In July 2025, the Mediterranean Sea reached an average water temperature of 80.4°F - the warmest ever recorded. In places such as Spain, Italy, and Greece, waters are now hitting 82°F or even higher - more like a hot tub than a sea.



For swimmers, that might sound like a dream, but for marine life and ecosystems that depend on stable conditions, it’s a serious red flag.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-early-warning-for-global-oceans">Early warning for global oceans</h2>



Unlike wide-open oceans, the Mediterranean is semi-enclosed. It connects to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cold-spot-in-the-atlantic-could-signal-big-trouble-for-global-climate/">Atlantic</a> through the narrow Strait of Gibraltar, which limits how fast it can exchange water. That means heat, pollution, and acidification build up more quickly here than in most other seas.



Between 1982 and 2019, its surface water temperature rose by 2.3°F. In the same period, the global ocean average went up by just over 1°F. 



That difference matters. It’s why scientists call the Mediterranean a “climate change hotspot.” It’s warming and acidifying faster than most of the rest of the planet.



“What happens in the Mediterranean often foreshadows changes to be expected elsewhere," said Abed El Rahman Hassoun, a biogeochemical oceanographer at the <a href="https://www.geomar.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel</a>. 



"The Mediterranean Sea acts like an early warning system for processes that will later affect the global ocean.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mediterranean-temperature-risk-map">Mediterranean temperature risk map</h2>



A group of researchers considered 131 scientific papers that studied the influence of climate change on marine and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/restoring-coastal-ecosystems-can-mitigate-climate-change/">coastal ecosystems</a> within the Mediterranean. 



The team relied on the data from the IPCC’s climate scenarios to know what will probably occur at various emission levels.



The researchers built a risk map - called a "burning ember" diagram - to visualize how serious the threats are at various temperature increases.



“The diagram clearly shows how strongly climate change threatens key ecosystems," said Meryem Mojtahid, a professor of paleo-oceanography. "I hope our results will help raise awareness and inspire real action to protect these unique ecosystems.” 



The findings are clear: even small temperature increases can lead to major ecological damage.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-small-warming-big-consequences">Small warming, big consequences</h2>



Some people think a fraction of a degree isn’t a big deal. But the research shows that even an additional 0.8°F of warming puts many ecosystems in serious trouble.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/natural-climate-solutions-enhancing-the-role-of-seagrass-meadows/">Seagrass meadows</a> such as Posidonia oceanica - vital to oxygen production and nursery grounds for marine animals - would be reduced dramatically and potentially disappear by 2100. Indigenous seaweeds such as Cystoseira are likely to decrease, and invasive algae will probably dominate.



Fish stocks might fall by 30 to 40 percent. Some will move north into cooler seas, leaving space for newcomers such as lionfish, which disrupt food webs.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/some-corals-can-survive-high-ocean-heat-which-could-save-reefs/">Corals</a>, surprisingly, are more resistant - but only up to a point. They face moderate to high risk starting at 5.6°F above today’s temperatures.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-ecosystems-under-rising-threat">Coastal ecosystems under rising threat</h2>



Warming isn’t the only issue. Sea level rise, including in the Mediterranean, adds another layer of stress, especially for areas up to 30 feet above sea level. Beaches, dunes, and rocky shores are losing ground - literally.



Sea turtle nesting sites are at risk, too. Over 60 percent of them could disappear. And even rocky coasts, which usually resist erosion better than sand, are beginning to lose biodiversity.



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wetlands-are-a-hidden-source-of-rising-methane-emissions/">Wetlands</a>, salt marshes, lagoons, and deltas are also feeling the heat. Many are already showing damage at just +0.8°F to +1.0°F. 



Plants are dying off, invasive species are moving in, and water supplies are drying up due to changes in rainfall. Flooding and excess nutrients only make things worse as temperatures climb.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-every-fraction-of-a-degree-counts">Every fraction of a degree counts</h2>



Scientists used two IPCC emissions scenarios to project future outcomes. In the moderate scenario, known as RCP 4.5, emissions level off in the near future.



Even along this more optimistic path, the Mediterranean is expected to warm by a temperature of 1.1°F by 2050 and up to 2.3°F by 2100. In the high-emissions scenario, called RCP 8.5 - where emissions continue to rise without major policy changes - warming could reach between 4.9°F and 6.8°F by century’s end.



The impacts multiply with every increase. More heat means greater acidification, faster sea-level rise, and larger disruptions in food chains.



“These scenarios show we can still make a difference - every tenth of a degree counts,” said Hassoun. “Political decisions made now will determine whether ecosystems in the Mediterranean Sea collapse or remain functional, supporting the ecosystem services they provide.”



“At the same time, our study also shows that even with moderate climate protection and an additional 0.8°C warming, we must expect some consequences. Our focus should be on minimizing the impacts as much as possible.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-data-gaps-cloud-mediterranean-future">Data gaps cloud Mediterranean future</h2>



The study also pointed out a big gap in what we know. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-temperature-has-been-steadily-rising-since-the-1850s/">Temperature data</a> is scarce for parts of the Mediterranean, especially in the south and east. That means the risk in those areas might be underestimated.



There’s also a lack of research on how multiple stressors - like pollution, overfishing, and invasive species - combine to make things worse. Deep-sea habitats, salt marshes, and marine megafauna still need more attention.



“We found that Mediterranean ecosystems are remarkably diverse in how they respond to climate-related stress. Some are more resistant than others, but none are invincible,” said Mojtahid. “Only strict climate protection measures can keep the risks at a level to which ecosystems can still adapt."



This isn’t just about saving a few species. The Mediterranean supports millions of people - from fishing to tourism to coastal agriculture. When ecosystems collapse, the damage doesn’t stop at the shoreline. The science is clear. We can slow this down. But only if action is taken now.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-025-07858-x" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Scientific Reports</a>.



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Mediterranean Sea reaches its hottest temperatures ever recorded

In July 2025, the Mediterranean Sea reached an average water temperature of 80.4°F - the warmest ever recorded. In places such as Spain, Italy, and Greece, waters are now hitting 82°F or even higher - more like a hot tub than a sea. For swimmers, that might sound like a dream, but for marine life and ecosystems that depend on stable conditions, it’s a serious red flag. Early warning for global oceans Unlike wide-open oceans, the Mediterranean is semi-enclosed. It connects to the Atlantic through the narrow...

In a new study published on Friday in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>, researchers reveal that the sub-Antarctic island of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/south-georgia-island-2/">South Georgia</a> was once covered by a massive ice cap during the last ice age. They believe that roughly 20,000 years ago – during the peak of the last ice age – ice thickened and extended tens of kilometers from the island, which is much further than previously thought.

So why does this ice cap discovery matter? Well, according to co-author Duanne White, from the <a href="http://www.canberra.edu.au/">University of Canberra</a>, this research shows that “South Georgia’s glaciers were sensitive to climate change in the past… our work has really shown that they were dynamic and underwent big changes over geological time.” This could be indicative of large geological changes occurring in the future if climate change continues at its current rate.

The research team – a mixture of scientists from the UK, Germany, and Australia – traveled by ship to the island of South Georgia. They braved the seas in a territory where explorer Sir Ernest Shackleton once landed during his expedition to Antarctica, where he attempted to rescue the team of his famous Endurance expedition. Unlike Shackleton in his wooden lifeboat, the researchers wisely decided to use the British Antarctic Survey’s RRS James Clark Ross and the German RV Polarstern for the 2012 and 2013 trips respectively.

They carried sonar mapping gear mounted to the hulls of their ice-breaking vessels and called upon weighted gravity corers to retrieve samples of sediment from around the island. The team focused on hundreds of distinct ridges carved into the seabed by glaciers, which served as proof that the ice had once pushed far beyond South Georgia’s expansive continental shelf.

Lead author Dr. Alastair Graham, of the <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>, explained: “Although the island is small framed against Antarctica’s great ice sheets, the discovery of an extensive past ice cap on South Georgia is an important result.” According to Dr. Graham, the vitality of ocean ecosystems is directly related to patterns of glaciation. Their observations of how past seabed ecosystems survived the ice age and how climate cycles affect biodiversity have major implications on today’s ecosystems.

This belief was echoed by co-author Dominic Hodgson, from <a href="https://www.bas.ac.uk/">British Antarctic Survey</a>, who said: “Studying the longer-term history of glacial changes in the region is key to understanding the sensitivity of glaciers to climate change, and their impacts on biodiversity and species survival.”

Technological advancements made in geological research are now allowing scientists to look into our past in order to predict outcomes in the future. As we gain a greater understanding of how past climate change has affected specific ecosystems, we can better prepare for what lies ahead.

More information on this important work can be found in their article: “Major advance of South Georgia glaciers during the Antarctic Cold Reversal following extensive sub-Antarctic glaciation.”

--

By Connor Ertz, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.exeter.ac.uk/">University of Exeter</a>

South Georgia’s past ice cap gives a look into the effects of climate change

In a new study published on Friday in the journal...

The nose knows climate. That’s one conclusion that can be drawn by a <a href="http://psu.edu">Pennsylvania State University</a> study of noses and nostril shapes by ancestral location on the planet.

Researchers from <a href="http://www.psu.edu/">Pennsylvania State University</a> conducted the study because it’s known that physical characteristics that are in direct contact with the environment assume appearances related to that contact, due to natural selection. For example, skin pigmentation varies because of global variations in the intensity of the sun on the skin.

What the researchers found was that nostril width on human noses corresponded beyond the odds of random genetic mutation to the climate of the individual’s ancestry. Those who came from hot, humid climates had wider nostrils while those from cold, dry climates tended to have narrower nose shapes. The relationship, however, wasn’t as strong as that between geographic location of ancestry and skin pigmentation.

The nostril shape findings supported previous research, which has found in studying human skulls that narrower nasal inlets tend to do a better job of warming and humidifying cold, dry air.

Dr. Arslan Zaidi, a postdoctoral scholar in genetics at the school led the team in examining at least 40 study participants with ancestry from each of four geographic areas with disparate climates: West <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/green-heart-africa/">Africa</a>, East Asia, Northern Europe and South Asia.  They used 3D facial imagery to study nose shapes and dimensions and found that only nostril widths were statistically similar among groups. The strongest correlation between nostril shape and ancestral location was among Northern Europeans, who typically had narrow nostrils.

“People are more similar than they are different. What this research does is offer people a view of why we’re different,” said Zaidi in an interview with the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/">New York Times</a>. “There’s an evolutionary history to it that, I think, kind of demystifies the concept of race.”

The research was reported in yesterday’s issue of PLOS Genetics.

The next question researchers might address with this data is whether life in another climate than that of ancestry can lead to or exacerbate respiratory illnesses.

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Source:<a href="http://journals.plos.org/plosgenetics/"> PLOS Genetics</a>

Climate shapes human noses, study finds

The nose knows climate. That’s one conclusion that can be...

Is Oklahoma Republican Senator James Inhofe stacking the deck at the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">Environmental Protection Agency</a>? If so, that could be bad news for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/environmentalists-to-california-stop-offshore-fracking-2/">environmentalists</a>.

Fellow Oklahoman Scott Pruitt, his state’s former attorney general and current new head of the EPA, has hired more than a half dozen former aides to Inhofe at the agency. Among those, according to the <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/">Washington Post</a>, are the agency’s new chief of staff, deputy chief of staff and top advisers on air, climate and legal issues.

The reason this is notable is that Inhofe is among Washington D.C.’s leading climate change deniers. In fact, he’s the author of the 2012 book The Greatest Hoax: How the Global Warming Conspiracy Threatens Your Future.

The senator says that he’s looking forward to a greater sense of fairness at the agency, according to a <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/health-science/how-james-inhofe-is-upending-the-nations-energy-and-environmental-policies/2017/03/14/2bebdbfa-081c-11e7-a15f-a58d4a988474_story.html?wpisrc=nl_heads-draw6&amp;wpmm=1">Washington Post interview</a>.

“It gives me a level of comfort to know that we have a bureaucracy that’s actually going to be serving instead of ruling,” he said in describing his former staffers as qualified professionals who will protect the environment. “They are going to be very realistic. They’re going to do it in a way that will not be punitive. The previous administration was almost looking for ways to punish people.”

That enthusiasm for the new EPA wasn’t shared by Inhofe’s critics, including Gene Karpinski, president of the League of Conservation Voters.

“Inhofe was like the original climate-denier in chief,” said Karpinski. “He was one of the first people spouting this gibberish — fact-free but dangerous gibberish. Now he and his cronies have far more reach and are far more dangerous than they’ve ever been. . . . That’s good news for the polluters but horrible news for public health.”

In addition to the EPA appointees, two more of Inhofe’s former aides now sit as top domestic and international energy and environmental advisers to the Donald Trump administration.

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Source:<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/"> Washington Post</a>

Climate change denier Inhofe filling top EPA spots

Is Oklahoma Republican Senator James Inhofe stacking the deck at...

Are we looking at a future with <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/wild-african-elephants-sleep-less-mammal/">elephants</a> the size of horses? How about pocket-size dogs? It probably won’t get that bad, but global warming could realistically result in some mammals being reduced rather remarkably in size. That’s the result of a study of fossils found at the Bighorn Basin in Wyoming led by Abigail D’Ambrosia, a researcher at the <a href="http://www.unh.edu/">University of New Hampshire</a>. Her team’s results were documented in the latest issue of Science Advances.

The shrinkage of mammals over time – millions of years – was dramatic. One of D’Ambrosia’s team’s findings, based on the teeth size of fossils, was that an early, very small horse, experienced a 17 percent size reduction.

“These guys were probably about the size of maybe a dog, then they dwarfed,” said D'Ambrosia. “They may have gone down to the size of a cat.”

Another example found by the team was the earliest known primate. It lost about four percent of its body size during that warming trend, interrupting a period of steady growth.

An earlier study of fossils at the same site drew the same conclusions regarding mammal shrinkage during an earlier period of heat-up, some 56 million years ago.

Animal shrinkage can actually be seen today. There’s a scientific principle known as Bergmann’s rule that states that larger animals are generally found in colder regions and smaller animals in hotter environments. Think of such Ice Age behemoths as the woolly mammoth. In warmer climes, smaller animals can burrow to cool off. Also, smaller warm-blooded animals are more adaptable to heat because they tend to have more skin or fur per pound, so the body heat can more easily be vented.

--

Written by David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> staff writer

Source:<a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/"> Science Advances</a>

Do mammals shrink when the planet warms?

Are we looking at a future with elephants the size...

The breathtakingly blue corals that made up one <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/brazilian-coral-reef-found/">reef</a> of the tropical Maldives island nation in Southeast Asia are dead. They’re gone, as are about half of the global coral populations worldwide, lost over just the last 30 years. The phenomenon is a present-day sign of climate change, but it can also be blamed for natural climate conditions such as the warming caused by the El Nino of 2015-2016.

Scientists say things will only get worse. It’s predicted that, even if we “cured” climate change today, 90 percent of the world’s coral will be gone by 2050.

Coral consists of thousands of tiny invertebrate animals, some of which are the size of a pinhead. In addition to serving as a protective habitat to a quarter of marine populations, coral produces oxygen and provides a valuable source of much-needed tourism dollars to many oceanic regions. Furthermore, the coral reefs form a coastline barrier against storm damage and erosion and have been used in medical research to treat cancer, arthritis and various bacterial and viral infections.

Rising sea temperatures are the direct culprit of the die-off. Coral gets its coloration from the existence of tiny algae that live within the organisms and provides nourishment in a symbiotic relationship. The temperature rise brought about by climate change expels the algae from the coral, causing the coral to bleach white. It can sometimes be brought back if temperatures fall before the coral totally bleaches. Severely bleached coral, however, can’t be saved. In the Maldives, 73 percent of coral reefs have sustained at least some bleaching damage.

“This isn't something that's going to happen 100 years from now,” said Julia Baum, marine biologist at the <a href="http://www.uvic.ca/">University of Victoria in Canada</a>. “We’re losing them right now. We’re losing them really quickly, much more quickly than I think any of us ever could have imagined.”

One piece of hopeful news is that a consortium of business, technology and government interests has funded a project called 50 Reefs to attempt to save a much of this delicate marine ecosystem as possible.  

--

By <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer David Searls

Source: Daily Mail,<a href="http://www.mrc.gov.mv/"> Maldives Marine Research Center,</a> <a href="http://www.uvic.ca/">University of Victoria in Canada</a>

Half of the world's coral is now dead

The breathtakingly blue corals that made up one reef of...

We’re all seen photos of pedestrians in Chinese cities wearing masks to avoid breathing the polluted air. The thick haze of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/smog-china-temperature-inversions/">smog</a> floating over such major metropolitan areas of China has been particularly dense this winter. Now, a new study is suggesting that global climate change is worsening the impact of the industrial winter pollution in China.

The cascading effect starts with sea ice loss in the Arctic Ocean and increased snowfall in parts of Eurasia – both caused by climate change. What this does in turn is reduce the prevalence of Chinese winter monsoons, and that keeps the industrial pollution from being vented. Instead, it continues to hang over the cities.

That’s the conclusion drawn by the modeling and data analysis done by researchers from <a href="http://www.gatech.edu/">Georgia Institute of Technology</a> and reported in the March 15 edition of the journal <a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/">Science Advances</a>. The research is believed to be the first to link sea ice and snowfall levels to regional air pollution.

“Emissions in China have been decreasing over the last four years, but the severe winter haze is not getting better,” said Yuhang Wang, a professor in Georgia Tech's School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences. “Mostly, that's because of a very rapid change in the high polar regions where sea ice is decreasing and snowfall is increasing. This perturbation keeps cold air from getting into the eastern parts of China where it would flush out the air pollution.”

The East China Plains, which includes Beijing and other massive population centers, is also where much of this winter smog stagnation occurs. Much like Southern California, this region is sandwiched between an ocean and a mountain range. Therefore, the smog gets trapped overhead in the winter without the strong ventilating effect of the monsoons.

Long-term air quality measurements aren't available in China, so the researchers extrapolated numbers based on visibility measures and satellite data. To analyze the historical records, they created a Pollution Potential Index (PPI) that used air temperature gradient anomalies and surface wind speeds as a proxy for ventilation conditions in the region.

--

By David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://advances.sciencemag.org/"> Science Advances</a>

Winter pollution in China worsening due to climate change

We’re all seen photos of pedestrians in Chinese cities wearing...

Not only are <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/carbon-dioxide-atmosphere/">carbon dioxide</a> counts in the atmosphere increasing – they’re doing so at unheard of rates. That’s what scientists learned through ongoing data collection at the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s</a> Mauna Loa Baseline Atmospheric Observatory. The latest report stated that the years 2015-2017 showed the greatest increase in CO2 parts per million (ppm) over a two-year average that has ever been recorded in 59 years of recordkeeping. It also marks the fifth consecutive year of the CO2 count rising at least 2ppm per year.

Scientists have long warned that 400ppm was the tipping point, with serious global ramifications. Last month’s count stood at 406.42 ppm.

“The rate of CO2 growth over the last decade is 100 to 200 times faster than what the Earth experienced during the transition from the last Ice Age,” said Pieter Tans, lead scientist of NOAA’s Global Greenhouse Gas Reference Network. “This is a real shock to the atmosphere.”

Another way of looking at it is that after the 2015 count, the world had added 43 percent more CO2 than was in the atmosphere before the Industrial Revolution.

Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, meaning that it traps heat in the atmosphere, making it a main trigger to global warming.  Last year was the warmest on record.

--

By David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source: <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">NOAA</a>, Daily Mail

World past ‘tipping point’ for CO2 and count is rising faster

Not only are carbon dioxide counts in the atmosphere increasing...

When the Philippines volcano Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, it released about 10 million metric tons of <a href="https://www.earth.com/image/sulfur-dioxide-emissions-volcanoes/">sulfur</a> into the atmosphere, reducing global temperatures about one degree Fahrenheit for an entire year. This helps prove the plausibility of such an occurrence triggering the quick glaciation of the Earth some 717 million years ago, according to a study released by <a href="http://www.harvard.edu/">Harvard University</a> researchers and published in <a href="http://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/hub/journal/10.1002/(ISSN)1944-8007/">Geophysical Research Letters</a>. The sudden pole-to-pole freeze, also known as Snowball Earth, happened at about the same time as violent volcanic activity that happened between modern day Greenland and Alaska, said Harvard professors Francis Macdonald and Robin Wordsworth.

Macdonald is the John L. Loeb Associate Professor of the Natural Sciences at the university while Wordsworth is assistant professor of Environmental Science and Engineering at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Science. Neither scientist thought the timing of the two events – the volcanoes and the freeze – was coincidental.

“These types of eruptions have happened over and over again throughout geological time but they’re not always associated with cooling events. So, the question is, what made this event different?” Wordsworth wanted to know.

One major difference was that the sulfur dioxide from the eruptions got into the tropopause – the altitude separating the stratosphere from the troposphere. And this was at a lower height than it is today, due to the era’s cooler climate. At that altitude, the chemical fog was able to remain for about a year.

It’s long been known the effect volcanic activity can have on climate conditions on the ground. But instead of the one-time eruption in the Philippines, this was a 2,000-mile-long chain of volcanoes that were almost constantly erupting. The researchers demonstrated that this constant bombardment of aerosols from the sulfuric dioxide thrown into the air could have had a devastating weather impact after ten years or more.

“Cooling from aerosols doesn’t have to freeze the whole planet; it just has to drive the ice to a critical latitude,” said MacDonald. “Then the ice does the rest.”

The final piece of the puzzle was location. Because of continental drift, the volcanic ring of fire was located near the equator back then, at just the right place to cause maximum damage and create Snowball Earth.

“It’s easy to think of climate as this immense system that is very difficult to change and in many ways that’s true,” said Wordsworth. “But there have been very dramatic changes in the past and there’s every possibility that as sudden of a change could happen in the future as well.”

--

By David Searls, Earth.com Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/2016GL072335/abstract?campaign=wolacceptedarticle"> Geophysical Research Letters</a>

Cascade of events led to Snowball Earth

When the Philippines volcano Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, it...

The coast of Louisiana, especially in the west, will be lost to rising sea levels brought about by climate change if steps aren’t taken to buttress the state’s wetlands. The wetlands act as a buffer, but won’t be effective along several sites under study, according to research conducted by <a href="https://tulane.edu/">Tulane University’s</a> Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences and published in <a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/">Nature Communications</a>. The study also portended trouble for coastal regions all over the world.

The rate of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rising-sea-levels-salt-marshes/">sea level</a> rise in the area has been about half an inch per year for up to the last decade. But the rate is accelerating in several study sites, according to the team.

"In the Mississippi Delta, about 65 percent of study sites are probably still keeping pace, but in the westernmost part of coastal Louisiana, more than 60 percent of sites are on track to drown," said Tulane geology professor Torbjörn E. Törnqvist, a co-author of the study.

The research team analyzed measurements of shallow subsidence rates at 274 sites across the coast and combined these with published GPS measurements of deeper subsidence rates. They also used published satellite observations of sea rise in the Gulf of Mexico, and were able to calculate how rapidly sea level is rising to impact the coastal wetland surface.

“These researchers have developed a new method of evaluating whether coastal marshes in Louisiana will be submerged by rising sea levels,” said Justin Lawrence of the <a href="https://www.nsf.gov/">National Science Foundation</a>, a funding source for the study. “The findings suggest that a large portion of coastal marshes in Louisiana are vulnerable to present-day sea-level rise. This work may provide an early indication of what is to occur in coastal regions around the world later this century.”

--

By David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://www.nature.com/ncomms/"> Nature Communications</a>

Rising sea levels swiftly endangering western Louisiana coast

The coast of Louisiana, especially in the west, will be...

Smell walking has arrived in the world’s cities – some of them, at least. The scent-guided tours are doing more than just just building odor-based maps. They could also help detect air pollution.

Though humans don’t have the sense of smell dogs or cats do, the human nose can pick up odors related to car exhaust and other harmful emissions. 

The city of Guangzhou in China has even gone so far as to hire “smell specialists” to evaluate sealed containers of air from different parts of the city, according to the <a href="http://env.people.com.cn/n/2015/0812/c1010-27446210.html">People’s Daily Online</a>. The goal is to determine air quality.

It sounds strange, but there may be some real science behind it. 

“Smells impact our behavior, attitudes and health,” one team of researchers wrote in their study, which was presented at the <a href="http://researchswinger.org/publications/icwsm15_smell.pdf">2015 International Conference on Web and Social Media</a> [PDF]. “Street food markets, for example, have dramatically changed the way we perceive entire streets of global cities.”

The team, led by Dr. Daniele Quercia of the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a>, has since created a smell dictionary, analyzed thousands of smell-related images on social media, and built smell maps of London and Barcelona. People can zero in on neighborhoods to find out where to go to literally smell the roses, which areas smell like fish or manure, and more.

More importantly, Quercia’s team found that images that are tagged with emissions-related keywords like “traffic” roughly match up with air quality indicators, at least in London.

The researchers believe smell walking could go far beyond just mapping the scents of cities.

The scent maps – including the streets that have worse air quality and higher emissions levels – could be used to help walkers, runners and cyclists plan their routes. Dog walkers and parents or guardians with small children could choose parks that have better air quality. 

The maps could be used to create smartphone and tablet apps that point city visitors to the most <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/people-places-and-things/200912/the-smell-is-right-using-scents-enhance-life">relaxing spots</a>, near lavender bushes, citrus trees or bakeries that smell of vanilla. 

Quercia’s team of researchers want smell walking to become as much a part of city planning and guidebook creation as vision and hearing. 

“We hope to empower designers, researchers, city managers by offering them a number of methodological tools and practical insights to re-think the role of smell in their work,” they wrote.

—

By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Smell walking helps build maps, fight air pollution

Smell walking has arrived in the world’s cities – some...

One detail of President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget has climate scientists worried. The budget could make deep cuts to Environmental Protection Agency funding, including hundreds of millions of dollars that support research.

Environmentalists say the deep cuts to academic research and fact-finding projects could have huge consequences if they make it into the official federal budget, which the president will unveil on Thursday.

Among the cuts suggested in the proposed budget is a 40 percent reduction of funding for the <a href="https://www.epa.gov/">EPA</a>’s Office of Research and Development, according to sources who spoke to the media. The agency’s Air, Climate, and Energy Research Program could see up to half its funding slashed, they said. 

“A budget is a statement of priorities, and with this proposal, Trump is telling America he doesn’t care about what happens to children who are forced to drink toxic water and breathe polluted air,” Sierra Club president Michael Brune said in a <a href="http://content.sierraclub.org/press-releases/2017/02/trump-budget-attacks-core-american-values-public-health">press release</a> upon the unveiling of the federal budget outline. 

It’s not just environmental activists who are concerned. Scientists around the U.S. have released statements expressing worries over the Trump administration’s attitude toward scientific research. 

“There are important research grant programs at EPA, NOAA, USDA and other parts of the government,” Dr. Robert Cook-Deegan of <a href="http://www.asu.edu/">Arizona State University</a> said in February at the <a href="https://www.aaas.org/news/science-policy-faces-uncertainties-under-new-administration">2017 AAAS Annual Meeting</a>. “There are a lot of people in those programs worried about climate and energy research. All we have right now are question marks.”

Cutting the EPA’s budget would jeopardize public health, Elliot Negin wrote at the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/gutting-epas-budget-and-staff-would-endanger-the-health_us_58b75494e4b0563cd36f6496">Huffington Post</a>. 

“If anything, the environmental challenges of today suggest that the EPA needs more money and staffing to carry out its congressionally mandated mission, especially since Congress has already reduced its budget between fiscal years 2010 and 2016 by 28 percent in real dollars,” wrote Negin, a senior writer for the <a href="http://www.ucsusa.org/">Union of Concerned Scientists</a>. Staff has also shrunk by about 10 percent in the past 10 years, he said.

The proposed slash of research funding in the federal budget would come with other <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trumps-budget-epa-programs/">deep cuts at the EPA</a> – up to 24 percent of the agency’s budget.

Those cuts would trickle down to states that rely on the EPA not just to fund clean air and water programs, but to provide educational materials, scientific studies and training not easily available elsewhere, Negin said.

“We must not return to an era when mercury, smog, lead, hazardous wastes, acid rain, sulfur dioxides, radon and pesticides galore went unregulated. To curtail testing our water or monitoring our air quality is to court disaster,” Rhea Suh, president of the Natural Resources Defence Council, said in a <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/media/2017/170227-0">press release</a> in response to the proposed cuts. “Since its creation in 1970, EPA has proven to be a health-protection agency extraordinaire, providing us with clean air, water and lands. There is no turning back.”

However, a bill currently in the House of Representatives, <a href="https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/861">H.R. 861</a>, would go even farther and dissolve the Environmental Protection Agency by December 31, 2018 if passed.

The president has also proposed huge cuts to the <a href="http://www.noaa.gov/">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a>’s research into Earth’s changing <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/steep-budget-cuts-noaa/">oceans and atmosphere</a>. President Trump has previously criticized <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/">NASA</a>’s Earth Sciences program, though no official cuts have been proposed at this time.

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By <a href="mailto:kcathey@earth.com">Kyla Cathey</a>, <a href="http://earth.com/staff">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

New federal budget could cut climate change research funds

One detail of President Donald Trump’s proposed federal budget has...

We already know that CO2 stored in soil is a major contributor to carbon release into the atmosphere. In fact, the soil contains more than three times the amount of <a href="https://www.earth.com/video/giant-molten-carbon-lake/">carbon</a> than what’s found in the atmosphere at any one time.

What researchers conducting soil warming experiments for the <a href="https://energy.gov/">U.S. Department of Energy’s</a> National Laboratory found was that microbes break down the soil at a faster rate when warmed and that the added heat most affects deeper soil. What this could say about the future is that, as climate change continues to intensity, it might lead to a faster rate of CO2 release from soil and act as a sort of feedback loop to further intensify the effects of climate change.

Soil warming experiments have been conducted before, but this was the first that tested warming conditions on much lower soil depths. The researchers surrounded soil plots with heating cables buried more than two meters below the surface of the plots. Half the plots were heated 4 degrees C – replicating the predicted level of temperature increase by the year 2100 – for two years while the other half were left unheated.

What they found was that the heated plots resulted in between 34 and 37 percent more carbon release than the unheated plots. Furthermore, 40 percent of the increase came from soil more than 15 centimeters down. And it’s estimated that soil below 20 centimeters down contribute more than half of the planet’s soil organic carbon.

“There's an assumption that carbon in the subsoil is more stable and not as responsive to warming as in the topsoil, but we've learned that's not the case,” said study co-author Margaret Torn. “Deeper soil layers contain a lot of carbon, and our work indicates it's a key missing component in our understanding of the potential feedback of soils to the planet's climate.”

The research was reported in the March issue of the journal Science.

 --

By David Searls, <a href="http://earth.com">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Source:<a href="http://www.sciencemag.org/"> Science</a>

Soil releases CO2 faster at deeper depths as climate warms

We already know that CO2 stored in soil is a...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-contrasting-climate-response">A contrasting climate response</h2>



Most coastal towns are <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sinking-land-will-intensify-the-effects-of-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">preparing for higher sea levels</a>, but <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/greenland-no-longer-has-to-worry-about-rising-sea-levels/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Greenland presents</a> a different scenario during climate change. The ground there is rising at a remarkable rate. Over the past decade, some areas have lifted about 20 centimeters, which translates to roughly 2 meters per century. This rate significantly exceeds current projections for sea level rise.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-geological-rebound-process-through-climate-change">Geological rebound process through climate change</h2>



The mechanism behind this phenomenon is straightforward. As the ice sheet melts, the immense weight is removed from the bedrock, causing the land to rebound upward. This process resembles the way compressed material springs back when pressure is released.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-scientific-monitoring-networks">Scientific monitoring networks</h2>



Researchers at the <a href="https://www.dtu.dk/english/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Technical University of Denmark</a> are documenting this uplift using the GNET network, consisting of 61 GPS stations positioned around Greenland's coast. These sensors can detect movement with millimeter precision, providing detailed measurements of the ongoing changes.



The data reveal that current uplift rates exceed the gradual rebound occurring since the last ice age ended approximately 12,000 years ago. This acceleration corresponds directly with increased ice sheet melting rates.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-coastal-transformation">Coastal Transformation</h2>



This uplift is actively reshaping Greenland's coastline. New islands and rocky formations, called "skerries," are emerging as previously submerged land surfaces rise above the water level. This represents a notable contrast to global concerns about rising seas.



The study, published in Geophysical Research Letters, demonstrates the varied regional impacts of climate change. While many locations face rising water levels, Greenland's bedrock is literally rising above the surrounding seas.



The full study was recently published in <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2023GL104851" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geophysical Research Letters</a>.



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXXGGiynIjs Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to implement the latest AI Agent building platform.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ai-agent-training-transforms-the-workplace-fear-factor-into-a-competitive-advantage">AI agent training transforms the workplace 'fear factor' into a competitive advantage</h2>



Organizations that offer comprehensive artificial intelligence training to their workers find remarkable value that extends well beyond basic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/mind-wandering-might-be-more-productive-than-you-think/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">productivity improvements</a>. Emerging research demonstrates that carefully crafted AI training programs <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/ai-does-not-replace-human-creativity-but-enhances-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">enhance</a> corporate performance, lower operational costs, and dramatically improve employee psychological well-being by turning workplace uncertainty into professional empowerment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-addressing-the-widespread-ai-anxiety-crisis-among-us">Addressing the widespread 'AI anxiety' crisis among us</h2>



A staggering 53% of employees expressed concern that the use of AI tools to automate work tasks could make them appear disposable to their employers, according to <a href="https://www.microsoft.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Microsoft</a>'s 2024 workplace survey. Such pervasive worry about being substituted by machines has caused what researchers have termed "AI technostress" – a psychological state that can result in occupational burnout and poorer mental well-being.



Data published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a> showed that belief in AI learning ability was a moderator in the link between technology adoption and work pressure, and higher confidence significantly lowered negative psychological responses. Workers provided ample training to become competent with AI software have significantly lower stress.



Companies like <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a> have platforms for building what are known as "AI Agents". In essence, AI Agents are simply tools that employees can build for themselves or their teams quickly and inexpensively. MindStudio will even train entire companies, from the CEO on down, at no cost. By letting MindStudio empower employees, companies avoid hiring more IT staff, buying more software, and implementing solutions to problems that do not exist.



MindStudio even has partners locally for companies, like <a href="http://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Dominnus</a> with offices in the Carolinas, California, and Denver, to help build AI Agents and support employees as they become resident AI experts for their organization. The training provided by MindStudio is applicable across other AI Agent building platforms as well.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-revolutionary-productivity-through-focused-learning">Revolutionary productivity through focused learning</h2>



Organizations that implement large-scale AI training programs achieve dramatic outcomes. Employees performed tasks significantly better when they utilized AI support compared to when they didn't, according to <a href="https://www.nngroup.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nielsen Norman Group</a> research findings. Their study documented productivity increases of 66% for a variety of professional tasks.



Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis research finds workers record 33% higher productivity in time working with generative AI tools. The benefit is equivalent to 5.4% of work time savings for AI users – around 2.2 hours per week for full-time workers.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-psychological-well-being-benefits-through-ai-competence">Psychological well-being benefits through AI competence</h2>



The emotional transformation when employees are provided with proper technology training is a fundamental transformation from fear to professional confidence. A survey of 600 employees across industries, carried out by ScienceDirect, proved that AI capabilities strengthen work environment commitment and improve job satisfaction.



A <a href="https://www.lut.fi/en" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LUT University</a> study discovered that AI adoption has no direct effect on workers' well-being but does so indirectly through working conditions like task optimization and safety protocols. Strategically deployed AI that involves correct training can actually increase workplace mental well-being.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-from-replacement-anxiety-to-partnership-confidence">From 'replacement anxiety' to 'partnership confidence'</h2>



Although 35% of those interviewed in recent McKinsey studies were concerned about workforce displacement, firms with large-scale training initiatives witness such fears dissipate quickly. The World Economic Forum found that two out of three respondents believe AI competencies will enhance their career prospects and job marketability.



This shift from fear to trust has measurable implications for job satisfaction. Applied Sciences research indicates AI can create tailored wellness programs based on individual employee requirements.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-financial-benefits-of-increased-retention">Financial benefits of increased retention</h2>



The mental health advantages of AI learning have a direct impact on organizational bottom lines in the form of a positive feedback cycle with high retention of employees. Recent ROI research validates that artificial intelligence learning has a beneficial impact on employee turnover and satisfaction levels.



PriceWaterhouseCoopers' research documents 20% to 30% improvements in productivity, market speed, and revenue in organizations that attempt systematic AI adoption through comprehensive training.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-advantages-of-ai-enabled-teams">Environmental advantages of AI-enabled teams</h2>



AI training has unforeseen environmental benefits as it makes the work environment more efficient. According to a study in Scientific Reports, the carbon footprint in writing and illustrating work is significantly lower when AI performs it compared to humans. AI software produces 130 to 1,500 times less CO2 equivalent per page of text created than human authors.



In addition, AI-driven remote work functionality significantly reduces environmental impact. Research by Cornell University and Microsoft indicates that remote workers reduce greenhouse gas emissions by up to 54% by not commuting daily to offices. Hybrid workers working remotely two to four days a week can reduce their carbon footprint by 11% to 29%.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cumulative-organizational-advantages">Cumulative organizational advantages</h2>



The compounding gains of better mental well-being, reduced turnover, increased productivity, and environmental benefits flow to enterprises from the pairing. McKinsey analysis estimates the long-term AI potential at $4.4 trillion in incremental productivity growth opportunity from business use cases.



As of now, 75% of knowledge workers globally utilize generative AI, mirroring widespread adoption patterns. Organizations that provide organized training and assistance see the most favorable results in productivity, worker satisfaction, and ecological sustainability.



The research overwhelmingly indicates that companies that invest in proper AI education, like that offered through <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">MindStudio</a>, establish win-win scenarios where employees are both more empowered and less stressed, and companies enjoy the gains of increased productivity, reduced turnover, and improved mental health outcomes throughout their workforce.



For more on MindStudio's free AI training for companies, visit the website's of MindStudio and Dominnus from the links below.



The research was published across a variety of peer-reviewed journals, including <a href="https://www.nature.com/palcomms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Humanities and Social Sciences Communications</a>, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence</a>, and <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/journal/applsci">Applied Sciences</a>.



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MindStudio.AI: <a href="https://www.mindstudio.ai" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.mindstudio.ai</a>



Dominnus: <a href="https://www.dominnus.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.dominnus.com</a>

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSM3EVeGHJU Companies like MindStudio help companies train their employees to...

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-natural-solution-to-disease-through-crop-modification">A natural solution to disease through crop modification.</h2>



The agricultural industry stands at a crossroads between productivity and environmental responsibility, and crop modification often carries a negative connotation. While chemical pesticides have long been the go-to solution for crop protection, their harmful effects on ecosystems and human health have prompted scientists to seek alternatives. The recent breakthrough by <a href="https://www.southampton.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Southampton</a> researchers offers a promising path forward through the precise manipulation of plant-associated microbial communities.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-science-behind-microbial-partnerships">The science behind microbial partnerships</h2>



Plants naturally harbor diverse ecosystems of bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms that function as biological allies. These microscopic partners contribute to disease resistance, nutrient absorption, and stress tolerance. However, until now, scientists lacked the tools to deliberately reshape these communities to enhance crop protection.



The Southampton team's approach centered on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/engineered-plant-microbiomes-the-future-of-crop-protection/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">modifying lignin biosynthesis genes in rice plants</a>. This strategic intervention altered the plant's metabolic output, creating conditions that favored beneficial bacterial populations while suppressing harmful ones. The result was a living defense system embedded within the plant itself.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-implications-for-global-food-security">Implications for global food security</h2>



The successful demonstration against Xanthomonas oryzae, the pathogen responsible for bacterial blight in rice, represents more than a laboratory achievement. Rice feeds nearly half the world's population, and bacterial blight causes devastating crop losses annually. Traditional control methods rely heavily on pesticides that contaminate soil and water systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-looking-beyond-disease-resistance">Looking Beyond Disease Resistance</h2>



While disease protection represents the immediate application, the research framework opens doors to broader agricultural improvements. Future developments could engineer microbiomes to enhance nutrient uptake, reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers. This dual benefit addresses both crop productivity and environmental sustainability.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-path-forward">The path forward</h2>



As this technology advances from laboratory to field applications, it promises to reshape sustainable agriculture. The ability to program plants with their own biological defense systems could herald a new era where crops protect themselves naturally, reducing chemical inputs while maintaining yields necessary for global food security.



The study is published in the journal&nbsp;<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44335-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature Communications</a>.



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0HDXqTGEmi4 Scientists give plants superpowers against bacterial disease A natural...

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-don-t-we-ever-hear-about-acid-rain-anymore-the-environmental-crisis-that-was-solved">Why don't we ever hear about "acid rain" anymore? The environmental crisis that was solved</h2>



Remember the 1980s when acid rain dominated headlines? Dire warnings about rain eating buildings, killing fish, and destroying forests filled every news cycle. Then, almost like magic, acid rain vanished from public discourse. What happened? Did we actually solve one of the late 20th century's most pressing environmental challenges?



The answer might surprise you. Unlike many environmental issues that drag on indefinitely, acid rain represents one of modern history's most successful ecological recovery stories. It's a tale of science, politics, and technology working together to tackle what seemed impossible.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What was acid rain?</h2>



Acid rain isn't regular rain having a bad day – it's precipitation that became significantly more acidic due to air pollution. When power plants, factories, and vehicles burn fossil fuels, they release sulfur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) into the atmosphere.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The science behind it</h2>



Think of acid rain as nature's chemistry experiment gone wrong. These compounds react with water, oxygen, and other chemicals to form sulfuric and nitric acids. When mixed with water vapor in clouds, they create precipitation with dangerously low pH levels.



While clean rain has a pH of about 5.6, acid rain could drop as low as 4.2 to 4.4 – roughly as acidic as tomato juice or coffee. According to US Geological Survey documentation, Scottish chemist Angus Smith first coined "acid rain" in 1872, but it didn't become a household phrase until the 1960s and 1970s when Swedish scientist Svante Odén documented its devastating effects on Scandinavian lakes and European forests.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The crisis at its peak</h2>



During the height of public concern, environmental damage was both widespread and visible. This wasn't some abstract future threat – people could see destruction happening in real-time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Environmental devastation</h2>



The most dramatic impacts were impossible to ignore. Research documented by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation and the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation shows that in the Adirondack Mountains, more than 200 lakes became so acidic they couldn't support fish life. The Adirondack Council reports that 409 lakes once supported brook trout, but many lost their fish populations due to acid rain.



By 1976, when scientists cataloged all acidified lakes in the Adirondack Park, researchers found that half of the lakes over 2,000 feet above sea level had no fish, according to studies published in environmental journals. The acidification process worked like a slow-motion disaster. As acid rain fell into watersheds, it gradually lowered pH levels. Fish couldn't survive in acidic water, and their food sources died off too.



Trees at high elevations showed stress directly linked to acid rain. It weakened them by leaching nutrients and making them susceptible to disease. Historical records show Germany's Black Forest saw nearly half its trees damaged by the mid-1980s.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Economic impact</h2>



Acid rain wasn't just environmental – it was expensive. Acidic precipitation corroded infrastructure, buildings, and monuments. Historic stone structures deteriorated at accelerated rates. Tourism suffered as lakes became fishless and forests declined. EPA economic analyses from the period documented repair costs mounting into billions annually.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The solution: government action and technology</h2>



Transformation from crisis to success required unprecedented cooperation between governments, industries, and environmental groups.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">The Clean Air Act of 1990</h2>



The turning point came with the Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990, signed by President George H.W. Bush. This represented a fundamentally new approach to environmental regulation, as documented in EPA historical records.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Cap-and-trade success</h2>



Instead of mandating specific technologies, the 1990 amendments introduced something revolutionary: a cap-and-trade system for sulfur dioxide emissions. EPA program documentation shows this market-based approach set overall limits but allowed companies to trade emission allowances.



The genius was harnessing market forces to find cost-effective pollution reduction. Companies reducing emissions cheaply could sell excess allowances to those facing higher costs. Research published in environmental economics journals and EPA progress reports shows this resulted in dramatic SO2 reduction at a fraction of projected costs.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Technology advances</h2>



Policy provided the framework, but technology made reductions possible. Studies in atmospheric science journals document the widespread adoption of flue gas desulfurization systems ("scrubbers") that removed sulfur dioxide before it reached the atmosphere. By the 2000s, new installations could remove over 95% of SO2 emissions, according to EPA technical reports.



The push coincided with cleaner energy development. Natural gas produces fewer sulfur compounds than coal. Wind and solar, emerging in the 1990s, captured growing market share, reducing reliance on high-sulfur coal.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-we-don-t-hear-about-it-today">Why we don't hear about it today</h2>



Why did acid rain disappear from headlines? Simple: the problem was largely solved.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Success doesn't make news</h2>



There's an old journalism saying: "If it bleeds, it leads." Environmental success stories don't generate urgency like crisis reporting. Media attention shifted to other challenges: climate change, plastic pollution, and biodiversity loss. There's only so much environmental anxiety the public can absorb, and newer concerns replaced acid rain.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Mission accomplished</h2>



The primary reason is beautifully simple: interventions worked. EPA monitoring data shows sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990. Academic research published in environmental science journals confirms pH levels in formerly affected areas returned closer to normal. This represents one of history's most dramatic environmental recoveries. Studies by the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation show fishless lakes now support healthy populations. Forests recovered, and building damage slowed dramatically.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-it-really-gone">Is it really gone?</h2>



The crisis is largely resolved, but monitoring data shows the problem isn't completely eliminated – it's managed to acceptable levels. Some areas still experience occasional events during high pollution periods. International environmental research indicates that rapidly industrializing Asian countries face similar problems to what we experienced decades ago, though they're implementing successful strategies.



EPA research shows nitrogen oxide emissions proved more challenging than sulfur dioxide, coming from vehicles and mobile sources. Climate science studies suggest changing weather patterns add complexity to how acid rain forms and falls.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">What this teaches us</h2>



The acid rain experience proves that seemingly intractable environmental problems can be solved with scientific understanding, political will, and technological innovation. Environmental monitoring data shows recovery speed was remarkable – within a decade, measurable improvements appeared in air quality and ecosystem health.



Success came from bipartisan support across party lines. Policy analysis studies show the market-based approach appealed to those preferring economic incentives while achieving environmental goals. This support created lasting policy surviving political changes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Conclusion</h2>



Acid rain's disappearance from public consciousness represents environmental science's greatest success stories. Through effective regulation, technological innovation, and international cooperation, we transformed an overwhelming crisis into a manageable challenge.



Today's silence isn't because we forgot – it's because we solved it. The 1990 Clean Air Act, combined with technology and energy market changes, reduced acid rain emissions over 90%, according to comprehensive EPA data analysis.



This success offers hope for current challenges. It proves complex problems can be solved when science, policy, and technology work together. As we face climate change and plastic pollution, acid rain reminds us that dramatic positive change is possible.



Next time someone asks whether environmental regulations work, remember acid rain. It's proof that sometimes, we get it right.



<hr class="wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity"/>



Sources: This article draws from EPA official documentation and progress reports, peer-reviewed research published in environmental and atmospheric science journals, historical data from the Adirondack Lakes Survey Corporation, New York State Department of Environmental Conservation records, US Geological Survey publications, policy analysis studies, and environmental monitoring data collected over three decades.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading">Frequently Asked Questions</h2>



1. Is acid rain completely gone? No, but EPA monitoring shows it's reduced to manageable levels. US sulfur dioxide emissions dropped over 90% since 1990, making acid rain much less severe than the 1980s crisis.



2. How long did solving take? Environmental monitoring data shows significant improvements began within 5-10 years of 1990s emission controls. Full ecosystem recovery took longer – some areas need 20-30 years for complete recovery.



3. What made the solution successful? Clear scientific understanding, visible damage motivating action, bipartisan support, available technology, and innovative market-based policies like cap-and-trade.



4. Do other countries have acid rain problems? Yes, particularly rapidly industrializing Asian countries. However, international environmental research shows many implement similar successful control strategies.



5. Could acid rain return? Potentially, if regulations weaken or we return to high-sulfur coal without controls, though effects would take years to become severe according to environmental projections.



6. Can you recommend any teaching tools on the subject of "acid rain"? The United States Environmental Protection Agency produced a wonderful teacher's guide for ages 14 and under that you can find on the EPA website here: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2017-03/documents/teachersguide.pdf</a>



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The environmental problem we actually solved

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk Acid rain and a crisis solved. Why don't we...

Green,Ecoduct,Over,An,Empty,Highway,During,Sunset.

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A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that wildlife tunnels significantly reduce amphibian road mortality during seasonal migrations. 



Frogs and salamanders often cross roads to reach breeding ponds each spring, but many are killed by vehicles. 



Researchers from the <a href="https://www.uvm.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Vermont</a>, in collaboration with local citizens and the Vermont Agency of Natural Resources, installed two underpass tunnels in 2015. 



Over a 12-year monitoring period, they observed an 80.2% reduction in amphibian deaths, and up to 94% for non-climbing species like salamanders. 



The study used a before-after-control-impact design and documented more than 5,200 amphibians, highlighting the tunnels’ effectiveness even in nearby buffer zones.



Funded at $342,397 - far cheaper than wildlife crossings for large mammals - the project showcased the power of community-led conservation.



Local groups initiated the effort after observing mass amphibian deaths. Wildlife cameras later captured over 2,200 amphibians using a tunnel in just one spring, along with other species like raccoons and bobcats, indicating wider ecosystem benefits.



This marks the first peer-reviewed, long-term data set in the northeastern U.S. confirming amphibian-specific underpasses work. 



The study urges transportation departments to incorporate these designs into road planning and highlights how community action, thoughtful infrastructure, and persistence can make a real difference for biodiversity.



The full study was published in the <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1617138125000780" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal for Nature Conservation</a>.



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU A new long-term study in Monkton, Vermont, reveals that...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

[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



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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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

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

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://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

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

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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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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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

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

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

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

[sendtonews key="Ccjk8KEMzv-2550719-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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

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