Yellowstone’s bison are not just big animals grazing grass. They are busy engineers that shape how plants grow, how nutrients flow, and who else can thrive.



Fresh research shows that when these herds move freely, the park’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/global-warming-may-trigger-rapid-release-of-soil-carbon/">grasslands</a> stay productive and become more nutritious, without losing soil health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bison-grazing-helps-grasslands">Bison grazing helps grasslands</h2>



A research team led by Chris Geremia, a wildlife biologist at the National Park Service, found that grazing bison stabilized plant production while speeding up nitrogen turnover across northern Yellowstone. The team also documented higher plant nitrogen, without a drop in soil carbon.



Between 2015 and 2021, researchers ran field experiments comparing grazed and ungrazed plots. They then scaled up their findings using satellite images and GPS collar tracks to map effects across the migration corridor. 



The experts used movable exclosures - simple fenced frames that keep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gene-edited-wheat-turns-soil-microbes-into-fertilizer/">herbivores</a> out - to measure how much plant matter bison consumed and how fast plants regrew.



Collectively, the results revealed a pattern that challenges old grazing rules. Productivity held steady, plant biodiversity rose along the route, and the nutritional quality of grasses improved - even where animals fed heavily.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-bison-grazing-boosts-plant-protein">Bison grazing boosts plant protein</h2>



The work focuses on the nitrogen cycle - the movement of nitrogen between plants, animals, soil, and air. The experts report that regrowing plants in heavily grazed patches contain about 150 percent more crude protein than plants in areas without bison.



Soil microbe populations increase after a graze. They quickly recycle organic matter into plant-ready nitrogen, and plants pull that nitrogen back into new tissue. “Just the animals and plants doing their thing,” said Bill Hamilton from Washington and Lee University (<a href="https://www.wlu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">WLU</a>).



By mid-summer, this feedback keeps some river valley meadows clipped, dense, and nitrogen rich. Other places remain taller and less grazed, which helps spread different plant types across the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/organic-matter-helps-soil-hold-water-even-in-conditions-like-mars/">landscape</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-free-ranging-bison-in-yellowstone">Free-ranging bison in Yellowstone </h2>



Yellowstone is the only place in the lower 48 that has had a free-ranging bison population since prehistoric times. 



According to the Park's history, numbers had fallen to about two dozen individuals by 1902. In recent years, however, estimates have ranged roughly from 3,500 to nearly 6,000 animals within and near the park.



Herds gather in river valleys each spring and summer, then shift as seasons change. That movement matters because it spreads grazing pressure in pulses rather than as a constant, even bite.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cultural-significance-of-bison">Cultural significance of bison</h2>



For many Indigenous nations, bison are more than just <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/soil-is-losing-nitrogen-along-with-its-climate-fighting-power/">wildlife</a>. They hold spiritual, cultural, and economic significance that stretches back thousands of years. 



The return of herds carries meaning that goes far beyond ecology. These communities view the animal’s recovery as a restoration of identity as well as ecosystems.



Partnerships between Indigenous groups and conservationists have already brought bison back to several reservations and protected areas. These initiatives add to a growing collection of evidence that restoration can support both cultural renewal and ecological health.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-keeping-ecosystems-balanced">Keeping ecosystems balanced</h2>



Earlier <a href="https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/yellowstones-migrating-bison-manipulate-springtime-green" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">work</a> showed Yellowstone bison can alter the timing and intensity of spring greening, creating rich patches where new growth keeps coming. 



The new study builds on that insight by tying plant chemistry, soil microbes, and herd movement together at landscape scale.



Wet, nutrient rich habitats showed the strongest nutritional boost under heavy grazing, while drier areas saw lighter use and weaker effects. That uneven pattern, called <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41398-020-00986-0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">heterogeneity</a>, is a feature to keep, not a flaw to fix.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-grazing-aids-climate-resilience">Grazing aids climate resilience</h2>



Ecologists note that large herbivores like bison may also help buffer grasslands against climate variability. 



By keeping plants shorter and nutrient rich, bison grazing could support faster regrowth after droughts or extreme weather events. This dynamic may become increasingly valuable as Yellowstone faces hotter summers and shifting precipitation patterns.



At the same time, warming climates could alter migration timing and plant growth cycles. Understanding how bison adapt to these shifts will be critical for long term conservation and for anticipating how ecosystems across the West will respond to environmental change.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-global-lessons-from-yellowstone">Global lessons from Yellowstone</h2>



Similar grazing-driven nutrient cycles have been <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/289484248_The_Gnu's_World_Serengeti_Wildebeest_Ecology_and_Life_History" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">documented</a> in Africa’s Serengeti, where wildebeest herds recovered in the mid 20th century and reshaped entire food webs. Ecologists point to those parallels to show how large, migratory herbivores can restore balance far beyond the boundaries of one park.



Across North America, efforts to return bison to tribal lands and conservation areas are expanding. The Yellowstone study highlights that allowing animals space to move at scale may be just as critical as reintroducing them in the first place.



“With the current large herds of bison, Yellowstone grasslands are functioning better than in their absence,” said Hamilton.



Ultimately, the message is simple: restoring the natural movement and scale of bison allows these large grazers to enhance food quality for countless species without sacrificing carbon storage or overall productivity. 



For land managers, the lesson is to aim for flexible goals that respect the ecological limits of each habitat, ensuring both biodiversity and resilience can thrive.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adu0703" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Bison grazing boosts grass nutrition without harming soil

Yellowstone’s bison are not just big animals grazing grass. They are busy engineers that shape how plants grow, how nutrients flow, and who else can thrive. Fresh research shows that when these herds move freely, the park’s grasslands stay productive and become more nutritious, without losing soil health. Bison grazing helps grasslands A research team led by Chris Geremia, a wildlife biologist at the National Park Service, found that grazing bison stabilized plant production while speeding up nitrogen turnover across northern Yellowstone. The team also documented higher...

Plastic bottles and caps clutter beaches up and down Latin America's Pacific coast. Most of them aren’t foreign - they’re local. And the bottles can often be traced back to three big names in the beverage industry: The Coca-Cola Company, Aje Group, and PepsiCo.



The coastlines hit hardest by this plastic waste are in Central America. That’s likely because of how common single-use bottles are, combined with poor waste infrastructure and the push of ocean currents. 



Meanwhile, island beaches - like those on the Galápagos and Rapa Nui - tend to collect more bottles from Asia, possibly dumped at sea and carried long distances.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-trail-of-plastic-along-the-pacific">A trail of plastic along the Pacific</h2>



The findings come from a major study led by researchers at the <a href="https://web.ub.edu/en/home">University of Barcelona</a>. Their work covered more than 12,000 kilometers of Pacific coastline, spanning from Mexico to Chile. 



The research is the first regional effort of its kind, mapping <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bottled-water-has-become-a-global-scourge-wreaking-environmental-havoc/">plastic bottle pollution</a> across 10 Latin American countries. The team studied 92 mainland beaches, 15 island beaches, and 38 coastal communities.



This wasn’t just a lab project. It was a massive collaboration. Between 2023 and 2024, more than 1,000 volunteers and 200 local leaders helped collect samples, making this a landmark example of citizen science in action.



The data shows a clear pattern. Most bottles were found in mainland urban areas, while island beaches often had older items, sometimes dating back over two decades. 



The oldest samples included a Powerade® bottle from 2001 found in Peru, and a <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/coca-cola-may-dump-1-3b-pounds-plastic-into-oceans-by-2030/">Coca-Cola</a>® bottle from 2002 on a Chilean island.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-bottle-labels-reveal">What bottle labels reveal</h2>



By reading the labels and engravings on bottles and caps, scientists were able to figure out where each item came from and how long it had been floating around.



Study co-author Miquel Canals is a professor in the Department of Earth and Ocean Dynamics.



“In addition to the great value of citizen science, a particularly remarkable element of the work carried out is the intelligent use of the information contained in the bottles and their caps (labels, engravings) to obtain key information about the manufacturer, and the date and place of manufacture, among others,” said Professor Canals. 



“This allowed us to identify the sources of this contamination and the route taken by individual items until they reach the beach or town where they were collected.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-identifying-the-plastic-bottles">Identifying the plastic bottles</h2>



Out of all the bottles collected, 59% were produced in Latin American Pacific countries. The most common types were for soft drinks, water, and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/energy-drinks-linked-to-insomnia-among-college-students/">energy drinks</a> - most of them single-use and single-serve. 



In urban areas and on mainland beaches, 54.9% of the bottles were found without caps. On island beaches, 73.4% still had their caps attached. 



Researchers identified 356 brands from 253 companies, with The Coca-Cola Company, Aje Group, and PepsiCo appearing most frequently.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-the-plastic-comes-from">Where the plastic comes from</h2>



While most bottles were locally produced, some came from farther away. A small but telling share were from Asia (1.8%), North America (0.3%), and Europe (0.04%). In nearly 39% of cases, the origin could not be determined.



“On the mainland beaches of Mexico, Guatemala and the southern countries - Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Chile - most of the bottles came from the same country," noted the researchers.



"In contrast, in the Central American countries - El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica and Panama - the percentages of locally sourced items were significantly lower, with those of external origin predominating."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-plastic-diversity-hotspots">Plastic diversity hotspots</h2>



Panama turned out to be a hotspot for diversity in plastic waste, with bottles coming from at least six different regions. 



On the islands, the situation shifted. Just 42.4% of bottles were from Latin America, and a large portion came from Asia.



“The distribution of bottle origins is not random, but geographically structured, with a predominance of specific countries of origin in specific environments and sub-regions, and also in specific countries, of course,” noted the study authors. 



“This trend would reflect the consumption habits, waste management practices (where they exist) and oceanographic transport processes that influence the distribution of these <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plastics-supercharge-toxin-absorption-in-plants-and-humans/">plastic pollutants</a>.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-plastic-becomes-habitat">When plastic becomes habitat</h2>



Plastic bottles don’t just float. Some become temporary homes for <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/is-it-still-possible-to-save-the-ocean-from-plastic-pollution/">marine</a> organisms. Scientists found these “epibionts” - tiny creatures clinging to the plastic - on nearly 9% of bottles. 



The organisms showed up most often on mainland beaches in Central America. That supports the idea that some of this plastic arrives via ocean currents after spending time adrift.



Study lead author Ostin Garcés-Ordóñez is a member of the UB’s Consolidated Research Group in Marine Geosciences and the University of La Guajira.



“These findings point to a spatial pattern in the age of the items: the most recent ones predominate in human settlements, while the oldest ones are found on beaches, especially on the beaches of oceanic islands,” said Garcés-Ordóñez.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-turning-beach-waste-into-policy-action">Turning beach waste into policy action</h2>



Tackling this issue isn’t just about cleaning up beaches. The study calls for better local waste management and pressure on companies to move toward reusable packaging.



“In the future, we want to analyze the impact of seasonal climatic variations, river inputs and tourist activity on the dynamics of plastic bottle and cap pollution on coasts and in coastal cities," said the researchers.



"Oceanographic modeling could also be integrated to track the transport trajectories of plastic litter in the ocean and thus identify distant sources of pollution."



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S0959652625015847">Journal of Cleaner Production</a>.



Image Credit: Ostin Garcés



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Plastic bottles reveal the companies behind a Pacific litter crisis

Plastic bottles and caps clutter beaches up and down Latin...

The oceans did not behave normally in 2023. They got too hot, stayed hot too long, and covered almost the entire planet with heat. It wasn’t just a spike in temperature. Scientists think this might be the start of something bigger - a change in how Earth’s climate works.



A new study reveals that the marine heatwaves (MHWs) of 2023 broke every known <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-oceans-are-rapidly-changing-colors-matching-climate-predictions/">record</a>. These heatwaves were stronger, lasted longer, and stretched across more ocean than ever before. It wasn’t one event. It was many, overlapping and spreading.



Marine heatwaves aren’t just warm patches in the sea. They are prolonged, intense spikes in sea temperature that can linger for months. And their impact is devastating - killing coral, driving fish away, and disrupting entire fisheries. 



Fueled by human-driven climate change, these events are becoming more frequent and more severe.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-oceans-signal-major-climate-change">Oceans signal major climate change</h2>



According to the study, 96% of the global ocean surface experienced heatwave conditions. Regions like the North Atlantic, North Pacific, Tropical Pacific, and Southwest Pacific endured the worst of it. Together, they made up 90% of the abnormal ocean <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-oceans-day-2025-sustaining-what-sustains-us/">heating</a>.



The North Atlantic heatwave stretched on for 525 days, beginning in mid-2022 and refusing to let up. Meanwhile, the Southwest Pacific experienced a marine heatwave so vast and prolonged, it shattered previous records.



Then came the El Niño in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. Ocean temperatures there peaked at 1.63 degrees Celsius above average. For marine life, that kind of heat isn’t a small deal. It changes everything. Movement, breeding, survival.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-caused-the-marine-heatwaves">What caused the marine heatwaves?</h2>



A team led by Tianyun Dong analyzed satellite data and high-resolution models like ECCO2 to conduct a global analysis. They used a technique to track how heat moved through the ocean’s top <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-last-ocean-crisis-wiped-out-coral-reefs-will-it-happen-again/">layers</a>.



The researchers found several causes for the 2023 marine heatwaves. In some areas, there was less cloud cover, allowing more sunlight to hit the water. Elsewhere, weaker winds led to less mixing, causing warm water to stagnate.



Ocean currents also shifted from their usual patterns, further contributing to the buildup of heat.



Different places had different triggers. But they all added up to the same thing - oceans that stayed hot far too long.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-signs-of-a-climate-tipping-point">Signs of a climate tipping point</h2>



"The 2023 MHWs may mark a fundamental shift in ocean-atmosphere dynamics, potentially serving as an early warning of an approaching tipping point in Earth’s climate system,” wrote the study authors.



A climate tipping point means crossing a threshold where the system can’t recover on its own. For the oceans, that could lead to more frequent heatwaves, collapsing food webs, and dwindling fish populations. 



And the impact won’t stay confined to the sea. Warmer oceans hold less oxygen, disrupt the exchange of heat and moisture with the atmosphere, and help drive extreme weather - affecting everything from storms and rainfall to droughts on land.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-intensifying-impacts-of-a-warm-climate">Intensifying impacts of a warm climate </h2>



The extreme marine heatwaves of 2023 did not provide closure. They opened a floodgate of questions. 



According to the researchers, the 2023 events highlight the intensifying impacts of a warm climate and the challenges in understanding extreme events.



Scientists now face the urgent task of monitoring how often these events occur, how they evolve over time, and whether they’re becoming harder to reverse.



The current tools are not enough. They need higher-resolution data, faster processing, and models that can better predict these complex changes across different regions.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-tipping-point-for-the-climate">A tipping point for the climate</h2>



Policymakers, too, have work to do. They need access to clearer forecasts, localized ocean temperature warnings, and stronger coordination with climate scientists. Decision-making must move faster. 



Communities, especially those in coastal areas, cannot afford to wait. They must prepare for more frequent disruptions to fisheries, tourism, and marine ecosystems.



The ocean has long shielded us, absorbing more than 90% of the excess heat from global warming. But that protection isn’t limitless. In 2023, the ocean began to show the consequences of being pushed beyond its breaking point.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adr0910" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Overheating oceans: Have we reached a climate tipping point?

The oceans did not behave normally in 2023. They got...

The air we breathe may do more than harm our lungs - it could also be quietly raising our risk of dementia.



A global analysis of data from nearly 30 million people suggests that air pollution - particularly from vehicle exhaust - significantly increases the risk of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-blood-test-can-track-the-progression-of-alzheimers/">Alzheimer’s</a> and vascular dementia.



Dementia currently affects over 57 million people. The number is projected to rise to almost 153 million by 2050. Although some areas such as Europe and North America are witnessing minor declines in prevalence, the global view is much less reassuring.



Researchers from the University of Cambridge’s <a href="https://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/">Medical Research Council Epidemiology Unit</a> took a closer look at the connection between pollution and dementia. 



By combining results from 51 studies conducted across several continents - 34 of which qualified for meta-analysis - the experts were able to draw on a larger and more dependable data pool.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-which-pollutants-raise-dementia-risk">Which pollutants raise dementia risk?</h2>



The analysis focused on three major air pollutants: PM2.5, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/reducing-nitrogen-oxide-pollution-could-boost-crop-yields/">nitrogen dioxide</a> (NO₂), and soot. 



PM2.5, or fine particulate matter, consists of tiny particles small enough to reach deep into the lungs. These particles are generated by sources such as vehicle exhaust, industrial processes, wood burning, and construction dust.



Nitrogen dioxide, a byproduct of burning fossil fuels, is commonly found in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/vehicle-emissions-are-the-biggest-source-of-ammonia-pollution/">vehicle emissions</a> - especially from diesel engines. This gas is known to worsen asthma and reduce lung function.



Soot comes from sources like diesel exhaust and wood fires. It not only harms the environment but can also reach deep into the lungs, contributing to respiratory and heart problems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-air-pollution-s-role-in-dementia">Air pollution’s role in dementia</h2>



The findings were clear: for every 10 micrograms per cubic meter (μg/m³) increase in PM2.5, the relative risk of developing dementia rose by 17 percent. For the same increase in NO₂, the risk increased by three percent. 



For each 1 μg/m³ rise in soot, the relative dementia risk rose by 13 percent. To put that in context, in 2023, the average roadside PM2.5 level in Central London was 10 μg/m³ - the same amount linked to a 17% higher dementia risk. 



London’s average NO₂ level stood at 33 μg/m³. Roadside soot levels were 0.93 μg/m³ in London, 1.51 μg/m³ in Birmingham, and 0.65 μg/m³ in Glasgow.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tackling-air-pollution-for-public-health">Tackling air pollution for public health</h2>



“Epidemiological evidence plays a crucial role in allowing us to determine whether or not air pollution increases the risk of dementia and by how much,” said Dr. Haneen Khreis. 



“Our work provides further evidence to support the observation that long-term exposure to outdoor air pollution is a risk factor for the onset of dementia in previously healthy adults."



According to Dr. Khreis, tackling air pollution can deliver long-term health, social, climate, and economic benefits. "It can reduce the immense burden on patients, families, and caregivers, while easing pressure on overstretched healthcare systems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-does-air-pollution-affect-the-brain">How does air pollution affect the brain?</h2>



The health impacts appear to go beyond just Alzheimer’s. The researchers found the association between <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/millions-of-people-die-from-air-pollution-each-year-yet-theres-still-a-lack-of-monitoring/">air pollution</a> and dementia was slightly stronger for vascular dementia, which is caused by reduced blood flow to the brain. 



Around 180,000 people in the UK alone are affected by this type of dementia.



How does air pollution impact the brain? Researchers have identified several possible mechanisms.



The most widely supported theories involve inflammation and oxidative stress - both of which can damage cells, proteins, and even DNA. These processes are already linked to other chronic diseases. 



Pollutants may enter the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-air-pollution-impacts-brain-health/">brain</a> directly, or indirectly via the bloodstream, after first affecting the lungs or heart. Once in the brain, they can trigger the kind of inflammation known to contribute to dementia.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-equity-gap-in-air-pollution-studies">Equity gap in air pollution studies</h2>



The review also highlighted a gap in the current research: most of the studies were conducted in high-income countries and focused on predominantly white populations. 



This matters because marginalized communities often face higher exposure to pollution, yet they remain underrepresented in research.



“Efforts to reduce exposure to these key <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/cutting-super-pollutants-could-quickly-cool-the-planet/">pollutants</a> are likely to help reduce the burden of dementia on society,” said study co-first author Clare Rogowski. 



“Stricter limits for several pollutants are likely to be necessary targeting major contributors such as the transport and industry sectors. Given the extent of air pollution, there is an urgent need for regional, national, and international policy interventions to combat air pollution equitably.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-environmental-fixes-to-fight-dementia">Environmental fixes to fight dementia</h2>



The team argues that solutions can’t just come from doctors or healthcare workers. Urban design, environmental policy, and transportation planning all play a role.



“These findings underscore the need for an interdisciplinary approach to dementia prevention,” said Dr. Christiaan Bredell. 



“Preventing dementia is not just the responsibility of healthcare: this study strengthens the case that urban planning, transport policy, and environmental regulation all have a significant role to play.”



The message is clear: reducing air pollution isn't just a public health priority - it’s a critical step toward protecting brain health on a global scale.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(25)00118-4/fulltext">The Lancet Planetary Health</a>.



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Air pollution confirmed as a major risk factor for dementia

The air we breathe may do more than harm our...

New satellite data reveals a troubling truth: since 2002, Earth’s continents are drying rapidly. This is not a temporary drought but a global reconfiguration of freshwater balance. Climate change, groundwater misuse, and long droughts have driven this shift.



A study led by <a href="https://www.asu.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Arizona State University</a> highlights four massive “mega-drying” zones in the Northern Hemisphere. The researchers analyzed over 22 years of data from the GRACE and GRACE-FO satellites.



They found that these drying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-only-has-six-continents-not-seven-tectonic-plates-under-iceland-study/">regions</a> are expanding by about 831,600 km² [321,000 sq mi] each year. That is roughly twice California’s size.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-groundwater-loss-and-drying-continents">Groundwater loss and drying continents</h2>



The study found a major imbalance. Dry zones are drying faster than wet zones are gaining water. Since 2014, dry extremes have surged, rising one million square miles per year in non-glaciated areas. This points to a major climate-driven tipping point linked to mega El Niño events.



About 75% of humanity, over 6 billion people, live in 101 countries that have lost freshwater since 2002. This overlap of population growth and freshwater <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/claim-earth-has-six-continents-not-seven-north-america-europe-connected/">decline</a> threatens global stability.



Groundwater accounts for 68% of the total land-based water loss. In drying regions, it now contributes more to sea level rise than Greenland’s glaciers. Surface <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/scientists-confirm-the-location-of-earths-missing-eighth-continent-zealandia/">water</a> (18%), soil moisture (9%), and snow water (5%) follow behind.



“These findings send perhaps the most alarming message yet about the impact of climate change on our water resources,” said Jay Famiglietti. “Continents are drying, freshwater availability is shrinking, and sea level rise is accelerating.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-four-huge-regions-are-drying">Four huge regions are drying</h2>



The study outlines four interconnected drying belts that now form vast, expanding zones of water loss across the Northern Hemisphere. In Northern Canada and Alaska, terrestrial <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-ocean-animals-connect-countries-and-continents/">water</a> storage is declining at a rate of −0.34 inches per year, excluding glaciers.



Northern Russia follows with a drop of −0.16 inches per year, driven by permafrost thaw and ongoing droughts. Southwestern North America and Central America show a combined decline of −0.30 inches per year, affecting major urban centers like Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and Mexico City.



The most severely impacted is the MENA and Pan Eurasia region, where the Ganges-Brahmaputra Basin is losing −0.43 inches per year, and the Caspian and Aral Seas show an even steeper decline of −1.18 inches per year. What were once isolated hotspots have now merged into broad, continental-scale drying belts.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-dry-continents-are-raising-sea-levels">Dry continents are raising sea levels</h2>



Before 2014, most extreme drying occurred in the Southern Hemisphere. After 2014, the trend reversed. Most dry extremes now occur in the North and last longer. This flip aligns with the strongest El Niño event on record.



While wet regions have shrunk, the tropics remain the exception. Wetting continues near the equator but less than expected by IPCC climate models.



The land now contributes 44% of mass-driven sea level rise. This is more than Greenland or Antarctica. The annual contribution from drying non-glaciated land regions is 0.04 inches in sea level equivalent. Groundwater alone contributes 68% of that.



These changes are long-lasting. Over 62% of drying areas show trends persistent across 22 years. In contrast, many wetting trends are less robust and driven by temporary wet events.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-water-lost-faster-than-it-can-be-replaced">Water lost faster than it can be replaced</h2>



Regions already facing water stress, like the Indus Basin, North China Plain, and Central Valley, now experience 10% or more annual water loss compared to their renewable supply. Half of the world’s major aquifers are depleting fast.



Groundwater systems are like ancient trust funds. Once drained, they cannot be restored in human timeframes.



"It is striking how much non-renewable water we are losing," said Hrishikesh A. Chandanpurkar, lead author of the study and a research scientist at ASU.



"Glaciers and deep groundwater are sort of ancient trust funds. Instead of using them only in times of need such as a prolonged drought, we are taking them for granted. Also, we are not trying to replenish the groundwater systems during wet years and thus edging towards an imminent freshwater bankruptcy."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-global-wake-up-call">A global wake-up call</h2>



Famiglietti warns that continuing this path will undermine food and water security for billions. But there is a path forward.



“This research matters. It clearly shows that we urgently need new policies and groundwater management strategies on a global scale,” noted Famiglietti.



Urgent actions must focus on reducing groundwater overuse, boosting recharge, and protecting aquifers. Coordinated international efforts could slow drying and reduce sea level rise.



The findings from this study will inform an upcoming World Bank report on the water crisis. It will offer practical solutions to governments facing water scarcity.



Until then, the message is clear. Earth’s continents are drying. Water is vanishing faster than nature can replace it. The time to act is now.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adx0298" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science Advances</a>.



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Vanishing freshwater: Earth's continents are rapidly drying out

New satellite data reveals a troubling truth: since 2002, Earth’s...

The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is nearly 80 miles wide, making it the largest glacier in the world by width. If it collapses entirely, the resulting changes could raise global sea levels. Scientists are racing to understand the forces at work before it’s too late.



To better understand how this could unfold, researchers developed a new way to study the cracks - or fractures - that weaken the massive ice shelves connected to glaciers. 



These shelves float on the ocean, but they’re anchored to land. When they fracture and collapse, they speed up the melting of the glacier behind them.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antarctic-glacier-nears-its-breaking-point">Antarctic glacier nears its breaking point</h2>



Using years of NASA satellite data, the team focused on vertical fractures in the Antarctic ice sheet - the largest on the planet, even though it’s losing about 136 billion tons of ice each year. 



Their attention was on the Thwaites Ice Shelf, a critical extension of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/predicting-the-future-behavior-of-thwaites-the-doomsday-glacier/">Thwaites</a> Glacier in West Antarctica.



Often called the “<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/doomsday-glacier-may-collapse-sooner-than-we-thought/">Doomsday Glacier</a>” for its potential to raise sea levels by up to 11 feet, Thwaites is especially vulnerable. The ice shelf acts like a stopper, slowing the glacier’s flow into the ocean. If that shelf collapses, it could trigger a chain reaction of rapid ice loss.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-rethinking-how-fractures-form">Rethinking how fractures form</h2>



The new method was developed by a research team at <a href="https://www.psu.edu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Penn State University</a>. Their findings zero in on how fractures form and evolve in ice shelves - and why existing models aren’t enough.



Shujie Wang is an assistant professor of geography, a faculty associate in the Earth and Environmental Systems Institute at Penn State, and a co-author of the study.



“We know little about fractures, and their behavior is much more complex than conventional models suggest,” she said. “Conventional models depend largely on simplified models and scarce, hard-to-obtain field observations.”



The Thwaites Ice Shelf is particularly unstable. It changes quickly, its surface is heavily fractured, and the ice flows at a fast pace. 



Researchers describe it as a final barrier that keeps the rest of the glacier from disintegrating.



Richard Alley, Evan Pugh University Professor of Geosciences at Penn State and co-author of the study, offered this analogy: “We’ve seen ice shelves break off, but we’ve never seen one grow back."



"This new research indicates we can predict better the point at which these will break off. It’s helping to establish the early-warning signals.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-high-resolution-views-of-ice-breaking">High-resolution views of ice breaking</h2>



To capture the changes in the ice shelf’s structure, the research team used data from NASA’s ICESat-2 satellite. It collected measurements between 2018 and 2024.



This satellite tracks ice elevation, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-much-will-antarctica-contribute-to-sea-level-rise/">sea level</a>, and other Earth features with remarkable precision.



The team built a new two-step process to analyze the satellite data. It lets them create high-resolution elevation profiles and visual cross-sections of fractures in the ice. 



Building on a previous algorithm Wang had designed to detect individual cracks, the new method gives researchers a better view of how different types of fractures form and evolve over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-antarctica-s-glacier-instability-feeds-on-itself">Antarctica’s glacier instability feeds on itself</h2>



The findings showed that the eastern section of the Thwaites Ice Shelf has more aggressive fracturing, while the western side appears more stable. The cause of that difference isn’t clear yet.



But the researchers pointed to several possible factors. These included warmer winter temperatures, less sea ice, and shifting ocean currents beneath the shelf. Further research is needed to know for sure.



As fractures spread, the ice flows faster. In Antarctica, that creates more cracks, which leads to more instability - a feedback loop that can push parts of the glacier past the point of no return.



“We believe that if the Thwaites Glacier gets very unstable, it will have catastrophic consequences,” Wang said. “It’s an important area to be studied, to say what’s going to change next.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lessons-from-a-glacier-lost">Lessons from a glacier lost</h2>



This latest work builds on a 2023 study led by Wang that looked at the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/evidence-of-massive-ancient-icebergs-found-off-the-coast-of-britain/">Larsen B</a> Ice Shelf, which collapsed in 2002. 



That shelf, about 1,250 square miles in size, broke apart over just five weeks after years of weakening due to warmer air and ocean temperatures.



Back then, models didn’t catch the warning signs. Now, with this new method, researchers have better tools to predict when and where these breaks might happen.



While older approaches relied heavily on theory, the new system offers observations and data that can feed into more accurate models. Over time, the researchers hope this will lead to stronger predictions about how Antarctic ice is changing.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-tool-to-predict-ice-collapse">A tool to predict ice collapse</h2>



To support ongoing and future research, Zhengrui Huang, a doctoral candidate in geography and co-author of the paper, pulled together satellite data from more than 40 Antarctic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-threat-lurking-in-antarcticas-ice-shelves/">ice shelves</a>. 



That dataset includes 3D information about fracture locations and depths - a potential goldmine for scientists working to understand ice dynamics.



“We expect this will be a key observational dataset of fractures for researchers who study and model Antarctic ice-shelf dynamics,” Huang said.



By sharing this data as an open resource, the team hopes to accelerate discoveries and sharpen predictions. The researchers also aim to help the world better understand what's at stake if massive glaciers like Thwaites keep crumbling.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2024JF008118" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Journal of Geophysical Research Earth Surface</a>.



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Glacier in Antarctica that could drown cities is breaking apart

The Thwaites Glacier in West Antarctica is nearly 80 miles...

Lightning jolts the sky and the ground around eight million times daily, but the quiet deaths it causes in forests remain mostly out of sight. A recent study now estimates that about 320 million individual trees succumb to direct lightning damage every single year.



“We’re now able not only to estimate how many trees die from lightning strikes annually, but also to identify the regions most affected and assess the implications for global carbon storage and forest structure,” said Andreas Krause from the Technical University of Munich (<a href="https://www.tum.de/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">TUM</a>).



The team calculated that these silent strikes account for roughly 2 to 3 percent of all <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/lightning-is-zapping-forests-harder-than-we-thought/">plant</a> biomass lost annually, and end up causing the emission of up to 1.09 billion tons of carbon dioxide as the dead wood decays.&nbsp;



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lightning-kills-trees-silently">Lightning kills trees silently</h2>



Forest pathologists often miss a lightning hit because the bark scars fade fast or never appear at all. Ground surveys in Central Panama were among the first to reveal how often a single bolt can kill multiple neighbors, especially among the biggest <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/tree-species-face-unprecedented-climate-shifts-across-their-ranges/">trunks</a>.



The follow-up work at the same site showed lightning is responsible for about 40 percent of large-tree deaths, which is more than those caused by storms or insects in that forest. This finding hinted that global numbers could be far larger than the few local case studies suggested.



Direct counts alone could not scale to the whole planet, so the Munich group turned to modeling. They stitched satellite maps of lightning frequency with on-the-ground mortality rates and fed the mix into a dynamic global vegetation model that tracks how simulated trees grow and die.



Technicians now fly drones fitted with thermal sensors above tree-fall zones, watching for lingering heat that betrays an invisible bolt. These surveys confirm that many lightning deaths would go uncounted by ground crews alone.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-and-how-lightning-kills-trees">Where and how lightning kills trees</h2>



The model, LPJ-GUESS, already simulates the impacts of fires, droughts, and logging. By adding a lightning module, the researchers let virtual strikes hit the tallest simulated stems first, mirroring the real preference of bolts for sky-piercing crowns.



The team ran the system with two independent lightning data sets, one from NASA satellites and another from a worldwide sensor network, to check robustness. The two runs agreed within about ten percent, landing on the headline figure of 320 million tree deaths in a year.



To test realism, they compared the virtual Panama plot with years of tagged trees and found the model killed roughly three trees per strike, close to field counts. That match gave the team confidence to push the simulation out to every half-degree grid square on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-are-part-of-the-climate-solution-but-not-the-whole-answer/">Earth</a>.



In the output maps, the hottest kill zones stretch across the Congo Basin, northern South America, and Indonesia, where warm, moist air fires up thunderstorms almost year-round. Temperate forests mattered less for now, but the model hints that their share could climb as the climate warms.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tall-trees-die-more-often">Tall trees die more often</h2>



The risk rises with height because taller trunks act like living lightning rods. Among trees wider than two feet (0.6 meters) across, lightning can account for one in 20 deaths worldwide, and nearly one in ten inside some African rainforests.



Losing a big canopy <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/smarter-forest-design-can-help-fight-climate-change/">tree</a> does more than thin the skyline. Each one packs about as much carbon as dozens of saplings, and shapes the light and humidity for everything growing beneath.



In tropical forests thick with lianas, the vines can even conduct electricity between neighboring trunks, which widens the kill radius. Such botanical wiring partly explains why a single discharge can fell clusters rather than lone stems.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-lightning-and-global-carbon-emissions">Lightning and global carbon emissions</h2>



Forests hold around 870 billion tons of carbon in their wood and soil. Each year, living trees pull another 2.4 billion tons out of the atmosphere through photosynthesis. 



Losing even two to three percent of that <a href="https://www.fs.usda.gov/nrs/pubs/jrnl/2024/nrs_2024_pan_001.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">carbon</a> stock every year is no minor loss - it matches the emissions released by burning live vegetation in wildfires.



The model calculates that lightning-killed wood releases as much carbon each year as the entire aviation industry. Most of that release happens slowly, as fungi and insects break down trunks that never burned.



Carbon accountants therefore need to track these non-fire disturbances, as well as considering the megafires that make headlines. Skipping them could underestimate natural greenhouse-gas sources as weather patterns shift.



Lightning does not always burn its victims, so the carbon flows into the atmosphere mostly as slow respiration, not smoke. That timeline complicates satellite assessments that rely on sudden fire scars.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-climate-change-may-increase-lightning">Climate change may increase lightning </h2>



Warmer air holds more moisture and energy, and climate <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1259100" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">models</a> suggest United States lightning strikes may jump about 12 percent for every degree of global warming. 



Translated across the century, that projection means roughly 50 percent more flashes over mid-latitude lands.



Other research predicts fewer bolts in some tropical zones, showing the uncertainty that scientists still face. Even so, the new study underlines that any regional upswing could slice into forest carbon budgets that policymakers count on.



More strikes also raise the chance of wildfires, compounding the direct kills tallied here. Lightning already sparks most remote boreal fires, and an increase in strikes would lengthen the northern burning season.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-tracking-trees-with-better-tools">Tracking trees with better tools</h2>



The authors note that their numbers omit hidden knock-on effects, such as insects invading scarred trunks or delayed deaths that follow partial damage. 



Field crews armed with drones and lightning sensors could fill that data gap and sharpen future models.



“Most climate models project an increase in lightning frequency in the coming decades, so it’s worth paying closer attention to this largely overlooked disturbance,” said Krause. For now, the modeling exercise offers a first global baseline that forest managers can incorporate into planning.&nbsp;



From carbon budgets to conservation goals, adding silent lightning mortality changes the arithmetic. Knowing how many trees fall from lightning makes it easier to keep the planet’s living green ledger in the black.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/gcb.70312">Global Change Biology</a>.



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Lightning-struck trees release as much carbon as the aviation industry

Lightning jolts the sky and the ground around eight million...

The Arctic winter has changed. A season once defined by deep freeze and solid snow is now marked by rain, melting ice, and even patches of green.



On a research trip to the high-Arctic archipelago of Svalbard in February 2025, scientists were not met by deep snow and biting cold - but by puddles, blooming tundra, and rain. This isn’t just a freak event - it’s a sign of something bigger.



The researchers, affiliated with <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/">Queen Mary University of London</a> and several European institutions, have published a commentary that describes what they witnessed during their latest winter field campaign.



The findings confirm what climate models have warned about for years: Arctic winters are warming fast, and the shift is reshaping the entire environment.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-warming-disrupts-arctic-winter">Warming disrupts Arctic winter</h2>



<a href="https://www.earth.com/image/svalbard-melts-into-the-arctic-ocean/">Svalbard</a> is warming six to seven times faster than the global average. Winter temperatures in the region are rising nearly twice as fast as those in other seasons.



This means the deep freeze once expected in January and February is giving way to strange, disruptive thaws.



“Standing in pools of water at the snout of the glacier, or on bare, green <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-will-changing-tundra-landscapes-affect-earths-climate/">tundra</a>, was shocking and surreal,” said Dr. James Bradley. "The thick snowpack covering the landscape vanished within days. The gear I packed felt like a relic from another climate.”



His team had prepared for subzero temperatures. They packed heavy gloves, insulated clothing, and snowmobiles. But they ended up working barehanded in the rain, on a glacier.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-snow-replaced-by-rain">Snow replaced by rain</h2>



Laura Molares Moncayo, a Ph.D. student at Queen Mary and the Natural History Museum, had was on a mission to study freshly fallen snow.



“But over a two-week period, we were only able to collect fresh <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/secrets-of-snow-complexity-can-improve-winter-safety/">snow</a> once, as most of the precipitation fell as rain,” she said. 



"The unexpected melt not only disrupted our sampling plan, but also made us question how safe or feasible winter fieldwork really is under such rapidly changing conditions.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-thaw-is-now-routine">Arctic thaw is now routine</h2>



Scientists have long predicted that the Arctic would <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43247-022-00498-3" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">warm faster</a> than the rest of the planet. What shocked this team was how quickly those predictions are turning into everyday reality.



When air temperatures rise above 0°C (32°F), even briefly, it changes everything. Meltwater pools form on top of frozen ground. Temporary lakes spread. Snow cover vanishes. Once-barren tundra starts blooming weeks or months too early. 



These changes don’t just make it harder to do science - they trigger a ripple effect across entire ecosystems.



Microbial carbon cycling is disrupted. <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/permafrost-is-no-longer-permanent-arctic-communities-in-danger/">Permafrost</a> starts to thaw. Greenhouse gases that were once locked underground begin to escape. Some of these effects reinforce warming, and set off feedback loops that could speed things up even more.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-winter-matters-for-everyone">Arctic winter matters for everyone</h2>



The team’s commentary doesn’t just describe strange weather. It calls attention to the broader risks - especially for Indigenous Arctic communities, whose infrastructure and emergency systems were never built for rain and floods in mid-winter.



It also warns that climate research itself is at risk. Equipment designed for snow and ice can fail when surrounded by slush and water.



Snowmobiles can’t get through to field sites. Emergency escape plans rely on frozen terrain. And researchers, already under pressure to capture rare seasonal data, may be forced to pause fieldwork or pull out entirely.



“Climate policy must catch up to the reality that the Arctic is changing much faster than expected, and winter is at the heart of that shift,” said Dr. Bradley.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-arctic-change-demands-readiness">Arctic change demands readiness</h2>



The authors stress that more investment is needed in Arctic monitoring during winter. Right now, there's a dangerous gap in both data and understanding of what’s happening during this fast-changing season.



They argue that policymakers need to shift from reacting to events after they happen to planning for them ahead of time.



Even well-funded research stations are struggling to operate in these new conditions. If that’s the case, what happens to small, remote communities that rely on snow roads, frozen rivers, or ice-based hunting grounds?



“We are still unaware of the consequences that these recurring events are bringing to Arctic ecosystems, especially during the winter period,” said Donato Giovannelli, a geomicrobiologist at the University of Naples Federico II.



“We might have been too cautious with our messages. Irreversible changes to the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/arctic-climate-will-permanently-change-by-2050-scientists-warn/">Arctic climate</a> are happening in front of our own eyes.”



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-60926-8">Nature Communications</a>.



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Arctic winters are starting to look more like spring

The Arctic winter has changed. A season once defined by...

With over 2.8 billion fungal DNA sequences from 130 countries, scientists have produced the first high-resolution global maps of underground mycorrhizal fungi. These fungi support ecosystems by transporting nutrients, capturing carbon, and protecting plant health. 



Yet, over 90 percent of this underground <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-fungi-species-are-threatened-with-extinction/">biodiversity</a> lies outside protected areas. That makes these vital ecosystems vulnerable to environmental damage.



The data powers a new interactive platform called the Underground Atlas. This tool helps anyone explore fungal biodiversity from Ethiopia to Brazil, and from Tasmania to West Africa. 



These maps expose not only diversity but also rarity, revealing patterns previously hidden from view.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-underground-fungi-matter">Why underground fungi matter</h2>



Mycorrhizal fungi form massive underground networks that interact with nearly every plant. 



These fungal systems capture more than 13 billion tons of carbon dioxide per year - about a third of global fossil fuel emissions. They help crops grow, rebuild forests, and regulate water cycles.



Still, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/fungi-can-think-and-make-smart-decisions-without-a-brain/">fungi</a> remain missing from major conservation plans. That absence is dangerous. When these networks get disturbed, forests regenerate more slowly, crops suffer, and entire ecosystems unravel.



“For centuries, we've mapped mountains, forests, and oceans. But these fungi have remained in the dark,” said Dr. Toby Kiers of Society for the Protection of Underground Networks (<a href="https://www.spun.earth/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">SPUN)</a>.



“They cycle nutrients, store carbon, support plant health, and make soil. When we disrupt these critical ecosystem engineers, forest regeneration slows, crops fail, and biodiversity aboveground begins to unravel."



"This is the first time we're able to visualize these biodiversity patterns - and it's clear we are failing to protect underground ecosystems.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-maps-show-fungi-need-protection">Maps show fungi need protection</h2>



The research team used machine learning to build predictive maps from their vast dataset. These maps reveal fungal richness and rarity at a global scale, down to one square kilometer. 



Less than 10 percent of biodiversity hotspots appear in protected areas, exposing a huge gap in global conservation strategy.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/fungi_global-underground-system_map_credit-SPUN_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/fungi_global-underground-system_map_credit-SPUN_1s.webp" alt="High-resolution map of from SPUN's Underground Atlas showing predicted arbuscular mycorrhizal biodiversity patterns across underground ecosystems. Bright colors indicate higher richness and endemism. Credit: SPUN" class="wp-image-1979248"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">High-resolution map of from SPUN's Underground Atlas showing predicted arbuscular mycorrhizal biodiversity patterns across underground ecosystems. Bright colors indicate higher richness and endemism. Click image to enlarge. Credit: SPUN</figcaption></figure>



This work is the first large-scale scientific product of SPUN. The group launched in 2021 with the goal to map and protect Earth’s <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/why-millions-of-fungal-species-still-remain-unknown/">fungal networks</a>.



"For too long, we've overlooked mycorrhizal fungi. These maps help alleviate our fungus blindness,” explained Dr. Merlin Sheldrake of SPUN.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-a-tool-to-explore-underground-fungi">A tool to explore underground fungi</h2>



Now, SPUN offers a powerful new tool: the Underground Atlas. It allows researchers, policymakers, and conservationists to explore biodiversity anywhere on Earth. 



“The idea is to ensure underground biodiversity becomes as fundamental to environmental decision-making as satellite imagery,” noted Jason Cremerius of SPUN.



Users can locate biodiversity hotspots, identify rare fungal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trees-have-unique-fungi-partnerships-that-help-them-survive/">species</a>, and support restoration work. The tool can inform the placement of conservation areas, especially in biodiversity-rich regions that remain unprotected.



“These high-resolution maps provide quantitative targets for restoration managers,” said Dr. Alex Wegmann from <a href="https://www.nature.org/en-us/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">The Nature Conservancy</a>. “Restoration practices have been dangerously incomplete because the focus has historically been on life aboveground.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-no-legal-shield-for-fungi">No legal shield for fungi</h2>



According to the researchers, the data could help shape climate and biodiversity laws. For example, Ghana’s coast hosts a vital underground fungal hotspot - yet this coast erodes by two meters each year. If left unprotected, this fungal diversity could vanish into the sea.



“Underground fungal systems have been largely invisible in law and policy,” said César Rodriguez-Garavito of NYU. “These data are incredibly important in strengthening law and policy across all of Earth's underground ecosystems.”



SPUN has built a global dataset of 40,000 samples covering 95,000 fungal taxa. The organization partners with more than 400 scientists and 96 “<a href="https://www.spun.earth/expeditions/underground-explorers" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Underground Explorers</a>” from 79 countries. These teams now sample remote regions - from Bhutan and Mongolia to Ukraine.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-depends-on-these-networks">Future depends on these networks</h2>



Despite the achievements, scientists have sampled just 0.001% of Earth's surface. SPUN needs more data to improve maps, define restoration goals, and identify <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hundreds-of-fungi-species-are-threatened-with-extinction/">endangered</a> fungal communities. 



“These maps reveal what we stand to lose if we fail to protect the underground,” said Dr. Kiers.



To protect Earth’s underground biodiversity, collective action is essential. Researchers can partner with SPUN to expand data collection and improve the accuracy of fungal diversity maps. 



Conservationists should use these insights to design strategic interventions and prioritize high-value ecosystems. Policymakers need to recognize the critical role of underground fungi by including them in biodiversity and climate frameworks. 



The public can explore the <a href="https://www.spun.earth/underground-atlas/mycorrhizal-biodiversity" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Underground Atlas</a> to better understand this hidden world and support ongoing efforts. Funders play a key role by investing in the next phase of global fungal exploration and restoration.



To see the hidden world beneath your feet, visit the Underground Atlas and help protect the life that sustains ours.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-09277-4" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a>.



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Underground fungi networks that sustain all life on Earth are in danger

With over 2.8 billion fungal DNA sequences from 130 countries,...

Climate watchers and wheat growers share the same worry: fertilizer dependence is pushing production costs up while adding more heat-trapping gases to the sky. Scientists are hunting for ways to keep harvests healthy without pouring on synthetic nitrogen.



The latest <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360138525001347">research</a> points to an unexpected ally, the soil microbes that cling to wheat roots and help the plant manage its own nitrogen use. 



Wolfram Weckwerth of the <a href="https://www.univie.ac.at/en/">University of Vienna</a> and his global team see this partnership as the key to hardier crops and cleaner fields.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fertilizer-adds-heat-and-expense">Fertilizer adds heat and expense</h2>



Farmers apply ever more nitrogen in a bid to keep yields steady, yet 40 to 68 percent of that fertilizer vanishes into air and water. Those losses raise costs and send reactive nitrogen downstream.



In 2022, the global appetite for nitrogen fertilizer hit about 190 million tons, according to the <a href="https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/42d5a668-f44c-4976-8540-8efdb0f4d17b/content" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Food and Agriculture Organization</a>. The figure is projected to climb as diets shift toward grain fed livestock.



Much of the escaped nitrogen turns into nitrous oxide, a gas roughly 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide over a century. It also sticks around in groundwater, threatening drinking supplies.



Limiting such runaway nitrogen is therefore a climate fix and a public health tool rolled into one. The new wheat strategy aims to deliver both wins without demanding new chemicals.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-soil-and-rain-waste-nitrogen">Soil and rain waste nitrogen</h2>



Soil bacteria convert ammonium fertilizer to nitrate in a two-step process called nitrification. Nitrate is easily washed out of topsoil during heavy rain.



Synthetic nitrification inhibitors slow that conversion but cost money and sometimes harm non-target <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/new-type-of-microbes-found-earths-deep-soil-critical-zone/">microbes</a>. Farmers who skip them lose fertilizer, farmers who use them gain new headaches.



Plants themselves can make natural inhibitors, yet breeders seldom tracked that trait because measuring it was hard. Advances in metabolomics now let scientists rank cultivars by their native stopping power.



By leaning on this built-in defense, growers can cut fertilizer bills and still meet yield wheat targets. The trick lies in choosing the right variety for each field.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wheat-microbes-manage-fertilizer">Wheat microbes manage fertilizer</h2>



Researchers describe the plant and its microbes as a holobiont—a single ecological unit shaped by cooperation and conflict. The idea rewrites the usual breeder’s focus on plant genes alone.



Root-zone bacteria help wheat pull in nutrients and fend off disease. In return, the plant feeds them with sugars and signaling chemicals.



Those chemicals, known as root exudates, differ from line to line. Some invite helpful microbes, some chase away pests, and a lucky few block nitrifying <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/how-do-plants-produce-their-own-nitrogen-fertilizer/">species</a> outright.



Mapping this chemical chatter gives breeders new knobs to turn. It also explains why one cultivar thrives in worn-out soil while its neighbor languishes.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wheat-roots-release-defenses">Wheat roots release defenses</h2>



“Our analysis of root exudates, complicated compounds released from the root system, shows substantial variation between the wheat cultivars,” said Arindam Ghatak, a molecular biologist at the University of Vienna.



The Vienna team screened dozens of elite wheat lines and found a tenfold spread in biological nitrification inhibitor activity.



Lines that topped the chart needed far less ammonium to reach the same biomass as standard checks. Early wheat field trials in Austria and India showed fertilizer savings of up to 30 percent after one season.



One compound under the spotlight is brachialactone, first spotted in tropical forage grass and now turning up in high-BNI wheat. Its structure resembles synthetic inhibitors but degrades harmlessly in soil.



The discovery hints that other cereals might hide similar chemistry. Screening <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/maize-plant-genetics-shape-root-health-and-growth/">maize</a> and barley is already underway.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-wheat-that-boosts-yield">Wheat that boosts yield</h2>



Tracking subtle root chemicals across thousands of lines calls for heavy analytics. That is where machine learning steps in.



Algorithms sift metabolite fingerprints, microbiome profiles, and yield logs to flag the best genetic combos. The approach turns a breeder’s notebook into a prediction engine.



“In combination with machine learning algorithms, this opens up a promising breeding platform to develop new crop varieties,” said Weckwerth. His group feeds its models with “panomics” data covering DNA, RNA, proteins, and metabolites.&nbsp;



Once the math nominates winners, rapid cycle crossing and greenhouse trials can push a candidate from Petri dish to field plot within three years. That is half the time of classical pipelines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-benefits-for-farmers-and-the-planet">Benefits for farmers and the planet</h2>



A 25 percent cut in fertilizer on the world’s 540 million acres of wheat would save roughly 12 million tons of nitrogen each year. That translates to billions of dollars and a sharp fall in nitrous oxide.



Lower inputs also mean fewer energy hungry trips by tractors and fertilizer plants. The chain reaction trims carbon emissions well beyond the farm gate.



Health agencies welcome cleaner <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/groundwater-has-a-vital-role-in-ecosystem-survival/">groundwater</a> and smaller dead zones in lakes. Lake Erie’s algae bloom plan, for instance, banks on a 40 percent nutrient reduction by 2025.



When farmers see yield bumps alongside environmental credits, adoption moves faster. The holobiont approach gives them both carrots.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-greener-wheat-on-the-way">Greener wheat on the way</h2>



The first BNI-rated wheat could reach European seed catalogs by 2028 if regulatory reviews stay on schedule. Asia and North America are likely to follow soon after.



Future projects will probe whether stacking multiple BNI genes with drought-tolerance alleles offers an even sturdier crop. The team is already testing double-stack lines in controlled drought chambers.



Beyond wheat, sorghum, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-change-is-quietly-making-rice-more-dangerous/">rice</a>, and pasture grasses show promise as self-policing nitrogen users. Each carries its own microbial entourage ready for tuning.



Breeding plants and microbes together might feel unfamiliar today, yet it mirrors how ecosystems have worked for millions of years. The field’s next harvest could be resilience itself.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1360138525001347">Trends in Plant Science</a>.



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Soil bacteria help wheat slash its need for fertilizer

Climate watchers and wheat growers share the same worry: fertilizer...

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are showing real impact, not just promises. A large-scale global study proves that strong legal bans on industrial fishing in fully and highly protected MPAs are effective. 



Despite perceptions that poaching is common due to weak enforcement, the evidence now shows otherwise.



Researchers examined 1,380 MPAs that prohibit industrial fishing. Across these areas, the average presence of vessels was one per 20,000 square kilometers during satellite flyovers. That is nine times less than in unprotected zones. 



This gap highlights the strength of legal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/pharmaceutical-pollution-changes-the-behavior-of-atlantic-salmon/">protection</a> when backed by data and technology.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-satellites-reveal-hidden-fishing-boats">Satellites reveal hidden fishing boats</h2>



The study combined data from Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) and Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR). AIS provides signals from vessels, while SAR detects ships even when they try to stay hidden. 



Machine learning models processed five billion AIS signals and thousands of SAR images.



SAR revealed vessels in MPAs where AIS showed nothing, especially in Southeast Asia. It also confirmed the absence of industrial fishing in 91 MPAs. This shows that SAR fills AIS blind spots and adds accuracy. 



In many cases, even MPAs with detected vessels had <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/corals-are-absorbing-human-drugs-and-not-just-in-shallow-water/">fishing</a> on fewer than 3% of imaged days.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-areas-had-minimal-fishing">Most areas had minimal fishing </h2>



The bulk of fishing effort came from a few well-known MPAs. The Chagos Archipelago saw around 2,700 hours of fishing annually. 



South Georgia, the South Sandwich Islands, and the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park each had around 900 hours per year.



Other sites like Camargue in France, Cape Canyon in South Africa, and Marado Island in Korea recorded 275 to 450 hours. 



However, most MPAs showed no or minimal <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earth-rivers-are-highly-saturated-with-human-antibiotics-helping-bacteria-develop-resistance/">activity</a>. About 78.5% of them recorded less than one day of fishing per year, and over 1,000 had no detected activity.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-fishing-is-no-longer-unchecked">Fishing is no longer unchecked </h2>



To compare differently sized MPAs, researchers used fishing effort per 100 square kilometers. 



The highest density was in Marado Island at 18 hours per day per 100 square kilometers. Yet the global average across all MPAs was only 0.0004 hours per day. That is nearly negligible.



Some of the high-effort areas are small, so even a few vessels skew the density. For instance, Korean MPAs with only 2 km² imaged showed high density, but just 6 to 18 total vessels were detected. 



These findings help correct public perceptions that industrial fishing remains unchecked.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-most-fishing-zones-are-quiet">Most fishing zones are quiet</h2>



The analysis builds confidence in MPA protections. The radar detected no vessels in 25% of MPAs. 



In those with activity, vessels appeared on just 3% of imaging days. Also, SAR found vessels in 163 MPAs where AIS showed nothing, proving its critical role.



“The ocean is no longer too big to watch. With cutting-edge satellites and AI, we’re making illegal fishing visible and proving that strong marine protections work,” said Juan Mayorga, co-author and scientist at <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.org/society/our-programs/pristine-seas/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Pristine Seas</a>.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-why-marine-protected-areas-seem-weak">Why marine protected areas seem weak</h2>



Many still believe MPAs are just legal statements on paper. That view stems from two issues: weak regulations and poor enforcement. 



Some MPAs legally allow industrial fishing or only exist as designations with no real action. Others are difficult to patrol.



But this new research solves an old puzzle. It focuses only on MPAs with the strictest bans and uses implementation dates, not just legal designations. This avoids errors where fishing occurred before rules took effect. 



The study also reduces confusion caused by phaseout periods, such as the five-year gap in Palau’s marine sanctuary.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-some-fishing-slips-into-protected-zones">Some fishing slips into protected zones</h2>



While protections work, they are not perfect. Some <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-reef-awareness-day-2025-bringing-corals-back-to-life/">activity</a> may reflect legal exceptions or data errors. For example, certain fleets had sunset provisions allowing temporary fishing. 



Small-scale fishing, often legal, can also affect ecosystems but remains mostly invisible to SAR if vessels are under 15 meters long.



“Because strictly protected marine areas discourage illegal fishing, fishes are far more abundant within their boundaries, they produce many more babies, and help replenish surrounding areas,” said Enric Sala, co-author and founder of Pristine Seas.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-results-may-not-apply-everywhere">Results may not apply everywhere</h2>



One key question remains: Are MPAs truly reducing fishing, or were they placed in low-activity zones? The paper suggests both might be true. 



Of the few MPAs with pre- and post-implementation data, most already had low fishing. Yet Palau showed a dramatic drop from 51,000 hours to just 215 hours annually after full protection. That suggests strong rules can reduce fishing pressure even in active areas. 



Future MPA planning should consider whether protections are going where demand to fish is already low. Otherwise, the results may not scale as hoped.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-marine-protected-areas-work">Marine protected areas work</h2>



The study proposes a scalable way to monitor oceans. Integrating real-time satellite detections with AI models offers an efficient, low-cost solution. 



The research supports the idea that MPA enforcement creates deterrence. The more likely vessels are to be caught, the less likely they are to fish illegally.



“By using satellites to track fishing vessels, countries can predict the locations of illegal activities and target patrol efforts, saving both manpower and money,” said Jennifer Raynor, lead author from the <a href="https://www.wisc.edu" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Wisconsin-Madison</a>.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adt9009" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Science</a>.



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Are marine protected areas working? Satellites reveal the truth

Marine protected areas (MPAs) are showing real impact, not just...

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is almost unavoidable in the United States. A new study finds that people with more of these PFAS chemicals in their blood are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later on.



Researchers working with Mount Sinai’s BioMe biobank examined 180 adults who recently received a diabetes diagnosis and compared them with 180 matched participants who remained diabetes free. Each step up the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/bacteria-that-eat-forever-chemicals-discovered-in-contaminated-soil/">exposure</a> ladder carried a 31 percent jump in future diabetes risk, the team reports.



The project was led by Dr. Vishal Midya in the Icahn School of Medicine at <a href="https://www.mountsinai.org/">Mount Sinai</a> and Dr. Damaskini Valvi, who studies environmental drivers of metabolic diseases.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-where-pfas-comes-from">Where PFAS comes from</h2>



<a href="https://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/data-research/facts-stats/index.html">PFAS</a> make fabrics stain resistant, food wrappers grease proof, and pans easy to clean. Nearly every American carries trace amounts of these "forever chemicals" in their blood.



The molecules linger for years because their carbon fluorine bonds do not break down under normal environmental conditions. 



Production of older long chain PFAS is declining, yet replacement compounds are showing up in water, soil, and consumer goods.



“PFAS are synthetic <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/gut-bacteria-offer-new-hope-against-forever-chemicals/">chemicals</a> that resist heat, oil, water, and stains, and are found in countless everyday consumer products,” said Midya. 



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-pfas-links-to-diabetes">How PFAS links to diabetes</h2>



The study used a nested case control study <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7845919/">design</a>, pulling incident cases and matched controls from a wider cohort of more than 70,000 New York City patients. 



Blood samples that were collected about six years before diagnosis provided a snapshot of chemical load.



The scientists tested for seven common PFAS chemicals using an extremely precise technique. Next, they used a method called metabolomics to scan about 650 tiny molecules. 



To understand the results, the experts used a type of analysis that combined all the PFAS data into one overall score, while also taking into account how the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/safe-forever-chemicals-may-impair-brain-development/">chemicals</a> might be connected.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-pfas-raises-diabetes-risk">PFAS raises diabetes risk </h2>



Earlier reviews already hinted at a link between PFAS and poor glucose control, but most relied on European or Asian cohorts. A 2024 narrative <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11836584/">review</a> concluded that several PFAS classes “show potential associations” with diabetes and other metabolic problems.



The new work strengthens the evidence by adding a multiethnic U.S. sample and by measuring exposures well before disease onset. Its 31 percent odds ratio sits within the range reported by previous prospective studies that tracked single PFAS compounds.



Diabetes remains a major public health burden, affecting 38.1 million U.S. adults according to the latest National Diabetes Statistics <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/php/data-research/index.html">Report</a>. Any exposure that nudges risk upward is therefore relevant at the population level.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-pfas-may-cause-diabetes">How PFAS may cause diabetes</h2>



Metabolomic signals pointed to disrupted amino acid pathways, especially glutamate, arginine, and proline metabolism. The same pathways surfaced when the team compared metabolite profiles between future diabetes cases and controls.



One molecule, sulfolithocholylglycine, linked both to higher PFAS burdens and to later diabetes, surviving stringent statistical correction. Bile acid conjugates like this one help regulate lipid and glucose homeostasis, supporting the idea of a mechanistic bridge.



PFAS can also bind peroxisome proliferator activated receptors, which fine tune fat storage and insulin sensitivity. Laboratory studies show that long chain PFAS alter <a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC10412865/">cytochrome P450</a> enzymes in mouse liver, a key hub for drug and hormone metabolism.



The Mount Sinai data showed signs that PFAS may affect the way the body processes drugs, possibly by interfering with detox enzymes. This could also impact how the body handles blood sugar. 



While the researchers did not confirm that the chemicals directly caused the metabolic changes, the findings provide important clues for future research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-public-health-implications">Public health implications</h2>



According to Dr. Valvi, the results of the study can help experts design more effective interventions for the early prevention of type 2 diabetes. She emphasized the need to account for environmental chemicals alongside diet, activity, and genetics.



Several states have begun to set drinking water limits for PFAS, and the Environmental Protection Agency (<a href="https://www.epa.gov/sdwa/and-polyfluoroalkyl-substances-pfas">EPA</a>) proposed national standards earlier this year. Reducing industrial releases and monitoring municipal water could lower population exposures over time.



Health agencies may also consider biomonitoring high risk communities, particularly where water contamination or occupational use is documented. Such surveillance can flag hotspots and guide remediation before disease patterns emerge.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-how-to-reduce-personal-exposure">How to reduce personal exposure</h2>



Consumers can swap aging nonstick pans for stainless steel or cast iron and choose untreated textiles when possible. Checking local water reports and using certified filters that remove PFAS adds another layer of protection.



Microwave popcorn bags, fast food wrappers, and some waterproof cosmetics still contain fluorinated coatings. Limiting these products can chip away at cumulative intake, even though no single action eliminates risk entirely.



Pregnant women and children, whose metabolic systems are still developing, may benefit most from exposure cuts. Public advisories already warn against eating fish from heavily polluted waters, and similar guidance could apply to other food sources.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-research-and-global-policies">Future research and global policies</h2>



The Mount Sinai team plans larger exposome projects that integrate genes, lifestyle, and a wider range of chemicals. Replication in bigger samples will refine risk estimates and test whether certain PFAS mixtures hit harder than others.



International cooperation will be crucial because manufacturing shifts often move production to regions with looser regulations. Global treaties that phase out persistent chemicals have worked before, as seen with leaded gasoline and certain pesticides.



Scientists also call for better labeling so consumers can recognize fluorinated ingredients. Transparency can drive market demand for safer alternatives, nudging industries toward less persistent chemistry.



For now, the potential link between PFAS and diabetes reminds clinicians to keep an eye on environmental exposures when counseling patients at elevated metabolic risk. 



Policymakers, scientists, and families all have a part to play in cutting the chemical clutter that may push blood sugar in the wrong direction.



The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/EBIOM/article/PIIS2352-3964(25)00282-8/fulltext">eBioMedicine</a>.



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Common cookware chemicals linked to greater diabetes risk

Exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) is almost unavoidable...

Submarine canyons are giant valleys carved into the ocean floor, and they play a big role in how the ocean functions. A new study is finally shedding light on some of the least explored ones - those hidden beneath Earth’s icy edges.



Scientists have created the most detailed catalog yet of submarine canyons in Antarctica, identifying 332 canyon networks, some plunging deeper than 4,000 meters (2.48 miles).



The work comes from researchers at the <a href="https://web.ub.edu/en/">University of Barcelona</a> and <a href="https://www.ucc.ie/en/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University College Cork</a>.



The study reveals how these deep canyons may affect ocean circulation, melting of ice shelves, and global sea levels. It also uncovers how different East and West Antarctica really are beneath the surface.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-canyons-shape-ocean-ecosystems">Canyons shape ocean ecosystems</h2>



Submarine canyons aren’t just geological curiosities. They transport sediments and nutrients from the coast into deeper waters, link shallow and deep ocean layers, and host ecosystems teeming with life.



Roughly 10,000 canyons are known across the globe, but only about 27 percent of the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/only-001-percent-of-earths-deep-seafloor-has-ever-been-directly-observed/">seafloor</a> has been mapped in high resolution. That leaves a lot of room for surprises.



David Amblàs of the Consolidated Research Group on Marine Geosciences at the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the University of Barcelona is the study's lead author. 



“Like those in the Arctic, Antarctic submarine canyons resemble canyons in other parts of the world,” he said. “But they tend to be larger and deeper because of the prolonged action of <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/earths-polar-ice-sheets-cant-withstand-1-5c-warming-target/">polar ice</a> and the immense volumes of sediment transported by glaciers to the continental shelf.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-peering-beneath-antarctic-ice">Peering beneath Antarctic ice</h2>



The study used Version 2 of the International Bathymetric Chart of the Southern Ocean (IBCSO v2), the most detailed map yet of Antarctica's seafloor. 



By combining new high-resolution bathymetric data with a semi-automated analysis method, the researchers were able to classify 15 canyon characteristics across the continent.



“Some of the submarine canyons we analyzed reach depths of over 4,000 meters (2.48 miles),” said Amblàs. “The most spectacular of these are in East Antarctica, which is characterized by complex, branching canyon systems."



"The systems often begin with multiple canyon heads near the edge of the continental shelf and converge into a single main channel that descends into the deep ocean, crossing the sharp, steep gradients of the continental slope.”



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-two-antarctic-worlds-below">Two Antarctic worlds below</h2>



One of the key findings of the study was how different the canyons are between East and <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sea-ice-loss-increases-snowfall-over-west-antarctica/">West Antarctica</a>.



“It was particularly interesting to see the differences between canyons in the two major Antarctic regions, as this hadn’t been described before,” said Riccardo Arosio of the Marine Geosciences Research Group at University College Cork.



East Antarctic canyons formed slowly beneath glaciers, shaped by erosion and deposition, while West Antarctic canyons are steeper and more V-shaped. According to Amblàs, this isn’t just a curiosity - it points to a deeper climate history.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025322725001331#f0020" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/antarctica_submarine-canyons_first-maps-ever_credit-Marine-Geology_1s.webp" alt="A new high-resolution catalogue identifies 332 submarine canyon networks on the seafloor of the Antarctic continent. Credit: Marine Geology" class="wp-image-1979060"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A new high-resolution catalogue identifies 332 submarine canyon networks on the seafloor of the Antarctic continent. Click image to enlarge. Credit: Marine Geology</figcaption></figure>



“This morphological difference supports the idea that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet originated earlier and has undergone a more prolonged development,” he said.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-analyzing-canyons-more-effectively">Analyzing canyons more effectively </h2>



The resolution of the new seafloor map gave researchers the precision they needed to analyze the canyons more effectively.



This high-resolution map enabled more reliable, semi-automated analysis of submarine canyons than earlier, lower-resolution versions.



“We also developed a GIS software script that allows us to calculate a wide range of canyon-specific morphometric parameters in just a few clicks,” said Arosio.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-canyons-drive-deep-currents">Canyons drive deep currents</h2>



The underwater canyons do more than carve up the seafloor. They play a quiet but powerful role in the climate. Canyons help move cold, dense water formed near Antarctica’s ice shelves into the deep ocean.



This process creates Antarctic Bottom Water, which helps drive global <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/collapse-of-main-atlantic-ocean-circulaton-current-amoc-is-already-happening/">ocean circulation</a>. At the same time, the canyons also allow warmer water from the open ocean to reach the coast.



This warm water, called Circumpolar Deep Water, can slip under floating ice shelves, melting them from below and weakening their structure.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-models-struggle-with-canyons">Models struggle with canyons</h2>



When ice shelves collapse, they no longer hold glaciers in place - and those glaciers can surge into the sea, directly contributing to sea level rise.



The researchers note that today’s ocean models don’t do a good job of simulating what happens in places like this. 



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/antarctica_submarine-canyons_coastline_study-area-map_credit-Marine-Geology_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/antarctica_submarine-canyons_coastline_study-area-map_credit-Marine-Geology_1s.webp" alt="Overview of the study area, with zone subdivision and extent of the MBES cover (https://ibcso.org/current_version/). The Coastline of Antarctica and different ice occupation areas were obtained from Gerrish et al. (2023)." class="wp-image-1979058"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Overview of the study area, with zone subdivision and extent of the MBES cover. The Coastline of Antarctica and different ice occupation areas were obtained from Gerrish et al. (2023). Click image to enlarge. Credit: Marine Geology</figcaption></figure>



Climate models struggle to capture how water moves through complex seafloor features like canyons at local scales.



These missing pieces include current channeling, deep mixing, and other dynamics critical to forming and transforming cold, dense water. Without factoring in these local canyon effects, <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/climate-models-underestimate-sea-ice-melt-and-global-warming/">climate models</a> risk being off the mark.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-canyons-still-hidden-in-antarctica">Canyons still hidden in Antarctica </h2>



According to the researchers, gathering high-resolution bathymetric data in unmapped areas will surely reveal new canyons.



The team also pointed out the need for more direct and remote data to improve climate models and make projections about climate change impacts more accurate.



Antarctica still hides many of its secrets beneath the ice and sea. But studies like this are giving us better tools to understand what's really going on - and what it means for the planet.



The full study was published in the journal <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0025322725001331?via%3Dihub">Marine Geology</a>.



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Antarctica is hiding hundreds of massive underwater canyons

Submarine canyons are giant valleys carved into the ocean floor,...

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

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

<figure class="wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio"><div class="wp-block-embed__wrapper">
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prrq8Ql81zk
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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https://youtu.be/XYgiPzmNBTU?si=eFYY7gPHU1JznLvU
</div></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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

Designing crops that can beat the heat

[sendtonews key="QGPzYnXEtN-1712599-12187" type="single"] Today’s Video of the Day from Carl...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Remote sensing will revolutionize the way we monitor trees

[sendtonews key="EjmSP20gQK-2593093-12187" type="single"] Today's Video of the Day from NASA...

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;&nbsp;



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



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Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky"

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

[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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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.

Mysterious "spoke season" captured on Saturn

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NTU Singapore



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



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

Plants help remove heavy metals from contaminated soil

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



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



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



Video Credit: American Chemical Society&nbsp;



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



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

Weeds are becoming increasingly resistant to herbicides

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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NASA monitors giant dust storms on Mars

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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz

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