McMurdo Station in Antarctica. (Photo: Marco Feldmann/FH Aachen via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0)

When people think of Antarctica, they likely think of vast expanses of barren ice and very few colors beyond the snowy white visible on the horizon. However, despite the admitted prevalence of ice on the continent, there is plant life too. This vegetation survives on photosynthesis, making sustenance out of sunlight. But until recently, the extent of plant life on Antarctica was not well known, as so much of the continent is remote and rarely visited. A new study published in Nature Geoscience uses satellite imagery to map and quantify the plant life across the continent for the first time ever.

Most of the plant life on Antarctica falls into one of three categories: moss, lichen, and algae. These plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere, and they help process nutrients in the soil. Tracking their presence on the continent is critical to assessing conservation efforts as well as keeping an eye on the effects of climate change.

As ice melts, more plant life may result in the gap created. Researchers from the University of Edinburgh partnered with the Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, the British Antarctic Survey, and the Scottish Association for Marine Science to examine satellite imagery from a satellite of the European Space Agency.

The researchers also took measurements on the ground during summer expeditions. They combined their aerial and on-ground observations to estimate that there is about 45 square kilometers (17.4 square miles) of photosynthetic life on the continent. It is not evenly distributed, but rather 80% is present on the Antarctic Peninsula and nearby islands.

Peter Fretwell, one of the paper authors, noted in a statement, “Getting an accurate map of the of photosynthetic life of the continent gives us a baseline for assessing future change. As the continent warms and ice melts, we expect that areas of rock outcrop will expand, and vegetation will colonize more ground. This new map enables us to monitor these consequences of climate change.”

The first full survey of Antarctic vegetation across the continent has demonstrated the effect climate change has had on plant life.

Arctic vegetation springs up. (Photo: Walshaw et al., f. A Thgomson)

Photosynthetic life of different sorts. (Photo: Walshaw et al.)

Antarctica's ice sheets have changed a lot since 1985. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

h/t: [IFL Science]

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READ: All of Antarctica’s Plant Life Is Mapped for the First Time and Shows Growing Vegetation Amid Climate Change

Deep Sky Labs as envisioned. (Photo: Deep Sky Labs)

Excess carbon dioxide, produced by mankind with particular vigor since the Industrial Revolution, is a prime driver of the climate crisis. Though it’s important to limit and stave off the production of carbon dioxide, it’s proven difficult in a society filled with gas-guzzling cars and smoke-belching factories. So as carbon dioxide continues to pour into the atmosphere, there needs to be efforts to remove it. The technology exists, but the infrastructure needs to be created en masse to counter its production. Luckily, Deep Sky, a Canadian carbon removal company, is creating a pioneering carbon removal facility in Canada to test different methods of removal.

The project is called Deep Sky Labs, drawing from the innovative scientific nature of laboratories. The facility will be constructed in a remote part of Alberta, Canada. Its creators are touting it as the “world’s first cross-technology carbon removal innovation and commercialization centre.” It will have space to test 10 different methods of direct air capture of carbon in our atmosphere. The ultimate goal of Deep Sky is to scale and incentivize carbon capture, so finding the most effective capture methods is critical.

Carbon capture requires energy to power the machines that filter our air. This energy can itself come from unclean sources. To avoid this issue, Deep Sky Labs will be entirely solar powered. Once carbon is removed from the air, it will be pumped into safe storage far underground.

Deep Sky is also creating “high integrity carbon credits” to fund the endeavor. Over 10 years, 30,000 tons of carbon will be removed from the air. While ultimately it only accounts for the carbon production of about 220 people a year, this is a starting point for expansion. There lab will be a brain trust of sorts, bringing together innovators in the climate technology space to fight an urgent fight of which carbon capture is a critical component.

Deep Sky Labs will be the “world’s first cross-technology carbon removal innovation and commercialization centre,” dedicated to pulling carbon dioxide from our atmosphere to counter climate change.

Deep Sky: Website
h/t: [IFL Science]

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READ: World’s First Carbon Capture Facility to Be Operational by Early 2025

Photo: peshkov/Depositphotos

We're all familiar with photosynthesis, the process by which plants use sunlight to generate oxygen. But have you ever heard of “dark oxygen”? This term is given to a phenomenon in which oxygen is produced on the sea floor without the typical process of photosynthesis. According to a recent study published in Nature Geoscience, researchers found that metal nodules on the abyssal plains of the Pacific Ocean are splitting seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.

This phenomenon was initially discovered in 2013 by the head researcher of the Scottish Association for Marine Science, Andrew Sweetman. Sweetman found unusual amounts of oxygen being produced at the bottom of the sea floor where there is no light. Prior to this, scientists believed that marine plants were producing all the oxygen in the ocean through photosynthesis.

Instead, the study explains that seawater electrolysis, caused by the high voltage on each nodule's surface, produces “dark oxygen.” These nodules form when dissolved metal in seawater builds up on fragments of shells and other ocean debris in a process that takes millions of years.

The scientists conducted their research thousands of feet below the surface of the Pacific Ocean, between Hawaii and Mexico. The researchers collected the nodules and analyzed them, determining their voltages– which were similar to those of a typical AA battery. Additionally, from chambers on the bottom of the seafloor located a few miles out from the nodule fields, researchers assessed the oxygen levels and how it was used.

The researchers concluded that the polymetallic nodules acted like batteries—the combined voltage of various nodules on the seafloor created currents powerful enough to split water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.

With this discovery, these lumps—composed of iron and manganese oxides and containing elements used in batteries such as cobalt, copper, and lithium—have become highly desirable to deep-sea mining companies. Currently, deep-sea mining corporations are developing plans to extract the nodules. However, marine biologists and scientists hold serious concerns about the mining activities causing the potential destruction of the habitat and disruption of the nodule formation process.

“There’s already overwhelming evidence that strip mining deep-sea nodule fields will destroy ecosystems we barely understand,” Professor Murray Roberts, a marine biologist from the Univerisity of Edinburgh, told BBC News. Professor Murray is one of 800 marine scientists from around the world who have signed a petition calling for a pause in mining activity.

“Because these fields cover such huge areas of our planet, it would be crazy to press ahead with deep-sea mining knowing they may be a significant source of oxygen production.”

This discovery has several implications: it not only challenges the previously held belief that photosynthesis was the sole method of oxygen production in the ocean but also raises questions about how deep-sea organisms use this newly identified source of oxygen. While there are no measures to protect the nodule sea beds yet, further research is needed to determine whether developmental activities and the preservation of these ecosystems can coexist.

“Dark oxygen” is a term used to describe oxygen production on the sea floor without photosynthesis.

Photo: NOAA

Metal masses on the abyssal plains act like batteries, using electric currents to split seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.

Photo: Hannes Grobe via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0)

This finding challenges the previous belief that oceanic oxygen production was only possible through photosynthesis and raises concerns about the potential environmental impacts of deep-sea mining.

Photo: NOAA

h/t: [BBC]

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Photo: swisshippo/Depositphotos

High in the Swiss Alps, the Rhone glacier is not only the source of the river that bears its name but also one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva. In the Ice Age, it would have filled the valley that is now home to the river. Though the glacier has been retreating since the Ice Age, the rate of its recession has started to alarm scientists and locals, who have even begun covering it with a blanket in the warmer months to stop melting.

While the increased rate of melting most certainly has to do with climate change, it can be hard to envision what it all looks like. That's probably why the internet was taken aback when Duncan Porter, a software developer from England, posted an image of him and his wife Helen standing in front of the glacier 15 years apart. When looked at side by side, the two photos—taken in August 2009 and August 2024—are astonishing.

In the 2009 image, the glacier's ice fills the background, but 15 years later, there is a body of water and patches of dirt where much of the glacier once stood. The difference took Porter by surprise.

“Not gonna lie, it made me cry,” he wrote.

To those in the know, the contrast isn't so shocking. According to official reports, Alpine glaciers have lost 60% of their volume since 1850. And in Switzerland, there has been a 10% loss of volume in just 2022 and 2023 alone. Luckily, 2024 saw a huge increase in snowfall, but given Porter's images, a lot of damage has already been done. Swiss glaciologist Matthias Huss posted a stunning GIF that demonstrates how the extra snowfall can still melt rapidly once high temperatures arrive.

Many of the climate change deniers who commented on Porter's post wrote that the glaciers have always been melting, using this as proof that nothing has changed. However, as other experts chimed in, it's not the melting that is the issue per se, but the rapid rate of melting that has caused concern.

Porter's post has garnered him a lot of attention, including some negativity, but he wrote that he's choosing to focus on the kind comments that he received and is encouraging others to take action to fight climate change.

These shocking images of the Rhone glacier in Switzerland, taken 15 years apart, show how it has changed due to warmer climates.

Fifteen years minus one day between these photos. Taken at the Rhone glacier in Switzerland today.

Not gonna lie, it made me cry. pic.twitter.com/Inz6uO1kum

— Duncan Porter (@misterduncan) August 4, 2024

Glacial melt is a huge concern, with Alpine glaciers losing 60% of their volume since 1850.

“Rhone Glacier” by Johann Heinrich Müller. c. 1870/80. (Photo: via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Though Swiss glaciers saw a 31% increase in snowfall this year, that hasn't slowed the glacial melting.

On Swiss #glaciers the days of plenty are over for this year: we started off with excellent conditions (much snow). But during the last weeks the tide has turned. Melt has kicked in, probably accelerated by abundant Saharan dust on snow surfaces. Partly 3m of snowmelt in a month! pic.twitter.com/dyjKucsvLA

— Matthias Huss (@matthias_huss) July 29, 2024

1 month of #glacier melt at Silvrettagletscher – from winter conditions to ice loss with light speed @VAW_glaciology @glamos_ch @WSL_research pic.twitter.com/jXkHZKy5GX

— Matthias Huss (@matthias_huss) August 8, 2024

h/t: [The Guardian]

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READ: Shocking Photos Taken 15 Years Apart Show How Much Swiss Glacier Has Melted

Photo: Google Satellite

Deep in Siberia, an enormous depression in the Earth, often called the Gateway to Hell, is rapidly expanding, taking large chunks of Earth with it.  The Batagaika crater is the world's largest permafrost crater and emits a startling quantity of greenhouse gases.

The tadpole-shaped hole measures a kilometer long (almost a mile) and reaches depths of up to 100 meters (328 feet). Though it's called a crater, that's actually a misnomer. In fact, the hole is a thermokarst depression, or megaslump, that appeared in the 1960s when the surrounding forest was cleared. This changed the delicate thermal balance of the landscape, and as permafrost thawed, it let off a large quantity of methane gas that caused the depression in the Earth.

It wasn't until 1991 that satellite images confirmed its existence, and since then, researchers have noted its rapid growth. Recently, a team led by Alexander Kizyakov of Moscow State University's Department of Cryolithology and Glaciology attempted to calculate its growth rate and were astonished by what they found.

In a study published in the journal Geomorphology, the teams presented their findings. First, they used satellite images to assess the crater's growth, and then, using field data and remote sensing, they put together a 3D model to see how fast the permafrost is melting. They discovered that the headwall is eroding at a rate of 40 feet (12 meters) per year, while already collapsed sections of the headwall are also rapidly melting and sinking.

All told, the total volume of permafrost thaw is about 1 million cubic meters per year. About a third of that contains organic material, while the rest is melted ground ice. Sadly, this translates to around 4,000 to 5,000 tons of previously permafrost-locked organic carbon released every year.

Unfortunately, there is no sign of slowing down as the depression is stuck in a positive feedback loop. As the permafrost thaws, bacteria break down and release greenhouse gases. These gases, in turn, heat the atmosphere, which contributes to permafrost thaw, and the cycle continues.

Though Batagaika is still growing, researchers believe there is a limit to its expansion. The remaining permafrost layer inside the crater is only a few feet thick, and the underlying bedrock will block its growth.

Siberia's Batagaika crater, sometimes called the “Gateway to Hell,” is the world's largest permafrost crater and it's growing rapidly.

h/t: [Good]

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READ: Giant Permafrost Crater “Gateway to Hell” Is Rapidly Expanding in Siberia

Nesjavellir Geothermal Power Station in Iceland (Photo: Steve_Allen/Depositphotos)

Shifting to clean energy is a priority for fighting the steady march of catastrophic climate change. Despite the proliferating options for cleaner power, mankind remains quite dependent on coal and oil. Solar, wind, and even ocean wave-generated power are all renewable, clean options for powering our lives and homes. Another super promising source of energy is Earth itself.

Geothermal power is a very underutilized source of power in the United States, but it offers incredible potential. Texas-based Fervo Energy is an expert in the field building the largest geothermal power development in the United States in southwest Utah. The project calls for 125 wells to tap into the Earth's underground heat reserves.

In a victory for the development, one of the nation’s largest utility companies, Southern California Edison, has agreed to purchase electricity from the development. The 15-year agreement will power the equivalent of 350,000 and begin when the development's first part is operational in 2026.

Curious about how geothermal power works? Our planet packs a lot of heat left over from its formation and the decay of elements within. This energy passes through the planet's layers outward in a continual stream. Engineers can produce energy by harnessing steam or hot water from geothermal reservoirs below the surface. Weather does not impact production as with solar or wind.

“As electrification increases and climate change burdens already fragile infrastructure, geothermal will only play a bigger role in U.S. power markets,” says Dawn Owens, VP, Head of Development & Commercial Markets for Fervo Energy. “Fervo looks forward to continuing to meet these needs, providing firm, clean power to help balance California’s energy portfolio.”

When the 400 MW Cape Station is fully operational in 2028, it will be the largest in America. Yet, it still provides less than a percent of our nation's energy. As drilling techniques improve, taking examples from oil and gas drilling to allow deeper penetration, there is optimism that geothermal will grow rapidly.

“If these purchases help to get this technology off the ground, it could be massively impactful for global decarbonization,” says Wilson Ricks, an energy systems researcher at Princeton University.

Fervo's experiments with horizontal drilling in heat reservoirs open new possibilities for mining the Earth's heat. Reversing the climate crisis will require harnessing our planet's reusable resources above and below ground.

Geothermal energy extracts heat from the Earth's crust and transforms it into power.

Photo: VectorMine/Depositphotos

Texas-based Fervo Energy is building the largest geothermal development in the United States.

Photo: Fervo Energy

Southern California Edison has already agreed to purchase enough power from the project to power 350,000 homes.

The geothermal plant at The Geysers in Sonoma County, California. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons, Public Domain)

h/t: [WFTV9]

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READ: Largest Geothermal Development in America Taking Shape in Utah

Artist Benjamin Von Wong has created yet another incredible installation to raise awareness about environmental issues. This time, he's used biochar to form a nearly 20-foot-tall phoenix in Thailand. Revealed on Earth Overshoot Day, August 1, Carbon Phoenix is intended to draw attention to the unique properties of biochar.

Biochar is a carbon-rich black solid, sometimes called man-made charcoal. It has incredible carbon removal properties and is responsible for over 89% of verified carbon removal credits. This intrigued Von Wong, who dreamed up an installation that would represent the average human's annual carbon footprint—four tons. Carbon Phoenix is a physical and tangible visualization created in conjunction with local bamboo farmers and biochar producers, Wong Phai.

A team came together to produce the impressive installation over the course of two weeks. All of the phoenix's feathers are made from biochar bricks, which are formed from pyrolyzed bamboo offcuts, a waste byproduct from the construction industry that would normally be open-burned or left to decompose into CO2.

“What I think is particularly unique about this installation, is that it doesn’t just highlight the problem. It also highlights a possible solution for climate change. The best part? Anyone can participate by purchasing verified carbon removal credits,” says Von Wong

Now, the phoenix stands in Ratchaburi as a symbol of what we can do to help combat carbon emissions. And, hopefully, it shines a light on biochar as a positive solution for carbon removal.

“With a climate solution like Biochar that desperately needs more adoption and awareness, I dream that this project catalyzes and inspires home artists and artisans to explore Biochar as a creative material.”

You can read more about the making of Carbon Phoenix on Von Wong's blog.

Carbon Phoenix is a nearly 20-foot-tall biochar sculpture by Benjamin Von Wong.

Biochar, sometimes called man-made coal, is responsible for 89% of verified carbon removal credits.

It took two weeks and a team of volunteers to bring this sustainable sculpture to life.

Check out this video detailing how Benjamin Von Wong created this biochar art.

Benjamin Von Wong: Website | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Benjamin Von Wong.

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Photo: goinyk/Depositphotos

Global warming is having many disastrous effects on our planet, from more intense heat waves to hurricanes becoming stronger. Recently, scientists found yet another consequence of climate change: it's slowing down Earth's rotation, slightly extending the length of a day.

Just as the melting of glaciers endangers animals and coastal communities, it has also contributed to this lengthening of the day. As the meltwater from regions such as Greenland and Antarctica flows into the oceans, its mass is redistributed closer to the equator. This changes the shape of our planet by making it thicker around the middle, leading to the Earth’s full rotation to take more time than usual.

While the change is tiny and unnoticeable to humans—it's so small that it’s measured in milliseconds—it has effects on computer systems that control financial transactions, navigation, and power grids around the world.

“Everyday life is not sensitive at the one-second level,” Judah Levine, a physicist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology, told NPR. “Technology may be, and people use technology and they don't quite realize the sensitivity.”

This finding was published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and featured the work of scientists from NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, ETH Zurich's Institute of Geodesy and Photogrammetry, and the Department of Physics of the University of Alberta.

For millennia, the Moon has been the biggest influence on the length of days, exerting  a pull on Earth, causing the oceans to bulge towards it. However, climate change could become the new dominant factor, per Benedikt Soja, another author of the study. “We have to consider that we are now influencing Earth’s orientation in space so much that we are dominating effects that have been in action for billions of years,” he told CNN.

“This is a testament to the gravity of ongoing climate change,” Surendra Adhikari, another one of the authors of the study, concluded. Her reflection paints a worrying picture. “In barely 200 years,” she says, “we will have altered the Earth’s climate system so much that we are witnessing its impact on the very way Earth spins.”

Recently, scientists found yet another consequence of climate change: it's slowing down Earth's full rotation.

Photo: vladvitek/Depositphotos

As water that melts from glaciers is redistributed around the equator, the Earth becomes thicker around the middle, leading to the rotation taking more time than usual—in turn, this makes days longer.

Photo: alonesdj/Depositphotos

While the change is tiny and unnoticeable to humans, it has effects on computer systems that control financial transactions, navigation, and power grids around the world.

Photo: MichalBalada/Depositphotos

h/t: [NPR]

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Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities in the world. Just in the first quarter of 2024, the city welcomed 25,700 new residents. Aware of the needs of a growing population, URB, an urban planning and development firm, recently unveiled the Dubai Green Spine project, which aims to turn one of the city's major arterial roads into a “multifunctional public realm” as a way to improve all city dwellers' quality of life.

Pitched as the “World’s Greenest Highway,” Dubai Green Spine will transform Sheikh Mohammad Bin Zayed Road (E311) into a multimodal corridor. The plan envisions bike paths, walking trails, community amenities, commercial and recreational spaces, and, most notably, a line of 100% electric trams supported by 300 MW of clean solar energy, as well as space for 1 million trees in interconnected green areas along the urban corridor.

“The Dubai Green Spine isn’t just about transit; it’s about transforming how cities function, making them more livable and human-centric,” states Baharash Bagherian, CEO of URB. He adds, “It challenges conventional infrastructure norms, proving that our streets can do more than facilitate car traffic; they can significantly enhance quality of life. This project exemplifies the profound impact thoughtful, integrated urban planning can have on a city’s health and vibrancy.”

This massive infrastructure project doesn't aim to fix all the challenges posed by Dubai's growth, but rather alleviate many of them with a sustainable approach. The parks that frame and cover the 64-kilometer route are meant to mitigate the heat island effects by providing shade and air, while the walking and bike paths will connect neighborhoods to foster “20-minute cities” where every need can be fulfilled by a 20-minute walk. The plan also proposes the construction of cultural and commercial hubs.

The Dubai Green Spine aligns with the city's Dubai 2040 Urban Master Plan, which anticipates the city’s growth to nearly 8 million residents. By providing infrastructure with people from all walks of life and many of Dubai's sprawling areas in mind, the plan marries urban development with an environmental endeavor to help a city with unique weather challenges due to its hot arid climate.

In the long run, the Dubai Green Spine could not only become the city's lush heart but also a model for other cities as they deal with their own issues. After all, this project goes to show that many realities can be true: infrastructure can be built without further damaging the ecosystem, communities can be brought closer together rather than torn apart by sweeping projects, and, above all, bringing nature in is not only a way to beautify our cities, but also make them more livable for years to come.

URB, an urban planning and development firm, recently unveiled the Dubai Green Spine project.

It aims to turn one of the city's arterial roads into a multimodal corridor.

The plan envisions bike paths, walking trails, and community amenities, as well as commercial and recreational spaces.

Most notably, it features a line of 100% electric trams supported by 300 MW of clean solar energy, as well as space for 1 million trees in interconnected green areas along the urban corridor.

URB: Website

All images via URB.

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Una publicación compartida por Vlada March (@vladamarch_realestate)

Yellowstone National Park is home to relaxing landscapes that will take your breath away. But once in a while, it also gets a few scenes of commotion. On the morning of July 23, a hydrothermal explosion took place at the park's Biscuit Basin, taking visitors by surprise. Video of the moment shows a violent and tall blast of rock, water, and steam emerging from the ground.

Vlada March, a real estate agent who was on a guided tour with her family, captured the nerve-wracking footage. “We saw more steam coming up and within seconds it became this huge thing,” March told AP. “It just exploded and became like a black cloud that covered the sun.”

While no injuries were reported, the National Park Service shared images on social media that show a boardwalk covered in debris, as well as a bench and portions of a fence that were destroyed by the explosion. They added that both their staff and staff from United States Geological Survey (USGS) will monitor conditions and reopen the area once deemed safe.

“Hydrothermal explosions occur when water suddenly flashes to steam underground, and they are relatively common in Yellowstone,” says the USGS. “For example, Porkchop Geyser, in Norris Geyser Basin, experienced an explosion in 1989, and a small event in Norris Geyser Basin was recorded by monitoring equipment on April 15, 2024. An explosion similar to that of today also occurred in Biscuit Basin on May 17, 2009.”

The USGS explains that explosions such as this are hard to predict, likening them eruptions to a pressure cooker, as “they may not give warning signs at all.” More so, they are more common that people think. “This was the sort of event that occurs 1-2 times per year (often in the backcountry, so it goes unnoticed). It's an underappreciated hazard that we've been emphasizing for years,” the agency says.

Both park authorities and the USGS say that volcanic activity remains “at normal background levels,” and that this event had nothing to do with sudden volcanic activity in the area. “If it did, there would be far more changes occurring (abundant seismicity, deformation, gas emissions, widespread changes in geyser activity, etc.,” they confirm.

To stay up to date with any new developments on this explosion, you can follow Yellowstone National Park on X (formerly Twitter).

A hydrothermal explosion took place at Yellowstone National Park's Biscuit Basin, taking visitors by surprise.

 

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Una publicación compartida por Vlada March (@vladamarch_realestate)

While no injuries were reported, Yellowstone National Park shared images on social media that show a boardwalk covered in debris.

(Heads Up!) Biscuit Basin in Yellowstone National Park temporarily closed due to hydrothermal explosion. More info: https://t.co/tcDR8oRNSx pic.twitter.com/YP7CkwNrQR

— Yellowstone National Park (@YellowstoneNPS) July 23, 2024

h/t: [CBS News]

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