On Friday, May 12, 2023, the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secondary-peak-extreme-geomagnetic-solar-storm-expected-today/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strongest geomagnetic storm</a> in over two decades hit Earth, causing radio blackouts and extending the northern lights to the southern United States. 



As of Monday, May 15, 2023, officials from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) have warned that these geomagnetic solar storms, caused by eruptions from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/see-the-sun-in-exquisite-detail-in-rare-solar-orbiter-video/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the Sun</a>, are not yet over.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-strong-geomagnetic-storm-warning-remains-in-effect">Strong geomagnetic storm warning remains in effect</h2>



<a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The SWPC</a> issued a G3, or "<a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/noaa-scales-explanation" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">strong</a>," geomagnetic storm warning that remained in effect until 2 a.m. ET on Monday. 



While the likelihood of stronger storms has decreased, and conditions are expected to gradually improve throughout the day, the center's forecast indicates that moderate to strong geomagnetic storms are still likely on Monday, with minor storms possible on Tuesday.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-solar-activity-and-solar-flares">High solar activity and solar flares</h2>



The SWPC also reported that "solar activity is expected to be at high levels," with more <a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/sun_solar-flares_region-3664_NASA_1m.jpg?_gl=1*un9usv*_ga*NjcwMzI4NTA4LjE2OTAzMTAwNjc.*_ga_STJW8JPZJQ*MTcxNTYyMzAzMy4xODA4LjEuMTcxNTYyNDIxMy41Ny4wLjA.*_gcl_au*MjEzMjY0ODcwMC4xNzE0NzAwMDg2LjI4NjIyNjExOS4xNzE1MzAwODg2LjE3MTUzMDA4ODU." target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">M-class and X-class flares</a> anticipated, primarily due to the flare potential of Region 3664.



Another moderate X-class solar flare, the strongest class of these solar bursts, was recently recorded.



"Flares of this magnitude are not frequent," the SWPC representatives stated, warning that "users of high frequency (HF) radio signals may experience temporary degradation or complete loss of signal on much of the sunlit side of Earth."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-sunspot-regions-3664-and-3663">Sunspot Regions 3664 and 3663</h2>



The flares originated from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-prepares-impact-three-cme-events-solar-storms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Sunspot Region 3664</a>, a massive area of the Sun responsible for many of the flares and coronal mass ejections (CMEs) that led to the weekend's extreme geomagnetic storm. 



This spot remains "the most complex and active on the disk," according to NOAA, and is so large that it can be seen from Earth by people wearing eclipse glasses, measuring approximately 124,000 miles across.



Sunspot Region 3664 has been active alongside <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/noaa-issues-severe-geomagnetic-storm-watch-first-time-since-2005/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Region 3663</a>, and together, they are considered "magnetically complex and much larger than Earth," as stated by NOAA.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-continued-cmes-and-minor-solar-radiation-storms">Continued CMEs and minor solar radiation storms</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-severe-extreme-geomagnetic-solar-storms-expected-tonight-tomorrow/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs)</a>, which are large bursts from the sun's atmosphere filled with plasma and magnetic fields that lead to geomagnetic storms, are expected to continue throughout Monday and fuel G3 activity. 



NOAA forecasts that "continuing, but weaker CME influences are anticipated to decrease responses down to unsettled to G1 (Minor) levels on May 14, 2023."



Minor solar radiation storms are also expected in the same timeframe, along with more radio blackouts. Some of these blackouts could be considered "strong" events, depending on the solar flares that erupt.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-auroras-visible-across-the-continental-united-states">Auroras visible across the continental United States</h2>



Weather permitting,&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/more-mesmerizing-auroras-expected-across-united-states-new-extreme-solar-storm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">auroras will be visible</a>&nbsp;again tonight over most of the continental United States. This spectacular display of lights is a direct result of the ongoing geomagnetic storm.



The threat of additional strong solar flares and CMEs, which ultimately result in spectacular <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/auroras-southern-united-states-this-week-huge-solar-storm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">aurora displays</a>, will persist until the large and magnetically complex sunspot cluster, NOAA Region 3664, rotates out of view of the Earth. This is expected to occur by Tuesday, May 14, 2024.



As the geomagnetic storm continues to impact Earth, officials urge the public to stay informed and prepared for potential disruptions to radio communications and other technological systems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-understanding-geomagnetic-solar-storms">Understanding geomagnetic solar storms</h2>



Geomagnetic storms are disturbances in the <a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/earths-magnetic-field-origin-structure-and-impact-on-humanity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Earth’s magnetic field</a> caused by the interaction between the solar wind and the planet’s magnetosphere. These storms can have significant impacts on technology, infrastructure, and even human health.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-causes-of-geomagnetic-storms">Causes of geomagnetic storms</h3>



Geomagnetic storms typically originate from the Sun. They are caused by two main phenomena:



<ul>
<li>Coronal Mass Ejections (CMEs): Massive bursts of plasma and magnetic fields ejected from the Sun’s surface.</li>



<li>Solar Flares: <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strongest-solar-flare-in-7-years-prompts-gps-satellite-warnings-and-aurora-alert/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Intense eruptions</a> of electromagnetic radiation from the Sun’s surface.</li>
</ul>



When these events occur, they send charged particles streaming towards Earth at high speeds, which can take anywhere from one to five days to reach our planet.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-effects-on-earth-s-magnetic-field">Effects on Earth’s magnetic field</h3>



As the charged particles from CMEs and solar flares reach Earth, they interact with the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/earthpedia-articles/earths-magnetic-field-origin-structure-and-impact-on-humanity/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">planet’s magnetic field</a>. This interaction causes the magnetic field lines to become distorted and compressed, leading to fluctuations in the strength and direction of the magnetic field.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-impacts-on-technology-and-infrastructure">Impacts on technology and infrastructure</h3>



Geomagnetic storms can have significant impacts on various aspects of modern technology and infrastructure:



<ul>
<li>Power Grids: Strong geomagnetic storms can induce currents in power lines, causing transformers to overheat and potentially leading to widespread power outages.</li>



<li>Satellite Communications: Charged particles can damage satellite electronics and disrupt communication signals.</li>



<li>GPS and Navigation Systems: Geomagnetic disturbances can interfere with the accuracy of GPS and other navigation systems.</li>



<li>Radio Communications: Storms can disrupt radio signals, affecting communication systems that rely on HF, VHF, and UHF bands.</li>
</ul>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Aurora formation</h3>



One of the most visually striking effects of geomagnetic storms is the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/aurora-borealis-seen-as-far-south-as-the-equator-after-largest-known-solar-storm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">formation of auroras</a>, also known as the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/auroras-southern-united-states-this-week-huge-solar-storm/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Northern and Southern Lights</a>.



As charged particles collide with Earth’s upper atmosphere, they excite oxygen and nitrogen atoms, causing them to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/steve-phenomenon-looks-like-an-aurora-acts-like-an-aurora-but-what-is-it/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">emit light in various colors</a>.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Monitoring and forecasting</h3>



Scientists continuously monitor the Sun’s activity and use various instruments to detect and measure CMEs and solar flares.



This data helps them forecast the timing and intensity of geomagnetic storms, allowing for better preparedness and mitigation of potential impacts.



<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Historical geomagnetic storms</h3>



Some of the most notable geomagnetic storms in history include:



<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.earth.com/news/carrington-event-biggest-solar-storm-history-radiocarbon-earth-tree-rings/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Carrington Event (1859)</a>: The most powerful geomagnetic storm on record, which caused widespread telegraph system failures and auroras visible as far south as the Caribbean.</li>



<li><a href="https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/news/great-halloween-solar-storm-2003" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Halloween Storms (2003)</a>: A series of powerful geomagnetic storms that caused power outages in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa.</li>



<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/March_1989_geomagnetic_storm" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Quebec Blackout (1989)</a>: A geomagnetic storm that caused a massive power outage affecting millions of people in Quebec, Canada.</li>
</ul>



Understanding geomagnetic storms is crucial for protecting our technology-dependent world and mitigating the potential risks associated with these powerful space weather events.



Stay tuned to Earth.com and the Space Weather Prediction Center (<a href="https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SWPC</a>) for updates.



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NOAA: 'Strong' geomagnetic storms and auroras continue through Tuesday

On Friday, May 12, 2023, the strongest geomagnetic storm in over two decades hit Earth, causing radio blackouts and extending the northern lights to the southern United States. As of Monday, May 15, 2023, officials from NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center (SWPC) have warned that these geomagnetic solar storms, caused by eruptions from the Sun, are not yet over. Strong geomagnetic storm warning remains in effect The SWPC issued a G3, or "strong," geomagnetic storm warning that remained in effect until 2 a.m. ET on Monday. While...

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Scientists: Tropical cyclones will become stronger as temperatures warm. Powerful tropical cyclones like the super typhoon that lashed Taiwan with 150-mile-per-hour winds last week and then flooded parts of China are expected to become even stronger as the planet warms. That trend hasn't become evident yet, but it will, scientists say.

So far, the warming effects of greenhouse gases on tropical cyclones have been masked, in part by air pollution.

Over the past century, tiny airborne particles called aerosols, which cool the climate by absorbing and reflecting sunlight, largely cancelled out the effects of planet-warming greenhouse gas emissions when it came to tropical storm intensity, according to a new scientific review paper published this week in the journal Science. That might sound like a good thing, but many of those particles came from the burning of fossil fuels and wood, and contributed to acid rain, smog and lung damage. As vehicles and power plants added filters and scrubbers to reduce their impact on human health, levels of man-made aerosols in the atmosphere began to decline. At the same time, greenhouse gas concentrations continued to rise.

That compensating effect won't continue if greenhouse gas warming keeps increasing, the scientists write. Using model simulations, they provide new calculations of the cancelling effects of aerosols and greenhouse gases on tropical cyclones worldwide. They also take a closer look at the still-developing understanding of how climate change will affect tropical cyclones, also known regionally as typhoons or hurricanes.

"The fact that global warming's fingerprints don't yet jump out at us when we look at hurricanes isn't surprising - it's what current science tells us we should expect," said lead author Adam Sobel, a professor at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory and School of Engineering. "The same science tells us that those fingerprints will show up eventually in more ultra-powerful storms."

Increasing potential intensity

The scientists examined a wide range of published analyses of tropical cyclone data and computer modeling, looking specifically at potential intensity, which predicts the maximum intensity that tropical cyclones could reach in a given environment. Their new global calculations of the cancelling effect follow a 2015 study led by Lamont's Mingfang Ting, with Suzana Camargo, also a coauthor on the new paper, that showed similar effects over the North Atlantic, where hurricanes that make landfall in the United States form.

Many factors contribute to a tropical cyclone's intensity. At the most basic, the storm's convective strength - the boiling motion of air rising from the ocean surface to the atmosphere - depends on the temperature difference between the surface ocean and the upper atmosphere. Computer models that simulate the physics of tropical cyclones suggest that this difference should increase as the climate and sea surface temperatures warm, and that tropical storm strength should increase with it.

Less well understood is how climate change should influence the number of tropical cyclones that form each year. Computer models indicate that while the total number of cyclones should decline in a warming climate, more intense, highly destructive storms like Super Typhoon Nepartak are likely to become more common.

We have seen harbingers of that change in recent years: <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/typhoon-lingling-moves-through-the-yellow-sea/">Typhoon</a> Haiyan, also known as Yolanda, killed more than 6,300 people as it devastated parts of the Philippines as a Category 5 storm in 2013. Last year, Hurricane Patricia became the second most-intense tropical cyclone on record when its sustained winds reached 215 mph before weakening to hit Mexico with winds still powerful at 150 mph.

The scientists' review finds that the largest increases in tropical cyclone potential intensity are expected to be at the margins of the tropics, particularly in the Atlantic and Pacific. The amount of rain that tropical storms bring is also expected to increase as the planet warms, due to increasing water vapor; and coastal flooding from storm surges that accompany tropical storms are expected to become more of a problem as sea levels rise. The scientists also describe a shift in tropical cyclone tracks toward the margins of the tropics, noting that it is unclear if the shift is a response to warming. Simulations for the western North Pacific suggest that it is, at least in part.

Detecting the influence of climate change

Two factors make it difficult to detect greenhouse gas-related trends in tropical cyclone intensity, as the authors explain.

One is the influence of aerosols. Model calculations indicate that aerosols have about twice the effect of greenhouse gases on a tropical cyclone's potential intensity. So while greenhouse gas levels have been greater than aerosol levels for many decades in terms of absolute magnitude - which is why the planet has warmed by about 1.5?F since the Industrial Revolution - they have only recently surpassed the cooling effect of aerosols in terms of their influence on tropical cyclone intensity.

The other challenge is natural variability. Tropical cyclones are relatively rare - the world averages around 90 per year - and that number fluctuates from year to year and decade to decade, due in large part to natural causes. It is statistically difficult to detect long-term trends within that large natural variability, Sobel said. Satellite records that can monitor tropical storms worldwide also only go back to the 1970s.

Scientists at Lamont, including Sobel, Camargo and coauthors Allison Wing and Chia-Ying Lee, are using both observations and computer models to expand understanding of how tropical cyclone behavior has changed and the physical mechanisms by which climate affects extreme weather. Among other projects, they are developing a tropical cyclone risk model that can be used in urban planning that incorporates climate factors in determining the probability of a tropical cyclone making landfall at a given location.
###
The other coauthors of the paper are Michael Tippett of Columbia's School of Engineering, and Timothy Hall of NASA's Goddard Institute for Space Studies. Funding for the research was provided by the National Science Foundation and the Office of Naval Research.

The paper, "Human Influence on Tropical Cyclone Intensity," is available from the authors.

Scientist contact:

Adam Sobel <a href="mailto:ahs129@ldeo.columbia.edu">ahs129@ldeo.columbia.edu</a> (845) 365-8527

Suzana Camargo <a href="mailto:suzana@ldeo.columbia.edu">suzana@ldeo.columbia.edu</a> (845) 365-8640

More information: Kevin Krajick, Senior editor, science news, The Earth Institute <a href="mailto:kkrajick@ei.columbia.edu">kkrajick@ei.columbia.edu</a> 212-854-9729

Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory is Columbia University's home for Earth science research. Its scientists develop fundamental knowledge about the origin, evolution and future of the natural world, from the planet's deepest interior to the outer reaches of its atmosphere, on every continent and in every ocean, providing a rational basis for the difficult choices facing humanity. <a href="http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu</a> | @LamontEarth

The Earth Institute, Columbia University mobilizes the sciences, education and public policy to achieve a sustainable earth. <a href="http://www.earth.columbia.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://www.earth.columbia.edu</a>.

Scientists: Tropical cyclones will become stronger as temperatures warm

Scientists: Tropical cyclones will become stronger as temperatures warm. Powerful...

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Atrazine has been very good at killing weeds in corn fields for more than 50 years. But some of the properties that make it a successful herbicide, such as its persistence in the soil and ability to be transported in water, also lead to concerns about potential environmental impact. At both federal and state levels, increasing restrictions on atrazine use has the sweet corn industry wondering about alternatives.

"The list of herbicides available for use on sweet corn is much more limited than field corn, so historically sweet corn growers and processors have relied heavily on atrazine. They have been in need of alternatives, but the call for those alternatives has gone largely unanswered," says University of Illinois and USDA Agricultural Research Service weed scientist Marty Williams.

Williams and a team of researchers from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/unequal-treatment-protestors/">Oregon</a> and Minnesota polled growers and processors to find out the weed management tactics they would consider using as alternatives.

"At the onset of this project, we engaged the processing sweet corn industry. We knew alternatives to atrazine had to be pragmatic. Are weed biocontrol agents an option? Would a cover crop solve the problem? Is handweeding cost-effective? In this case, no, no, and no. They wanted us to develop systems that integrated mechanical control with existing herbicide technology," Williams recalls.

Most of the alternative herbicides they tried were already registered for use in sweet corn, and came from different herbicide classes than atrazine. The research team settled on 16 treatments, including three standard atrazine-containing treatments. Treatments were compared in sweet corn fields in Illinois, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minnesota">Minnesota</a>, and Oregon over four years.

"Standard treatments containing atrazine and mesotrione applied postemergence provided the best control, and resulted in crop yields comparable to the weed-free check," Williams states. "In our study, alternative treatments with tembotrione applied postemergence with or without interrow cultivation were similar in weed control and crop yield to atrazine-containing treatments."

Interestingly, interrow cultivation sometimes stimulated weed emergence, thereby reducing effectiveness of the tactic in certain fields. The researchers also found that several other atrazine-free treatments worked well, but only in Oregon.

"Oregon fields were dominated by small-seeded weed species that were controlled by more products than the large-seeded weeds more common in the Midwest, such as velvetleaf and giant ragweed," Williams explains.

Tembotrione was used to represent the HPPD inhibiting class of herbicides, which includes other efficacious herbicides such as topramezone, mesotrione, and bicyclopyrone. This mode of action was developed most recently, but some weeds are already becoming resistant to HPPD inhibitors.

"As with most herbicides, misuse of the alternatives to atrazine could select for herbicide resistant weed populations. Nonetheless, it is possible to grow sweet corn without atrazine using an approach that sweet corn growers and processors consider adoptable," Williams notes.
###
The article, "Alternatives to atrazine for weed management in processing sweet corn," is published in Weed Science. The research was supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (grant no. 2012-03266).

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Farmers are finding alternatives to Atrazine

Atrazine has been very good at killing weeds in corn...

Beijing: Air quality has improved in 2016. Beijing's notoriously awful air quality improved significantly in the first half of the year, with actions taken to curb the city's heavy pollution having a positive effect, officials in the <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/ancient-people-elongated-skulls/">Chinese</a> capital said.
Concentrations of microscopic PM2.5 - small, inhalable particles that can penetrate deep into the lungs and are considered a reliable gauge of air quality - dropped by 17.9 percent in the first six months against the same period last year, the Municipal Environmental Protection Bureau said on its website late Monday. Beijing: Air quality has improved in 2016
The number of days in which air quality was rated good grew by 19, to 107, while the number of days with heavy pollution fell by two, to 14, the bureau said.
The ongoing closure of 174 heavily polluting Beijing factories was among the reasons given for the improvement, along with the switching of 463 communities from coal to alternative energy sources, the retirement of tens of thousands of exhaust-spewing cars, trucks and buses, and the addition of 6,803 vehicles running purely on electricity.
"Since the start of the year, the entire city has assiduously implemented the key tasks of the clean air action plan," the bureau said. "The improvement in air quality citywide has been obvious."
With more than 21 million people, Beijing has struggled with the ills of most modern cities, including snarled traffic and a shortage of affordable housing. Air pollution, however, has perhaps had the biggest impact on quality of life, with schools closed and outdoor activities curtailed on particularly bad days. Air pollution was also cited as a concern by evaluators ahead of Beijing being awarded the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Actions taken by the central government, especially since 2014, have borne fruit, however, with overall pollution levels in Beijing down in each of the past two years.
Coal consumption is the biggest source of air pollution in China. The country is now the world's largest emitter of greenhouse gases, although the United States far exceeds it on a per capita basis.
Researchers at Germany's Max Planck institute have estimated that smog has led to 1.4 million premature deaths per year in China, while the nonprofit group Berkeley Earth in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California">California</a> has had a higher figure, 1.6 million.
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Beijing: Air quality has improved in 2016

Beijing: Air quality has improved in 2016. Beijing's notoriously awful...

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Fracking worsens asthma for nearby residents. Fracking may worsen asthma in children and adults who live near sites where the oil and gas drilling method is used, according to an 8-year study in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pennsylvania">Pennsylvania</a>.
The study found that asthma treatments were as much as four times more common in patients living closer to areas with more or bigger active wells than those living far away.
But the study did not establish that fracking directly caused or worsened asthma. There's also no way to tell from the study whether asthma patients exposed to fracking fare worse than those exposed to more traditional gas drilling methods or to other industrial activities.Fracking worsens asthma for nearby residents
Fracking refers to hydraulic fracturing, a technique for extracting oil and gas by injecting water, sand and chemicals into wells at high pressure to crack rock. Environmental effects include exhaust, dust and noise from heavy truck traffic transporting water and other materials, and from drilling rigs and compressors. Fracking and improved drilling methods led to a boom in production of oil and gas in several U.S. states, including Pennsylvania, North Dakota, Oklahoma, <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/tropical-storm-imelda-brings-extreme-rainfall-to-texas/">Texas</a> and Colorado.
Sara Rasmussen, the study's lead author and a researcher at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, said pollution and stress from the noise caused by fracking might explain the results. But the authors emphasized that the study doesn't prove what caused patients' symptoms.
More than 25 million U.S. adults and children have asthma, a disease that narrows airways in the lungs. Symptoms include wheezing, breathing difficulties and chest tightness, and they can sometimes flare up with exposure to dust, air pollution and stress.
Previous research has found heavy air pollution in areas where oil and gas drilling is booming.
Industry groups responding to the new research said air samplings measured by Pennsylvania authorities near natural gas operations during some of the study years found pollutant levels unlikely to cause health issues. But samplings were limited and didn't reflect potential cumulative effects of emissions from the drilling sites.
The new study was published Monday in JAMA Internal Medicine.
The researchers noted that between 2005 and 2012, more than 6,200 fracking wells were drilled in Pennsylvania. They used electronic health records to identify almost 36,000 asthma patients treated during that time in the Geisinger Health System, which covers more than 40 counties in Pennsylvania. Evidence of asthma attacks included new prescriptions for steroid medicines, emergency-room treatment for asthma and asthma hospitalizations.
During the study, there were more than 20,000 new oral steroid prescriptions ordered, almost 5,000 asthma hospitalizations and almost 2,000 ER asthma visits.
Those outcomes were 50 percent to four times more common in asthma patients living closer to areas with more or bigger active wells than among those living far away.
The highest risk for asthma attacks occurred in people living a median of about 12 miles from drilled wells. The lowest risk was for people living a median of about 40 miles away.
Dr. Norman H. Edelman, senior scientific adviser for the American Lung Association, called the study "interesting and provocative." But he said it only shows an association between fracking and asthma, not a "cause and effect," and that more rigorous research is needed.
"Asthma is a huge problem," he said. "Anything we can do to elucidate the causes will be very useful."
---
Online:
JAMA Internal Medicine: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/jdj2hxd">http://tinyurl.com/jdj2hxd</a>
Fracking: <a href="https://www.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing">https://www.epa.gov/hydraulicfracturing</a>
Asthma: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/jhpkc7f">http://tinyurl.com/jhpkc7f</a>
---
Follow AP Medical Writer Lindsey Tanner at http://www.twitter.com/LindseyTanner. Her work can be found at <a href="http://bigstory.ap.org/content/lindsey-tanner">http://bigstory.ap.org/content/lindsey-tanner</a>
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Fracking worsens asthma for nearby residents

Fracking worsens asthma for nearby residents. Fracking may worsen asthma...

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Climate change will leave Arctic migratory birds with nowhere to go. Climate change could make much of the Arctic unsuitable for millions of migratory birds that travel north to breed each year, according to a new international study published today in <a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=global+change&amp;cvid=f59f6b89d16d45e299cb30ccb682b2b2&amp;FORM=ANAB01&amp;PC=HCTS">Global Change</a> Biology.

The University of Queensland School of Biological Sciences' researcher Hannah Wauchope said that suitable breeding conditions for Arctic shorebirds could collapse by 2070.

"This means that countries throughout the world will have fewer migratory birds reaching their shores," Ms Wauchope said.

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/antarctic-penguins-need-protection-from-human-activities/">Arctic</a> breeding shorebirds undertake some of the longest known migratory journeys in the animal kingdom, with many travelling more than 20,000 kilometres per year to escape the northern winter.

The bar-tailed godwit flies from Alaska to New Zealand in a single flight of 12,000 kilometres without landing.

The study predicts that, in a warming world, migratory birds will become increasingly restricted to small islands in the Arctic Ocean as they retreat north.

This could cause declines in hard-hit regions and some birds could even completely change migratory pathways to migrate closer to suitable habitat.

"Climate change is also opening up the Arctic to threats such as mining and tourism, and we must make sure we protect key places for all Arctic species, including these amazing migratory birds," Ms Wauchope said.

UQ's Associate Professor Richard Fuller from the ARC Centre of Excellence for Environmental Decisions (CEED) said most migratory populations followed well-defined migratory routes.

"This makes shorebirds an excellent group to investigate how climate change might impact breeding grounds and conservation actions that could address these impacts," Associate Professor Fuller said.

The research modelled the suitable climate breeding conditions of 24 Arctic shorebirds and projected them to 2070.

The researchers also examined the impact on Arctic birds of the world's last major warming event about 6000 to 8000 years ago.

"Climatically suitable breeding conditions could shift and contract over the next 70 years, with up to 83 per cent of Arctic bird species losing most of their currently suitable area," Ms Wauchope said.

"This far exceeds the effects of the last major warming event on Earth, but genetic evidence suggests that even then the birds struggled to deal with the warming."

She said that suitable climatic conditions are predicted to decline fastest in the areas with most species (western Alaska and eastern Russia), where Arctic birds are already becoming vulnerable to the "shrubification" of the tundra, and predators such as red foxes moving north.
###
The study, Rapid climate-driven loss of breeding habitat for Arctic migratory birds, was also co-authored by colleagues at the Australian Antarctic Division, Tasmania; University Centre in Svalbard, Norway; Akvaplan-niva, Norway; Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow; Aarhus University, Denmark; and the US Fish and Wildlife Service in Alaska, US.

It was funded by an ARC Linkage project grant and CEED.

</div>

Climate change will leave Arctic migratory birds with nowhere to go

Climate change will leave Arctic migratory birds with nowhere to...

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NASA looks at Tropical Cyclone Abela in 3-D. Satellite data enables scientists to look at tropical cyclones in three dimensions and that provides information about rainfall rates and cloud heights.

Tropical Cyclone Abela, formerly known as "01S," formed in the South Indian Ocean on July 16, 2016. Abela was the first tropical Cyclone to form in July over the South Indian Ocean since 2007 so it is a little unusual. The Global Precipitation Measurement mission or GPM core observatory satellite recently had two good views of Abela. GPM saw the newly formed tropical cyclone on Jul 16, 2016 at 2216 UTC (6:16 p.m. EDT). Precipitation data collected by <a href="http://www.earth.com/product/low-flow-faucet-aerator-1-0-gpm-2-pack/">GPM's</a> Microwave Imager (GMI) and Dual-Frequency Precipitation Radar (DPR) instruments showed that Abela contained a large area of rainfall on July 16, 2016. Then again on July 18, 2016 at 2206 UTC (6:06 p.m. EDT) the satellite passed above after tropical cyclone ABELA had reached its peak intensity with winds of about 50 knots (58 mph).

3-D slices through radar precipitation were made possible with GPM's radar (DPR Ku Band). Vertical wind shear was already starting to affect the tropical cyclone on July 18, 2016. It was revealed that the low level center of circulation was exposed and convective storms were pushed to the southeast of the center as a result of the wind shear. Some of the cloud tops of these still powerful convective storms were shown by GPM's DPR to be reaching heights of over 13.6 km (8.4 miles). Rainfall rates were as high as 60 millimeters (2.3 inches) per hour.

The imagery was created at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland. GPM is a joint mission between <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">NASA</a> and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency.

On July 19 at 0600 UTC (2 a.m. EDT) Tropical Cyclone Abela was located near 14.6 degrees south latitude and 55.3 degrees east longitude, about 540 nautical miles east- northeast of Antananarivo, Madagascar. At that time Abela was moving to the west at 17 knots (19.5 mph/31.4 kph) and maximum sustained winds were near 35 knots (40 mph/62 kph). Abela is expected to dissipate today, July 20.


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NASA looks at Tropical Cyclone Abela in 3-D

&nbsp; NASA looks at Tropical Cyclone Abela in 3-D. Satellite...

France and the UN are pressing governments to ratify the climate change agreement. France's environment minister, who was in charge of global climate negotiations, said Wednesday that she and Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon will be pressing governments to speedily ratify the historic climate change agreement reached in December.
Segolene Royal told reporters after meeting the U.N. chief that they want the agreement ratified by the time the parties to global climate talks that led to the Paris agreement hold their next meeting in Marrakesh, Morocco from Nov. 7-18.
She said she will write again to all world leaders to get their timetables for ratification and will return to Africa to talk to heads of state and government to push for speedy action.
The agreement will enter into force once 55 countries representing at least 55 percent of global emissions have formally joined it.
To spur action, Ban said Tuesday that he is inviting countries to deposit their ratifications on Sept. 21 during the annual ministerial meeting of the General Assembly.
He told a high-level meeting promoting the new U.N. goals to tackle poverty and inequality and preserve the environment that 178 countries have signed the agreement and 19 have deposited their ratifications. But he said the 19 countries account for less than one percent of greenhouse gas emissions.
The secretary-general encouraged at least 40 countries who committed to ratify the agreement by the end of the year - including major emitters like the United States, <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/mongolia-air-pollution/">China</a>, Australia, Indonesia, Mexico and Argentina - to do it sooner to accelerate its entry into force and progress on addressing climate change.
"We cannot wait any longer," Royal said. "It's time for actions. This year will be the hottest in history. Last year was the hottest in history and next year ... will be the hottest."
Under the agreement, countries set their own targets for reducing emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases. The targets are not legally binding, but countries must update them every five years.
Already, states face pressure to do more. Scientific analyses show the initial set of targets that countries pledged before Paris don't match the agreement's long-term goal to keep global warming below 2 degrees<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA"> Celsius</a> (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit), compared with pre-industrial times. Global average temperatures have already climbed by almost 1 degree Celsius.
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France and the UN are pressing governments

France and the UN are pressing governments to ratify the...

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Thriving bird populations adapt better to new climate conditions. A new study of population trends among 46 ecologically diverse bird species in North America conducted by avian ecologist Joel Ralston and colleagues at the University of <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/oxbow-connecticut-river/">Massachusetts</a> Amherst overturns a long-held assumption that the climate conditions occupied by a species do not change over time.

Instead, as the researchers report in the current early online issue of Global Ecology and Biogeography, birds that have increased in abundance over the last 30 years now occupy a wider range of climate conditions than they did 30 years ago, and declining species are occupying a smaller range of climate conditions than 30 years ago, Ralston says.

Species with relatively stable population trends maintained them. The authors believe this is the first study to investigate the relationship between population trend and the range of climatic conditions occupied, or "climate niche breadth" (CNB).

Ralston, now at Saint Mary's College, Notre Dame, Indiana, says, "It was previously thought that as species expand their ranges, they would do so while maintaining their climate niche. We show that as species become more abundant, they are actually moving into new climate conditions, and declining species are disappearing from some of the climate conditions they used to be found in. This makes theoretical sense but it counters the long-held assumption that climate niche breadth doesn't change in species."

He explains, "While this is an advancement of ecological theory, I think overturning this assumption is one of the important practical applications of our work. Currently, when conservation biologists make predictions about how species will respond to climate change in order to make decisions about what habitats to protect, they are assuming that these species in the future will be occupying the same conditions as today. We show that that isn't necessarily true. These future models might over-predict the conditions declining species will be found in."

For this study, the researchers estimated changes in "realized climate niche breadth" and population distribution for 30 years, between 1980 and 2012, for 46 bird species using data from the North American Breeding Bird Survey (BBS) and standard ecological niche modeling techniques. For the BBS, which covers most of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States">United States</a>, Alaska and some of the Canadian maritime provinces, trained volunteers record species during the breeding season.

For example, the wood thrush is a declining species and one that some conservation biologists are concerned about, Ralston notes. The BBS trend shows a 2 percent per year decline in their numbers. Ralston and colleagues found that this species also showed about a 7.5 percent decrease in its climate niche breadth over the study period. "For those species declining in abundance, we find them also declining in climate niche breadth," they note.

They observed a similar but more severe situation of 43 percent decline in climate niche breadth for grasshopper sparrows, another species of conservation concern. "For conservation managers, this gives us an idea of what to protect in the future. As we show, the conditions a species occupies now might not be the places it occupies in the future. We'd be better informed if we can try to include population trend and its effect on climate niche breadth when planning what habitat to protect," Ralston adds.

Statistical analysis showed that 44.2 percent of the variation in change in niche breadth can be explained by population trend and that roughly half of this was independent of changes in distribution.

Ralston says, "If we build models to predict species distributions in the future, it is not fair to assume species will be occupying the same climate conditions as they are now, especially if they are increasing or decreasing in abundance. We hope these results will contribute to the development of more accurate models of species distributions."


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Thriving bird populations adapt better to new climate conditions

Thriving bird populations adapt better to new climate conditions. A...

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Study: Forests will not save the planet from climate change. Forests take up 25 - 30 percent of human-caused emissions of carbon dioxide -- a strong greenhouse gas -- and are therefore considered to play a crucial role in mitigating the speed and magnitude of climate change. However, a new study that combines future climate model projections, historic tree-ring records across the entire continent of North America, and how the growth rates of trees may respond to a higher concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has shown that the mitigation effect of forests will likely be much smaller in the future than previously suggested.

Published in the journal Ecology Letters, the study is the first to reveal the possible impact of a changing climate on the growth rate of trees across all of North America, in other words, how their growth changes over time and in response to shifting environmental conditions. The result are detailed forecast maps for the entire North American continent that reveal how forest growth will be impacted by climate change.

The research team, led by scientists at the University of Arizona in <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tucson,_Arizona">Tucson</a>, combined climate projections for North America developed by the International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) with historic tree-ring records based on samples covering the period 1900 to 1950 at 1,457 sampling sites across the continent.

"We then looked at how the growth of those trees changed historically under various past climates and used that to predict how they will grow in the future across the continent all the way from Mexico to Alaska," said the study's first author, Noah Charney, a postdoctoral research associate in UA's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology.

"The research is unprecedented and novel in the use of big biological data," said co-author Brian Enquist, a professor in the UA's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and a fellow of the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies in Aspen, Colorado. "We utilized a network of more than two million tree-ring observations spanning <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/two-migrations-north-america/">North America</a>. Tree-rings provide a record into how trees that grow in different climates respond to changes in temperature and rainfall."

The study calls into question previous conclusions about how forests will respond to warmer average temperatures, increased greenhouse gas emissions, and shifting rainfall patterns.

The team was startled to find no evidence for a greenhouse-gas absorbing process called the boreal greening effect in their simulations. Boreal greening refers to the assumption that trees in high latitudes, where colder temperatures limit growth, should benefit from warmer temperatures and higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere and, as a result, "green" under the effects of climate change. In turn, these thriving boreal forests should be able to scrub more carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, so goes the idea, dampening climate change.

"Until now, there wasn't a good way to take into account how trees respond to climate change under novel climate conditions," added senior author Margaret Evans, an assistant research professor in the UA's Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research (LTRR) and the UA's Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. "Our study provides that perspective. We see that as trees are pushed under the effect of climate change, their response changes."

"Many previous climate modeling studies counted on the boreal forests to save us from the climatic disaster by offsetting our emissions, but we don't' see any greening in our results," said Valerie Trouet, an associate professor in the LTRR. "Instead, we see browning. The positive influence warmer temperatures are believed to have on boreal forests -- we don't see that at all."

The most dramatic changes in projected forest growth rates were found in the interior West of the North American continent, with up to 75 percent slower growth projected for trees in the southwestern U.S., along the Rockies, through interior Canada and Alaska. Increases in growth were seen only along certain coastal areas, mostly in the Pacific Northwest, Northeastern Quebec and the Maritime Provinces and the Florida panhandle.

Some of the predictions arising from the simulations are already happening, the team found.

"In Alaska, for example, where trees have been projected to respond positively to warming temperatures under the boreal greening effect, we see that trees are now responding negatively instead," Evans said. "Trees in very high latitudes are limited by cold temperatures, so yes, in warmer years they grow more, but there is a tipping point, and once they go past that, a warmer climate becomes a bad thing instead of a good thing."

The research indicates that the warming climate already is rapidly pushing many forests towards that tipping point, which may be reached as early as 2050: In addition to being rapidly exposed to temperatures they have not experienced in their lifetimes and are not evolutionarily prepared for, being hampered in their growth makes trees even more vulnerable to added stresses.

"There is a critical and potentially detrimental feedback loop going on here," Charney said. "When the growth rate of trees slows down in response to environmental stressors such as cold or drought, they can get by for a few years, but over time, they deplete their resources and are much more susceptible to additional stressors, such as damage by fire or a big drought or insect outbreaks. Year after year of slow growth therefore means forests become less and less resilient."

As a result, a forest can go from being a climate asset to a carbon producer very quickly.

"It's like a thermostat gone bad," Evans said. "Forests act as a carbon sink by taking carbon dioxide out of atmosphere, but the more the climate is warming, the slower the trees are growing, the less carbon they suck up, the faster the climate is changing."

"The results also highlight the potential importance of locally adapted forest management strategies to help mitigate the decreases in forest growth predicted by our analyses," Charney said.

The implications could potentially apply worldwide. While their models did not include data from outside the North American continent, it "seems very likely that the conclusions drawn in this study apply in the Eurasian forest as well," Evans said. "The boreal forests in Eurasia are more extensive and even more important than the ones in continental North America."
###
An abstract of the research paper, "Observed forest sensitivity to climate implies large changes in 21st century North American forest growth," is available here: <a href="http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ele.12650" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://doi.wiley.com/10.1111/ele.12650</a> .

Co-authors on the paper are: Flurin Babst, (LTRR, Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL in Birmensdorf, Switzerland, and W. Szafer Institute of Botany at the Polish Academy of Sciences in Krakow, Poland); Benjamin Poulter (Montana State University in Bozeman, Montana, USA); Sydne Record (Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania, USA); and David Frank (Swiss Federal Research Institute WSL). Funding was provided by the Aspen Center for Environmental Studies in Aspen, Colorado, USA and the UA's College of Science.

Study: Forests will not save the planet from climate change

Study: Forests will not save the planet from climate change....

June 2016 was 14th straight record hot month. Earth's persistent record 2016 heat is now dancing near levels that a world agreement is trying to avoid, federal scientists said.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Tuesday that globally, June 2016 was the 14th straight record hot month, with Earth averaging 61.52 degrees (16.4 degrees Celsius). That is 1.62 degrees (0.9 degrees Celsius) warmer than average and a shade above the record set in 2015. The last month Earth wasn't record hot was April 2015.

<a href="http://www.earth.com/news/noaa-remove-climate-mission/">NOAA</a> Tuesday also warned about excessive heat for much of the United States this week, especially at the end of the week, when parts of the East could be flirting with triple digit temperatures.

Scientists said records keep falling because of a combination of man-made global warming and the natural El Nino, a periodic warming of the Pacific that changes weather worldwide and heats the globe. But El Nino ended a couple months ago and the record heat - and record melting of Arctic sea ice - has stuck around.

What's really got federal scientists' attention is the record warm first half of 2016, which comes after two record hot years.

NOAA said the first half of 2016 was 0.36 degrees (0.2 degrees Celsius) warmer than last year's record.

NASA chief climate scientist Gavin Schmidt said the first six months of the year were not just the warmest on record, by far, but 2.3 degrees warmer (1.3 degrees Celsius) than the last two decades of the 19th century. But more importantly, he said 2016 so far is about 2.7 degrees warmer (1.5 degrees Celsius) than pre-industrial times.

That 1.5 degrees Celsius mark is key. A December 2015 international pact to control global warming set a goal of avoiding 1.5 degrees Celsius warming above pre-industrial levels. And the agreement says if Earth can't limit global warming to 1.5 degrees, at least it should limit it to 2 degrees (3.6 degrees Fahrenheit) above pre-industrial levels.

Because <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/El_Niño">El Nino</a> is a factor - Schmidt figured about 40 percent of the reason 2016 is hotter than 2015 is due to El Nino - 2017 will likely be a bit cooler than 2016. When scientists look at long-term warming since pre-industrial times they don't look at one year, but it's still a pretty noticeable threshold, Schmidt said.

"It's fair to say we are dancing with those lower targets," Schmidt said.

Schmidt and NOAA climate scientist Jake Crouch said 2016 will likely be the hottest year on record for a third consecutive year. Schmidt said his statistical calculations put the chance of 2016 being record hot at 99 percent.

Temperature records go back to 1880.

NASA scientists said the warming has caused an extreme melting of Arctic sea ice for the beginning of 2016. Usually Arctic sea ice peaks in the winter and reaches its lowest point in September.

But so far five of the first six months of 2016 set record low averages, said NASA sea ice scientist Walt Meier. Sea ice measurements go back to 1979.

---

Follow Seth Borenstein at http://twitter.com/borenbears and his work can be found at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/seth-borenstein

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June 2016 was 14th straight record hot month

June 2016 was 14th straight record hot month. Earth's persistent...

UN: Saving the environment may require people to work less. Saving the environment may require people to work shorter hours in the future, according to a United Nations report released Wednesday.
The report by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NASA">U.N.'s</a> International Resource Panel found the amount of raw materials extracted from the Earth has tripled over the last 40 years, fueled by a growing global middle class, and that will require a more efficient use of resources in order to avoid serious environmental consequences.
That increased efficiency will in turn lead to lower costs and higher economic growth which could hamper efforts to reduce overall demand, the report said.
In order to compensate for these gains in efficiency, the report recommends a combination of policy initiatives including shorter working hours and pricing raw materials in way that reflects the social and economic costs of their extraction.
"Rethinking the way we use materials is essential if we are to safeguard humanity's future," the panel's co-chair Alicia Barcena Ibarra said in a statement. "A prosperous and equitable world that overcomes these problems will require transformative changes in how we live our lives and how we consume materials."
According to the report, the amount of raw materials extracted from <a href="http://www.earth.com/news/warming-temperatures-soil-expelling-co2/">Earth</a> rose to 70 billion tons in 2010 up from 22 billion tons in 1970.
Meanwhile, the efficiency of raw material use has been declining since 2000, just as their global use has rapidly accelerated as emerging economies like China embarked on ambitious industrial and urban transformations.
The report found that the world's richest countries consume on average 10 times as much raw materials the poorest nations and about twice the world average.
If the world continues on its current trajectory, by 2050 the planet will need three times more raw materials than are consumed today, intensifying climate change and pollution as well as ultimately leading to the depletion of the Earth's natural resources, the report said.
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UN: Saving the environment may require people to work less

UN: Saving the environment may require people to work less....

Grand Canyon National Park hires first female superintendent. Grand Canyon National Park's first female superintendent says she will work with the staff to forge ahead after a sexual harassment scandal that led to the retirement of the park's former chief.
Christine Lehnertz will start her new post next month to oversee the park that draws more than 5 million visitors each year, replacing Dave Uberuaga, who retired earlier this year. The National Park Service announced her assignment on Tuesday.Grand Canyon National Park hires first female superintendent
Lehnertz said she has already been learning about the issues the park faces and plans to continue efforts in place that deal with the claims that some male employees harassed female colleagues during trips the agency led on the<a href="https://www.bing.com/search?q=colorado+river&amp;form=EDGEAR&amp;qs=PF&amp;cvid=5007d08307ce4218bd145cd3544e0dbb&amp;cc=US&amp;setlang=en-US&amp;elv=AY3%21uAY7tbNNZGZ2yiGNjfMa*3koim6WmYuhKqzXqmtQR6rB8NUPst%21pYSs03V9YcG0egPqXUqegWVSjxgCCHmf%21F5VIKYTLhUzAky2EBVtu&amp;plvar=0&amp;PC=HCTS"> Colorado River</a>.
A report by the Interior Department's Office of Inspector General in January found that some male employees who worked in the river district preyed on female colleagues, demanded sex and retaliated against women who refused.
The river district provided limited guided tours and emergency and medical services along the Colorado River and was disbanded as a result of the report. Uberuaga and his deputy, Diane Chalfant, were disciplined, although the actions were not made public. Uberuaga announced he was retiring instead of accepting a transfer. Chalfant remains a deputy superintendent.
Lehnertz said she has been in contact with the staff about other reforms. But she wouldn't elaborate on specifics, citing privacy issues and the fact that she's not in a leadership position at the park yet.
The park has developed a plan for supervisory and employee training on sexual harassment, hostile work environment and culture change, according to a summary of actions provided to The Associated Press.
"There's a lot that's being done in terms of trying to break these pieces down and try to understand them," Lehnertz said. "It's not as easy as just going in and saying we're going to change the culture."
Lehnertz is a trained environmental biologist who has been with the National Park Service for nine years. She has been the first woman to hold each of the four leadership positions she's been in, including her current job as the superintendent of the overseeing Golden Gate National Recreation Area in <a href="http://www.earth.com/image/shasta-lake-northern-california/">California</a>, Lehnertz said.
Her top priorities are employee safety as well as creating an inclusive work environment, Lehnertz said.
"Whether it's sexism or sexual harassment or sexual assault, any of those are clearly behaviors that just can't be a part of an organization that is inclusive and is respectful and is part of a larger community," she said.
She'll also face the issue of an aging water pipeline that breaks several times a year and needs replacement. The Trans-Canyon Pipeline was completed in 1970 and runs 15 miles long.
She's ready for the challenges, Lehnertz said.
"It's an amazing place where we're gonna have to do things like healing and rebuilding while continuing to provide really good resources to the visitors and continuing to protect the resources there that are so special," she said.
© 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Learn more about our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Grand Canyon National Park hires first female superintendent

Grand Canyon National Park hires first female superintendent. Grand Canyon...

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Nushagak Bay, a large estuary in southwest Alaska. Nushagak runs mainly north to south and exits in Bristol Bay, a large body of water in the Bering Sea.



"The bay is primarily fed by the Nushagak River, which begins in the Alaska Range and flows southwest approximately 450 km. The bay is also fed by several additional rivers including the Wood, Igushik, Snake and Weary rivers," says ESA.



"The dark colors of the Nushagak River are most likely due to tannins or lignins (chemical substances found in plants). Tannins and lignins from roots, leaves, seeds, bark and soil can leach into the water and give it a brown or even black colour. The sediments then flow southwards where it is mixed with the bluer waters of the bay."



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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

Nushagak Bay in southwest Alaska

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> (ACS) reveals that proteins on flu viruses are actually flexible, tilting and waving in a “breath-like” motion. According to the experts, these proteins could be used to better defend against the flu.



"The main antigenic targets of influenza virus are two surface glycoproteins, hemagglutinin (HA) and neuraminidase (NA). Whereas the structural and dynamical properties of both glycoproteins have been studied previously, the understanding of their plasticity in the whole-virion context is fragmented," wrote the researchers.



To investigate, the team conducted detailed simulations of the influenza A H1N1 virion, or the swine flu. The experts concluded that the visualizations show many new vulnerable states of flu viruses, which could improve future vaccines and antiviral drugs.



Video/ Image 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.

Flu viruses are more flexible than expected

[sendtonews key="G9bUoxcjr4-2511624-12187" 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> features Lake Trasimeno, which is located west of Perugia in central Italy. It is the fourth largest lake in the country. While Trasimeno’s water level varies, it has a maximum depth of approximately six meters.&nbsp;



"In this Copernicus Sentinel-2 image, captured on 6 August 2022, the lake’s emerald green colour is likely due to the presence of phytoplankton. Streaks in the water, particularly visible in the west, indicate the presence of soil and sediments which have been stirred up by winds. Dark colored waters in the southern part of the lake indicate a presence of submerged and floating macrophytes (aquatic plants) as well as algae," says ESA.



"Surrounded by hills on three sides, Trasimeno is subject to heavy storms created by winds, especially from the north and west. There are three islets in the lake: Maggiore, Minore and Polvese (the largest). The lake’s shores are sparsely inhabited with only two popular villages: Castiglione del Lago and Passignano sul Trasimeno."



"Italy is experiencing its worst drought in 70 years which has affected drinking water supplies, hydroelectric power and agricultural production. High temperatures, hot winds and lack of rainfall are the main causes of drought in the Umbrian region which saw Lake Trasimeno’s drop 1.3 m, reaching the limit of the hydrometric zero in July 2022."



Video/Image Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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

Lake Trasimeno in Central Italy

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> describes a new self-powered nanosensor that can instantly detect mercury contamination with the tap of a finger.&nbsp;



The oxidized form of mercury can be harmful when it is ingested through contaminated water or food. This makes it necessary for experts to develop sensors that can quickly and accurately detect the presence of mercury.&nbsp;



Zong-Hong Lin and colleagues have now created a triboelectric nanosensor (TENS) that can detect mercury by simply by touching a sample. According to the researchers, their TENS could serve as the basis for similar devices to safely and remotely monitor other pollutants.



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.

Detecting mercury contamination with the tap of a finger

[sendtonews key="LvS8v8bp9z-2564889-12187" 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> features Kainji Lake, a reservoir on the Niger River.



In 1968, Kainji Lake was created by the construction of the Kainji Dam. The Niger River, the third longest in Africa, enters the lake in the north.&nbsp;



According to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/rivers-in-the-american-west-are-a-lifesaving-resource-for-birds/">ESA</a>, the creation of the lake submerged Foge Island and the town of Bussa and permanently flooded other riverine settlements, leaving around 50,000 people displaced.&nbsp;



Large parts of Foge Island are temporarily exposed during low water tides, and the land is often used by migrating fishermen. Kainji Dam is a dam across the Niger River in Niger State of Central Nigeria. 



Wild mammals occur at relatively low densities due to illegal hunting. Lake Kainji has suffered a dramatic decline as a fishery due to the high numbers of artisanal and subsistence fisherfolk using the lake. It has been suggested that a period of closure, together with controlled fishing rights may help improve fish stocks.



Kainji Lake National Park is the oldest of its kind in Nigeria. The park contains three distinct areas: a part of the Kainji Lake, the Borgu Game Reserve to the west of the lake, and the Zugurma Game Reserve to the southeast. The park is home to around 65 mammal species, 350 bird species, and 30 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



Video/ Image Credit: European Space Agency&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.

Kainji Lake in north central Nigeria

[sendtonews key="iuA5mpp3jv-1641775-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.acs.org/">American Chemical Society</a> explores the ability of salt to transform the way that foods and beverages taste. Salt is known to cover up undesirable flavors, such as bitterness in coffee or beer, but how exactly does sodium chloride change the taste of other compounds?



One previous study showed that, not only does salt suppress bitterness, but also enhances sweetness and sourness. Another study revealed that bitterness reduction by salt seems to be happening at the tongue receptor level as well as in the brain.&nbsp;



While it is known that salt taste is mediated by the presence of sodium channels in the form of taste buds, experts believe that there is also an unknown receptor responsible for how we taste salt that has not yet been identified.&nbsp;



Video Credit: ACS Reactions



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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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How does salt makes things taste better?

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Today’s Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Santiago, the capital city of Chile. The city is located in the center of the Santiago Metropolitan Region, which has a population of about eight million people.&nbsp;



'The weather of Santiago resembles the Mediterranean climate with dry and warm summers with temperatures reaching up to 35°C (from October to March) and cool and humid winters that can drop to 0°C (from April to September)."



"The city lies in the centre of the country’s central valley around 80 km from the Pacific Ocean to the west and borders Argentina to the east. A tiny part of Argentina is visible in the top-right corner of the image where the mountain crest of the Andes Mountains acts as a divider between the two countries," says ESA.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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Santiago, Chile in South America

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Spiral,Galaxy,,Illustration,Of,Milky,Way

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Astronomers at <a href="https://www.jhu.edu/">Johns Hopkins University</a> have created an interactive map of the universe, including the actual position and real colors of 200,000 galaxies. The map allows the public to access data that was previously only available to scientists.



The map was developed using data collected by the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. For over two decades, a telescope in New Mexico was aimed at slightly different locations to capture the night sky.&nbsp;



"Growing up I was very inspired by astronomy pictures, stars, nebulae and galaxies, and now it's our time to create a new type of picture to inspire people," said map creator Brice Ménard, a professor at Johns Hopkins. "Astrophysicists around the world have been analyzing this data for years, leading to thousands of scientific papers and discoveries. But nobody took the time to create a map that is beautiful, scientifically accurate, and accessible to people who are not scientists. Our goal here is to show everybody what the universe really looks like."



"In this map, we are just a speck at the very bottom, just one pixel. And when I say we, I mean our galaxy, the Milky Way which has billions of stars and planets. We are used to seeing astronomical pictures showing one galaxy here, one galaxy there or perhaps a group of galaxies. But what this map shows is a very, very different scale."



"From this speck at the bottom, we are able to map out galaxies across the entire universe, and that says something about the power of science."



The <a href="https://mapoftheuniverse.net/">interactive map</a> is available online, where it can be downloaded for free.



Video Credit: Johns Hopkins&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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Interactive map of the universe includes 200,000 galaxies

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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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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features Dublin, the capital and largest city of Ireland. Beyond its pub culture, Dublin is known as a modern culinary destination and a UNESCO City of Literature.



"Dublin is located near the midpoint of Ireland’s east coast in the province of Leinster. The city, which covers an area of around 115 square kilometers, is bordered by the Dublin Mountains, a low mountain range to the south, and is surrounded by flat farmland to the north and west," says ESA.



"The city straddles the River Liffey, which rises in the Wicklow Mountains and flows around 80 kilometers eastwards through the city of Dublin, in which it is canalised and bordered with quays. It then empties into Dublin Bay, an arm of the Irish Sea."



Dublin has an abundance of green spaces, including one of the largest enclosed public parks in any European capital city. Phoenix Park, which was originally formed as a royal hunting park in the 1660s, includes 707 hectares of green space.



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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The city of Dublin on Ireland's east coast

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Today's Video of the Day from the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain. The image was captured by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 mission.



"Together with the provinces of Huesca and Teruel, Zaragoza formed the old kingdom of Aragon. Its capital, also called Zaragoza (not visible in this image) is home to around half of Aragon’s population," says ESA.



"The Ebro River can be seen winding its way through the province from west to east in this image. Between its source in the Cantabrian Mountains in the northwest and its delta on the Mediterranean coast, the Ebro River is fed by more than 200 tributaries as it flows 910 km across much of northern Spain."



Since rainfall is very scarce in this region, irrigation in the Ebro basin is critically important. In the valleys surrounding the Ebro River, many fields are used for growing crops such as corn, wheat, and barley.



Video/ Image Credit: ESA



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



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The province of Zaragoza in northeast Spain

[sendtonews key="oL4FnPTGCV-2384527-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from the...

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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 the <a href="https://www.esa.int/">European Space Agency</a> features the Pyrenees Mountains, which form a natural boundary between France and Spain in southwest Europe.



The mountain range is 430 kilometers in length. It stretches from the Mediterranean Sea on the east to the Atlantic Ocean on the west.



At an elevation of 3404 meters, Pico de Aneto is the highest mountain peak in the Pyrenees, and the third-highest peak in Spain. Pico de Aneto is located in the Posets-Maladeta Natural Park, which spans more than 82,000 acres.&nbsp;



"Geological studies have revealed that the Pyrenees Mountains have been around for longer than the Alps, with their sediments first deposited in coastal basins during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic eras," reports ESA.



"The entire mountain range formed due to the upwelling of large sedimentary rocks by the collision of the Iberian and the Eurasian plate around 100 to 150 million years ago, followed by intense erosion from ice and water."



The western Pyrenees receive more precipitation due to moisture blowing in from the Atlantic Ocean. The mountain range contains many lakes, several small glaciers, and some of the highest waterfalls in Europe.



Video &amp; Image Credit: ESA



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



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The Pyrenees Mountains in southwest Europe

[sendtonews key="6HyfrAJTBI-1831843-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from the...

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Today’s Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.stowers.org/">Stowers Institute for Medical Research</a> describes why experts are studying zebrafish to gain a better understanding of how the immune system responds to injury. Zebrafish have the ability to repair and regenerate organs.



“Organ regeneration offers an exciting opportunity for studying the immune system and to inquire why some species can regenerate organs like the heart or missing limbs while others like humans cannot,” explained Dr. Tatjana Piotrowski.



Zebrafish sensory organ hair cells are an ideal system to investigate the pathways and cell types involved in regeneration since they are easily destroyed with antibiotics and begin regenerating within five hours. This enabled the researchers to identify the exact timing and genetic programs for each anti-inflammatory macrophage activation state.&nbsp;



“Our hypothesis is that human macrophages do not receive the proper chemical activation 'cocktail' to instruct pro-regenerative processes,” said Dr. Nicolas Denans. “Identifying the molecular recipe of macrophage activation in zebrafish may one day enable us to design regenerative immunotherapies in humans.”&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



“The new evidence is a valuable resource for comparative studies on the genetic programs involved in macrophage-mediated repair and regeneration. In other words, different types of injuries may induce different kinds of inflammatory responses. We want to decipher whether this 'language' is universal or if there are a variety of dialects."



Video Credit: Stowers Institute for Medical Research&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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How the immune system responds to injury

[sendtonews key="0dEcERCq61-2283382-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Stowers...

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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Earth,Like,Exoplanet,3d,Render

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Today's Video of the Day from <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/goddard">NASA Goddard</a> describes two exoplanets that are orbiting a star 218 light-years away. A team of researchers led by the University of Montreal has found evidence that these planets are "water worlds."



The experts used data from NASA’s Hubble and Spitzer Space Telescopes. They discovered that exoplanets Kepler-138 c and Kepler-138 could be composed largely of water.



"We previously thought that planets that were a bit larger than Earth were big balls of metal and rock, like scaled-up versions of Earth, and that's why we called them super-Earths," explained study co-author Björn Benneke.&nbsp;



"However, we have now shown that these two planets, Kepler-138 c and d, are quite different in nature and that a big fraction of their entire volume is likely composed of water. It is the best evidence yet for water worlds, a type of planet that was theorized by astronomers to exist for a long time."



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



Image Credit: NASA, ESA, and Leah Hustak (STScI)



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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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Two distant planets may be "water worlds"

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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...