http://www.dfo-mpo.gc.ca/index-eng.htm">Department of Fisheries and Oceans</a> manager of population ecology.

Scientists tested conditions in the Bay of Fundy and found nothing out of the ordinary, Smedbol said. Temperature, salinity, and dissolved oxygen tests all came back normal. A camera took a look at the seafloor and found plenty of live lobsters.

Examination of the dead fish showed no signs of disease, parasites, or toxins, Smedbol said. Even so, the <a href="http://www.inspection.gc.ca/">Canadian Food Inspection Agency</a> and the DFO have warned residents not to pick up or eat any of the fish washed ashore, in case of contamination.

An environmental cause likely would have caused a larger die-off, and animals on the ocean floor would likely have died in larger numbers, he said.

One working theory is that some of the deaths may have been caused by a holiday storm system. One storm over the holidays caused a sudden temperature drop and rough surf in shallow waters near Digby, which may have killed some of the fish, Smedbol said.

Still, it will take more investigating to solve this mystery, he said.

Scientists will continue to examine the dead creatures to try and determine a cause, officials said. They will also examine the humpback whale to see if it is connected to the die-off. It appears to be very decomposed, Smedbol noted.

DFO scientists have also contacted the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> and environmental officials in the United Kingdom. Recent fish kills off the coast of Long Island in New York and on the coast of Cornwall in the UK are probably not connected to the Nova Scotia event, officials said, but working together might help all three groups figure out the puzzle.

The most common cause of fish kills is a lack of oxygen in the water, which can be caused by massive algae blooms, major temperature changes, drought, and overpopulation. Toxins and disease can also lead to fish die-offs.

Scientists stumped as thousands of dead fish wash up on Nova Scotia

A tide of dead fish has washed ashore on Nova...

If your New Year’s Resolution is to travel more, you might be looking at resorts and world-class cities. How about adding a few natural wonders to your list?

It seems like the world moves at a faster pace every year. As cities grow and technology surges, it’s easy to become removed from nature. Unplug, take a break, and connect with our planet at these five wild places.
<h3>1. See breathtaking glaciers and volcanic landscapes in Iceland.</h3>
Iceland likes to describe itself as “a place where fire and ice coexist.” It doesn’t matter if you go during the darkness of winter – sometimes lit by the stunning Aurora Borealis – or the long, bright summer months.

The incredible glaciers, volcanoes oozing lava, and luxurious geothermal spas make Iceland an adventure year-round. The rugged landscape throughout the country offers hiking, snorkeling, and whitewater rafting in the warm months, or snowboarding and skiing in the winter.

The <a href="http://inspired.visiticeland.com/academy/">Iceland Academy</a> at Visit Iceland offers a chance to learn about everything the country has to offer – and to win a spectacular trip for two.
<h3>2. Visit the world’s tallest waterfall in Venezuela.</h3>
[caption id="attachment_128152" align="aligncenter" width="750"]<img class="wp-image-128152" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Making-travel-plans-for-2017-Check-out-these-5-natural-wonders-Venezuela.jpg" alt="Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest waterfall on Earth." width="750" height="500" /> Angel Falls in Venezuela is the highest waterfall on Earth.[/caption]

In English, it’s <a href="http://salto-angel.com/">Angel Falls</a>. In Spanish, it’s Salto Angel, and in the local Pemon language, it’s Kerepakupai Meru or Parakupá Vená. No matter what it’s called, Angel Falls is the world’s tallest uninterrupted waterfall.

Located deep in the jungle, a visit to the falls requires a stay at Canaima, the camp where all of the river trips begin. Most of the trips are led by Pemon guides and run from June to December, when the most water is available. Surrounding Canaima National Park is more than 7.4 million acres of wild land, the second largest protected area in Venezuela.

The camp on the shores of Canaima Lagoon offers stunning views of several waterfalls and amazing tepui mesas. Adventures last anywhere from a helicopter ride over the falls to a week-long canoe trip through the park’s natural wonders. Who needs a city?
<h3>3. Spend time with the giraffes in Namibia.</h3>
[caption id="attachment_128155" align="aligncenter" width="750"]<img class="wp-image-128155" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Making-travel-plans-for-2017-Check-out-these-5-natural-wonders-Namibia.jpg" alt="Giraffes and elephants share a watering hole at Namibia's Etosha National Park." width="750" height="421" /> Giraffes and elephants share a watering hole at Namibia's Etosha National Park.[/caption]

While giraffe populations have fallen in recent decades, landing them on the endangered species list in 2016, their numbers have been going up in southern Africa. Conservation efforts by the country of Namibia are part of the reason.

<a href="http://www.etoshanationalpark.org/">Etosha National Park</a> is one of the best places to spot the long-necked mammals, and visitors can spot elephants, lions, and cheetahs, too. Giraffes also live in the barren, windswept Skeleton Coast National Park. Known for its beaches dotted with shipwrecks, Skeleton Coast was recently trending after a segment of <a href="http://www.bbcchannels.com/earth/planetearth2">Planet Earth II</a> where a lion stalked a giraffe in the park.

Namibia is home to plenty of other national parks, some of which have hot springs, rock paintings, and other attractions. Beyond the safaris, check out catamaran tours, dolphin cruises, hiking, camping, stargazing, and other natural wonders.
<h3>4. Explore caves, coral reefs, and wildlife sanctuaries in the Philippines.</h3>
[caption id="attachment_128156" align="aligncenter" width="750"]<img class="wp-image-128156" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Making-travel-plans-for-2017-Check-out-these-5-natural-wonders-Philippines.jpg" alt="Visitors prepare to head underground at Puerta Princesa Subterranean River in the Philippines." width="750" height="496" /> Visitors prepare to head underground at Puerta Princesa Subterranean River in Palawan.[/caption]

The island of Palawan is known as the Philippines’ “last frontier,” and it’s packed with stunning natural beauty.

For just under five miles, the <a href="http://www.visitpalawan.info/index.php/features/underground-river">Puerta Princesa Subterranean River</a> winds through caves underneath the island of Palawan in the Philippines. While most of the cave system is closed to the public, visitors can – with a permit – explore just under a mile of the underground river. The caves are home to bats and marine creatures, as well as beautiful rock formations.

<a href="http://www.visitpalawan.info/index.php/features/calauit-wildlife-sanctuary">Calauit Wildlife Sanctuary</a> is home to animals native to southeast Asia, as well as visitors from Africa such as giraffes. Scuba divers will want to visit the coral formations and tropical fish in Tubbataha Reef. Kayangan Lake is the stunning reward to a beautiful hike, a clear, blue lake set amid the mountains. <a href="http://www.visitpalawan.info/index.php/features/el-nido">El Nido Marine Reserve</a> is home to six lagoons full of life.

And the Tabon Cave Complex offers caves for nature lovers to explore and a museum where history fans can learn about some the Philippines’ earliest residents from the artifacts they left in the caverns.
<h3>5. Trek through sweeping canyons in Utah.</h3>
[caption id="attachment_128154" align="aligncenter" width="750"]<img class="wp-image-128154" src="http://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Making-travel-plans-for-2017-Check-out-these-5-natural-wonders-Utah.jpg" alt="The contrast between red cliffs and green vegetation make Utah's Zion Canyon breathtakingly beautiful." width="750" height="500" /> The contrast between red cliffs and green vegetation make Utah's Zion Canyon breathtakingly beautiful.[/caption]

The <a href="https://www.nps.gov/grca/index.htm">Grand Canyon</a> gets all the attention. It may be one of the largest canyon systems in the world, but it’s best known for its stunning vistas. The layered appearance of the canyon’s walls, caused by millennia of sedimentation, paint an incredible picture.

But the Grand Canyon is also a tourist draw, and it’s hard to plan a visit where you’ll be the only humans in sight.

<a href="https://www.nps.gov/zion/">Zion National Park</a> in nearby Utah may be a better choice if you’re looking for solitude in the wild. With steep, red cliffs, the 229-square-mile park offers as many photo opportunities as its cousin to the south. Pine and juniper trees offer contrast to the red dirt, and spires rise out of the ground in the canyon, making it one of the most striking natural wonders in the U.S.

It's also a place to see plenty of wildlife. Hundreds of animal species, from mountain lions to tree frogs to rattlesnakes, call the canyon home.

Making travel plans for 2017? Check out these 5 natural wonders

If your New Year’s Resolution is to travel more, you...

Giant pandas have moved off the endangered list and the tiger population has grown for the first time in a century – proof that conservation efforts can make a difference, advocates said. 

Even so, there is much more work to be done to prevent more animal species from going extinct, according to conservation groups like the <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/">World Wildlife Fund</a>.

The panda made its move in September, when the <a href="https://www.iucn.org/">International Union for Conservation of Nature</a> switched it from “endangered” to "vulnerable" on its <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/">Red List</a> – one step further away from extinction. The list keeps track of animal populations, highlighting those at risk of disappearing forever.

The rebound in panda population came after years of work by China’s government and conservation groups to preserve giant panda habitat. The groups worked with local communities and created wildlife corridors to connect isolated panda communities with their neighbors.

“The recovery of the panda shows that when science, political will and engagement of local communities come together, we can save wildlife and also improve biodiversity,” WWF Director General Marco Lambertini said in a <a href="http://www.worldwildlife.org/stories/giant-panda-no-longer-endangered">press release</a> at the time.

Similarly, there are about 600 more tigers now than there were in 2010, bringing the total tiger population to about 3,890 worldwide. It’s the first time tiger numbers have gone up in more than 100 years.

Advocates credit conservation efforts for the uptick in tigers, too. The WWF cited its work with local communities, other conservation organizations, and the governments of four countries in the tiger boom.

Poaching and habitat loss could undo the gains made by these two species, advocates warn. According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/apr/29/more-tigers-poached-india-so-far-this-year-than-2015">The Guardian</a>, more tigers were poached in India in the first four months of 2016 than in all of 2015. Habitat loss remains a huge threat, too.

And while some endangered animals got a boost, others are still struggling, the WWF said.

For example, Nepal has racked up its second year straight with no evidence of rhino poaching, the group said, but African rhinos still face threats from illegal poachers.

In September, the same month the good news about pandas was announced, eastern gorillas were shifted to “critically endangered.” The primates have seen a 70 percent collapse in their numbers in just 20 years, mainly due to illegal hunting, according to IUCN. The gorillas are now just one short step from complete extinction, along with the western gorilla and Bornean and Sumatran orangutans.

Giraffes made it onto the Red List, too, after their numbers plummeted more than 40 percent in just three decades. The main problem they face is habitat loss, advocates said.

Still, the WWF, <a href="http://www.defenders.org/">Defenders of Wildlife</a>, and other groups that work to save endangered species celebrated 2016 as a year of positive milestones.

Among them:
<ul>
 	<li>An agreement to ban all trade of the pangolin, an endangered mammal similar in appearance to an aardvark. The scales of the pangolin are used in Chinese medicine, and its meat is considered a delicacy in several countries.</li>
 	<li>China has released a plan to shut down its legal ivory trade and crack down on the ivory black market in the country. These new conservation efforts are good news for African elephants.</li>
 	<li>Florida panthers are expanding northward; for years, they’ve lived only in the southernmost part of the state. Additionally, a new ocelot den was found in Texas, and a pair of jaguars seem to have moved to Arizona.</li>
 	<li>The black-footed ferret, once believed to be extinct, has been making itself at home in national parks and on public lands thanks to a captive breeding program. The ferrets have been reintroduced at 28 sites throughout the western U.S., Mexico and Canada, and scientists have been using innovative methods to vaccinate them in the wild.</li>
 	<li>New regulations and new technology helped to combat illegal hunting, fishing, poaching, and trade of wild animals.</li>
</ul>

Conservation efforts paid off for endangered species in 2016

Giant pandas have moved off the endangered list and the...

Language barriers are causing critical scientific findings to go unnoticed, and that's not a good thing, according to a new study.

Researchers from the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> have determined that more than a third of scientific studies and papers are published in a language other than English.

English is a sort of "lingua franca" among the scientific community, and many of the major scientific journals publish in English. But because theirs is the dominant language, native English speakers often overlook the fact that some scientific findings are published in other languages, said Dr. Tatsuya Amano, the study's lead author and a zoologist at Cambridge.

That means the international community may be missing out on key scientific findings.

"Language barriers continue to impede the global compilation and application of scientific knowledge," Amano said in a <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/languages-still-a-major-barrier-to-global-science-new-research-finds">press release</a>.

The researchers studied how language barriers affect conservation science in two ways: they reviewed the languages used in available papers and studies, and they surveyed conservationists in charge of managing protected habitats in Spain.

The survey of papers and studies focused on Google Scholar, a web platform that indexes academic papers across all fields of study. A search was conducted in English for all biodiversity conservation publications from 2014 in a total of 16 languages.

More than 75,000 documents were produced, and a full 35.6 percent were not in English. The majority of non-English papers and studies were published in Spanish, Chinese, French, and Portuguese. The researchers also found publications in German, Japanese, Italian, Korean, and Swedish.

Random sampling showed that approximately 13,000 papers on conservation science published in 2014 were unsearchable using English keywords. Only about half of the total non-English papers offered English translations of their titles or abstracts.

This can lead to scientists missing vital data when conducting systematic reviews of existing research, in which they gather and examine most or all of the existing studies on a narrow topic to spot patterns or holes in research methods. It can also lead to over-representation of results from studies published in English, which may not match up with studies conducted in non-English-speaking countries.

Amano and his colleagues also surveyed conservationists in Spain, and found that more than half of those surveyed found language to be an obstacle when it came to keeping on top of the latest information about habitat management.

In other words, not only are English-speaking scientists missing out on vital research in other languages, those who don't speak English struggle to keep up with the English-speaking majority of the scientific community.

"I believe the scientific community needs to start seriously tackling this issue," Amano said.

The study authors are urging scientists and journal publishers to be sure to include speakers of the most common languages other than English – Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, and French at least, they said – when developing databases of scientific knowledge of conducting reviews of literature.

"Journals, funders, authors and institutions should be encouraged to supply translations of a summary of a scientific publication – regardless of the language it is originally published in," Amano said.

To that end, Amano and his colleagues at Cambridge have developed the website <a href="http://conservationevidence.com/">Conservation Evidence</a>. The site serves as a repository of advances in conservation science. An international panel has been formed to begin extracting the best and most important non-English papers to be translated, at least partially, into English.

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.2000933">PLOS Biology</a>.

Language barriers are holding back global scientific research, study finds

Language barriers are causing critical scientific findings to go unnoticed,...

When you’re making your New Year’s Resolutions, it’s easy to reflect on the past year and see only regrets. You’re looking at things to change and improve, after all, not the good things.

But you should take the time to celebrate the positives, too – all the progress made and the happy events. Here are eight good things that happened for the Earth in 2016. Let them inspire you as you make plans for the new year.
<h3>1. More people are getting involved as citizen scientists.</h3>
Citizen science – when everyday people work with trained scientists to collect data or study a problem – used to be seen as a hobby for wealthy dabblers.

Now, it allows involved citizens to get involved in the good things scientists are doing, helping them gather the massive amounts of vital, necessary data they need to do their jobs. In exchange, they get an inside look at science from the other side.

This year, citizen scientists helped <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/citizen-scientists-conserve-penguins/">NASA conserve penguins</a>, aided in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/meadow-restoration-california/">study of Sierra Nevada meadows</a> and carbon storage, joined the Audubon Society to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/audubon-society-christmas-bird-count/">count birds around the world</a>, downloaded an app to <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/quake-app-records-tremors/">measure earthquake activity</a> for the University of California, and more.

Want to join them? One group of trained scientists created a <a href="http://scistarter.com/blog/2016/11/projects-we-are-thankful-for/#sthash.l0GWvsae.dpbs">list of the citizen science projects</a> they’re most thankful for this past Thanksgiving.
<h3>2. Animals embark on comeback tours.</h3>
Every year brings new animals to the <a href="http://www.iucnredlist.org/">Red List</a> of endangered species maintained by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and unfortunately, 2016 was no exception. But on the plus side, 2016 also showed that the Red List and other initiatives to save endangered animals work.

In September, the giant panda was <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/group-the-giant-panda-is-no-longer-endangered/">taken off of the endangered list</a> by the IUCN, though it is still vulnerable. Wildlife biologists gave credit to China’s anti-poaching efforts and work to maintain panda habitats.

More than <a href="http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/09/07/492976575/most-humpback-whales-taken-off-endangered-species-list">half of humpback whale populations</a> were also taken off the list. Other rebounding species include the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/pacific-fisher-weasel-back/">Pacific fisher</a>, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/animalia/wp/2016/08/11/these-adorable-foxes-once-nearly-extinct-have-made-a-record-breaking-comeback/">Channel Island foxes</a>, and the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/black-footed-ferrets-make-home-colorado/">black-footed ferret</a>. <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/04/11/world-tiger-count-rises-for-first-time-in-100-years/">World tiger numbers</a> are up for the first time in a century. 
<h3>3. China took steps to shut down its ivory black market.</h3>
With African elephant numbers dwindling due to illegal poaching, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/china-ivory-trade-ban/">China made a bold move</a> at the end of the year. It announced that it would shut down its legal ivory industry in hopes of destroying China’s ivory black market. 

Despite government regulations on legal ivory, poachers have managed to slip illegally gotten elephant tusks into the Chinese market for years. Chinese citizens who work in the ivory industry will be shifted to other trades, China said.

China has taken other steps to do good things for wildlife this year. Along with several other countries, they began taking steps to crack down on the illegal trade of pangolins, too.
<h3>4. International partnerships formed to protect the world’s oceans.</h3>
In October, a number of countries – including the U.S., Russia, China and the European Union – signed a deal to turn Antarctica’s Ross Sea into the world’s largest marine reserve. About 16,000 species call the “Last Ocean” home. 

As the Ross Sea is so remote, it has been largely untouched by fishing and other industries. The nations that joined the agreement hope to keep it that way. The protections will go into effect on Dec. 1, 2017. 

In the same month, Ecuador, Costa Rica, and Peru promised to increase their collaboration in protecting seven World Heritage Sites in the Eastern Tropical Pacific that include the <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1">Galapagos Islands</a>, <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1138">Coiba National Park</a>, <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/820">Cocos Island National Park</a>, and the <a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1216">Malpelo Fauna and Flora Sanctuary</a>, among others. The sites face many similar challenges, such as illegal fishing and threats to vulnerable species like leatherback turtles. 
<h3>5. Renewable energy investments seem to be crushing fossil fuels.</h3>
In 2015, construction of renewable energy plants outstripped traditional fossil fuel plants for the first time, the <a href="https://www.iea.org/">International Energy Agency</a> announced in the spring of 2016. 

It’s a trend that appears to have continued, with global investments in wind and solar power nearly double the investments in fossil fuel plants in 2016. Falling prices for coal and oil triggered downsizing in those industries, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-04-06/wind-and-solar-are-crushing-fossil-fuels">Bloomberg reported</a>. 
<h3>6. The U.S. declared nine new national monuments.</h3>
Nine new national monuments were declared in 2016, including wild natural landscapes like <a href="https://www.nps.gov/kaww/index.htm">Katahdin Woods and Waters</a> in Maine, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/camo/index.htm">Castle Mountains</a> in California, and Gold Butte in Nevada. These newly protected areas can be visited by hikers, photographers, and nature lovers, and may someday be considered for national park sites.
<h3>7. Fish have more room to swim.</h3>
The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation announced the launch of its <a href="http://www.hewlett.org/openriversfund/">Open Rivers Fund</a>. The fund, launched with a $50 million grant, will help communities around the U.S. safely dismantle obsolete dams and restore rivers and fish habitat. The first three projects will be the Matilija Dam in California, the Nelson Dam in Washington, and several dams and obstructions on the Rogue River in Oregon.

The fund’s inspiration was a series of studies that found dams in the West have altered 70 percent of the region’s rivers and nearly destroyed several fish populations. Dam removals on the Penobscot and Elwha rivers in the Pacific Northwest have been good things for fish populations in the region. 
<h3>8. Chernobyl becomes a home for wildlife.</h3>
An explosion of a nuclear reactor turned Chernobyl into a radioactive wasteland three decades ago. The disaster caused the humans living in nearby Pripyat, Ukraine to flee – and the wild reclaimed the region.

In 2016, the <a href="http://tree.ceh.ac.uk/">TREE Project</a> planted motion-sensitive cameras throughout the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, and captured photos of boars, wild horses, wolves, bears, foxes, owls, and other animals living among the ruins of the town and in the wilds around it.

While the photos give little indication of how the radiation is affecting and changing the animals that live in the disaster zone, they did capture young as well as unbranded adult Przewalski’s horses. Since the horses released into the exclusion zone were branded, at least some of the offspring seem to be surviving, the scientists said.

Some of the scientists studying the area believe that as the wildlife take over, it will <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2016/04/060418-chernobyl-wildlife-thirty-year-anniversary-science/">return to the bogland</a> it was before humans carved out a niche – especially as the beavers begin gnawing down trees.

2016 in review: 8 good things that happened for the Earth

When you’re making your New Year’s Resolutions, it’s easy to...

Shifting regional weather patterns are changing flood risks across the U.S., according to a new study.

Engineers from the <a href="https://uiowa.edu/">University of Iowa</a> found that the threat of flooding has grown in the northern half of the country, while the southern half of the U.S., along with the West and Southwest regions, are seeing lower risk.

The researchers came to that conclusion after studying rivers of data from the <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/">U.S. Geological Survey</a> and <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>.

Dr. Louise G. Slater and Dr. Gabriele Villarini waded through water-height data collected by the USGS between 1985 and 2015, which came from a little more than 2,000 stream gauges operated by the agency. That information was compared to even more data from NASA’s <a href="http://www.csr.utexas.edu/grace/">Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment</a>, also known as GRACE, which showed the amount of water stored in the ground.

“We show that these patterns are dependent on the overall wetness and potential water storage, with fundamental implications for water resources management, agriculture, insurance, navigation, ecology, and populations living in flood-affected areas,” Slater and Villarini <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1002/2016GL071199/abstract">wrote in their study</a>. 

The pair found that the amount of groundwater in the northern U.S. has increased over time. That means the region is at increased risk of both minor and moderate flooding, according to the categories used by the <a href="http://www.weather.gov/">National Weather Service</a>, the researchers said.

In contrast, the South, West, and Southwest have all shown decreased levels of stored water over time, pointing to a lower threat of flooding, they said.

The findings in the Southwest and West are not surprising, because both regions have been gripped by years-long patterns of drought, Slater and Villarini pointed out. The southeastern U.S. has also suffered from drought in recent months.

The changing flood risks in the northern half of the country can also be explained by long-term shifts in rainfall patterns, the researchers said. The Midwest has seen heavy rain more frequently over the past few decades, Villarini and graduate research assistant Iman Mallakpour found in a <a href="http://www.nature.com/nclimate/journal/v5/n3/abs/nclimate2516.html">2015 study</a> of floods in that region.

The cause of the rainfall shifts in the U.S. aren’t clear, the researchers said. It could be that regional climate change is redistributing rain, they said.

Villarini and Slater hope that their research – especially their decision to cast threats in terms of how they affect people and places, and to use the everyday language of the National Weather Service – will help citizens better understand why flooding happens and their changing flood risks.

“Our findings may assist in a better communication of changing flood patterns to a wider audience compared with the more traditional approach of stating trends in terms of discharge magnitudes and frequencies,” the pair wrote.

The study was published in the journal <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.

New weather patterns are changing flood risks in the United States

Shifting regional weather patterns are changing flood risks across the...

Some early birds are taking the warmer climate as a sign it’s time to migrate, and they’re missing out on food because of it, a new study has found.

Biologists and bird experts from the <a href="http://www.ed.ac.uk/">University of Edinburgh</a> have been checking the travel itineraries of hundreds of migrating bird species across five continents. After hearing reports in the birding world of earlier migrations, they began collecting and analyzing data to determine if and how migration patterns are changing. 

“On average, avian spring migration times have advanced over time and as spring has become warmer,” <a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1365-2656.12612/abstract">the study found</a>.

As the average surface temperature of the planet rises, the birds begin migrating earlier, the researchers discovered. When the mean temperature in a region rises one degree, the birds arrive at their summer breeding grounds a day earlier on average.

However, the feeding conditions at the birds’ summer homes are not changing along with their flight schedules. Even arriving just a couple of days early can mean that birds miss out on the best nesting spots – because they’re not yet available – and the prime wild buffets.

On the flip side, birds that migrate much longer distances are less affected by the temperature changes, the researchers found. That means they now arrive behind everyone else – and get crowded out of nesting locations and breeding sites.

That now-late arrival can cut their hatchlings’ chances of survival, as resources are depleted.

Another finding: larger-bodied birds travel earlier than their smaller-bodied cousins. Those early birds may already be large and in charge by the time smaller ones reach the best summer breeding and nesting sites.

While some of the migration changes may be natural fluctuations, the scientists studied data over several years to get a better picture of long-term patterns. They also looked at changes in the birds’ diets and the habitat of their winter roosting locations, but found no changes that corresponded to the earlier migration starts.

The study was published in <a href="http://www.journalofanimalecology.org/">Journal of Animal Ecology</a>. It was supported by the <a href="http://www.nerc.ac.uk/">Natural Environment Research Council</a>.

Early birds don't get the worm: warmer weather has birds migrating too soon

Some early birds are taking the warmer climate as a...

Democratic attorneys general in 15 states, plus four cities and counties, sent a letter to President-elect Donald Trump on Wednesday asking him not to repeal President Barack Obama’s Clean Power Plan. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman was the lead author of the letter.

The letter comes two weeks after mostly Republican officials in 24 states asked Trump to repeal the plan, which the Obama administration has hailed as one of the president's key efforts to combat climate change. They also asked for legislation that could undo the Clean Air Act.

The Clean Power Plan aims to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing power plants by 32 percent by 2030. It sets a national limit on carbon dioxide pollution from power plants, and encourages increased construction of clean energy plants such as wind and solar farms.

Under the plan, states are free to reduce carbon emissions however they see fit, but must submit a plan to the EPA by September 2018, or risk the EPA creating its own plan for that state.

The plan was first proposed by the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a> in June 2014, and was finalized by the president on August 3, 2015.

Opponents of the Clean Power Plan argue that the EPA does not have the authority to implement the new rules. The plan is already the subject of a legal battle.

However, the letter from Democratic officials warns that if Trump repeals the plan, it could result in numerous additional lawsuits.

The letter reads, “Our states and local governments are on the front lines of climatic change. We see firsthand the significant human and economic costs inflicted by unchecked carbon pollution. … Therefore, we urge you to continue the federal government’s defense of the Clean Power Plan, a well-considered and critical rule that reasonably limits emissions from fossil-fueled power plants, our nation’s largest source of carbon pollution.”

The White House has said that the Clean Power Plan will prevent up to 3,600 premature deaths, 17,000 non-fatal heart attacks, 90,000 asthma attacks in children, and 300,000 missed workdays and schooldays.

Democratic, Republican officials face off over Clean Power Plan

Democratic attorneys general in 15 states, plus four cities and...

The key to nourishing a system of sustainable resource management could be social cooperation, a new study has found.

Scientists at the <a href="https://umaine.edu/">University of Maine</a> looked at various tools for creating and encouraging a culture of sustainability among communities. Their goal, they said, was to develop a theory of what works when it comes to encouraging social groups to adopt better conservation and eco-friendly practices, and what doesn’t.

What they found was that spreading sustainability goals out over smaller units of people works better than everyone working as one large group to achieve them.

“Usually, we assume that everyone has to cooperate to save environmental resources but what we found was that sustainable resource use was more likely to emerge when societies were broken up into multiple groups, like states in the United States, or countries in Europe,” said <a href="http://umaine.edu/mitchellcenter/news/news-2/cooperation-dynamics-key-to-sustaining-natural-resources/">Dr. Timothy Waring</a>. Waring is the study’s lead author and an associate professor of economics at the university’s Center for Sustainability Solutions.

Waring and his colleagues believe that small groups are more willing to test and discard strategies until they find one that works. Small groups can learn from each other and improve on each other’s ideas, they said. 

Waring offered the example of climate change agreements. At the Rio Earth Summit of 1992, the United Nations took a top-down approach to instituting climate goals, he said. That’s what led the summit to fail, he believed.

Last year’s Paris Agreement is already beginning to show results, and Waring believes that’s because it took a more grassroots, country-by-country approach that relied on social cooperation.

“Cooperation is easier in small groups, easier with familiar people, and with similar people. And, cooperation is more durable when it is supported by social and institutional factors as well,” he said.

He and his co-authors, Dr. Sandra Goff of <a href="http://www.skidmore.edu/">Skidmore College</a> and Dr. Paul Smaldino of the <a href="http://www.ucmerced.edu/">University of California</a>, Merced, developed a model to study the effectiveness of sustainability strategies as developed by several small groups versus one large group.

They found that three factors seem to influence how successful a resource management project will be in terms of social cooperation: the impact of the resource dilemma on the group, how the group learns from failure, and what it is able to learn from other groups.

For example, a number of Portland restaurants wanted to buy food ingredients locally, but found it difficult to do so alone. When they formed small buying clubs, they were able to support local farmers and food producers, Waring said.

Waring is now looking at real-world examples of small group sustainability in Maine. He and his colleagues are looking at how politics, sustainability, and social factors have affected lobsters and blueberries.

The researchers published their findings in the journal <a href="http://www.journals.elsevier.com/ecological-economics/">Ecological Economics</a>.

Social cooperation could be the key to a healthier environment, study finds

The key to nourishing a system of sustainable resource management...

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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https://youtu.be/Ug657J67iEo?si=w96YjGMsg939LD_3
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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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 



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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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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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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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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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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