A mountain the size of a major Rocky Mountain peak is sitting under the Pacific Ocean north of Palau, and we finally have a map of it. The top rests about 800 feet below the surface, yet the whole <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/hidden-plastic-graveyard-uncovered-in-the-deep-mediterranean-sea/">structure</a> climbs roughly 2.6 miles from the deep seafloor.



The discovery comes from a NOAA Ocean Exploration cruise that focused on a rarely mapped stretch of ocean. The team put time on task, swept the area with high resolution acoustics, and confirmed the feature’s size and shape.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-ocean-mountain-discovered">Hidden ocean mountain discovered</h2>



The first public look at this feature appeared in a field <a href="https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/expedition-feature/live-from-the-field-updates-from-garret/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">log</a> posted on September 2, 2025, which described the mountain about 250 miles north of Palau and noted its summit depth and scale. That early report also set the stage for future dives and sampling.



This account comes from <a href="https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/multimedia/garret-odonnell-with-noaa-ship-okeanos-explorer/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Garret O’Donnell</a> of NOAA Ocean Exploration, a 2025 <a href="https://seagrant.noaa.gov/communities/students/graduate-fellows/knauss-fellowship-program/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">John A. Knauss</a> fellow aboard NOAA Ship <a href="https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/okeanos/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Okeanos</a> Explorer. He is part of the mapping team that turned raw sonar pings into a usable chart of the seamount.



“It’s funny to me that were we not actively mapping these features, we would have no idea that a mountain half the height of Mount Everest lies directly beneath us," O'Donnell enthused. 



"Maybe one day the map we made of this behemoth will be used to navigate the feature with a remotely operated vehicle to get a closer look."



The numbers are straightforward and worth stating clearly. The peak sits about 800 feet down, and the full height from the abyssal plain to the summit is about 2.6 miles.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/seamount_ocean-mountain_palau_mapping_NOAA_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/seamount_ocean-mountain_palau_mapping_NOAA_1s.webp" alt="A map showing the depth extent of an unnamed seamount that was fully mapped as part of Beyond the Blue: Palau Mapping 2 expedition. Credit: NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue" class="wp-image-1986402"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">A map showing the depth extent of an unnamed seamount that was fully mapped as part of Beyond the Blue: Palau Mapping 2 expedition. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue</figcaption></figure>



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



A seamount is an <a href="https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/ocean-fact/seamounts/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">underwater mountain</a>, most often the remains of an extinct volcano that never broke the surface or later sank below the waves. 



Less than one tenth of a percent of the world’s seamounts have been explored, a figure that captures how much frontier still exists in the deep <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/world-turtle-day-2025-ancient-creatures-with-modern-challenges/">ocean</a>.



Scientists estimate there are more than 100,000 large seamounts on Earth when you count those taller than about 3,280 feet. That global count was formalized in a 2010 <a href="https://topex.ucsd.edu/sandwell/publications/127.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> that combined satellite and ship data to build a census.



Why do these mountains matter for life in the ocean? Their shape changes currents, concentrates food, and creates habitats that attract fish, corals, and marine mammals.



This point was underscored by NOAA’s national marine sanctuaries team in a 2025 <a href="https://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/news/2025/reasons-seamounts-matter.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">explainer</a> on why seamounts matter.



The new map north of Palau gives researchers a fixed target for future biological work. It also gives navigators and managers a better picture of the seafloor in a region where charts can still be sparse.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-mapping-the-new-ocean-mountain">Mapping the new ocean mountain</h2>



The workhorse tool was <a href="https://oceanexplorer.noaa.gov/technology/sonar-multibeam/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">multibeam sonar</a>, an array that sends out many sound beams and times their echoes to build a detailed picture of the seafloor. 



Each pass traces a swath under the ship, and careful overlapping tracks stitch those swaths into a complete map.



Teams call the survey <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/unprecedented-collapse-panamas-ocean-upwelling-fails-for-the-first-time-in-40-years/">pattern</a> “mowing the lawn,” because it is an even, methodical sweep that favors coverage and consistency. 



That approach is slow, but it is the way to find steep slopes, ledges, and summit shapes that single passes can miss.



Precision matters, so crews run regular checks to keep the data within tight error limits. When the seas cooperate, this produces clean coverage that captures the real outline of a feature rather than a guess based on sparse lines.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-palau-sanctuary-setting">Palau sanctuary setting</h2>



The mountain rises inside waters tied to the <a href="https://marine-conservation.org/blue-sparks/projects/palau-nms/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Palau National Marine Sanctuary</a>, a <a href="https://picrc.org/work/palau-national-marine-sanctuary/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">policy</a> that closed about 80 percent of the nation’s exclusive economic zone to extractive activity on January 1, 2020. 



This makes the area a natural lab for documenting geology and life with less pressure from fishing.



Palau’s sanctuary sits near deep water that drops quickly from the island shelf. That geography lets research ships reach study sites in hours rather than days, which helps when a weather window appears.



Protected status also changes the kinds of questions teams can ask. With a baseline in place, future work can track how untouched seamount habitats function over time.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-explaining-the-size">Explaining the size</h2>



The summit at roughly 800 feet makes this feature accessible to surface ship sensors and, with the right systems, to human tended or autonomous vehicles. 



The full height of about 2.6 miles shows it is not a small bump, but a major structure that would not look out of place among prominent continental <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/national-dolphin-day-2025-honoring-the-oceans-most-playful-minds/">peaks</a>.



For context, that height is in the same league as well known mountains on land. The comparison helps illustrate how much topography is hiding in plain sight beneath open water.



<figure class="wp-block-image aligncenter size-full"><a href="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/seamount_ocean-mountain_palau_rov-tracks_NOAA_1m.jpg"><img src="https://www.earth.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/09/seamount_ocean-mountain_palau_rov-tracks_NOAA_1s.webp" alt="The location of the unnamed seamount mapped during the Beyond the Blue: Palau Mapping 2 expedition relative to the ship’s trackline shows the lawn mowing survey pattern and position north of Palau. Credit: NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue" class="wp-image-1986404"/></a><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The location of the unnamed seamount mapped during the Beyond the Blue: Palau Mapping 2 expedition relative to the ship’s trackline shows the lawn mowing survey pattern and position north of Palau. Click image to enlarge. Credit: NOAA Ocean Exploration, 2025 Beyond the Blue</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-ocean-mountain-maps-matter">Ocean mountain maps matter</h2>



A remotely operated vehicle (ROV) can now be guided to interesting ledges and slopes rather than wandering. 



Targeted transects can record sponge and coral communities, fish schools, and any signs of mineral crusts that often coat old volcanic rock.



Water sampling can pair with environmental DNA (<a href="http://edna/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">eDNA</a>) analysis to list species without seeing them directly. Those data can set a baseline for the site, which is essential for tracking change.



Good <a href="https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/bathymetry.html" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bathymetry</a> improves navigation by reducing the chance of surprise shallows or pinnacles near shipping routes. 



It also makes tsunami and circulation models more accurate, since seafloor shape affects how waves and currents move energy.



For research planning, a complete map is the difference between blind searching and directed work. It saves days of ship time and compresses campaigns into focused operations.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-future-seamount-mapping">Future seamount mapping</h2>



The expedition that produced this map connects to a larger push to chart and understand Palau’s deeper waters. 



<a href="https://www.noaa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NOAA</a> has outlined a multi-cruise <a href="https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/3-research-cruises-depart-to-improve-understanding-of-atlantic-and-southern-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">plan</a> in the region, working with local partners to collect high resolution mapping data across the sanctuary.



Each new map reduces uncertainty and opens the door to more detailed work. It is a steady build toward a fuller view of the Pacific floor near Palau.



The global picture still frames the task. A widely cited census estimated more than 100,000 large seamounts worldwide, which shows how much there is left to find and study.



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Massive underwater mountain discovered that is larger than some peaks in the Rockies

A mountain the size of a major Rocky Mountain peak is sitting under the Pacific Ocean north of Palau, and we finally have a map of it. The top rests about 800 feet below the surface, yet the whole structure climbs roughly 2.6 miles from the deep seafloor. The discovery comes from a NOAA Ocean Exploration cruise that focused on a rarely mapped stretch of ocean. The team put time on task, swept the area with high resolution acoustics, and confirmed the feature’s size and shape. Hidden...

A new study has revealed that political instability is a strong indicator of declining species numbers. Low levels of lawful control are more likely to predict loss of species than climate change or economic growth, according to the researchers.

The study was focused on waterbird species because their habitats are not only among the most diverse but also are among the most <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/save-endangered-species/">endangered</a> on the planet. 

An international team of scientists and conservation experts led by the <a href="https://www.cam.ac.uk/">University of Cambridge</a> set out to examine broad biodiversity trends of the birds dating back to 1990. The experts analyzed over 2.4 million annual population size records of 461 waterbird species across thousands of survey sites around the world.

The team discovered that waterbird decline was greater in regions of the world where governance is less effective on average. These areas included Western and Central Asia, South America, and sub-Saharan Africa.

Despite the fact that the numbers of waterbirds had still greatly declined in continental Europe, this region had the best overall species outcomes. 

The experts also found that protected conservation areas are only capable of maintaining wildlife diversity when they are located in countries that are politically stable and structured.

“Although the global coverage of protected areas continues to increase, our findings suggest that ineffective governance could undermine the benefits of these biodiversity conservation efforts," said study lead author Dr Tatsuya Amano. "We now know that governance and political stability is a vital consideration when developing future environmental policies and practices.”

Powerless hunting regulations may also lead to species loss under weak governance. 

“Political instability can weaken legal enforcement, and consequently promote unsuitable, often illegal, killing even in protected areas,” explained Amano.

The findings of the study are published in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a>.

--

By <a href="mailto:csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Szabolcs Nagy, Wetlands International

Species loss often caused by political instability

A new study has revealed that political instability is a...

As temperatures continue to rise due to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/major-coal-company-climate/">climate change</a>, scientists are warning that winter sports are in jeopardy. Some Winter Olympic athletes are having to look farther and farther from home to find snow for training.

“Without the snow and the cold in the places in the States where it's normally cold, we have to travel over here and find a place on a glacier to get a couple of jumps off,” said world champion skier Jon Lillis. “Something that terrifies every winter athlete daily is the fact that the conditions are not as good as they used to be. You see videos of people skiing on glaciers back in the '80s and '70s, and half of that glacier doesn’t even exist anymore.”

Climate change was first mentioned by Winter Olympics officials in 1998. The authors of the wrap-up report wrote, “The depletion of the ozone layer and global warming are two examples of issues affecting our natural ecosystem on a worldwide scale. Therefore, striving to host the Olympic Winter Games in harmony with nature is especially important, and we ask the IOC and future Olympic Winter Games host cities to pay close attention to the environment.”

Almost 20 years later, concern has now turned into fear as the world scrambles to find ways to reverse the damage that human-induced climate change is causing the planet. The harmful effects of global warming, which were once environmental issues that would need to be dealt with in the future, have clearly arrived. Warmer winters are becoming more and more frequent, and winter athletes can no longer depend on suitable conditions.

Losses due to cancellations and weather delays will not only hurt the Winter Olympics, but will also impact the recreational side of winter sports. A study by the Natural Resources Defense Council found that ski resort revenue in New Hampshire was $54 million less in the warmer winters of 2001 and 2006 compared with 2007 and 2008 when snowfall totals were higher.
--
By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Winter Olympic sports are suffering from warmer winters

As temperatures continue to rise due to climate change, scientists...

Chinese officials have approved an emissions trading system (ETS) in an effort to drastically reduce the country's carbon emissions. China has vowed to reach a peak in carbon emissions by 2030. By launching what will be the world's largest carbon market, experts say this goal can be reached.

As the biggest contributor to carbon emissions, stricter regulations on fossil fuels in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/strategies-air-pollution-china/">China</a> will have a major impact on the world's overall greenhouse gas emissions.

Each power plant will be allowed only a certain amount of emissions, a limit that will gradually decline. Those sites that manage to stay below their allotted usage can sell their excess permits. 

The ETS will initially target 1,700 stationary sources in China's power sector, which contribute around 39 percent of the country's total emissions. The program will ultimately be extended to include seven other branches of industry as well, including iron and steel and civil aviation.

While the plans for the trading system were first drafted in 2015, the concept has been under review by the Chinese government for over ten years. When the program is fully implemented by 2020, it is projected to cover 5 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide.

Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) President Fred Krupp said that the new carbon market will put China in a great position to keep its Paris Agreement pledge to peak carbon emissions by 2030, and he pointed out that this “more ambitious target" will make it possible for China's emissions to peak well before then.

“The world has never before seen a climate program on this scale,” said Krupp. “It is important that the world’s largest emitter should lead on climate, and that is precisely what China is doing by launching its national emissions trading system. China has stepped up its climate leadership dramatically in recent years, and is now increasingly seen as filling the leadership void left by the U.S.”

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

China to launch a trading system to reduce CO2 emissions

Chinese officials have approved an emissions trading system (ETS) in...

The world's second largest mining company has conducted a review of 21 industry associations and their positions on <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-conference-fossil-fuels/">climate</a> and energy policies. As a result, B.H.P. Billiton has released a <a href="https://www.bhp.com/media-and-insights/news-releases/2017/12/bhp-releases-industry-association-review">report</a> announcing its plans to withdraw from the World Coal Association (WCA).

The report states that were “seven material differences in position” with the WCA, and also with the The Minerals Council of Australia (MCA) and The United States Chamber of Commerce. While B.H.P. says it will remain a member of the MCA, the company has set forth plans to formally communicate the differences in opinion and will “request that the MCA refrain from policy activity or advocacy in these areas.”

B.H.P. will further investigate the nature of the differences between itself and The Chamber of Commerce while considering the future of its membership. In addition, the group will notify the World Coal Association of their intent to exit, and will invite responses from the organization before making a final decision on March 31, 2018.

B.H.P.’s Chief External Affairs Officer Geoff Healy said that the publication of this report demonstrates the company's support for action on climate change and commitment to transparency.

“Active participation within industry associations is an opportunity for BHP to improve its own performance and to support industry as a whole in making a positive contribution,” said Healy.

“This review makes clear the principles for our ongoing participation in industry bodies. While we won’t always agree with our industry associations, we will continue to call out material differences where they exist and we will take action where necessary, as we have done today.

B.H.P. says it will continue to be straightforward with investors, governments, and civil society on the company’s stance on climate and energy policy. The group will also continue to communicate their environmental standards to industry associations, and hopes to positively influence ethical investments in the future.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Major coal company leaves industry group over climate change

The world's second largest mining company has conducted a review...

Patagonia is a company somewhat controversial in outdoors circles.  I’ve heard people from fisheries biologists in Alaska to cavers in South Dakota deride the company as being too expensive or calling it ‘Pata-Gucci’.   Many people think of Patagonia as a brand for the rich.  

Patagonia is expensive too.  I have several pieces of Patagonia clothes, shirts, pants, a coat all bought second hand. Patagonia claims that there’s a good reason for the price, they try hard to make a quality, sustainable, ethical product. Patagonia also sells their own clothes second hand online at cheaper prices than new.  For every person who is offended by Patagonia’s high prices, there is a true believer convinced by a commitment to ethical sourcing and quality. I’ve also seen fisheries biologists in Alaska and mountaineers from Colorado decked head to toe in Patagonia.

Who is Yvon Chouinard, founder of Patagonia?  It’s hard to reconcile most people’s ideas of a billionaire with a man who bought discount damaged canned cat food to live off on extended climbing trips in his youth.  

Chouinard says in his autobiography, Let My People Go Surfing, “We took special pride that climbing rocks and icefalls had no economic value in society.”

It seems Chouinard is now interested in economic value; in improving society.  Patagonia’s new web page bolding proclaims, “The President Stole Your Land” and their blog, The Cleanest Line, crunches hard numbers, talking about jobs from the outdoor industry and economic benefit of National Monuments to local communities.

Chouinard isn’t afraid of a fight.  When Patagonia and other companies came under fire from the Christian Action Coalition for their support of Planned Parenthood, they didn’t back down.  CAC planned a boycott and a protest.  Patagonia coordinated a response, for every protestor to show up, they pledged to donate $10.00.  The protest fell apart.    

Chouinard is now going toe to toe with the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-clean-power-plan/">Trump administration</a> in the fight for the future of our public lands. Patagonia’s new webpage make it easy for you to tweet outrage at Trump’s shredding of two national monuments and gives links to non-profits engaged in the fight.  Yvon is also suing the Trump administration.  

The reason for the lawsuit seems simple: Trump reduced two national monuments in Utah radically.  Yvon Chouinard has a long personal history enjoying public lands.  Beyond personal reasons, there is the fact that again and again, Patagonia acts as if companies should and do have responsibilities to the world they’re a part of.  Patagonia even may depend on public lands for its existence.  If there are no lands to recreate on, there is no reason to buy outdoor products, including Patagonia clothing.

Patagonia doesn’t stand alone either.  Environmental organizations and Native American tribes are suing or planning to sue Trump over the monument reduction too.              

--

By <a href="mailto:zachfitzner@yahoo.com">Zach Fitzner</a>, <a href="http://earth.copm">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Patagonia: Who are they and why are they fighting Trump?

Patagonia is a company somewhat controversial in outdoors circles.  I’ve...

Scientists are uncovering more and more about how the Earth was first formed, but there are still many variables left unknown. Now, researchers from the <a href="http://www.leeds.ac.uk/">University of Leeds</a> may be one step closer to understanding how life on Earth got its start, and it turns out fungi were major players in creating the optimal environment for life to thrive. 

Scientists believe that the Earth developed an oxygen-rich atmosphere about 400 to 500 million years ago, in part due to early plants photosynthesizing carbon dioxide. 

According to the new study, it was fungi that helped these early plants succeed in their photosynthesis process by ‘mining’ phosphorus from rocks and transferring it to <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/plants-respond-total-eclipse/">plants</a>. 

Early plants would have depended on fungi to provide nutrients because there was no mineral-rich soil in early Earth’s wholly different ecosystem. 

As fungi grow across rocks, they produce organic acids that break down rocks and mineral grains in a process called biological weathering. 

Millions of years ago, fungi would have transferred the nutrients from biological weathering to plants, and in turn, benefitted from the plants’ photosynthesis. 

To prove that this symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi could have established the atmosphere necessary for life to thrive hundreds of millions of years ago, the researchers conducted several lab experiments. 

The team grew plants and fungi in a lab mimicking an atmosphere similar to ancient Earth and observed how the fungi transferred phosphorous to the plants and the change in atmosphere to a more oxygen-rich one. 

"The results of including data on fungal interactions present a significant advance in our understanding of the Earth's early development,” said Dr. Benjamin Mills, a member of the research team. “Our work clearly shows the importance of fungi in the creation of an oxygenated atmosphere.” 

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com </a>Staff Writer

Life on Earth got a jumpstart thanks to an unlikely source

Scientists are uncovering more and more about how the Earth...

With growing concerns of a potentially catastrophic volcanic eruption in <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/yellowstone-eruptions-changed-planet/">Yellowstone National Park</a>, researchers from the <a href="http://illinois.edu/">University of Illinois</a> have closely examined the geological history of the region. Their investigation into the subsurface land of Yellowstone reveals that volcanic activity in this area is far more complex than previously realized.

"The heat needed to drive volcanism usually occurs in areas where tectonic plates meet and one slab of crust slides, or subducts, under another. However, Yellowstone and other volcanic areas of the inland western U.S. are far away from the active plate boundaries along the west coast," said lead author Lijun Liu. "In these inland cases, a deep-seated heat source known as a mantle plume is suspected of driving crustal melting and surface volcanism."

Using a technique called seismic tomography, the research team was able to closely observe the subsurface of the western United States, which enabled them to assemble the geologic history that drove volcanic activity in the region. 

The geologists used supercomputers to simulate various tectonic scenarios in order to explore the range of possible geologic histories of this region over the past 20 million years. The results of their analysis do not support the traditional mantle plume theory.

"It appears that the mantle plume under the western U.S. is sinking deeper into the earth through time, which seems counterintuitive," said Liu. "This suggests that something closer to the surface - an oceanic slab originating from the western tectonic boundary - is interfering with the rise of the plume."

The mantle plume concept has been heavily debated for many years, and the findings of this study indicate the need for a revised tectonic scenario, according to the researchers.

"A robust result from these models is that the heat source behind the extensive inland volcanism actually originated from the shallow oceanic mantle to the west of the Pacific Northwest coast," said Liu. "This directly challenges the traditional view that most of the heat came from the plume below Yellowstone."

While the experts are not predicting a violent eruption in Yellowstone National Park, they explain that the conditions have not changed significantly enough to rule one out.

"Of course, our model can't predict specific future super-eruptions,” said Liu. “However, looking back through 20 million years of history, we do not see anything that makes the present-day Yellowstone region particularly special - at least not enough to make us suspect that it may do something different from the past when many catastrophic eruptions have occurred.”

"More importantly, this work will give us a better understanding of some of the mysterious processes deep within the earth, which will help us better understand the consequences of plate tectonics, including the mechanism of earthquakes and volcanoes."

The study is published in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ngeo/">Nature Geosciences</a>.

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Heat from the Pacific drove volcanic activity in Yellowstone

With growing concerns of a potentially catastrophic volcanic eruption in...

Scientists now have a better understanding of how cosmic rays from supernovae can affect Earth's cloud cover and climate. They have identified how atmospheric ions produced by cosmic rays promote the development of cloud condensation nuclei, which form clouds.

When there are changes in atmospheric ions, there is also a shift in the number of cloud condensation nuclei. More of these nuclei lead to more clouds and result in a cooler climate. 

Cosmic rays are high-energy particles raining down from exploded stars that knock electrons out of air molecules. This produces ions, or positive and negative molecules in the atmosphere.

Cloud condensation nuclei are formed from small molecular clusters called aerosols. It has been assumed that additional small aerosols could not grow and become cloud condensation nuclei. 

But now, the researchers have demonstrated that interactions between ions and aerosols promote this growth by adding new materials to the aerosols which strengthen them. This allows the aerosols to become stable against evaporation, and linger long enough in the atmosphere to form cloud condensation nuclei. 

Henrik Svensmark from DTU Space at the <a href="http://www.dtu.dk/english">Technical University of Denmark</a> is the lead author of the study. 

"Finally we have the last piece of the puzzle explaining how particles from space affect climate on Earth,” said Svensmark. “It gives an understanding of how changes caused by Solar activity or by supernova activity can change climate."

Clouds make a huge difference in the amount of solar energy that reaches the Earth’s surface. This breakthrough may help explain climate variation in the past and also help future climate change be more accurately predicted.

The study is published today in the journal <a href="https://www.nature.com/ncomms">Nature Communications</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Exploding stars can affect clouds and climate on Earth

Scientists now have a better understanding of how cosmic rays...

As the world attempts to transition away from <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-conference-fossil-fuels/">fossil fuels</a> to renewable forms of energy, there is heightened interest in solar power. However, photovoltaic panels require a lot of space and can potentially interfere with agricultural land and other protected regions. A team of experts has now determined that it is feasible to generate large quantities of solar energy without impacting valuable areas of land.

Previous research demonstrated that solar panels are often installed in untouched land areas and croplands. An analysis in Lecce, Italy, revealed that 51 percent of the city's solar panels were located on natural and agricultural land, including century-old olive groves. 

A team of researchers including Rebecca R. Hernandez, Michael F. Allen and Madison K. Hoffacker set out to see if it is possible to expand solar power generation without invading preserved areas of land and farms. 

The team focused their study on four alternative solar installation sites in California's Central Valley. For the investigation, the team examined how solar panels could be installed on rooftops and buildings inside of urban areas, on land that is too salty for crops, in water reservoirs, and on contaminated land sites.

The researchers identified the number of these unconventional solar production sites that exist within Central Valley, and calculated how much energy could be produced by installing photovoltaic panels in all of these available areas. 

The team found that the alternative surfaces which could accommodate solar power production totalled more than 1.5 million football fields. This staggering amount of space could generate more than 19,000 terawatt-hours of energy per year without interfering with farmlands or conserved areas, according to the study. 

Overall, the level of energy production established by the researchers is far more than California's projected electricity demand for 2025, which is 321 terawatt-hours.

The research is published in the journal <a href="http://pubs.acs.org/journal/esthag">Environmental Science &amp; Technology</a>.

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By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Solar energy does not have to interfere with valuable land

As the world attempts to transition away from fossil fuels...

According to <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/18/trump-drop-climate-change-national-security-strategy">new reports</a>, U.S. President Donald Trump plans to drop climate change from the list of global threats in his National Security Strategy.

Instead of regulating emissions, Trump plans to put more of an emphasis on fossil fuels, coal, and economic development. 

Trump’s announcement earlier this year to remove the United States from the <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/trump-decision-paris-climate-agreement/">Paris Climate Agreement</a> means that the U.S. is now the only country not participating in the global climate agreement.  But Trump argues that the focus should instead be put on American workers. 

Now, in a new release to be presented later today, Trump will announce his new defense strategy and the removal of climate change from the list of National Security Threats. 

President Obama worked hard to make great strides toward mitigating climate change, but Trump maintains that other threats deserve priority.

Any mention of climate change by Trump is linked to economic development rather than keeping warming temperatures in check.  

“'U.S. leadership is indispensable to countering an anti-growth, energy agenda that is detrimental to U.S. economic and energy security interests,” reads a draft of the new defense strategy obtained by the <a href="http://thefederalist.com/2017/12/15/trump-admin-to-remove-climate-change-from-list-of-national-security-threats/">Federalist</a>. “'Given future global energy demand, much of the developing world will require fossil fuels, as well as other forms of energy, to power their economies and lift their people out of poverty.” 

This is the exact opposite stance that other global leaders are making. 

Trump feels that an emphasis on clean energy and policy regulations will unfairly disadvantage manufacturing jobs and general job growth in the United States. 

However, as the last few years have proven, clean energy jobs could create an unprecedented <a href="http://money.cnn.com/2017/05/24/news/economy/solar-jobs-us-coal/index.html">economic boom</a>. 

Time will tell if global policy combating climate change will outweigh or influence the United State’s stance on climate change and if the clean energy sector can grow and perhaps compete with fossil fuels. 

--

By<a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com"> Kay Vandette</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Trump will remove climate change from National Security Strategy

According to new reports, U.S. President Donald Trump plans to...

Research published this week in the journal <a href="http://www.nature.com/nature/">Nature</a> reveals that the East Antarctic Ice Sheet, which holds more water than any other ice sheet on the planet, is <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/east-antarctic-ice-sheet/">not as stable</a> as previously thought. Scientists are now examining the contribution that this massive ice sheet could make to global sea level rise, and they warn that the effects could drastically alter the coastline of Florida.

Dr. Amelia Shevenell is an associate professor at the <a href="http://www.usf.edu/">University of South Florida</a> and co-lead author of the study.

"Antarctica may seem far away from Florida, but all Floridians should care about what is happening in Antarctica," said Dr. Shevenell. “As ice melts, global sea levels rise. Most of Florida is at or several feet above sea level.”

The East Antarctic Ice Sheet has been long believed to be much more resilient than the ice cover of West Antarctica and Greenland, but an unprecedented survey of East Antarctica's Sabrina Coast revealed that this is not the case. 

Using marine seismic technology and ocean sediments, the research team reconstructed the progression of the East Antarctic Ice Sheet in the Sabrina Coast region over the past 50 million years. The scientists discovered that this ice sheet has been sensitive to climate change for millions of years.

During warmer climates, the ice sheet was wetter and much less stable. The experts found that this instability occurred when atmospheric temperatures and carbon dioxide levels were similar to, or slightly higher than, what they are today.

“We are already seeing the effects of rising seas caused by melting ice sheets and ocean warming,” said Dr. Shevenell. “There is enough ice in our study region alone to raise global sea level by as much as 15 feet. This, in isolation, would be catastrophic to Florida."

Dr. Shevenell explained that loss of ice mass is primarily due to warming ocean waters which melt ice shelves and glaciers from below.

"Our records of surface-meltwater production during past warm climates indicate that in the future, Antarctica will also experience ice melt from above, as air temperatures warm and carbon dioxide increases," said Dr. Shevenell.

"Thus, we might expect regional glaciers to become more unstable as atmosphere and ocean temperatures warm. This observation suggests that existing climate and ice sheet models likely underestimate East Antarctica's contribution to global sea level rise."

--

By <a href="http://csexton@earth.com">Chrissy Sexton</a>, <a href="https://www.earth.com/staff/">Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Image Credit: Steffen Saustraup/The University of Texas at Austin

Melting ice sheet could dramatically impact the Florida coastline

Research published this week in the journal Nature reveals that...

<a href="https://www.earth.com/news/sierra-nevada-mountains-taller/">Droughts</a> are common in the western United States, with parts of California in a seemingly perpetual state of drought. Megadroughts, however, occur when a drought lasts 30 years or more, and have happened only a handful of times in the past 1200 years. 

Researchers from <a href="https://www.cornell.edu/">Cornell</a> set out to determine if megadroughts are random natural occurrence, or if climate change could cause an increase in their frequency.

The researchers created a “robust null hypothesis,” or a hypothesis that rejects or nullifies other commonly held hypothesi dealing with drought. 

“We're establishing a baseline. We're looking for the normal pulse of a megadrought. How often do they occur? Do they happen more in periods of climate change?” asked Toby Ault, the lead researcher. 

The study could help with future drought predictions and aid with planning and conservation efforts should a megadrought occur. 

A megadrought in the southwestern United States would put a strain on resources, agriculture, and the ecosystem. In order to calculate the statistical likelihood of megadrought, data has to be collected on megadroughts as far back in recorded climate history as possible. 

“We're examining things happening over the last 1,200 years - including the period known as the 'Medieval Climate Anomaly' from about 800 to 1300 A.D. - and we're applying that understanding to see what could happen in the next 100 years,” said Ault. 

For the study, the researchers analyzed tree rings and identified five instances of megadrought from 800 to 1300 AD. 

The main question for the researchers then becomes, was a warming climate, similar to what we face today the cause of those droughts? 

The researchers concluded that even if megadroughts are natural variability, it is very likely that external forces play a role in the development of megadrought. Only time will tell if the unmitigated impact of climate change could trigger the next devastating megadrought.

--

By <a href="mailto:kayvandette@gmail.com">Kay Vandette</a>,<a href="https://www.earth.com/"> Earth.com</a> Staff Writer

Could climate change trigger a megadrought in the United States?

Droughts are common in the western United States, with parts...

<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=lHHxOej4QfE
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic pollution.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-invisible-threat-in-urban-air">Invisible threat in urban air</h2>



City dwellers face an unseen danger with every breath. New findings from Emory University researchers suggest that fine particulate matter from <a href="http://earth.com/news/traffic-related-air-pollution-might-increase-alzheimers-risk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">vehicle emissions may significantly elevate the risk of developing Alzheimer's disease</a>. The study examined brain tissue samples from 224 individuals who had confirmed diagnoses and volunteered their brains for scientific research.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-disturbing-connections-emerge">Disturbing connections emerge</h2>



Scientists analyzed neuritic plaques — protein clusters that characterize Alzheimer's — while mapping each participant's exposure to PM2.5 particles based on residential location and surrounding traffic density. The correlation proved more alarming than anticipated. Individuals experiencing higher pollution exposure showed nearly double the likelihood of elevated plaque accumulation in brain tissue.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-timing-matters">Timing matters</h2>



The research team discovered that pollution exposure during the final year before death demonstrated the strongest association with brain changes. This timeline suggests relatively rapid impacts from environmental toxins on neural health. The connection remained robust even after accounting for various demographic and health factors.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-genetic-vulnerability-patterns">Genetic vulnerability patterns</h2>



Perhaps most concerning, people lacking the APOE gene—which naturally predisposes individuals to Alzheimer's — exhibited more than twice the susceptibility to pollution-related brain damage. Study author Dr. Anke Huels noted this indicates environmental elements like air contamination could trigger the disease in cases where hereditary factors don't explain.



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



These findings, published in <a href="https://www.neurology.org/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Neurology</a>, underscore the critical importance of air quality regulations in urban planning. The research suggests that implementing stricter emission controls and promoting alternative transportation could serve as powerful tools in Alzheimer's prevention.



As cities worldwide grapple with growing traffic congestion and aging populations, this study highlights an urgent need for comprehensive approaches to environmental health that protect both our lungs and our minds.



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Traffic fumes may trigger Alzheimer's

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHHxOej4QfE Researchers found a correlation between Alzheimer's disease and traffic...

<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=2E0mn5mTvhQ
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that scientists never expected.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-hidden-waters-beneath-ancient-craters">Hidden waters beneath ancient craters</h2>



Scientists have made a startling discovery that challenges everything we thought we knew about <a href="https://www.earth.com/news/saturn-moon-mimas-has-remarkably-young-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Saturn's moon Mimas</a>. Beneath the heavily cratered surface that earned it the nickname "Death Star" lies a global ocean that formed just 5 to 15 million years ago—a remarkably young age by cosmic standards.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-cassini-data-reveals-orbital-secrets">Cassini data reveals orbital secrets</h2>



The discovery, led by Dr. Valéry Lainey of the <a href="https://observatoiredeparis.psl.eu/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Observatoire de Paris</a>, emerged from careful analysis of <a href="https://www.nasa.gov" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">NASA</a>'s Cassini spacecraft data. By studying subtle irregularities in Mimas's orbit around Saturn, researchers detected the gravitational signature of liquid water hidden 20 to 30 kilometers beneath the moon's icy shell.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-an-unlikely-ocean-world">An unlikely ocean world</h2>



At only 400 kilometers in diameter, Mimas seemed like the least likely candidate to harbor a subsurface ocean. Unlike other ocean moons such as Europa and Enceladus, which show clear surface signs of internal activity, Mimas displays no obvious hints of the liquid water beneath its ancient, crater-scarred exterior.



"Mimas is a small moon, and its heavily cratered surface gave no hint of the hidden ocean beneath," explained Dr. Nick Cooper from <a href="https://www.qmul.ac.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Queen Mary University of London</a>, a study co-author.



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



The ocean's recent formation makes Mimas a prime target for studying how oceans develop and potentially support life. This discovery adds another member to the exclusive club of ocean worlds in our solar system, each offering unique insights into the conditions necessary for habitability.



The research, published in <a href="https://www.nature.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Nature</a> journal, demonstrates how advanced orbital analysis can reveal hidden features of celestial bodies, opening new possibilities for understanding ocean formation throughout the cosmos.



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Scientists discover unexpected young ocean on Saturn's cratered moon Mimas

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2E0mn5mTvhQ 'Death Star' moon Mimas conceals a 15-million-year-old ocean that...

<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=K0DuSr87SHY
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists.</figcaption></figure>



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-when-earth-became-a-frozen-wasteland">When Earth became a frozen wasteland</h2>



Imagine Earth as a giant snowball, frozen solid from the North Pole to the equator. This wasn't the plot of a science fiction movie – it was our planet's reality 700 million years ago during an extreme ice age that has puzzled scientists for decades.



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



Australian researchers from the <a href="https://www.sydney.edu.au/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">University of Sydney</a> have finally cracked one of geology's greatest mysteries: what caused the Sturtian glaciation and why it persisted for an unprecedented 57 million years. This period occurred long before dinosaurs roamed the Earth, when no complex plants or multicellular animals existed.



Dr. Adriana Dutkiewicz, the study's lead author, describes a world completely unlike today's climate. "Imagine the Earth almost completely frozen over," she explained. "The planet was blanketed in ice from poles to equator, and temperatures plunged."



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-the-combination-of-climate-factors">The combination of climate factors</h2>



The research team discovered that this massive freeze resulted from a "double whammy" of geological events. First, plate tectonic activity reduced volcanic carbon dioxide emissions to historically low levels. Volcanic activity typically releases CO2 into the atmosphere, creating a greenhouse effect that keeps Earth warm.



Simultaneously, weathering of volcanic rocks in what is now Canada actively absorbed atmospheric CO2, further reducing greenhouse gas concentrations. When atmospheric carbon dioxide levels dropped below 200 parts per million – less than half of today's levels – glaciation engulfed the entire planet.



<h2 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-modern-climate-implications">Modern climate implications</h2>



Published in the journal <a href="https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/geology" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Geology</a>, this research provides crucial insights into Earth's climate system. While geological climate changes occur over millions of years, the study emphasizes that human-induced climate change is happening at a pace ten times faster than previously observed natural changes, highlighting the urgent need to understand our planet's delicate climate balance.



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What caused the planet's longest ice age

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0DuSr87SHY 57 million-year ice age mystery solved by Australian scientists....

<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=WXXGGiynIjs
</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Greenland is not sinking. In fact, it is the opposite.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Greenland's ground rises while coasts worldwide face higher seas

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

AI agent training boosts mental health and profits

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Revolutionizing agriculture through microbiome engineering

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

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</div><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">Acid rain and a crisis solved.</figcaption></figure>



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The environmental problem we actually solved

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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Wildlife tunnels save millions of amphibians

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Is chocolate the next nutritional powerhouse?

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: Amanda Nguyen/University of Illinois



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



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Designing crops that can beat the heat

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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"

[sendtonews key="uV9Lh2fQbV-1760058-12187" type="single"] Lesotho: Africa's "Kingdom in the Sky" Today’s...

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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Wetlands are a major source of methane emissions

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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The rapid retreat of the Columbia Glacier

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

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



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



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



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



Video/ Image Credit: NASA Goddard



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



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2022 illustrated the consequences of a warming climate

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

Satellites reveal how Earth's systems are interconnected

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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

Tiger sharks are shifting poleward as temperatures rise

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA&nbsp;



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



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

Melt ponds on the Greenland Ice Sheet

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

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



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



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



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



Video Credit: ESA



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



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

Tracking changes in Earth's water cycle

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

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

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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



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



Video Credit: NASA Goddard&nbsp;



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



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

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

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